Chapter Thirteen

Dungeons of Shao Kahn's Fortress

The sharp sound of a whip hitting against skin was heard, following by a long, agonizing scream. Shang Tsung took pride in listening to those sounds, knowing for a fact that the tortured soul of this being will soon be his own.

As the sorcerer walked down the dark, narrow hall through the dungeon, he looked down at his hands. He could barely see them in the dark, but he was able to tell that his hands were getting frail by aging.

Damn it! he growled in his mind. Even with the amount of souls I collected in one day, it still doesn't effect anything. Perhaps these new souls are more fragile than I thought. We'll see about that…

He soon reached a large cell in the dungeon and placed a hand in his pocket. The monster Berserk was in the cell. Shang Tsung and the other warriors and servants of Shao Kahn were told to leave Berserk in the cell 'until his time came.' More than likely, the Emperor wanted Berserk to 'enjoy his time' before he was placed in the tournament.

The monster held a whip in his hand and brought it down to the male human who was being hung by his wrists in mid-air, feeling the wrath of Berserk's insanity. Shang Tsung wasn't sure of the other things that he had done to the human, but it was better that it was left unspoken, especially once he noticed how both legs were snapped in half. The femurs had pierced through the skin and blood dripped from the wounds.

After the next whip, the person's face was shown in a small light, revealing one of the losing opponents from yesterday's tournament… Master Christopher.

Shang Tsung's own servants managed to capture the cocky fighter in the early hours of the night and was immediately sent to this cell, where Berserk began his pleasure of torture. The mortal had called the sorcerer an old fool and was now going to pay for it.

Shang Tsung then took his hand out of his pocket, holding the Bloody Eye medallion in his hand. "That's enough Berserk."

Berserk stopped and looked over at the sorcerer. The red blood tear glowed a little and it was as though the monster was in a trance as he looked at the artifact. Then, he backed away into a dark corner, trapped under the sorcerer's command.

Master Christopher looked up and saw Shang Tsung on the other side of the bars. The cocky fighter glared at him. "When I get out of here, everyone in this tournament will know the truth."

Shang Tsung let out a menacing laugh. "And to think you called me an 'old fool.' Well, my friend… it turns out that you are the fool. No one insults me and gets away with it! And as for you 'getting out of here'… I 'm sorry to disappoint you."

With that, the sorcerer brought his free hand out. Fear fell over Master Christopher's eyes, not knowing what was to come. Then, he felt like he was pulled forward and he watched as his very soul was pulled out of him. His whole body immediately turned blue as his soul screamed for mercy until it was sucked through the sorcerer's outstretched hand, trapping him for all eternity.

Shang Tsung looked down at his hand. They were no longer frail as they were a moment ago. "Much better."

He turned around and headed back out, releasing the magic hold on Berserk at the same time. Shang Tsung smirked as he heard a loud roar from within the cell, followed by the sound of tearing flesh, muscle, and bone…

The Main Palace

After some training, Guy, Cody, and Maki decided to get lunch. As the trio walked over to the buffet table, they noticed many of the fighters there either getting lunch themselves or have already sat down to enjoy the meal.

"I wonder if any of these guys won yet," said Cody low enough so that only Guy and Maki were to hear.

"We'll know by round two," replied Guy.

Maki chuckled slightly. "Hey, look two tables down. That guy over there made his goatee into a rat's tail."

Both Guy and Cody looked over at where Maki had pointed out. Indeed, the unknown fighter had his goatee tied into a thin, long braid that ended at mid-chest. However, aside from that, he looked menacing by his well-developed muscles and very tall height, even when he was sitting down.

"Don't let the tail fool you," Guy mentioned. "You have to worry about guys like him."

He pointed about four tables away. Cody and Maki turned towards there and noticed a blond man with a stern look. He was just as tall as the guy with the rat tail. Despite wearing a loose white shirt and blue hakama pants, one was able to tell that he had well-developed muscles.

"Remember my friend," Cody said. "Even guys like him can be easy to beat. Even guys like… that guy… can fool you."

Cody pointed to the next table over. Guy and Maki took a look and saw a man in a cowboy hat wearing a business suit. Sitting across from him was a midget also wearing a business suit.

"Hey boss," they heard the midget say. He had a high pitched raspy voice that could be heard all around the large room. "When do you go in the tournament again?"

The man in the cowboy hat looked up at his assistant looking a bit annoyed. "Soon, Jones," he answered with a heavy Southern accent. "Very soon."

After the small conversation, Guy looked at Cody. "Well, you may be right. Anyone can fool you."

Cody grinned then. "So boss, when do you have your match?"

Guy looked at his best friend a bit oddly. "Two days Cody… two days."

"Oh goodie," said Maki with a smile. Then she sniffed a little. "Mmm, the food smells good. I can't-"

It was then that a large person bumped into Guy nearly knocking him down. The Bushin ninja growled in his mind as he managed to straighten himself up. He then looked at who bumped into him and became surprised. He instantly recognized him by the blue helmet alone…

Sodom.

Cody and Maki recognized him too and managed to back away a couple of feet believing that a fight may go down. Instead, the two had a stare down, though it was more of a stare up for Guy due to his height. People around them stopped to see if the same would go on as well.

After some time, Sodom finally spoke. "Sugu ni, wareware wa tatakau." And with that, the large man went around Guy and left. Guy was a bit surprised that his long-time enemy did not try to fight with him at that moment. Every time they usually met at the very second, they would start that battle.

Not knowing Japanese too well, Cody looked at Maki. "What did he say?"

Maki sighed. "Soon, we will battle," she translated.

The Forest Area

After watching a few matches in the courtyard, Ashrah made the decision to excuse herself from watching the rest of the tournament and decided to take a walk through the forests of Outworld.

She was thankful that once her match began, she would be able to hold her own with her Ba Gua and Chou Jaio fighting styles. However, she still had a bit of a longing for her kriss weapon.

It's back in the Netherrealm, she thought. But I refuse to go back to that evil place, even to get it back…

She had decided to go on without her weapon and had hoped to find a new weapon while she was in Outworld. Speaking of Outworld, Ashrah briefly remembered how she got into The Blood Tournament to begin with;

After she was brought to this world, Ashrah had noticed a large group of people walking into a golden palace. Still unaware of her current location, the former demon had hoped that she would find answers inside.

There, Ashrah got more than she bargained for. Not only did she find out that she was in the realm of Outworld, but there was also the discovery of The Blood Tournament while eating her meal. She wasn't sure what to think of the tournament until she found out that the winner would be the owner of the most powerful artifact in all the realms.

Ashrah decided to sign up for the tournament then. As a newly purified person, she wished to test herself to see how strong she was in this new world. Plus, she believed that having the medallion in her hands could help her in the future. How? She wasn't sure of it yet.

As the former demon's thoughts lingered, they were suddenly interrupted when she heard a softly heard crunch coming from what sounded like a person stepping on leaves. Her dark eyebrows raised quickly and she turned around to see who was behind her. However, there was no one there.

Ashrah began to get suspicious. She knew that someone was nearby. Even if they were invisible, they weren't about to get away that easily.

"I know you're out there!" she called out. "How about revealing yourself and getting this over with!"

The only reply was silence… too silent to her comfort. She turned to face forward and walked in a slower pace, prepared for anything, or anyone, who was near.

Unknown to her, a black mist suddenly appeared about five feet behind her. It lingered for a moment before it quickly formed into a human shape. The figure's glowing white eyes glared at Ashrah and silently went after her.

Despite the stealth, Ashrah was able to sense it's presence. She quickly turned around and landed a kick on the side of the figure's abdomen. It didn't fall, but it was definitely caught off guard. Ashrah stepped back a couple of feet to get a better look at her attacker… and immediately, she recognized who it was…

"Noob Saibot!" she cried out in surprise. The last time she had seen him… she killed him!

Noob looked up at the purified woman and laughed sadistically. "Did you really expect to kill me that easily back in the Netherrealm? You seemed to have forgotten that I am-"

"A wraith?" Ashrah finished as she got into a fighting stance. "Yeah, like I haven't heard that from you before."

Noob snorted a bit at Ashrah's lame comment. "And you should know by now that only a fool would repeat their actions, even after they learned the truth."

"But that won't stop me from destroying you again."

"I don't think that'll be happening again." With that, Noob reached behind his back towards the handle of the sword which was placed in it's scabbard. He then quickly drew the sword out and placed in front of him. "Do you remember this?"

Ashrah almost gasped loudly as her very own kriss was held in front of her. She remembered now… she had lost her grip on the sword, which was still impaled in Noob at the time of her descent to Outworld. She felt a bit heartbroken that the sword that purified her was now in the hands of evil.

"I have no need for that sword anymore," she partially lied.

It was then that Noob quickly took a step forward and swung the sword at Ashrah. She managed to step back before it cut her. But then, she noticed a black energy floating out of the sword. Not wanting to know what it would do to her, she got out of it's way as it disappeared in mid-air.

Noob chuckled. "I'm sure you have noticed a slight… 'difference' in your precious sword. You see, I had cast a spell upon it especially for you. Whenever I use it against you, what it did for you in the Netherrealm will do the opposite here in Outworld."

Anger filled Ashrah as she heard this. "No! I will not return to that evil place!"

Noob attempted to swing the sword at her again, but with quickly thinking, Ashrah threw her hands forward, placing the edge of her palms together in front of her. A ball of light grew quickly in her hands and was shot out, leaving a trail of glowing white glitter behind it. Because of the small range between them, Noob didn't have time to react to the attack and once again was hit, this time being knocked a few feet back and landed hard against a tree.

The distraction gave Ashrah just enough time to escape. She wanted to continue her battle with Noob, to destroy him once again and hoped to put him away for good. However, this was not only the second time she would do this… but Noob held her sword, which was now tainted with evil. The only thing she could do right now is to devise a plan and better prepare herself.

Noob watched as the woman ran off. He narrowed his eyes as she disappeared behind the trees. You're time will come, the wraith thought. You cannot escape from me.

Indoor Arena

"Winner: Adon!" the Shadow Priest cried out. The people in the audience, which was a bit smaller than yesterday, clapped for the winner of the last match, the Muay Thai fighter Adon.

Adon looked down at his opponent, who was knocked out unconscious, thanks to a Jaguar kick. He was a large, dark-skinned man and was thought to be a promising fighter. However, he only proved to be nothing more than a jobber, easily beaten in less than a minute. The usually cocky grin that appeared on Adon's face during the match was now replaced by a disappointing frown with the inner edge of his eyebrows pointing down.

"This is supposed to be a tournament with the best in the universe?" Adon asked out loud. "Pathetic! No one will everbeat the Muay Thai God!"

With that, the Thailand native walked out of the ring. As he did, he noticed his former master towering over the rest of the viewers. With his single eye, Sagat stared down at him blankly. Adon stopped for a moment to give him the same blank expression.

Although he had known Sagat for years, Adon could never shake the disgusted chill that went down his spine every time he saw that single eye. He only made him want to puke.

Without a word, Adon ended the stare and began walking off, pretending that his former master was no longer standing there. He had better things to do anyways.

As he watched his ex-pupil leave, Sagat laughed in his mind. Adon will never learn…

To the former Muay Thai champion, the current and future losers were nothing more than that… losers. He also had the feeling that Adon would not be able to handle Round two.

Cave Area

Night had fallen with day two of Round One of the tournament over for the day. Everyone in the cave were doing various things. This included Asuka, Sakura, Mika, Maki, and Ibuki hanging out in Asuka's 'room.' Despite the cool air outside, the inside of the cave nearly felt as if they were being roasted. Since they believed that no one would peak, the five girls either had they bottom or top garments off with only either their bra or panties showing.

"So, how do you think today's tournament went?" asked Mika.

"I know it felt good," replied Asuka. "Because I won today."

"Yeah, you really kicked butt," mentioned Sakura. "I can't wait until I'm up in a couple of days."

"You know what's even greater?" asked Maki lying back on her blanket on the floor. "I've come to notice the good looking guys of the competition, especially since you all kept pointing them out to me."

"It's funny," said Asuka. "My father always taught me to not get distracted when it came to these things. I just can't help it sometimes."

"Speaking of your father," said Mika. "How is the reconstruction of your dojo?"

Asuka smiled. "They began rebuilding as soon as I gave father the money you lent me. He believed that it would be done by the time I come back from this tournament. Seriously Mika, I don't know how to repay you."

"There's no need," Mika answered. "You needed it more than I did."

"Hey!" Maki suddenly exclaimed. "Going back to 'good looking boys,' I noticed, Asuka, how you've been all starry-eye every time you see my friends Cody and Guy."

Asuka placed a hand on her left cheek and blushed. "Sorry, I can't help it."

"Trust me, they're not interested in dating right now."

A big grin appeared on Asuka's face. "Oh, you mean they're g-"

"NO!" Maki cried out as the other girls chuckled. "I mean, they're still trying to get over… past lovers."

"Oh I see now."

A grin also appeared on Ibuki's face as she looked at Maki. "Hey Maki, after you fought that jerk yesterday, I think Yang's concern for you came off as more than just a friend."

Maki gave the school ninja an odd look. "Why do you say so?"

Ibuki shrugged. "Just the way he said it and the way he looked at you."

"That doesn't mean anything," Maki answered. "He was just concerned, that's all."

"So, any other cute guys?" asked Asuka.

"Too many to just name one," replied Mika.

"Same here," said Sakura.

"Hey, what happened with your 'bump in' with Jin?" asked Ibuki.

"He's cute," Sakura replied. "But I haven't really seen him since then. Last time I saw him was last night at dinner, but he left as soon as we got there."

"That's too bad," said Asuka. "But it doesn't matter, he's not my type anyways."

It was then that silence fell between the five girls, unsure of what else to talk about now.

Meanwhile outside, Kilik, Xianghua, and Maxi had just finished off sparring together in the beach area just near the cave. Placing their weapons back in their respective places, they sat on a large fallen log to rest before their walked back to the cave.

"That was fun," Xianghua announced as she sat between both men.

"You say that every time," replied Maxi. He then took out one of his nunchakus and swung one end of it around a little.

"But it's true. I always have fun sparring with you two."

It was then that they spotted both Chun Li and Lei Wulong coming over to the area. They each wore their fighting attires and obviously came here to train.

"Hey you two," greeted Kilik.

"Hey," replied Lei. "You don't mind if we spar here, do you?"

"Not at all," answered Maxi. "As a matter of fact, you don't mind if we watch, do you?"

"That's fine," Chun Li said with a small smile. "I like having a small audience around, especially when I know that I'll beat my opponent."

"Now don't jump ahead of yourself yet," Lei cautioned her.

Chun Li quickly shot her tongue out at her Interpol partner, then got into a fighting stance. "Let's get the show on the road."

"You got it." Then, Lei got into his own fighting stance.

The stare down between the two lasted no more than a second. Lei let out a quick yell before charging after Chun Li. He lift his leg upward in hopes of landing a kick, but the female detective defended herself against the move.

"Too slow!" Chun Li called out as she quickly backed away. Lei tried going after her with more kicks, but Chun Li blocked every one of them.

As the two Interpol agents continued their sparring session, Xianghua's attention on the training were drawn away and were now concentrating on the two men who sat on either side of her. She had almost forgot about her crush on them due to the excitement of the tournament. They were sitting too close for an average person's comfort, but Xianghua didn't care. The thought of kissing them alone made her grow a bit hot and she felt her face flush.

The thoughts continued and Xianghua grew hotter by the minute and she moved forward to adjust herself. However, when she did, she ended up falling face forward into the ground with a loud 'oof!'

Lei ended up seeing Xianghua fall forward. "Are you all right?" he called out but then he was met by a kick to the face, causing him to fall back.

Chun Li was confused by why Lei suddenly stopped fighting, but then when she saw Kilik and Maxi getting up to check on a fallen Xianghua, she understood why.

"Eh, sorry Lei," Chun Li said as she helped her friend up. Then, they walked over to their three new friends to see what was going on.

"Xianghua?" Kilik asked. "Are you all right?"

Xianghua managed to get on her knees, a big grin on her face causing everyone confusion. "Um, yeah, I'll be fine, Kilik."

Less than a mile away, Cammy had decided that it was the best time to take a bath at the hot springs. She had just won the very last fight of the night and was quite proud of herself. However, winning had a bit of a price of her. She felt sore all over her body from the long fight against her strong opponent. The one thing the Delta Red member was looking forward to now was a nice hot bath.

She, along with everyone else, had only been in Outworld for three whole days now, including today. Things seemed to be a bit slow for the tournament at the moment, but she figured that was because the best of the best have yet to be revealed.

Soon, she reached the pathway to the hot springs. However, two signs leading to two paths both say 'Hot Springs' on them.

'Great,' the former Shadaloo doll thought sighing. She had almost forgotten that there were going to be two hot springs. Why, she wasn't sure. Perhaps, with so many people at the tournament, they were going to be more than one hot springs. She truly wished that Rose and Raiden were able to explain themselves better.

But wouldn't they have the men and women separated? she thought.

Either way, no one was really going to be at the hot springs at this hour. She decided to take the path to the right and headed up the hill.

The trot up the hill only took a minute before she reached an area surrounded by a tall wooden fence. The door to the circular area was slightly open. Cammy pushed the door more and entered.

When she stepped in, Cammy was able to feel the heat coming from the springs. It felt relaxing to her and she was looking even more forward to stepping into the water.

In the spot she entered was planked with more wood, but this time, there were large wooden cubby holes, obviously for storing personal belongings. Cammy picked the closest one to her and one that was convenient for her height. She took off her shoes and clothing, then wrapped a large towel around her before undoing her double braids leaving her blonde hair down.

Cammy was then ready to enter the springs. As she went through another door, she heard someone just coming out of the water. She was a bit surprised by the noise because the area had been so quiet. The woman must've been the only one there before Cammy's arrival and was probably now finishing up.

It was then that she spotted the person who just came out of the water. However, the person wasn't a woman as Cammy expected…

Cammy gasped in a bit of both surprise and embarrassment as she immediately recognized one of the people staying at the cave with her. His name was Jin and there he was, standing there in all of his glory.

Unfortunately for Cammy, Jin had heard her gasp and quickly turned to see who was there. He was a caught by surprise himself and stood still, not knowing what to do.

Oh blimey! Cammy cried out in her mind as she looked at Jin. She felt her face burn hot with embarrassment. I have the feeling that I may have entered the men's hot springs by mistake!

Great, Jin thought himself as his face also turned red. She's seeing me in all my glory…

"I, I'm so sorry!" was all Cammy could muster before running off from Jin's sight. That was so embarrassing! I hope he doesn't look at me weird after that…

Jin sighed after Cammy disappeared, not sure what to think about it. He quickly wrapped a towel around his waist and, after a brief moment, walked off to get his belongings.

Back in the cave area, Guile stood in front of Sonya, Alex, Kenshi, and Wagner while a fire were on behind him outside. He had already talked to Chun Li, Lei, and Delta Red about the mission and now he was going to give the same lecture to his main team.

"All right," the Colonel said. "You all know what you are here for. To crack down on any unusual activities that may go on at the tournament."

Wagner sighed a little. "To me, it seems like a normal tournament."

"Not really," replied Sonya. "I assume you don't know the history of Outworld."

"Only that it's another realm."

"More than that," Alex said while brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Even I didn't believe it for a while, but the more stories I heard, the more I was convinced"

"Outworld has been known in the past for it's thirst for the domination of all realms," Sonya mentioned. "Their main purpose is destruction and slavery. However, Earth happened to be one of the last remaining realms free from their control. When they tried to take over our realm, we fought back. A handful of fighters, myself included, managed to defend Earth and free many of the other captured realms. Shang Tsung himself had been serving Shao Kahn, the Emperor at the time. We still believe Kahn is alive and still the Emperor and is most likely in hiding."

"Perhaps he may show up after the tournament," Wagner suggested.

"That's a possibility," Guile agreed. "During this tournament, we should take every precaution possible, even the ones that seem out of place. With everyone's knowledge, including Rose and Raiden's, we'll be able to discover the real purpose behind the tournament."

"But what if there never was a purpose?" the young Sergeant asked.

"But then why would they offer what is rumored to be the most powerful artifact in existence?" Alex asked.

A thought came to the Colonel then. "Now that you mentioned the medallion, that does seem suspicious. Why would they just want to give away such an artifact to the winner of the tournament? Wouldn't they have kept it for themselves or do they really have plans for the winner of the tournament? All we know about it that it's powerful and could cause chaos if it ended up in the wrong hands, but even that's the only thing Raiden and Rose know about."

"Just that alone tells me that something is indeed up," the blonde Captain suggested. "By the later rounds we'll have to warn the winners at the time. That way they know that anything could happen. And even if they don't believe us, at least they'll keep it in mind, I hope."

"Surely by then, we'll know more information," Alex added.

Kenshi, who was silent for most of the meeting, cleared his throat. "I suggest that the best way to crack down on all of this is to study up on the artifact itself. For all we know, there could be more to it than even what's commonly known. It may not be as powerful as everyone says it is."

"Kenshi's right," Guile agreed. "Getting to know the artifact is the best possible way to get around the truth. The only thing is that we need to find someone who knows the artifact… someone who is on our side."

"I have the feeling that only the holders know," Alex sighed.

"And you're not making me join them just to find out!" Wagner exclaimed.

Sonya laughed. "Don't worry Wagner, no one has to do that."

"All right," Guile began to conclude. "So at least we began the first step in this investigation. And remember, if you find any suspicious information on the medallion, Shadaloo, the Black Dragon, or the tournament, report to Sonya, Wolfman, or I immediately."

"Great," Wagner said, relieved that the meeting was over. He then looked at Kenshi and remembered a question he was going to ask him during their first night in Outworld. "Hey Kenshi, I've been meaning to ask… what's with the blindfold? Unless it's see through, how can you see through that thing?"

Guile, Sonya, and Alex looked at the young soldier oddly. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" Alex exclaimed in surprise.

"And clearly you weren't paying attention to Rose's speech on the ship back on Earth," added Sonya.

Kenshi quietly sighed and lifted up his blindfold, revealing his eyes. There were no indications of iris or pupils, just white with a tint of blue where the irises should have been. And that was enough for Wagner to let out a quick yell and jump back a bit.

"Oh one other thing," Guile said suddenly. "Wagner, I assume that you forgot that you packed the rest of your jeans in my bag, since you mentioned that you didn't have room in your suitcase. Come pick them up when we get back inside."

Wagner glared at his mentor as Sonya stiffened a chuckle next to him. So that's where they went… He then looked over at Kenshi. "Sorry man. I didn't even give it a thought… the fact that you're... well..."

The swordsman simply nodded before shifting his blindfold back over his eyes.

Not too far from them, Ken and Julia had just finished sparring and decided to go inside for the night. However, before they did that, Julia had wanted to make some decaffeinated tea that she brought with her to the realm. She took with her three cups (in case someone came by and wanted some), a kettle that Rose provided, and a portable gas stove that Yin Lee provided.

Ken looked at the equipment oddly. "Camping is not the same anymore. I understand Yin with a portable gas stove because her brothers tell me that she loves cooking… but a kettle? Rose must've known what we all like to eat and drink."

Julia laughed a little as she placed the kettle filled with water over the small fire on the stove. "I know, it's funny. I brought my own tea bags over thinking that I would just put hot water from the sink straight into my cup. This is more neat anyways."

They talked for a few moments before the kettle started whistling. Julia then shut the stove off, removed the kettle and poured herself and Ken some tea into their cups.

Ken took a small sip from the cup. "Wow, this is good. Did you add your own honey or was it part of the tea."

"Part of the tea," Julia replied before sipping her own tea.

It was then that Ken turned his head slightly. About twenty feet away, he noticed his best friend Ryu meditating quietly under a large tree. A thought came to him and he tried his best to stop the mischievous grin that attempted to creep upon his face.

"Hey Julia," he said. "Pour some tea into that third cup. I want to introduce you to someone."

"Um, okay," Julia said picking up the kettle. As she poured the extra tea, Ken got himself up and walked over to Ryu.

Ryu was well known to meditate through anything and will not even flinch even if there was an earthquake. However, there was only one way to get Ryu out of his meditation. Ken lifted his foot and went to go kick him in the shoulder. Immediately, Ryu lifted his arm and quickly blocked the kick.

"Time to wake up," Ken said. Ryu smirked as he heard his childhood friend's voice. He then opened his eyes, revealing a set of dark brown irises, and looked up at Ken.

"Must you always do that?" Ryu asked.

"You know I like to bug you when you're serious," Ken laughed. "Besides, I want you to meet someone."

It was then that he noticed a young woman holding two cups in each hand coming up to them. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a single ponytail and she wore khaki pants, brown flip flops, and a blue shirt.

When she was a foot away, Ken looked over at her. "It's funny. We're all staying in the same cave, but I never officially introduced the two of you to each other. Julia, I'd like to introduce you to my best friend Ryu. Ryu, this is Julia, the first person I met during this tournament."

Julia smiled at Ryu. "Ken mentioned you to me a few times. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Ryu answered.

The young woman began bending down while keeping her torso straight. "Would you like some-"

Suddenly, Julia lost her balance and fell sideways. Her own tea fell to the side as well, but unfortunately, the other cup fell towards Ryu, it's contents spilled onto the top part of his gi. Ryu was caught by surprise and immediately rolled over, then stood up.

Ken wasn't sure whether to laugh or stare in horror. He then got his senses back and helped Julia onto her feet. "You all right?"

Julia sighed. "I'm fine." She then quickly looked over at Ryu. "Are you all right? That stuff didn't burn you did it? I'm so sorry, I'm so clumsy!"

Ryu waved a hand. "It's all right. Actually, I should thank you. This gi needed to be washed anyways." With that, he undid the black belt that was around his waist, then slipped the gi off his shoulders. Julia immediately felt her face flush a bit as she stared at his well-developed torso.

Ken laughed. "Tell me about it. I don't think you've washed that thing since we last saw each other."

Ryu chose to ignore him as he turned his head to Julia. "Well, I should go rest for the night. I'll see you around. Nice to meet you." He then turned around and began walking back to the cave.

Julia sighed to herself. What a way to make a first impression…

Back inside the cave, Raiden has been relaxing in the 'lounge' area with a drink in his hand while sitting on a couch. Things have been quiet most of the day with no strange activities going on. As a matter of fact, that was the very thing frustrating him. Although some of his chosen mortals are working to help investigate unusual activities, he was beginning to grow impatient because the search for answers about the powerful medallion and it's holders were going slower than normal.

I really hope I didn't relinquish my God status for nothing, he thought while sipping his drink.

It was then that the former Thunder God heard footsteps entering the lounge. Raiden sighed, realizing who just came in. "Good evening, Rose."

Rose folded her arms in front of her. "Enjoying your liquor?"

Raiden smirked, looking down at the Outworld liquor he took from the palace a few hours ago. "You know, even the chosen ones will be doing this as well."

Rose grunted. "But you are the one leading them! Don't you think you can be a little more responsible than that?"

"Oh jeez, you're telling me that I can't kick back while everything is calm at the moment? Besides, I'm a God, I can't get drunk no matter how much I drink!"

The soul psychic sighed, then glared at Raiden. "Well, I'm not here to argue with you right now. As a matter of fact, I'm here because Yun lost his hat today and was wondering where it went. I believe I found it."

Raiden sighed and took Yun's hat off from his own head. "That's what the boy deserved for believing that there were vending machines in Outworld. Shame, it's a nice hat too. You can give it back to him now."

With that, Rose grabbed the hat and began turning around. An idea quickly came to Raiden and he smiled mischievously, knowing that Rose was the type who would be easy to rile up. He quickly grabbed his staff, turned himself around, and managed to poke Rose's back with it.

Rose gasped in surprised, then quickly turned to Raiden in anger. "You bastard!" she cried out. She suddenly grabbed an empty mug and threw it at him.

"Hehe," Raiden chuckled. He then surrounded himself with electricity and disappeared just before the mug hit him, which instead crashed into the floor.

That idiot! Rose cried out in her mind. She then noticed the half empty liquor bottle on the coffee table. She glanced around to make sure that no one was around. After a moment, she grabbed the bottle, hid it under her coat, and quietly left the room.

Palace Sleeping Quarters

The medallion must be destroyed, even at the cost of my life…

Yoshimitsu thought of the Bloody Eye medallion as he quietly meditated in his room. Aside from those holding the artifact, he realized that he was the only participant of the tournament who knew the truth. He was able to see how fooled the fighters were, even the ones with psychic powers.

The Manji clan leader had decided to choose not to reveal the truth to anyone just yet. He knew that if he did, chaos would ensue and the fighters would most likely only destroy themselves. At the same time, he knew he had to reveal everything before the final round was over. He had the feeling that the current wielders were devising some sort of plan. What it was, he wasn't sure of.

Everyone here has been deceived. They only know the powers the medallion has to offer. They do not know what the wielders will do with it, nor do they know that it will eventually do what it has attempted to do to me…

It was then that he heard his window open. Yoshimitsu stayed still, realizing that an intruder came in. The intruder managed to slowly get through the window, obviously unaware that Yoshimitsu was in the room.

The intruder ended up dropping an empty bag and when he went to go pick it up, a green glowing katana was suddenly placed an inch from his neck. Fear fell over him at he stared at the katana's owner.

"Why do you enter?" he demanded.

"I, I'm sorry!" the intruder cried out. "I, I thought no one was in the room-"

"You have come to rob me, have you?"

"Y, yes…" the intruder admitted.

With a quick swift of the sword, the intruder's neck was cut open and he fell forward to the ground dead. Yoshimitsu snorted as he put his bloody katana back in his scabbard.

"I may rob as well, but at least it's not for myself." He sat back down in his meditating position. "Besides, with my speculations of this tournament, I have the feeling that I granted you more mercy than you thought."

It was then that the sound of a distant cry was heard. Yoshimitsu quickly turned around, but no one was there. However, when he looked down at his dead foe, he was surprised to see that his skin had suddenly turned blue…