he air itself felt wrong.
Not unstable.
Controlled in a way that did not follow Viltrumite logic.
Y/N stood still for half a second longer than usual, allowing his senses to adjust. The structure around him resembled a temple complex, ancient in design but reinforced with something deeper than stone. Symbols lined the walls, faintly glowing with energy that did not behave like technology.
Across from him stood Shang Tsung.
Calm.
Composed.
Watching.
"You adapt quickly," Shang Tsung said, voice smooth and measured.
Y/N did not answer.
He moved first.
A direct approach. Close distance. Eliminate the variable.
His fist cut through the air toward Shang Tsung's chest.
It connected.
But not correctly.
Shang Tsung's form distorted on impact, rippling like liquid before dispersing into green energy that dissolved into the air.
Y/N turned instantly.
Too slow.
A force struck him from behind, not physical at first but something deeper, something that hit through his body rather than against it. He was launched forward, crashing through a stone pillar that shattered on impact.
He recovered immediately.
Turned.
Shang Tsung stood where he had been before.
Untouched.
"You rely on force," Shang Tsung said. "It is effective. In simpler realms."
Y/N stepped forward again.
Faster this time.
He struck again.
This time, the hit landed.
Shang Tsung was driven backward, his feet carving lines into the stone floor.
For a moment, it seemed normal.
Then Shang Tsung smiled.
And everything changed.
The air thickened.
Not physically.
Perceptually.
Y/N's next movement slowed by a fraction, as if something was interfering with the connection between his intent and his action.
That fraction was enough.
Shang Tsung raised a hand.
Energy coiled around it, green and gold, then lashed forward.
It struck Y/N directly.
Pain followed.
Not surface level.
Internal.
Like something was trying to pull him apart from the inside.
Y/N pushed through it.
Closed distance again.
He drew the whip.
The Viltrumite metal cracked through the air, faster than sound, wrapping toward Shang Tsung's arm.
