Hokuto Kombat: Legend of the True Savior

by Snafu the Great

Overhauled the original story. We all know how MK9 ends. But what if the Elder Gods decide to intervene and summon Kenshiro to Earthrealm as their champion? How would the events change? How would Kenshiro's presence change the fates of the Forces of Light? And how would Kenshiro and Raiden react when they find out that Shao Kahn has summoned Raoh to fight for Outworld?

4. 3: The Tournament Begins!

Chapter Three: The Tournament Begins! Kenshiro, Prepare Yourself!

Snafu's Notes: Here is where the fun begins. Kenshiro arrives at Shang Tsung's Island with Raiden and the others.

En route to Shang Tsung's Island...

It was nearly eight in the evening as the Chinese junk rig made its way across the South China Sea. Kenshiro had kept to himself for the duration of the trip to Shang Tsung's Island, lost in his thoughts. Nightwolf, wisely had left him alone.

The Apache shaman had filled in the blanks left by Delia. Through Nightwolf, Kenshiro knew who to look out for, the movers and shakers, those who were Raiden's chosen. Kenshiro had a lot to think about on the trip over on the boat. He stood at the ship's bow, hunched over, looking out into the sea.

Kenshiro has his eye on three specific martial artists. According to Nightwolf, these three were Raiden's chosen warriors, but only one of them was destined to win the tournament. The American action star...the blond military officer...and the Shaolin Monk. They had boarded the rig the same time as he did, but he had kept to himself.

'A tournament,' Kenshiro thought. 'The tournament. One which is held once a generation.'

The last time he was at a tournament, it was long before the nuclear war. The tournament was between the Nanto and Hokuto schools. A rising star in the art of Hokuto Shinken, Kenshiro had went through the tournament while Raoh and Souther watched. Then Kenshiro fought Shuu and was promptly defeated. To save his life, Shuu had sacrificed his own eyesight, blinding himself. Kenshiro had never forgotten that, as it had left a lasting impression on him.

Despite not winning the tournament, Raoh, Toki and Ryuken were impressed with Kenshiro's growth.

Kenshiro looked up at the night sky. It was clear. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture of Yuria. He remembered that day that the picture was taken. The picture was taken shortly after Kenshiro was named successor to Hokuto Shinken, on her birthday. One month later, the button was pushed and the bombs were dropped.

"You want me to make a wish, Ken?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I want us to be together until the end of the world."

Kenshiro sardonically smile as he remembered Yuria's wish. 'The end of the world is coming,' he thought. 'If I fail, that is.'

Behind him, he could hear three people taking. Two men and a woman. Out of the trio, one was Chinese, the other American. He had spotted them while boarding the ship with Nightwolf hours earlier, the American male dressed in a black three-piece suit, white shirt sans necktie, his eyes concealed by the pair of expensive shades he wore. For some strange reason, the man reminded Kenshiro of Shin. The blond woman standing beside him was military. She was clad in a black leather vest, skin-tight green pants pants and boots. Again, for some reason, she reminded Kenshiro of Mamiya, the warrior woman who had taken a liking to Rei. Traveling bags were at their feet. Last, was the Chinese man. He was clad in a Chinese-style shirt, which was black and black-and-red pants. From the corner of his eye, Kenshiro watched as the three began to talk with one another, showing that they knew each other.

Just then, another vision had came to him. The vision was that of the Chinese man dying - albeit accidentally - at the hands of Raiden, following the former losing faith in the latter.

"Liu Kang! Please forgive me..."

"You...have killed us...all..."

Kenshiro shook his head of the vision and continued to stare out to the horizon. As he stared out into the open sea, he was forming a plan. A plan to counter not only Kahn's schemes, but to also counter the bad decisions in which Raiden will make once his future self pass on the visions of Armageddon to his past self.

Liu Kang was a descendant of the Great Kung Lao. Born in China's Hunan Province, he was orphaned at a young age when his parents had died under unusual circumstances. Both he and his brother, Chow were then raised by the Shaolin monks. While Liu settled into the life of a monk, Chan had ran away from the temple, and was never heard from again. The Shaolin saw the potential that Liu had and began to train him for the final Mortal Kombat tournament. Raiden also saw the potential that Liu had and took him under his wing, even going as far as to taking him to Outworld to learn under the legendary master Bo' Rai Cho.

The wiry Chinese martial artist greeted Sonya and Johnny. A year following Sonya and Johnny's return to Seido, Raiden had taken them both to the Shaolin Temple where both Liu and Kung Lao had trained, in order for the both of them to test their skills. It had been a two-on-two battle, but in the end, both Sonya and Johnny had lost, Johnny not using the Southern Cross style at Raiden's request, as he did not want Johnny to kill him by accident.

In the end, the trio became fast friends. Johnny jokingly called themselves 'The Heroic Trio.'

"Liu," Johnny greeted.

The fighting monk greeted the pair with a nod of the head. "Johnny. Sonya. Glad you two decided to come."

"So...this is it?" Sonya asked, looking around at the other fighters. "A handful of people on a leaky boat are going to save the world?"

"Not a handful, Sonya," Johnny reminded, pointing at Liu. "Just him. Remember Liu here is the Chosen One. He's Raiden's golden boy, the point man, the star of the show. We're just the supporting cast assigned to make sure he gets the job done."

Liu smiled wryly. He was used to Johnny's sense of humor, as was Sonya. Johnny had an ego the size of the Great Wall despite his side trip to Seido, but Liu saw that he meant well. "Good to see you have faith in me." He then turned to the solitary man dressed in leather standing at the bow, looking out on the horizon. "You noticed the newcomer?" he asked.

Johnny and Sonya followed Liu's gaze. "You mean the guy dressed up like a post-apocalyptic biker?" the star replied. "Kinda hard to miss. What about him?"

"What do you think?" Liu asked. "Good guy or bad?"

It took Johnny a second to answer that. "Good guy."

Sonya looked at Johnny. "A good guy? Are you sure?"

"Dressed like that? Definitely a good guy."

Kenshiro's enhanced hearing had caught the conversation between the three warriors. His lips twitched into a small grin before going back into his usual stoic expression.

&^%

At the stern of the ship...

"Haokah," Nightwolf greeted as Raiden appeared. "About my visions...they came true."

"Oh?"

"There is a man onboard. A man with seven scars on his chest," the shaman reported. Kiva barked alongside his master.

"Yes...I've seen him accompany you on board the ship. Who is he?"

"His name is Kenshiro, and he is here representing the Elder Gods." Nightwolf kept out the part in regards to Kenshiro's origins and of the nuclear wasteland from where he originated.

Raiden now looked worried. "The Elder Gods sent him? This is strange."

"Maybe they sent him to make sure that Earthrealm wins the tournament."

"You know that Liu Kang is destined to win," Raiden reminded him. "This changes things."

"I trust him, Haokah," Nightwolf defended. "He saved my life when the Lin Kuei sent a hit squad to kill me. I hold my hand to the fire for it."

Raiden sighed. "I hope so, Nightwolf. For your sake." He vanished in a bolt of lightning.

Shang Tsung's Island

Kenshiro had faced many opponents back in his own Earth. Jagi. Shin. Amiba. Devil's Rebirth. The Colonel of the Golan. Souther. But here he was, a stranger in a familiar, yet strange land, tasked by the Elder Gods to fight in a tournament. He had fought in the Kumite as a child, and had lost against Shuu, but this was definitely something he was not accustomed to.

From what he had found out prior to his and the other fighters' arrival from Nightwolf, the island was home to the tournament's host, the shape-shifting sorcerer Shang Tsung, the island itself located between Earth and Outworld on the Lost Sea. Five hundred years ago, Shang Tsung had stolen the tournament from the Shaolin order and corrupted it for his own ends.

Once the ship containing the Earthrealm warriors docked at port, the warriors disembarked. Liu, Sonya and Johnny were the first, accompanied by Raiden. Kenshiro followed soon after.

Kenshiro felt a growing sense of dread creeping in his gut. 'Stars of Hokuto, guide me and keep me strong in my quest,' he thought.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning to his left, he saw Nightwolf, giving him a reassuring smile. Ken nodded, thankful of the new ally he had met.

Turning his head towards the fortress, Kenshiro walked toward his destiny.

(*&

In the shade of a statue near the fortress' main gates, sat the Princess of Outworld.

Princess Kitana was flanked by two of Shang's personal guards, two female servants and her childhood friend, watching as Earthrealm's warriors filed past her, her expression was that of complete boredom. She was here at her father's request, to make sure that Shang did not try anything funny, not when he was so close to absolute victory. Skarlet was shadowing Quan Chi, and here she was, watching Shang's every move. At the moment, she sat in the shadow of the massive statue, sizing up the competition.

She was ten thousand years old, yet Kitana looked like she was in her mid-to-late twenties. Exotic, mysterious with the body of a ballet dancer, she was a perfect beauty, with long dark hair tied back into a single ponytail, dark eyes alert, her perfectly proportioned body was covered with an dark blue Outworld-style cheongsam dress. She was not only the Princess of Outworld, but also Shao Kahn's chief assassin, having been trained since childhood by the best martial artists that Kahn had to offer. Shang Tsung was also one of her teachers, but she held the sorcerer in disdain.

Jade stood behind and to the side of Kitana. Like Kitana, she was around the same age. The pair had came up together, having been trained under the same teachers. Also a beauty like her princess and longtime friend, with caramel-colored skin and clad in jade-green silks, hence her name. She was also the closest thing that Kitana had as a sister, which made her secret mission from Shao Kahn even more painful: should Kitana show signs of defecting from his side, then she is to be executed without question.

Jade silently prayed that day would not come when she would be forced to choose between betraying her longtime friend or betraying her Emperor.

One fighter caught Kitana's eye: a man dressed in leather with spiky dark hair. He was walking alongside the shaman and his pet wolf. He ignored her and continued to walk forward, so Kitana dismissed him and continued to size up the competition. The second male which caught her gaze, however, returned it. Kitana sized him up: Chinese, obviously, with dark hair, a red headband tied around his forehead, clad in Chinese-style clothes.

'So...that is Raiden's chosen champion,' Kitana thought. 'So that is Liu Kang.'

With Liu...

For a minute, Liu and the blue-clad woman locked eyes. Then he felt Johnny nudge him from his side.

"Y'know," Johnny drawled as Sonya came up beside the star, "when a woman looks at you like that, it usually means something."

Sonya rolled her eyes at Johnny's comment. The trio then continued on.

"She...she's beautiful," Liu said as they walked past the gates. "Who was she?"

"I think that was Princess Kitana, Shao Kahn's stepdaughter," Sonya explained. Off Liu's puzzled look, Sonya said, "Johnny and I spent time in Seido, remember? The Seidans have a damn good library."

"Especially when it comes to the histories of the other realms, as well as who is in charge, the movers and shakers, if you will," Johnny added. "Sonya spent most of her time there when we were not training with Master Hotaru. Who'd have thought that Miss Military is quite the little bookworm? Beauty, brains and brawn...my type of woman."

Sonya made a face at the star. "And here, I thought your type of woman was the bulimic ditzy supermodel."

Liu said nothing else as both Johnny and Sonya continued to argue. It was something that they would usually do. They would usually banter back and forth. Raiden would usually watch the two argue with mild amusement, as did Nightwolf.

"Wait...stepdaughter?" Liu repeated.

Johnny nodded. "Yup. Stepdaughter. Long story short, Kahn took over Edenia after they lost 10 tournaments in a row, offed the ruling king and took said king's wife. Oh, and adopted Kitana as his own daughter."

"Queen Sindel, in desperation, committed suicide," Sonya continued, "her body acting as a barrier of sorts to keep Kahn from invading Earthrealm. That and it serves as one giant middle finger to the Emperor. I thought you knew this stuff."

Liu shrugged his shoulders. "Lord Raiden does not tell me everything, you know."

"So much for being Raiden's golden boy," Johnny snorted.

That earned him a punch to the arm by both Liu and Sonya. "Ow."

The Courtyard, nighttime.

Kenshiro stood amongst the contestants, silently observing his surroundings. The tournament was about to begin. He stood on beside Nightwolf, who was standing alongside Raiden and Liu Kang. Sonya and Johnny were beside Liu Kang. He also took notice of three fighters dressed like assassins - the Lin Kuei, from what Nightwolf had told him. Standing several feet from Johnny was a man with chalk-white skin and a ninja in yellow.

Kenshiro heard Raiden gasp and from the corner of his eyes, watched as the thunder god clutch his head. Kenshiro knew what that meant; the Raiden of the Future had passed on the events from here all the way to Armageddon. Events in which this Raiden would come and try to avoid, albeit at a disastrous cost.

"Lord Raiden..." Kenshiro heard Liu speak. "What's wrong?"

Raiden was holding one hand to his head as if to ward off a migraine. "Strange visions..." the thunder god replied.

Liu looked down. "Lord Raiden, your amulet!"

Raiden retrieved the item in question and inspected it. The amulet was of gold and sapphire, with the familiar coiled dragon in the center, and was created by the Elder Gods. Raiden received it as a gift. It would have been an exquisite piece, had it not been for the several cracks which had marred its surface.

"It's nothing," Raiden said as he placed the amulet back on his vest, yet Kenshiro knew by the tone in his voice that he was concerned. "Focus. The tournament begins."

A procession of monks emerged and took their seats in front of the platform. They were followed by Shang Tsung, who was flanked by three women; one in blue, the other in green, the last in red. Kenshiro recognized the first two as Kitana and Jade from his visions, but did not know who the woman in red was. To the left of Shang Tsung, Baraka emerged, catching Kenshiro off-guard. "What kind of madness is this?" he whispered to himself.

"Tarkatan," Nightwolf whispered. "The end result of Outworlders mating with Netherrealmers. Very dangerous. Very tough. And very unpredictable. Tarkatans are born with blades inside their forearms which they can use in combat. According to Raiden, that one is Baraka."

Kenshiro nodded.

Shang Tsung took his place on his throne and began to speak. "Kombatants, I am your host, Shang Tsung. In the coming days, each of you will fight. Some are here of their own volition, others were brought here by chance..."

As Shang continues to speak, Sonya caught sight of her quarry. He was on the far end of the courtyard, watching the opening ceremony. Standing beside her target was a woman - also a redhead. Sonya felt Johnny's firm grip on her forearm, which stopped her from doing anything rash. "Be cool, Blade," Johnny whispered. "Your time will come. Be cool."

Kenshiro also took notice of Sonya's quarry. For some strange reason, the man with the metal faceplate reminded him of Jagi.

"Hey, Kenshiro! Say my name! I am Lord Jagi! Successor to the school of Hokuto Shinken!"

"You participate in the most important Mortal Kombat in history," Shang concluded. "This tournament, the tenth after nine Outworld victories, will determine Earthrealm's fate. If you defeat all of your opponents, you will face one final challenge...which is me."

Johnny cocked an eyebrow. "This guy is serious, right?" he whispered to Sonya. "From the look of things, he looks like he could either throw out his back or break a hip if he fights."

"Ahem."

'Crap,' Johnny winced. 'Please tell me he's not behind me.'

Sure enough, upon turning around, Johnny found himself face-to-face with Shang.

"Appearances can be deceiving, Mr. Cage," Shang said in a sage-like tone before hovering back to his throne. "And you will be the first to find out, as you are the first kombatant."

Johnny mentally cursed to himself. Once again, his mouth had gotten himself into trouble. Oh well. He came to fight and to save the world. "Okay, fine," he said as he hopped onto the arena, not bothering to remove his vest and jacket. "Who's my opponent?"

"Your opponent is..." Shang paused for dramatic effect, pointing to the roof on the far end of the arena. "...Reptile!"

Johnny followed Shang's finger and noticed that there was something on the roof. Invisible, but the air surrounding it was distorted.

Then, as it leapt in the air, the invisibility vanished and Reptile emerged in all his glory.

Reptile was one of Shao Kahn's chief assassins. He was Sauran, from the former realm of Zaterra, the realm itself having long since been absorbed by Kahn. The Saurian were descended from dinosaurs, complete with a much larger brain, unlike their ancestors, allowing them the ability for complex thinking. Aside from their obvious talents of invisibility, they had the talent to make their Saurian features look more human in order to blend in.

Originally native to Earthrealm, the Saurian race was forced to relocate following a war between Raiden and the fallen Elder God, Shinnok. For a time, the Saurians had thrived on Zaterra, until Shao Kahn absorbed the realm into Outworld and driven the Saurians to near-extinction. Only a handful of Saurians remained.

Humanoid in appearance, muscular, his body covered in green scales, slitted eyes looking upon the movie star, ready to rip him apart limb from limb.

"Wonderful," Johnny muttered as he went into his stance.

"Fight!" Shang bellowed.

To anyone who did not know him, he showed nothing but confidence. But to Sonya – and Kenshiro – the cockiness and swagger was just a ruse on his part, to lure the opponent into a false state of confidence...right before Johnny put them down for the count.

In Sonya's words, "Reckless, but an effective strategy." Raiden and Liu also agreed with Sonya's analysis.

Johnny ducked low as Reptile started off the match by spitting acid at his face, the viscous green fluid melting the wooden pathway on impact. In the year spent in Seido, Johnny's fighting style had changed. Thanks to his year-long side trip to Seido, Johnny had become even more powerful, something that Reptile was going to find out the hard way.

A somersault flip kick caught Reptile square on the kisser. As Reptile was sent flying, Johnny landed on his feet, and leapt after him, performing his Shadow Uppercut. Aside from the Shadow Kick, it was another of Johnny's signature moves. To anyone watching, it was as if the action star had elongated and faded, his movements being caught in a green strobe light.

If anyone thought that Johnny Cage was a fake, they sure as hell didn't now.

'Hmm...interesting technique,' Kenshiro thought.

Reptile landed on his back, while Johnny once again landed on his feet. Before Johnny could move in to knock Reptile out, the Saurian turned invisible and counterattacked, knocking Johnny into the air and planting both feet into his back, knocking the American star down on the ground, his glasses falling from his face...right before Reptile crushed them under his heel.

'Dammit! Those were my favorite glasses!' Johnny thought.

Getting back to his feet, he faced the invisible Reptile, who shot a Forceball. Johnny flipped over it and planted his foot into Reptile's face, knocking him out of his invisibility. When Reptile got back to his feet, Reptile attempted another dropkick, but Johnny rolled out of the way.

Getting back to his feet, he glared at the Saurian assassin. "Those were $500 sunglasses, asshole," he sniped.

In response, Reptile crouched on all fours, and went back to being invisible.

"Not gonna catch me with the same trick again, you walking leather jacket," Johnny muttered as he sidestepped Reptile. He performed a series of kicks, once again knocking Reptile out of the invisibility, and forcing the Saurian on the defensive.

"Hmm...he's pretty good," Kenshiro mused as the fight began to go in Johnny's favor.

Nightwolf nodded. "Yes. For all his showboating and shallowness, Johnny Cage is indeed a formidable fighter," the shaman seconded. "But that is nothing but a mask. Johnny is an honorable warrior."

Sonya and Liu both watched their comrade as he began to win. "Looks like his sister was right about his style," she said. "He's keeping the pressure on Reptile, not allowing him to gain any momentum. Like a cage indeed."

Liu nodded, also privy to the knowledge of how Johnny had gotten his stage name.

When Reptile cocked his head back and let loose with another stream of green acid, he saw that he had missed. Looking down, he saw Johnny in a split, right hand chambered back.

POW.

Most of the male fighters – Kenshiro, Shang and Baraka included – winced as Johnny punched Reptile in the groin, forcing the Saurian to double over in pain. A boot-to-da-head knocked Reptile down and out.

The match was over. Johnny Cage had won.

"The winner...Johnny Cage!" Shang bellowed as two of his soldiers carried Reptile off the platform.

"Hot damn, am I good!" Johnny whooped. "He got Caged! That's it, ha-haa! Oh yeah! I'm so pretty!"

Liu sighed at his friend's showboating. Raiden shook his head, already aware of Johnny's attitude. Sonya palmed her face, wondering in the back of her mind if Johnny really was one of Raiden's chosen.

Still playing the role of the cocky fighter, the movie star walked up to the contestants and continued to talk trash down the line. "And I'm takin' you down, I'm takin' you down, I'm takin' you out, I'm takin' you out..."

He's now in front of Kenshiro. "...I'm takin' you out..."

And stopped in front of Sonya. "...and I'm takin' you out...for dinner."

Sonya rolled her eyes. "You wish, Cage."

Kenshiro watched the exchange between the blonde officer and the movie star. 'So they do know each other,' he thought.

Shang cleared his throat. "Most impressive, Mr. Cage. Your next challenge...is Baraka!"

With a snarl, the muscular Tarkartan hopped into the ring. Meanwhile, Johnny turned to Raiden. The thunder god gave the mortal a single nod, answering his unspoken question.

Johnny removed his jacket and handed it to Sonya. "Hold on to this for a sec, will ya?" he asked, as he unbuttoned the sleeves on his shirt and rolled them to his elbows. The second thing he did was to retrieve a pair of black leather gloves from his back pocket. The gloves looked expensive, but were Seidan in origin, identifying the both of them as honorary members of the Seidan Guard (they look like the ones he wore in Trilogy). Sonya herself also had on a pair, and not only were they tough, but also comfortable.

"'Praised to be the order which has brought forth...'" Johnny began as he slipped the gloves over his fingers, reciting the battle creed of the Seidan Guard.

"'...from the very edge of chaos,'" Sonya finished.

Neither Johnny nor Sonya noticed the item fall from the jacket pocket and land near Kenshiro's boot. The Hokuto master did and crouched down to pick it up. A photograph, Kenshiro deduced. Curiosity getting the better of him, Kenshiro looked at the picture...

...and his eyes went wide with shock.

The picture was several months old, and it was that of the Carlton family. Kenshiro identified Johnny in the picture, as well as a young woman – his sister, Kenshiro had guessed. The older woman was his mother, a matronly-looking woman.

But it was Johnny's dad that had gotten his attention.

He was older, the hair was dark and cut short, and he was dressed in a policeman's formal uniform, but Kenshiro recognized him in an instant.

Shin.

Johnny Cage's father was Shin.

Or rather, Earthrealm's version of Shin, had he aged 25 years, settled down and did not practice Nanto Seiken. 'No wonder he reminded me so much of Shin,' Kenshiro thought as he studied both Johnny's father and Johnny himself. 'He's Shin's son...or at least, Earthrealm's version of Shin.'

Of course as this was an alternate version of Earth, that there would be alternative versions of various people he had met back in his own Earth. People who did not have to worry about bandits and starvation.

Quickly getting over his gaffe, he handed the picture back to Sonya. "You dropped this," he said.

Sonya nodded her thanks as Shang yelled out, "FIGHT!"

Baraka was a Tarkatan – a mutant native to Outworld. His nomadic tribe of mutants were the result of breeding between the Outworld natives and the demons from the Netherrealm. The most distinguishing characteristics of the Tarkata were their razor sharp teeth and their retractable arm blades.

Kenshiro looked back up...and noticed that Johnny had shifted stances. One that he recognized all too well. The basic stance of Nanto Koshūken (South Dipper Lone Eagle Fist) – Shin's school.

The sect of Nanto Seiken (South Dipper Holy Fist) had 108 schools, and was considered to be the diametric opposite of Hokuto Shinken, given that while Hokuto Shinken was designed to destroy the opponent's body from within, Nanto Seiken was designed to kill from the outside, ranging from stabbing with their hands, or using air pressure to kill their opponent. Kenshiro suspected that Johnny knew a less-refined, but still potentially lethal variant of Shin's style.

Almost by reflex, Kenshiro's eye twitched. 'That's Shin's stance,' he thought.

Nightwolf noticed the eye twitch from Kenshiro. "What is it?"

"I know that style the actor is using," Kenshiro whispered back. "Where I'm from, there is a sect which is the opposite of my school – Nanto Seiken. Its lethality is easily a match for my own style. If Cage is as good as he says he is, then the Tarkatan is in for one bad night."

Baraka snarled as he prepared to strike.

Johnny smirked. "You got a purdy mouth, boy," he drawled in a Southern redneck accent. "Think I can make you squeal like a pig?"

Baraka charged in, hands interlinked in an overhead hammer strike, ready to drive the action star into the ground. Johnny hopped back, and Baraka missed his opponent. Johnny counterattacked with a knife-hand strike to the face. Baraka dodged...

...and felt a single cut emerge from his cheek, drawing blood.

From his place on his throne, Shang's curiosity was aroused. 'It appears that Mr. Cage is full of surprises,' he thought.

Enraged, Baraka lunged in and grabbed a double handful of Johnny's shirt. His original plan was to impale Johnny and cause him to bleed out, but a kick to the shins had brought those plans to a halt. Despite Baraka still gripping his shirt, Johnny leapt into the air and planted both feet into Baraka's chest, knocking him backwards. However, his shirt was an unfortunate casualty, as it was ripped from his body, leaving him in only the vest.

Removing the shredded remains of his shirt, Johnny re-assumed his stance (he does not have his name tattooed across his chest this time around), just as Baraka unsheathed his blades.

"My blades will taste your flesh, human!" Baraka snarled.

"Let's see how well your blades can stand up to the style of Southern Cross," Johnny replied.

Again, from the sidelines, Kenshiro's eye twitched.

During his year-long stay in Seido, Johnny had honed his skills in the Southern Cross style, incorporating several new techniques from the Seidan style of combat into his new style. Since his return, he had not the chance to use it in the open, as it would cause him unwanted problems in the future.

However, with Raiden's silent consent, Johnny was free to go to town on the Tarkatan warrior.

As the fight resumed, Kenshiro's eye twitched even more, as he saw much of Shin in Johnny. Raiden took notice of the eye twitching from Kenshiro, but remained silent.

Johnny somersaulted back in order to avoid Baraka's blades. The Tarkatan then crossed his blades and fired off a spark of energy, to which Johnny countered by flinging his own energy attack, canceling the other out. Baraka's blade nicked Johnny's forearm, drawing blood, while a near-miss had caught Baraka in the shoulder.

Johnny hopped backwards in order to avoid Baraka's wild swings. Master Hotaru had said that the Tarkata were unpredictable and prone to fits of anger and berzerker-like rage, which meant that he had to put Baraka down quick and fast. But he had to watch out for those damned blades.

'Come on, Johnny-boy,' Johnny thought as he kicked Baraka in the head. 'Think! Southern Cross can only take me so far...and on top of that, Baraka's anger is making him even more dangerous. I need to knock him out, or at least cripple him...that's it!'

"I'm takin' you down," Johnny snapped. "And I got just the technique for the occasion."

With Baraka stunned from a headbutt, Johnny leapt into the air.

As Johnny reached the apex of his jump, a vein was throbbing in Kenshiro's head. In his mind's eye, he was replaying their fateful encounter, in which Shin had stolen Yuria from him. The way that Johnny had leaped into the air...it was the same as Shin's: arms outstretched, knees bent. Just as Johnny reached the peak of his jump, Baraka leapt after him.

It was as if Kenshiro had watched as how the first battle with Shin had played out. An air-joust, with Johnny as Shin and Baraka as Kenshiro. Both warriors met in mid-air, legs outstretched, Johnny, ever the showboat, left a trail of green after-images.

The two kombatants landed on opposite ends of the arena, with Johnny landing near the closest of Sonya and the others.

Baraka let out a snarl and spun around, unsheathing his blades. Johnny, in the meantime, simply stood up and dusted his pants off.

"Um...Johnny," Sonya began, pointing at the advancing Tarkatan, "you'd better turn around."

"Worried about me, Sonya? I didn't know you cared," Johnny replied as Baraka was now halfway across the arena. "The match is over."

Sonya shook her head. "No it's not."

'Yes it is,' Kenshiro thought.

Just as Baraka cocked one blade back to decapitate Johnny, he froze in mid-swing. Sonya and the others soon found out why. Johnny had suspected that Tarkartan physiology was somewhat similar to that of a human. And he was right.

The Gokusatsuken (Prison Murder Fist) was a technique which Kenshiro knew all too well. It was a technique used by Shin which allowed him to win in their first battle, if it was considered that. The Prison Murder Fist delivered a crippling blow by slicing the tendons in both the opponent's arms and legs, rendering them helpless. Kenshiro had long since developed a counter for such a move, as he would not fall victim to that move again.

As Sonya and the others watched, blood began to spray from the Tarkartan's sliced tendons – arms and legs, the pain causing Baraka to scream in pain. Shang was shocked, as was Kitana and Jade. Even Raiden, Liu, and Nightwolf had surprised expressions on their faces as to how the match had ended.

Johnny turned around and watched as Baraka keeled over, landing on his back, effectively crippled. Walking over to the injured Tarkartan, he said, "Not so tough now, are ya?"

"Most impressive, Mr. Cage," Shang said from his throne. "Now...finish him!"

Johnny turned to the elderly sorcerer. "Excuse me?"

"Finish him!" Shang ordered. "Kill him!"

Without another word, Johnny crouched down beside the defeated Baraka, hand raised in a knife-edge strike.

Kenshiro watched impassively, while Sonya, Raiden, Nightwolf and Liu were hoping that Johnny did not go through with Shang's demand. Baraka looked on in defiance.

Johnny brought the hand down...

THUNK.

Instead of tearing through flesh and bone as Shang had hoped for, Johnny had left four finger-shaped holes in the wood next to Baraka's head upon withdrawing his hand.

Sonya and Liu breathed a sigh of relief. Raiden and Nightwolf nodded in approval. Shang looked disappointed. Kenshiro looked slightly impressed.

Johnny stood up and looked at Shang. "You're right about one thing, old man," he said. "Appearances can be deceiving."

He walked away from his fallen opponent. Meanwhile two of Shang's guards carried the wounded Baraka away.

"Very well," Shang said, rising from his throne. "The tournament will resume at dawn!"

Raiden and Liu approached Johnny as the monks dispersed alongside Shang and the other Outworld warriors. "You fought well, Johnny," Raiden complimented.

"Thanks," Johnny replied. He then looked around. "Where's Sonya?"

Liu looked around, as did Raiden. "She's gone," the monk said.

"Must be going after Kano," Johnny said. "Sonya caught sight of him. Either that, or she's gone looking for Jax."

"Liu, go with Johnny and find Sonya," Raiden ordered. "I must speak with Nightwolf."

Johnny and Liu nodded and walked off in search for Sonya. In the meantime, Kenshiro decided to tail the most star and the fighting monk.

With Johnny and Liu...

Johnny sighed. Sonya had given him the slip and gone after Kano. One other thing she had picked up from their time together in Seido was their passion for justice and order. Johnny did as well, just not to such a degree as Sonya. At least she was not a zealot like Hotaru and the others. So here he was with Liu Kang, trying to search for their missing friend, Johnny now wearing a fresh pair of shades.

"Aside from the both of us and Miss Military," Johnny began as he and Liu ventured deeper into Shang's fortress, "what about the old man? Is he competing in the tournament?"

Liu frowned. "You really should be more respectful of Lord Raiden," he sniped.

"This is me being respectful. Nightwolf calls him Haokah, Sonya addresses him as 'Sir,' and you address him by his proper title. Me calling him 'Old Man' is something out of respect. It's not like I call him that while my tone is saying 'Screw You.' Besides, it's more respectful than 'Old Sparky.'"

Liu opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but found that he did not have one. "Fine. You got a point there."

"What I don't understand is that he is the god of thunder and lightning and has the power to reduce Shang to ashes. Why not?"

"Because there are rules that even the gods themselves must obey," Liu explained. "As for your first question, Lord Raiden is a powerful warrior. His specialty is Nan Chuan Kung Fu and Jujitsu."

"Which style?"

"Excuse me?"

"There's more than one style of Jujitsu, Liu. There's at least seven hundred variants of that style," Johnny pointed out.

"About seven hundred and fifty documented variants," Liu corrected.

"So which one is Raiden is a master of?"

Liu grinned. "Lord Raiden knows all of them."

Johnny let out a low whistle. "I'm impressed." After a moment, he spoke again. "You know, you got to admire Sonya's passion. When she sets her mind on something..."

"Johnny...it's not the mind that you are admiring," Liu pointed out.

The action star shrugged his shoulders. "True. She does have a cute butt," he admitted.

Liu shook his head as both he and Johnny entered the Palace Gardens. Johnny looked around the place and frowned. "Okay, seriously...Liu, I don't like this. I'm in a hostile environment. I'm totally unprepared and surrounded by a bunch of guys who probably want to kick my ass. Reminds me of high school. In Reptile and Baraka's case, one wants to eat me and the other wants to stab me to death."

Liu grinned. "You should have known what you were getting yourself into, Johnny."

"Is it too late to back out?" Johnny asked.

"Very," a third voice cut in.

Seconds later, Johnny and Liu found themselves surrounded by a group of Lin Kuei assassins, putting both men on the defensive. Nine in total, faces concealed, dressed in black, ready to mow down the two warriors.

"Great," Johnny muttered as he and Liu went into defensive stances. "Lin Kuei. I'm starting to hate these guys."

Now Liu was surprised. "You know of the Lin Kuei?" he asked.

"We had a couple of run-ins in the past," Johnny replied mildly. "Long story. I'll tell you about it later."

"That's one story you will not be telling, Cage," a male voice said.

The leader of the team of assassins strode in. Johnny recognized him almost immediately. "You again, Sektor?"

Sektor was a life-long member of the Lin Kuei. His father was the current grandmaster of the sect of assassins and thieves. Tall and muscular as Johnny, Sektor was of Chinese ancestry. Dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the beard trimmed. Sektor was dressed in his own black-and-red Lin Kuei uniform, proudly bearing the insignia of his clan on his right shoulder. A red miniaturized fuel tank was strapped behind his back, which fed fuel to the miniaturized flamethrowers strapped to his wrists.

"You were lucky the last time, Cage," Sektor snarled. "This time, I will show you no mercy. No one escapes the Lin Kuei."

"Funny. I did," Johnny replied. "I'm 2-and-0 against you and your precious clan. What's even more funny is that I dated an actress named Lynn Quay."

"I am not amused," replied Sektor.

"Do you ever have a normal day when you are not pissing anybody off?" Liu asked the American star.

"Once. I think that was a Tuesday," Johnny replied.

"You are of Earthrealm, and yet, you wish to kill us?" Liu pointed out. "Why?"

"We were hired by Shang Tsung to eliminate any competitors fighting for Raiden. Especially you," Sektor replied curtly. "And the money Shang is paying is far too tempting to pass up. Nothing personal. Just good business." He then gave the order. "Kill them."

Before the Lin Kuei could move in, a fourth voice echoed through the gardens. "Disgraceful. Nine against two."

Sektor looked around, as did the other Lin Kuei. "Who's there? Who dares to interfere in the affairs of the Lin Kuei?"

Kenshiro emerged from the shadows, having watched the entire spectacle. "I do," he replied flatly as he raised his hands and cracked his knuckles. "This is your only warning," he intoned as he repeated the motion. "Walk away. Walk away and you will live. Refuse...and you will die here."

"Brave fool. No one makes demands of the Lin Kuei and lives," Sektor sneered. He turned to the assassin to his left. "Kill him."

"With pleasure," the Lin Kuei replied. Brandishing a pair of throwing knives, he raised one and flung it blade-first at Kenshiro.

The 64th successor of Hokuto Shinken's hand snapped upward, catching the blade between the index and middle finger, having performed the Nishi Shinkūha (Two-Finger Nil-Space Grasp). The knife-wielding assassin's eyes went wide with shock, but only for a split second, as Kenshiro returned the knife to its owner, blade-first, and just as fast.

THUNK.

The knife-throwing Lin Kuei did not have time to react, as the knife's blade entered his skull and brain. It took his body several seconds to realize that it was dead before falling over.

Liu, Johnny and Sektor looked at the dead Lin Kuei, then back at Kenshiro, shock being the evident expression on all of their faces. For Sektor, that shock soon changed to anger, with the rest of the Lin Kuei soon matching Sektor's expression. Brandishing various bladed weapons, they prepared for a fight.

Kenshiro hopped on the balls of his feet before going into his stance (the same one from Ken's Rage). "You want to know why Hokuto Shinken is the strongest style of them all?" Kenshiro asked as the Lin Kuei charged. "You'll soon find out."

"Hokuto Stinkin' my ass! Let's get him!" one of the Lin Kuei shouted.

Once the assassins moved in close enough, chambered his leg back and lashed out in a powerful sweeping kick, catching the assassins in the face, and knocking them on their asses.

"A-TAH!"

"He sounds a lot like you," Johnny noted to Liu.

"Idiots! The whole lot of you!" Sektor shouted. "He's only one man! Kill him!"

The six men got back up and charged again...

...only to stop and grab at their heads as they began to distort and bulge, the veins pulsing as blood ran out of their noses and ears, right before exploding in a bloody geyser of blood, bone and brains.

"By the Elder Gods..." Liu whispered.

Johnny removed his shades, blue eyes in shock as to what he had witnessed. The guy just kicked six assassins...and their heads blew up. "Holy shit."

The next-to-last Lin Kuei, which happened to be a man standing nearly seven feet tall and armed with dual swords, attacked Kenshiro. As Liu, Johnny and Sektor watched, Kenshiro calmly dodged the giant's attacks. What Kenshiro did next would forever be burned into the memories of Johnny Cage, Sektor and Liu Kang.

Having enough of dodging the Lin Kuei giant's attacks, Kenshiro counterattacked.

"A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA -TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-T A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-WA-TAH!"

WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM- WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM- WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-WHAM-KAPOW!

To anyone watching, it was as if Kenshiro's hands had literally multiplied into hundreds of pokes and punches, all were aimed at the giant's head, striking at insane speeds, right before Kenshiro's fist impacted against his jaw, knocking the giant back several steps, his head ringing from being at the receiving end of Kenshiro's signature technique: the Hokuto Hyakuretsuken (North Star Hundred Crack Fist).

"Whoa," Johnny managed to say.

Liu said something in Chinese, also shocked as to how fast the fighter moved.

"Hokuto Hyakuretsuken," Kenshiro intoned. "It's over."

"No, it's not over!" the Lin Kuei giant shouted, spinning around, brandishing his weapons. "You think you can stop me with a few dozen pokes and punches?! Face me, you coward!"

"There is no need, as your body will last for another six seconds before your head explodes," Kenshiro replied, not turning around. "Omae wa mō...shindeiru."

Johnny cocked an eyebrow. He had taken Japanese, for one of his movies, so he knew what the newcomer had said: You are already dead.

The Lin Kuei giant took one step...and froze. Johnny, Liu and Sektor watched as his head twitched violently to the side, and like the others before him, began to misshapen into a bulbous mass. The giant dropped his weapons and held his head, screaming, just as..

"HIDEBU...!"

BOOM.

Just as Kenshiro had predicted, the man's head exploded like the others, the body standing on its feet for several seconds before gravity finally took control and it fell over.

Sektor was shocked. The men who had been assigned to this mission were the best that the Lin Kuei had to offer, and the mystery man had just killed them without batting an eyelash. And now, he was in his sights. This whole mission had just went from bad to FUBAR in less than five minutes.

The remaining Lin Kuei tried to attack Kenshiro from behind. Kenshiro heard him coming, and flipped up and over the assassin. When the assassin spun around...

THWACK.

Both Johnny and Liu winced at the sight of Kenshiro jamming both thumbs into the assassin's temples. Even Sektor was shocked.

"You feel that?" Kenshiro asked, not breaking eye contact with the now-petrified assassin. "The human body has 708 Keiraku Hikō, better known as tsubo or pressure points. This technique is called Zankaiken (Fist of Lingering Regret). These two pressure points in your temples which I am pressing are called Tōi. Once I remove my thumbs, your body will explode after three seconds."

Almost immediately, Johnny raised his watch and waited to activate the timer. He wanted to see if this guy was serious. 'Three seconds? This I gotta see.'

"If I were you, I would use those three seconds to reflect on your sins," Kenshiro finished as he removed his thumbs. At the same time, Johnny activated the timer on his watch.

One...

The Lin Kuei assassin tried to run away.

Two...

"You coward!" Sektor bellowed as he aimed his wrist launcher, preparing to fire off a rocket.

Three.

Before Sektor could kill him, the Zankaiken did what Kenshiro said it was going to do. The assassin split in two before his body blew up like all the others.

Johnny stopped the timer and showed it to Liu. "Three seconds," he whispered.

Liu looked at the watch, but remained silent.

"And then, there was one," Kenshiro said, glaring at Sektor.

"You dare challenge the Lin Kuei?!" Sektor demanded. "You will die for this offense! For the Lin Kuei!"

A glowing circle of light appeared at Sektor's feet. The red-clad Lin Kuei assassin attempted to pull a cheap-shot off by using his Teleport Uppercut. Kenshiro narrowly avoided the attack. The way that Sektor had fought reminded him of Jagi, only instead of wielding dual sawed-off shotguns and the occasional rocket launcher, Sektor was firing off rockets and tongues of flame from his wrist launchers. Only difference was that Sektor was giving him a challenge, keeping him from getting in close.

But Sektor made a mistake and tried to perform a second Teleport Uppercut, only to miss his target. Kenshiro cocked one fist back and...

"A-TAH!"

POW!

Sektor's world exploded in pain as Kenshiro's fist smashed into his face, sending him flying backwards. He landed on the hard stone pavement in a heap.

Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, Sektor got back to his feet. The punch had hurt like hell, as it had felt like he had been hit with a steel bar. The Hokuto warrior closed in, an impassive expression on his face.

"I know what you're thinking," Kenshiro said, gesturing to Sektor's wrist launchers. "Go ahead. Use your weapons, if you think that will help you."

Sektor got back to his feet and aimed his wrist flamethrower at Kenshiro again. "You think that I won't?!"

"You seriously think you can hurt me with those toys?" Kenshiro asked, his voice holding a slight hint of amusement.

"At this range, I won't miss! Now, die...what?!"

The reason for Sektor's shock? He was now facing the business end of his own wrist flame thrower. His arm had involuntarily jerked backwards and he was staring down his own weapon.

"Pressure point Kyousetsu," Kenshiro explained. "You might want to get rid of your weapon before it burns your face off."

Frantic, Sektor pressed the emergency release with his unaffected hand, and breathed a sigh of relief as his launchers and the gas tank fell to the ground.

"Damn it..." Sektor cursed. "You have no idea who you are dealing with!"

"Do you?" Kenshiro replied flatly. "Come...so I can end you."

But before Sektor could try and kill the successor (or rather Kenshiro kill him), fate had stepped in.

CLAP. CLAP CLAP.

He emerged from the shadows behind Sektor, clapping. Liu, Johnny and Kenshiro recognized him by the blue-and-black uniform as one of the Lin Kuei, as he was standing with Sektor and Cyrax earlier in the night.

Bi-Han was one of the best assassins and thieves that the Lin Kuei had to offer, with his younger brother Kuai Liang a close second. Both him and his brother had been abducted by the Lin Kuei as children and trained in the clan's methods and assassination techniques from an early age. Standing just as tall as Kenshiro, muscles bulging from his Lin Kuei uniform, face obscured by his mask, he took in the scene before him. He was a cryomancer with a fitting codename: Subzero.

It was also known that he had a heated rivalry with Sektor, who was also the son of the Lin Kuei grandmaster. Sektor did not take it very well that Subzero was chosen to steal not only the Map of the Elements, but also to retrieve Shinnok's amulet from the Temple of the Gods. Subzero was offered the contract of exterminating Raiden's chosen warriors, but had declined. He had his own personal demons to face, leaving Sektor to accept the contact.

Kenshiro's mind then showed him another vision. Two brothers with the power to freeze, with the younger idolizing the elder to the point that he took on his elder brother's codename to honor his memory. The same elder brother who would become a denzien of the Netherrealm, while the younger brother would become a cybernetic abomination.

"A messy, yet effective technique. Had things been different, you would be well at home with the Lin Kuei," Subzero complimented, walking past both Sektor and Kenshiro. He nudged the remains of the Lin Kuei giant with one foot. "Our weaponsmaster, Choi. One of our best."

"Bi-Han! What are you doing?!" Sektor shouted. "Kill him!"

Subzero looked at Sektor, then at Kenshiro. "This is your contract, Sektor. You know the rules of the Lin Kuei. We do not interfere with the other's contracts. A rule put in place by the Grandmaster - your father. This is your mess." Turning back to Kenshiro, he asked, "What is your name, stranger?"

"I value my name," Kenshiro replied. "I do not give it to those who are going to die."

Subzero smirked from underneath his mask. "You got spirit. I admire that in a warrior. Allow me to break the ice. I am Bi-Han." He raised one hand, forming a ball of ice. "You can call me Subzero. Remember my name well, warrior, for if we meet in battle, it will be your doom."

He dismissed the ice ball and walked away without further incident. Sektor, seeing as how he was undermanned, retreated.

Kenshiro's mind raced to one of the visions he had while with Delia. He knew that Subzero would not leave the island alive. In his mind, he sees a confrontation between the Lin Kuei cryomancer and a hell-born specter whose sole desire was vengeance.

"The Shirai Ryu are dead. You will suffer as they did."

"To Hell with your clan!"

"No...TO HELL WITH YOU!"

Kenshiro shook his head as to clear himself of the vision. Meanwhile, Johnny turned to Liu. "Told you he was a good guy," he said.

Liu nodded. "Good call."

Kenshiro turned to face the monk and the action star. Now that he was up close, Kenshiro could get a better look at both Liu and Johnny. He definitely saw Shin in the American star, and as for Liu, he bore a very strong resemblance to Rei. "You two okay?" he asked.

Johnny nodded. "Yeah. We're good. Thanks for the help." He then introduced himself and Liu. "I'm Johnny Cage. He's Liu Kang."

Kenshiro nodded. "Kenshiro," he introduced himself. He turned to Johnny. "That style you used on Baraka...satisfy my curiosity, what is it called?"

"Translated, it means 'Eagle of Southern Cross,'" Johnny replied. "Why you ask? You know about the Southern Cross style?"

"In a way," replied the Hokuto warrior. "The style is similar to one I am familiar with from where I'm from: Nanto Seiken," Kenshiro explained. "Particularly Nanto Koshūken."

"Nanto Koshūken..." Johnny repeated, racking his brain for the translation. "'South Dipper Lone Eagle Fist.'"

"There are similarities between your style and that of Nanto Koshūken," Kenshiro explained. "The style consists of using rapid-fire hand strikes to stab the opponent to death, as well as flying kicks."

"How do you know that?" Johnny asked.

"I know the style well," Kenshiro replied somberly, as his mind went back to the day that Shin had taken Yuria from him. "More intimately than others."

"I found from some old scrolls I found on an island in the Mediterranean," Johnny explained. "From my father's side, I'm descended from a cult who bred warriors for the gods. They described the Southern Cross style in great detail. I don't know why, but I soaked up everything from those scrolls like a sponge. Stuff like that would take years to master, yet I did."

"Indeed," Raiden said, as he and Nightwolf appeared, having watched the entire exchange between Kenshiro and the Lin Kuei from a distance. "Despite his ego and shallow personality, Johnny Cage is a formidable fighter."

"Sure," Johnny mumbled. "Take another stab at my ego."

Liu elbowed him in the gut.

Kenshiro bowed to Raiden. "Lord Raiden."

Raiden responded with a nod of the head. "So you are the warrior which Nightwolf has been speaking of. Your technique is...unique, but very impressive."

Johnny, in the meantime, left the group, as he still have not found Sonya.

"What can you tell me about this tournament?" Kenshiro asked. "Nightwolf has filled me in on some of the details, but there are some things that I would like to know."

&^%%

Quan Chi had watched the entire fight from the shadows. He watched as Kenshiro had defeated the Lin Kuei assassins without batting an eyelash.

A free-roaming sorcerer and necromancer from the Netherrealm, Quan Chi was also a martial artist with a lean, wiry build. His most distinguishing feature was his completely white skin. Whether or not he had painted it himself or was born an albino, was not known. Rings were around his eyes, making them seem even more hollow, his head devoid of any hair. Tattooed in red in were strange incantations, located on his head and arms. Aside from the single spiked shoulder pad, he was naked from the waist up. Black pants with spiked kneepads and leather boots completed the outfit. On his belt was the bronze Amulet of Shinnok – the true copy, unknown to Raiden, Subzero and even Shinnok himself. He had kept the original amulet while Raiden, Subzero and Shinnok fought over the false copy.

What made Quan Chi more dangerous was that instead of summoning the denziens of the Netherrealm to attack his enemies, Quan Chi preferred to use fallen warriors for the task. He already had Hanzou Hazashi of the Shirai Ryu – codenamed Scorpion under his command. Now, Quan Chi had his sights set on Bi-Han, his murderer.

But now, Quan Chi was studying the Hokuto fighter with great interest.

'Kenshiro of Hokuto Shinken...' Quan Chi thought as he departed. 'You are a very interesting man. In the end, you will serve me in the Netherrealm.'

Aside from Quan Chi, Shang Tsung and Prince Goro had been watching the events unfold from a distance. Shang frowned, as the money he had paid Sektor for his service in thinning out Raiden's numbers had all been in vain. But Shang even had to admit that the man who had saved Liu Kang and Johnny Cage from certain death was indeed powerful, as the bodies of the dead Lin Kuei could bear witness.

"This tournament appears to grow even more interesting by the minute," Goro noted.

Goro was a Shokan, a race of half-human and half-dragon warriors who made their home in the subterranean kingdom of Kuatan in Outworld. As he was a prince, he was of the more noble Draco lineage. A Shokan is easily identified by their four massive arms, their brute strength and the fact that they literally tower over humans. Goro was no different. Two thousand years old, standing eight-feet-two and tipping the scales at five-fifty, he was the heir apparent to the throne of Kuatan. His parents, King Gorbak and Queen Mai, were staunch supporters of Shao Kahn's rule.

As it turned out, Goro was not the only child of Gorbak and Mai, as they had several other sons who vied for the throne of Kuatan. Shokan tradition stated that in order to inherit the throne, the siblings must fight each other to the death. Goro had emerged from the battles victorious, thus earning the position of heir apparent, and that had caught Shang's attention when he decided to make his return to Earthrealm.

There was only one rule in which the Shokan valued above all others: survival of the fittest...and the most ruthless. For the past five centuries, Goro was the reigning Mortal Kombat champion, having defeated the Great Kung Lao, thus securing the Shaolin Tournament under Shang's control and allowing the wily sorcerer to corrupt it.

"Indeed," Shang admitted, eyes locked on Kenshiro. "That one man managed to wipe out Sektor's team of assassins, while leaving Sektor himself injured." He had originally dismissed Kenshiro earlier on when he tried to make an example out of Johnny Cage, but that backfired when he not only defeated Reptile, but left Baraka seriously injured with that strange fighting style of his.

"Do you know who he is?" Goro asked.

Shang shook his head. "He did have an invitation to compete in the tournament. But his technique is impressive, to say the least. I will see how he fares against one of our own fighters."

Goro nodded. "You can have Liu Kang's soul. I wish to fight the newcomer. He will have the honor of having his spine broken at the hands of Goro."

Shang nodded. Both he and Goro departed from the gardens, Shang making plans. Once Goro killed the newcomer, he would steal his soul...and learn his secrets.

Nishi Shinkūha (二指真空把 Two-Finger Nil-Space Grasp). Kenshiro catches thrown projectiles such as needles, knives and arrows between his index and middle fingers, before throwing them back at their owners. Can also do this en masse, as in the case against Jugai's forces during the Battle of Gesso City.

Zankaiken (残悔拳 Fist of Lingering Regret). Kenshiro jams both of his thumbs into the opponent's temples, striking the Toi pressure points. Upon releasing

Hokuto Hyakuretsuken (百裂拳 North Star Hundred Crack Fist). Kenshiro's signature technique. Also known as the Hundred Crack Fist of the North Star. Kenshiro unleashes a barrage of punches which strikes the opponent's 708 pressure points before knocking them away. Seconds later, their body explodes.