The flames flickered in the distance, casting an ominous glow against the ruins of the Shirai Ryu village. Hanzo Hasashi, or what was left of him, knelt at the heart of it all. Scorpion. The name echoed through his mind like the crack of a whip—sharp, stinging, permanent. He traced the scorched earth with his fingertips, still able to feel the life that had once thrived here, his home, his family.

Gone. All of it—gone.

The scent of ash filled his lungs, mixed with something deeper. Anger. It was always there, smoldering just beneath his skin, ready to ignite. His fingers curled into the dirt, eyes narrowing into slits of pure hatred.

Sub-Zero.

That cursed name. It was the name of the man who had stolen everything from him. His clan, his wife, his son—all buried in blood and frost. Hanzo had been a man once, a warrior who knew honor. But now? There was nothing left of that. Now, all that remained was a creature forged from suffering, built from the fires of vengeance. Scorpion.

His fist clenched, the muscles in his arm tightening like coiled rope. The world around him felt small, insignificant. Only one thing mattered now—finding Sub-Zero and delivering the justice that had been denied. He wanted to feel the cold, wanted to look into that soulless mask one last time before plunging his blade through it.

He rose slowly, his movements measured, deliberate. Every breath he took felt like it burned on the way out, the inferno of rage fueling his undead body. He wasn’t just a man of flesh and blood anymore. He was something far worse. Something that could never be broken again because he had already been shattered beyond repair.

I will find you, Bi-Han.