"You're finally here, Liu Kang!" Goro recognized Liu's presence.
"Release Kung Lao." The Shaolin ordered.
"Have you forgotten about the tournament human? Defeat me and he's all yours."
"Then I won't hesitate in striking you down." Liu threatened which made Goro chuckle, which the Shokan immediately leapt across the dungeon and crushed Liu Kang beneath his dragon like feet before pelting him into the corner.
"Not so sure are you now?" Goro spoke over the groans of pain escaping from Liu Kang.
"I've come too far to lose to you."
"You would've never have even made it to me if that old man could actually enforce order over you pesky Earthrealmers." Goro stated, "At least you'll now die a warrior's death."
Liu Kang eventually got to his feet, Goro respectfully waiting for him to do so, only to knock him down again. "Face it, Shaolin, you can't beat me."
"Liu Kang!" Yelled a familiar voice from one of the jail cells.
"Kung...Lao." Liu acknowledged between breaths.
"You can win this." Lao assured before joking hypocritically, "Goro's an airhead."
While it was a light-hearted comment, it was true. Goro was so confident in his ability that he was taking his time beating Liu Kang. After realizing this, Liu Kang played possum by remaining lying down, only slowly crawling towards the Shokan.
"This is pathetic." Goro admitted, lowering his guard with his four mallet hands resting at his sides, allowing Liu Kang to spring to his feet with a cartwheel kick, knocking the champion back.
"This fight ends now." Liu Kang announced before diving through the air with a unique bicycle kick where his incredible skill allowed him to repeat the attack without landing on the ground, Goro eventually countering the move by grabbing his leg and swinging him into the prison bars.
Goro swung two right hands which Liu Kang slid under causing Goro to smash his arms into the bars, Liu Kang dropkicking the back of Goro, causing him to stumble into the bars, only when Goro threw a wild backhand did the attack stop.
"Enough of this!" The Shokan was blatantly more irritated as he charged towards Liu Kang, unloading a sequence of punches which Liu Kang tried to return the favour with his flaming fists but despite his fire abilities he stood no chance in a fist fight with a Shokan, Liu Kang was lying at Goro's feet once more.
"C'mon Liu." Once again came the voice of Kung Lao, however he was unsure of how to give him a momentum boost. "Defeat Goro, for all his victims, for The Great Kung Lao."
"I won't be so merciful now." Goro claimed as he stomped on Liu's chest, winding him again. "As I said, a warrior's death."
Goro scraped up Liu's almost lifeless body and used all four of his arms to stretch apart Liu Kang's limbs, like a medieval torture rack. Fortunately, Liu was able to utilize his fire abilities to set his arms and feet on fire, scorching Goro's tree trunk sized arms.
"You aren't the only one who possess the element of fire." Claimed Goro, revealing his own magic abilities as the scales that coated his back began to glow orange and he sent a fireball at Liu from his own mouth, which the Shaolin avoided with his quick reflexes whom then threw his own fireball which easily connected on Goro's large frame.
Goro attempted to leap at Liu again but was batted out the air by Liu's nunchakus, creating an earth-shaking thud upon smashing against the stone floor. Goro tried to stand up, but Liu swung his nunchakus around Goro's head and pulled back once the chain was wrapped round his neck, strangling the Shokan.
Goro struggled before acknowledging that he had to use his arms to sweep Liu Kang to the floor, doing so making him lose his grip, yet a sudden increase in force for the throttling momentarily occurred because of Liu Kang falling.
The two returned to their feet, Liu attempting to reach for his nunchakus only for them to be crushed by Goro. "You need a weapon to beat me." He laughed, "Proof that you humans are inferior."
"And you need four arms."
"Oh really?" He said before placing his two lower arms behind his back. "We'll see."
Goro only needed one arm to hold Liu Kang in his clutches, punching him with the other. After several hits, Liu ducked one and chopped his other arm with a flaming hand. The burn irritated Goro, so he threw Liu across the room, the burns only causing him moderate discomfort.
Liu Kang landed on his feet and launched another fireball, distraction Goro as he attempted to dodge it, allowing Liu Kang to push forward towards Goro, the two now in striking distance. Goro went for a punch before it was ducked and countered by several more punches to the Shokans stomach. Goro then grabbed Liu Kang by his face and progressively tightened his grip on Liu Kang.
"You fought well, Liu Kang." He admired, "but this is where your journey ends."
Goro then pressed Liu's head between his two giant hands and squeezed hard. Liu Kang broke free via a fireball that blasted into his chest, causing Goro to collapse.
"Thank you for your praise Goro." He said gratefully, "but this is where your reign as champion ends."
Goro quickly scattered to his feet only to get knocked out by a devastating backhand from Liu Kang.
Liu Kang had won.
Liu picked up the key that was strapped to Goro's loincloth and unlocked Kung Lao's cell.
"Thank you."
"I wouldn't have just left you Lao." Liu laughed.
"No, course not." He explained, "mean thank you for avenging my ancestor."
"Of course friend."
"I wish it would've been me." He admitted, "I was jealous. But now I see that I would've never been able to have beaten Goro..."
"We should get back to Raiden." He recommended while placing a hand on his friends' shoulder.
"Whatever you say, chosen one."
"Did I forget to tell you?" Came a voice, "How foolish of me."
The shaolin monks turned around to see Shang Tsung, who was intimidatingly wielding a flaming skull.
"I've defeated Goro." Liu announced, "Outworld has lost."
Shang wagged a finger on his free hand as he corrected Liu Kang, "I'm afraid that one fight remains... me."
"This ends now!" Kung Lao yelled as he grabbed his signature razor hat that was hung on the wall outside his cell and he proceeded towards the sorcerer, only to be stopped by another.
Quan Chi.
Kung Lao and Quan Chi battled as Liu Kang leapt at Shang Tsung with a flying dragon kick. Liu was infuriated by Tsung revealing that he was the person whose defeat was what truly determined Earthrealm's fate. Liu was re-energized by passion and anger to bring justice to the sorcerer.
"You're losing your composure." Shang Tsung analysed.
"I won't fall for your mind games, old man." Came the fiery response.
"Old?" Shang chuckled as his body transformed to resemble Liu Kang himself, he also now possessed the shaolin's abilities as proved by his own dragon kick.
"What the?" Liu Kang couldn't even finish speaking before Shang Tsung swapped his place with Liu, both their bodies swapped locations which only made Liu Kang more confused. Shang then proceeded with a second dragon kick, only for Liu to grab his leg and slam the sorcerer to the ground, transforming him back to his original body. "I won't be tricked." He stated.
"We'll see." Shang Tsung said, willing to challenge that claim. Shang Tsung launched a flaming skull at Liu as he transformed into the being nicknamed Reptile as he slid across the floor, taking out Liu Kang by his legs.
Liu kipped up, becoming more and more irritated by Shang's unique fight style. He was unpredictable. Shang then transformed into the now dead Bi Han, and he began using cryomancer attacks, beating Liu Kang again.
Liu attempted to fight back with his signature windmill punches only for Shang Tsung to transform back into Reptile to utilize the ninjas slickness to dodge the attack. "Sloppy." He commented while shape-shifting into Kung Lao, even possessing his hat. Liu sprung to his feet and elegantly side kicked the ribs of Shang Tsung, before kneeing him, which kept him floored.
"This is over."
"You'd strike down your friend?" Shang Tsung asked, his voice replicating Kung Lao's. Liu Kang paused for a moment, but that moment was enough for Shang Tsung to teleport behind him and drop him with a slingblade.
Liu Kang was inching away from Shang, crawling for his life. Shang Tsung jumped into the air, transforming into Goro as he landed his feet on Liu's spine before throwing him into a wall.
Shang Tsung changed his form back into his own self, a smile on his face as he stood over the shaolin. Tsung grabbed Liu Kang by the neck before saying, "Your soul is mine!"
Liu suddenly disappeared, leaving a burst of embers fly into Shang Tsung's face, Liu then reappeared behind Shang Tsung and began throwing countless punches and kicks, Shang being pinned against the wall allowing the sequence of strikes to proceed, Liu's fists becoming fierier with each hit.
Liu eventually stopped and the old sorcerer sat down on the floor, his back sliding against the wall, gasping for his breath. "You have lost." Liu Kang informed, "Outworld has lost." He then crouched down to Tsung's level, "Earthrealm has won."