Chapter Thirty-Three

Early the next morning…

In the cave, Li Mei was the first to wake up. She slowly sat up and sighed to herself a bit, feeling her back crack a couple of times in the process. I have been sitting around for way too long, she thought to herself.

She had lost the tournament during the second round. With the last day of round three tomorrow, it sure felt like a long time since. Even with her loss, Li Mei tried to keep her good spirit up.

However, she had been the one to witness Ibuki's death. She regretted never getting a good look at her killer's face all because she felt that she fled in fear. Li Mei had spent quite some time training to be a good fighter and to never fear anything, even in the face of death. She felt that not only did she fail her masters and Ibuki, but also herself.

Which reminded her… it had been some time since she manage to escape from her own village of Sun Do, located about a three hour walk from here. A while before the announcement of the tournament, the people working for Shao Kahn enslaved her and her people. They had made them work hard labor under threat of death. She had seen many fall to their deaths, mainly from exhaustion.

Li Mei, however, managed to escape Sun Do when she and a handful of other villagers rebelled against some of the guards. Li Mei was the only one of the group who managed to make it out alive, at least as far as she knew.

Knowing about the tournament, Li Mei came here. She knew that there would be others from other realms coming to the tournament. It was her chance to be able to leave Outworld and start her life anew.

She admitted that the way she acted was not normal for her… it was the only way for her to cover her true emotions. She didn't want anyone in the cave to keep asking her if everything was all right.

Li Mei wondered about the people in Sun Do. Have things been calm since the tournament began? Has it grown worse since? Were her brother and grandfather okay?

She had to know.

The young woman knew that everyone would be busy with the tournament today so it would be easier for her to leave without being asked where she was going. It was something she wanted to deal with on her own.

She got herself dressed in her favorite outfit… a purple low-cut shirt decorated with white flowers, purple baggy pants with white trims with black and gold button piece of fabric on each side, a lavender sash, and a pair of geta shoes. She then got her Kunlun Dao sword, which was in a scabbard, and placed the strap around her torso.

Once she was ready, Li Mei headed out. She knew that once she got there, the town was going to be surrounded by Shao Kahn's guards. The young woman promised herself that no matter what happens, she won't back down this time.

Outdoor Arena

During a match, Chun Li delivered a few kicks while her opponent Sindel attempted to block them. Sindel waited for the right moment and soon found an opening as she delivered her own punches and kicks, which Chun Li blocked as well. The two had been going at it for only a minute, but to them, their match was just beginning.

The two women fought hand to hand for a bit before Sindel suddenly jumped up. Chun Li backed away quickly, believing that the older woman was going to deliver a high kick. However, that wasn't the case as purple energy surrounded Sindel and now she was floatingjust a few feet above Chun Li's head.

From there, Sindel opened her mouth and began shooting purple projectiles at Chun Li every few seconds. Each time, Chun Li had to maneuver herself out of the way. She had to especially stay on alert due to the fact that the projectiles were raining down on her fast.

Eventually, after dodge yet another purple projectile, Chun Li shot both of her hands up. "Kikoken!" she cried out as a blue projectile shot out of her hands. It barely missed Sindel as she flew back down to the ground. The projectile flew over her head and were a few more feet towards the sky before it dispersed.

Once she got back on her feet, Sindel dived forward and slid across the floor in an attempt to grab on to Chun Li's ankles. Instead, Chun Li jumped over Sindel, somersaulting forward in the process and ended up behind her.

Sindel quickly got back on her feet afterward. She turned her head and saw an incoming punch, blocking it right on time. Once again, the two women fought hand to hand, both switching between offense and defense.

Eventually, Sindel managed to break the barrier and delivered a few punches to Chun Li's face. Chun Li backed away, holding her face in pain. Sindel then attempted to cover the distance between them.

However, Chun Li was prepared this time.

The Interpol detective lifted one leg up once Sindel was close enough. She then rapidly delivered endless kicks with her one leg in such a speed that her leg looked as though it blurred out. Sindel was hit multiple times before Chun Li delivered one last hard kick. The kick was enough to send Sindel flying back… and out of the ring.

Chun Li stood where she was as her name was announced as the winner of the match. She was surprised that she had won. Sindel was her toughest opponent yet since this tournament began.

After the thought, Chun Li walked over to Sindel, who was just sitting up after taking her fall. Sindel looked up at her and managed to smirk a bit. "Congratulations on your win," the Queen of Edenia said.

Chun Li smiled. Despite losing, Sindel seemed to take it well. In respect, Chun Li helped her back on her feet with Sindel taking her hand and pulling herself up. "Thank you," Chun Li replied. "You did great yourself and you were a very good challenge."

Sindel smiled. "Glad to hear I gave you quite the workout. I wish you the best in the tournament. I must go, my daughter has her match today as well and I hope to get there before her turn is up."

With that, the older woman left the area as Chun Li walked to the other side of the arena to meet up with her friends who were watching her match.

Courtyard

"Cassandra Alexandra!" Shang Tsung announced as he began the setup for the next match.

Wielding her sword and shield once again, Cassandra walked into the ring, ready for her match. Here she was in the third round in the tournament… and three times in a row, she was assigned to this very ring, which she knew was coincidence, but found funny none the less.

She soon reached the middle and awaited her opponent, curious as to who it was. Soon the name was announced.

"Ivy Valentine!"

Cassandra turned her head and noticed a tall woman entering the ring. In her hand was a sword, which was a bit thicker and a couple of inches longer than her own sword. It was what Cassandra hoped for… a sword fight, just like the last two times.

Ivy soon stood a few feet from Cassandra. Both got into their stances. "Good luck," Cassandra said with a small smile.

The older woman smirked a bit. "Hmph, you'll need it."

The small smile on Cassandra's face faded. Wow, she's cold, she thought with a bit of bitterness.

Shang Tsung sat back down on his throne once he saw that both women were ready for battle. "Begin!" he called out.

Ivy seemed to not want to waste any time as she covered the distance between herself and Cassandra. Their swords clashed almost immediately. The two then pulled back and Ivy lashed her sword out again at Cassandra, who blocked the incoming move with her shield. During this, Cassandra could hear her friends cheering on for her. This alone made Cassandra more determined to win this match.

During the fight, Cassandra lashed out her shield and attempted to hit Ivy with it. However, Ivy blocked the move with her sword. I think it's time to have some real fun,the older woman thought.

Ivy managed to dodge another one of Cassandra's moves. She then pulled back, lashing her sword behind her. The sword uncoiled itself, turning into eight pieces. She then lashed her weapon out at Cassandra. The weapon's sudden change caught Cassandra by surprise and was just barely blocking the extended sword with her shield.

Then, to Cassandra's surprise, Ivy's sword wrapped itself around Cassandra's sword, then pulled it away from her hand.

"My sword!" Cassandra called out as she saw her weapon land on the opposite side of the ring. Once her own weapon was on the ground, Ivy immediately swung her sword back at Cassandra, aiming for her head. Once again, the younger woman blocked the incoming attack. She realized how close she was to Ivy and decided to make a daring attack of her own.

"Take this!" Cassandra called out as she raised her shield above her before bashing it in Ivy's face. The move knocked Ivy to the floor, which just gave Cassandra enough time to go to the opposite end of the ring to get her sword.

Just as Cassandra got her sword, Ivy's own sword managed to wrap itself around both of her legs. Cassandra then suddenly found herself being pulled back before flying in the air. Ivy took a moment to whip her around the ring for a bit, smirking as she heard Cassandra shriek a few times. She then pulled her towards her and had her land on the ground face first before letting her sword coil back to one piece.

Before Cassandra could get up, Ivy had managed to grab her and, to Cassandra's surprise, placed her over one knee.

Oh great! Cassandra thought to herself as she tried to struggle out of her grip. This is going to be humiliating!

Ivy stared at her. "You were quite naughty when you hit me with your little toy," she said. With that, she took the flat side of her sword (obviously so that Cassandra didn't get any cuts), and spanked her a few times with it.

Cassandra shrieked in humiliation as she kept struggling to get out of the hold. The worse thing was that she was able to hear the whistles and cheers from some of the men watching the tournament.

Damn perverts! Cassandra thought.

Finally, Cassandra managed to lift one of her feet and smack Ivy in the face with it. The smack, thankfully, was hard enough to knock Ivy further down to the floor, being forced to release Cassandra. The younger fighter rolled away from her opponent before getting herself back on her feet. She got into a fighting stance, ready for more.

Ivy got herself back on her feet, narrowing her eyes at Cassandra. "You'll pay dearly for that!"

Cassandra said nothing as she ran over to Ivy to continue the fight. In reply, Ivy lifted one leg up then twirled a few times, surrounding herself with her sword, which was once again uncoiled. Cassandra managed to stop herself and blocked the spinning sword with her shield.

Once Ivy stopped spinning, Cassandra jumped up and managed to wrap her legs around Ivy's neck. This one's for you Sophitia, she thought before twisting herself. Had she added more pressure, she would've surely broken Ivy's neck. However, it was just enough to stun her. Cassandra then jumped off as Ivy stumbled back as she held on to her neck, coughing violently.

Quickly, Cassandra raised her sword in an attempt to summon lighting from the sky. However, before a lightning bolt even came down, her sword was once again wrapped by Ivy's sword. Though it caught Cassandra by surprise, she was more prepared this time, keeping a tight grip on the hilt.

"I definitely saw that coming," Ivy said, a smirk once again appearing on her face.

However, Cassandra had another surprise up her sleeve. She concentrated some energy around her and soon a red aura quickly appeared and trailed through her sword and then through Ivy's sword. The move eventually reached Ivy, knocking her back a bit.

Cassandra saw another opportunity then. Quickly, she charged green energy in her sword. However, as Ivy recovered, she did the same. At the same time, they charged at each other and their swords clashed. The energy caused an invisible explosion, sending shockwaves out of the ring, past the viewers and out of the Courtyard grounds. The viewers had yelped in surprised before falling completely silent, quite impressed by the two women.

Ivy and Cassandra soon clashed swords again, going back and forth in the process. During that, Ivy managed to kick Cassandra back a few feet. It was now time to end this…

The older woman placed her uncoiled sword just under Cassandra, who was still recovering from the kick. Using energy around her, Ivy charged up her sword before quickly lifting her sword up. The sword hit Cassandra at such a force that it sent her flying quite high in the air, letting out a shriek in the process. Soon she landed on her side and was rendered unconscious.

Shang Tsung stood up once he realized this. "Winner: Ivy Valentine!"

The audience clapped afterward. Some even whistled, obviously quite impressed with the match. Cassandra's friends jumped into the ring to see if she was all right. Meanwhile, Ivy coiled her sword back in one piece before leaving the ring.

She thought she could really win? Ivy thought. How cute.

Indoor Arena

"There you are mother," Princess Kitana said as she spotted Queen Sindel arriving at the indoor arena.

Sindel managed to pass through the other viewers of the tournament and was able to reach Kitana and Jade. "Good, you didn't have your match yet. I'm glad I came here right on time."

"How did you do in your match?" Jade asked.

Sindel sighed a little. "Unfortunately, I didn't make it out the winner. I am thankful that my loss was to a nice young lady rather than some repulsive person who shouldn't have gone this far to begin with."

"That's true," Kitana said.

After the conversation, the three of them watched a couple of matches pass. Eventually, the next match was to begin and the Shadow Priest hosting the tournament in the indoor arena soon announced the first of the two fighters.

"Kitana!" it called out.

"About time," said Jade. "Good luck Princess."

"Indeed," Sindel followed. "And please don't be disappointed if you lose."

"I'll try not to be," Kitana replied before getting herself in the ring.

Once the Princess reached the middle, her opponent's name was announced. "Ryu!"

A young man stepped into the ring. "So," Sindel said. "Looks like she'll be fighting a man this time."

"Yes," Jade answered. "And if I say so myself, he's quite handsome."

Sindel quickly turned to the younger woman, a small smirk appearing on her face. Jade was still looking ahead before she felt the Queen staring at her. She turned her head and upon looking at her face, she realized what she said.

"Eh, did I say that out loud?" Jade asked as she put a hand on her own cheek.

Sindel smiled. "Don't worry dear, it'll be between us. Which gives me an idea… when we return to Edenia, maybe I can pair you with a nice, young noble man."

"Um… thanks, but no thanks," Jade said before turning her head back towards the ring.

In the ring, Ryu and Kitana stood a few feet from each other. Kitana bowed to him. "Good luck to you."

In reply, Ryu bowed to her as well. "The same to you." They then got into their stances.

"Begin!" the Shadow Priest called out.

Right away, Kitana jumped toward him and began throwing some punches and kicks, forcing Ryu on defense. This lasted for some time before Ryu managed to find an opening and began fighting back. For a minute or two, they fought like this, both switching between offense and defense.

When she got the chance, Kitana pulled back a bit before jumping forward again. She lifted one leg and managed to kick Ryu. The first kick forced Ryu to stumbled. However, as she pulled her one leg back down, she pulled up her other leg, once again kicking him. This second kick knocked him back and on the floor as Kitana herself landed safely on both feet.

Ryu rolled back before getting back on his feet. He then ran forward before jumping up, placing one leg out. "Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!" he called out as he spun around in the air rapidly. Kitana saw the attack coming and managed to duck down under it before gliding herself to the side.

Once he was back on his feet, Ryu turned and went after Kitana. Again, they fought hand to hand, but it was shorter than the first time. Kitana pulled herself back before being surrounded by a blue mist and suddenly disappeared from Ryu's eyes. Before Ryu could react, he was suddenly kicked to the ground from behind by Kitana, who managed to teleport behind him.

In the audience, Jade cheered for Kitana. "Yes! She finally got that move to work!"

"You taught her well Jade," Sindel answered as she applauded along with some of the other viewers.

Back in the ring… as Ryu got himself up, Kitana took out one of her two fan blades from her boot. As Ryu turned around, she opened the fan and threw it forward, the weapon spinning towards Ryu in the process. He immediately got himself out of the way and the weapon went past him.

From there, he ran back after Kitana. He then does a forward motion with an elbow out and managed to land the attack on Kitana, who stumbled back a bit. Once she recovered, she went after him.

However it turned out to be a mistake as Ryu crouched himself down with one fist clenched.

"Shouryuken!" he called out once Kitana was close to him. He jumped up and performed a powerful uppercut, sending the both of them flying in the air. Soon, Ryu landed safely back on his feet as Kitana, already unconscious from the last move, landed on the ground with a thud.

"Winner: Ryu!" the Shadow Priest called out.

Sindel and Jade immediately jumped into the ring to check up on Kitana as Ryu watched from where he stood. He wasn't sure whether or not he should check up on her. In his last match, a friend of his opponent Xianghua gave him a lecture about his actions when he left her without checking to see if she was all right.

However, it would seem that he got the okay to leave when the white-haired woman checking up on Kitana turned to him and nodded, letting him know that it was all right. Ryu nodded to her before leaving the ring.

Far From The Tournament Grounds

After a very long walk, Li Mei finally reached the Outworld village of Sun Do. Upon viewing the village, Li Mei had expected Shao Kahn's guards to surround the gates that surrounded the village.

However, not one guard was in sight and Li Mei immediately assumed that it was safe to pass through.

Have my people been freed? she thought to herself with hope.

Li Mei emerged from the forest and reached the entrance to Sun Do. As she entered, a dark feeling came over her suddenly, a feeling that felt as though something was wrong.

She looked around the village. She remembered how it looked before she and her people were enslaved. The place was filled with wooden-built homes, each baring stairs and porches that lead up to the entrances. People had gone about their business. Li Mei remembered the happy faces of those she didn't know and the smiles on those she knew every time she greeted them.

She knew that those days were pretty much over. Even if most of the villagers survived, the happiness would be gone, the traumatic experience leaving them in unspeakable states.

Li Mei walked further into the village, walking on the pebbled sidewalk. A chill came up her spine as she realized how quiet it was around her. Not even the sound of the wind was heard.

The young woman was walking for some time before she made a turn at a corner. Upon seeing the sight before her, Li Mei immediately stopped in her tracks, gasping in horror in the process.

Before her, countless corpses were littered all around, all covered in a mix of dirt and blood. The bodies were of children, teenagers, adults, and elders alike. It would seem that they died not too long ago for that most were just beginning to decompose.

In the distance out in a small field, Li Mei saw another horrifying sight that caused the tears she was fighting back to escape her eyes. A field of poles stood like stones in a graveyard… each one baring a decapitated head of a villager.

Li Mei looked down at her hands as the tears continuously poured down her face. "So this was our fate. If only I had been here, this may not have happened…"

It was then that she heard voices not too far from her. She turned to her right and was a bit surprised to see three men walking towards her… each one wearing a uniform, obviously members of Shao Kahn's guards. They were talking amongst themselves, they had not noticed Li Mei just ahead of them.

And they had not noticed her unsheathing her sword…

"It would seem that our job here is done," one guard said. "It's about time we received orders to return to the Emperor's palace."

"Tell me about it," another guard agreed. "I was sick of being here."

"Besides," a third guard said. "I'm curious to know how the tournament's going-"

He was suddenly cut off as he suddenly felt a sword plunge right into his chest. He turned to see the face of the young woman behind the sword before death consumed him.

Li Mei pulled her sword out of the man's body as the other two guards pulled out their own swords, prepared to attack her.

"That was just luck!" the second guard cried out as he lashed his sword out.

Li Mei quickly blocked the sword with her own. The two exchanged swords moves for only a few seconds. When she found an opening, Li Mei pulled one leg back before kicking forward, flipping back in the process. She managed to land the blow right at the man's stomach. The move forced the man to fall back on the ground. Before he got up, Li Mei kicked him back again before raising her sword and swinging it down, decapitating the man in the process.

The other guard had his sword out and was ready to stab it through her back. However, to his surprise, Li Mei jabbed the weapon at him first and managed to stab him right through the abdomen without even turning to face him.

The man stood there in surprise. Before he knew it, Li Mei took the sword out and turned quickly to face him, swinging her sword once again at him. A slice was heard and the body collapsed after, his head rolling away a few feet from his body.

For a while, Li Mei stood above the slaughtered guards as their blood dripped on the ground from her sword. Though her face was wet from her sorrow, the tears had stopped. That moment, she made a promise to herself. From this day forward, she would improve herself as a fighter. Every fight she would become involved in, she would do it for the people of Sun Do.

Keeping her sword in her hand, Li Mei left Sun Do, most likely to never return to the once-peaceful village.

Evening, Underground Lair

After entering the ring upon hearing his name being called, Sub-Zero stretched himself out a bit, ready for the fight that was about to start. He waited for the name of his opponent to be called out, looking at the viewers before him trying to make a guess of who it could be.

However, unknown to the ice ninja, he was about to be in for a big surprise. Before Shang Tsung even announced his opponent's name, he nearly forgot that he set up this fight and tried to withhold his sadistic laughter. Soon, the name was announced…

"Scorpion!"

Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow as he remembered the name… the name of an old foe from his past. He figured that the name was just a coincidence.

However, upon seeing the yellow-clad ninja step into the ring, Sub-Zero looked at him in surprise. It was at this very world where he last saw the hellspawn spectre… the man responsible for the murder of his brother, the original Sub-Zero.

In their last meeting, Scorpion thought that he and the old Lin Kuei played a role in the death of his family and clan, the Shirai Ryu. Though Sub-Zero's older brother was responsible for Scorpion's own murder, they had nothing to do with the other murders. It was in fact Quan Chi who was responsible. When the sorcerer attempted to send Scorpion back to the Netherrealm, the spectre took him along for the ride. Until this very moment, Sub-Zero had not seen him since.

As Scorpion approached him, Sub-Zero shifted his eyes at the sorcerer sitting at his throne. Indeed the past was catching up with him. Upon his brother's death, the old Lin Kuei had sent Sub-Zero to assassinate Shang Tsung, the very assignment that his brother failed. Scorpion had been after him then as well, thinking him to be his brother. However, upon witnessing Sub-Zero sparing the life of his defeated opponent, Scorpion realized that it wasn't the same person… the older Sub-Zero didn't show any mercy when he killed him all those years ago.

Soon, Sub-Zero and Scorpion stood a few feet from one another. They stared at each other for a moment before Scorpion got himself in a fighting stance. Sub-Zero slowly followed after.

Shang Tsung saw that they were ready. "Begin!" he called out.

Not wasting any time, the two ran towards each other, thus beginning the match. They began hand to hand, each of them going on offense and defense. They delivered their moves in high speed, both fighters extremely skilled at their respectful fighting styles.

Some time past before both of them pulled back. Sub-Zero pushed his hands out as an ice projectile came out of his hands. Just as fast, Scorpion shot out his own fireball projectile. Both projectiles reached each other and clashed before dispersing.

Then, Sub-Zero pulled his hands out a bit and spread then apart. Collecting water vapors from the air, the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei was able to form his large Kori Blade. In reply, Scorpion pulled out his Mugai Ryu sword. They raced after each other and eventually their weapons clashed with one another.

They swung their weapons back and forth a couple of times before Scorpion managed to push Sub-Zero a bit, forcing the blue-clad fighter to turn 180 degrees. Scorpion swung his weapon down towards his back, but Sub-Zero swung his own sword over his shoulder and held it in front of his back. The weapon managed to catch Scorpion's. As Scorpion pulled back after the block, Sub-Zero turned to face the yellow-clad fighter, swinging his sword sideways.

Scorpion jumped over the weapon, doing an air-split in the process. As he fell back down towards the ground, he swung his sword back down again, which Sub-Zero pulled himself back from. Scorpion landed on the ground with his feet and the two fought with their swords for another few seconds. However, having a larger sword, Sub-Zero eventually knocked Scorpion's sword right out of his hand, the weapon landing outside the ring.

Sub-Zero let his sword disperse in the air afterward. He then saw that Scorpion was running after him. In retaliation, Sub-Zero jumped back, leaving an ice-made clone of himself in the process. Scorpion saw this move done in their past fights and he managed to stop himself just inches from the clone, knowing that he would be frozen upon touching it. He stood his ground until the clone dispersed into water vapors.

Having been standing before the clone, Sub-Zero immediately kicked Scorpion in the face once it was gone. He then attempted another kick, but Scorpion blocked the move, then followed with a backhand, which Sub-Zero ducked under before delivering a punch to Scorpion's abdomen. The move connected, causing Scorpion to keel over for a split second.

Once he recovered, Scorpion attempted a roundhouse kick, but Sub-Zero managed to duck under it. With that, he turned himself fully around, sidestepping once in the process before using both palms to deliver a powerful push that sent Scorpion flying back a few feet. He landed just a few feet from the edge of the ring, but that close call didn't seem to faze the spectre as he bend his knees back and pushed himself back up on his feet.

Afterward, Scorpion shot his hand out. Quickly a spear connected to a rope came out of his hand and managed to lodge itself into Sub-Zero's shoulder. Sub-Zero let out a small yelp upon being impaled.

"GET OVER HERE!" Scorpion called out as he pulled Sub-Zero, stunned from the move, towards him. Once he was close enough, Scorpion pulled the spear out of him. He then disappeared in a puff of smoke before reappearing behind and above him, delivering a kick to Sub-Zero, who stumbled forward.

Once back on his feet, Scorpion raised his hands. Knowing what was coming, Sub-Zero did a backward flip as a burst of flames shot out of the ground where he originally stood.

When the fire was cleared out, Sub-Zero attempted to go after Scorpion again. However, the spectre had another trick up his sleeve. Once Sub-Zero was close enough, Scorpion performed a backwards somersault, a line of fire following his feet in the process. The move managed to connect, the force sending Sub-Zero flying back… and out of the ring.

When Scorpion landed back on his feet, Shang Tsung stood. "Winner: Scorpion!"

The audience clapped as Sub-Zero sat himself back up, realizing his loss. He was just about to get back on his feet when he noticed Scorpion approaching him. He stayed still for a moment until Scorpion stopped a few feet from him. Once he did, Sub-Zero got himself back on his feet.

Scorpion spoke. "I have not forgotten our deal… any future encounters we'll have will just be coincidence."

Sub-Zero nodded as he understood. Despite their past and despite Sub-Zero's involvement with the Lin Kuei, Scorpion vowed not to harm him, since he was never involved in the murders of himself, his family, and his clan.

Having nothing more to say, Scorpion walked past him and left the arena. Sub-Zero stayed in his place for a minute. Once the next match was announcement, he soon left as well…

Forest Area, Not Far From the Main Palace

Sitting cross-legged and leaning against a tree, Yoshimitsu took the time to reflect on the events that took place during the past few days.

Three days ago, he lost the Blood Tournament. Normally after being defeated in battle, Yoshimitsu would try to learn from his mistakes in the fight and move on after. However, this loss meant more to him than many will ever know. With the medallion he once possessed involved in this tournament, it was completely different.

Yoshimitsu's hoped that upon winning the tournament, he would destroy the medallion. With his loss, his plans were now nothing more than a setback. He didn't have much of a backup plan, but he figured out a small plan for now…

Once he knew of the winner of the tournament, he would try to get the medallion. He hoped to reason with the winner, maybe going as far as telling him what it's done to him…

No… it was too drastic. He needed a better plan than that. Besides, he was a thief, he could just find the winner's room and snatch it away. Then again, with the medallion's power, it may be too risky.

This was indeed no minor setback. Yoshimitsu had to think of a good plan. The last day of round three was tomorrow and it would be soon that they would reach round eight, the final round the tournament. Whatever was to happen, he had to find a way to get the medallion away from the winner… how, he couldn't figure it out.

While he was thinking, footsteps were suddenly heard not too far him. Immediately, Yoshimitsu reached for the hilt of his katana, which immediately glowed green upon touching it. Once he did, the footsteps stopped.

The unknown person realized that Yoshimitsu knew that he was there.

A whoosh! was heard. Yoshimitsu knew a weapon was thrown at him. He sat in his place calmly and waited. Once the weapon was close enough, Yoshimitsu turned invisible, the weapon plunging through him without hitting anything fatal.

The figure who attacked him came out of his hiding place, confused by what just happened. Unknown to him, Yoshimitsu appeared right behind him and flew down towards him. He slashed his sword out, did a forward roll, and finally landed on his feet, the attacker now behind him.

The attacker stood there stunned, amazed by Yoshimitsu's skills. Indeed he underestimated him as did the person who gave the order to assassinate him. Another moment passed before the attacker's torso detached from the rest of his body and fell to the ground.

Upon hearing the thud, Yoshimitsu straightened himself up. It would seem that another problem had arisen. This was the second time since coming to the tournament that someone tried to kill him. To him it was no coincidence.

Someone was watching him… and that someone wanted him dead.