The Devil's Advocate

At the top of Shinnok's Spire sat Belokk. The son of Lucifer watched the realm in Shinnok's stead as the fallen Elder God disappeared from the realm. He sought his revenge for years with the help of his demons. Even going as far as turning his own worshipers into infidels using their pain from fifteen years ago. His plan would not be possible without the help of his agent, Noob Saibot.

"You're certain he escaped?" Belokk questioned. Noob Saibot nodded.

"The shaolin was seen walking to the lower plains with two other Oni. They match the descriptions of Moloch & Drahmin," he said. "Shall I ask the same of Shinnok?"

"The fiend was gone when I arrived. Those I've sent after him perished."

"Shinnok's doing? Or another?"

"Is there another who could slay your demons so easily," Belokk wondered.

"No," he said.

"You speak honestly," Belokk responded. "I believe his was taken out of this realm by your brother."

"Kuai Liang was here?"

"Him and many others, from what I see of the corpses here."

"They must be here for the boy," Noob commented.

"What would they need with him?"

"They were part of the memories Anomaly fed me when I came back," Noob clarified. "Whatever the reason, he will be removed from the board once he's found."

"Would you like to reunite with your brother?" Belokk asked.

"It would be best if we'd never cross paths."

"Who is?"

"Lucifer's Son, Belokk."

Noob Saibot swiftly closes his portal, looking back at the trio of warriors approaching from behind. Ashrah though she caught a glimpse of the individual he was speaking with, but couldn't confirm their identity. But she could clearly identify Noob Saibot as one of her high priority targets.

"It looks like we were too slow," Onaga said.

"Is that him?" Chan asked.

"No," Ashrah confirmed. "That man is Noob Saibot."

"Shelia's master?" Chan questioned. The darkness covering his skin and hood laid across his head still concealed the man's identity. Chan could only remember the state Noob died. A male, burned to a crisp.

"I must slay him," Ashrah says bluntly. "Keep him from doing the same to me."

"Shouldn't you hold off until we reach Belokk?" Chan asked.

"No," Ashrah quickly responded. Chan looked confused. "Ashrah took notice, shaking her head. "This is different, Chan." She draws her Kris and pulls back.

"Wouldn't this make your fight with Belokk harder?" Chan asked. Onaga let out a quick laughed, but he remained focused on the wraith.

"We can't take this one lightly," Onaga said. "Hi mastery over cold makes him a danger to even the Elder Gods themselves." Chan laughed.

"Don't underestimate him," Ashrah said sharply. Chan stopped.

"Even the demon slayer would fear me?" Noob mocked. Ashrah charged for the man. Noob thrusts both hands to the ground, firing a stream of ice along the floor. Everything around it, including the oni whom stood away from the trio, would be frozen solid. Ashrah stops in her tracks and trails backward. Onaga hovers in the airs to avoid the oncoming wave of ice. Chan latches only the Dragon King. Reaching toward Ashrah, he creates a portal sending her further back as the ice catches her right boot. She cries in pain from the ice sticking to her hands as she struggles to pull off her shoe.

Chan falls to the ground, creating a portal behind Noob Saibot. He sticks his fist through the portal, aiming for the man's jaw. However, a shadow protruding from the man's body grabs his fist. The bright white eyes of both the doppelganger and Noob Saibot startled the boy. Chan quickly opens his hand, releasing a short ranged flare. With his shadow disintegrated, Noob moves away from the boy and sends a flurry of ice shards toward him. As one strikes his shoulder, the ice slowly spreads toward his heart, though it doesn't immediate reach it. Chan struggles to use his meditations as his teeth involuntarily chatter. He forces heat throughout his body, though not nearly enough to thaw out his frozen shoulder.

"Why did you do that?" Ashrah questioned. "I told you to be careful!"

"You almost lost your life if it wasn't…," Chan stops himself. "Any ideas of catching him without touching the ground?" he asked instead.

"Pull him through one of your portals," she says.

"If his shadow catches me like last time and pulls me instead, that would ruin everything," Chan said. He looked to Onaga. "Isn't this where you come in?" Chan asked.

"That would be up to you, wouldn't it?" Onaga said. Chan gritted his teeth, yet this didn't seem like one of Onaga's usual witty remarks. He reached to the man, creating a smaller portal for him to reach through. Noob creates his own portal to move away from Chan's in time. Onaga quickly reeled his arm back before Noob's portal would close.

"Can you not open your portals without making it it obvious?" Onaga questioned.

"I can't create them without reaching forward with this arm," Chan said, revealing the tattoo of Yang on his right arm. Noob takes interest in the Shaolin's limp and swings his scythe through a portal he'd created beside the shaolin. His blade was blocked by Ashrah, who's arm protruded through Chan's own portal. His hand pointed in Ashrah's direction. The woman tugged Noob through the portal with her blade and pressed the front of her boot into the wraith's abdomen. The darkness from her boots transferred to Noob's body. His muscles grew and the darkness shrouding his body drew thin, as if it replaced his skin.

"You mean to do it here?" Onaga questioned. "If this fails—"

"I know!" Ashrah yelled. "Grab him!"

Chan summons a dark flare, drawing a line between it and Noob's shoulder. A string of energy attached to the man's shoulder. Noob separates from the flare, leaving behind a shadowy doppelganger. He forms 6 more doppelgangers, surrounding both Chan and Ashrah. With the snap of his finger, Chan's sphere blows away the shadow. He draws along his other arm and points gestures his hand like a finger gun. With his chi infused through his hand, he fires a barrage of flares like a light machine gun. The shadows attempt to run but are quickly caught in the crossfire. Ashrah rolls beneath the barrage of flares. Onaga deflects the attack toward Noob Saibot. One of the flares burns the wraith shoulder where Chan initially attached his dark flare. The other doppelgangers vanished leaving the four of them alone.

"Watch who you're attacking," Onaga commanded.

"It was a spur of the moment," Chan said.

"A...what?" Ashrah questioned, rubbing her head.

"An Earthrealm expression," Chan groaned. The boy leaps away along with Ashrah as a stream of ice comes between them. Noob swipes his hand in an attempt to catch Ashrah. Along the way, Onaga is struck by the attack. It's immediately reflected right back to the wraith, striking him and freezing him solid. Chan strikes the frozen warrior with his chi infused fist. The impact causes a loud crackling noise and a cry of pain from the shaolin.

"It's solid ice, you're not fighting Kuai Liang," Ashrah said.

"Too late," Chan cried. "And what was that?"

"I told you, it's dangerous to use such magic against him," Ashrah said. Onaga laughs.

"Earthrealm, NetherRealm, Outworld," Onaga said. "All of their Kamidogu are within my possession."

"Right," Chan brushed off. The Dragon King grasps his hands together. As he opened them, all three relics appeared in his palms. Chan's eyes lit up. Ashrah stared at the boy, mouth hanging open.

"How did you come into possession of these?" he wondered as his hand healed itself.

"Shujinko brought me Earthrealm's Kamidogu, and retrieved NetherRealm's Kamidogu. However, there was an interference that stopped his quest once and for all. Outworld's Kamidogu was retrieved by D'Vorah."

"She what?" Chan blurted.

"Frost, Kitana, and Eris were to bring me the Seidan, Edenian, and Chaos Realm Kamidogu. However, the only voice that succeeded in returning to me was you."

"What are you trying to do?" Chan questioned. A loud crack followed by the shattering of ice drew everyone's attention. Noob, now free, drew a stream of darkness into his hands.

"You won't have to worry about that for long," Noob boasted.

Noob Saibot charges toward the Dragon King with his darkness trailing behind him. He conjures an ice spear, hardened thicker than his other weapons. With strong thrust to Onaga's abdomen, the Dragon King grunts in pain. Only as much as the tip penetrated him, as Noob was stabbed in the heart by a different blade; Ashrah's Kris. The shroud of Darkness dispersed from the demon's body. Underneath it all, Bi Han emerged in his human form. His skin was scarred, some areas even swolen or covered in puss. Chan barely recognized him. The former Lin Kuei looked beyond Chan, staring into the eyes of Shelia.

"Master Bi Han!" she shouted from the distance. Ashrah's heart skipped a beat. Chan and Company looked at the girl and her squad as they ran toward them.

"Ashrah," Onaga called in annoyance.

"No!" Chan shouted. "Leave them be."

"What did she just do to him?" Shelia fussed. She pushed Ashrah away and yanked her blade from Behind's body. She held onto him as he real body began to fade away.

"He's not the same man you knew before," Chan said.

"He's right, Bi Han died at the tournament."

"No!" Shelia snapped. "You died in the Great Freeze incident and came back. The same could happen for him."

"Shelia!" Hydro shouted. The girl stopped herself. Bi Han dispersed into balls of light like Ashrah's other victims. Silence fell among all of them. Ashrah frowned as nothing happened.

"Sorry you had to do that," Chan apologized, breaking the silence.

"That's not it," Ashrah said. "His heart should've been enough."

"Enough for what?" Chan asked. He realized all too soon what she meant. "So, Belokk was never your target at all."

"He was," Ashrah said. "But, he's not the only choice we have either."

"I don't understand," Chan said.

"What is it?" Shelia said as she regained her focus.

"It's complicated, but Ashrah can puri—"

"Ashrah?" Shelia said as he conjured her ice daggers. "She slaughtered the Shirai Ryu years ago!"

"She's not the same woman," Chan plead.

"She has the voice. She has the look," Shelia said, look up and down the woman's body.

"You won't need revenge anymore," Ashrah said. "If you want to see me hurt, just stand on the sideline."

"What nonsense are you speaking of?" Shelia cried out.

"She's talking about me!" A voice, closely resembling Ashrah's, came from the direction Chan's group came from. Onaga laughed as he watched Tesla approach. Ashrah's face dropped as she stared at his sister.

"I knew we would meet again. I only wish it were under different circumstances."

"I saw her die," Chan said.

"In order for us to leave this realm, you'll have to see it happen again."


End of Chapter 34

(Upcoming—Mirror World)