"Chun-Li! Are you alright!" The moment Guile entered, he asked anxiously. His gaze immediately locked onto Cloud, eyes full of wariness and hostility. "Who's this guy? Shadaloo?"
"Guile, calm down! He's not an enemy!" Chun-Li hastily explained.
"Not an enemy?" Guile snorted coldly. His hawk-like eyes fixed on Cloud. "I can sense evil energy similar to that guy (Bison) from him! Chun-Li, don't be fooled!"
Great, another one who judges by first impressions.
Cloud sighed helplessly. Looks like building trust still required "physical persuasion."
"Friend, I know you're anxious, but don't be too anxious." Cloud gave Guile a friendly smile. "Why don't we sit down, have some tea, chat a bit? Wouldn't that be nice?"
"I only chat with dead people!"
Guile was clearly a hothead. With a low growl, he crossed his arms in front of his chest!
"Sonic Boom!"
A pale green crescent-shaped energy wave, accompanied by a piercing shriek of torn air, rocketed toward Cloud's face at incredible speed!
This move was fast, precise, and ruthless—full of military combat's decisive lethality!
Yet facing this signature "projectile," Cloud didn't even lift an eyelid.
He simply raised his right hand slowly, fingers spread.
A pink-purple psychic force gathered in his palm.
"Psycho Reflector!"
WHOOOM—
A circular barrier of pure Psycho Power, shimmering with pink light, appeared before Cloud. This was Athena's signature technique, deployed by Cloud with casual ease.
The instant the fierce "Sonic Boom" struck the barrier, it bounced back like hitting a spring—faster than it had come, completely intact!
"What?!" Guile was shocked. He never imagined his signature technique would be deflected so easily!
He quickly rolled sideways, narrowly dodging his own attack.
BOOM!
The Sonic Boom blasted into the warehouse wall behind him, leaving a massive hole.
"What... what kind of ability is this?!" Guile stared at Cloud in shock. He had never seen such a bizarre technique.
"Like I said, let's have some tea." Cloud withdrew his hand, smiling. "Your technique has concentrated power and good speed—a decent harassment skill from range. Unfortunately, the energy structure is too simplistic, and the trajectory is too straightforward. In my eyes, it's full of openings."
As he spoke, Cloud's figure suddenly left an afterimage where he stood!
So fast! Guile's pupils contracted. He tried to assume a defensive stance.
But Cloud's figure had already appeared before him.
He extended a single finger and lightly tapped Guile's chest.
"Your power generation relies too heavily on upper-body muscle explosion. This causes a barely perceptible moment of stiffness in your lower body when you attack. If I were your enemy, you'd already be dead."
Guile's entire body went rigid. Cold sweat instantly poured from his forehead.
Because he knew—everything Cloud said was absolutely right!
"And also..." Cloud's finger still rested on his chest. He looked into Guile's eyes and spoke slowly. "Your heart is full of anger and hatred. For a friend named Charlie Nash, correct?"
"You...!"
These words were like the sharpest blade, instantly piercing the hardest defenses in Guile's heart!
Charlie Nash was his best brother, his mentor on the path.
His death was an eternal wound in Guile's heart! Besides him and a few high-ranking officials, nobody knew about this!
How could this man possibly...
"Revenge is a double-edged sword." Cloud withdrew his finger and spoke in the tone of someone who had been there. "It can give you strength, but it can also blind you. If you're always driven by hatred, you'll never truly surpass Bison."
Guile stood frozen, completely overwhelmed.
Strength—unfathomably deep.
Insight—grandmaster level.
Intelligence—practically supernatural!
He looked at this man who always wore that mysterious smile, then at Chun-Li beside him with her "I knew this would happen" expression.
His heart, full of military wariness, wavered.
"Who... who are you exactly?"
He asked the exact same question Chun-Li had.
Cloud smiled.
He stepped forward and clapped Guile's rock-hard shoulder.
"I'm someone who can lead you to victory."
"Now then, American soldier—can we sit down and have a proper chat about our shared goal of toppling Shadaloo?"
...
Inside the abandoned pier warehouse, the atmosphere was momentarily very awkward.
Guile, this U.S. Air Force colonel known for his tough-guy image, now stood in place like a schoolboy being lectured by the principal, not saying a word.
His signature "flattop" seemed to droop a few degrees along with his mood.
He had no choice—Cloud's combination attack of "mind reading + on-site instruction + chicken soup for the soul" had left him completely speechless.
Strength, insight, intelligence—total domination across the board.
It was like grinding your way to max level, decked out in end-game gear, ready to solo the boss.
Only for the boss to not only one-shot you but strip your equipment, then analyze your "original motivation for playing this game" in perfect detail.
Besides shouting "carry me, big bro," what else could you say?
"So..." Chun-Li looked at these two men with their contrasting styles and carefully broke the silence. "Have we... reached a consensus now?"
"No objections from me." Cloud spread his hands, returning to his "broken crate throne" with a relaxed expression. "I came here to clean up BUGs in the first place. Having two local guides—why wouldn't I want that?"
Guile took a deep breath. On his eternally poker-faced features, a hint of complexity finally appeared.
He looked at Cloud and spoke in a grave voice: "I don't care what 'dimensional janitor' you are, and I don't care about your objectives. As long as you help me take down Bison and avenge Nash—my life is yours!"
These words were spoken with force and conviction, full of a soldier's resolve.
...
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