Chapter 6 – Round 2 in the Netherrealm Battle Arena
"Oh finally, I was starting worry that you would die out. I take it you had a nice break."
"Here we go again." sighed Fortran.
"Still not affected. I like that in you. But let's see if you can stay the same!"
Lucifer's massive clawed hand was illuminated in red fire, summoning a female grey-skinned vampire who looked like that of an Assamese girl whom only Fortran recognised.
"Fortran."
"Nitara, you look… like you have wings…"
"I have wings unlike you who look normal." said Nitara.
"So, you were reincarnated."
"Lucifer reincarnated me." said Nitara.
"Reincarnated you?"
"I serve the vampires." said Nitara.
"There must be some mix-up. Lucifer said that your vampires are preparing to attack me."
"There is no mix-up. Similar to how Shang Tsung thrives on souls, vampires thrive on human blood for survival. Seeing that yours has special properties, I find yours a lot worth than the blood of average humans."
"What good is there for you to gain from mine?"
"Your blood will sustain us forever." said Nitara.
"Is this some kind of joke?" asked Fortran.
"I mean it." said Nitara.
"Nitti, that's a nasty joke. I mean, we can try jokes like…" said Fortran.
"No, Fortran, really, I'm going to kill you." said Nitara.
"Ok, but you got to be making this nasty joke again. Tell me you're joking!" Fortran dismissed her threats.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Oh come on, Nitti, I had to save you from the bride kidnapping in the village." said Fortran.
"I'm a vampire." Nitara confessed.
"Nitti…"
"Stop calling me, Nitti!" the vampire snapped.
"Nitti, listen, you're maybe a vampire."
Lucifer grunted with impatience while listening to this elongated conversation. The audience yawned.
"Fortran, do you not understand? I need your blood."
"Why would you need my blood? I mean I've spider-like powers and spider venom in my blood stream…"
"HEY, what's taking you…" roared Lucifer.
Fortran fires his web at Lucifer.
"Can't you see we're in a middle of a conversation? Kindly wait for your turn." Fortran challenged.
The webs were burnt from Lucifer's mouth. The ruler of the Netherrealm insisted.
"If you, two are done with your mushy reunion, can we get on with it? I'm not touched."
"Course you're not. You're a devil-demon thing."
That insult angered Lucifer.
"Vampires need blood to live and yours are unique. Let me clarify this in a way someone below you could understand! If you are not sure about me, I suggest you heed my words. I am a vampire and I need blood to survive."
"And I am a spider. Spiders are venomous. Well, not all."
"Then, I'll see whether or not your venomous."
"Not without this bittersweet reunion."
Lucifer brought up grey-skinned wraiths that took the appearances of the Malaysian neighbours and an unmistakable sight.
"MA!" Fortran cried in disbelief.
"Oh, yes, you want to see her! Go on! Do what you mortals do best! Hugs, kisses!" grinned Lucifer.
The only response was an unfeeling attack. Fortran set aside his emotions aside and made the painful decision to defer combat with this possessed travesty of his mother, his Malaysian neighbours and Nitara. He would deal with his former Malaysian neighbours first. He soon learned the difference between the wraiths and a vampire: whilst he could easily use his devastating attacks on his neighbours, if he tried it on Nitara, she blocked him every time and put him on his backside. He found it easier to avoid sideways with his webs and attack them from behind. At times he was in danger of becoming surrounded, and then he was very glad to have practiced the moves of a jumping spider onto the wall, at which it became his turn to send them scattering like skittles.
One job at a time. Using all his skill and energy, Fortran took the neighbours out one by one, spreading his attacks to hold them off and then diving in as each fell.
He kept the pressure on Nitara and eventually prevailed. When all the neighbours and Nitara had vanished at last, he was faced only by the abomination that had been his mother, Saanjh. There was to be no reasoning with the creature, and he summoned all his resolve to put aside tender thoughts. Avoiding its sudden lunges and constant sweeping slashes, her son moved in close and applied the swift attacks, again and again. The creature gasped and stumbled at each blow, bent double trying to keep up with her agile son. Soon enough, and though she caught a few blows between, Fortran brought the wraith down. Without remorse, an elegantly twisted sword vapourised the downed opponents to dust. The sword lunged in and the creature was no more.
Fortran knelt, his head bowed. Lucifer gave Fortran a mock sympathy.
"Oh are you going to cry? Are you going to keep your head to ground? Oh sure, I can see that. It's terrible that you lost. Boohoo."
The sword belonged to a mysterious young woman whose hair was dark and pulled back in a ponytail. She in black robe similar to that of Brotherhood of Shadow.
"I had to do this."
"Why?" he asked curtly.
"To free them from the Netherrealm." said the woman in white.
"That was my ma, my neighbours." said Fortran.
"The vampire escaped."
Lucifer ordered.
"Ashrah, I command you. Kill this mortal!"
"Ashrah?" asked Fortran.
Ashrah refused to which Lucifer summoned five young women. Sora, Mika, Kia, Jataaka and Siann.
"Everyone, it doesn't hav…" Ashrah protested.
"Silence, Ashrah, you have transgressed Lord Lucifer. For this, you are to pay." vowed Kia.
"Everyone, I'm telling you…"
"We've trusted you long enough. No more." said Mika.
"No more words. What's left is your death." said Sora.
Fortran dropped onto the women and mock apologised.
"I'm sorry, madames, I didn't notice you there."
"Insolent mortal, do you even realise what you just did."
"Get him!"
"Ashrah…"
"If I help you, it means I'll be winning the tournament for the Netherrealm."
"Why?"
"I was once a demon of the Netherrealm. With my holy sword, I will punish evil."
"Wait, you can't just… ah… guess it's just me." sighed Fortran.
Ashrah left Fortran to fight the girls.
"Ok, five against one? I did not expect that."
With so much space to move around, the fight was easier than it might have been. Fortran stayed close to the main door, where there were basins on either side to snatch a drink as needed. He used his machete attacks when he could, and was able to use the wall to launch devastating rebound attacks as the young women ganged up on him. Though there were five in all, they came not more than three at a time and he was thus well able to cope.
"You seem to be getting way too dull." Lucifer remarked.
"What about my freedom?" asked Fortran.
"I never said anything about freeing you. I said even if you win you will serve me."
"Never. I never said anything about serving you. Your no refusal is utter nonsense."
"Watch your mouth, mortal! You've angered me long enough."
"What about me? You used my own ma against me, my Malaysian neighbours…"
"Last warning!"
"… and made Nitara into a vampire." said Fortran.
Lucifer called.
"Baphomet!"
The goat-headed oni again approached to execute his victim.
"You should have listened to Lord Lucifer! He would have fed you."
"I had boiling water or murky food. It felt it charred my inside. I'm not taking another."
Baphomet proved to be unlike any opponent Fortran had ever faced, with the hulking giant fighting with amazing effect. Nonetheless, Fortran's speed, training, endurance and Anansi's powers all paid off in the end and after a long hard brawl he left Baphomet defeated on the ground.
"No way I'm taking another sip of boiling water."
Lucifer felt this was going nowhere. The ruler of the Netherrealm jumped into the arena. This denoted combat.
The Pakistani person granted the powers of Anansi was a hardened student of Master Cho, and not easily disposed to flee from a challenge. Even the Lucifer's enormous size might prove no deterrent, he had faced such disparity before; size was often in inverse proportion to agility. Steeled for combat, Fortran dashed forward to try what he may. Yet the beast swooped down a mighty arm, and snatched him off his feet. He gripped Fortran in a giant crushing scorching fist and brought the specimen close. He felt his body burnt in his hand. Lucifer disdainfully flung him across the Arena.
There seemed to better plan. Fortran crawled on the arena's curved wall in a manner of a spider. He was now at a height nearly level with the ruler's head, and as he turned towards him standing there, Fortran jumped forward to land on his shoulder, and struck down with the machete. As the monster scrabbled to pluck the irritation aside, Fortran switched shoulders, and struck a second blow. The powerful beast seemed hardly injured.
He jumped nimbly to Lucifer's head, and tugged him back. With a fast lunge he struck down with his machete. It lodged onto the skull. As Lucifer thrashed wildly, Fortran fired his spider web and swung to the ground. Lucifer ordered.
"Don't resist! Be prepared! Resign yourself to me! Serve me!"
"Never! Serving you will take away my free will. And I want to be a free spider."
"A spider? Look at you! You're just a puny mortal."
He used whatever abilities to subdue the oni. Lucifer set itself on fire making him untouchable, Fortran avoided or else he'd get burnt. With the fires around him subsided, Lucifer swiped his giant clawed hand at Fortran, causing him to skate miles away across the arena. Fully five sweeps of his flashing blade were required to send the ruler of the Netherrealm to damnation.
"Never undervalue me!"
Lucifer was at Fortran's mercy. The spectators expected Fortran to finish the demon lord.
"Lucifer, if you have honour left, let me free!"
"You shouldn't have asked that." a voice was heard.
Much to their dismay, a man in black hooded robe with shoulder length grey hair and grey beard appeared before Lucifer.
"What? I've seen you before." asked Fortran.
"In the prison, yes, I was tortured for eternity by this demon."
"Shinnok, what are you talking about? You could not have escaped Prison of Souls."
"Uh… Shin knock?" Fortran wondered.
"I am Shinnok, soon to be ruler of the Netherrealm. I thank you for dethroning Lucifer."
"Dethroning? What's going on?" asked Fortran.
"Don't get too soft! That tournament was illegitimate since Lucifer did not organise this. I orchestrated this false tournament and used the opportunity to acquire my amulet, but Quan Chi has it. I also did it to rid the Netherrealm of anyone pitiful as your mother and your beloved. Lucifer was defeated by you and now, I can make use of his defeat."
"You have no rights to take over my throne." roared Lucifer.
"Actually, I do. Once I defeat you, I'll see to it that your fate will be decided." said Shinnok.
Shinnok transformed into a giant slender oni with two long horns and teeth like piranha. Fortran observed.
"Ok, now, I'm really seeing things."
"Here, I thought being in a mental institution was bad for me." said Blue.
"On the plus side, you're free of it." said Fortran.
Both Lucifer and Shinnok clashed. With a gesture, Shinnok charged at Lucifer, who parried the blow with a swing of his claws. He parried another, but Shinnok shoulder rammed Lucifer while he was off balance. Lucifer recovered quickly though and lodged his claws through Shinnok's left shoulder, drawing blood. The former ruler roared in anger and pushed to his feet, driving Shinnok back. He swung his claws down, forcing Shinnok to block. This time, the two combatants' claws clashed against one another as they attempted to overpower the other.
As he and Lucifer clashed, levelling a nearby mountain, Shinnok noted he and Lucifer had both reached the peak of their evolutions. Noting he understood the dimensions of his Shinnok's evolution and his own were very different, Lucifer stated he can bring himself to crush Shinnok with a single blow. When Lucifer attacked, Shinnok stopped it with his bare hand. Expressing surprise, Lucifer told Shinnok to not get so excited.
The spectators were forced to flee while others fell into the Arena. Shinnok killed the victims to replenish his health. Lucifer grabbed a portion of the spectators and ate them to ensure his health was restored at its fullest.
