Chapter Thirty-Four
The final day of round three of the tournament has finally been reached. Though there was going to be eight rounds throughout the whole tournament, many felt as though at this point, they were just about halfway done with the entire Blood Tournament.
It was only a matter of one question… who will emerge the victor of the tournament? Which one of these participants will earn the right of ownership to the Chishio No Me medallion?
Only time will tell.
Courtyard
"Anna Williams!" Shang Tsung called out, beginning the first match of the day.
Anna smiled to herself as she stepped into the ring. She nearly expected to spend all morning waiting for her turn to fight in the tournament. Now that she was the very first person to be called upon for the first match, Anna was quite delighted and was feeling good about it.
The young woman reached the middle of the ring and looked up at Shang Tsung. She remembered how he invited her along with Vega, Sagat, and Viper to join with him and Shao Kahn, assisting them in their cause. As appreciation, Anna smiled up at Shang Tsung, winking in the process. Shang Tsung smirked a little in reply.
After a few seconds, Shang Tsung called out Anna's opponent. "Matrik!"
The cyborg Matrik stepped into the ring. Anna raised an eyebrow a bit, not very impressed by the fact that she had to fight her. However, she was indeed going to be a challenge and Anna indeed loved challenges.
Once Matrik stood a few feet from Anna, she got into a fighting stance. Anna followed afterwards.
"Begin!" Shang Tsung called out.
Immediately, Anna and Matrik covered the space between then and began their match. It started with Matrik immediately getting the upper hand, forcing Anna to go on defense. During this, Anna noted the strength of Matrik's punches. Indeed she had a challenge ahead of her.
This went on for about a minute before Anna found an opening. Once she did, she broke out of her defense and managed to land a blow to Matrik's face. She then followed up with some punch combos before lifting her leg and kicking her up a couple of feet into the air. Matrik landed on her side afterward, but then she rolled herself to the side before getting back up on her feet.
Once she did, Matrik's fingers pulled back, then reappeared as small cutting knives. Anna was a bit surprised by this, but being a trained assassin herself, dodging these was going to be nothing. Matrik ran over to the young woman, then began slashing her sharp fingers at Anna, who easily avoided them with great speed.
Anna once again waited for the right opportunity to strike again. When it came, she punched Matrik twice, forming a purple energy around her hands in the process. She then followed with a third punch. The energy she collected in her hands strengthened her for a moment and she was able to push Matrik a few feet back from her. Before the cyborg was able to land, Matrik did a backward roll in order to avoid a bumpy fall. After the roll, she was once again on her feet.
When Matrik was ready, Anna went after her and performed some punch and kick combos, forcing Matrik to be on her guard. She managed to block them all before she saw an opening. She kicked one foot up, a buzz being heard as the small saw at the bottom of her foot came out.
Anna jumped back in a bit of surprise, but it still wasn't enough. A part of her red dress ended up being cut a few inches upward just near the silt on her left side. Anna checked the damage before looking up at Matrik.
"Why you little!" she screamed out angrily. She quickly jumped up and performed an air kick at Matrik. Upon impact, an energy seemed to explode, only causing Matrik to stumble back.
Once Anna was back on her feet, Matrik performed a few kick combos, some of them hitting Anna, who attempted to block her. She then used both of her hands to push Anna back a few feet. When Anna stopped stumbling back, Matrik ran towards her, placed one elbow back, and glided quickly towards her. Anna saw the move coming and immediately stepped out of the way, letting Matrik pass her.
Before Matrik recovered from the move, Anna quickly spread her hands apart, collecting energy from the air in the meantime. By the time Matrik turned around to face her, Anna jumped forward and quickly brought her hands together. Matrik jumped back from the move. Anna's hands ended up clapping together, creating a small explosion from the developed energy.
Matrik seized an opportunity afterwards. She jumped forward and managed to land a handful of punch combos on Anna. Anna tried to lift her hands up in order to block the moves, but this time the cyborg was one step ahead of her.
After the punch combos, Matrik pushed Anna's arm, forcing her to turn around, her back now facing her. Lifting her leg up, Matrik performed a hard kick to the back of Anna's head. Anna flew a few feet forward before landing face first into the ground. The kick itself had already rendered her unconscious.
"Winner: Matrik!" Shang Tsung called out after he stood up from his throne.
The viewers clapped after the announcement. Not even acknowledging it, Matrik stepped out of the ring and left the courtyard.
Outdoor Hot Springs
After spending some time relaxing in the hot springs, Jin Kazama emerged out of the men's area and began heading down the small hill leading to the main path. It had been a quiet morning to him, mainly because most of the people in the cave were already attending the tournament by the time he woke up.
For the first time in a while, Jin's mind felt relaxed. The only sounds he heard around him was the light wind and the leaves being brushed by the winds. The forests of Outworld was nothing like the forests in Earthrealm, but it was still nice enough to enjoy.
Then again, he did hear about the trees that actually possessed faces that actually moved. This was something Jin didn't buy for now since he hasn't come across a moving tree yet.
Soon, Jin reached the main path. Once he did, he heard footsteps not too far from him. He turned his head and was a bit surprised to see Cammy walking the path. She held a small duffle bag in her hand, obviously heading to the springs herself.
Cammy looked up just as Jin appeared from behind a tree. She stopped in her tracks and the two looked at each other for a moment, remembering their two embarrassing encounters since coming to Outworld.
Some time passed before Cammy spoke, eyeing him in the process. "Are you stalking me?" she asked jokingly.
Jin shrugged a little. "I thought it was the other way around." He smiled a little after the comment.
Cammy couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "I guess we just both like to come here around the same time."
Jin's smile turned into a smirk upon hearing her chuckle. She has a nice laugh, he thought to himself without thinking.
"So," Cammy began to say, trying to start a conversation with him. It took a moment before she came up with a topic. "I know it's been some time, but I never really asked…what brings you here to the tournament?"
Jin mentally sighed to himself upon hearing the question. He thought back on his reasons for coming here. He remembered the words from the letter he received with the tournament invitation;
The item in the envelope will help you break the curse of the devil gene. Come to the tournament and you will have answers. PS- You've done well in the King of Iron Fist Tournament… I wish you the best in this tournament.
Jin never found out who sent him the letter and why. Whoever sent him the letter obviously knew that there was a way for him to break his curse. Since this tournament, his devil gene seemed to cease during his matches… for now. However, he still wanted to sought out answers, but he hasn't really found any leads on who sent him the letter as of now.
He also remembered his mother's words in the dream he had the night he received the letter. Danger awaits in another world. This he slightly understood ever since Raiden named him one of the chosen ones. Obviously, something was going to happen, perhaps after this tournament. However, that remains to be seen for now.
Jin looked at Cammy after thinking through this. "It's a long story really. But I always liked a good fight. Knowing that I'd be fighting the best in the universe… who could resist that call?"
Cammy nodded. "I know what you mean. I mean, I'm really here for a mission with Delta Red, but coming to this tournament is such a rare opportunity. It seems like a once-in-a-lifetime thing."
It was then that they heard footsteps not too far from them. Jin and Cammy turned their heads to see Wagner coming towards him. He wore a pair of jeans, black sandals, and a black tank top. He also had a white towel thrown over his right shoulder.
"Hey Cam," Wagner said. "Seems like you have the same idea as me."
"We sure do," Cammy replied.
Wagner shifted his eyes at Jin, a grin creeping up to his face. "Oh! You must be Cammy's boyfriend Lita keeps telling me about!"
Immediately, Cammy's face turned red, looking at her surrogate brother in complete shock by what he said. However, Jin seemed to not mind as he managed to laugh a little, obviously aware that Wagner was only kidding.
"I should be going," Jin said. He turned to Cammy. "It's good seeing you." He then began his walk back down the trail.
When Jin was far enough, Cammy punched Wagner's arm. "Why in the bloody hell did you say that?" she yelled out. "I've already been through enough embarrassing moments with him! I'm so going to kill Lita too for mentioning that!"
Wagner laughed. "Um, actually, Lita had nothing to do with it. I decided to say it in the spur of the moment! She never said anything to me!" He laughed even more after mentioning that.
Cammy swore she felt her blood boiling. Quickly, she grabbed the towel Wagner had with him, then rolled it up with both hands. Immediately Wagner realized why she was doing that.
"Oh shit!" he called out and began running from her in the opposite direction, trying to get as far away from her as possible.
Cammy began chasing Wagner soon after. "GET BACK HERE SO I CAN WHIP YOU ARSE!" she screamed out.
From there, screams could be heard in the forest for some time from both of them.
Indoor Arena
Raven entered the ring the moment he heard his name being called for his match. Silently, he got into the ring and went to the middle. He did a couple of kicks in the air before straightening himself, awaiting for his opponent.
"Nediar!" the Shadow Priest called out.
Raven raised his eyebrow upon hearing the strange name. A man with long white hair tied back stepped into the ring. The man was also wearing dark blue Hakama pants, a pair of wooden geta shoes, and white tabi on his feet. He also wore a large beaded necklace around his neck.
For a moment, Raven wondered why his opponent seemed so familiar. He got into a fighting stance before he even reached the middle.
Once he did, he smirked. "Hello Raven."
Immediately, Raven recognized his voice and soon realized what Nediar was when the letters were put backwards… Raiden! He was surprised to see him participating in the tournament, but had an idea of why…most likely because then he and everyone in the cave had a better chance of getting their hands on the medallion.
Raven nodded to him once he figured it out. Afterward, Raiden got into his fighting stance. A moment passed before the match was called to begin.
Raiden and Raven circled each other for a moment before Raven covered the space between them. Before Raven was able to land a punch, Raiden suddenly disappeared in front of him. Raven looked around for a second, not realizing that Raiden reappeared behind him before kicking him in the back. Raven stumbled forward before turning around to face Raiden.
Immediately, Raiden jumped up and attempted an air kick, which Raven quickly blocked. Raiden landed back on his feet and tried to perform an uppercut, which Raven blocked once again. The agent then followed with a kick of his own, which the Thunder God blocked with both arms.
Both of them went on like this for some time before Raven managed to push him a couple of feet. He jumped up, then turned his body before kicking Raiden in the face. Raven turned forward and landed on the ground, then jumped again, turning his body in the opposite direction before kicking Raiden's face again with his other foot. Raiden stumbled back again as Raven landed back on the ground.
Quickly after, Raiden pushed a hand out and a projectile made out of electricity, which headed towards Raven. Raven saw the move in time…for a moment, he seemed to have gone invisible as the projectile went through him completely without inflicting any damage.
He then seemed to disappear completely before reappearing a few feet above. Quickly, Raven collected purple energy in his hands before coming down with a powerful punch at Raiden. Raiden barely dodged out of the way of the move and Raven ended up punching the ground instead.
The Thunder God waited until Raven was standing again. Once he did, Raiden quickly delivered a few punch and kick combos, which Raven managed to block, at least most of them. A few punches went passed him and he was hit in the face and abdomen a couple of times.
Then, Raven began to perform the same move as he did before, disappearing and reappearing in the air. Raiden expected him to perform his punch again. Instead, Raiden came barreling down with one leg extended out and he managed to land the blow on Raiden, who fell back. When Raven landed on his feet, Raiden rolled back before standing himself up again.
Raiden decided that enough was enough now. Jumping forward, he shoots his body towards Raven in high speed like a torpedo. He managed to grab Raven and bring him to the other side of the ring. He then stopped just a foot away from the ring. Raiden let go of Raven as he did a somersault and got back on the ground.
However, the move caught Raven by surprise and when Raiden released him, he ended up stumbling back… and falling right out of the ring.
Soon, the Shadow Priest stood up. "Winner: Nediar!"
Raiden stood where he was as Raven slowly got back on his feet. Once he did, they stared at each other for a moment. The viewers around them expected an after-match showdown between the two.
However, that was never Raven's intentions. He nodded to Raiden in respect before turning on his heel and leaving the arena. A minute later, Raiden did the same.
Unknown Area
On the grounds of Shao Kahn's palace, Havik, Kabal, and Kira walked from the palace far enough that no one was able to hear them. However, they still stayed in view so that no one around them became suspicious of them.
"It's been some time since we last met up," said Kabal. "Our time under Shao Kahn has not given us much time to discuss our plans to gain the medallion for the Black Dragon's benefits."
Havik nodded in agreement. "Indeed. It's been quite… chaotic I must say." He seemed to grin in delight aft the comment, despite having no lips.
Kira sighed to herself. "This wasn't a good idea to begin with. Us serving Shao Kahn is only getting in the way. We've been too busy with everything else that we haven't been able to come up with a solid plan."
Kabal looked at the red-haired woman. "You'll have to be patient about it for now," he suggested.
"I must agree with her," said Havik. "Patience is not exactly fun, it's not the way of chaos."
"I'm aware of that," Kabal replied. "But for now we have to, much to our dismay. You, Havik, are still in the tournament so we are still going with plan A."
"Is there even a plan B?" Kira asked.
"We make one in due time."
"There is one thing," Havik began to suggest. "If there is the case where I don't win the tournament, we'll have to wait until we know the winner of the tournament, as much as I hate being patient. Once we know, we'll ambush them when they least expect it."
Kira mentally sighed to herself. This whole scenario just wasn't making sense to her. First, they join with the Emperor, which turned out that it didn't help with their cause at all. Now, they plan to just go off and ambush whoever wins the tournament. Considering that the winner would obviously be the strongest fighter of all, it wasn't exactly going to be that easy.
It was then that Kabal brought up another topic. He looked at Havik. "I did hear of the rumor that the new guard Adon is seeking you out for revenge."
Havik's eyes gleamed with delight upon hearing Adon's name. "Yes, the one I fought in the second round of the tournament. I knew he was after me even before I scarred him. I welcome him to try to take revenge on me. I want to see how much chaos Adon has embraced since our last meeting."
Later That Evening, Underground Lair
"Tanya!" Shang Tsung called out.
The yellow-clad woman stepped into the ring upon her name being called. Cracking her knuckles, Tanya stepped into the ring, then walked towards the middle of the ring. Once she did, her opponent's name was called.
"Viper!"
Tanya was surprised to hear her name being called as the young blonde dressed in all green (not counting the black boots) stepped in. When she first met her, Tanya saw Viper as a lackey of Vega, nothing more. She didn't realize that the younger woman was actually participating in the tournament.
Never the less, Tanya was going to kick her ass.
The two women stared at each other for a moment, both showing no expressions in their faces. Soon, Viper slowly got herself into a fighting stance.
However, before Shang Tsung called the match to begin, Tanya let out a battle cry before running towards Viper, beginning the match herself. The older woman delivered various punch combos at Viper, who quickly blocked them. Once in a while, Viper would try to gain the upper hand a few times, managing to land a couple of blows on Tanya.
Some time passed before Tanya pulled quickly, she bent her knees down, shooting out a fireball in the process. Viper jumped up and did a somersault in the air, the fireball passing below her. Once Viper was back on the ground, she ran over to Tanya, jumped up, then pushed both legs forward, kicking Tanya in the abdomen. Tanya stumbled back a few feet as Viper barely landed on the ground with both feet.
When she recovered, Tanya performed a forward somersault, her feet suddenly covered in flames. She managed to hit Viper with both feet, one at a time, before doing a split on the ground. The move caused Viper to tumble back, landing on her side.
Both women got up again at the same time, then ran towards each other, fighting hand to hand once again for a while. Eventually, Tanya grew tired of it and decided to have some fun this time. Snapping both of her fingers, she was quickly surrounded by flames before becoming completely invisible.
Viper became confused suddenly. She swung her fist and feet a couple of times in the air and was hit by Tanya's punches a few times. Eventually though, Viper managed to land a successful kick on Tanya, the move causing the yellow-clad woman to reappear in sight.
The young blonde jumped after Tanya once she was able to see her again. Both women fell to the ground with Viper right on top of her. Viper then sat herself up, sitting on Tanya now, and brought her fists down rapidly at Tanya's face. For a moment, Tanya couldn't get herself to block, but eventually Viper stopped and she quickly got herself back up. She waited until Tanya was able to stand herself up.
Viper ran after Tanya again. However, Tanya darted herself forward. Then she slid herself low to the ground, spinning her body around rapidly in the process, her feet once again on fire. She successfully was able to trip Viper and the younger fighter fell forward to the ground as Tanya finished passing her. Afterward, Tanya got back on her feet and awaited for Viper to do the same.
Soon, Viper was on her feet and the two went after each other again. They exchanged punches and kicks for a short time before Viper jumped up as she avoided a kick. The blond fighter got herself to stand on Tanya's shoulders before clutching her neck with her feet. Once she got a good hold, Viper flipped back, swinging Tanya over her in the process. The move sent Tanya flying back across the ring before landing on the ground, just a foot away from the edge of the ring.
Despite the sheer pain that ran through her body, Tanya managed to get herself back up with a bit more effort than normal. However, once she did, Viper was already close enough to perform a scissor kick. Not seeing the move coming, Tanya was hit by the kick and it was enough to send her stumbling out of the ring, much to her dismay.
Shang Tsung stood up from his throne afterwards. "Winner: Viper!"
It took a moment for Tanya to stand herself back up after her defeat. Once she did, she saw Viper standing a few feet within the ring. The moment she saw her, rage filled within Tanya.
"You bitch!" she yelled out. She was getting ready to run back in to attack Viper when a tall figure suddenly stepped in front of her. Tanya looked up to see who dare stepped in front of her when she recognized the white porcelain mask that covered the face of Vega.
Vega's ice blue eyes seemed to go more cold than normal as he looked down at Tanya. He lifted his claw at her, only part of it peaking out during the long sleeve of his dark brown trench coat. Tanya stood there as she looked up at him. Despite being threatened, Tanya showed no emotions to him.
"If you even lay one finger on Viper from this point on," Vega said. "I will not hesitate to cut you to pieces. I'm quite sure Shao Kahn will not mind me doing the job."
Tanya growled to herself, having no other choice but to take her leave from the lair. No matter how, she always tried to make the right decisions… the decisions that allowed her to live for as long as she has. She'll even give up her dignity just to survive.
After the Tournament, Shang Tsung's Palace, Unknown Area
Round three of the tournament was now officially over and Shang Tsung was looking forward to a day-long break. The end of the third round meant that the tournament was going to be more interesting now. And before he knew it, they would finally reach round eight, the final round of the tournament, the moment the sorcerer has been looking forward to since this all began.
Sitting on a chair, Shang Tsung looked over at Quan Chi, who sat in the chair opposite him. Surrounding them was some of the women of Shang Tsung's harem, all sitting around in silence. One woman came in and served the two of them red Outworld wine before leaving the room.
Quan Chi couldn't help but smirk to himself as he looked at the women around them. "I must admit, you've overdone yourself. Heh, I may start my own harem once I officially settle in Outworld. I used to have one myself in the Netherrealm, but that was a while ago."
Shang Tsung quickly snapped his fingers. Immediately, a woman wearing gold clothing that nearly left nothing to the imagination came in. What seemed to distinguish her from everyone else what the fact that she had short, dark blue hair and violet colored eyes. She got herself behind Shang Tsung and began massaging his shoulders.
"Now," the dark-haired sorcerer said as he began to relax under the woman's hands. "It's been some time since we discussed our plans to get our hands on the medallion. It's unfortunate that you lost the tournament."
Quan Chi eyed him. "You are the host of the tournament you know."
"But it's Shao Kahn who has the medallion," Shang Tsung reminded him. "Before the tournament began, he gave me the right to use it. However, ever since the tournament began, I have not seen it since."
"You should have taken it then."
Shang Tsung cursed himself in his mind, not wanting to be reminded of one of the few mistakes in his life. "That's the past. However, I have been… working on a plan of my own. Trust me, with this plan, we have a better chance of getting the medallion."
Quan Chi eyed him upon hearing that. He was about to ask exactly what the plan was, but he soon found himself looking at the young woman who was massaging Shang Tsung's shoulders.
"She's a pretty one," Quan Chi suddenly said.
Shang Tsung was confused by the remark at first, until he noticed him looking passed above his head. The sorcerer took one of the woman's hands and slowly brought her over next to him, then lead her down to her knees.
"Oh, you mean Mara… one of my favorites if I must say." He took a finger and brushed it against Mara's face, who showed no emotion even upon Shang Tsung's touch. He then lingered his finger down to her neck, touching the black choker containing a large emerald jewel on it. "As you can see with her and all the other ladies, each one possesses this choker. With this, as long as I'm alive, they belong to me. They obey my orders without question and even when thousands of years have passed, they still stay as young as the day I captured them."
"I see," Quan Chi said. He then got back to the original topic. "So, what is this 'plan' you're orchestrating?"
Shang Tsung smirked. "I… hired someone, a tournament participant, to retrieve the medallion. His name is Song, a very talented fighter from Earthrealm. I have no doubt that he will win this tournament. Every opponent he has taken on were nothing but a quick job. He will benefit greatly to our cause."
Quan Chi nodded upon hearing the explanation. Their plan seems to be going well so far. Even so, he planned to stay on his guard, in case Shang Tsung decided to betray him. However, there was one thing that bugged him, but wasn't going to ask Shang Tsung at the moment…
Who exactly was Song?