Challenge of the Kombat

Chapter 25

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The next morning was nothing short of eventful as the women prepared meals for the fighters and themselves and while they ate, Raiden appeared into the room. "Looks as if Shao Kahn is pulling all the stops to try and ruin our team. Last night we had confirmed attacks by three of his new fighters and they have managed to sneak their way past Asmodeous but luckily you all stood firm against them and got rid of them promptly." he spoke.

"Well if we didn't, you be short a few good warriors." Bakura muttered and grunted when he was nudged in the side. "True but I still believe in all of you regardless of strength but now is the time to step up and fight to win." Raiden spoke and they all now, Yami smirking. "So it's a full out assault now. I can handle that." he said. "Me too. I need to cut loose." Seto murmured, cracking his knuckles and Raiden chuckled. "I'm happy to have all of your support." he spoke and they nodded. "So exactly how long will it take before Shao Kahn himself steps up to face us?" Yugi questioned.

"If we knock out all of his fighters, he'll take the stand and that's when we'll defeat him for good for the safety of all the realms." Raiden said and all the fighters nodded their consent to the plan. "Now, the morning lineup has been decide, Marik, you're up against Kano in the Nethership Interior." he spoke and Marik grinned sharply. "Good, I need to let loose after last time." he said as he moved to stand and follow the other out. "Be careful, Marik." Malik called. The other turned back to him and blew him a kiss before he was out the door and Malik smiled. "So, getting used to him now?" Aqua questioned from beside him. "Yeah. I thought he was some sort of psychopath...well, he still is but one with a good heart for the right people." he murmured and the other chuckled before everyone filed out from the kitchen and took a seat in the sitting room to watch the upcoming battle.

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When they reached the portal, Marik and Kano glared at each other from the opposite sides of the area when they walked in, Shao Kahn sending a glare of his own towards the former dark warrior. "This will be coming to an end soon, Shao Kahn. We will not let you interfere with the realms any longer." Raiden spoke and Shao Kahn gave a snort of anger. "We'll see about that. I may have lost a good portion of my warriors thanks to the meddling of your own but they will pay dearly for betraying me." he spoke.

"Yeah right. We're going to smear the palace courtyard with your guts." Marik snapped with a growl.

"Mind your tongue, demon!"

"Enough!" Raiden boomed over the two fighters and Marik hissed but stepped back. "Settle it on the battlefield." They both nodded and once the portal was ready, they stepped through and landed in the Nethership interior. The ship creaked and moaned as it moved, swinging bodies hanging by ropes swinging along with the Nethership swaying. They landed on a platform resting above the large area below and Marik smirked as he flexed his hands before shadows consumed them and turned into claws. "Let's see what you can do, red-eye." Kano sneered from the other side of the field as he readied himself with his Aikido fighting style. Once they were given the signal, they leapt into the battle. Marik was furious as he went to swipe at Kano, claws nicking skin as the other made to dodge the wild swipes.

"Don't think you can escape me, red-eye!" he snarled, a tail of shadow sweeping out and caught Kano by surprise, flinging him through the banister and onto the lower level. He grunted and glared at the shadow manipulator as he landed before him, grinning all the while before charging at him again.

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"Jeez, I knew he was insane but he's a beast when allowed to let go…" Jou murmured before looking to the former warriors of the dark. "I'm surprised he didn't tear into any of you with a lust for blood."

"He could try but he wouldn't get far." Yami murmured and Malik nodded. "Yeah, he may be a beast but he probably knows when he's outmatched, especially if he had to deal with someone like Yami or Aqua trying to stop him." Malik added and they nodded as they continued to watch the fight. Kano was being made quite the joke with the swinging bodies hindering him and knocking into him every time he went to make another charge for Marik. Said demon cackled as he swung on one of the ropes. "What's wrong, red-eye? Can't handle it?" he questioned.

"Shut up and get your ass down here so I can destroy you!" Kano snarled as the bionic eye lit up and shot a laser at the rope Marik was hanging off from, snapping it cleanly but instead of him falling, he used the momentum of the fall to lunge at the other who was readying another shot with his bionic eye. Kano made a sound as he was tackled down and clawed nastily across the chest. Marik gave a hiss before leaping back, standing next to the prone body. He looked to it and back to Kano before getting a wicked idea and waited for him to get back up once more. Kano groaned but he was pissed as he stood. "I'm going to kill you." he snarled as he brought out his Butterfly knives and got ready to chuck them at the demon. His tail swayed as he waited and when the knives came at him, shadows lifted up the prone body. Hearing a soft thunk as both knives hit, Marik chucked the body at Kano who proceeded to burn to a crisp with his eye.

But doing so left him open and when Kano looked about, trying to figure out where the other was, he didn't see the growing shadows beneath him. Kano snarled as his feet sunk into the shadows below him and he tried his hardest to get his feet free. Marik peeked his head from the shadows and grinned before ducking back down and soon dragged Kano underneath with him. It was silent before the opponent shot out, lacerations and tears in his clothes marking his first lost as Marik leapt out through the shadows that formed back into his own shadow on the ground.

"Ready to give up yet, red-eye?"

"Not on your life, demon." Kano snarled as he moved to stand. "Hmm, such a shame. Guess I better up the ante then." he said as the signal for the second round was given and he roared as wings weaved by shadows sprouted from his back as he took for the air. There was limited space in the interior but he made do with what he had. Kano snarled in anger as he watched the other, trying to predict what his move was going to be. But of course, he didn't take into consideration of his shadow manipulation even when off the ground.

Kano's shadow darkened underneath him before tendrils shot up, wrapping around him and he growled as he tried to free himself only for the tendrils to tighten around him and he could feel a few bones ready to fracture under the pressure. Marik smirked. "Like a cornered little mouse. And the cat is ready to play." he spoke before shooting down, every pass he made leaving a nasty gash somewhere on Kano from blade-like talons. Eventually, the assault stopped and he landed.

Marik grinned up to the other before moving over to him and grabbed the base of the tendrils, picking them up like handy ropes and smirked as he glanced up to Kano hovering in the air like a ragdoll. "This will be a warning to Shao Kahn. We will kill his scrawny little ass soon enough." he said before singing down, slamming Kano into the ground. He lifted him up and slammed him down and repeated the process until he was left an unconscious, bloody mess on the floor for Shao Kahn to pick up later as he was declared the winner. The shadows dispersed from him and around Kano as the portal opened up and he left through, follow Raiden back while Shao Kahn was left to drag Kano's body back to his temple, cursing his former warriors to the depths of Hell itself.

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"Whoa, Marik! You were fierce out there!" Malik gasped as he walked in and Marik grinned. "That's what you get when you let me have fun." he replied. "Man, if that's your idea of fun, I fear how you are when you're serious." Silver murmured from his place. Some chuckled and settled down for the interval they had before the next fight for the day. With that time and the limited amount of fighters they knew were on Kahn's side of the game, they didn't have much longer to train themselves for the killing power of the Black and White Magics they needed to finish him off for good. "Do you think we can really beat him?" Yugi asked.

"I'm sure we can. If he vies for our power this much to have on his side, then that means that even he fears what we're capable of." Yami replied as he settled down and began to meditate. Yugi gave a nod and began to start his own meditation and the three continued on, no one coming out to disturb them even when the interval was over and Raiden announced the next fighter to go up.

"Ruby, you'll be taking on Goro in his very own lair." Raiden spoke and Topaz shivered after remembering what happened last time he went up against the four armed fiend. Kaiser was no stranger to that battle either and frowned as he watched Ruby get up and was ready to go. "Ruby, don't get yourself killed." he whispered.

"I won't, Kaiser. I promise." he said, summoning his Garnet Lance and followed Raiden out to the portal. When they got there, Goro was already waiting there, upper arms crossed while the second half pounded a fist into his hands. "I made an example of one cat, what's another?" he said with a smirk and Ruby growled before the portal led to Goro's Lair and they stepped through. When they landed on their sides of the field, Goro brought out his Dragon Fangs and smirked as the signal was given and he charged for the other.

Ruby stood there, waiting for his charge and when he got close enough, he hissed in warning before unfurling his wings and shot up over Goro's charge, swinging back with his lance and left a gash over the monster's back who screeched in pain and stumbled. Ruby landed and glared at the other before making his own charge while Goro was disoriented and made a few stabs at his back in rapid succession before he was flung back by an arm.

Goro snarled in pain, blood dripping along his back before he gathered four fireballs in hand, tossing all four at the other. Ruby hopped up and seeing the fireballs, readied himself. "You'll have to do better to match my cunning, big guy." he spoke as he knocked away each fireball with his lance with ease. Goro growled in anger before charging again, swinging out with a sai and Ruby blocked the hit. Of course, Goro knew his advantage with having an extra pair of arms now all he had to do was trip up his opponent enough to grab it. So that's what he did, he swung out at Ruby with all four arms and what Ruby couldn't block led to a nick on his face or arms from Goro's weapon. Eventually, his moment came where he was able to grab Ruby with his lower arms and smirked.

"Any last words before I finish you off?"

"Yeah, think fast!"

But the warning was late enough that Goro couldn't react to the tail, now wielding the lance, swung up and slammed him in the side of the head, the stun leaving Ruby free to escape. "You should learn better that us characters with tails are very versatile with them." he murmured as the behemoth fell over, giving Ruby the first win and he smirked as he took the lance back in hand and waited for Goro to get up. He did so and growled in anger, knowing Shao Kahn would be ashamed of him if he lost when he had such amazing power to give to beat his opponent into a bloody smear on the ground.

When the signal was given he charged, locking weapons with the other as they fought across the field. Ruby knew he was getting close to be cornered against a wall and wouldn't give Goro the satisfaction of doing such so when ready, he blocked another swing of a fist and made a low sweep, knocking Goro down once more. He leapt on top of him, stabbing the lance through one wrist as he gazed down at him. "I could very well stab you through the heart and end it at that but that would ruin what fun I've gotten out of this tournament so far. So let's keep up the game, shall we?" he questioned with a smirk as he leapt off the other but hissed when his tail was grabbed and he was lifted and swing into the opposite wall.

"I won't be made a fool of!" Goro roared as he stood and went charging for the downed opponent. "No, you won't be, just an example like the last one." Ruby murmured as he waited and when Goro was close, he shot the lance forward, impaling the other through his stomach and he screeched in agonizing pain. But it didn't end there as Ruby gripped the lance with both hands and with a show of strength that surprised even Goro, he swung it overhead and sent Goro through the wall, ending the match as he hopped back up. "Again, never underestimate my cunning. Especially when I was on your team once before." he said, swiping away a dribble of blood from his cheek before leaving through the portal when it opened.