Chapter Fifty-Eight
Unknown
Blackness seemed to be the only thing Ashrah could see… at least until she was able to open her eyes. Once she did, her visions was blurred a bit so she blinked a couple of times in order to see better. She looked at her surroundings and realized that she was no longer in the cave.
Wh…where am I? she asked herself.
Ashrah then looked down and saw that she was just a foot above the ground. She then looked at her arms and realized that they were tied above her head. Confusion came across her mind and she began looking around again…then, it hit her…
NO! I'm not in the Netherealm again! she cried out in her head.
That's when she looked at her skin…instead of it's normal smooth peach color, it was scaly and brown…it was her old demon form.
No… this isn't happening again!
At that moment, she head footsteps that seemed to sound quite close to her. Ashrah looked around the room in panic, trying to figure out who was coming… and how close they were. Then, a puff of black smoke appeared before her and soon formed into a person… a person she immediately recognized.
"Noob," she growled.
Noob narrowed his glowing white eyes at her. "And I thought I'd never get you back down here."
Ashrah tried struggling out of the chains that bounded her hands, even though she already knew that it was going to be no use. She was just about to speak, but then Noob quickly cut in.
"It took some time to get you back to where you belong, but I must say, it was well worth it." Noob then lifted up the kriss sword that once belongs to Ashrah. What was once a sliver blade was now as black as death itself and a dark purple energy flowed around it. "Once again, I must thank you for… lending me your weapon. It was quite helpful."
Noob then lashed the sword out. Although the tip of the blade was only a few inches away from cutting her, the dark purple energy spewed forth into her. As soon as it touch, a sheer pain course through Ashrah's body and she was forced to clench her teeth in order to prevent herself from screaming.
"Do you remember your first memories here?" Noob asked her. Ashrah kept silent so he decided to answer the question for her. "You experienced torture like no other that you could imagine. For your defiance against the Brotherhood of Shadow… the torture you couldn't imagine is about to begin."
Once again, he lashed the sword at her staying a few inches off. The energy spewed forth and the sheer pain felt worse than the last time. Ashrah attempted to clench her teeth again, but the pain coursing through her was enough for her to let out a small cry. She then looked at Noob and he once again lashed his sword out… and she tightly closed her eyes in preparation for the attack…
However, nothing came and when she opened her eyes, she found herself lying down this time. Ashrah quickly sat up with a small gasp and scanned the room for a moment. She then sighed of relief upon realizing that she was leaning against the tree she was previously mediating against… back in Outworld.
It… was only a dream… she thought as she rubbed her eyes. Ashrah began to feel a small bead of sweat on her forehead and she tried to shake off the dream that she just had. It was a dream… but somehow… the pain, the surroundings, even Noob himself… it all felt so real…
As she recollected her thoughts, Ashrah thought about the kriss sword that once belonged to her. It felt like ages since she possessed the sword in her very own hands. She remembered it's purity and it's responsibility for her freedom from the Netherrealm. Since Noob was now in possession of it, he used his magic to make it do the opposite of what it's done for her. The last time she was near it, it spewed dark energy within her with all the intentions of sending her back to the Netherrealm.
A grim look came over Ashrah's face as she thought about Noob again. She was sure that she had killed him in the Netherrealm, especially since it was in the aftermath of their fight there that she was freed.
"I really hope he gets his in due time," she whispered.
Cave
After a long night's sleep, Rose slowly opened her eyes, finding herself back in the surroundings of her room in the cave. She yawned a little as she stretched herself out a little underneath the sheets.
For some reason, I feel much more relaxed this morning, she thought.
That's when the curtain to her room opened and Raiden walked in. In his hands was a tray full of hot food.
"Good morning Rose," he said in a cheerful voice… which to Rose wasn't normal.
Rose began to sit up in a bit of confusion. As soon as she did, she noticed her bare shoulders and suddenly remembered what she and Raiden had done over the night. Quickly, she grabbed the sheet that covered her to keep it from falling further down.
"Um, good morning," Rose managed to say as Raiden sat down next to her on the bed. He then placed the tray in front of her. Rose got a better view of her breakfast…bacon and eggs with a single toast and a piece of fruit on the side along with a cup of tea.
Definitely from the palace, she thought.
"Well… this is nice," Rose said. She then found her cheeks burning a bit and she looked at Raiden. "So… after last night… does that mean that you're going to be nice like this?"
Raiden couldn't help but to grin. "Well I can't actually promise anything."
Rose narrowed her eyes. "Typical… but I still thing you'll be nicer."
"Maybe." He then smirked a bit. "…it's a good thing nothing serious came up last night. We could've been considered the worst leaders of a group."
Rose laughed a little. "That's only if our argument didn't beat that idea to it."
"Aw the Chosen Ones like us… or else they wouldn't be able to tolerate us up to this point."
"Well that's true."
At that moment, a voice was heard from behind the closed curtain. "Rose? Are you in there?"
Rose looked over at Raiden as though she was asking him if she should reply. Raiden nodded to her and Rose turned her head to the curtain. "Yes, I'm in here."
The curtain was pulled aside and Xianghua appeared before them. She briefly looked at Raiden before looking back at Rose. At that moment, a grumpy look came over her face as she placed her hands over her hips. "Oh good… I wanted to talk to both of you about last night."
"Umm, okay," Raiden said unsure of what Xianghua was about to bring up. "So, what do you want to talk about that involved last night?"
"Well, first off," Xianghua began to say. "I want to bring up the fact that out of everyone in the cave, it was I who volunteered to bring a certain issue up." She then lifted a finger and slightly began to wag it. "Ever since we first came to Outworld, you two have done nothing but fight! I don't know what issues you two have with each other, but whatever it is, it needs to stop this instant!"
Xianghua took a deep breath before continuing. "We were all able to tolerate it, but last night was probably the worst of it all! Everyone in the cave heard you two yelling and screaming words we couldn't understand… and was all that thundering noise necessary?! I thought a thunderstorm was happening right in the cave!
Raiden and Rose tried not to laugh as the young woman proceeded. "So because you two were arguing so much and wouldn't stop, all of us had to sleep outside overnight… except Kenshi, who had to sleep in the woods because of his sensitive hearing. Now, we have three days left before the final day of the tournament and four days left before we leave! Now stop acting like children!" After yelling out her last sentence, Xianghua turned on her heel and stepped outside the room.
Once she did, Raiden and Rose found themselves giggling. "Guess we were being a little too loud last night," said Raiden.
"Guess so," Rose agreed. "Well, we might as well get ourselves ready. After all, Jin has his match later today."
"Yes he does… you know, after last night, maybe I should tell him to take a nap before his match."
"You go do that."
"First… finish your breakfast."
"All right all right," Rose said as she picked up her fork and began eating.
Cave
In her room, Alex sorted through her clothes, folding each one before placing them back in a bag. She smirked to herself a bit as thoughts of how the beginning of her time in Outworld started.
She only came here with just the clothes on her back and a couple of items that were in her pocket, plus her gun. Sonya and Rose had since given her clothes for her to wear during her stay here, plus a bag to place them in.
It was nearly lunchtime at this point. Alex's day mainly consisted of sleeping, eating brunch, and doing laundry which she was finally finishing up. Folding up the last few pieces of clothing, she was beginning to wonder what she was going to do next.
That's when she heard a female voice from the other side of the curtain. "Alex?"
Alex recognized the voice. "Come on in, Li Mei."
The curtain was pushed aside and Li Mei walked into the room. "Hi Alex. I was wondering if I could talking to you about something."
Alex looked up at her before straightening herself up. "Sure, what about?"
Li Mei let out a small sight before replying. "Well… I know you wanted to talk to me about something particular for some time… and I feel that I'm ready to talk about it. I think it's time anyway since we're a few days away from this whole thing to be over."
For a second, Alex wasn't sure what Li Mei was talking about… then she remembered. It was about what happened the day Ibuki died.
"Yeah sure," Alex said. "Here, let's sit down and you tell me what happened." Immediately, the two of them sat down with Alex on her bed and Li Mei on a chair that has been here since Alex's incident in the dungeons. "Just take your time and start when you're ready," Alex suggested.
Li Mei nodded as she let out another sigh, feeling sad over the thought of what she had witnessed all those days ago. She took a moment to breath before finally starting her story.
"I always felt responsible for what happened to Ibuki. After all, I was the one who suggested we go berry picking in the forest. At one point during our berry hunt, we had reached a fork in the trail and separated, thinking that our hunt would go a bit faster. When my trail ended, I was heading over to Ibuki's trail… and that's when I saw it… this woman was holding her by the neck and Ibuki was trying to do everything she could to get herself out of the grip. I was about to go and help her, but before I could move it was too late. A green mist came out of Ibuki and, by the change of her skin color, I knew that she was dead at that moment… and all I could do was run away…"
Li Mei let out another slow deep breath. She could feel the tears in her eyes, but she was able to keep them under control. "Sadly, there really isn't any other detail I can give… the woman who killed her was surrounded by a green aura and she looked so demonic-like… I don't even think she was ever in the tournament because I haven't seen her since…"
Alex nodded as she understood. "Thank you for the information Li Mei."
"You're welcome. I'm just glad that I was able to talk about it without crying."
"I know what you mean." Then a thought came to Alex. "Say… what do you plan to do after this whole tournament is over?"
Li Mei shrugged a little. "To be honest, I'm not quite sure. I've wanted to leave Outworld nearly my whole life… and I think it's time for me to do that. I want to start my life anew, perhaps maybe on Earthrealm."
Alex nodded again. "Earth is a great realm, you'll love it. It has it's ups and downs like every other realm."
"So I've been told," Li Mei agreed. "I was thinking about Keisei too… I guess we'll have to see within the next few days."
"Yeah… say, are you hungry? I ate not too long ago, but after all the laundry I've done, I could eat something light at least."
Li Mei smiled a little. "Actually I am. Let's head to the palace."
With that, the two woman began their departure from the room.
Shang Tsung's Palace
Entering the main throne room, Vega looked at his surroundings for a moment as he walked down the blood red carpet. Countless woman either stood or sat around the area, all wearing the same gold outfit that barely left anything to the imagination. He also noted the black collar with the emerald jewel in the front.
Makes me wonder how Shang Tsung keeps them under his control, he thought.
"Good, you are here," a voice from the end of the room called out.
Vega turned his head and saw Shang Tsung walking towards him. The matador walked the remaining distance in between them before the both of them stopped in their tracks.
"You wanted to see me?" Vega asked.
"Yes I did," Shang Tsung replied. He then briefly looked at the women in the room before looking at Vega again. A smirk appeared on his face. "Do you like what you see?"
Vega smirked in reply. "Yes, I like it very much. It's quite the harem you have."
"Yes and the numbers grow each week." The smirk slowly vanished from the sorcerer's face. "Now for business… have you made any progress on that Xianghua girl you had planned to capture?"
Vega sighed a little as he remembered the last time he had even seeing the young woman. "Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way I wanted it to. And I almost had her too… in my room and everything. However, her friends managed to find us and meddled in my affair."
"I see," Shang Tsung said sounding a bit disappointed. "It's too bad really. She would've been a good addition to my… collection."
Vega grinned then. "However, I have someone even better for you."
Shang Tsung's eyes seemed to light up. "Do you now?"
"Yes. You know of my 'servant' girl Viper?"
The sorcerer nodded. "Go on."
"I figured that perhaps after the tournament, I could perhaps… drop her off here, as a gift. At this point, I have no more use for her."
The smirk appeared on Shang Tsung's face again as he rubbed his goatee with his index finger and thumb. "I see now… she is a pretty one if I remember correctly. I like your new idea very much and perhaps she'll do even better than your original 'gift.' You have yourself a deal. Bring her here the day after the tournament."
"Very well Shang Tsung," Vega nodded. He then began to take his leave. As he did, he spoke once more. "I will see you later at today's tournament." Then, the matador passed the doors and disappeared.
A thought came to the sorcerer as he began to return to his throne.It would be a better idea to have Viper here instead. After all…she is already under control…
Beach Area
With the soft wind blowing against her face, Jade working on her training with her bojitsu in her hands. She kept her mind clear from any thoughts as she twisted and turned her weapon in different directions, moving around with grace.
Well, at least her mind was clear for most of her training. At one point, thoughts of her past came to her. Jade remembered those days when she had served Shao Kahn. She was very young when she first served the Emperor, her family giving her away to him as 'tribute' after the invasion of Edenia.
Jade worked harder on her training as these thoughts passed her mind, fueling her with some anger. Despite those dark days, one good thing came out of it… her friendship with Kitana. The two had grown to be close friends during their days as assassins. At one point, Jade was assigned along with Reptile to find Kitana and capture her alive. It had left Jade with a choice… betray her best friend or betray her master. Soon, her choice was clear and she had chosen to remain at the side of her best friend. Since then, Jade has been a personal bodyguard for both Kitana and her mother Sindel, a duty that she was dedicated to.
The green-clad woman continued with her training for a little while longer before finally stopping. She took a moment to catch her breath, all the while looking out at the beach scene before her. Indeed, Outworld did had it's beauty despite it's dark nature.
Just before Jade turned around, she heard someone coming not too far from her. Jade turned her heard and upon seeing Kilik coming up to her, a smirk came over her face.
"Good afternoon," she said to him.
Kilik smirked in reply as he raised up his own staff a little. "Hey there. Kitana told me that you'd be out here. Do you want to do some sparring for a bit?"
Jade sighed a little feeling a bit bad over what she was about to say to him. "I'd love to, but I just got finished with my own training for the day and, well, after that lack of sleep last night, I could use some rest."
"I know what you mean," Kilik sighed remembering all the noise from Raiden and Rose last night. "I meant to take a quick nap before, but I slept longer than I should have."
"Some of us definitely slept longer than normal today," Jade agreed. "Hopefully I don't end up falling asleep during Jin's match today."
"Definitely," Kilik said. Silence fell over them for a moment before Kilik asked, "How is everything?"
Jade shrugged a little. "Well… the Queen and I are doing well… we're just a bit worried about Kitana."
"Why is that?" Kilik questioned with curiosity.
Jade sighed a little. "Well, she has an infatuation with this man from Keisei and… well… it turns out that he's not who he seems to be. We know that Kitana shouldn't see him, but something tells me that she doesn't care. Perhaps maybe once we return to Edenia this will be over."
"Maybe," Kilik said.
As the two continued to talk about Kitana's situation, Kilik couldn't help but to gaze into Jade's green eyes, which seemed to look quite elegant to him. As he did, Jade ended up noticing the dreamy-like look on his face.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
Kilik blinked a couple of times before replying. "Um, yeah, everything's okay? Why do you ask?"
"Well because you looked like you were ready to fall asleep."
"Oh no," Kilik said. "I, eh, just, eh…"
As he said this, he found his face a bit closer to hers. Once he really noticed this, he couldn't help but to cover the remaining space between them and left a soft kiss on her lips before pulling back.
Jade wasn't sure how to react for a moment, but deep down she felt flattered. Now he understood why he was staring at her like that… he clearly had a crush on her.
She smirked at him. "I'll think about it," she replied. Jade then winked at him before she began walking back towards the cave.
Kilik watched her leave from where he was standing until she was completely out of view. He then sighed a bit as he raised his staff. "Well… it's a start at least."
From there, he began his own training.
Forest
Walking passed the countless trees, Ken Masters was heading back to the cave after some time in the hot springs. He felt a bit more relaxed now that he had spent some time there. Besides, he was the only one there anyway.
I wonder what everyone is up to at the moment? he asked himself.
Of course, he could imagine some of them, like himself, getting themselves prepared to watch this afternoon's match… the match that Jin will be in. And like everyone else, Ken hoped that Jin would make it to the final round of the tournament. After all he is the only one out of everyone in the cave still in the tournament.
As Ken continued walking down the trail, he heard someone training not too far from his direction. The blonde-hair millionaire continued walking down the trail, all the while searching for the person who was training.
It didn't take long before Ken finally spotted his long-time friend Ryu training just a few feet away from the main trail. Ryu was in full concentration as he punched and kicked at the dead tree in front of him. Noting the amount of sweat dripping down his face and the flushed look on his face, Ken figured that Ryu had been training for quite a while.
And by the determined look on his face, Ken knew that he was in full concentration.
Ken walked a few feet towards his friend. After a few more kicks, Ryu realized that someone was coming. He turned his head while catching his breath and saw Ken standing nearby.
Ken stared at him. "I know you train hard… but I get the feeling that something seems a bit different this time."
Ryu tried not to give any facial expressions. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Well," Ken began to reply. "I was watching you train and during that short time, I noticed that you seemed tense. You usually aren't tense when you're training unless something was up."
Ryu sighed to himself. "You've known me for too long Ken. I guess there's no use of denying it then…" He rubbed the back of his neck a bit, unsure of whether or not to tell his best friend what happened with Julia last night.
Eventually though, he made the decision to do so. After all, it was a problem that he wanted to talk about before it ate him from the inside.
"Let's just say that Julia found the answers she was looking for," the dark-haired warrior replied. "And… Ken, her mother was killed over a year ago."
Ken's eyes widened in shock. "Damn… poor girl… where is she? Is she okay?"
"I think she's back in the cave… but honestly, I don't know how she is…" Ryu then took a deep breath. "Ken… I think Iwas the one who killed her."
For a moment, Ken was silent, unsure of what to think of the whole situation. Once he was able to recollect himself, he asked, "What makes you think you killed Julia's mother?"
"Apparently there was filmed and written evidence that's still being searched for." Ryu began to pace around a bit as he proceeded. "I know I was in Cambodia around the same time of her death. That I'm sure of… but I swear on Master Gouken's grave, I don't remember ever killing anyone. They said I knocked her off a cliff during a fight, but I can't recall any of it." He then looked at Ken seriously. "You believe me, don't you?"
"Of course I do," Ken replied. "I don't suspect you of lying one bit. But what about Julia?"
"It's more about confusion right now," Ryu mentioned. "She wants to see the evidence first. She believes what I've said, but she also has her doubts at the same time."
"I can only imagine," Ken said. "The only thing I could suggest is to give Julia some time to figure things out. I'm sure once she's ready, she'll come to you again soon enough."
Ryu nodded. "Yes… that may be best."
Ken patted Ryu's shoulder. "Let's head back. I believe a certain match is going to begin in about an hour or so."
Ryu nodded. "Yeah… I admit, I don't want to miss it."
"That's the spirit!"
With that, the two long-time friends began heading back.
Cave Grounds
Sitting in front of the lit campfire, Guy sat on the ground with his legs crossed and his hands rested on his knees. His eyes were closed shut and he breathed in a slow, rhythmic pace as his mind was in full concentration, free from any thoughts.
The Bushin ninja wasn't sure how long he was sitting there. He knew that he had been there since after lunch and had chosen to meditate here once he realized how quiet it us. A majority of the chosen ones were off the cave grounds, most of them at the main palace.
With his eyes closed, all Guy could see was darkness… that was until flashes of a person came before him. For a moment, Guy was confused, trying to figure out what was going on. Then, one flash lasted a bit longer, giving the chance to see the figure…and a female voice called his name…
Rena? he thought with surprise.
He had this flash before… images of his deceased fiance calling out his name. It would seem to happen during his longer meditations and it always seemed as though she was trying to get his attention.
"Guy!" she called out again. This time, it was though she was frantically trying to get his attention.
"Rena?" he replied under his breath.
Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder, causing Guy to jump a bit and his eyes snapped opened. He suddenly found himself short of breath and he felt a small bead of sweat on his forehead.
"Whoa, easy there!" called out Cody who stood behind him.
Guy took a deep breath before turning his head a little. As he looked at Cody, he noted the position of the sun in the sky. "Sorry… eh, I wasn't expecting anyone around." He looked up into the sky then. "Didn't realize how much time passed either."
"You all right?" Cody asked once he noting the sweat on Guy's forehead.
Guy nodded a little as he took the back of his hand to wipe the sweat off. "Yeah… I guess I was deep in my meditation."
"All right," Cody nodded. "But hey, I came to tell you that we should get going. Jin's match starts in forty-five minutes and I want to try to get there soon so we can get front-row view."
In reply, Guy got himself on his feet. "All right. Let me just myself some bottled water and we'll head out."
With that, the two began heading back to the cave.
Courtyard
"So," said Shang Tsung as he arrived at his throne. "Are you looking forward to the results of today's match?"
In the seat next to the throne, Ivy Valentine looked up at the sorcerer. "Of course I am."
"Good."
As Ivy was the first winner to make it to the final round of the tournament, Shang Tsung had personally invited her to sit with him during the match between Siegfried Schtauffen and Jin Kazama… the only two other remaining fighters in the tournament. Today would determine which one Ivy would be facing in the final round of The Blood Tournament.
Shang Tsung turned his attention to the waiting crowd in front of him. "Greetings, and welcome to the last match of Round Seven! Today, two warriors will compete for the last spot in the final round!" He then turned his head to Ivy. "Whoever wins this fight will be facing Ivy Valentine in the final round in two days!" The sorcerer turned his head back to the large crowd. "Now… without further ado, we will begin the match!"
He briefly let the silence linger in the air for a moment, despite everyone knowing the two fighters who were going to face each other. Soon, he announced the first fighter.
"Siegfried Schtauffen!"
The blonde knight stepped into the ring once he heard his name being called out. Silently, he walked to the middle of the ring. The minute he reached it, he took out his large sword, holding the hilt with both hands.
Once he was ready, Shang Tsung announced his opponent.
"Jin Kazama!"
After hearing his name, Jin stepped into the ring and began heading over to where Siegfried was, soon stopping a few feet away. The two stared at each other for a moment as thoughts ran through their minds. Both knew that so much was at stake, being only one step away from being in the final round… and just two steps away from retrieving the medallion.
Both had their reasons for wanting the medallion… and both were determined to retrieve it.
Siegfried nodded to him, waiting to see if he was ready. Jin nodded in reply, giving the signal that they were both ready for their match. Slowly, they got into their fighting stances.
"Begin!" Shang Tsung called out.
For a moment, the two stood where they were as they awaited for the other to make the first move. After some time passed, both Siegfried and Jin launched forward, beginning their fight.
Quickly, Siegfried swung the flat side of his sword sideways, a maneuver in which Jin ducked under quickly. He then attempted to deliver a series of punches in which Siegfried dodged from as well. Eventually, Siegfried found an opening and kneed Jin in the stomach. The blow stunned Jin for a moment, giving Siegfried the chance to perform a double kick before delivering a roundhouse kick, sending Jin flying a few feet and crashing into the ground.
After landing, Jin rolled back a bit before getting back on his feet. He waited until Siegfried covered the distance between them and once he did, he delivered a double punch before performing his own roundhouse, his leg briefly surrounded by red lightning.
The kick only caused Siegfried to stumble a few feet sideways before stopping. Once he did, he once again swung his sword, forcing Jin to step back a few feet in order to avoid the attack.
At one point, Siegfried left himself open for a moment in order to give Jin a chance to run back towards him. Once he did, Siegfried jumped up and spin in the air before attacking Jin with a kick to the face, causing him to stumble back a bit. And as Jin attempted to recover from the kick, Siegfried took the opportunity to swing the flat side of his sword, smacking Jin with such force that he flew across the ring and just landed a foot away from the edge of the ring.
That was too close! Jin thought.
He was able to hear his allies cheering on for him, giving him a bit more confidence. Jin got himself back on his feet just as Siegfried was getting closer. Once he reached him, the two of them exchanged more attacks on each other in hopes of overpowering the other.
Eventually, Jin was able to get himself on full offense, forcing Siegfried on defense. After leaving some attacks, Jin was able to break through Siegfried's block and landed a few punches to his abdomen before letting loose one big punch in the chest as more red lightning surrounded his fist. The force of the attack caused Siegfried to fly back a couple of few before crashing into the floor.
After crashing, Siegfried managed to get himself back up on his feet. I won't lose! he called out in his mind.
He waited for Jin to cover the distance between them again before resuming their fight. They both exchanged some moves again before Jin landed a knee to Siegfried's stomach, causing him to rear back for a moment as he felt the air in his lungs suddenly leave him. As Jin attempted to attack again, Siegfried quickly swung his sword again, smacking him once. Then he reversed his sword to another direction before landing another blow on Jin again. Finally, he spun himself around and aimed his sword at Jin's feet, quickly tripping him to the floor.
Afterward, Siegfried attempted to stomp on Jin with his foot, but Jin quickly rolled out of the way before receiving the blow. Getting himself back up again, Jin managed to get himself closer to Siegfried again and lifted up a leg, delivering a spinning back kick which landed on his opponent's face.
Siegfried staggered for a moment and when he saw that Jin was coming at him again, he swung his sword upward, which managed to catch Jin. The impact sent Jin flying a few feet in the air before coming back down. Before he could land on the ground however, Siegfried quickly performed a drop kick, sending Jin flying back a few more feet before crashing to the floor.
At this point, both of them were fueled mainly by their desire to win. For a brief moment, Siegfried was able to feel his right hand startling to shake… but for the first time since the shaking began, he completely ignored it as Jin got himself back on his feet.
This isn't the time! Siegfried thought.
Meanwhile, as Jin was getting back up on his feet, he could feel his inner dark energy beginning to overwhelm him. It was a feeling that he had not felt since the earlier matches in the tournament.
No…not now! Jin thought. Not when I'm this close!
Both of them let out battle cries as they jumped at each other once again. Once they reached each other, they exchanged more attacks on each other before Jin landed a punch to Siegfried's face before following it up with an elbow to his jaw. Afterward, he lifted up a foot and kicked him in the stomach again, causing him to stagger back again.
Siegfried ignored the pain in his stomach, clenching his teeth as he waited for Jin to attempt to attack him again. When the younger man was close enough, Siegfried turned his sword and used the hilt to blunt Jin right in the face, causing him to go blind with colors for a moment. Afterward, Siegfried quickly brought his sword down, forcing Jin back to the floor.
By then, the shaking in Siegfried's right hand was worsening. He reared back a few feet in order to give himself room to try and recover. He was afraid of what could happen if he blacked out in the middle of the match. After all, the last thing he needed was to wake up and find Jin dead at his feet.
Jin was distracted by the devil gene that was attempting to control him at this very moment. Both of his arms were surrounded by red lightning, which seemed to glow more with each passing second.
At the throne, both Shang Tsung and Ivy looked on with curiosity. After a moment of watching, Shang Tsung smirked a little. "Seems these two have a bit of a problem on their hands."
Ivy said nothing as she looked on at the two men fighting in the ring. Particularly, she couldn't help but to notice Siegfried the most.
Is it me or does he seem so familiar? she asked herself.
Back in the ring, Jin was back on his feet. Both he and Siegfried stared at each other again… and noticed the other struggling a bit with their inner power.
He seems to be suffering too! they both ended up thinking.
Ignoring their struggling, they both lunged at each other again. More attacks were exchanged between them for another moment before Jin, his whole body now surrounded by the group of red lightning, performed a double punch before following it up with a double kick. Finally, he lunged forward and landed a powerful punch that sent Siegfried flying across the ring… and Jin could only watched up seeing his opponent flying passed the ropes that surrounded the ring and crashing into some of the viewers behind the ropes.
He had won.
After a moment, Shang Tsung stood up from his throne. "Winner: Jin Kazama!"
The audience was silent for a moment, surprised by the outcome of the match and what occurred prior to it's finish. Eventually though, they all clapped in unison with Jin's allies cheering on for their winner.
Jin watched as Siegfried got himself back up on his feet before turning to Jin. The two stared at each other for a moment before Siegfried quickly made his way out of the courtyard. The younger man could only imagine the feelings running through Siegfried's mind over his loss in the tournament, especially coming so far.
"Jin," someone called from behind.
The young man turned to the voice, staggering a bit as the feeling of exhaustion from the fight suddenly hit him. He turned to the person who called his name and his eyes meet Shang Tsung's, who smirked at him.
"Congratulations," the sorcerer said. "You managed to make it to the final round of the tournament. In two days…" He turned his head to Ivy, who was now standing. "You two with compete for the ultimate prize."
Ivy and Jin stared at each other from where they stood. No thoughts passed their minds… only knowing that they would be facing each other in two days.
It was now official. Ivy and Jin were to face each other in the final round to determine who was truly worthy of Chishio No Me. Both had their reasons for wanting the medallion… and both were determined to emerge the victor…