Chapter Thirty-Three

The last day of Round Two of the Shikoken Tournament.


Mykonos Island, Greece

A match was taking place on the yellow stoned walkway. Beyond the walkway was not only a windmill with a hay-covered roof, but also the blue vastness of both the bright and cloudless afternoon sky, and the Aegean Sea.

A pair of knives were thrown towards the demon huntress Ashrah, who quickly shot out two white projectiles in response, one from each hand. The force of her projectiles smashed against the knives and knocked them sideways and over the walkway's white stone railing.

Ashrah's opponent - Skarlet - narrowed her eyes upon seeing that. "No matter," she muttered as she raised her hands up.

Ashrah thought at first that Skarlet was going to conjure another weapon with her hemomancy powers. However, the huntress was caught by surprise when something suddenly wrapped around her wrists and lifted her right off the ground. Ashrah screamed out as that happened. She then gazed at either side of her and noticed the two newly formed blood red tentacles that seemed to emerge from the walkway they fought on.

As the huntress attempted to free herself, Skarlet smirked with confidence as she used her blood powers to create a scythe. At first, it was made of blood, but it soon formed into a solid weapon. Its handle was a crimson color, but the blade itself was a shining silver that gleamed under the sun that was high above them.

"I've lost count of how many demon bloods I've tasted over the years," Skarlet admitted as she approached the huntress. "But yours is… hard to describe. It's quite intriguing."

"You will not have it!" Ashrash declared with defiance.

"Watch me," Skarlet promised as she got within arm's reach of her opponent.

Unknown to either of them, the five-minute timer went off. That gave Ashrah's tag team partner, Li Mei, the opportunity to jump forward and fly towards Skarlet. Before Skarlet had the chance to draw Ashrah's blood with her scythe, Li Mei landed a flurry of rapid punches that knocked Skarlet a few feet back and away from her tag team partner.

"Two-on-one battle initiated by Team Ashrah and Li Mei," announced a drone.

As the hemomancer rolled back and returned to her feet, Li Mei drew out her dao sword and got herself in a fighting stance. Skarlet noted this and, with a battle cry, ran forward until she was close enough to swing her scythe. Li Mei promptly blocked the attack with her weapon. From there, the two Outworlders fought sword-against-scythe in an attempt to overtake the other.

Meanwhile from the sidelines, Kunimitsu noticed that Ashrah was still being held up by the blood tentacles. The kuniochi pulled out her two kunai blades and ran towards Ashrah. Once she was a few feet away, Kunimitsu leapt into the air and raised one of her kunais above her head.

Noting her new opponent's approach, a plan quickly came to Ashrah's mind and she began to swing herself back and forth. She used all of her strength to gain momentum - and right on time as her foot managed to hit Kunimitsu squarely in the face. With a pained cry, Kunimitsu flew away until her back hit the ground. Ashrah then used her remaining momentum to somersault back. That helped undo the traps around her wrists, and the tentacles promptly released her from their hold before they dissolved into a puddle of blood.

As soon as she was on the ground again, Ashrah pulled out her beloved kriss sword right as Kunimitsu covered the space between them. Like their respective tag team partners a few yards away, the two women's weapons clashed together in their own weapon battle.

At one point, Kunimitsu attempted a low spin kick as she ducked under an attack, but Ashrah was able to jump over it before it connected. Kunimitsu then stood up and landed an elbow just below Ashrah's collarbone. That caused the huntress to gasp in pain as she stumbled back from the force.

Ashrah shook off the pain as Kunimitsu attempted to cover the space between them again. As Ashrah blocked another weapon attack, she noticed how her kriss sword began to glow in a white aura. At the same time, it also let out a low hum as though it was singing its own unique song.

In the back of her mind, Ashrah knew why this was happening. This woman I'm fighting is a demon, she thought with some surprise. And my kriss is demanding her blood.

At any other time, she would've heeded her sword's call. But since they were in a tournament where killing would disqualify her and Li Mei from moving forward, Ashrah had no choice but to deny her weapon's cry for her opponent's blood…

I'll have to hunt for her another time… the huntress finally concluded in her mind.

Back a few yards away, Skarlet managed to evade a cartwheel kick from Li Mei. The hemomancer then tried to move in, but Li Mei was ready for her as she performed another cartwheel - this time backwards. Her foot landed under Skarlet's chin, which caused her head to snap back and stumble away.

Having enough of her opponent's acrobatics, Skarlet unleashed a heavy projectile made of blood. With a shout, she used all of her strength to unleash it just as Li Mei attempted another round of her flying fists maneuver. To her delight, it landed squarely on her opponent's front torso and sent her hurling away.

Unfortunately for Li Mei, she landed on the stone railing in a way that affected her back. Not only was the force of the impact devastating, but since only her hips and down hit the edge of the railing, the upper half of her body ended up bending backwards. Her lower back took the brunt of the force. She could only imagine how much more force would be needed in order for her spine to end up being snapped from the impact. Still, she was going to really feel that one for a while.

"AAH!" Li Mei cried out in pain as she sat up. She then leaned her back against the stone and took a few deep breaths to will the pain away - though that was going to be easier said than done.

While this happened, Skarlet took the time to pick up her scythe - which still had Li Mei's blood on the blade. She took the tip of her index finger, carefully swiped over the blade to collect a little bit of the blood, then stared right at Li Mei as she let it absorb through her skin.

"Outworld blood," Skarlet started. "Not as good as Edenian blood, but it will make due."

"You are sick!" Li Mei growled through clenched teeth. By then, she was starting to force herself on her feet again.

Skarlet raised an eyebrow at that. "That phrase doesn't even come close to offending me."

Then with a yell, Li Mei ran towards Skarlet despite the immense pain in her body. Skarlet simply waited until her opponent was close before she quickly conjured a whip made of blood. She then snapped it forward and wrapped the end of the whip around Li Mei's neck before she pulled her down to her knees with force. Intense pain shot through Li Mei's knees from the impact.

Skarlet didn't tighten the hold to cut off Li Mei's air, but she did have a firm enough hold to make the younger Outworlder on edge. As Skarlet walked closer to her, Li Mei clenched her teeth and grabbed for the whip with both hands on the off chance that her opponent had any ideas of tightening the hold on her neck.

She wouldn't, the Outworlder thought. Despite being somewhat nervous, she didn't hesitate to glare at Skarlet with defiance. If she kills me now, that automatically disqualifies her and her partner from the tournament. Unless she doesn't actually care about the tournament -

"Be grateful this fight will end with your life force still intact," Skarlet soon said - before she promptly lifted her foot and kicked Li Mei hard enough on the side of her head. As the hemomancer expected, it rendered Li Mei unconscious even before her body slumped sideways. Once that was done, Skarlet released her opponent from her whip's hold.

"Knockout detected," a drone soon reported.

Once that was done, Skarlet turned her head and saw that Kunimitsu was still battling against Ashrah. Both women had taken a good beating - but Skarlet couldn't help but wonder what Ashrah's blood tasted like.

Skarlet waited until Ashrah grabbed Kunimitsu's wrist with a free hand, punched her gut then followed with an axe kick that knocked Kunimitsu face first to the stoned floor. Ashrah then gave Kunimitsu some berth so she could recover.

However, as the kunoichi got on her knees, Skarlet approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "May I complete this match?" she asked.

Kunimitsu was silent for a brief second before she took a deep breath. "Fine. But watch out for that sword of hers. There's something about it I don't like."

"I'm certain it's nothing," Skarlet said just as Kunimitsu helped to tag her in.

Ashrah noted the tag in. At that point in the match, she was starting to feel exhausted, but she wasn't about to give up just yet. That was despite the fact that it was pretty much only her against a demon and a hemomancer.

With a yell, Ashrah jumped and got herself in a horizontal position before she spun herself rapidly, her fists out as her body was surrounded in a glowing white aura. Noting this, Skarlet moved herself out of the way by ducking low underneath her flying opponent.

Skarlet then swiftly turned to face her opponent. As Ashrah started to land on her feet, the former Shao Kahn loyalist crouched low to the ground before she slammed her hand into the stoned walkway. This caused a trail of blood to speed forward towards Ashrah, who didn't see the attack coming until it reached her and promptly tripped her. Ashrah cried out as she landed back first against the walkway.

With a satisfied smirk, Skarlet briskly walked towards her fallen opponent until she was by her side. Ashrah was just starting to sit up by then.

Skarlet then raised her hands up and used her powers to form a blood-made force from the ground right before Ashrah. It then pushed up with enough speed and sent Ashrash up towards the air by a few feet. Skarlet then spun to perform a roundhouse kick that hit Ashrah right in the side of her head. As expected, Ashrah flew back until she crashed onto the ground.

Like her tag team partner before her, Ashrah was knocked unconscious from the last hit.

"Knockout detected. Kunimitsu and Skarlet win the match."

Kunimitsu smirked at her tag team partner right after the announcement was made. "I'm glad I got you as my tag team partner."

Skarlet smirked back at the kunoichi. "You have only my late master to thank for my gift."


G-Corp Headquarters, Nepal

While sitting at a vanity desk, Anna Williams stared at herself through a mirror as she applied red lipstick over her lips. Her remaining make-up had already been applied for the day after she went through most of her beauty ritual.

At the same time she started applying her lipstick, the door to her room opened. She didn't have to turn to see that it was Vega who walked in. Of course, they shared this room together, so it was to be expected. She was also able to see him through the mirror.

Anna nearly smiled as Vega removed his mask to reveal his handsome, flawless face. It didn't take him long before he spotted her across the room, and he didn't hesitate to approach her from behind. As soon as he reached her, Vega kneeled down next to her before he leaned his head down to kiss her shoulder.

Anna reached a hand up to touch him. The heel of her hand was on his face and over his ear, but her fingers and nails dug through the loose strands of his dark blonde hair. She closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly to the side to give Vega room as he began to leave a trail of kisses along her remaining shoulder and up her neck. He didn't stop until his lips reached her ear.

"How unfortunate," Vega whispered as he stared right at her.

Anna opened her eyes and gave him a perplexed gaze through the mirror. "What is?" she asked.

"...I'm about to ruin your lovely make-up work."

That got a laugh out of Anna as she turned to face him. "That is indeed unfortunate, but…" She smiled more. "I suppose I can make an exception with you, darling."

Vega's response was to lean close to her and pull her in for a searing kiss. Anna returned it with fervor as her arms wrapped around his strong shoulders. The kiss lasted only for a few moments before Vega pulled back to stare into her deep blue eyes. Anna quickly noted that some of her lipstick got on him, and she reached a hand to wipe it away with her fingers. She smiled as she was reminded, not for the first time, the privilege she had when it came to caressing his face…

…And in that moment, Anna thought about the one thing she rarely tried to think about - the future. In her line of work, Anna was always forced to live in the moment as her life would possibly be snuffed out even a minute later. However, ever since she came back to Earthrealm after spending so long in Outworld, she couldn't help but wonder what life would be like without living on the edge and without all the fighting and the killing…

To be frank… she was starting to become tired of her old lifestyle.

Vega began to leave behind a trail of kisses along her neck, and Anna gasped with pleasure. His hold on her then tightened around her waist before he began to stand and lift her up off her seat. Anna giggled more as her legs wrapped around his waist, and Vega smiled as he carried her to the bed they shared together.

As Vega laid her back on the bed, Anna couldn't help but smile at him as something occurred to her. "I think this might be the first time we're making love in the daylight," she pointed out.

"Hmm," Vega hummed as he laid himself on top of her before he stared into her eyes. "So it is." He then leaned down to capture her lips with his once more.

And as Anna kissed him back, another realization dawned on her concerning the future - whatever was to come, she wanted Vega to be a part of it…

A few rooms away, Tanya was also at her own vanity desk. While she stared at a mirror, the Edenian brushed her shoulder-length black hair, which she noticed was getting just a little bit longer. Suddenly, she couldn't remember the last time she got a haircut.

Should I trim it, or let it grow out a little more? Tanya asked herself. However, she quickly decided to hold off on answering that for the time being.

Behind her, Rain was asleep on the bed they shared. It was no surprise as Tanya knew Rain liked to stay up late, thus he usually slept in through half the day as a result.

Unknown to her, Rain was dreaming…

Within a forest, Rain walked alongside a crystal clear river. The light wind blew gently against his face, and the trees swayed gently around him. For a while, he was alone, and the only sound he heard was the splashing river next to him.

Rain then stopped in his tracks as he spotted someone a few yards away - a woman. She wore a flowing silk dress in a light beige color with a silver belt around her waist. Only her right shoulder and arm were exposed and revealed skin that was deeply tanned. Her bare bicep had a silver bangle that matched her belt. Her dark brown hair was cut short to her jawline and revealed the nape of her slender neck.

Although he could not see her face, Rain knew deep in his gut who this woman was. "Mother…"

Rain's eyes snapped open as he jolted awake. The visions of his dreams left him as he forced himself to take deep, even breaths to calm himself.

That dream again… the hydromancer thought to himself. They've started to become more frequent ever since Quan Chi revealed my lineage to me.

Upon that thought, Rain was reminded of the fact that, in these dreams, he never saw his mother's face. What does it matter? After all, she and my father abandoned me all those years ago to live among peasants.

For many years, Rain thought that the leader of the Edenian Resistance who raised him was his father. He spent years fighting to prove himself worthy of commanding the resistance - only to be denied when the time came.

Had that man been my real father, he would not have hesitated to give me my own command.

It made it so easy to switch sides and join Shao Kahn, especially when the late Outworld Emperor promised him command of his own army. Rain did receive his own task force upon becoming one of the Generals of the Outworld Forces - he even led alongside Tanya and Reptile against the Edenian Freedom Fighters during the Universal War.

Speaking of Tanya, Rain noted that she wasn't in bed with him. He briefly looked around until he found her primping her hair at the vanity desk.

Tanya was always what he called 'a catch' ever since he met her when she first joined the Outworld Forces right after the Netherrealm War. Not only was she beautiful, but she was from old Edenian nobility. She was the only daughter to Edenia's Ambassador to new realms. It wasn't 'royalty' per say - but it was very close to it.

Of course, both desired to rule Edenia - a dream that currently seemed out of reach since the Universal War ended. Of course, they didn't plan to give up, especially while they served under Outworld's new Emperor, Quan Chi. For the time being, it was just a matter of what their next course would be.

However, as soon as Rain stared at Tanya from behind her, he was reminded that their relationship was not what it used to be. The thunder and fire that sparked between them had been slowly waning for some time. It was made even more obvious by Tanya's recent emotional distance from him.

Time would tell whether or not it was worth preserving…


Mishima Casino

As match after match went on throughout the day, Hwoarang couldn't help but feel bored. Sure, there were a few interesting fights, but if the Taekwondo practitioner was completely honest, he would rather be the one in the fight rather than be the one watching.

There was one small highlight when Hwoarang's tag team partner, Steve Fox, left during one boring match and came back with lunch for the both of them. What surprised Hwoarang more was that the lunch bar at the casino's lobby served bulgogi sandwiches as their feature of the day. And they were actually good, though not as good as the ones made by street vendors back in Seoul.

Two hours after he ate the sandwich, a match ended and the female announcer went up to the podium. "For the next match, we ask the following tag team to step forward and through the portal; Steve Fox and Hw… Hwa… wa…"

Hwoarang rolled his eyes, especially because this was far from the first time anyone outside of South Korea couldn't pronounce his name. "It's Hwa-rahng," he muttered under his breath. "Hwa. Rahng."

"Eehh… Hwoah-rang!" the announcer ended up saying. "Eh, sorry about that! Please step forward!"

"Hrm…" Hwoarang grumbled as he and Steve stood up. "Just once… just once in this tournament…"

"Didn't you write the actual pronunciation next to your name when we signed up at the start of the tournament?" Steve asked with mild confusion.

"I did!" Hwoarang grumbled. "And yet it somehow still gets ignored."

The two fell silent as they reached the portal and went on through. It didn't take long for the blue swirling vortex to clear away. It was only then that they found themselves on the outside of a very worldwide famous landmark.

"Huh, I never thought I'd see this place in my lifetime," Steve admitted. "Nice."

One of the two drones made its usual report. "Welcome to the Colosseum in Rome, Lazio Region, Italy, Steve Fox and Hoe. Rang. Your opponents will arrive momentarily."

Hwoarang threw his arms up after the announcement. "Seriously?!"Unknown to him, Steve forced himself to suppress a laugh.

It didn't take too long for another portal to open up nearby - and two familiar faces stepped out, their weapons out and ready. "Welcome to the Colosseum in Rome, Lazio Region, Italy, Hong Yun-seong and Talim. You may begin the match at any time."

As he rubbed the back of his neck, Hwoarang narrowed his eyes at his opponents, especially at the young man who had the same color shade of red hair he did. "Oh. It's you," he grumbled aloud.

"Why?" Yun-seong started as he smirked at the Taekwando practitioner. "Afraid I'm gonna kick your ass, Hoe-Rang?" He grinned right after that last question.

"Don't even start!" Hwoarang called out as he promptly got in a fighting stance. "Come on! And don't make this boring!"

Yun-seong responded by getting in his own fighting stance. He decided to keep his sword in its scabbard for the time being. "Good! Because I'm itching for a real fight!"

As the two redheads ran towards each other, Steve could only sigh as he shrugged. He then turned his head and spotted Talim, who smiled and waved at him. Being polite, Steve did the same.

Oh no, Steve said in his head as a thought came to him. Do I have to fight her? She's so young and small, it doesn't seem fair at all.

Meanwhile, as soon as he was close enough to his opponent, Yun-seong jumped up to perform a double kick. Hwoarang hadn't expected him to do that and was promptly kicked in the face with enough force to make him stumble back. The Taekwondo practitioner shook off the pain just as Yun-seong attempted to cover the space between them.

The Keiseian tried to deliver a kick, but Hwoarang crouched down to evade it before he followed with a few rapid punches to Yun-seong's abdomen. Yun-seong gasped and keeled over in agony. He tried to move back despite that, but then Hwoarang quickly unleashed a roundhouse kick to his face that knocked him sideways and into the side of the Colosseum wall.

"Dammit!" Yun-seong shouted as he took a moment to recover. As he turned his head, his eyes widened quickly as he noticed Hwoarang come flying at him with one foot out. He ducked and ran before Hwoarang was able to kick him.

After he landed on his feet, Hwoarang turned to his opponent. "Next time, hold still!" he called out with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Dream on!" Yun-seong yelled before he jumped ahead and towards Hwoarang. From there, the Keiseian twisted himself in mid-air to perform a cartwheel kick. He attempted to land his foot on top of his opponent's head, but Hwoarang jumped to the side and out of the way before it connected.

After he landed back on the ground, Yun-seong turned just in time to notice Hwoarang jump to perform a double spin kick. Yun-seong attempted to move away, but the first kick was able to hit him right in the face before the second kick hit his upper arm. He stumbled sideways as Hwoarang landed on his feet before he lifted his leg up as high as possible before he kicked downward. The force of the maneuver practically shoved Yun-seong right into the grass they fought on.

Hwoarang smirked as he returned to his fighting stance. "Don't tell me you're already tired."

Yun-seong glared at him just as he stood up again. "I'm far from done with this!"

Then with a battle cry, Yun-seong covered the distance between him and his opponent and attempted a flurry of punches and kicks, many which Howarang blocked, dodged, and parried.

It was then that the five-minute timer went off. Initially, Steve decided not to take advantage of it… but upon hearing a pair of light footsteps run towards him, he quickly realized that Talim had other plans in mind.

Oh dear… Steve thought as his eyes went wide with dread.

Steve just started to turn when Talim suddenly jumped into him and, despite her small stature, actually knocked him flat on his back. She then moved off of him quickly - quicker than he expected - grabbed for his ankle, and pulled him forward and towards her.

"What the - what are you -!" Steve started to yell out - right before Talim let him go and raised both of her tonfas above her head.

"AAH!" the boxer shouted as he raised his arms up to block the tonfas from hitting his face. Talim then pulled back and was able to attempt another hit with her weapons, but Steve quickly rolled back before that happened.

Damn! he thought to himself. I clearly underestimated her!

As Talim attempted to move in closer, Steve was ready for her. He pulled his arm back, flew forward, and swung his gloved fist. Talim, however, managed to duck right under the punch before she flicked her tonfa right into his stomach!

"Oof!" Steve cried out as his eyes went wide again and he slightly keeled over in pain. Unfortunately, his pose gave Talim the chance to flip backwards and land a kick underneath his chin hard enough for him to stagger away.

Steve shook his head quickly to get himself back in the game. By then, Talim started to jump forward once more and attempted to swing her tonfas at his face, but he managed to duck down and away before it connected. After Talim landed on her feet, she started to turn towards her opponent. However, Steve was already upon her and - out of instinct - threw a low punch that she blocked, which was followed by a mid-punch that caused her to bend over a little in sudden pain. He then unleashed one more punch to the face.

"Aah!" Talim cried out as she stumbled away. She then held her face in pain - and that actually made the boxer very worried that he might've gone overboard.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Steve called out with concern in his voice. "Just so you know, I'm feeling absolutely dreadful about this match."

"Why?" Talim asked with genuine confusion.

Steve suddenly felt awkward over his initial statement. "Eh… I just feel bloody grim about it, that's all."

"Don't be," Talim replied with a small smile. "This is only a match, not a battle to the death. I've been giving it my all so far. You shouldn't hesitate to do the same no matter who you fight against. Besides, how can either warrior learn from this battle if one of us is holding back?"

Steve's eyebrows rose up at that. "Wow. For someone so young, you are as wise as the elder monks here on Earthrealm." Feeling somewhat better, he raised his gloved fists up. "Well then. Shall we?"

Talim nodded as she returned to her own fighting stance. "May the wind guide us both."

As Steve and Talim began their match once more, their respective tag team partners - Hwoarang and Yun-seong - continued with their own battle nearby. They both went back and forth for a few seconds before Yun-seong grabbed for Hwoarang's shoulders, spun them both around with the Keiseian giving his opponent an extra shove, then followed with a high back kick to the face, which forced his opponent to stumble back.

"OW!" Hwoarang shouted as he held his nose after the attack. "Watch the face, man!"

"Pfft, actually that was an attempt at improving it," Yun-seong quipped with a smug smirk. "But it looks like I failed."

Hwoarang narrowed his eyes right before he started to run towards his opponent. "Oh now you asked for it!"

As soon as he was within reach, Hwoarang jumped forward and tried to kick downward, but Yun-seong moved back before it hit him. After he landed on the ground, Hwoarang tried a roundhouse that Yun-seong maneuvered away from. While the Keiseian was left open, Hwoarang jumped as high as possible up in the air before he moved downward for another attempted kick on top of his opponent's head. However, the young fighter sidestepped before that happened.

Dammit! he shouted in his head right after he was on the ground again.

Yun-seong then moved in to perform a sweep kick, which knocked Hwoarang onto his head. As the Taekwondo practitioner rolled away, Yun-seong charged some chi power - a yellow aura surrounding his body momentarily - before he attempted a kick upwards, then followed with a roundhouse kick with his other foot.

However, to his dismay, Hwoarang evaded both attacks by blocking the first, then parrying the next. The parry caused Yun-seong to stumble back and nearly lose his balance. That, of course, left him wide open.

Hwoarang promptly slid forward for a high kick that snapped Yun-seong's head back. As the Keiseian stumbled back, Hwoarang moved in to deliver multiple kicks with the same foot, the speed of it not giving Yun-seong the chance to block. From there, Hwoarang jumped up, spun mid-air, and delivered one last kick to the side of Yun-seong's head.

As Hwoarang landed safely on the grass, Yun-seong's body spiraled mid-air until he crashed into the grass. Hwoarang then waited to see if his opponent would try to get up. However, after a few seconds, he realized that wasn't going to happen.

"Knockout detected," a drone soon announced.

Hwoarang smirked as he stretched his arms over his head. "And that's how it's done," he said.

Just around the same time, Steve found himself more and more surprised during his fight against the young Talim. She was definitely stronger than she looked, especially when she grabbed and pulled him down to her height before she jumped up to roll over Steve's back. Before Steve had the chance to move, she grabbed his arm and actually threw him over her shoulder and sideways. He didn't go too far, but the landing alone made him feel like a heavy rock that dropped from a tall height.

"Ow…" Steve breathed out afterwards.

He then heard her run towards him. Despite the pain in his back, Steve forced himself to roll sideways before he returned to his feet and turned to face the young priestess. Just as she was within reach, the boxer actually jumped up to perform a double kick, which Talim moved sideways from before his feet connected. Just as she recovered, Steve slid forward and tried to knee her, but Talim backed away to evade the attack.

"Hey, wait a sec!" Hwoarang - who stood on the sidelines since his part of the match ended - called out. "Aren't boxers not supposed to use their legs in the fight?"

"True," Steve replied. "But keep in mind that this isn't your traditional boxing match."

"Ah. Got it."

It was at that second that Talim spread her arms to her side and a large gust of wind blew through the area. Steve's eyes widened once more as a tornado as tall as he was formed just in front of Talim. A mere second later, she unleashed the mini-tornado.

After getting himself in full focus, Steve ran towards the tornado - something he realized he'd never thought he'd do in his lifetime. When he was five feet away, he spun himself around and evaded the tornado by going around it. At the same time, he maintained his berth so that he wasn't suddenly sucked into the tornado's force.

Noting this, Talim's eyes widened with surprise. She attempted to move back in order to give herself a moment to regain herself - but by then Steve was right on her and threw a punch. Though she was able to block it, he quickly followed with a second punch to the stomach that stunned her - giving him a chance for two more punches - one on the shoulder and the other to the face. As she stumbled a bit from the hits, Steve unleashed a powerful uppercut that sent Talim hurling up towards the sky. Talim let out a scream in the process.

Oh crap! Steve cried out in his head. I definitely went too far! As that last sentence left him, Talim flew back down and soon crashed onto the grass.

"Aah!" Talim cried out in pain as she tried to sit back up moments after. She then gritted her teeth in agony as she rolled to her side and grabbed for the spot where her lower ribs were.

Steve gazed at her with concern from where he stood after he witnessed that. "Are you okay?" he asked the young priestess.

"I- I'm okay," Talim managed to say. She tried to get up again, but hissed as she grabbed for her side in pain once more. "Though regrettably, I am forced to forfeit this match…"

"Dammit," Steve groaned as he frowned even more at Talim's predicament. "I'm sorry -"

"Don't be," Talim cut in with a smile despite the pain in her side. "It was a good match. I hope you learned from this as much as I have."

Steve took a deep breath at that. "Thanks…"

A nearby drone soon said, "Concede announced. Steve Fox and Ha. Rung. Win the match!"

Hwoarang smacked his own forehead over that. "Oh for the love of-!" the young man started, but stopped mid-sentence before he unleashed a string of curses.


G-Corp Headquarters, Nepal

While looking over his laptop in his office, Kazuya Mishima briefly realized how… quiet everything was. No disruptions, no chatter… not even a single sound of a pin drop. That should've concerned him… but despite that, he decided to let himself enjoy it for the time being.

His focus was mainly on yesterday's updates - infiltrations, projects, recent attacks from the Mishima Zaibatsu and keeping tabs on those working under him. That included Quan Chi and his Outworld minions.

It took a couple of hours, but the G-Corp CEO soon completed the menial task. After he shut his laptop down, Kazuya closed his eyes and leaned back against his leather office chair. Not for the first time, he thought about what led him to where he was to this day…

It had been so easy… perhaps too easy. Had the executive imbeciles not sent their JACK-4 models to kill him and Heihachi in Honmaru prior to the Universal War, Kazuya would've simply left them alone. But they gave him a good reason to take them out - and use their company to stand against the financial corporation that should've remained his birthright.

As Kazuya later learned, the last executives ordered a hit on Kazuya because they 'had lost control of him.' Of course, the statement was vague, but the implication was too great to ignore. So he came to Nepal, stormed their main headquarters, and killed them all without mercy. He then declared himself the new CEO. None of the survivors risked leaving after they saw what happened to their former bosses.

Some would call it, 'one last spit in the face.' Kazuya preferred to see it as one thing; they had it coming.

Speaking of the attack, Kazuya was reminded of how Heihachi managed to survive the detonation of Honmaru. No one could have survived that.

Heihachi went missing in Outworld over a year ago. Some would assume the old man was dead, but Kazuya knew better. The stubborn bastard certainly found a way to survive out there. It was only a matter of when he made his presence known once more.

In the meantime, Kazuya was focused on his war against Jin and the Mishima Zaibatsu - as well as his own, unvoiced plans.

…Meanwhile in the sleeping quarters within G-Corp, Anna drew herself closer to Vega as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Vega moved his own arm around her shoulders as she leaned her head on top of his chest. She closed her eyes in contented bliss.

For the second time today, Anna thought about the future - mainly peace and normalcy. Even as far back as her childhood, no matter how much she tried to make her father happy, it was never enough. One time, as a teenager and long after her mother died, she worked hard to learn how to cook simply because it was practically the one thing her sister Nina was not good at. When she served up her father's favorite dish, all she got was a cold response of how her cooking skills did not contribute to the family business.

Anna bit her lower lip over the unpleasant memory. At the same time, she reminded herself that her father was long dead and buried. She no longer needed to prove herself to him any more. If her desire to leave behind her old life caused him to roll in his grave, then so be it.

At least she didn't have to hear his cold disapproval anymore.

Anna took a deep breath as she forced the memories away from her mind. Once more, she thought of the future. That included a particular place she fell in love with a long time ago. Upon that thought, her hold on Vega tightened - and she dared to 'dip her toes in.'

"Vega?" she started quietly.

"Yeah?" her lover responded.

"...Have I ever told you how much I love Italy?"

That made Vega curious as he shifted his head to gaze down at her. Anna didn't look up at him, though he could see that her eyes seemed distant. It was as though her mind was somewhere else.

"I don't think you have, mi querida," the former matador answered. "What's so special about Italy to you?"

Anna knew the answer to that. "When I was a teenager, my father took Nina and I to Florence. He was there on 'business' and figured it would be a 'learning experience.' While Nina was busy following in our father's shadow, I ended up exploring the city whenever I had the chance. I still remember it like it was yesterday - beautiful architecture and renaissance art, rolling green hills, crystal blue skies… not to mention the wonderful food I got to taste. And the people… I've never met such kindness." A fond smile came over her. "Except when I'm with you, I've never been happier…"

"Would you like to revisit it before we return to Outworld?" Vega offered.

Anna smiled fondly at that. "More like… I want to live there. Granted, I would have to change my name and possibly my hair, but -" She then stopped herself before she went further with her thoughts. "Of course… that wouldn't happen until after my 'retirement.'"

"Of course," Vega agreed. "But regardless, I'm sure visiting while we're here wouldn't hurt too badly, especially while this world is busy with the war."

Anna took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. "Yeah…"


La Alhambra de Granada - Granada, Andalusia Region, Spain

In the midst of their match - which took place outdoors in an old but well-kept palace surrounded by pillars and on top of a beautiful gray tiled floor - Ruby Heart was caught by surprise when her opponent - Makoto - managed to grab her around the waist before the smaller fighter moved to get behind the pirate. From there, Makoto kneed her in the lower back hard enough for Ruby Heart to hiss in pain and fall to her knees.

Makoto then pulled her by the shoulders hard enough to force Ruby Heart onto her back. With a determined look on her face, Makoto moved in to attempt to land a punch on her opponent's face.

Ruby Heart's eyes went wide upon seeing Makoto's fist come towards her. In retaliation, she swiftly pointed at Makoto and unleashed a projectile made of water. Makoto had not expected this and was promptly pushed back by the water's force

"Dammit!" Makoto called out with annoyance. She shook her head, her short black hair's movements unleashing a few drops of water. "Not cool, Ruby."

"What's not cool?" Ruby Heart started as she smirked with amusement. At the same time, she grabbed for a small, bladed anchor that she had on her belt. "My powers, or the water temperature?"

"...Very funny," Makoto grumbled with no amusement in her voice.

The smirk quickly faded from the pirate's face right before she swiftly threw her anchor blade at Makoto - mainly to give her a good scare. To her surprise, Makoto didn't move from her spot as she focused some chi into her hands - before she clenched her fists and quickly drew one of them back near her head. A huge gust of wind surrounded her, and there was actually enough invisible force from it to actually knock the blade back and away from her before it landed on the tiled ground of the granada they were fighting at.

Huh, Ruby Heart thought. That was impressive.

However, Ruby Heart's awe was short-lived as Makoto suddenly slid forward at fast speed. Before the pirate had the chance to defend herself, Makoto landed a few punches on her before the last one to the chest sent her hurling away before her back hit the floor.

"Ugh..." Ruby Heart groaned as she forced herself to sit up. "That was… not fun."

Thankfully, Makoto waited until the pirate was back on her feet again. As soon as that happened, the younger fighter let out a battle cry as she ran towards her opponent. Ruby Heart followed, and it wasn't long before they met halfway.

For a few moments, the two of them exchanged various punches and kicks at each other. However, it wasn't long before Makoto managed to deliver a knee to Ruby Heart's stomach, which caused the blonde-haired woman to heel over with sudden pain. From there, Makoto used her other leg to deliver a side kick that sent Ruby Heart stumbling sideways.

As soon as she got her balance back, Ruby Heart promptly collected some energy through her hands and into her body. Within a split second, her body was transformed into a large, light blue energy ball before she swiftly projected herself towards her opponent.

Makoto yelled out with surprise as she saw the energy ball incoming, but she managed to duck low to the ground. The energy ball barely missed her head as it flew forward - and Makoto took a chance to throw a forceful punch straight upwards and above her head. Her fist actually hit the energy ball and threw Ruby Heart off her intended path.

Still, as Ruby Heart reformed back to herself, she was still able to get her feet back on the ground, albeit with a little struggle. She then turned around and saw that Makoto was running towards her once more.

Ruby Heart swiftly pointed her index finger at Makoto and slightly above her head. "Sublimation!" she yelled out.

Suddenly, a large wave of water shot out from underneath Makoto's feet. The young woman screamed as she flew up into the air and nearly reached the palace's ceiling above their heads. She still screamed as the wave disappeared and she fell back down before she crashed hard onto the ground.

Ruby Heart then waited for Makoto to get back up… but after a few moments, it was apparent that their match had ended.

"Knockout detected," a drone soon called out.

After that, Ruby Heart turned to Zafina - her tag team partner who stood near the gardens of the palace at the edge of the tiles - and gave her a small smile. "Your turn?" she asked aloud. Zafina smirked back and gave the pirate a nod before Ruby Heart touched her shoulder for the tag in.

At the same time, Leo - Makoto's tag team partner - took a deep breath as they stepped forward. As soon as they were halfway towards Zafina, they got themselves in a fighting stance. Zafina also took a deep breath before she posed in her own stance.

With a yell, Leo flew forward until they covered the space between themselves and Zafina. They crouched low and attempted an uppercut, but Zafina pulled herself back before their fist connected underneath her chin. Her opponent then attempted a spin kick, but she managed to block the attack with both of her hands.

From there, Zafina pushed Leo's leg back. As they stumbled away, the young woman cartwheeled forward before she spun herself and landed an elbow strike just below Leo's collar bone. As Leo gasped for breath, Zafina managed to deliver her own uppercut that snapped Leo's head back. The force of it also made them stagger away once more.

As soon as they regained their balance, Leo shook the pain off and got themselves back on focus. I won't lose! they thought with determination in their mind. Not with G-Corp being another step closer!

Leo then jumped forward and spun themselves in midair before they delivered a downward kick. Their heel connected right into Zafina's face, who cried out as she nearly fell back while she held her face in pain.

While Zafina was distracted, Leo took the chance to unleash a punch with as much power and strength behind it as possible. However, to their dismay, Zafina recovered right on time to duck underneath the punch. With Leo being left open, the young woman went in a low sweep that knocked Leo off their feet. While Leo remained in mid-air, Zafina turned herself to unleash an upward back kick that sent her opponent upward. She then straightened herself up to turn and face them. As soon as Leo was within reach again, Zafina spun once more as she lifted her leg and delivered another back kick that was angled just in a way to make Leo spin around while still airborne. From there, Zafina unleashed a backhand against Leo's back. It was hard enough to send them a few feet away before they crashed onto the tiled ground.

Zafina crouched low to the ground - one leg stretched out to her side, the other bent at the knee, and one hand on the ground to keep her balance as the other was raised above her head behind her. She waited in this pose as Leo forced themselves to get back up on their feet.

As soon as they were ready, Leo glared at Zafina and raised their clenched fists. Just relax, they tried to encourage themselves. You can do it.

"You ready?" Zafina asked - and Leo was surprised by how kind she sounded when she asked that question to them. Still, despite their surprise, Leo managed to nod in reply.

With a battle cry, Leo ran towards their opponent. Zafina quickly straightened herself up right before she blocked an incoming punch from Leo. She remained on defense while Leo kept themselves on offense with various punches and kicks delivered from different directions. Still, no matter what they tried, Zafina was able to block, duck, and parry the attacks with ease.

Eventually, one worked out as they landed a punch that made Zafina's head snap sideways. Leo then delivered another punch that made her stagger back. That gave the young warrior a chance to jump forward and deliver a flying kick that landed right below Zafina's collar bone. The young woman cried out as she flew back before she crashed onto the ground.

As Zafina forced herself to sit back up, Leo began to approach her with the intention of ending the fight. As soon as they were within reach, they decided to speak to her first. "Concede."

Zafina gazed up at Leo before she shook her head. "I cannot do that. Not with much at stake."

"Well, I can't either," Leo answered.

Zafina sighed at that. "Then we both know where we stand."

Then without hesitation, Zafina shifted her legs so that her feet touched the ground again, but while she still remained crouched. She then extended one leg out and spun herself to perform a spinning crescent kick that hit Leo's side and caused them to stagger sideways. As they did, Zafina straightened herself up to face her opponent before she delivered an uppercut hard enough to send leg a few feet up in the air. She then waited until Leo was at her level before she delivered one more spinning crescent kick that hit the side of her opponent's ribcage.

Leo screamed as they flew backwards until they hit one of the pillars of the granada head first. They then slid to the ground and slumped sideways before they came to a complete stop. Zafina knew the fight was over after that.

A drone soon made the call. "Knockout detected. Zafina and Ruby Heart win the match."

A ghost of a smile came over Zafina as she gazed at Leo's fallen form. Since their match began, she could sense exactly what she sensed before with the wrestler Alex - that right balance in Leo's heart that made them worthy to be a Chosen One. Zafina felt that Leo was driven by something that may lead them to a dark road, though the psychic wasn't able to pinpoint exactly what that was. Still, Leo's heart was in the right place.

Zafina planned to speak to Liu Kang about Leo's potential later in the evening.


Outworld

One year ago…

It was so easy to obtain Shao Kahn's throne in the aftermath of his demise. So easy that Quan Chi nearly considered it an insult.

One week after he returned to Outworld from Earthrealm using a deity portal to get back (and fight an apparition of Scorpion before he was able to gain entry), Quan Chi initially headed to Shao Kahn's Fortress - but he found it in complete ruins.

He did, curiously, notice tiny red shards near the fortress ruins, but he ignored them otherwise as he retreated to the Emperor's secondary fortress - the one closer to where the Blood Tournament had taken place nearly a year ago.

With his sorcery, Quan Chi 'convinced' the Shadow Priests to serve him. The remaining guards did not hesitate to bow to him upon his display of controlling the Shadow Priests. Shao Kahn's former bodyguard, Motaro, attempted to challenge Quan Chi, but the promise of elevating the status of the Centaurians as the superior race above the Shokan resolved that quite quickly.

Those actions prepared him for the inevitable - the day the surviving Generals of Shao Kahn and their allies - Mileena, Baraka, Reptile, Sheeva, Vega, Anna, Rain, Tanya, Mavado, and Kira - arrived at the fortress. What amused the sorcerer even more so was the fact that he was sitting on Shao Kahn's throne at that moment. Along with the former Kahn minions were a few tarkatans and shokans.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Mileena shouted in anger as she took a step forward towards him. "That is my father's throne!"

"Was his throne," Quan Chi corrected her. He then gave her a subtle but smug smirk. "While you were… absent, the throne was for the taking. And as you can see, I have already seized that opportunity. You should've done the same sooner."

"How dare you!" Mileena screamed as she pulled out her sais from her belt. "You know that I succeed Shao Kahn by his decree!"

"That 'rule' has since changed, my dear," Quan Chi informed her. "Like I said before, you should've made that claim sooner."

Baraka looked over at two members of his tarkatan horde before he pointed to the necromancer. "Kill him!" he ordered.

The two tarkatans flew forward without hesitation. However, without ever getting up from the throne, Quan Chi raised his hand up - almost with boredom - and used his powers to open up a pair of portals right in front of the two tarkatans. Both screamed as they stumbled into the portals to who-knew-where - right before they closed before the tarkatans completely fell through. Their cutted lower halves were left behind to bleed out on the throne room floor.

"Now then," Quan Chi began as he stood up and began to walk towards the remaining minions. "As you can see, Mileena, Baraka, and his horde have chosen to defy me. The rest of you, however, have a choice; Join me. Or die in the Wastelands."

"You already have the Red Dragon's loyalty," informed Mavado without hesitation. "That will continue."

Sheeva was the only other one who didn't hesitate to respond. "You chose to side with the Centaurians! For this, the shokan stand against you!"

"So be it," Quan Chi replied. He then looked over at the purple-clad warrior. "Rain - do you recall how it was I who revealed your lineage to you?"

"I do," Rain answered. "Which is why I will choose to join you."

"As will I," said Tanya.

"Same, I suppose," followed Kira. No one in the room noticed how Mavado side-eyed her at that.

"I sssincerely doubt you will uphold any promisssesss you may bring to me," Reptile declared. "Besssidesss, you are a conniving ssscum!"

That left only two other people in the room. Quan Chi gazed at Vega and Anna. "And what have you two decided?"

Vega and Anna both stared at each other momentarily as they attempted to silently decide on what to do, especially considering they were not from Outworld. Eventually, Anna nodded to Vega before they turned their heads back to the New Emperor.

"We… will serve you," Vega finally declared.

"Very well," Quan Chi said. "Those loyal to me, remain here. Guards, escort the others to the wastelands."

"We will have your head, sorcerer!" Mileena promised with seething rage. "One way or another!"

Of course, Mileena, Baraka, Reptile, and Sheeva glared at the sorcerer as the guards escorted them - along with the other tarkatans and shokans - out of the throne room and towards the fortress exit.

As soon as they were out of the throne room, a smirk came over Quan Chi as he summoned a handful of demons from the Netherrealm. The small group turned to the sorcerer and bowed to him. Then he voiced his command to them…

"As soon as they're outside - kill them."


Present Day - Earthrealm, Not Far from Azazel's Temple

Of course, aside from a few shokan and tarkatans, the remaining generals managed to escape to the Wastelands that day. The two factions had been at war ever since.

After Quan Chi emerged from the Inner Sanctum Chamber - an egg-shaped chamber with a cool white glow that recharges his powers (among other benefits) - he was met by Motaro, who had waited patiently for him to emerge from the chamber.

"What is it?" Quan Chi asked as soon as he noticed him.

"I just received word from one of my soldiers," Motaro began to report. "He just returned from Outworld to inform that there are whispers in and around the city of Z'unkahrah. As you know, Z'unkahrah is currently the main thriving city in Outworld since the end of Shao Kahn's War. I wouldn't be surprised if they're beginning to form their own rebellion to fight against you."

"As the rumors have been from day one," Quan Chi reminded the centaurian. "I doubt that is the case. They would've rebelled by now after all this time. However, as a precaution, I will send some of the Brotherhood of Shadow warriors alongside your army to keep an eye on the city. Coordinate with Kia and Jataaka. I guarantee they will send their best stealth warriors."

Motaro bowed his head to him. "As you wish, my Emperor."

With that, Motaro began to depart Quan Chi's fortress. Quan Chi himself overlooked his fortress with a satisfied smirk on his face. Between everything here and in Outworld, the sorcerer thought. The plan is all starting to fall together.


A/N: First, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read and/or review the fic. It's very much appreciated, and I'm thrilled to remain in the groove since I started writing again this past summer.

When I restarted the story, I mentioned in my end-of-chapter notes back in Chapter 24 that I was expecting to eventually attend to a personal situation that involves my immediate family. That time has come.

Between that and the holiday season, I'll be taking a short break from writing, but I will return some time in between early to mid-January 2023. I have the next couple of chapters mostly ready, so that's a guarantee.

Until then, I hope everyone enjoys their holiday, however you celebrate!