Whenever the wooden tokens were drawn from the mystical box, Kharok's name seemed to emerge more frequently than chance would dictate. It had become a ritual of sorts, a grim spectacle for the warriors who found themselves glancing warily at the entrance whenever his name was announced.

Kharok, with his distinct Tarkatan features, stood tall and resolute on the arena floor. The Earthrealmers, though seasoned fighters in their own right, couldn't help but regard him with a mix of weariness and wariness.

Shang Tsung, the puppeteer orchestrating the tournament's proceedings, had given Kharok explicit instructions — dispatch the opponents swiftly, save trouble for the champion later. The Tarkatan leader, fueled by a desire for freedom and revenge, embraced the ruthless ethos of Mortal Kombat.

Kharok's opponents were ushered onto the stage, their faces etched with concern and they exchanged wary glances, acutely aware that they were about to face a creature that transcended the boundaries of humanity.

Kharok, however, approached each match with a stoic determination.

But to Shang Tsung's annoyance, he always gave the warriors a small fighting chance. If they fought him with their fists, he too would face them without his blades

When faced with opponents wielding knives, swords, or any other implement, he unleashed his bone-blades with swift precision. The razor-sharp extensions would erupt from his forearms, an unnerving transformation that signaled the beginning of a deadly dance.

Four Earthrealm days have passed since he arrived on the island accompanying Shang Tsung and other warriors which the sorcerer chose to fight for Outworld.

All of them had the same mission.

From what the Tarkatan could gather, there were two reasons why they had to kill as many earthrealmers as possible.

One is to allow Shang Tsung to devour their souls using his dark magic, which strengthened the sorcerer many times.

Second is that when they win, and Kharok didn't see a reason why they wouldn't win, is that during the battle, some of the earthrealmers present would undoubtedly unlock their arcana, which could become a thorn when the emperor decided to begin his invasion later.

Getting rid of a potential problem before it becomes too much is always a good idea.

And so when fighting them, the Tarkatan warrior moved with grace and brutality, a lethal force unmatched in its efficiency. The Earthrealmers, despite their resolve, found themselves caught in the relentless onslaught of Kharok's attacks.

The Tarkatan's presence in the arena soon became a symbol of inevitability, a harbinger of ruthless efficiency in the face of Mortal Kombat.

That was until he met one wearing strange gear that hid his eyes. He soon found out that these things were called sunglasses, and that their main job was to protect someone's eyes from the burning light of the sun

But Kharok knew that that wasn't the true reason why the earthrealmer, or as he would later know to be called Johnny Cage wore them.

It had something to do with him believing that they made him look better and higher his status among the other contestants.

Kharok had watched the earthrealmer fight before their match. Shang Tsung made sure to warn the tarkatan about the next warrior he would face.

Kharok did admit that Johnny Cage had some talent, but he didn't believe that he would be a threat.

He was sure that he could win even without using his blades, as he came to realize that the earthrealmer never used any weapons, nor did he ever kill his opponents, which showed that he hadn't even begun to come close to realizing the essence of battle, and their differences in mentality would surely be the deciding factor.

"Hey, Kharok, wasn't it? Can I ask you, where did you manage to get such realistic teeth?"

The tarkatan didn't answer the earthrealmer's question.

Shang Tsung told him that his opponent still believed that this was just a normal tournament. He didn't believe in different realms, or that anything magical truly exists. Kharok had to admit, that the earthrealmer's refusal to admit the obvious was a little bit charming./

It was truly a shame that he had to kill him.

"Johnny Cage, Kharok, this marks the 124'th battle in this tournament. As I stated, do not hold back, as I am sure your opponent won't. Johnny Cage, you fight as a representative of Earthrealm, while Kharok here fights for Ouworld. Good luck to both of you and let the better warrior win."

As one of Shang Tsung's monks gave a load gong, Kharok immediately leaped at his opponent, intending to finish him off as quickly as possible.

"But to his surprise, the man managed to dock his advance and give him a small kick to his side as a response.

"Raiden told me that you would do that." Said the man with a slight grin.

Kharok didn't give him a response, he only leaped at him again, sending his fist forward in a quick jab, connecting with the man's ribs with a crunch. Using the momentum that he got from that, Kharok outstretched his foot forward, intending to kick Johnny in his open chest, but the man managed to hold up his fist, his arms blocking most of the damage.

Then, the battle changed into a brawl.

If there was anyone who still thought that Johnny Cage couldn't fight, there were now none.

The precision, the accuracy, and the indomitable will to defeat the thing that had killed so many before the match made a spark appear in them.

Even when they were opponents, they wished that Johnny Cage won.

They wanted to see the monster fall on his back utterly broken and defeated.

Only then would the fallen be avenged.

The man in sunglasses then moved with uncanny agility, dodging Kharok's last strike. Kharok was momentarily caught off guard, and in that small opening, he saw the man in sunglasses outstretching his foot.

A subtle green glow enveloped his leg as he executed a move that defied the expectations of both the Tarkatan and the spectators. With incredible speed and precision, the Earthrealmer's foot soared towards Kharok's face.

Kharok, forced to react swiftly, narrowly avoided the devastating kick. Then the realization struck him like lightning— his opponent had already somehow managed to unlock his inner bloodline, his arcana. The man in sunglasses, seemingly oblivious to the latent abilities he had just unleashed, stood poised for the next exchange.

At that moment, Kharok chose to abandon his earlier assumptions. The battle had morphed long ago into a contest of unpredictability. The Tarkatan resolved to cease holding back.

The coliseum roared with a mixture of shock and excitement as Kharok unleashed his bone blades upon the man in sunglasses. The Earthrealmer, knowing what fate awaited him if he got unlucky to be sliced by them, danced around the razor-sharp onslaught with a grace that defied expectation. Each swing of Kharok's blades was met with a nimble dodge, a step backward, a display of evasion that left the Tarkatan slightly more aggravated.

Undeterred, Kharok pressed on, relentlessly slashing at his elusive opponent. The man in sunglasses, a blur of calculated movements, maintained a safe distance, always staying just out of reach of the deadly blades. The coliseum witnessed a captivating dance, a symphony of slashes and dodges that unfolded with a fluidity both mesmerizing and deadly.

Then, seizing the opportunity, Kharok subtly altered his approach, leaving a deliberate opening in his barrage of attacks. The Earthrealmer, recognizing what seemed like an invitation, seized the apparent vulnerability and lunged forward with an attack of his own. However, it became apparent too late that he had walked into a trap carefully laid by the cunning Tarkatan.

As the man in sunglasses committed to his strike, Kharok swiftly closed the trap. The Tarkatan leader aimed his left blade at the exposed chest of his opponent, intending to deliver a fatal blow. Yet, to his astonishment, the green aura that had earlier surrounded the Earthrealmer returned. The blade met an unexpected shield, and the bone blade shattered upon impact.

Undeterred, Kharok immediately pivoted, using his other blade to execute a swift decapitating strike. However, the Earthrealmer displayed an agility that defied expectations. With a nimble duck, he avoided the lethal swing, and in an unexpected turn of events, delivered a powerful punch to Kharok's most vulnerable area.

The coliseum fell into stunned silence as the Tarkatan fell on his back.

"God damn, what was that. What happened? Did I just?"

Johnny Cage carefully touched his chest, checking for any wounds the Tarkatan's attack should have had.

He was sure that at that moment he was about to die, but somehow, he was alive and breathing.

For just a moment, a thought ran through him that perhaps this wasn't a charade. That this wasn't all just a masquerade. That all those spells and magical things happening around him were real, that they were no special effects.

Then, he looked at his opponent who now slowly stood up.

With his left arm holding his now probably no longer existing groin.

Johnny Cage saw the hate in his opponent's eyes. If stares could kill, he would already be dead.

"Hey, listen, man, I can see that you are barely standing. How about you simply concede and go looking for a doctor here, I am sure there is something to be saved..."

He couldn't finish, as the Tarkatan lunged at him again, with his one remaining blade ready to slice him.

To that, Johnny simply dodged the uncalculated attack, and with a roundhouse kick, his foot with accelerated momentum, and the same green glow enveloping his foot, met the face of his opponent.

He could feel the skull of his opponent breaking, and his sharp teeth flying out in every direction.

On the floor now, the tarkatan tried getting up again, but soon after fell on his knees again.

"...I concede."

Those were the only words he managed to spit out, along with a mouthful of blood.

Johnny Cage was now sure that everything was true. Outworld, magic, and the monster that was on his knees before him were all real.

He looked at his hands, now engulfed in a green glow, not knowing what that was.

But he was sure that this thing was the only reason he was now the victor and not a corpse with a massive hole in his chest.

"Finish him!" screamed out the old but angry voice of Shang Tsung.

The actor looked at the sorcerer.

"Finish him? Yeah, right."

"Kill him!" The sorcerer roared, demanding that Johnny Cage kill the Tarkatan.

Soon, more voices around the pair cried out.

"He killed my brother! The last thing he deserves to breathe another minute."

"Ya, kill that bastard if ya' arant a wuss'!"

Soon, most of the coliseum was demanding the Tarkatan's death.

"Do it." said the tarkatan coughing up more blood, "those are the rules of Mortal Kombat. If you wish to show me mercy, so it by killing me."

"I am no killer. And what mercy would that be if you ended up dying?"

"...Don't you know?" coughed the monster before the actor, "Mercy means a quick death. A quick, painless, death. That fate would be far better for me than what awaits me when I return to Outworld."

"No. I am no killer."

He then looked up at everyone else.

"I am no killer. Yes, he may be a monster, but that doesn't mean we have to be one as well. I won't kill anyone in this tournament, I..."

The tarkatan no longer heard Johnny Cages voice, as he used his own blade to cut his throat.

He would finally have piece.