The wait is over, over a year later and I have returned with newest installment of the Soul vs Soul series.

Outworld, Shao Khan's temple.

It had been weeks since Shao Khan sent Scorpion through the portal leading to 16th century Earthrealm, four weeks and no word on Scorpion's progress.

After a few days Shao Khan had become impatient and sent another of his shadow priests through the portal to search for more information. The shadow priest returned and informed his master of the rumors it had heard of a fiery monster matching Scorpion's description had slain an entire army as well as single handedly killed another monster residing in a nearby castle. However no word about the powerful Soul Edge was heard.

"I am getting tired of these delays" the emperor growled, "Summon Baraka and Mileena here at once".

The shadow priest bowed its head and vanished returned after a short period with two warriors behind it.

The first warrior was bald and very muscular his veins pressed against his skin, he wore long tight fitting black, leather pants with heavy boots and shin guards that ran up to his knees and a white and black V style robe with a red outline trim, but this warrior's most outstanding feature were his claws and face.

What would be fingernails on anyone else were sharp claws on this warrior, almost like an animal's and his face was horrifying as if the skin was pulled back into a permanent scowl to show off the many fangs in his mouth all of them jagged and spike like, this warrior's name…Baraka.

Current leader of the nomadic Tarkata he like the rest of his people love to do battle; all of them extremely dangerous alone and if they were to fight together against a single opponent it would take both incredible luck and skill to survive the battle. Ruthless and bloodthirsty Baraka will gladly kill anyone at the request of his master Shao Khan or anyone unlucky enough to anger him.

The other warrior was a female dressed in an extremely revealing light magenta outfit consisting of thigh high, high heel boots and a torso piece that was only two thin strips that ran from her hips to her neck covering the center and outside of her breasts on their way up. She wore fingerless gloves and elbow length arm bands and a veil that covered all of her face except her eyes and forehead, this warrior's name…Mileena.

A warrior created by Shang Tsung through sorcery, Mileena was clone of Kitana, princess of Edenia. Created in the Flesh Pits and merged with Tarkata DNA the half Tarkata warrior Mileena.

While she may only be a half Tarkata clone, Mileena is just as ruthless and bloodthirsty as any other Tarkata, an extremely skilled warrior who is agile, flexible and unbelievably strong despite her physique. In a way Mileena is actually more dangerous than real Tarkatan's being a twisted clone of Princess Kitana had a side effect of making Mileena unstable leading her to believe that Kitana is the imposter not her. This in mind Mileena is a fighter who is both aggressive and unpredictable with all of those traits combined with her unfaltering loyalty to Shao Khan; Mileena will not hesitate to kill anyone at any time.

Two of the emperor's most trusted underlings even though Scorpion was still alive on the other side of that portal the emperor of Outworld refused to wait any longer sending both Baraka and Mileena at the same time was sure to yield more results than sending just one or someone who could not be trusted.

Shao Khan leaned forward as he sat on his throne, "Baraka, Mileena I want the two of you to enter the portal Shang Tsung opened in his Soul Tombs. On the other side lies Earthrealm as it was in its 16th century in this time there was a weapon of unmatched power called Soul Edge. You will both search for this weapon and bring it to me" the emperor leaned back and growled, "I sent Reptile, but he never returned he has either failed or betrayed me. I struck a deal with Scorpion who has also yet to return and I cannot assume his loyalty".

Baraka hissed, "Just give me the word master and I will go there and carve my way to this Soul Edge. There will be nothing that can stand in my way I do not require help".

Mileena growled at Baraka, "You would do well to pay more attention Baraka, he said both of us. If he says we will be going after this weapon together then that is what we will do".

"Enough!" Shao Khan's booming voice echoed, "Both of you will leave at once bring me Soul Edge and kill anything that gets in your way".

At their master's command the two warriors left for the Soul Tombs and entered the portal bringing them to 16th century Earthrealm.

Arriving in a small ravaged village the two warriors immediately scanned the area, the destroyed and collapsed huts and many dirt mounds which served as graves for the fallen it was clear that someone or something had attacked this village and killed everyone here.

"We should begin our search" Mileena said, "If there is anyone left alive find them".

Mileena walked ahead of Baraka as he hissed at her, "I do not take orders from you".

The two warriors walked around the destroyed village for a little over an hour before it was clear that no one was left alive, "We should be on our way there is no point to remaining here" Baraka told his companion, "There is no information to be gathered from corpses".

Mileena walked over to him, "On this we agree we should continue on and try to find anyone who could have information about Soul Edge".

Leaving the village and entering the nearby forest both warriors continued to walk until they heard someone yelling in fear. Taking cover the two of them saw a man crawling backwards away from a ransacked wagon and a strange person wearing banded armor with small spikes protruding from various parts. The strange person's mouth and eyes were both covered making Baraka and Mileena wonder how he could see as he slowly walked toward the retreating man.

The way this warrior walked was very peculiar his footsteps seemed to slide and slither like a snake as he moved and his body slowly waved back and forth. Both of them watched as the strange warrior approached the man and reared back before throwing himself forward and stabbing his weapons into the ground, now walking on all four limbs the warrior advanced on the cowering man and reared back one hand before swinging it forward slicing his throat.

After the warrior killed his prey he slowly rose back up like a snake into a standing position, this warrior's name was Voldo.

Many years ago Voldo was the right hand man of an Italian weapons merchant known as Vercci or the Merchant of Death as many had called him due to his business with the Spanish Armada.

Hearing of Soul Edge, Vercci wanted to add it to his collection of rare weapons and sent Voldo as the head of the expedition to acquire it. However the search ended quickly when word of the Italian Wars reached Vercci's ears he became angry when he learned that his possessions were targets. Vercci moved his fleet and his only remaining possessions onto an uninhabited island off the coast of Sicily and dug a deep shaft to serve as his tomb and vault.

Before he entered his own tomb Vercci instructed Voldo to slay every sailor that assisted with the construction of the vault so its location would never be revealed to the world. Afterwards Voldo was also instructed to seal himself inside as well to act as the eternal guard until one day he heard his deceased master's voice call to him telling him to search for Soul Edge once again.

Voldo had gone in search of Soul Edge multiple times since then and has failed in each attempt at one time coming very close to losing his life, but despite all of his failures he hasn't given up. Ever loyal to his maser even after his death, Voldo continues his search for the fabled sword.

"This one may know something" Baraka growled before he jumped out from his cover and confronted the strange warrior, "I'm looking for Soul Edge if you know anything tell me at once or deal with my blades".

Voldo silently turned his head to look at Baraka, hissing at the Tarkatan he slowly walked backwards toward him waving his body slowly back and forth as he moved.

Baraka snarled as he threw his arms forward, extending the four foot long blades that rested within his forearms. These blades were the signature weapon of the entire Tarkatan race, razor sharp and as strong as steel these four foot long blades made the deadly Tarkatan race even more dangerous.

Baraka snarled as he extended his blades, "Do not come any closer if you value your life now tell me what you know of Soul Edge!"

Voldo stopped and hissed at Baraka before lunging toward him, attempting to impale him with his weapon known as a katar.

Blocking the weapon with his blade Baraka retaliated by thrusting his second blade at the center of Voldo's back, but the strange warrior hissed and twisted his body in an unnatural way to avoid the blade impaling him and fell to the floor before slithering between Baraka's legs and snaking his way up the Tarkatan's body and slamming him to the floor.

Driving his knee into the back of Baraka's neck, Voldo slid around the ground in a half circle dragging Baraka's face along for the ride until he jumped off.

Snarling in a great rage Baraka jumped to his feet just as Mileena came down to assist him, but the Tarkatan Enforcer told her to stay back and out of the fight.

Mileena reminded him that Shao Khan ordered them to find Soul Edge together to which Baraka reminded her that he also ordered them to kill anything that got in their way, "If you lack the stomach for it Mileena then stay out of the way and I will kill him myself".

Extending his blades once again, Baraka lunged forward toward Voldo who leaned back and landed on the tips of his weapons. On all fours Voldo evaded Baraka's attack before dropping from his feet to his knees and swinging his body around to slash at the Tarkatan's feet.

Quickly jumping back Baraka narrowly avoided Voldo's attack. Snarling Baraka reared back and waited for Voldo to return to a standing position before lunging forward again and retracted his blades once Voldo twisted out of the way. Pivoting himself on his foot, Baraka grabbed the back of Voldo's neck and pulled his face down to meet his rising knee.

Voldo stumbled after being kneed in the face giving Baraka time to drop down and sweep his legs knocking him to the ground.

With his opponent on the ground Baraka stood over him and extended his forearm blade once again and drove it downward attempting to finish the fight by impaling his enemy, but Voldo rolled to the side and stabbed one of his katar into the ground. Using the katar as a pivot point Voldo swung himself around and kicked the Tarkatan in the back of his knee forcing him to the ground and swung around a second time to hit him again.

During Voldo's second swing Baraka retracted his blades and dropped his entire body to the ground turning while he dropped and extended his blades again attempting to cut off the swinging leg, but the unnaturally flexible Voldo twisted his leg away from the blade and turned around getting back on all fours.

Watching the way Voldo twisted his leg away from danger made Baraka think, no creature should be able to move in such a way not without snapping its own bones in the process. If his opponent was able to do such a thing defeating him wouldn't be as easy as he originally thought add to it his awkward style of fighting made him unpredictable with the way he could slither and twist his way around Baraka's attacks he was hard to hit and difficult to defend against.

"Still think you don't need my help?" Mileena taunted as Baraka tried to observe his foe.

"Silence" Baraka hissed at her keeping his eyes on his enemy, there had to be a way to hit him. Remembering the way he grabbed Voldo's neck and kneed him in the face Baraka began to wonder if Voldo could evade if he was already in the process of moving his body.

Extending his blades Baraka quickly scrapped them together while aiming one at Voldo creating a spark that shot toward Voldo catching him by surprise hitting him in the head making him stumble and giving Baraka his opening.

While Voldo stumbled back Baraka charged at him using his blades to swing at an upward angle slicing at Voldo's chest and spun around to slash at him again getting his enemy across the chest before grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him into another knee aimed at his stomach.

Once his knee made contact with Voldo's stomach Baraka quickly stepped to the side and threw Voldo behind him before scraping his blades together to fire another spark at the back of Voldo's head knocking him to his knees.

After Voldo fell to his knees Baraka laughed, "Now do you see the difference between us? Now tell me about Soul Edge you will not get another chance".

Voldo merely hissed as he rose back up just like a snake rising up to warn anything getting close. Keeping his back to Baraka, Voldo ran backwards and threw his arm back to attack him.

Once Baraka blocked the attack Voldo dropped down and swept at Baraka's leg making him jump back. After Baraka jumped back to avoid the sweep Voldo spun himself back up to a standing position and reared back his arms both of them angled down aimed at Baraka's feet.

Thrusting one of his arms forward Voldo attempted to stab the Tarkatan's feet, but Baraka's warrior reflexes allowed him to kneel down and use his blades to block the katars as they were stabbed down at him repeatedly. Once Voldo gave up trying to stab past Baraka's defense he reared back he attempted to slither back to a stand, but Baraka attacked him with an uppercut.

The uppercut hit home and Baraka continued his assault with a right hook followed immediately by a left hook and another right before he spun around and extended his blades slashing at Voldo's chest again.

After he spun around Baraka retracted his blades again and punched Voldo in the chest extending the blade on that arm once his fist made contact and impaling Voldo's torso. Rearing back his other arm Baraka extending his other blade and punched it into Voldo's torso while pulling out his other blade and began rapidly stabbing at his enemy giving him multiple puncture and stab wounds before kicking at his knee and hitting him with another uppercut sending him into the air.

After Voldo hit the ground Baraka planted his blades in the ground in front of him and waited for his enemy to get back to his feet before using his blades to slingshot him toward Voldo.

Lunging at Voldo, Baraka held his leg out to kick him, but at last second Voldo leaned to the side and wrapped his arm around the Tarkatan's leg spinning in to him and shifted his body to fling Baraka into a nearby tree.

Baraka's back slammed into the trunk of the tree and he fell to ground grunting in pain as Mileena laughed at him, "The great Baraka so easily thrown to the dirt".

"Enough" Baraka roared as he jumped back to his feet and extended his blades once again, "I will carve you into pieces and eat your remains".

Baraka lunged at Voldo again spinning himself around with his blades out only to have Voldo drop to all fours and crawl under him and slash at his feet again and then stab Baraka in his mid section and lift him up on his Katar before spinning him around on the points of his weapon and then throwing him into the air letting him drop with his full body weight behind him.

Slowly getting back to his feet Baraka snarled as he turned back around once again extending the blades in his forearms, "This fight isn't over!"

Scraping his blades together Baraka fired another spark at Voldo and waited for him to begin his dodge before lunging forward and feigning a thrust with one of his blades and dropping down to sweep Voldo's feet.

Voldo raised his legs in mid dodge to avoid the sweep giving Baraka the opening he was looking for.

Driving his blade directly into Voldo's lower torso Baraka impaled his other blade into his opponent and lifted him over his head and twisted him blades to cause more damage to Voldo's body before throwing him to the ground.

Standing above Voldo Baraka reared his arm back with his blade aimed at Voldo's head, "Now die!" he snarled as he drove his blade down.

Baraka was sure he had the battle won, but at last second Voldo parried the blade away from him with his katar and began slithering his way through Baraka's leg, snaking his way up his body he stabbed his weapon into the back of Baraka's shoulder before pulling it out and lunging backwards he hooked his legs around the Tarkatan's shoulders and reached down to grab his ankles.

With his legs hooked around Baraka's shoulder Voldo used the moment he created by lunging backwards to force Baraka to follow him as he grabbed his ankles linking the two of them together in a wheel as Voldo forced them to roll around.

Once they started rolling the two of them were engulfed in flames as Voldo rolled around dragging Baraka with him before the wheel jumped into the air and came spinning back down slamming Baraka face first into the ground the impact echoed with Baraka's screams as he was slammed into the ground and Voldo crawled away from him on all four.

Voldo stumbled as he crawled away from Baraka, although the battle had gone mostly in his favor the hits Baraka did land left deep wounds causing him to lose a great deal of blood.

Balancing himself Voldo crawled back to Baraka and slithered back up to a standing position before driving his katar into his back ripping past the flesh and bone as the blades found their way to the Tarkatan's heart skewering it as the Tarkatan finally yelled for Mileena to help him.

Voldo pulled his katar out of Baraka's back and backed away. The battle was over, but in the heat of fighting Baraka Voldo had forgotten about Mileena who jumped onto his back and tore off her veil revealing the monstrous mouth under it.

"You're mine" she growled as she reared her head back preparing to bite Voldo, but the ever persistent Voldo dropped down forcing Mileena to fall off his back and crawled away into the depths of the forest choosing to flee for now until his injuries have healed.

Getting back up Mileena retrieved her veil and put it back on as she walked over to Baraka's corpse, "Oh how the mighty have fallen" she taunted in a seductive voice, "If you have placed your orders over your pride you would still be alive now the glory of completing this mission will be mine alone".

Mileena walked deeper into the forest to follow Voldo unaware that someone was watching her from the trees.

"Ooooh looks like I found a new toy to play with" a childish, high pitched voice said after Mileena vanished behind the trees.

A/N. And there it is Baraka vs Voldo a strange battle to be sure Baraka's animalistic rage and aggressive battle style meets the unpredictability and unnatural flexibility of Voldo and although Voldo managed to come out victorious he barely escaped with his life as Mileena attempted to finish him.

Now Mileena is following after him to finish what Baraka started, but it seems Mileena is being followed herself, tune in next time to see if she survives her own battle when Soul vs Soul returns with Mileena vs Tira.