The Game

Chapter Five: Shadows of Power

The arena, now silent after the devastating battles, was a broken landscape of shattered ice and scorched earth. Y/n stood amidst the wreckage, her chest still heaving from the fight, her mind racing with disbelief at the power she had just wielded. The powers she now holds, they still feel like a dream, except they weren’t just dreams—they were part of her. But there was something more, something darker stirring within her, whispering from the depths of her new abilities.

Raiden stepped closer, his eyes glowing with quiet intensity. “Your power grows quickly, Y/n. But with great power comes great responsibility.”

Before she could respond, the ground trembled again, and an unnatural chill filled the air. From the far side of the arena, a group of new combatants stepped forward, their silhouettes barely visible through the mist. But as they drew closer, Y/n’s heart sank. These were no ordinary fighters.

Shang Tsung, the soul-stealing sorcerer, led them, his twisted smile visible even from a distance. Beside him stood Kabal, his mask gleaming under the dim light, and behind them, the towering figure of Sheeva, her four muscular arms rippling with deadly intent.

Raiden’s jaw tightened as he turned to Y/n. “The tournament draws darker forces. These are not just combatants—they are beings of pure malice.”

Shang Tsung’s voice echoed across the battlefield, dripping with arrogance. “Ah, the newcomer. There is so much power for one so young. But power, when untamed, leads to destruction.”

Y/n clenched her fists, the energy within her still humming from the last battle. She wasn’t afraid anymore. Not of them, and not of the power inside her.

But as she prepared to fight, something strange happened. A new sensation, darker and more chaotic than before, welled up inside her. It was a power, not like the others. It felt… villainous.

She gasped, recognizing it immediately—feeling like her hands were shaking with the power to disintegrate anything she touched. Her hands tingled with the dangerous energy, and a wave of panic surged through her. This wasn’t a power befitting a warrior of Raiden’s—this was a weapon of destruction, a power more befitting people like Shang Tsung.

Raiden noticed the shift in her stance and stepped closer, his voice calm but firm. “Do not fear your power, Y/n. Whether it is a power born of light or dark, it is the heart of the wielder that defines its purpose.”

His words struck something deep within her. She couldn’t let fear control her. This darkness—if they were part of her now, she would use them for good. She would fight heroically, even with the tools of darkness.

Shang Tsung grinned, his eyes flickering with anticipation. “Come, little one. Show us what you’re truly capable of.”

The fight began in an instant. Kabal was the first to move, his speed nearly blinding as he dashed toward Y/n with his hookswords raised. But Y/n, fueled by the strength of her powers of light, reacted just as quickly. She ducked under his first strike and countered with a powerful right hook, enhanced with a green lightning that sent him skidding across the ground.

But Shang Tsung wasn’t idle. He raised his hands, summoning dark energy as he prepared to steal her soul. Y/n could feel the pull, the unnatural force trying to drain her life away, but she wasn’t helpless.

She reached deep into the darker powers within her and unleashed a fearsome power to manipulate matter on a molecular level. With a sweep of her hand, the ground erupted, jagged stone and earth shooting upward to block Shang Tsung’s attack.

The sorcerer faltered, his eyes narrowing in surprise. “Interesting. You wield a power of chaos.”

Y/n smirked, the confidence rising in her. “I’ll wield whatever it takes to stop your evil from spreading.”

Sheeva, sensing the shift, charged at her with a roar, all four arms swinging in deadly arcs. Y/n barely had time to react, but instinctively, she called upon another power from her memories.

This new power seems to have the ability to manipulate the fabric of space,

Y/n used this as a way of gaining distance between her and Sheeva. She raised her hand and summoned a swirling black portal right in front of Sheeva. The towering warrior barreled forward but was immediately sucked into the portal. A second later, Y/n opened another gate above her, and Sheeva came crashing down from the sky, disoriented and stunned.

Y/n leapt into the air, feeling the surge of power coursing through her legs. With a flash of blue lightning, she brought her fist down in a devastating  Smash, the impact creating a shockwave that sent Sheeva crashing to the ground, unconscious.

Kabal, having recovered, came at her again, but Y/n was ready. This time, she felt a different Quirk well up inside her—a blazingly hot power - she would use this power to protect.

Her left arm ignited with brilliant blue flames, and with a sweeping motion, she unleashed a wave of fire toward Kabal. He tried to dodge, but the flames were too fast, too hot. They engulfed him, forcing him to retreat, his armour glowing red from the heat.

Y/n stood her ground, her breath steady, her body humming with a mix of power—heroic and villainous alike. She didn’t care where these powers came from anymore. What mattered was how she used them.

But Shang Tsung was not so easily defeated. He sneered, his eyes glowing with malevolent power. “You think you can fight me with tricks and borrowed powers? You are nothing but a child playing with fire.”

Y/n’s gaze hardened. “Maybe. But I’ll burn you if I have to.”

Shang Tsung raised his hands, dark energy swirling around him, preparing for a final, devastating attack. The air crackled with tension, and Y/n knew this was it—she had to end this now.

Tapping into the last reserves of her energy, Y/n called upon all the powers that she had accessed. She could feel them merging within her, each one blending into a surge of raw, unstoppable power. She clenched her fists, feeling the weight of the moment.

As Shang Tsung unleashed a torrent of dark magic, Y/n countered with everything she had. Her right hand shot forward. Her left hand ignited with blue flames, scorching the ground beneath her, everything powered her movements, turning her into a force of nature.

With a roar, she charged toward Shang Tsung, her body moving faster than lightning, her fists crackling with both electricity and fire. She struck him with a combination of punches, each one sending shockwaves through the air, each one fueled by the multitude of powers that she possesses.

The final blow came with a burst of energy—a devastating punch that sent Shang Tsung flying backwards, his body crashing into the stone walls of the arena. He slumped to the ground, defeated.

Y/n stood in the center of the battlefield, her body shaking with the effort of holding all that power. The air around her was still, the enemies defeated, the dark energy fading.

Raiden approached her, his expression one of quiet admiration. “You have done the impossible, Y/n. You have harnessed powers of both light and darkness, and used them to protect.”

Y/n, still catching her breath, looked up at Raiden, a small smile forming on her lips. “I don’t care what powers I gain, I’ll use whatever power I need to save people.”

Raiden nodded, his eyes glowing with approval. “Then you truly understand what it means to be a warrior.”

As the battlefield slowly faded, Y/n knew one thing for certain: she was no longer just a player in a game. She was a hero, wielding powers from both sides of the line, and she was ready for whatever came next.

But deep within her, the shadows of those dark powers stirred, reminding her that power—no matter how noble—always came with a price.