Set around the events bridging the end of the first Mortal Kombat into Mortal Kombat II, the story opens with Earthrealm's warriors fighting for their lives against Outworld's forces on Shang Tsung's island fortress. Liu Kang confronts the sorcerer and gains the upper hand, only for Goro to crash into the battle; while the heroes are distracted by the new threat, Shang Tsung opens a portal to Outworld and flees with his evil allies as the fortress collapses around them. Escaping, Liu Kang and Kung Lao find the Wu Shi Academy under siege by Baraka and his Tarkatans. After driving them off, the duo resolve to meet the threat head-on despite the odds, battling through Outworld itself to face Shao Kahn in person.