Max Kalhound, chief commander of the Shao Kahn Outworld's Army, walked with a small patrol formed by 4 soldiers to his control, while they gave a watch by the Golden Desert while already they went towards the stronghold of Shao Kahn, meditating since he had arrived until there, and because Rain no longer fought to his side. Rain had been born in Edenia and this it would be the Realm that would defend, in name of Queen Sindel and Princess Kitana. Max loved Kitana, but his love wasn't corresponded, and knew that always in the Realm of Edenia they would prefer his brother Kalin before him, so he decided to follow with his old master, the Emperor Shao Kahn, although knew the despicable thing that he could get to be, but is the Emperor of the Outworld and had sworn fidelity to his Realm, and shared the hatred of Shao Kahn by Liu Kang. The Shaolin monk had defeated Max during the last Mortal Kombat Tournament disputed in the Earth, and soon Liu Kang defeated Max again in the Outworld before Shao Kahn initiated the Invasion to fuse the Realm of Earth with the Outworld. But Liu Kang managed to defeat Shao Kahn, preventing the one that the Realm of Earth also megred with the Outworld and releasing the Realm of Edenia.

Then, Max was several years fighting like mercenary, confused with his feelings towards his mother country and towards Kitana, and there 2 ex-generals of Shao Kahn had become battle friends. They were together until, by means of Tanya, discovered that Shao Kahn and Liu Kang had died at hands of the Deadly Alliance, but that this had been destroyed by the old sovereign of the Outworld, Onaga the Dragon King. Tanya explained to them that Onaga tried and since been had forced the force to obey it, and like Kitana she was a mere marionette of Onaga. These went to Edenia to try to help to Kitana and the others and to defeat to Onaga, although the 3 took different ways. But Max arrived late to save the life of Kitana, or that thought at least when Baraka killed she in front of his own eyes. Then it discovered that Baraka had killed Mileena, a clone of Kitana that had usurped the position of Kitana, but that she had betrayed Onaga and she had given to be able to Outworld's Army to defeat his Tarkatas forces. Then, before a combat among them, appeared the Shokan forces led by Goro and Shao Kahn himself! Baraka and the Tarkata fled, while Max contemplated overwhelmed to that believed dead. Shao Kahn explained the happened thing to him and together they arrived where they were the combined forceses of the Realm of the Earth, Outworld and Edenia.

Max saw that all that believed dead it seemed to have returned to the life, like his brother Kalin or his archi-enemy Liu Kang. Shao Kahn claimed for his own the forces of the Outworld like true sovereign, although some forces remained of the side of the Realm of Edenia, like a part of the Shokan army, because then no longer they recognized Goro like his true sovereign. Then Raiden said that never more it would leave the Realm of Earth, and that would kill all that that it puts in danger his Realm. Raiden said that Shujinko was pardoned of his error by not to have killed Onaga, but so that Liu Kang requested to him that it pardoned the life in exchange for defending solely the EarthRealm, but the next time that put in the Earth in danger would not be mercy. Then Shujinko decided to remain in Edenia together with his teacher Bo' Rai Cho to defend it, and Raiden, Liu Kang and the Earth warriors returned to their Realm. Shao Kahn offered amnesty for all the people who accepted to him like his true sovereign, but the most rejected it and decided to fight together to the Edenian's Crown. The war against Onaga had decimated both armys, so there was no confrontation more then, and all returned to their strongholds to prepare for another war between Outworld and Edenia, but not as the one of more ago than 10,000 years, because the climate military can be smelled in all the Realms, and seems that all the Realms will have to prepare themselves for possible attacks of any other existing Realm.

The EarthRealm has become these last years in the most dangerous Realm, but it seems little probable that they try to attack them, not with Liu Kang or Raiden, which made enough less dangerous. The Realm of Edenia was the most direct enemy, since it had a small Shokan contingent, the Edenia's Army together to a small part of soldiers of the Outworld, between which they were the master Bo' Rai Cho, a formidable student called Li Mei, who was the love of his brother Kalin, which was also fighting by Edenia. A few words could speak with Kalin, but Kalin told him that miraculously managed to survive when he fell by a pit produced by his lethal attack, and that Li Mei had saved it and taken care of in her town. There he was dedicated to protect Li Mei and her town of a dangerous threat, that took it until the EarthRealm where they continued fighting until almost manage to destroy it. He was something ironic that outside Kalin and non Max that was of the side of Kitana, coverall so that Liu Kang had left it to protect the EarthRealm, but in fact simply had made just like Liu Kang, faithful being to his Realm and his God. Also in Edenia, aside from skillful soldiers, was Shujinko, which had managed to defeat to the powerful Onaga, but breaking part of the balance of the Realms, and losing the gift that had been granted to him, but even so he was a very dangerous rival.

Max had never visited the other Realms, so it wasn't so easy to imagine the situation in which they were. In the Realm of Chaos, aside from the inhabitants of there, the Centaurs had been united to the being expelled from their territory in the Outworld in benefit of the Shokan, and a EarthRealm group known as the Black Dragon were recruiting members of any Realm in his rows, and apparently are really lethal. His opposed Realm, Seido, apparently had managed to remove the rebels from the power thanks to an alliance with a dark force, which apparently worried enough the Emperor Shao Kahn, and also they had a group of the EarthRealm recruiting mercenarys and rebels which they have become to the new cause, that is known like the Red Dragon, the worse enemy of the Black Dragon. Max hoped that these 2 Realms were dedicated to attack themselves between them. And finally it was the Netherealm, that apparently was led by an old assassin of Shao Kahn called Noob Saibot, who was creating a dangerous one army of cyberdemons and cyberninjas, aside from having part of support of the Demons of the Netherealm and the support of good part of the inhabitants of the Netherealm, although Max had listened rumors that a part of the Netherealm was against the leadership of Noob Saibot.

This, in his last order at the service of Shao Kahn, had almost eliminated Goro, but he managed to survive and Shao Kahn took advantage to again obtain the support of the Shokan, although Goro doesn't know this fact. Shao Kahn commented when he offered the assassin position to Max, in case somebody tried to usurp his place, which Max accepted to much honors. Max had been the one who had managed to increase the number of Shokans faithful to Shao Kahn, when he took to the Emperor and the Prince Goro to a cave, where lived Kintaro years ago. Kintaro had been brutally attacked by Motaro, and years later Max and Rain had found he and shared some adventure together. Kintaro, like Goro had done before, accepted the conditions for returning to be united to Shao Kahn, and Kintaro managed to recruit many of his tiger race that, unlike those of dragon race, preferred a wild life or didn't accept the leadership of the Prince Goro, for his dragon race condition.

Now all lived in the city of Huk Law Wong, where was the Fist of Doom, the Stronghold of the Emperor Shao Kahn. But when already thought that they would arrive there without incidents, one of the soldiers called his attention.

-There my general -he said indicating to a near rocky crag-. Tarkatas...

Max Kalhound raised his glance and saw a group of Tarkatas, they were 9 exactly, and they were in 2 rows of 4 one behind another one, with which it seemed the leader of this group of Tarkatas... no, didn't certainly seem it... was it... was one of the enemies which they hated more... was Baraka, the leader of the Tarkata race. He was possible to be distinguished so that he was more robust than a normal Tarkata, aside from reflecting a cold intelligence in his mad eyes rarely common in those of his species, with which he was patent by a light but resistant armor to be more difficult to kill, and surely also to be made recognize better like leader.

-You will never be able to end Baraka... -Baraka said with a challenging gesture-. Baraka will end all you... NOW!

Taking out one from his Blades while he raised an arm, the first row of Tarkatas was sent against the patrol of Max. This put on guard of defense doing an X with Max in the center, but when the first row was on the verge of reaching them, Baraka repeated the gesture with the other arm and the second row of Tarkatas also was sent to the attack. The first row arrived to where was Max and his soldiers, who sent themselves against the advanced soldiers, which managed to kill each one a Tarkata, but one of the 2 soldiers was died by another Tarkata that crossed the head, whereas Max managed to block a mortal attack towards the other soldier. Then the 2 Tarkatas alive backed down a little, to enlist to the other 4 Tarkata to mount the charge with an advantage from 6 to 4.

The 2 groups attacked and the soldiers of Max managed to behead a Tarkata and mutilate another one, but a pair of Tarkatas managed to hunt one of the soldiers, and each soldier began a fight with a Tarkata, while the other 2 were sent to Max. The Tarkatas fought with a style of fight similar to the Silate combined with attacks of their Blades, whereas the soldiers of the Outworld have been trained in the handling of the Sword and the Krav Maga fighting style, that was the basic style that had been taught thousands ago of years in the army of Shao Kahn, although obvious the most important soldiers of the Outworld, like the same Emperor, they had learned other styles of fight, and Max wasn't an exception. He had gotten to dominate with much effectiveness the fightin style known like Fanzi Quan, although he wasn't first that had learned neither his favourite. The other combats ends with different results, since while a soldier had managed to fall down and later open in channel his Tarkata enemy, the other thought that he had dominated the Tarkata, but this managed to avoid a blow with the sword and he was sent against his rival and he inserted his Blades in the neck and the stomach. The other soldier tried to take revenge, but this Tarkata demonstrated a tremendous agility and eluded the blow again, to begin to remove the internal from the stomach with his Chop Chop Blades. Meanwhile, Max had managed to fall down one of his opponents, but the other finished disarming he with his Blade.

But then the Tarkata discovered as lethal was Max with his preferred fighting style, the Wrestling Style. Max loosen a tremendous kick in the mouth of the stomach that made jump of blow all the air of his lungs with a nauseous breath. Then Max took hold he by both arms twisted them, and put his knees in his head, to jump with the Tarkata, and when falling to print the head against the ground, being burst the head. Max wanted to go to by his sword, but the Tarkata that had demolished previously sent to him above... but Max sent to the ground doing him a trip to the Tarkata, and this fell upon his dead companion... exactly on his Blade, that crossed the heart. Max tried for the second time to take hold his sword, but the other Tarkata, place setting of blood of the soldiers that had killed, jumped over the corpses to perforate the Max's head as like an olive, but Max shaked fast and nailed a kick in his jaw that sent the Tarkata several meters moved away, although as like a cat, fell perfectly into the four extremities. This was sent immediately to Max, but he already could defend with his sword and blockade several attacks, and Max did amage of attack, that the Tarkata counteratacked since he did with the first soldier who died, but Max eluded with great agility and impaled his back with the sword several times before allowing that the body of the Tarkata fell dead in the ground.

Baraka had been contemplating all the battle, and finally he decided to participate, although he walked calmly but with the fixed glance in Max. Max he was put on guard of defense, but Baraka went to the only Tarkata that was with life, one that had mutilated minutes back, and he raised crossing the skull with his Blade, and with the other beheaded it. Baraka undid of the head, and was with the Blades covered with blood raised.

-My Blades want more blood -Baraka shouted in a almost frenzy state-. And I'm going to satiate his thirst destroying your miserable body!

-Then if you want my blood you will have come to her -answered Max challenging.

Baraka was sent against Max, that was defended of the Blade attacks with the Sword, until he began to counterattack equaling the duel, but Baraka in one of his blockades managed to disarm Max, that despite reacted with a kick that fell down to Baraka, but this surprise counterattacked with a Cannonball that knocked down Max several meters. Baraka smiled sadistically and kept his Blades, and Max rose and both began a hand-to-hand kombat. Max was defended of the Silate attacks with his blockades of Fanzi Quan, while he tried to counterattack with Wrestling attacks, but Baraka managed to block them and to make counterattacks with his Hung Gar style, and with this style he managed to break through the defense of Max with the Sharp Things, and cross the Max's armor and hurt the belly with his blade.

-It's not sufficient... -said Baraka while he savored the end of his Blade-. I want everything!

-Then taking this -Max responded.

Possibly the great difference in his Wrestling style of the one of his brother Kalin was that Max didn't matter to play dirty if were necessary, and took hold a little of sand and he sent them in the orange eyes of Baraka, leaving blind before could end Max. Then Max took advantage and send himself towards the Baraka's body and with the shoulder he fell down his rival with as much force that sent he rolling by near cliff. But Baraka managed to take hold itself to this before hurrying to the length emptiness, and made an incredible jump towards the other part of cliff, which climbed without many difficulties.

-You paid me miserable human, Baraka will take your blood to satiate his blades, you will not be able to win me in my territory -shout furious Baraka before disappearing running.

Max rose with a hand in the chest covering his wound, and kept his Sword in his case and he went running towards Huk Law Wong, to recover of his wound and to prepare an army, to take to the Marshes, in search of revenge...

To Be Continued...