Mortal Kombat: Reborn

by Froster 23

This hard reboot retells the Mortal Kombat story, focusing on the events of the Original Timeline starting from the tournament and concluding at Armageddon. Featuring a vast cast, including characters from the games, other official media, and original characters, this is the most expansive MK story yet. Constructive feedback is always welcome, and I thank you for reading!

94. Temple of Elements

After gathering several allies from the Oni as well as the Brotherhood of Shadow Wraiths, Quan Chi hosted a meeting at his Netherrealm Fortress. He hadn't been to the old structure in a while, but he knew it would've been in the hands of a pair of good minions…

"Marinella! Vanesella!" Quan Chi called for the Demons as he stood on the bridge leading into his fortress. The main doors remained closed, locked up in Quan's absence.

The group of allies remained in awkward silence, Quan Chi stood at the front of the bridge with his arms crossed and tapping his feet as they waited for the doors to open.

"I'm telling you it was his voice!" Shouted Marinella whilst she struggled to push open the large doors, pushing with her back.

"Master?" Vanesella gasped as the doors were opened. "The rumours were true…"

"I'm back," Quan Chi confirmed.

"Who are they?" Moloch asked. "They don't smell like mortals."

"We're Demons," Marinella explained.

The two Demons approached the group. Both had long black hair and matching obsidian armour adorned with spikes on their shoulders, much like the shoulder pads Quan Chi had often worn. Brushing their hair aside, they were each distinguishable by their facial markings. A black outline over her face with red paint for swirls on Marinella's face reflected a portal of sorts, whilst Vanesella's facepaint bore resemblance to a skull, though one with green paint to distinguish herself from what Quan Chi claimed to be the inferior Kahn Guard.

"This is Marinella and this is Vanesella," Quan Chi pointed to each Demon to introduce them. "They have already been of aid well before my escape."

"They're of the Brotherhood of Shadow," Noob noticed their red markings of the faction's signature emblem. "I've never met either of you before… have I?"

"I don't think so," Vanesella replied whilst Marinella shook her head.

"You wouldn't have," Quan Chi explained. "They never answered to Shinnok."

"What do you mean?" Noob asked.

"You're far more curious than I recall," Quan Chi noted. "Let's head inside, I'll explain along the way."

"Follow us," Marinella guided as she and Vanesella led them through the fortress.

"They were the only students of mine that I felt I could truly trust," Quan Chi explained as they climbed the spiral of stairs. "After their admission into the Brotherhood of Shadow had been completed, I opted to make them personal servants of mine rather than join Shinnok's cult."

"What other secrets have you been hiding?" Noob wondered.

"Story time's not over," Quan Chi replied. "They've proved most useful in gathering resources for me, and in return I revealed my greatest secrets in sorcery…"

"That being?" Moloch himself was now curious.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a secret," Quan Chi pointed out, "and then I'd have to kill you!"

"You couldn't," Moloch grunted.

"Here we are!" Marinella announced as she and Vanesella revealed a room they had transformed into a space full of devious plans from the pull of an enchanted book within Quan Chi's library that caused the bookshelf to spin around, revealing a hidden passage.

"What's all this?!" Quan Chi asked. "I requested that you leave my fortress identical to how it was before my absence!"

"We're sorry, Master Chi," Vanesella immediately apologised for them both. "But we have come up with really good strategies!"

"I am the master planner!" Quan Chi yelled. "I came here to share another great plan of my own!"

Quan Chi barged past his minions but the round table in the centre of the room caught his eye…

"Now what is this?"

"You mentioned desires to create another fortress," Marinella reminded him.

"This time in Outworld," Vanesella added.

"Why do you need another fortress?!" Moloch asked.

"Stop questioning me!" Quan Chi demanded. "I am perfectly capable of providing a sufficient explanation."

"Get on with it then," Hydro requested.

"Outworld has always been a desired commodity of mine. It's the realm foreign to the Netherrealm here that I believe I have the most knowledge on and experience in. I've been there many times, in and out over the past decades due to Shinnok's alliance with Shao Kahn. The fortress wasn't in response to my alliance with Shang Tsung, although this has certainly increased its value now that I am an Outworld ruler. The initial purpose of this concept, before any of you fools interrupt me again, is simply control. Taking a part of Outworld for myself would've been a fantastic milestone, a place that doesn't drain the powers of magic. The Netherrealm confines our full potential, it's not just beings of Light. The dark magic of my people have helped relieve the impact of this drain, and Soul Stones are certainly a valuable source for rejuvenation… I cannot move them. My Inner Sanctum chamber has been my only true solution to this issue with the energies of the Netherrealm. This chamber is protected by my runes, the magic inside is portals to other realms, the opening lets in their energies and restores my magic. This worked perfectly… for a time. But when you have the resources, why not expand? Why have my chamber take regular energies of the realms when I can let the essence of a Jinsei absorb through my skin. That leads to the location of this new fortress… where is it, minions?"

"Just as you envisioned," Marinella assured him as she pointed to a map of Outworld on the wall. "That island."

"Perfect," Quan Chi smiled. "This is the island where the temple housing Outworld's Jinsei Chamber is located, the island where the great battle of the Netherrealm versus the Outworld commenced and concluded."

"I summoned skeletons skilled in the art of construction," Vanesella elaborated. "They transformed the temple into a fortress fit for the greatest sorcerer in all the realms."

"The island was just abandoned?" Hydro was shocked. "Surely they couldn't have just neglected something so important!"

"We spent the first decade of this project scouting," Vanesella clarified. "They had regular guards who had made homes at the beach surrounding the island, but they had no God."

"The foolish fat man," Quan Chi giggled. "I'd suspect he went to the Sky Temple in Earthrealm to rejuvenate his energies instead, an excuse to converse with his husband Raiden."

"Either way this left the island in the hands of silly mortals!" Marinella giggled. "When we were sure he wouldn't show up, we unleashed Vanesella's skeletons; they killed all who resided on the island… as well as what few tried to visit."

"This gave us ample time to transform the land into your vision, Master Chi," Vanesella concluded. "The Jinsei Chamber is yours."

"To do what exactly?" Quan Chi asked, predicting this would be the next question. "The Jinsei may purge darkness and heal the Light… and I am of course of the former description, that doesn't stop me from using its great power!"

"We've already encased it in runes that are larger replicas of your old Inner Sanctum chamber," Marinella revealed. "These runes reverse the properties of the Jinsei, making you eligible to absorb the energy."

"And Shang Tsung thought stealing the soul of a God would make him superior," Quan Chi muttered to himself. "Godly energy just for me!"

"We're pleased that you're pleased, Master Chi!" Vanesella cheered.

"I am proud of you both," he applauded their efforts. "I would certainly like a tour of my new domain."

"Gladly!" Marinella eagerly summoned a portal to the island.

"Hold on," Quan Chi requested. "There is a matter of your quest."

"Finally," Hydro sighed, "tell us what are we doing here?"

"My plan is to gain something else of great importance and power…" Quan Chi revealed. "Shinnok's Amulet!"

"I already don't like the sound of this…" Hydro groaned.

"After Shinnok's defeat, which wouldn't have happened if he hadn't betrayed me!" Quan Chi complained.

"Didn't you bet-" Moloch went to clarify but was quickly cut off.

"Quiet!" Quan Chi demanded. "After Shinnok's defeat, his Amulet returned to the Temple of Elements."

"I… remember that place," Noob recalled.

"Four sections, guarded by four Gods, each with pieces you require to proceed to the end which I presume is where Shinnok's Amulet is restored like previously," Quan Chi provided the mission briefing. "I want you all to head over to the Temple of Elements, you'll need more forces this time to overcome four Gods, rather than evading just the God of Wind."

"I could achieve this alone," Noob claimed.

"Well let's just be sure," Quan Chi replied over the sound of approaching footsteps. "Ah! There they are! Right on time!"

Walking through the passageway into the spacious planning space was Drahmin, new ruler of the Netherrealm. He was guarded by the proud Oni warrior Amon and as Drahmin pointed behind them, he unveiled Torcher as he squeezed through the passage.

"Look who I brought," Drahmin said. "Sorry for the lateness, Quan, this idiot needed collecting."

"How was I supposed to anticipate that attack?!" Torcher complained in regards to his latest death.

"You are a sophisticated speaker… usually," Drahmin told him, "but you're an unfocused, enraged foe."

"He's right, brother," Moloch admitted. "We need to get back to training together more!"

"I suppose so," Torcher considered the offer. "Why am I here anyway?"

"Plans!" Quan Chi piped up. "My glorious magnificent plans!"

"They are brilliant, Master," Vanesella assured him as Marinella nodded.

"Enough dick stroking!" Hydro yelled, slamming his hands on the solid table. "What's the plan for this Temple of Elements exactly?"

"Something you'll understand, Earthrealmer, is that it's located in the Himalayas, built into the mountains," Quan Chi revealed as Hydro sighed. "They go so far that about half of it is located in China and the other half is technically in Nepal."

"You're a geography teacher now too?" Hydro muttered.

"Unlike you, ninja, I had an education," Quan Chi remarked.

"Down here?" Hydro questioned.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Quan Chi confirmed. "Now… I will be creating a portal for you all to travel through. It will lead directly outside the Wind Temple, the entry point to this place."

"I won't have to climb up it like last time?" Noob asked.

"I would never do that to you!" Quan Chi assured him.

"I also brought Gagroth, an Oni Warlord, with me," Drahmin informed the sorcerer. "He's waiting outside."

"I'll get a portal for him ready!" Marinella offered as she ran off.

"Is everybody ready?" Quan Chi asked to a row of nods. "Do you recall how you got through the Temple of Elements before, Noob?"

"Yes…" Noob replied bluntly.

"Inform them along the way," the sorcerer instructed as he began summoning a large portal for everyone. "Step through and retrieve Shinnok's Amulet for me."

"Follow Noob!" Drahmin instructed as they all began to walk through the portal to Earthrealm.

Emerging from the portal, the group of Demons, Oni and Wraith found themselves standing on a balcony platform built into a cliffside, hidden away between several other mountains in the distance. Saving his minions from the trouble of trekking the mountains, Quan Chi had sent them as close to the Temple of Elements as his magic could allow him to. A protection ward prevented outside magic from being used within the hidden temple.

On the stone walls were ancient patterns, including murals of old members of the Order of Light who aided in the construction of the Temple of Elements alongside the Elemental Gods themselves. In the centre of the wall was a thick circular door also made of stone, sealing the rest of the temple away.

"This wasn't here before," Noob complained, recalling the Temple of Elements having no doorway due to its location being well hidden previously.

"Hey!" Drahmin shouted as Gagroth exited a portal, emerging with his body reaching the height of the top of the mountain as he stood at a much lower level. "Break this door, will ya?!"

"Gladly," Gagroth agreed to do so. Reaching over, Gagroth poked the door which caused it to crumble with ease.

"Well done!" Marinella cheered as she slid down Gagroth's arm and onto the balcony. "Can we use magic inside?"

"Yes," Noob nodded. "The Elemental Gods need their own powers too, the protection ward must only cover the surrounding area."

"Good to know," Marinella replied. "Shall we get to it?"

"Hold on," Torcher spoke up. "I'm not comfortable following this murderer of Oni!"

"Get over it," Noob suggested.

"You were threatening Nekros!" Hydro argued. "We didn't know about this Deadly Alliance nonsense!"

"So you're an ignorant pair of insects too?" Torcher concluded.

"Settle down," Drahmin tried to calm Torcher. "We all share the same goal here."

"Fine," Torcher snarled. "But one wrong move and I flay you both!"

"Focus," Ruutuu sighed as Solrac burst into laughter. "Enaj, this is no laughing matter."

"I've been trying to hold it in this entire time!" Solrac admitted. "So fun!"

"You have a strange concept of amusement," Torcher told her.

"Let's get a move on," Moloch recommended.

"Yeah!" Drahmin agreed as he waved his iron club forth, a gesture for them to follow. "Come on!"

"Finally," Noob grunted as he continued to lead the way.

The group of Netherrealmers wandered through the round passageway. It appeared to be completely bare, just more old stone surrounding them. Torcher had to hunch over to fit inside the passage, and Moloch had to crawl, his hunchback scraping across the ceiling. The passageway soon expanded out into a large room connected to several other chambers. The main chamber, bathed in a soft, diffused light, had patterns on pieces of a ceiling that had been blown into the air by a constant flurry of wind. The ceiling was adorned with intricate patterns that mimicked the graceful dance of wind currents. Pillars rose like guardians, reaching towards the Heavens, their surfaces etched with swirling motifs that seemed to come alive as gusts swept through the chamber.

The Wind Temple's Netherrealm visitors soon discovered the surrounding rooms. In one room, wind chimes crafted from delicate crystals tinkled harmoniously, creating a melody that resonated with the soul. The gentle chiming seemed to carry ancient wisdom, captivating all who listened. In another, fine tapestries depicted the incredible landscapes of the Himalayan mountains. These tapestries seemed almost alive, wind causing them to swirl around at a constant rate.

Looking deeper, they soon discovered sacred meditation chambers which offered solace amidst the Wind Temple's ethereal ambiance. Within these tranquil spaces, cushions were arranged in serene symmetry, beckoning the guarding monks to find inner peace and commune with the winds' wisdom. The gentle sighs of air brushed against closed eyelids, creating a serene harmony between body and spirit. Surprised by the presence of mortal monks, Vanesella gasped loudly. Their peace had been disturbed.

"Vanny!" Marinella cried out.

"Fools…" Noob sighed as he stood in the main chamber, waiting with his arms crossed. "We're meant to cross through here!"

"You shan't pass!" A monk yelled as everyone spilled out into the main chamber, surrounding the Netherrealmers with a range of weapons from Jo staffs to Falchion swords.

"Fight!" Drahmin cheered, initiating a great battle with Moloch beginning by slamming his orb down which immediately crushed a monk's entire body, looking like the explosion of a strawberry.

Two monks came at both sides of Noob, who summoned a shadow clone to have his back whilst he cut through one monk with his sickle. The clone tackled the other monk into Drahmin who spun around wildly, his iron club crushing their skull. Marinella and Vanesella were also teaming up to eliminate several monks, the former creating portals that pulled the monks into the latter's skeletons which she summoned wielding the weapons of the fallen monks. Meanwhile, Torcher and Moloch played catch with one petrified monk.

"Do you remember where to go, Noob?!" Hydro asked as he used his boiling water to burn an incoming monk as he ran towards Noob Saibot. "Which room?"

"No rooms," Noob explained by pointing forward into the distance as the interior expanded into an open space of the mountain range where the ground below was so far down that it could not be seen as clouds obscured it. "We're supposed to cross that."

"What?!" Hydro gasped in shock.

"The platforms and windmills in the distance," Noob pointed to them. "We can use them to help cross."

"What's at the end?" Hydro asked.

"A teleporter to the actual interior of the Temple of Elements," Noob clarified.

"I'm not crossing that!" Torcher complained as he approached the two warriors to dump a monk over the edge of the platform.

"I'll start then," Noob sighed as he summoned a ladder made of his shadows that took up his form. "Use them."

"Is your icky black goop safe to touch?" Drahmin asked the other Wraiths.

"It depends," Ruutuu answered whilst Solrac shrugged casually.

"Hurry up!" Noob demanded.

Drahmin sighed before crossing first with Amon, the Wraiths and Demons soon following. Moloch and Torcher were more than hesitant to cross.

"They're too big," Amon concluded.

"You have my gratitude for finally speaking up to point out something that I'm sure none of us realised!" Torcher yelled sarcastically.

"If I was doing that then I'd be mentioning your skills in combat," Amon quipped as Torcher growled.

"Is everything alright down there!" Gagroth's voice boomed from above as he stepped over the mountain to get inside the hollowed out space. Being as tall as he was, his feet could touch the ground down below his head and still remained above the clouds.

"Finally!" Torcher yelled. "Carry us over, Gagroth!"

"You were going to cross these platforms?" Gagroth laughed as he reached his hand out. "Grab on!"

The Oni Beasts climbed onto Gagroth's hand, the Oni Warlord dwarfed the also large Oni. Gagroth followed as Noob led the way across the windmills. Realising many were hesitant, Gagroth went to offer them a ride too, but a sudden arrow shot between his eyes distracted him. His head too thick for the arrow to have killed him, Gagroth faced the person who fired the shot. Sprinting through the air, the Wind God Fujin approached the trespassers. Whilst he had several duties outside of the Temple of Elements, he would still attend guard duty rather frequently. After all the chaos he had encountered, Fujin found peace yet still felt dutiful whenever he was protecting and looking after the Temple of Elements. He hadn't anticipated an actual intrusion though, it had been years since the last trespasser came to the Temple of Elements.

"Get ready, everyone!" Drahmin yelled. "We're becoming God slayers today!"

"I've encountered him previously," Noob revealed. "It would be wise to evade-"

Before Noob could even finish giving his advice, Drahmin leapt onto the next platform, a stone pillar that began to crumble upon his landing. He hopped over to another windmill before leaping up at Fujin with his signature clock uppercut. Fujin was thrown higher into the air, prompting Gagroth to hurl Moloch at the Wind God without any warnings. Moloch couldn't even react in time to this, his body simply crashing into Fujin as the two began hurling down. Drawing his Kusanagi no Tsurugi, Fujin gutted the Oni Beast in order to throw his weight off of him. This allowed Fujin to run back up as if he was climbing a set of invisible stairs. Gagroth crouched down in order to catch Moloch whilst Torcher leapt at Fujin, his pair of large blades nearly impaling him but the Wind God brought a powerful gust of wind to himself that blew him aside to evade the attack.

More monks rushed out from the doors leading to the interior of the Temple of Elements. A group at the front of the group threw down a makeshift bridge using several logs tied together that connected them to the separated platforms. After missing Fujin, Torcher crashed into the crowd of monks, leaving a fiery explosion upon landing. Using shadow portals, Solrac and Ruutuu joined Torcher in slicing through the monks that approached. Fujin turned around and gasped at the massacre, he went to fly back but a sudden ball of flies smashed into his face and distracted him by obscuring his vision. Hovering in place as he waved the flies away, Fujin left himself vulnerable to another clock uppercut from Drahmin. After the leaping attack, Drahmin began dragging Fujin down as he grabbed onto his ankle and began searing it with his newfound fire powers. The blue flames burnt his leg as they crashed onto a platform below.

As the two warriors began to get up, two more warriors entered the fight. A pair of twin sisters rushed outside. One sent a blast of furious water at Solrac whilst the other used a gust of wind to drag Ruutuu into a combination of elbow smashes to the face. Ruutuu shoved her back but was then tripped up by a staff wielding monk who struck from behind. The wind wielding warrior then lifted Ruutuu up with the wind and then jumped into the air, landing with a double footstomp onto Ruutuu that left him unconscious momentarily.

The water wielding warrior then attempted to dispatch Solrac Enaj by using a water blast to push her over the edge. Solrac used a shadow portal to return to the platform, emerging behind her opponent.

"Look out, Rayne!" The sister of the water warrior shouted out.

Rayne spun around just in time to block a high kick from Solrac Enaj. She then sent a water geyser from the ground, launching Solrac into the air. Using another water geyser to propel her into the air, Rayne knocked Solrac out with another double foot stomp much like what her sister had done.

"Thanks for the warning, Wynd," Rayne said as she helped her up to her feet.

The powerful twin sisters both wore matching dark blue boots alongside black skin tight jumpsuit uniforms, highlighting their equally muscular build. What distinguished the siblings in appearance were their red and white face paint which had unique patterns for each sister. Rayne also wore a jacket matching her boots, whilst Wynd's uniform was sleeveless. They guided the monks back inside as Torcher's rampage continued. The monks were clearly no match for these Netherrealm forces so the twins sought to keep them safe as they declared a retreat. They didn't join the monks, however, and instead they remained to confront Torcher who laughed at their bravery.

"I will skew both of you on my blades!" Torcher threatened as he charged forth. Wynd and Rayne rolled either side of him and the Oni Beast slammed head first into the impenetrable door.

Whilst Torcher was stunned, Wynd and Rayne both grabbed onto a leg each. It took a few seconds but soon enough they were lifting the Oni Beast. They then dumped the several hundreds of pounds behind them, Torcher's back splitting the platform with the impact the landing caused. Whilst they caught their breath, they watched as Marinella and Vanesella crossed a bridge made of bones by the latter. They soon reached the platform that Wynd and Rayne stood on.

"Step aside, girls," Vanesella advised.

"You aren't getting in!" Wynd yelled.

"I have an idea!" Marinella suddenly realised something as she went to cast a portal only to be disappointed when nothing happened. "Another protection ward?!"

"What did I just say?" Wynd asked.

"Fine, we'll just beat you up instead!" Marinella decided.

Summoning a duo of skeletons behind Wynd, they grabbed her and allowed Vanesella to attack. Rayne tried to help her sister as she was left defenceless, her arms restrained as she was punched in the face several times. Before Rayne could help, Marinella made a portal and landed on top of her. Slamming her head against the stone floor, this angered Rayne and caused her to unleash a water geyser from beneath the two warriors which propelled them into the air. Rayne stood on the water whilst Marinella held on to her and began throwing elbows at her face. Using a blast of water, Rayne pushed her back. Throwing her feet into the air as she began to fall, Marinella wrapped her legs around Rayne's head and flipped her over which caused the two to begin falling. Marinella easily evaded the crash using a portal, but Rayne was in trouble. Wynd cried out, a shriek that released a gust of wind from her mouth that blew Vanesella back. She then used her powers to take flight, despite the two skeletons still clinging onto her. Rayne sent a pair of water blasts to knock the skeletons away whilst Wynd swooped in to grab her and bring her down to a safe landing.

Marinella and Vanesella began circling the siblings, skeletons being summoned to join their circle as they began closing in on Wynd and Rayne. However, they were interrupted by Fujin and Drahmin. They had been trading blows on the distant platform and a sudden gust of wind pushed Drahmin away and caused him to crash into the skeletons who toppled onto each other. Taking advantage of the distraction, Wynd and Rayne tackled Marinella and Vanesella and began raining down punches as they lay on the ground.

"Call off your forces, Drahmin!" Fujin ordered as he flew towards him.

"I'm not in charge of this operation," Drahmin clarified as he jumped up to his feet.

"I have no reason to believe you," Fujin remarked. "I am aware of your Oni uprising in the Netherrealm."

"News does travel fast to the Heavens does it?" Drahmin asked. "Of course you snobs just have to stick your noses into our business!"

"You came to me, not the other way around," Fujin countered as he drew his Kusanagi. "May I ask why?"

"Why do you think?" Drahmin scoffed. "We're after that little toy you're guarding obviously!"

"This is the Deadly Alliance's doing," Fujin quickly concluded.

"Clever boy," Drahmin sarcastically applauded his detective work. "Let's get back to fighting, yes?"

Fujin sighed but approached with his blade pointed at Drahmin who batted it aside with his iron club. Blowing wind upwards from his arm, this pushed Drahmin's club encased arm into the air and left him vulnerable. Fujin used the wind to pull his Kusanagi back into his grasp. He then lunged forth, stabbing Drahmin.

"Well played," Drahmin grunted.

"Surrender and no further harm will come!" Fujin offered.

"Hmm…" Drahmin pretended to consider the offer for a moment before then answering. "Nah!"

Blue flames emitted from the open wound left by Fujin's Kusanagi, the fire shutting Drahmin's wound whilst also pushing the Wind God back.

"I'm just getting warmed up!" Drahmin laughed as he snapped his fingers.

From behind, Torcher and Moloch were flung at Fujin after being carried by Gagroth across the Wind Temple. Torcher went to crush Fujin but was slashed away. Fujin rolled aside to evade the lava that suddenly spewed from Torcher's open wound. Moloch then dove at Fujin, his Mystical Orb smashing into Fujin. The Wind God staggered back into Drahmin who wrapped his arm around his neck and set it ablaze. Fujin held onto Drahmin's arm and began summoning a small cyclone which aided in his struggle. The wind followed Fujin's arms, aiding them in rotation as he snapped Drahmin's arm.

"Gah!" Drahmin shrieked as he released Fujin, scratching his broken arm with his iron club.

Fujin ran forth and delivered a series of upwards kicks to Moloch's jaw. The Oni Beast then surprised Fujin by striking him with a spin kick. Fujin was launched so far back that he crashed into the sealed door leading into the next section of the Temple of Elements. Torcher then charged at Fujin who used the wind to pull his hurt body away in time. Torcher smashed face first into the door. Fujin then climbed onto his back and began slamming his face into the door repeatedly, using the wind to help push Torcher's massive body back and forth.

"Hold still," Moloch requested to Drahmin whilst his brother continued to be bashed against the door that was structurally secured by magic.

"Fine, but you better be careful!" Drahmin replied as Moloch pinched his arm at the spot where it had been snapped, enough pressure from his index finger and thumb alone straightened it. "That wasn't so bad!"

"Stop nursing your skinny lover and help me!" Torcher demanded as he struggled to get Fujin off of his back.

"I'm your King!" Drahmin reminded Torcher, cross at his remark.

Moloch suddenly charged forth, sandwiching Fujin between himself and his brother. The brothers then launched Fujin into the air with Moloch using his Mystical Orb to slam Fujin back into the ground. Fujin crawled between Moloch's to try and evade the two brothers. Moloch laughed as he pinched his cape. He then tried smashing his Mystical Orb into Fujin but wind blasted from the tips of the Wind God's fingers which blew the Mystical Orb back into Moloch's face. He staggered back, scratching his hurt head, crashing into his brother which made Torcher slam against the door.

Meanwhile, Wynd and Rayne had recovered as well as Marinella and Vanesella. Fujin and Drahmin returned to staring each other down whilst the four warriors stood beside Fujin and Drahmin respectively. Before Drahmin could strike first, a portal emerged between the two. Noob Saibot emerged, snagging an object that Fujin had attached to his golden belt. Using a jumping backflip to evade Fujin, Noob sprinted to the door. He used a horde of shadows to shove the hefty Oni Beasts aside before slamming the object into a triangular shaped hole. It was a perfect fit and suddenly the door slowly began to open, falling down into a small crevice below.

"Took you long enough," Torcher grunted as he swatted the shadow constructs off of himself and Moloch.

"More monks arrived," Noob pointed to the platforms behind them where Solrac and Ruutuu were still engaging a group of several monks that were fearlessly jumping from platform to platform.

"And I was just watching," Hydro muttered as he burst a bubble of water that he had been using to fly above the depths.

"Do your job, mercenary!" Drahmin demanded.

"Or what?" Hydro asked.

"Enough!" Noob shouted. "The portal I spoke of is through here."

"And you won't make it there!" Fujin demanded. "Whilst there's blood in my veins, I will fight you."

"You can't!" Gagroth bellowed as he swiped his hand across the platform, knocking everyone down as he grabbed Fujin. "I obviously cannot fit inside, Lord Drahmin, go on without me and I'll deal with this pesky immortal!"

"Thank you, Gagroth," Drahmin replied as he stood off and dusted himself off.

"No more wasting time," Noob requested. "Follow me."

"Wynd! Rayne!" Fujin shouted out whilst he tried to pry himself free from Gagroth's hand. "Get to the others and alert them!"

"But-" Rayne attempted to protest but was interrupted.

"Hurry!" Fujin pleaded. "I will be fine!"

"Let's go, sis," Wynd instructed and guided her inside the room.

They ran past a group of monks guarding the portal from the inside. The small stronghold was merely to contain the portal that was made of magic. The corridor was dimly lit by several torches, and the portal beamed a bright light from the back of the corridor. Behind it was a statue of Geode, the Earth God. The portal would lead to the Earth Temple, the first main section of the Temple of Elements' interior. Wynd and Rayne leapt through the portal whilst the Netherrealm forces fought the monks.

"How do you guys get around this place daily!" Hydro questioned as he used his hydromancy to knock several monks aside, with no intention to kill on behalf of Quan Chi.

"They are insignificant," Noob remarked as he used his sickle to cut a monk down. "Just push forward!"

Ruutuu and Solrac used portals to make it to the other side of the hall. They then began summoning shadows to rush at the monks from behind, causing their formation to fall apart. Tocher charged down the hall whilst Moloch spun around, swinging his Mystical Orb by its chain. Marinella made her own portal to the end of the room as Vanesella summoned skeletons to hold off the rest of the monks. Noob Saibot and Drahmin casually walked through the destruction their allies had already left with Amon rushing to Drahmin's side, using her bone shield and sword to protect him from any remaining monks.

"There you are!" Drahmin cheered. "That's everyone then?"

"Besides Gagroth," Amon replied as the group of Netherrealmers made it to the end of the corridor, the portal stood ominously before them.

"Let's continue forward then," Noob decided.

With the monks out of their way, the Netherrealmers reached the end of the portal and departed to the next part of the Temple of Elements. They soon emerged in an underground space within the grand place, within the Earth Temple to be precise.

The Earth Temple within the Temple of Elements was a remarkable structure characterised by its intricate tunnel passageways that were constructed from a diverse range of materials which mainly consisted of dirt, mud and rocks. Such passageways led to creating a labyrinthine network that evoked a sense of mystery, but it welcomed the intruders to explore it.

The walls of the tunnels were crafted with layers of compacted earth and mud, giving them an organic appearance. Some sections featured exposed rocks, seamlessly integrated into the design, adding a touch of rugged beauty to the otherwise earthen environment. Moloch used his massive palm to push a jagged rock aside as the group slowly marched down the first hall. Dimly lit lanterns that dangled from chandeliers were strategically placed along the passages, casting a warm and flickering glow that played intriguingly off the textured surfaces of the dirt and stone. As the intruders walked further into the Earth Temple, the atmosphere grew cooler and more damp. So much nature was a nice change of environment to the Netherrealmers when compared to their undesirable homerealm, but it did make those not native to such a realm question how the monks could tolerate such a place.

The pathways occasionally opened up into small chambers adorned with intricate rock formations and stalactites that had formed over countless years. These were more places of rest and meditation for the monks, however, none were occupied due to the invaders disruption of their natural daily routine. The walls, though formed from humble materials, exuded an undeniable sense of strength and stability, reminding all who entered of the enduring power of the element they represented as such was tested by Moloch who would swing his Mystical Orb against the wall as they walked to the end of the hallway. Two more lengthy paths branched off, with no indication of which direction to go.

"Where to next?" Drahmin asked Noob. "Please tell me you remember which way to go!"

"It's been a long time!" Noob clenched his fists as he tried to think. "I cannot recall…"

"Some guide you are," Drahmin scoffed.

"What if we split up?" Amon suggested as she counted everyone in the room. "Me, Lord Drahmin, Moloch, Torcher, and you six… that's ten."

"Oni Mathematician coming through," Hydro joked to which Amon growled at him. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

"Split up into groups of five," Ruutuu concluded. "Are we in agreement?"

"I think we should take a moment to consider this," Drahmin replied thoughtfully. "We've already been separated from Gagroth, I'm not too comfortable with our numbers dropping."

"This many of us is overkill anyway," Solrac believed as she crossed her arms. "I'll tell you what I'm not comfortable with!"

"Not now, Enaj," Ruutuu sighed.

"Being near you disgusting Oni!" Solrac snapped.

"Because you bundles of darkness are so superior," Torcher said sarcastically. "Why exactly is your hatred for us so fierce?"

"None of your business!" Solrac replied aggressively. "It's not like you Oni care about any of your victims anyway!"

"I'm sorry for whatever pain my people may have caused you," Drahmin apologised. "But can we please focus?!"

"Fine…" Solrac complied. "Apology not accepted though!"

"Whatever," Drahmin rolled his dim pale eyes behind his mask. "Let's just look at the facts here, we're facing Gods!"

"I could do this on my own," Noob mumbled. "I've done so before."

"Not when it's at full protection," Drahmin argued.

"Then that's why we have five per side," Noob pointed out.

"We don't know what's on the other side of either of these paths!"

"Can you at least remember that?" Moloch asked Noob.

"Yes," Noob recalled. "One led to the Earth God's Chamber… the other is a death trap that holds the next portal at the end."

"Neither sounds very fun," Marinella commented with Vanesella nodding in agreement.

"Speak for yourself," Solrac chimed in.

"Have we come to our decision?" Ruutuu asked.

"Let's just do a vote," Drahmin decided.

"Something that wasn't done to make you ruler!" Solrac quipped with Ruutuu firmly elbowing her to get her to be quiet.

"Raise your hand if you wish to split up," Drahmin instructed.

Raising their hands were Noob, Solrac, Ruutuu, Hydro, Torcher, and lastly there was Moloch who made the deciding vote.

"Sorry," Moloch apologised to Drahmin.

"I respect your decision, friend," Drahmin said sincerely. "Fine then, let's get into two groups."

"We're staying together!" Marinella insisted as she hugged Vanesella.

"My duty is to guard you, Lord Drahmin," Amon pointed out. "I must accompany you."

"The Demons can join our group then," Drahmin decided. "Who else?"

"We can never be separated," Moloch stated as he stood before his friend.

"Of course not," Drahmin smiled behind his mask. "That's decided then, the Wraiths and Noob's little buddy will join Torcher for our other group."

"I'll keep all three of my eyes on them," Torcher promised.

"Creep," Solrac muttered.

"Let's get on with it," Noob requested. "We'll take the left path."

"See ya later then!" Drahmin waved as they ignored him, beginning to walk down the left path. "The rest of you, with me!"

"What if there's more split paths beyond this?" Marinella asked as the group began heading down the right path.

"I was thinking that too…" Vanesella admitted.

"And you only thought to mention this now?" Drahmin sighed. "I'm sure we'll be fine, this seems like a straight pa-AGH!"

From an odd step, a dirt mound making up the floor suddenly collapsed under Drahmin's weight. The ruler of the Netherrealm fell through the hole, about to be impaled by a spiked rock until Moloch slid along the mud and fit his whole hand inside the hole to catch Drahmin.

"Am I glad that we didn't go separate paths," Drahmin let out a relieved sigh as Moloch dragged him up.

"I shall lead," Moloch insisted. "I won't fit in anymore of these holes."

"Hold on!" Amon shouted as she reached her sword out and poked a bit of dirt that looked to be on an elevated piece of ground. Dusting the dirt away revealed a stone pressure plate. Applying pressure to it with her sword led to it activating a tripwire connected to the ceiling. Gravel fell down, seemingly blocking their path.

"Good eye," Drahmin complimented. "But now how do we get past?!"

Moloch immediately began digging through with ease without even saying a word.

"Of course!" Drahmin cheered. "Look at this guy, what can't he do?!"

"Knit," Moloch confessed as he finished digging with his long yellow stained claws.

"What?" Marinella asked as Vanesella scratched her head in confusion.

"Knitting," Moloch repeated. "Those model ships I've gotten used to making, but knitting…"

"Those miniature bottled ship models are fantastic!" Drahmin praised.

"You guys bother with stuff like this?" Marinella asked.

"Moloch the Hobbyist," Vanesella snickered. "Not as intimidating as the fabled Oni Destroyer."

"Yeah," Marinella agreed. "You're much less scary in person."

"Smaller too," Vanesella added.

"You're pushing it now," Moloch replied as he straightened himself, revealing a couple more feet to his already looming presence.

"Eek!" Vanesella shrieked as she hid behind Marinella. "I'll take it back!"

"Good," Moloch said as he hunched over once more and the group continued walking.

"Why do you do that though?" Marinella asked.

"Our people lack clothing," Drahmin stated. "His mother and I have been pushing to teach such skills to our community."

"Our victims' clothes are usually much too small for my size," Moloch elaborated.

"And the model ships?" Marinella questioned them further.

"I like them," Moloch answered bluntly.

"Moloch works hard!" Drahmin praised. "He's allowed freetime."

"Halt!" Moloch ordered as his three eyes had caught something.

Dropping his Mystical Orb created a large hole in the thin layer of mud. It was a sinkhole leading to another passageway. Drahmin lay down and poked his head into the hole, gasping at what he saw.

"The portal!" Drahmin revealed. "And the girls!"

"Begone, freak!" Wynd yelled as she used her magic to pull Drahmin into the pit.

"We must reach Lord Suijin!" Rayne yelled. "Lord Dojin shall deal with the intruders!"

"You're right," Wynd agreed. "Let's go."

"Cowards!" Drahmin shouted as they left through the portal. "Who the Netherrealm is Suijin and Dojin?!"

A large bang caused the structure of the Earth Temple to shake.

"One of them might be responsible for that…" Amon presumed.

"Well we found the portal," Drahmin announced. "We should probably check on the others."

"What about these other paths?" Amon asked as she leant past the dirt wall to see another corridor being made of the same earthen materials as the rest of the Earth Temple. She then gasped as she saw a group of monks who had been hiding on the other side of the passageway, with many more waiting within the guest rooms that filled the hall. "It's an ambush!"

The nearest monk grabbed Amon by the wrist and yanked her in the wall. They went to trip Amon up with a Jo staff, but Amon snapped through it like a twig thanks to her trusty Bone Shield. Before the monk could counteract, Amon plunged the Bone Sword through their heart. More monks charged at her but Marinella and Vanesella were quick to fend them off. The latter of the two Demons attempted to construct a wall made of countless skulls, but the overwhelming number of monks pushed through. Marinella created a portal to get to and from the crowd of monks, ambushing them when they least expected. One monk, however, caught her with a spinning claw strike as they heard a portal made behind them. Another charged at Marinella, tackling them into one of the chambers.

"Mary!" Vanesella cried as she created a bone spear to skewer a pair of monks against the wall. "Someone help her!"

"Fine," Moloch grunted, aware enough to know that due to his size he was the only candidate for breaking through the crowd of monks to reach the Demon. "Make way!"

Moloch charged through the group of monks, quickly making it to the room that Marinella had been pushed into. The monk that had tackled Marinella was soon grabbed by the leg and repeatedly slammed across the walls and floor of the room before being hurled into a couple of ancient vases that decorated the room. The monk dug their fingers into the dirty wall to pull themselves to their feet, only for Moloch to ram them through the wall. Marinella created a portal and landed on Moloch's back whilst he charged through several feet of dirt. They soon crashed into a room on the other side of the Earth Temple.

As Moloch and Marinella looked up, another large bang happened which shook the room like a massive earthquake. Stood in the room were their allies who had taken the other path in the Earth Temple, and most notably was the figure standing in the centre of the room. The Earth God towered over all, even the Oni Beasts. His glowing orange eyes beamed down on the new intruders to his room.

"I take it you're either Suijin or Dojin," Drahmin concluded as he, Vanesella and Amon had run down the tunnel Moloch had created.

"Many Earthrealmers have taken to calling me Dojin," he revealed. "My birth name, however, is Geode."

Drahmin collapsed to the ground in laughter.

"Geode?" Noob repeated. "Seriously?"

"You're not one to talk, Noobert," Solrac teased.

"You will not be laughing if I am forced to engage in combat," Geode warned.

"The hole!" Ruutuu shouted as he saw the remaining monks running down the tunnel. "Seal it!"

"One moment," Moloch said as he unwrapped the chains to his Mystical Orb from his arm before rolling it like a bowling ball through the tunnel, taking down the group of monks.

"Strike!" Drahmin chuckled as Moloch pulled him to his feet.

"Focus!" Noob demanded as he suddenly leapt onto Geode's back with a group of shadows, trying to pull down the large God.

"Sorry!" Drahmin apologised before cringing as he watched Geode slam his back into the wall, crushing Noob and flattening his shadows.

Solrac Enaj unleashed her shadow-made chained guillotines. They wrapped around Geode's stone arms. She tried holding him in place, allowing Ruutuu to teleport beneath Geode, emerging from a shadow portal with a pair of large shadow hands that closed in on Geode. Stomping the ground, Geode managed to create an earthquake that caused the Wraiths to collapse, cancelling their dark magic. Moloch and Torcher then ran at him from opposite sides. Torcher was penalty kicked back into a wall whilst Moloch wrapped his muscular arms around Geode's leg. With a firm twist, Moloch's superhuman strength snapped Geode's leg off. He lost his balance and fell over.

"Destroy him!" Drahmin ordered as the Netherrealmers charged at the God.

As the Netherrealmers attempted to chip away at Geode, he summoned a part of the floor to become his new leg. Using the dirt he lay on, he caused it to push up and propel him to his feet. Also emerging from underground were several constructs made from rocks of all shapes and sizes. They burst from the ground, causing dirt to fly across the room.

The rock constructs attacked the Netherrealmers in order to protect Geode. Moloch tried punching through them, but without his Mystical Orb he was ineffective against the living rocks. Geode commanded them to detain the Oni Beasts, slamming Moloch and Torcher against a wall. Noob teleported through a pair of the rock constructs that were closing in on him, emerging near Geode. He leapt up and delivered a jump kick to Geode's chest, who didn't even flinch. Before Noob could attack again, Geode stomped him into the floor. Noob Saibot was left staring at the dull brown ceiling, but something caught the attention of his ghostly eyes.

"The chandelier!" Noob yelled whilst the other Wraiths had teleported to protect him from Geode.

"I'm on it!" Drahmin shouted, realising what Noob had in mind.

Solrac and Ruutuu kept Geode occupied in the centre of the chamber. The large chandelier beamed light from above them. It was enormous and if knocked down, Drahmin and Noob both believed it could crush the Earth God. A rock construct charged at Drahmin and went to crush them with their boulder fists. Amon dove at Drahmin, pushing him out of the way. She helped Drahmin up and before the construct's other fist could crush them, Amon used her trusty Bone Shield to parry the heavy stone. Drahmin clinged onto the boulder as the construct withdrew it.

Geode struggled against the rapid amount of shadow magic chains that were being wrapped around him by Solrac with Ruutuu sending waves of shadows to attack the Earth God. Growing frustrated, Geode threw his body into the floor, causing a shockwave that knocked most of their feet. He then burrowed underground before emerging on another side of the room, before Amon. Geode went to grab the Oni warrior, but Drahmin hurled his blue flames down on Geode.

"Over here!" Drahmin taunted as Geode glared at him. "Woah! You're uglier than me!"

Geode summoned several rocks and began hurling them at Drahmin. The nimble Oni managed to leap from each piece of stone and used them as steps onto the chandelier. Geode made a stone pole and tried poking Drahmin off the chandelier. Poking through the gaps of the very detailed patterns of the chandelier, tripping Drahmin over. Hanging to the edge of the chandelier with his only free hand, Drahmin tried to hang on. Seeing this, Noob summoned two floating portals and went through one at his feet before exiting right beneath the chandelier. Leaping up, Noob grabbed Drahmin and brought them both onto the chandelier's flat circular base.

Geode saw this, and reacted by hurling a boulder directly into the air. It ricocheted off the ceiling and charged at Drahmin. Noob pulled Drahmin aside, taking the hit himself and crashing off the chandelier. The impact shook the chandelier and Drahmin clutched onto the chain, swinging it back and forth. The chandelier smashed into Geode's face, chipping away at him. Geode swiped the chandelier upwards the next time it came swinging back to him, simply propelling the object higher. Drahmin took this as an opportunity and used his immensely hot fire to melt the chains.

Being beneath the chandelier trying to grab Drahmin from off of it, the chandelier went flying down on top of Geode. The Earth God crashed to the ground, brought down by the weight of the large chandelier. Moloch dove forward, spreading his arms forward to catch Drahmin as he fell.

"Well done, Drahmin," Moloch praised as he gently put him down.

"Where's Noob?!" Drahmin asked as he looked around frantically.

"He's fine," Solrac said casually as she lightly kicked her fellow Wraith to get him up. "Put some ice on it."

"Were this before my death I could," Noob recalled his old Cryomancer powers.

"You might've just saved my life," Drahmin told him. "Thank you."

"I'm just doing my job," Noob dismissed his own aid. "May we continue it?"

"That tunnel Moloch made will take us to the next portal," Drahmin revealed.

"Let's go," Noob decided.

"Not yet…" Geode muttered weakly as he began pushing the chandelier of his body.

Before Geode could get up, lava suddenly cascaded down on his body. Torcher was using all his powers to keep him at bay. Although Geode was partially immune to the magma due to his rock-made body, the lava was weighing him down and oozing into the cracks and crevices of his body.

"Let's finish him first!" Drahmin ordered.

"No!" Torcher yelled. "I can hold him off!"

"Seriously?!" Drahmin asked. "It's a God!"

"Who is beaten!" Torcher argued. "Our goal is to get the Amulet."

"But-"

"Do not waste more time with this foolish deity, Lord Drahmin!" Torcher requested.

"I can help, brother," Moloch offered.

"The others will need you," Torcher told him. "Why the concerned faces?" The Oni Beast asked. "It's not like death has ever deterred me!"

"Good luck, friend," Drahmin wished. "Let's head to the portal!"

"What's next anyway?" Hydro asked as the Netherrealmers began heading through the tunnel, either stepping over or on the fallen monks that littered it.

"The Water Temple," Noob recalled.

"Finally!" Hydro cheered as he sprayed water along the floor to slide through the tunnel. "Something for me!"

"It's down here," Drahmin revealed as they all turned a corner to reach the hidden pit leading to the portal's location. "Let's go!"

The group of Netherrealmers, now down to nine, entered the swirling whirlpool-like energies that made up the portal. They all found themselves inside the Water Temple within a flash after touching the portal.

The Netherrealmers gazed around and they all quickly noticed that the main feature of the Water Temple was its labyrinthine system of tunnels, designed to mimic the aesthetics of ancient sewers. These tunnels, however, were pristine and clean, with water as clear as the purest spring. The walls were made of smooth stone, expertly carved to resemble the rugged texture of natural rock formations. The soft, ambient lighting, akin to the gentle shimmer of moonlight on water, illuminated these passages, creating a serene and mystical atmosphere.

Throughout the Water Temple, visitors encountered numerous wells, each marked with a different symbol and connected to various floors of the structure by ropes. These wells served as lifts between different levels of the temple and provided an interactive and symbolic means of exploring the temple's depths. As the Netherrealmers ventured through the first tunnel they had been transported to, they soon stepped into water spilling from drains on the wall. Their footsteps now became a light splashing sound as they continued to walk forward.

"Must be the first time those toes have been cleaned," Marinella joked as she walked behind Moloch and Drahmin.

"Is that a problem?" Moloch asked.

"We're Demons ourselves," Vanesella reminded him. "It's not like hygiene standards exist in the Netherrealm."

"Speak for yourselves," Hydro gagged.

The group took a minute break as Moloch found himself distracted with the water spewing from one of the drains. He was curious about where the water source lay but became distracted by the taste, not having drank anything so refreshing in his life! The crystal-clear waters that flowed through the tunnels and wells were a source of fascination for all who ventured within. Their purity symbolised the essence of the water element and its ability to cleanse and rejuvenate, as well as highlighting the fact it's a liquid and allowing the element to run freely throughout the entirety of the temple.

Occasionally, small alcoves along the tunnel walls held intricate sculptures of water-related abilities and states of water, some were even made from water itself and bound together by magic. The gentle sound of flowing water, combined with the echoes of footsteps on the stone floor, created a soothing melody that resonated throughout the temple.

As the Netherrealmers delved deeper into the upper tunnel of the Water Temple, carefully jumping past the wells left to head to lower levels, the temperature dropped significantly due to the cold water although the damp atmosphere still managed to create a humid feeling throughout the tunnels. These tunnels acted as a place where the power and serenity of water were celebrated and where travelling monks could experience a profound connection to this essential element.

"Well…" Drahmin sighed as they had reached a dead end. "That was pointless."

"What's next?" Amon asked.

"The next floor," Ruutuu concluded. "We repeat the process, as many times as it takes."

"So long as there's a reasonable amount of layers," Drahmin decided as the group began retracing their steps.

"Here's the first well," Hydro peered down the deep hole it left as he carefully grabbed the rope in the middle. "Who's first?"

"Me!" Drahmin yelled. "Seems like a fun drop!"

"That's certainly a word for it," Hydro replied as he handed the rope to him. "Are you sure you're ok doing that with one hand?"

"Sure!" Drahmin said confidently. "Wait! Moloch, how are you getting down?"

"With the rope?" Moloch was confused by the question.

"Sir Moloch, I don't think the rope will be able to withstand your… mass," Amon explained.

"Ohh," Moloch slowly realised. "I'll just do this then!"

Lifting the Mystical Orb above his head, Moloch slammed it on the floor with such immense strength that he created a large hole in the floor, leading to the second layer of tunnels. The others used the rope to descend to the next tunnel, except for Hydro who surrounded himself in a water bubble that slowly travelled down, not trusting the secureness of the rope.

The Netherrealmers then travelled through the second set of tunnels, once again being a straight path of a near identical atmosphere to the first floor. At the end of this tunnel, however, the pathway widened into an open room. It was a large storage room full of wooden crates of various shapes and sizes. Curious, Drahmin smashed open the nearest crate.

"What's in there?" Hydro asked.

"Supplies for the monks I assume," Drahmin answered as he dug through the crate. "This one's full of food."

"Any mortal meat?" Moloch asked as he licked his lips.

"There's no meat at all," Drahmin replied, which caused Moloch to let out a howl of disappointment.

"Well that explains how these monks can live in this place," Hydro concluded as he walked down to the end of the room, finding another well which he peeked down. "There seems to be one last floor."

"Hopefully this one is more interesting," Drahmin remarked as they began to climb down whilst Moloch burst through the ground once again.

A loud scream caused the Netherrealmers to hasten getting down to the next floor. They ran out onto a bridge over a cavern lake. Moloch had broken through part of the bridge on his fall. Past the gap left by Moloch were Wynd and Rayne, standing before the God of Water.

"I presume this is the threat?" Splash concluded.

"Yes, Lord Suijin," Rayne confirmed whilst Wynd nodded frantically.

"Get to the portal," Splash instructed. "Stand beside Torch, you might be the last to guard Shinnok's Amulet."

"Shouldn't we fight together?" Wynd asked.

"How do these Netherrealmers expect to harm me?" Splash questioned. "Go now, I can no doubt over a plentiful diversion."

"As you wish," Wynd complied. "Let's go, Rayne!"

"Just so you know," Drahmin spoke up as Wynd and Rayne ran away, "I'm a Master Tormentor!" He announced. "I will find a way to hurt you!"

"Perhaps you should focus on your friend," Splash gestured a hand over to the lake.

"Moloch!"

Drahmin dove into the water and paddled towards Moloch. The Oni Beast had no experience with water and found himself struggling to stay afloat. Remaining focused, Noob teleported to the other side of the bridge, right behind Splash. Swinging his sickle, Noob sliced through Splash… only for nothing to happen.

"It is no exaggeration," Splash clarified, "I am purely liquid."

"If only I still controlled ice…" Noob grunted.

"Then what makes you a threat?" Ruutuu asked the Water God.

"Ooh some talking water!" Solrac mocked. "How scary!"

Suddenly, Splash lifted a large portion of the water beneath them and lashed it at the trio of Wraiths. Noob teleported away whilst Solrac and Ruutuu were thrown aside, smashing into the rocks beside the underground lake. Splash turned to Noob, morphing his hand into a watery spike, which due to Splash's great control over water pressure, was truly sharp. Noob used his evasive manoeuvres to avoid Splash's attacks, but he was incapable of fighting back against the enchanted being of liquid. Marinella used her own portals to help pull Noob aside, bringing him to the other side of the broken bridge.

"Come on, Sir Moloch!" Amon called out as she extended the Bone Shield out into the lake. "Just a bit closer!"

"I can't move him closer!" Drahmin grunted as he fiercely kicked his legs in the water, trying to push Moloch forward. "He's too heavy!"

"Mari!" Vanesella cried out. "Help him!"

"Oh!" Marinella suddenly realised and made a portal beneath the Onis feet.

"Not so fast!" Splash countered by summoning his own portal, a magic whirlpool of sorts that absorbed the energies that went into the formation of Marinella's portal.

"How?!" Marinella was shocked.

"What do we do?!" Vanesella yelled.

"Surrender," Splash recommended. "You are all at risk of drowning if not."

"Sounds refreshing!" Marinella commented.

"I have an idea," Hydro spoke up.

"Finally!" Noob groaned.

"Oh, great High Mage of Water!" Vanesella sarcastically cried out. "Whatever shall we do?!"

"You can shut up first," Hydro instructed.

"Anything else?" Marinella asked whilst Vanesella gestured an invisible zip going past her lips.

"Distract him," Hydro whispered.

Noob Saibot and the Demons nodded, ready to follow Hydro's plan due to a lack of any other alternative. Noob once more used a shadow portal to teleport to Splash whilst Marinella used her portals as gateways for the skeletons being created by Vanesella. This kept Splash engaged with blasting away countless skeletons in between attacking Noob. Then with his back turned, Hydro fixed the bridge with his own Hydromancy, and controlled the temperature to make the water freeze. Sneaking up on Splash, Hydro stuck his hands inside the Water God. Using his powers, Hydro slowly began freezing Splash.

"Since when could you do that?!" Noob asked.

"I can decrease water temperatures," Hydro revealed, "not just increase them."

"That's so much cooler than our shadow stuff!" Solrac complained as her and Ruutuu were finally recovering.

Whilst Hydro had now managed to completely freeze the Water God, he was already starting to crack through the solid ice. Hydro grew concerned.

"Get out of here!" Hydro ordered everyone. "I can hold him off!"

Solrac and Ruutuu teleported onto the bridge, joining their fellow Wraith and the Demons as they ran down the bridge, leading outdoors. Meanwhile, the Oni continued to struggle in the water. Hydro sighed and attempted to create an ice block beneath Moloch, but Splash suddenly shattered free, ice shards flying into Hydro who grunted in pain at the sudden stabbing feeling. Forming a bubble in his hand, Splash threw it at Hydro. The bubble suddenly expanded, trapping Hydro inside. The Water God then threw the bubble aside with Hydro crashing into the lake.

Growing progressively more frustrated, Moloch finally snapped. Using his impressive suction breath, Moloch began sucking all the water into his mouth. Everybody else watched on in shock as Moloch successfully drank up the entire lake, Hydro and Drahmin just barely avoiding being eaten by the Oni Beast. Moloch then began slowly approaching Splash. As the Oni Beast attempted to climb onto the bridge, Splash delivered a firm finger strike to Moloch's gut. Like popping a water balloon, Moloch sprayed water out his mouth all over the cave.

"Aim upwards!" Hydro instructed.

Moloch complied as he continued to release the copious amounts of liquid he had consumed. This created a spray of water that arched over Splash. Hydro controlled the temperature of this water, dropping it to a freezing point. The ice then crashed down on Splash who made a splash as his liquid body splattered against the bridge.

As the last of the water Moloch had consumed rained down upon Splash, Hydro began increasing the temperature instead of dropping it. Splash soon felt an agonising boiling feeling. The Water God cried out in pain as Drahmin and Amon helped pull Moloch up onto the bridge.

"To the portal!" Hydro guided the Oni, pointing down the bridge.

Hydro slid his slippery body down the bridge, blocking the Oni as they tried to pass. Hydro countered this by sending a blast of water from behind, this water mixed with Splash and pushed him aside. Hydro formed a tidal wave to carry him to the bridge as he stood in Splash's way of reaching the Oni.

"I admire your strategy," Splash praised. "You waste your talents."

"Tell that to my collection of Koins," Hydro remarked.

"In the Netherrealm?" Splash snickered. "As if they have any value."

"You're out of touch, God," Hydro told him, "we have an economy now down there."

"I'm really not interested in discussing the financial state of Hell."

"Me neither," Hydro replied as he made a spear out of water which began steaming from how warm it was. "Shall we end this now?"

Whilst Hydro and Splash continued their fight, the Oni had regrouped with the rest of the Netherrealmers at the final portal. The bridge had extended to outside, over another lake that resided on a cliffside part of the mountain that housed the Temples of Earth, Water and Fire with the Wind Temple as its exterior. The Netherrealmers were looking down as the Oni Warlord Gagroth was still in a fight with the Wind God Fujin. They stood in front of a platform where the portal stood in the centre of, surrounded by pillars decorated with patterns of flowing water.

"We're here!" Drahmin announced as the other Netherrealmers turned around. "Let's get a move on!"

"What's past this portal?" Moloch asked.

"The Fire Temple," Noob revealed. "Shinnok's Amulet resides at the top of this mountain."

"Speaking of which…" Amon pointed to the top of the mountain where Wynd and Rayne peered down the bottom alongside several monks.

"Attack!" Rayne screamed as Wynd began blowing several boulders covered in rags set aflame. The monks aided slowly by forcefully pushing more boulders downhill.

"To the portal!" Drahmin yelled.

The Netherrealmers rushed to the centre of the platform they stood on, but their sprint to the portal was suddenly interrupted. Torcher was smashed through from underground. It turned out the Netherrealmers were standing atop the roof of the Earth God's private chamber. Soon emerging from the large hole Torcher's body had left, Geode stood in the way of the Netherrealmers reaching the final portal.

"Not you again!" Drahmin cried out before being pushed aside by a rolling boulder.

"Get up, brother," Moloch helped Torcher to his feet. "Are you hurt?"

"Yes…" Torcher grunted, "but I can always still fight!"

An incoming boulder was whipped aside by a string of magma that Torcher flicked from his arm. It redirected the boulder which rolled off the cliffside, smashing into Gagroth's face. The roars of the Oni Warlord echoed throughout the Temple of Elements. Fujin was the first to face the wrath of an enraged Gagroth, who clapped Fujin between his hands. The Oni Warlord kept his grip on the Wind God and threw him like a dart onto the Water Temple cliffside. Fujin was catched out of the air by Moloch who slammed his face into a pillar. Torcher then ripped a pillar off before swinging it at Fujin. The two pillars shattered whilst Fujin was caught between them.

"This has gotten out of hand!" Ruutuu noted as he turned to Noob. "You must give a command!"

"What about Drahmin?" Noob asked.

"Lord Drahmin!" Amon cried out as she sprinted over to him.

Due to the boulder that had struck him, Drahmin was pushed over the edge of the cliff. He clinged on for dear life by his free hand, the other still trapped by his iron club. Amon knelt down and reached out, but Drahmin saw another boulder approaching from behind.

"Look out!" Drahmin yelled.

Using all his might, Drahmin pushed himself up just enough for his hand to touch Amon's side and push her aside. As he went to grab back onto the edge, however, the boulder ran over his hand and caused him to lose his grip immediately.

"Drahmin!" Moloch roared as he sprinted at a terrifying speed for an Oni of his size.

Without a second thought, Moloch leapt off the cliffedge. He positioned himself in a way that would increase his acceleration, straightening himself ironically like a swimming diver. This accelerated Moloch enough for him to reach Drahmin. Like a protective bear, Moloch wrapped his muscular arms around Drahmin as he rotated onto his back, hoping to protect Drahmin from whatever fall would come.

"Gagroth!" Drahmin cried out, hoping that the Oni Warlord would catch them.

Gagroth cupped his hands and bent down to try and catch the two Oni, but Fujin unintentionally interrupted this as he flew towards Gagroth. As the Oni Warlord turned to the Wind God, he was immediately stabbed in the eye by Fujin's Kusanagi. Gagroth roared in pain and anger once more. He staggered back, clutching his eyeball. Despite the size of his eyes, they were still as sensitive as any other being's and even the slightest stab wound caused immense agony for the Oni Warlord. Fujin then dove at him with a flying torpedo, much like his brother's except using his own wind powers. Fujin kept doing this, attempting to topple Gagroth over. Moloch and Drahmin continued to fall between the conflict.

"There must be another way!" Moloch yelled as his three eyes darted around, frantically looking for a solution.

"You'll reform, buddy!" Drahmin assured him. "Don't worry!"

"But you won't!" Moloch shouted. "I'm worried about you, not me!"

Moloch's eyes locked onto one of the thin stone platforms used as a stepping stone towards the mountain within the Temple of Elements. Moloch rotated to his front and threw Drahmin onto his back.

"Hold on!"

Moloch aimed for the platform, he hoped to crash his body onto it yet still save Drahmin. As he got closer, Moloch realised he was too low to land on the platform. Nonetheless, Moloch still attempted to cling onto the tall but thin rocks that made up the platform's structure. Stretching a large hand out, Moloch dragged his giant nails down the rocks. He groaned as his filthy uncut nails began snapping as he continued to drag them down, noticing a deceleration in doing so. Being able to get a grip of the stone, Moloch wrapped his other arm around and hoisted his Mystical Orb over a jagged rock that stuck out from the pillar. In doing so, Moloch had brought himself and Drahmin to a complete stop.

"Well done, Mo!" Drahmin praised as he rubbed his head. "But… how will we get up?"

"Give me a moment and I'll throw you," Moloch suggested as he pressed his bloodied hand against his abs, trying to relieve the pain.

"I dunno," Drahmin was audibly uncertain, "that seems pretty far."

"I can throw pretty far."

"Good point."

"Shall we?" Moloch asked, his injured hand ready to make the upwards throw.

"Get it over with," Drahmin permitted.

"Just to be sure," Moloch reached for his Mystical Orb and held onto the ball whilst wrapping the end of the chain around Drahmin's leg. "Even if I miss, I'll still be holding onto you," he promises.

"And people say you're just a dumb brute," Drahmin said as he ruffled Moloch's mohawk.

"Reach for the platform," Moloch instructed before hurling Drahmin into the air.

Drahmin just barely managed to grab onto the edge of the platform and this time he pulled himself up, still holding onto the chain of the Mystical Orb. It was now Moloch's turn to get up.

"Should I climb up the chain?" Moloch asked.

"I can't carry you, mate!" Drahmin said with certainty.

"I think I can climb up regardless," Moloch considered as he assessed the rocks.

"If you're sure," Drahmin said.

"Here I go," Moloch threw the Mystical Orb onto the platform and began climbing up the rocks, using both massive hands to grip around the structure as he cautiously scaled upwards.

"You can do it!" Drahmin cheered him on.

It took plenty of effort, but Moloch finally climbed to the top. Drahmin clapped his hand and iron club together before handing the Oni Beast his Mystical Orb. Before the two Oni could strategise on what to do next, however, the platform began crumbling from all the heavy movement disturbing its thin supports. Moloch scooped Drahmin up and began hopping from one platform to the next, before making it back to the first portal room.

"We have to go through this all again?" Drahmin sighed.

"Keep hold of me," Moloch instructed as he began to charge forward towards the portal. "I'll get us through in no time…"

Whilst Moloch and Drahmin found themselves trekking through the interior of the Temple of Elements once more, Gagroth found himself climbing the exterior. Enraged by Fujin's attacks, Gagroth was desperate to catch the Wind God. Fujin began floating further upwards, drawing his crossbow and beginning to fire arrows into Gagroth's body. They were like little needles going into Gagroth, minor injuries but nothing he couldn't shrug off. As Fujin became out of reach for Gagroth, the Oni Warlord began climbing up the mountain. The giant's massive frame broke parts of the mountain away and caused the entirety of the Temple of Elements to vibrate with each reach up to climb higher and higher.

It didn't take Gagroth much effort to be tall enough to face the cliffedge beside the Water Temple. He used a much lower part of the mountain like a step stool to elevate him high enough. A shadow loomed over those fighting on the platform as Gagroth slammed his hand down. The Wraiths teleported aside whilst Marinella pulled Vanesella through one of her portals. Torcher grabbed Amon and used his own body as a shield, knowing he lacked the agility to evade the giant hand. Despite using more rocks as additional armour, Geode was soon crushed by Gagroth's hand. Gagroth had spaced two of his fingers apart to leave a gap for Torcher and Amon whilst the rest of the platform was left bulldozed. The ruins of pillars and pieces of boulders littered the grounds. The magical portal remained in place, now surrounded by unsecure flooring.

"Warn us next time!" Torcher shook his fist at his Oni friend.

"Where's that Wind God?!" Gagroth asked.

"He's flown around you!" Amon pointed past the Oni Warlord.

Gagroth extended his arms out, roaring as he spun around. Fujin hadn't anticipated Gagroth realising and was unable to dodge Gagroth's attack. Fujin was knocked down into the foggy abyss, smashing through one of the distant stone towers. Fujin had also lost grip of his Kusanagi and could only assume it had fallen to the bottom of the mountain range. Pulling himself from the rocks, Fujin flew forth at Gagroth, unloading his remaining arrows into the giant's body.

As the Netherrealmers regrouped, they soon realised the rubble around them was moving towards Geode's body. The Earth God soon stood up once more, this time made up of even more minerals. Torcher charged at the Earth God but Geode simply summoned a boulder in his way before shattering it, shards flying at Torcher and knocking him over. Noob signalled to his fellow Wraiths to teleport behind the Earth God, their goal still being to reach the portal by any means.

"Wait!" Noob yelled as he hesitated teleporting himself.

But it was too late for Ruutuu and Solrac. Noob had spotted Geode staring at them as the Earth God was in a knelt down position. Noob Saibot had quickly concluded that Geode was planning a counter, but he wasn't quick enough. When Solrac and Ruutuu emerged from their shadow portals, they were immediately launched by two jagged rocks that creeped up from the ground and struck them. The speed they emerged from the ground was so fierce that it propelled them off the mountain.

"No!" Noob yelled, frustrated at himself for making such a command.

"Are they…" Vanesella went to ask but couldn't.

"No," Noob shook his head. "Surely they teleported to safety."

"Why haven't they come back up then?" Marinella wondered.

"The range of our portals is admittedly short," Noob explained. "I just hope they used a portal at the surface… however far that might be."

"I did not wish to do that, Wraith," Geode spoke up. "But we have our orders."

"As do we," Noob replied as he drew his sickle.

Geode stepped towards Noob, each step sending a shockwave that pushed the remaining Netherrealmers up the bridge. Noob, however, kept using a shadow to hold him up and prevent him from being launched back. Once Geode got close enough, Noob threw his sickle at the Earth God's face. The melee weapon got stuck into the chiselled face of Geode, and Noob summoned another shadow at the sickle who began dragging it down the Earth God. With Geode's attention focused on the mischievous shadow, Noob slid between his legs and sprinted to the portal. Noob had made it to the Fire Temple, but like in his original visit to the Temple of Elements, Noob found himself alone.

"One has breached the portal!" Geode announced, calling to his allies above.

"Monks!" The Fire God called for as he joined them at the cliffedge at the top of the mountain, his fiery figure reflecting a human-like form surrounded by more flames that wrapped around to reflect the appearance of samurai armour and an Asian conical hat. "Come with me!"

Torch the Fire God led the remaining monks down the Fire Temple. It wasn't just the top of the mountain, there was still an extra journey within the mountain itself to get to before reaching the stairs to the top. Torch was determined to not let Noob Saibot reach the top, let alone Shinnok's Amulet.

Concerned for Noob's safety, being alone against such a powerful group of monks and a God, the remaining Netherrealmers were desperate to reach the portal themselves. Geode wouldn't let such a thing transpire though. Marinella made her own attempt to use a portal to get past Geode, but the Earth God spun around with a kick with frightening reactiveness. Vanesella began conjuring reanimated skeletons using her novice necromancy skill, which Geode knew he should try and prevent.

As the Earth God approached Vanesella, Torcher charged in with his hands dripping with lava. The Oni Beast grappled with the larger adversary, trying to hold the Earth God back. A firm knee to the stomach caused Torcher to keel over. Amon charged into the fight, running up Torcher's back to bash the Bone Shield into Geode's face. Geode staggered back but quickly recovered to shove the Oni back using a boulder he controlled as Wynd and Rayne continued to roll the remaining few downhill.

As the Oni and Demons picked themselves up, they started to be surrounded by a thick mist from the lake beneath them. Turning around, they spotted Hydro boiling the lake. Before they could ask why, Splash knocked the hydromancer into the Netherrealmers in the form of a large bubble. Marinella, Vanesella, Amon and Torcher stumbled back onto the middle platform, ready to continue their fight with Geode. Meanwhile, the pair of hydromancers stared each other down on the bridge.

Hydro attacked and the sound of running water echoed throughout the mountain. Launching two beams of high pressure water, Hydro tried pushing the Water God off the Bridge. Splash summoned a water geyser from the lake, bursting through the bridge and searing Hydro's behind as it shot through the marble that made up the majority of the magnificently built bridge. Splash surged forward, his liquid form crashing against the bridge with the force of a tidal wave. Hydro responded in kind, sending a wall of water to meet his adversary. The two forces collided with a tremendous splash, sending water droplets scattering in all directions.

Splash's watery form condensed into a towering column of water that he built up by absorbing the water from the geyser he had made, surging skyward before crashing down with incredible force. Hydro leaped into action, creating a swirling puddle of water that acted as his shield. As he got closer and absorbed most of the crashing waterfall that came down on him from the Water God, the shield transformed into a water serpent that darted and twisted through the air to evade another towering slam.

With a powerful whip of the serpent's tail, Hydro sent a deluge of water surging toward Splash. The Water God dispersed into a multitude of droplets, each droplet a fragment of his formidable power. The orbs swirled around Hydro, threatening to engulf him. But Hydro's mastery over water was undeniable. With a flick of his wrist, he solidified the water orbs into sharp ice shards that he then managed to steal control from the Water God due to his inability to manipulate the frozen water, allowing Hydro to hurl the icy shards at Splash.

Splash sunk into a puddle, moving past beneath the ice projectiles. He then surrounded Hydro's feet and began to retake a human-like form, this time using Hydro as a mould. As Hydro struggled to escape, Splash would use his powerful water abilities to hold Hydro in place. Soon Hydro found himself being suffocated by Splash, trapped inside the Water God's liquid body. Hydro began increasing Splash's temperature and the Water God felt an immense burning feeling throughout his body. Yelling in pain, Splash still remained wrapped around Hydro, but the hydromancer had managed to stick his head out, gasping for air.

"Too warm for you?" Hydro asked, trying to ignore the pain himself. He was the one trapped within the boiling water after all, and unlike Splash he had a human body. "Let's cool you down!"

Hydro stuck a hand out the water. As Splash went to push it back, Hydro released an ice beam to the wave of water that had come around. Holding onto the ice, Hydro began spreading the frost throughout Splash's body. The Spectre stopped just before the ice reached him, not wishing to encase himself in ice. Splash gave in and shot Hydro out his body, launching the ninja into the rock hard back of the Earth God.

"Puny thing," Geode remarked as he flicked Hydro back over to Splash.

As Splash was launched back to Splash, the Water God shifted forms into a Dragon. Splash bit down on Hydro as he was launched into his mouth, before spitting him off the edge of the bridge.

After a repulse of rocks around him that knocked the Demons and Oni over, Geode also began taking up a Dragon form. Using all the resources that had gone into the platform that was now damaged beyond repair, alongside several boulders, Geode soon assumed the form of a large Earth Dragon.

"It's time to wrap this up now, brother," Geode spoke to Splash.

"I agree," Splash replied as they approached each other, both in their Dragon forms. "Look out!"

Turning around, Geode suddenly met a piece of a broken pillar as it was smashed into his face. The Earth God stumbled into Splash, crashing through his Dragon form. The two Gods soon saw Torcher carving a pointy edge on the pillar with one of unbelievably large swords. Splash absorbed himself into the cracks and crevices around Geode's body. The Water God dripped down inside Geode's partially hollow body so much so that water began dripping from Geode's jaws.

Geode recoiled his head back, as if he was charging up a powerful blast. Torcher quickly slammed the pillar into the ground whilst Amon readied her shield and Vanesella summoned a wall made of skulls for her and Marinella to take cover behind. Shortly after, Geode spat Splash out his mouth, creating a powerful blast of water at a frighteningly high pressure. The Netherrealmers could only hope that their defences would hold up…

Hydro, ever resourceful, shifted into a cunning octopus, its myriad of tentacles wrapping around Geode's massive form, trying to crush him. Tightening the grip of the water tentacles, Hydro shattered Geode into several pieces, releasing what remained of Splash into the air. Falling from the air, Splash channelled the strength of a barracuda fish. Snapping his jaws, Splash chomped through Hydro's octopus construct as he headed towards Hydro himself. The ninja rolled aside and summoned a waterfall above his head, pushing Splash deep underwater at the lake.

"Time for this little fishy to go to sleep," Hydro remarked as he began using all his power to freeze the lake.

"To think Shinnok was able to single handedly destroy these elementals…" Marinella remarked as she caught her breath.

"Are you alright?" Vanesella asked her.

"I'm fine," Marinella confirmed as the two embraced each other in a warm hug. "Thanks for shielding me."

"You did good, Spectre," Torcher complimented as he helped pull Hydro onto the platform now that the lake was completely frozen.

"That won't finish him," Hydro clarified. "It'll make him immobile only temporarily."

"That's not a problem," Amon assured him. "We're almost done here."

"This might be one though," Hydro pointed past the other Netherrealmers, showing that Geode was still moving.

"This is a mountain region!" Torcher remarked angrily. "This nuisance is in his element alright!"

"And I won't let you enter the portal," Geode spoke from one of the smaller forms he had taken from the various pieces of rock that had been separated.

"You're not looking so scary now," Torcher said as he towered over one of the rocks. "Come here!"

Torcher grabbed the rock and hurled it over the cliff edge, aiming at Fujin who was still flying around Gagroth with the two great fighters unable to best each other.

"Heads up, Wind God!" Marinella yelled whilst Vanesella giggled as the piece of the Earth God struck Fujin in the back of the head.

"Good arm, Sir Torcher!" Amon applauded.

"I'm the greatest Beastball pitcher in the nine planes!" Torcher cheered.

"That's the Oni's version of baseball right?" Hydro tried to recall.

"You've been dead for over two decades now, kid," Torcher reminded him. "It's about time you learnt some culture."

"So… no?"

"Beastball is for my subspecies," Torcher clarified. "Small flaming rocks are thrown for Fleshies and Goblins."

"I was never good at fireball," Amon chuckled.

"What about Oni Warlords?" Hydro asked.

"There'd be a lot of destruction if we let them play," Torcher replied as he looked over his shoulder. "Hey!"

Turning around, Torcher saw the remnants of Geode all carrying the enchanted base that the portal was connected to trying to carry it away. Torcher rushed over but it was too late, Geode had hurled the portal over the cliffedge.

"Why you little-" Torcher yelled as he scooped up all the living rocks that Geode was made up of. "You can join it!"

Out of frustration, Torcher dumped Geode himself over the cliffedge. He looked at the top of the mountain and saw Wynd and Rayne still observing them. Their faces showed their concern and their own frustration, wanting to have intervened but having their orders not to. They had run out of boulders to assist too. Torcher waved at them before hurling a ball of magma at them which they rolled back to evade.

"What now?" Torcher asked as he turned to his allies. "Oh… him."

"This is the end of the climb for you all," Fujin told the Netherrealmers as he hovered above them. "There's no portal for your use, so you aren't reaching Shinnok's Amulet."

"Too bad one of us already made it through," Hydro said with a smug grin behind his mask.

"Oh?" Fujin raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for letting me know."

"You fool!" Torcher elbowed Hydro, nearly causing him to fall over the cliffedge.

"Let's focus on stopping him!" Amon yelled as she pointed to Fujin who was beginning to fly upwards.

"I'm not finished with you, Wind God!" Gagroth snatched Fujin into his arm before smashing him down beside his fellow Netherrealmers. "Have at him, friends!"

"I hope you Gods have a God to pray to," Torcher chuckled as he began sharpening his sword on a piece of pillar. "This'll be fun."

"We must do something!" Wynd cried out, not wishing to see her mentor battered by the Netherrealm invaders.

"You're right," Rayne agreed. "I'm by your side, sis."

Wynd nodded before running down the mountain, using the air as a stairway. Rayne put a wave of water at her feet and used it to slide down the mountain. A wind blast shoved Hydro and the Demon duo aside, whilst a water blast staggered Torcher into Amon. They landed beside Fujin, ready to fight beside him once more.

As the battle on the cliffedge continued, Noob found himself gathering his bearings within the Fire Temple. He had found himself stood in the pitch black darkness of a cavern that had been hollowed out within the mountain. This came as no surprise to the Wraith, however, as he recalled this same predicament during his first visit. He made his way through the darkness by following an inescapable heat that rushed over him, which led to a source of light: fire.

Approaching the light, Noob Saibot soon found himself crossing a bridge. Surrounding the cavern were stone walls that were weathered and stained a deep purple, a testament to the countless years it had stood there. Noob immediately noted the ground was not the typical rocky terrain found in most caverns; instead, it was made of metal flooring adorned with intricate orange marble patterns that seemed to mimic the flickering flames. A lot of construction had been done within, so much so that the natural parts of the mountain interior could only be seen when peering over the edge of the railingless bridge. Fire lit up the room from beneath the bridge, the ground being impossible to see due to the flames engulfing it all. It was far enough to be unable to harm travellers, but it was certainly close enough to be felt.

Noob groaned as a monk approached from an open doorway at the other end of the bridge. The monk was larger than most at the Temple of Elements, both in height and his muscular build. The monk had a greying beard that he stroked whilst staring at the Wraith. Noob clutched onto his sickle, but soon dropped it through a shadow portal as he realised the monk was unarmed.

"Although it goes against my teachings," the monk spoke as he bowed to the Wraith, "I have been given strict orders to kill, for journeying this far has proved you're too great of a threat."

"The last monk who stood on this bridge with me said the same thing," Noob recalled before suddenly realising he had met this monk before. "You are that same monk."

"I do not recognise you," the monk replied, "and I feel I would, considering how so few warriors attempt to intrude on these grounds."

"I used to be very different," Noob put it bluntly. "One thing that hasn't changed though, I'm uninterested in idle chatter. Step aside or be killed, monk."

"I'm afraid you aren't in the position to make that call," the monk said confidently.

Noob was almost impressed by the monk's boldness. The monk leapt down onto the bridge and ran at Noob. Using Ninjitsu, a martial arts style trained universally to all Lin Kuei, Noob quickly began to overwhelm the experienced monk with his precise strikes. Countering with some Shaolin Fist swiping forearms to push both of Noob's arms aside, the monk found an opening to deliver a powerful heel kick. Noob was pushed back but the monk grabbed his arm and pulled him into an elbow before trying to shove him over the edge of the bridge. Noob was surprised that the monk hadn't exaggerated when saying he had to kill him.

The Wraith intentionally let the monk push him off the edge. Using a shadow Noob held onto it as the shadow grabbed onto the edge. The shadow was then mirrored on the other side. Noob had one shadow swing its arm back before throwing him to the next. This allowed for Noob to quickly swing to the other side of the bridge. He pushed himself up and as the monk turned around he was kicked in the gut. One jump kick later and Noob had knocked the monk off the bridge. He clinged onto the edge, but lacked the powers to save himself like Noob did.

"Please…" the monk begged as Noob stepped on one hand. "If you were the old ninja who came here… you spared me then… why not now?!"

Noob stepped back as a new memory hit him. It was like he was relieving the events of his life as Sub-Zero, hallucinating the very same events that happened in this room the previous time. Noob let out an agonising scream as he punched his own head and dropped to his knees.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Noob turned to the monk and saw his last grip on the edge of the bridge was slipping away. The monk cried out as he lost his grip, but Noob dove over to grab the monk by the hand, using a shadow to help pull him up.

"Thank you," the monk said gratefully. "You may pass."

Noob simply gave a nod to the monk before continuing forward, entering the next room of the Fire Temple. The next area was a far more open space in the centre of the cavern. The ground dipped slightly, as Noob looked across the room and recalled this space was similar to the Wind Temple. There were platforms over a deep pit held up by thin rock towers. The key difference here was that on the platforms themselves were swirling fiery pits that glowed with an intense, mesmerising heat. These fiery pits, like molten pools, emanated an eerie, fiery glow that cast dancing shadows upon the cavern walls.

As Noob leapt to the first platform, steering clear of the molten pool in the centre, a group of monks rushed out from two archways. One was beneath Noob's feet and the other was at the opposite end of the room. Noob noticed that the platforms he stood on led to a stairway, recalling that this was the pathway to the mountain top. Two staff wielding monks from either side of the room slammed their staves in unison on a stone pressure plate. This activated a series of pistons installed within the cave walls. An outline of a stairway soon pushed out pieces of the mountain that had been chiselled down into a stairway. Walking up the stairs over the roaring flames that never went out, the monks were heading for Noob.

Launching a ghostly fireball at the nearest stairway, the dark magic exploded and temporarily disabled the monks as the evil energy surged through their bodies. Noob then summoned a shadow clone and made it slide down the stairway which was able to push all the monks down. He then shifted his focus to the other monks. Summoning his sickle, Noob wrapped a string of darkness around the handle before throwing it at the nearest monk who had already made it to one of the platforms. Yanking the ink-like string, Noob pulled the impaled monk to his platform. The monk smashed his face on the side of the platform, but Noob summoned a shadow clone already lying down to easily grab the monk before they fell into the flames.

As the shadow saved the monk, Noob summoned his sickle back. He began hallucinating again of his past life, finding himself in a near identical situation to before with how the monks were positioned, split up on several platforms. With how few intruders there were, they likely only decided to master one routine. Copying his memories, Noob did a flip jump onto another platform to the next monk. Whilst before he shot a block of ice from his feet on the way down, this time he had to resort to a shadow clone that copied his kicking form to knock the monk down. They fell back first onto the burning platform and were quickly rolled to the side by another monk.

The monk flew in with a jumping punch but Noob grabbed his wrist, having anticipated the attack. A strong kick knocked the monk aside whilst another came up the thin stairs connected to the platform. Noob decided to let a shadow clone handle the next incoming monk as he traded blows with the one he had kicked aside. Emerging partway from his body, the shadow punched the monk in the gut. Their grunt from the blow alerted Noob, who grabbed his sickle as the monk handed it to him to drag the monk closer by stabbing them in the shoulder.

Charging his hands with the same ghostly energy that he managed to summon a projectile from, Noob struck the monk with both fists. The dark energy created a blast that knocked the monk down the stairs, knocking the others down too. The other monk who had made it to the top managed to deliver a leg sweep followed by a catching kick which sent Noob downstairs himself.

"Hold your positions," the monk instructed the others who stood on the other platforms in the cavern.

"An unwise decision," Noob critiqued as he kipped up, finding himself surrounded by monks past the archway.

The room he found himself in was another hallway that led to more meditation chambers. A monk stood at the end of the corridor, pulling down a lever which caused the metal plates making up the floor to begin shifting. The flooring would sink into a puddle of lethal lava. Noob rolled forward as he felt the platform he stood on shift. The monks jumped over the gap left by the lava. Noob's visions would flicker in and out of his view. At first they had made him feel even more insane than he had already become. But once these visions started providing near identical outlines for the very same battle he was fighting now, his head felt the clearest it had been since his afterlife had begun. Remaining concentrated, Noob was willing to face this unfamiliar scenario.

"Fetch!" Noob yelled as he hurled his sickle across the room.

As Noob did this, a shadow escaped his body, holding onto the sickle like glue. The sickle transported the shadow clone across the corridor. The monk controlling the lever was too shocked to react fast enough as the shadow sliced the back of both of their legs. The monk collapsed, unable to continue operating the death trap Noob fought on. Noob commanded the shadow to pull the switch, but another monk threw a chakram that exploded the shadow upon impact.

Out of frustration, Noob tackled the chakram wielding monk before throwing their body into another. The other monk caught them in their arms before stumbling backwards, their feet stepping over the lava coat on the tile. Noob realised they were wearing fireproof footwear.

"My entire realm is like this and you don't see me dressed like that!" Noob complained before delivering a pair of elbows to two monks that tried closing in on him.

A full circle leg sweep floored the remaining two monks and Noob retrieved his sickle using a small shadow portal. He made haste on exiting the hallway and rushing back up the stairs. He didn't expect the walls to also have death traps. Holes in the walls unleashed flamethrowers. Noob leapt off the side and fell through a shadow portal to save himself, emerging on one of the upper platforms once more. He now found himself staring down the remaining monks who were gathered around the other platforms in the cavern.

"I'm too powerful for you all," Noob warned the monks. "Do not try stopping me."

"We can't just let you pass," came the voice of Torch as the Fire God's light could be seen even before they reached the bottom of the stairway.

"Your minions can," Noob replied. "I do not wish to cause more casualties."

"Compassion from a Wraith?" Torch was surprised. "How unusual."

"You know nothing of my kind!"

"We have conducted aeons of research," Torch revealed. "I mean no disrespect to your species, but your kind literally originates from the Netherrealm further corrupting one's soul, blackening it until you become a shadow of your former self."

"I have never been more powerful!"

"But is it worth it?" Torch asked. "Losing yourself to bask in Hell's evil?"

"I have… visions… of my past life," Noob revealed. "I didn't lose that experience."

"I've heard of cases like that," Torch recalled. "Your visions are unclear though, aren't they?"

"What are you talking about?"

"There's tales of Wraiths having false visions, their memory being warped," Torch elaborated. "Even if some memories are true, others may just be a figment of your warped imagination. There's also numerous blind spots in your recollection too, no doubt."

"And you expect me to believe a word you say?" Noob asked. "A high and mighty God who wouldn't dare visit the Netherrealm!"

"At least you had an afterlife!" Torch yelled. "I am merely an element brought to life, I come with no soul nor a physical body beyond the flames."

"Yes, you're so hard done by, almighty deity," Noob said sarcastically.

"When I died I never had the opportunity to return to an afterlife realm," Torch explained further. "I technically have no soul…"

"The fact that you'd have rather existed in the Netherrealm is proof enough that you do not truly know a thing about my realm!"

"Better than non-existence!"

"No it's not!" Noob yelled. "There is no living down there."

"The conditions aren't meant to be great," Torch put his face in his fiery palm. "It's a place of punishment for tainted souls like yours."

"I never had a choice!" Noob yelled. "I was born into the Lin Kuei! I had to work for them! Desertion and I'd be hunted for life, and I doubt even I would survive their assassination attempts for long!"

"Is that reality?" Torch asked. "Or just another warped hallucination?"

"You've done it now!" Noob pointed his sickle at the Fire God.

"Done what, exactly?"

"These monks aren't my target," Noob told the Fire God. "In my past I'd try to only kill those if they were my target or if it was absolutely necessary for my survival."

"At least you've retained that," Torch approved.

"I only just regained that small ounce of compassion that never should've left me," Noob admitted. "But you? You're my target."

"You lack the powers to extinguish me," Torch stepped forth. "Do your worst, Wraith."

Torch signalled to the monks to remain put whilst Noob jumped from platform to platform before making it to Torch. The Fire God set fire to the ground in front of Noob in an attempt to deter him from attacking, but the Wraith wasn't afraid. Noob struck first with a swift kick, his foot shrouded in darkness. Torch evaded with a fiery somersault and retaliated with a scorching uppercut, flames trailing his fists.

Noob Saibot picked himself up and summoned his shadow clones to surround Torch, but the Fire God responded with a blazing shockwave, dispersing the clones in a burst of heat. Noob Saibot's shadowy tendrils lashed out, seeking to ensnare Torch, but the Fire God danced away, leaving fiery trails in his wake. Torch then summoned a fireball and hurled it at Noob, who dodged gracefully. As the fireball exploded, Noob emerged from the smoke, delivering a punishing combo of punches and kicks. Whilst Noob's strikes did have a degree of effect on the Fire God compared to the Water God as each blow would put out part of Torch's body, it was still an ineffective strategy. The blows had more harm on Noob than they did Torch, the Wraith feeling his charcoal flesh burning with each strike.

Noob Saibot, undeterred, charged at Torch, his shadowy hand wrapping around the Fire God's throat. Torch struggled, his flames intensifying, threatening to consume them both. With one more burst of energy, Torch unleashed a blinding inferno, forcing Noob Saibot to release his grip and stumble back into the nearby stairway. The Fire God now found himself on the attack. Noob had to walk backwards up the step as he attempted to use shadows to shield him from the flurry of fiery fists that Torch began unleashing upon him. Noob eventually tripped, painfully smashing his back against the stone stairs. Leaping into the air, Torch attempted to strike a powerful fist down on Noob. The Wraith managed to sink back into a shadow portal that took him to the top of the stairway.

Torch's fist smashed into the ground. The stone steps beneath them cracked and smouldered from the heat and power of the Fire God's punch. Noob began raining his ghostly projectiles at Torch who fired back with a series of fireballs. Noob commanded a shadow clone to charge at Torch, the shadow sprinting down the stairs after him. The Fire God suddenly extinguished himself, vanishing into a puff of smoke. Noob did not expect Torch to possess one of the literal torches along the walls. The torch beside him spat a beam of flames at Noob with Torch himself emerging, resuming his regular form.

Absorbing the flames that lit up the torches along the stairway, Torch grew in shape and began morphing into the form of a fire Dragon. Noob stood in shock and was caught off guard as the Fire God dove in, taking a bite out of Noob and spitting him up the stairs, breathing fire over Noob's already burnt looking body in the process. The Wraith landed at the end of the stairway. He had reached the mountain top, but he could barely stand. Torch walked up the stairs as Noob tried to crawl away. After reverting to his natural form, Torch with a snap of his fingers, summoned a ring of fire around Noob, trapping him in place.

"Well done on making it so far," Torch complimented as he stood over the flames. "It's over now."

Noob shook his head. He summoned a shadow portal but before he could enter it, Torch reached through the fire to grab him by the wrist. With a strong pull, Torch yanked Noob away from the portal and slammed his body down on a jagged rock. Noob was left leaning against the rock, allowing him to get a good gaze at the Fire Temple at the top of the mountain.

There were plenty of rocks of various shapes and sizes scattered along the courtyard area of the Fire Temple. To Noob's left there were several geysers unleashing steam due to their heat, and to his right there were several statues of monks each holding a lit flame. Ahead of them were the gates inside the sanctuary and Noob was determined to find a way inside by any means necessary. He went to stand but was quickly pushed back down by Torch.

"Just give up," Torch pleaded. "Don't make me take away your afterlife… then you'll truly know the nothingness of the Void."

"I'd rather take that vacation," Noob said as he clung to the rocks, using them to aid him in standing up.

Charging his fists, Torch was ready to finish Noob Saibot. Before they could continue fighting, however, the mountain began shaking once more. The Oni Warlord Gagroth was climbing higher once more. Torch looked around and spotted Gagroth's head peeking over. Teleporting to the cliffedge past the geysers, Torch peered down to see that Gagroth had stepped onto the Water Temple's cliffedge platform whilst a battle occured around his foot. His other leg was pushing deep into the other side of the mountain.

"They're up here!" Gagroth announced to his fellow Netherrealmers down below.

"Carry us up!" Torcher roared from below before returning to trying to swing at Fujin.

The Wind God, although lacking a sword and arrows for his crossbow, had been utilising his agility to evade Torcher's slow but devastating attacks. Between each dodge, Fujin would launch a thin blast of wind, sharp enough to pierce skin. After Torcher had commanded Gagroth to step up to view the Fire Temple, the warriors had limited room due to just one of Gagroth's feet taking most of the space available. Marinella and Vanesella had moved down the bridge alongside Wynd and Rayne, whilst Hydro and Amon attempted to assist Torcher in stopping the Wind God.

"Getting frustrated?" Fujin asked Torcher, who snarled at him. "I will just fly up if your giant picks you up."

"We need to aid our Wraith!" Torcher yelled. "Reach down, Gagroth!"

Torcher gazed up to see if Gagroth could hear him, and Fujin used this distraction to launch a wind blast that knocked Torcher off the platform. Torcher smashed his back against the frozen lake, cracking the ice. Amon ran in to protect her fellow Oni, but Fujin began hovering to avoid her swings utilising the Bone Sword. Seeing this, Hydro shot a beam of water that knocked Fujin out of the air. As he fell down, Torcher ran over to catch him.

"I've got you now!" Torcher laughed as he began repeatedly slamming him like a ragdoll against the ice.

"Careful, Torcher!" Hydro yelled. "Break the ice and you might reawaken the Water God!"

Torcher nodded and decided to hurl Fujin into the mountainside instead. As Torcher continued to beat the Wind God, Hydro spotted something else. Gagroth was occupied with Torch, the Fire God hurling beams and balls of fire at Gagroth's face. Amon guarded him as he focused on a specific shot of water. Although he didn't have enough surrounding him to make a large blast, Hydro had enough to conserve his hydromancy into a small but precise beam. Locking onto the Fire God, Hydro shot the water from index finger. The water travelled up the mountain at the speed of a bullet, before shooting Torch. The Fire God felt immense pain as the water left a hole in his chest momentarily. Gagroth glanced down and Hydro called for him.

"Gagroth!" Hydro shouted. "Take us up there!"

This time Gagroth had heard them. He knelt down and extended a hand, keeping his other gripped onto the cliffedge of the mountain top. Hydro climbed onto his finger.

"Everyone get on!" Hydro yelled.

Torcher and Amon rushed over, but Marinella and Vanesella were still occupied with Wynd and Rayne. The four powerful women were trading their magic. Wynd and Rayne's elemental abilities gave them the more powerful attacks, but Marinella and Vanesella had excellent counters with Marinella using portals to getaway from attacks and strike from unknown spots. Vanesella would use skeletons to protect and fight for her, but they were no match for Wynd and Rayne. As the other Netherrealmers watched on, they saw two more figures running down the bridge.

"Wait!" Drahmin yelled as he and Moloch charged through.

Wynd and Rayne attempted to stop them but Moloch simply pounced on them both, knocking them down and allowing Moloch to continue rushing forth with Drahmin on his back. They reached Gagroth's hand.

"What's happening?" Moloch asked as he put Drahmin down.

"I want us all to be carried to the Fire Temple by Gagroth," Torcher explained his plan.

"Is Noob in danger?" Drahmin asked.

"He looked to be losing his fight," Gagroth admitted.

"Hmm," Drahmin began to conjure his own plan in his head. "Gagroth?"

"My Lord?"

"Carry me and the hydromancer up," Drahmin requested. "We should be enough to overcome the Fire God."

"Why not all of us?!" Torcher asked, frustrated by the decision.

"Keep these three occupied," Drahmin requested. "The Fire God's the last obstacle to Shinnok's Amulet."

"Keeping them separated would increase the chances of retrieving it," Amon considered.

"I believe my newfound fire abilities could actually be stronger than this God's," Drahmin explained, although he was honestly uncertain. "As for Hydro, water beats fire. Even as Netherrealmers we know that."

"What happened to sticking together?" Torcher asked.

"We're at the end," Drahmin told him. "I know the rest of you are more than capable of at least holding Fujin and those other two elementals off."

"Once we grab the Amulet we can return it for you," Hydro stated.

"Exactly," Drahmin confirmed. "We must go."

"Good luck," Moloch wished.

"To you too," Drahmin requested as Gagroth began lifting him and Hydro up. "Keep the others safe, Mo!"

Moments later, Gagroth put Drahmin and Hydro down on the mountain top. Gagroth spotted several monks coming up the stairway from the underground cavern area of the Fire Temple. Unlike Noob, Gagroth wasn't going to show any mercy. Drawing his massive club weapon that had been strapped to his back, Gagroth dragged it along the mountain. The weapon was so large that it was longer than the mountain itself. This allowed Gagroth to firmly poke the monks from the other side of the mountain, causing several to be knocked off the cliffedge.

Drahmin and Hydro ran at the Fire God, but Torch flew past them, using rising smoke to carry him through the air. Torch was focused on Gagroth who was laughing at the monks he was tormenting. Torch flew into Gagroth's mouth. The Oni Warlord immediately felt an immense heat within him and despite trying to spit the Fire God out, it was too late. Torch continued increasing his temperature allowing his fists to easily melt through the roof of Gagroth's mouth. Torch continued digging through the massive head of Gagroth before reaching the brain. Charging his power, Torch unleashed a fiery beam that literally burnt a hole through Gagroth's head. Torch flew out the hole as Gagroth's lifeless body fell down into the abyss below.

"Gagroth!" Drahmin cried out. "You're lucky that's not his first death!"

"He's one of the first to ever die at my hands," Torch admitted as he landed beside Drahmin and Hydro. "Please do not force me to take another."

"Don't worry!" Drahmin began showing Torch his blue flames. "We'll be taking yours!"

"Try it," Torch welcomed the flames, pointing to the fire Drahmin had made in his hand.

"If you insist!" Drahmin blasted a beam of fire at Torch.

The collision of flames caused them to rise high into the air and become surrounded by thick smoke. Drahmin kept blindly blasting fire at the Fire God until Hydro grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Stop!" Hydro requested. "I don't think it's working."

"What?!" Drahmin couldn't believe it as the smoke began to clear up.

"Come on, Oni," Torch snickered. "Has nobody told you not to fight fire with fire?"

Torch had merely absorbed all of the fire Drahmin had thrown at him. Torch was now a compilation of bright blue flames, much hotter than previously. Drahmin had only fueled his powers further.

"I thought it'd be like getting a stronger guy to punch someone!" Drahmin complained.

"Not your brightest plan, Drahmin," Hydro sighed.

"I am the very element!" Torch announced as he sent a small fireball that travelled so fast that Hydro couldn't have seen it coming which knocked him aside.

Drahmin charged at Torch but the Fire God summoned a large hand that grabbed the Oni. Drahmin felt an immense burning feeling as the fiery hand squeezed him. Although his newly acquired powers didn't impact himself, it was clear that the fire of others was still just as painful as ever. Using the thumb of the hand construct, Torch flicked the Face of Kun-Lo off Drahmin. Hydro got up and fired his own beam but with water at Torch, causing him to throw Drahmin aside.

"You can be burned too, hydromance," Torch warned.

"I know all too well," Hydro replied. "I'll take my chances."

Torch nodded and then shot another fireball at Hydro but this time the ninja leapt over it. Hydro delivered a dive kick with water coating the sole of his shoe. The kick landed on Torch's head who stumbled back in pain. As Hydro went to attack again, Torch backflipped onto a railing behind him within the courtyard. The railings formed a rectangle shape around a small patch for flowers to grow. Torch carefully stepped down the side of the railing, trying to kick Hydro whilst the Spectre was attempting to bring him down. Neither could land a blow, both too agile. Hydro came up with a solution, however, and used the water at his feet to slide backwards. Torch hadn't anticipated this and was soon met by a small tidal wave that knocked him into the garden.

Hydro vaulted over the railing into the garden but was pushed back into the railing by a sudden repulse of fire that surrounded Torch. The Fire God picked himself up and ran into Hydro, wrapping his fiery arms around Hydro as he tackled him through the steel railing. Torch got on top of Hydro and began wailing down rapid fire punches to the Spectre's face. Hydro made a circular water shield around his face so each punch would just hurt Torch and temporarily put his hands out.

"We're putting you out!" Drahmin yelled as he recklessly ran in and tackled Torch, rolling with the living fire without a care for his own wellbeing.

Without his mask equipped, Drahmin had returned to the more typical hostile and ruthless fighting abilities of an Oni. Drahmin relentlessly began bashing the iron club down on Torch as he lay on his back, but Drahmin found himself making little progress. Torch grabbed Drahmin and lifted him off the ground, but another wave of water pushed him back down.

"Dammit, Drahmin!" Hydro yelled. "You're not helping!"

Drahmin snarled at Hydro before trying to charge at Torch again only to be held back. Hydro spun around, smacking Hydro with his iron club. Thanks to the distraction, Torch summoned a fire construct of a leopard that chased down Drahmin and bit into his rotten flesh. The leopard then morphed into a snake, coiling around Drahmin. Hydro got to his feet and created a waterfall out the air directly above Drahmin that put out the fire construct. Torch constructed another leopard but Hydro responded by summoning a water elephant that used its snout to shove Drahmin aside before trampling over Torch's fire leopard.

Torch roared with fury, intensifying his flames and charging at Hydro. Torch dashed through the water elephant and the heat the Fire God found himself at was now hot enough to evaporate the water, creating steam around the courtyard. Hydro tried encasing himself in a watery vortex in an attempt to make himself nearly impervious to the fire. Torch traded the pain of putting his arms through to be able to grab and burn Hydro. The Spectre slid back before surging forward, crashing into Torch with a torrent of water. The Fire God was launched back, scorching the stone tiled path as he slid down it.

Torch made a fire whip that wrapped around Hydro's leg, tripping the Spectre up whilst helping Torch to stand back up. The Fire God unleashed a fiery inferno, evaporating Hydro's watery defences and scorching his opponent. Sending a flaming Dragon forth, Torch drove Hydro into the ground. But Hydro wouldn't give up. Using one of several surrounding puddles that was directly behind Hydro, the Spectre formed a spinning saw blade that emerged from the puddle. Using high pressure and rapid speed, the blade was indeed very sharp. Torch didn't realise and before he could turn around to investigate the sound of incoming water, the blade rose from the ground and sliced the Fire God in half.

Torch's flames reverted back to a warm orange as his split forms made up two matching human-like appearances. Hydro sighed as he now saw two figures running at him. Before they could attack, a shadow clone tackled one of the fiery bodies into one of the walls surrounding the rest of the Fire Temple grounds, where Shinnok's Amulet was stored most notably of all. Hydro looked over to see Noob hobbling over to the half of Torch that he had launched into the wall. The Wraith used his shadow magic to extend his reach, dark hands pulling the half of Torch to the ground and dragging him along the pathway.

Meanwhile, Hydro began hurling water at the half of Torch that he had to deal with. Torch used his movement abilities to evade the wild attacks of beams, geysers, waterfalls and even bubbles. At one point, Torch flew over Hydro's head and kicked him in the back. Hydro fell over, face smashing into a railing. Torch grabbed Hydro by the head, repeatedly slamming it against the steel railing with one hand whilst heating the metal with the other. Hearing Hydro's cries of pain, Noob turned and launched a ghostball at Torch. This distracted him from the other half that Noob himself had been fighting, who wrapped his arms around Noob's waist and performed an overhead suplex to the ground.

"I'm coming, Bi-Han!" Hydro yelled as he shot water from his back like a jet that launched him into Torch in a powerful collision of water of fire.

The other half of Torch attacked Hydro from behind with a series of kicks to the back. Torch then shoved Hydro into the locked wooden door that was connected to the walls. Noob used a shadow clone to pull Hydro out the way from Torch's next attack, causing the Fire God to slam himself into the door which set it ablaze. Hydro and Noob stood side by side. Hydro launched a water bean at one half of Torch whilst Noob launched another ghostball projectile at the other. The Fire God was smashed through the pair of oak doors that made up the entrance to the last part of the Temple of Elements.

Looking around the pair of ninjas saw several cosy cottages built within the walls, making up the houses of the monks that spent most of their lives within the Temple of Elements. The living conditions were clearly much better than the other areas of the Temples which felt more like death traps due to how high the protection needed to be. Noob searched around, trying to recall the building that originally housed Shinnok's Amulet on his first trip. He then pointed to a magnificent gazebo in the centre of the small village. The roof was held tall by four pillars that were decorated by several dragon patterns surrounding them alongside small shrines to each of the Elemental Gods placed beside each pillar for monks to place their offerings, despite the Gods insisting that doing so wasn't necessary although appreciated. Tapestries hang from the edges of the roof, each with hand crafted patterns of the Gods which were the reason for such tall pillars as beneath the roof was a warm fire pit surrounded by benches for the monks to rest and gather together.

Past the gazebo was the largest structure of the village. It was still modest and the exterior resembled a church of some sort. As the two ninjas got closer they could appreciate the intricate design more. Massive arched doorways, fitted with ornate handles and hinges, served as the entry points to the sacred space. A central courtyard featured a mesmerising, ever-burning bonfire enclosed by a ring of carefully arranged stones. The temple's roof was crowned by a majestic dome, with fiery motifs that glistened in the sunlight. Surrounding the dome of the structure was a ring of fire that had been set ablaze for countless years now, a sign of Torch's magic.

"This is it?" Hydro asked as they walked through the gazebo leading to their final stop.

"Yes," Noob confirmed as he limped forth with determination. "It should be unguarded, they don't expect intruders to make it up here."

"Sorry for calling you Bi-Han again back there," Hydro apologised. "I know you prefer Noob now."

"I… I don't mind," Noob told him.

"Really?" Hydro was surprised. "Why the sudden change?"

"Focus on getting the Amulet," Noob instructed, dismissing the question.

The ninjas walked past a gong at the entranceway as they walked up the stairs to the open doors of the church. The interior was much more humble, a simple set up with benches neatly arranged in a single hall with a stage at the end of the lengthy room. Noob led Hydro to the tiled walls at the back of the stage. He began feeling the wall in search of something.

"There's a hidden passageway?" Hydro assumed with Noob nodding.

"One of these should activate it," Noob explained as they continued searching.

"There's so many!" Hydro complained. "I doubt Torch is finished, he could interrupt us at any moment!"

"You're so right," Torch's voice echoed as he entered the building.

"Hold him off," Noob instructed. "I just need more time!"

Torch had regained his full form and he was wreathed in flames, standing with an imposing presence. His eyes blazed with fiery determination. Hydro, fluid and agile, summoned water from the very air to shroud himself in a protective cocoon of liquid. With a burst of fiery energy, Torch lunged at Hydro, leaving a trail of embers in his wake. Hydro once again met the onslaught with a swirling torrent of water, creating a wall of steam and sizzling steam as the two elements clashed.

They soon began trading projectiles that scattered throughout the hall. The church's pews and stained glass windows bore the brunt of their destructive force, shattering in the crossfire. Torch created a ring of fire, attempting to trap Hydro, but the Spectre swiftly summoned a surging wave, crashing through the flames and dousing Torch's fiery aura. The massive tidal wave had flooded the church and left Torch doused in water that was agonising for him. Seizing the opportunity, Hydro encased Torch in a prison of ice using the surrounding liquid, momentarily extinguishing his flames.

"Have you found it yet?!" Hydro desperately asked Noob.

Another hallucination came over Noob, reflecting the panel he had pushed previously that granted access. Pushing down on the very same tile, it pushed in and soon opened up the passageway he had clearly remembered. Hydro let out a sigh of relief as he saw Torch was already beginning to melt his icy prison. The two ninjas ran down the passageway which led into a dimly lit room surrounded by bland grey stone. A layer of the walls appeared to be obsidian, adding further stability to this hidden room.

"There it is," Noob said as they gazed upon Shinnok's Amulet as it rested on an altar at the top of some cobblestone stairs that went over another pit of fire.

"We've made it, old friend," Hydro replied as they approached the altar. "Can you walk up?"

"Yes…" Noob said weakly as he carefully took the first step up the stairway.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Noob raised his voice.

"Alright!" Hydro backed up. "I'll let you do the honours."

Noob carefully walked up the stairs as visions of when he last did it came over him. After a long minute, Noob Saibot had placed his hands on the altar. He reached out for Shinnok's Amulet but a vision of Quan Chi snatching it from him on his first visit surprised him as he struck a firm fist where he had stood.

"Woah!" Hydro yelled in surprise.

Quan Chi had actually emerged from a portal as he had before, wanting to do the same thing he had done before. Noob's punch unintentionally struck him and knocked him off the platform. The sorcerer managed to save himself by falling through a portal and emerging at the bottom of the stairs beside Hydro.

"The Hell was that about, sorcerer?" Hydro questioned.

"I was just messing around!" Quan Chi laughed to himself. "My magic can detect when the protective ward over the Temple is disabled."

"What disables it?" Hydro asked.

"Activating the passageway here," Quan Chi elaborated. "Wonders of magic."

"Some may say that," Hydro remarked.

"Onto business…" Quan Chi shifted focus to Noob who was clutching Shinnok's Amulet at the top of the stairs. "Come on down, Noob, congratulations on a successful mission!"

"This is the same…" Noob muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Quan Chi asked.

"My old life!" Noob yelled as he stumbled down the stairs. "You used me then!"

"Yes," Quan Chi bluntly admitted. "We've discussed this, my friend, don't you remember?"

"I do," Noob confirmed. "But what I'm doing now is the same mistake as before!"

"The only mistake you made in this room before was being convinced by Raiden to act like a hero," Quan Chi told him as he extended his hand. "Now give me the Amulet."

"But-" Noob tried to argue but was interrupted.

"But nothing!" Quan Chi shouted. "Everything is well here, and you will soon benefit greatly from our mutual partnership and friendship!"

"I want Shang Tsung dead," Noob said bluntly. "That was one of your promises years ago and now he's your closest ally."

"He's essential to our plans," Quan Chi explained to the Wraith. "Please keep faith in me like how I've had so much faith in you completing this task!"

"I suppose I can wait a little longer…" Noob considered as he slowly began to reach the Amulet out towards the sorcerer.

"Thank you, friend," Quan Chi said as he went to take the Amulet but a blast of water knocked the sorcerer over.

"You know nothing of friendship, Quan Chi!" Hydro yelled. "I'm not just going to stand here and let you manipulate him!"

"You Spectres are so pesky," Quan Chi complained as he dried himself off at the fire pit. "The last one of you insects to challenge me found little success."

"He goes out of his way to do this for you and yet you can't even be honest to him?" Hydro drew his pair of katanas whilst Quan Chi drew his broadswords.

"Why did you even accompany him?" Quan Chi wondered.

"Because I care!" Hydro yelled. "A lot more than you apparently!"

"And due to your care you've handed the key to conquering the realms directly to me," Quan Chi grinned. "How does that feel?"

Hydro had enough of hearing Quan Chi talk. With a swift flourish, Hydro launched the first strike, his twin katana cutting through the air with precision. Quan Chi deftly parried, the clash of metal ringing through the room. Their four blades combined danced around, a blur of steel and skill. Hydro's blades moved like liquid, fluid and unpredictable. Quan Chi's dark sorcery manifested as he chanted incantations while maintaining his defence. Ice and even Hellfire erupted from Hydro's blades, forcing Quan Chi to evade with nimble grace.

Noob watched on, unsure what to do. It felt as though he had regained his Cryomancy and had encased himself in ice, feeling frozen in place and unable to act as he watched his master and best friends' swords collided once more. Within their blades swinging wildly, Hydro snuck in a kick to the shin ice at his heel to impale the sorcerer's leg, causing him to collapse and drop his weapons as he clutched onto the wound.

"How cunning," Quan Chi applauded the Spectre.

Hydro went for a finishing blow but Quan Chi submerged himself through one of his swirling green portals that he made on the ground. He emerged on the other side of Hydro with a magic-made skull in his possession. Cracking the skull over Hydro's head, Quan Chi then sliced the broken bones across Hydro's back before kicking him to the ground.

"But not as cunning as me."

Hydro raised his swords to help defend himself, but suddenly a spell from Quan Chi sent a pair of projectiles that shattered the blades as soon as they touched them. The wicked sorcerer chuckled as Hydro got to his feet and threw a flaming punch out of rage. Quan Chi easily sidestepped the incoming punch, tripping Hydro over as he did so. Picking up his broadswords by using two small portals to bring them to his hands, Quan Chi rushed Hydro and stabbed the swords into his chest, pinning him to the stone floor.

"Say goodbye, ninja…" Quan Chi raised his broadswords, reading to deliver the final strike.

"No!" Noob yelled as he quickly used a shadow portal to intercept Quan Chi, emerging just in time to block the sorcerer's broadswords with his sickle. "You can't kill him!"

"Oh?" Quan Chi was now pointing his blades at Noob Saibot. "Why not?"

"Kill him and our alliance is finished, sorcerer!" Noob threatened.

"What makes you think I won't kill you as well?"

Noob's eyes widened in shock at Quan Chi's question. Before the Wraith could even think of how to respond, Quan Chi summoned a skull projectile that began biting away at Noob Saibot's face, chomping his mask off and ripping cloth from his night black cowl. To wrestle the living skull off of him, Noob had to drop his sickle and most importantly: Shinnok's Amulet. Quan Chi burst into laughter again as he bent over to scoop up the sacred artefact, disposing of his broadswords through a portal so he could pick up the Amulet.

"My precious," Quan Chi smiled as he pressed the Amulet against his gothic armour. "I'll never let you go again!"

"You attacked me!" Noob yelled as he stomped the skull projectile into pieces and marched towards the sorcerer.

"Do not react to it!" Quan Chi warned, but it was too late.

Noob grabbed his sickle and as he went to strike Quan Chi, the sorcerer unleashed a powerful blast from the centre gem of the Amulet. Noob Saibot was hurled so far across the room that he slammed into the wall at the end of the open area. Noob crawled over, feeling the effects of his injuries in battle more than even before. Quan Chi placed a foot over Noob's hand, applying pressure until he heard the bones in the Wraith's fingers begin to crack.

"If you had just been patient then you could've had what I promised!" Quan Chi shouted at him in an attempt to discipline his minion. "Traces of your past burnt down! The destruction of the Lin Kuei! And the deaths of those that brought yours… that pathetic ninja Scorpion and my deadly ally Shang Tsung!"

"You… just… wanted… another… puppet…" Noob gasped.

"Of course I did!" Quan Chi confirmed honestly. "But I can reward my best ones," he stated. "Why would I now plot against my equal in sorcery for… THIS! A lowly Wraith who had nothing left until he found me!"

"End it…" Noob pleaded. "Release me from… this."

"The time I have spent with Shang Tsung has been the most fun I've had in all of my existence!" Quan Chi cheered. "I can't waste something so precious… but you? I never needed you. I've been doing you favour after favour and all I wanted back was a little servitude!" Quan continued to ridicule Noob. "Oh, how you disappoint me, Bi-Han."

"I don't care… about your… alliance…" Noob told the sorcerer. "I said KILL ME!"

"No more favours for you, ninja," Quan Chi laughed at him. "I can always replace you but it'd be too easy to cut you off so early into the fun!"

"At least be silent…"

"I make the orders," Quan reminded him. "I have an idea!"

Noob audibly sighed.

"This Amulet can be used to trap… well, just about anyone!" Quan Chi explained as he aimed it at Noob. "How about you join it? You'll never get to rest, I'll keep you forever imprisoned!"

"No…" Noob begged. "No!"

Quan Chi laughed over Noob's cries as he began the absorption process, beginning to pull Noob Saibot closer to the Amulet. Quan Chi's laughs were suddenly silenced though, and the Amulet's absorption process was interrupted. An iron club clocked the sorcerer around his pale face, leaving several deep cuts from where the spikes were surrounding the end of it. Drahmin stood over Quan Chi, wearing the Face of Kun-Lo once more.

"I was conducting business, Oni!" Quan Chi yelled at him. "Business that is none of yours!"

"This man saved my life," Drahmin pointed his iron club at Noob. "I'm not letting you take his."

"I have the Amulet!" Quan Chi presented it to the Oni. "Even without it, my sorcery most certainly bests anything you have to offer."

"Yet you can't do anything to me," Drahmin told him.

"You're just as expendable as those two ninjas," Quan Chi told him which Drahmin shook his head to.

"I'm King of the Netherrealm!" Drahmin reminded the sorcerer. "Beside me are countless loyal Oni! If you do anything to those two then I'll break our deal and you'll have the Netherrealm itself added to Outworld's list of problems," Drahmin warned. "How's that sound?"

"Well played, Drahmin," Quan Chi had to give credit where it was due. "You boys have been saved by the freak."

"This freak has a lot more leverage on this whole operation than even you," Drahmin told him. "Are we done here?"

"Most certainly!" Quan Chi said as he waved Shinnok's Amulet around with a smile beaming on his face. "We won today, gentlemen, we won."

"It doesn't feel like it," Drahmin said as he checked on Hydro and Noob. "What did you do to them?"

"For me, this is going easy on them," the sorcerer told him.

"Hydro's bleeding out here and Noob might be crippled!" Drahmin yelled at him as he noted that Hydro had passed out from loss of blood as Noob remained conscious but groaning in pain.

"I'll send them home!" Quan Chi said as he made a portal back to his Netherrealm Fortress for the ninjas.

Quan Chi carelessly kicked Hydro's body into the portal whilst Drahmin helped Noob to his feet and started to escort him towards the portal but the sorcerer stood in their way.

"One more thing, Bi-Han, in case it wasn't clear already," Quan Chi leant in to whisper to the injured Wraith. "I framed you for the Shirai Ryu massacre… this afterlife of yours? That's another thing you can thank me for, ninja."

"You will die for this," Noob promised.

"Unlikely," the sorcerer laughed as he pulled Noob away from Drahmin and shoved him through the portal which closed behind the Wraith. "What great fun," he told himself.

"You make me sick," Drahmin told him. "You better have good healing spells for them."

"They'll get only my best treatment, My Lord," Quan Chi said with a tone of blatant sarcasm.

"Your fight could've cost our victory," Drahmin told him as they walked outside of the church. "You're lucky Solrac and Ruutuu scaled up the mountain to help hold the Fire God back."

Walking past the gazebo, Quan Chi and Drahmin saw a horde of shadow clones working together to restrain Torch, trying to push the Fire God as far away from the church as possible. Quan Chi then had an idea as he glanced at the Amulet.

"Keep him still," Quan Chi ordered. "I'd like to catch him."

"What?!" Solrac asked.

"You have the Amulet," Ruutuu observed.

"Despite your efforts, Drahmin, it looks like I will get to capture something greater than a mere Wraith," Quan Chi pointed the Amulet to Torch. "Say goodbye, Fire God."

Knowing full well the true power of Shinnok's Amulet, Torch released all his power to put out the shadows. Torch then transformed into a phoenix and took flight. Quan Chi took a few moments to aim the Amulet and shot a projectile, shooting Torch out of the air and causing him to fall from the air, crashing over the cliffedge. Quan Chi made a portal to the cliffedge and peered down to see where Torch landed, he didn't care to leave the portal open for Drahmin and the pair of Wraiths.

"Why do we bother?!" Solrac complained as she, Ruutuu and Drahmin began running to the cliffedge. "After all that climbing, what was the point?!"

"You'll have plenty of time to complain to yourself later, Enaj," Ruutuu told her as they soon reached Quan Chi. "What have you seen, Lord Quan Chi?"

"It's the funniest thing," Quan Chi laughed wickedly. "He landed in that frozen lake down there and melted it!"

"Was the Water God frozen there?" Drahmin asked, noticing the water taking a human-like form once more now that it had been released from its icy confines.

"It seems the rest of our allies have had the other Gods well under control," Quan Chi commented as he made a portal for them to join them at the lower cliffedge.

"Drahmin!" Moloch immediately rushed over to greet his close friend. "Were you successful."

"No thanks to him," Drahmin pointed at Quan Chi who continued to flaunt Shinnok's Amulet.

"The Gods cannot defeat us," Moloch stated. "They are beaten."

"Not so fast," Splash said as he rejoined his fellow Gods.

"You will make no difference," Moloch scoffed.

"The Amulet…" Torch sighed. "They got it."

"We can still take it back!" Geode yelled. "Continue to fight with me, brothers!"

"Wait!" Fujin tried to warn his fellow Gods as they rushed at the Netherrealmers.

The Wind God flew away with Wynd soon following, scooping Rayne up in her arms as she did so. Although confused, Wynd knew something was wrong. They soon watched in horror as Geode, Splash and Torch all ran into the absorbing beam of Shinnok's Amulet. Quan Chi had captured three Elemental Gods in one attack. Trying to compose himself and control his anger, Fujin knew he had to retreat.

"We must go," Fujin told Wynd and Rayne.

"Are they…" Wynd didn't want to ask but it was her immediate concern.

"The Amulet traps them within its bizarre magic interior," Fujin clarified as they departed from the Temple of Elements using their flying abilities. "They are alive in there."

"That all happened so fast!" Rayne was in shock much like her wind powered allies.

"We will get them back," Fujin promised. "Wait here as I gather the monks… if any are left."

Wynd and Rayne watched as the Netherrealmers celebrated atop the mountain cliffedge. Seeing them from a distance, Quan Chi raised the Amulet up high for them to see, infuriating the two siblings.

Pleased with the work of himself and his minions, Quan Chi crafted a large portal to take them all home. The quest was a challenging one filled with never ending dangers, but the Netherrealmers had overcome it, they just now had to hope that they had made the right decision giving Quan Chi so much power. The sorcerer couldn't wait to celebrate another victory with the other half of the Deadly Alliance that seemed to be growing more and more unstoppable with each passing day…