"You're finally here, Liu Kang," Goro growled, recognising Liu's presence as he emerged in his lair from one of Shang Tsung's portals.
"Release Kung Lao," he demanded, more focused on his friend's wellbeing.
"Have you forgotten about the tournament, human?" Goro questioned. "As I told you before; defeat me, and he's all yours."
"Then I won't hesitate to strike you down," Liu Kang threatened, prompting a chuckle from Goro.
"Empty words," Goro remarked before suddenly leaping across the dungeon, crushing Liu Kang beneath his dragon-like feet, and hurling him into the corner. "Not so sure of yourself now, are you?" Goro taunted as groans of pain escaped from Liu Kang.
"I've come too far to lose to you…" Liu Kang gasped.
"You would've never made it this far if that old man could actually enforce order over you pesky Earthrealmers," Goro claimed, still frustrated with his master. "Do you wish to step down, boy? Or shall you earn a warrior's death?"
Liu Kang slowly rose to his feet, with Goro waiting respectfully, only to knock him down again. "Face it, monk, you cannot beat me."
Frightened by the sight, a familiar voice called from one of the cells. "Liu Kang!'
"Kung... Lao," Liu acknowledged his friend between breaths.
"You can win this," Lao assured him. "Goro's an airhead!"
Though it was a lighthearted comment, it held some truth. Goro was so confident in his abilities, certain that victory was assured, that he was taking his time beating Liu Kang. Realising this, Liu decided to play possum, lying on the ground and slowly crawling toward the Shokan.
"This is pathetic," Goro scoffed, lowering his guard with his four massive arms at his sides. Seizing the opportunity, Liu Kang sprang to his feet with a cartwheel kick, knocking the champion back.
"This fight ends now," Liu Kang announced before launching his signature bicycle kick, his skill allowing him to repeat the attack without touching the ground. Goro eventually countered by grabbing his leg and swinging him into the cell bars.
Goro then swung two right hands, which Liu Kang dodged by sliding under them, causing Goro's fists to slam into the bars. Liu quickly dropkicked him from behind, making Goro stumble, but a wild backhand from Goro put an end to the attack.
"Enough of this!" the Shokan bellowed, now visibly irritated, as he charged toward Liu Kang. He unleashed a sequence of punches, and though Liu attempted to counter with his flaming fists, he was no match in raw strength. Soon, Liu Kang lay at Goro's feet once more.
"C'mon, Liu," came Kung Lao's voice again, though he wasn't sure how to encourage his friend. "Defeat Goro, for Earthrealm! For my ancestor!"
"I won't be merciful now," Goro declared, stomping on Liu's chest, winding him. "As I promised… a warrior's death."
Goro hoisted Liu's almost lifeless body, stretching his limbs in a brutal, medieval torture-rack position. Summoning his fire abilities, Liu ignited his arms and feet, scorching Goro's massive arms.
"You aren't the only one who possesses the element of fire," Goro stated, revealing his own fire magic that was natural to a Shokan. The scales on his back glowed a bright orange as he burnt the monk.
After pressing him down for a while, Goro hurled Liu Kang into the air and shot a fireball from his mouth, which Liu narrowly dodged by grabbing onto a skeleton dangling from a hook on the ceiling, swinging his feet into Goro's large frame.
Goro attempted another leap at Liu Kang, only to be swatted out of the air by Liu's nunchaku, crashing with a resounding thud on the stone floor. When Goro tried to stand, Liu looped his nunchaku around Goro's neck, strangling him. Goro struggled but used his arms to sweep Liu to the floor, breaking his grip momentarily.
Both warriors got back to their feet, and Liu Kant reached for his nunchaku, only for Goro to crush them beneath his foot with relative ease, the wood splintering across the dirty floor. "You needed a weapon to fight me," he laughed. "I suppose it is only fair when you are naturally handicapped against a Shokan!"
"Yes…" Liu Kang wheezed. "You need to rely on four arms."
"Oh, really?" Goro replied, folding his two lower arms behind his back. "We'll see."
Using just one arm, Goro managed to hold Liu Kang in his grip, pummeling him with the other. After several hits, Liu ducked under a swing and chopped Goro's arm with a flaming hand, irritating him enough to toss Liu across the room.
Liu Kang landed on his feet and launched another fireball, distracting Goro as he dodged, which allowed Liu to close in. They exchanged powerful flaming strikes, with Liu ducking a punch and landing a series of blows to Goro's stomach. Enraged, Goro grabbed Liu by the face and began to squeeze tightly, looking to pop his head like a watermelon.
"You fought well, Liu Kang," he acknowledged as his grip tightened, "but this is where your journey ends."
Just as he began to press Liu's head between his enormous hands, Liu shot a fireball into Goro's chest, knocking him down from the sheer force of the blast.
"Thank you for your praise, Goro," Liu said gratefully, "but this is where your reign as champion ends, for my journey has just begun!"
Goro scrambled to his feet, turning to the monk as he charged a powerful flaming backfist. Spinning around with the clenched fist, the blow struck Goro around the side of his head. Collapsing with a large thud, the Shokan fell unconscious. Liu Kang reached down and picked up a key strapped to Goro's loincloth and used it to unlock Kung Lao's cell.
"Thank you," Lao said gratefully as the two friends hugged.
"I wouldn't have left you, Lao," Liu laughed.
"No, of course not," Lao already knew. "I meant thank you for avenging my ancestor."
"Of course, friend."
"I wish it could have been me," Kung Lao admitted. "I was jealous to some degree I admit. But now I see... I wouldn't have been able to beat Goro."
"We should get back to Raiden," Liu said, placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Whatever you say, champ."
"Did I forget to tell you?" a voice interrupted. "How foolish of me."
The Shaolin monks turned to see Shang Tsung, wielding a flaming skull with a sinister smile.
"I've defeated Goro," Liu Kang announced, pointing to his body. "Outworld is defeated."
Shang Tsung wagged a finger. "I'm afraid one fight remains... me."
"This ends now!" Kung Lao shouted, grabbing his razor-sharp hat from the wall and advancing on the sorcerer, only to be pushed back by an invisible force.
Reptile soon revealed himself, albeit still in his human form. He hissed at Kung Lao before lunging at him, the two warriors clashing. Kung Lao sliced his hat at Reptile as he came down from the air, flipping him back. His disguise momentarily broken, Reptile spat acid at the monk who quickly reacted by holding his hat up, the steel reflecting the acid. Reptile then charged at Kung Lao and struck him with an elbow, the two fighters stumbling down the dungeons whilst Liu Kang and Shang Tsung circled each other.
"Come on," Shang Tsung challenged. "Fight!"
Liu Kang leapt at Shang Tsung with a fierce flying kick. Fueled by anger and justice, Liu Kang was ready to take down the sorcerer.
"You're losing your composure," Shang Tsung observed as he sidestepped the kick.
"I won't fall for your mind games, old man," Liu Kang retorted.
"Old?" Shang chuckled as he morphed into a duplicate of Liu Kang, complete with his abilities, demonstrated by his own flying kick.
"What the...?" Liu barely reacted before Shang swapped their places, leaving Liu disoriented. Shang then attacked with another flying kick, but Liu caught his leg and slammed him to the ground, forcing Shang back into his original form. "I won't be tricked," Liu stated firmly.
"We'll see," Shang replied, launching a flaming skull and transforming into Reptile, sliding across the floor to take out Liu's legs.
Liu kipped up, frustrated by Shang's unpredictable style. Shang then morphed into the recently murdered Bi-Han, creating an ice hammer which he smashed over Liu Kang followed by a clubbing mace and then a sharp dagger to the chest. Liu Kang attempted a counterattack with his windmill sequence of punches, but Shang transformed back into Reptile, using his agility to dodge the blows.
"Sloppy," Tsung taunted before shapeshifting into Kung Lao, complete with his razor hat. Liu side-kicked Shang Tsung in the ribs and kneed him in the face, grounding him.
"This is over."
"You'd strike down your friend?" Shang taunted, imitating Kung Lao's voice. Liu paused for a split second, and in that instant, Shang teleported behind him and dropped him on his head with a grab from behind.
Liu Kang scrambled away, crawling for his life. Shang Tsung leapt into the air, transforming into Goro mid-flight, landing on Liu Kang's spine before hurling him into a wall.
Shang Tsung reverted to his original form, a smile spreading across his face as he loomed over Liu Kang. He seized Liu by the neck. "Your soul is mine!"
Liu Kang let out a burst of embers, knocking Shang Tsung back. When the sorcerer stood up, Liu launched a relentless flurry of punches and kicks. With each strike, Liu's fists burned brighter, pinning Shang against the wall.
Exhausted, the sorcerer slumped down, gasping for breath.
"You have lost," Liu Kang declared as he knelt beside the sorcerer.
"Not yet…" Shang Tsung spluttered, shifting into Baraka and using his arm blades to stab Liu Kang in the leg as he attempted the finishing blow.
Tsung then flipped up to his feet as he morphed back into his true form, his foot catching Liu Kang on the chin. The monk staggered back, but he remained standing. Shang Tsung moved like a snake, his strikes were sudden and fast yet precise. After a few jabs, Liu Kang managed to swat Tsung's hand away and retaliate with a desperate headbutt. Shang Tsung clutched onto his head as he morphed into Scorpion, quickly teleporting behind Liu Kang with a punch followed by launching the chained kunai, dragging Liu Kang towards a flip kick.
Liu Kang bounced off the grim walls of Goro's Lair as Shang Tsung returned to himself in time to strike him with a slap to the face followed by an overhead kick. Liu blocked upwards, managing to catch the sorcerer's leg and twist the limb. Meanwhile, Liu Kang tripped Shang's other leg and he fell to the ground. The monk then violently stomped on his leg, preventing the sorcerer from standing.
"It's over!" Liu Kang yelled as he pressed his foot down on Shang Tsung's chest.
"Impossible!" Tsung exclaimed. "You can't, I-"
Before he could finish, Liu Kang stomped on his head with a fiery foot. The sorcerer fell unconscious, officially marking the victory of Earthrealm. Liu Kang sat down, catching his breath whilst a wave of relief overcame him.
"I've done it!" Liu Kang exclaimed, his voice filled with finality. "Earthrealm is safe!"