Face the Stormqueen.

Droplets of water run down from her soaking wet hair, though it doesn't seem to have even the slightest effect. Her eyes don't even flinch. With a crack of her electric whip, the sound of a deafening explosion erupts across the sky--a thunder crash likely heard by those far and wide. "This island is mine to rule," she boasts. "And everyone here is my pet. I have no reason to keep unruly puppies, so after I'm done with you, I'll pay a personal visit to those naughty girls below. I give them a safe place to live. I even bestow upon them fragments of my power for their own use. Because of me, they won't be hunted. And this is how I'm repaid?"

"If all you care about is protecting them, then why are you helping a slaver?" you ask. "You can go off as long as you want, but you're just waiting my time. There's no point in trying to act virtuous."

"We have a mutual agreement. I guard his base of operations from harm, and I'm given a place to rule, and to slumber."

"Does that mean you're afraid of something too?"

"The only thing I fear is somebody wasting so much of my time!" she shouts with widened eyes--a terrifying gaze, illuminated by a flash of lightning. Her whip crashes once more, though this time, it extends out in a deadly lash towards where you stand.

You throw yourself forwards, acrobatically tumbling beneath your opponent's attack, though you can feel the energy tingle down your spine as your hairs stand on-end. Just before you can meet her stomach with the point of your sword, she swipes her hand upwards through the air, causing a torrential rush of wind to throw your strike away to miss, but her counterattack is just as folly, as you easily dodge away before her whip strikes your head. Meanwhile, Thunderbeard stumbles to the side and readiest his trident, though before he can throw it, suddenly it freezes in place.

He turns with a twitching eye--face filling with rage--as he glares up at the towering red dragon Vyzia back in her humanoid form.

"You bitch!" the dwarf screams. Just before the trident bursts, Vyzia leaps away, though he lunges at her with reckless abandon.

You then look back at Stormqueen Tepilli, and you see perhaps this was a part of her plan.

In only about a forty foot radius around you at most, a cage manifested by some sort of sparking metal has both contained you and her, as well as kept your allies away. She smirks down at you, knowingly. It's just a duel now. And outside of these bars you can see and especially hear the scream of more storm elementals the others now must face. Not far away, Vyzia faces Thunderbeard as well, and despite the chaos going on around them, their focus remains locked entirely on each other.

You grasp the handle of Lauo in both hands and whisper, "Entangle Blade," as an unseen **** snakes its way up the steel of the blade. You then thrust forth, and follow it up with a pirouette to slice up across her torso, though the first is parried away by the back of her hand, and before blood can be drawn by the second, she flicks her wrist and wraps her weapon tightly around your own.

The lightning whip squeezes Lauo like a hunting cobra.

She grins down at you. "I'd say I was impressed you got this far, though it would be pointless. You'll die here. Words are pointless now. Either drop your sword or fry to ashes."

"How about neither?" you shout back as blue tendrils erupt from Lauo's blade to wrestle the bindings with its own. Though said tendrils continue up to constrict Tepilli's shoulder.

Her eyes snap over to the encroaching tentacles with a building frustration. "You--How dare you wrap me in bondage?"

You then thrust your palm into her stomach, and at the same time, you yell out, "Pleasure!"

The Stormqueen's eyes widen as humiliating euphoria rushes through her body from head to toe. Her grasp weakens, causing her whip to not only hit the ground, but disappear behind the handle. Though she doesn't fall, she stumbles back, though is yanked around by the tendrils still squeezing up her shoulder and nearly now to her neck. She turns, but you're already midway through your next attack. In a panic, she throws all of her strength backwards, tears the blue tendrils to pieces, but a burst of hair is thrown above her as you manage to cut past her bangs to leave a mark across her forehead.

With a crash, Thunderbeard is thrown to the ground. Vyzia wraps her clawed hand around his face, and drags his body along the grass. She swings her spear down, though the moment before it skewers his stomach, he catches the blow with his own weapon. It's difficult, but he manages to redirect the weight just enough to roll to the side and stand back to his feet, though he's winded and weary. While you've been fighting, it seems more than one blow has landed, while Vyzia looks entirely fine despite a rage overcoming her.

The dwarf smirks, observing something within her. His disgusting toothy grin widens further the more he stares her over until he mutters out, "Filthy dragon. Or should I even call you that? It doesn't look like you can even fly anymore."

"That's enough!" the dragon screams. She throws her spear, narrowly missing his head, but then sprints at him at full speed.

It's what he expected, however. Her rage has blinded her. After dodging at a speed far swifter than a dwarf normally may, he thrusts his trident up into her stomach. A few inches pierce her skin, though what's worse is the shock of lightning that erupts a moment later. The attack fries her both outside and in. Vyzia leaps back and grabs her wound, gritting her teeth as she stares daggers back at her foe.

Stormqueen Tepilli reaches out, and her whip handle flies back into her hand. She flicks her wrist, though this time, the surging energy shapes into a long, wide sword. Slowly, she brings it up, and holds it tight within two hands. "We can keep fighting, though mortals have far less stamina than beings such as myself."

"I assure you, I can last," you reply.

"But can your friends?" she asks with a twisted smile.

You bring Lauo forwards, tracing it with your fingers as you whisper, "Flare Blade," until a scorching weapon's tip is pointed directly at your foe yet again. You can feel energy surge through your body. The rising pink flames flash with a light beyond the mere power of fire. "They can," you finally answer. "But you shouldn't worry about them. Worry about yourself. Come at me."

"... You're far too cocky."

Then you look to the side, and for just a moment, you make direct eye contact with Vyzia, though she seems to be losing her internal battle. "Hey! Vyzia. I know you want to tear him apart, but he's trying to turn you feral."

She snaps back, "I am feral."

"Then use that. But with tact."

"She's a beast!" Thunderbeard shouts. "One that oughta be on a leash."

"She's a warrior," you correct him. Then you look back to the Stormqueen a moment before she strikes.

Her first mighty swing is easy for you to dodge. The second is as well. In a similar vain to what you just beheld outside the cage, Tepilli is finding it difficult to control her emotions. The cloudy sky continues to rain, and crash down with lightning, as the weather seems to mirror the unstable nature of the dominatrix you face. You're far too quick, and it seems she has no hope in actually landing a blow. You've fought Demon Kings. Bedded deities. You managed to survive leading a party of hopeless hotties. There's nothing she can do to stop you, but you allow her to try, over and over again.

Lalarin easily flips over any attacks which come her way. When one could swear a strike was about to land, it narrowly misses. Her skill combined with her luck makes her a difficult opponent to contend with, though the storm elementals don't have much time to ponder on it before they're taken out by a bo staff. And not far from her, Niki is once again destroying one after another. Though Eva's Chain Lightning would be ineffective, she peppers the flying targets with Magic Bolts instead, and they're all backed up by Amara as their support.

Dixby remains behind Fava. Even though the pixie isn't a fighter per se, she's more equipped to deal with danger, and protects the gnome with her life. Before she can be attacked, however, Stax leaps into danger and takes out a couple nearby. She ends up standing side-by-side with Captain Silver, and despite their size different, the two swashbucklers lock blades and march into battle. Malakae relies less on her magic and more her draconic strength as she tears through her enemies in the sky. At the same time, Lynx throws a blade towards one distant elemental--one much larger than the rest, almost like a golem of clouds.

Bek roars and sprints towards it. When he hits it with his maul, a shock of electricity causes his hair to stand on-end, though it doesn't stop his ****. Nothing can.

When especially deadly shocks of lightning do near, Lynx is there to redirect them if she can. Though she isn't as strong and durable as Niki, her ability to manipulation energy is supernatural. The Rite of the Sun can do many things.

Then you thrust the pommel into her stomach, and she falls to her knees. You bring the flaming blade to the back of her neck and stare down at her. "You've lost."

She looks up just in time to watch Thunderbeard get thrown against the cage. Vyzia's one eye rises up above his head, and she looks straight back at the Stormqueen before hurling the dwarf far into the distance. He crashes into the larger of the buildings, and the wall crumbles to pieces. Then she brings out her hand, and once again her spear smacks into her palm. She walks off, back on the hunt. "Thank you, Kyle. As a fellow warrior, I'll make you proud."

"You think I care about that fucking dwarf?!" Tepilli screams. "I--" Her eyes now move upwards, and her face distorts into an emotion beyond rage.

First comes a wave of ice. It isn't from Xue this time, but Aak'aba herself. The beautiful spirit of ice graces the battle with her presence, and speaking of which, Xue walks beside her, seemingly bolstered by her power. From both of them, the battlefield is gradually engulfed into a frozen wasteland. The pool freezes over, and the elementals try desperately to escape into the sky.

"You..." snarls the Stormqueen. "I gave you safety!"

The Empress of Ice scowls. She pulls her up dress, much to your surprise, and reveals her chastity belt in all its frustrating glory. "This is not worth the safety! And what you allow to transpire here is unforgivable."

Then from above, like a meteor from the heavens, comes a blazing inferno. First it scorches through plenty of the elementals in the sky, and then with a fiery explosion, a figure crashes down on the opposite side of the cage. K'iina stands back to her feet, and she smacks her fist into her palm. "Oh I've been dreaming about this moment. J-Just thinking about getting this thing off is m-making it hard to focus. Ooh, I'm getting too excited. I practised this too! Just pretend it's the game, K'iina. Pretend you're facing that skull-faced guy with the game in the final round."

"Shao Kahn," you respond.

"That's right! I'll beat your ass like I'm fighting Shao Kahn!"

You flinch as the flames from your sword rise even higher. It's almost uncontrollable.

Then as she sinks to her hands and knees, the Stormqueen's cage disappears. "You think you've won?" she asks.

A wad of hair then falls to the ground at her side.

She looks over, and then up at Vyzia.

You look to the dragon and slowly realize what you're looking at. "Is that... his beard?" you ask.

"A trophy, as proof," she says. "His body is long gone."

Leaving her sword behind, Tepilli slowly stands back up and stumbles back. The entire army upon her island now forms a circle around her. There's nowhere she can go. Either she surrenders or she dies, as evident by what remains of her dwarven pet now at her feet. "Just like that. I slumber here for years, and it all comes crashing down. If I die, you know this entire mass of land falls into the island below, right? You'll all go with me."

"There's a potential outcome here where you don't die, Tepilli," you say. "But after everything, if you continue, we'll have ****."

"I'm the one in control here!" she screams. As she does, a bolt of lighting arcs between the dark clouds above. "If anyone is to die here, it'll be you!" It happens once more.

It looks like she's desperately searching for a way out, but also hesitates to flee. She wants an answer, but she can't find one. She looks to everybody around her--many different sorts, even demigods are present--and despite her power she now looks and feels smaller than all the rest. Her mouth opens one more time to speak, though it's silenced, and she'll never get the chance to say another as she's pierced and stapled straight into the ground through her spine and out the other side.

A mighty blade, even larger than most two-handed swords should be, sticks into the stained grass beneath her. Above, the clouds have parted, whether from the strike or her power rapidly fading. Everybody looks in shock and awe at the sudden ****, though nobody can spot the attacker. Just then, you feel a sense of dread down your spine. Your Kitty Sense warns you of incredible danger. Taking a step back, you then catch a shape falling from the sky.

It strikes the island like a meteorite of steel.

The hulking man, with the handle of his blade now in his hand, rising up to a towering stand. From head to toe, he's no more than armour. It's impossible to tell if any flesh hides beneath. The dark metal is emblazoned by tiny spikes, with horns that curl up from his helmet, though where his eyes should be look like no more than an abyss beyond two single points of white light. He wears a thick woollen cloak that billows in the breeze of the dying storm. And as she remains there, what looks like a torrent of wind wafts up from beneath him, though you notice straight after a familiar sight. In manner of moments, he's consumed the Stormqueen's soul. For just a moment, her own crackle of lightning surges up his body before disappearing, like a swallow before digestion.

K'iina and Aak'aba look especially terrified.

The Empress of Fire steps backwards. "Shao Kahn? No--" But then she screams, "We need to run!"

Then a moment after, the ground beneath your feet erupts. The island you're on begins to shatter into pieces at a rapid pace. Not only does it crumble apart, but it begins to fall towards the land below. All the while, the mysterious man remains stoic, almost like he's watching you curiously.

"To me, everyone!" you call out in panic. "We gotta get to safer ground!"

Then K'iina runs off towards the edge. "My game console!" she shouts before leaping.

Aak'aba groans. "I can't believe her... Wait for me!" And she follows suit.

Eva runs directly into your arms. She looks up to you with pleading eyes. "What do you we do, Kyle? We're all about to fall!"

"I'll Bunny Hop every last person here to safety, god damn it!" you yell to all you can hear. "Nobody is falling on my watch!"