Chapter 11: - Pheonix and Shadows
"Duellists ready?"
"Ready." Kari nodded.
"Yeap." Mai grinned.
"Mai Valentine to go first."
"Let's Duel!"
Mai drew, "I play two cards face down and play Harpie Lady in attack mode. It's your move Kari!"
"I play three cards face down and end my turn." Kari replied, the three cards appearing on her field.
"Is that all? I'm disappointed." Mai said, drawing, "Cyber Harpie Lady, attack mode and they both attack you!"
"I activate Scapegoat!" Kari activated it quickly. The two Harpies destroyed two sheep instead.
"Nice counter." Mai paused, "Kari, if I can ask, why did you enter this Tournament?"
"It probably sounds really bad." Kari went bright red, "But I actually entered for the Prize money. It's not cheap moving aboard and I need the money for rent."
Mai smiled slightly, "Alright, your move."
"I play another card face down and end my turn!"
"I activate Elegant Egotist to call forth my Harpie Lady Sisters." Mai gave Kari a sympathetic look, "I guess you weren't quick ready for our league, Harpies attack!"
Robyn squealed and clapped, much to the surprise of the gang.
"I activate Mirror Force!" The trap card activated, reflecting the attacks back and destroying all of Mai's Harpies.
"What?" Mai yelped, "Fine, I play a card face down and end my turn."
Kari drew, looking at her friend for a split second who grinned back before summoning Double Costan, a 1700 attack point monster that was the Dark equivalent of Kaiba's Kaiser Seahorse.
"Double Costan! Attack!"
Mai's points dropped to 2700.
"Your move Mai, I'm not out of this yet."
'Kari's doing well.' Yami said, appearing at Yugi's side in spirit form, confident no one could see him.
"If you're not careful I'll think you have a crush on her." Yugi teased, watching as Mai made her move.
Mai drew, "I play Amazoness Fighter in attack mode and play Amazoness Spellcaster, swapping my Fighter and your Double Costan's attack points! Amazoness Fighter, destroy Double Costan!"
The zombie card blew up.
"Your move."
'How long do you think she'll last against Mai?'
"Oh, I think Kari'll take her." Robyn answered, startling everyone.
"I activate Monster Reincarnation," Kari said, "Bringing Double Costan back to my hand and I summon it again. Double Costan, attack!" It got revenge on the Fighter but Mai didn't lose any life points, "Your move Mai."
'She can see me?'
"You can see him?" Yugi and Yami asked simultaneously.
Robyn nodded. "And I'm wondering why you're haunting your doppelganger." She said, smiling slyly at Yami.
Mai drew, "Harpie Lady in defence mode and equip her with Rose Whip." Harpie Lady grew to 1700 defence points. "Your move."
Yugi looked at Yami. "What should we tell her?"
'What you think is best.'
Robyn turned her eyes back to the match, "You don't have to tell me anything. I'm just curious."
Yugi and Yami fell silent, thinking.
"So what does Yugi call you?"
'Yami.'
"I use Double Costan as two tributes to summon my Dark Magician." Kari's odd robed magician appeared, "And he attacks Harpie Lady!" Harpie Lady exploded, "Because a Spellcaster attacked I can activate Magician's Circle, allowing me to summon the Dark Magician Girl!" The girl magician nodded to her teacher. "Your move."
"I play Spell Reproduction, giving up De-spell and Elf's Light to bring Elegant Egotist back to my hand, and summon Amazoness Chain Master in defence mode!"
The turn moved back to Kari, "I summon Magician's Valkeria!" Kari called, the 1600 attack point mage joining those already on the field, "She destroys your Amazoness Chain Master." Now Kari was the one who looked disappointed, "It's over already? Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, attack!"
Robyn flinched, and tried to cover it by turning back to Yami.
"I activate Mirror Wall!"
The two Magicians had their attack points cut in half, lowering them to 1250 and 1000. Mai was saved by 450.
"Nice!" Kari grinned, "Your move."
"So is there a reason you're haunting your lookalike?" Robyn asked Yami curiously.
"Does Kari know about Yami?" Yugi asked.
"She suspects there's two of you, but she didn't realise Yami was a spirit." Robyn replied, "But you didn't answer my question."
Mai drew and grinned, "I summon Harpie Lady and activate Elegant Egotist!" The sisters reappeared. "They attack your Valkeria and your Dark Magicians!"
"I activate Waboku!" She yelled over the Harpie's screeching. The trap card saved her life points but not her monsters.
"Your move."
"Alright then." Kari drew, "Dust Tornado to destroy Mirror Wall!" The tornado did it's job, "Then I activate Monster Reborn, bringing back my Dark Magician Girl!" This time she had 2300 attack points.
"Attack one of those Harpies!"
One died, enraging the other two.
"I end my turn."
'Can we tell you once the Quarter Finals are over?' Yami asked Robyn.
"I play Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation." Mai activated it and Kari gulped at the phoenix that swooped at her and destroyed her Dark Magician Girl and one of her Scapegoat as it came, her points dropping to 1700. "I play Card of Sanctity allowing us both to draw until we have six cards in our hands, play a card face down and end my turn."
Robyn sighed and nodded.
"Skilled Dark Magician, attack mode and I equip him with Mage Power, giving him 500 points for every magic and trap card, like these two." She set two cards face down, "Skilled Dark Magician! Attack!"
"Harpie Lady Sparrow Formation!" Mai activated it, saving herself again.
"I end my turn."
Mai drew, played a card face down and switched her Harpies to defence mode. "Your move."
"Dark Blade in attack mode and I equip him with Sword of Dark Rites." Kari growled, "And my monsters attack your Harpies."
Mai's remaining two Harpies died.
"Your move."
"Dunames Dark Witch, in defence mode!" Mai called, setting the monster. "Your move Kari."
She drew, "Then I end it, Dark Blade, destroy her witch!" It died with a pained scream, "And Skilled Dark Magician!" He didn't even need a command, he attacked, wiping the last of Mai's life points out. "Good game." Kari said, rushing over and shaking her hand.
"I knew fighting you would be a challenge, but I can't say I'm sorry to be out." Mai said with a small, pensive smile. "You will be careful, won't you?"
"Sure." Kari nodded. "I will." She grinned slightly as the two of them stepped down, "So how did I do?" She asked Robyn, with a grin as Joey watched Xuan take his place on the platform.
"Joey, be careful." Yami growled, taking over from Yugi.
"I will Yuge." Joey nodded, before going up himself.
Robyn swiped at her friend's head, "I thought I said to watch out for the Phoenix?"
"I didn't have anything to block it." Kari defended herself.
"Right… and attacking when she had a trap on field?"
Kari looked embarrassed at that, "Well I had to find out what it was somehow…"
Robyn shrugged, "O'well, at least your next match is a little predictable."
"Unpredictable?"
"Well yeah, I might know your deck really well, and I've Mai's in action, but Joey's is based on gambling and I've yet to see the fool's deck."
Joey glared at Xuan who merely smirked back.
"Duellists ready?"
"Ready." Both Duellists called.
"Xuan Li to move first."
"Let's Duel." Both Duellists called.
Xuan drew, "I summon Radiant Jeral, in defence mode and play the Sanctuary in the Sky!" Around them the arena faded into a huge, majestic looking coliseum, the only thing that remained was the snow.
"It's a field card." Xuan told Joey, "And you'll see what it does. I play one card face down and end my turn."
Joey drew, "I play Hayabusa Knight in attack mode and equip him with Lightening Sword, then I play two cards face down and end my turn."
Robyn for once was paying full attention to the duel, and began to strangle her scarf.
Kari wasn't seeing things she was sure of it, as something swished and the sky turned dark, purples and blacks where blues and whites had once been.
"I'm not afraid of an illusion." Joey growled, "Or didn't you learn from your pal Johnson's mistake?"
"This is no illusion, Wheeler." Xuan smirked catching Joey's gaze.
Joey let out a pained yelp and his hand came to his head as something brought a memory painfully to the front of his mind. Bullying Yugi…
"Joey!" Yami called, "Are you alright?"
"F… fine Yuge." Joey replied, he turned to glare at Xuan as the guy drew, "What have you done?"
"Called the Shadows." Xuan smirked, "They'll attack your mind at the end of every turn, bringing forward painful memories." Xuan looked at his hand, "Gellenduo in attack mode. I end my turn Wheeler."
The tape from Serenity.
Joey looked a little pale as he drew.
"How could Xuan call the Shadows?"
'I don't know.'
"I summon Blue Flame Swordsman in attack mode!"
"Activate Widespread Ruin."
Joey's Blue Flame Swordsman died and Joey growled, "I play The Warrior Returning Alive to bring him back to my hand and end my turn."
Playing Mai for the first time with everything at stake.
Xuan drew, "I'm going to introduce you to one of my most powerful beasts now, my Gellenduo works like Miss Ironhide's Double Costan, but for Light Fairy Monsters, so I sacrifice it, for Guardian Angel Joan!" The angelic woman appeared on the field with 2800 attack points. "Guardian Angel Joan, attack his Hayabusa Knight!"
Joey's birdlike knight died with a squawk and Joey lost 1200 life points, while Xuan gained them through Joan's special effect.
"You can do it, Joey." Kari whispered as Yami, Tea and Tristan gave much more audible support.
"I end my turn."
Vs Bakura as the Flame Swordsman.
"Eyes are the windows to the soul." Robyn said, looking at Yami again.
The Pharaoh looked at her, sure there was something she meant by that, but what? Could it help Joey?
Joey growled, "I play a card in defence mode and end my turn."
Yugi fighting Panik and his pyrotechnics.
Xuan drew, "I summon Royal Knight, in attack mode!" He smirked at Joey, "Joan, destroy his face down card!"
Everyone held their breath for a second as the card in question flipped up.
"What is that?"
"Fiber Jar." Joey replied, "We have to return all the cards on the field and in our hands and Graveyards back to our deck, shuffle them and draw a new hand of five cards!"
Xuan didn't look happy as the coliseum faded but the purple and black sky stayed and he drew a fresh hand. "A card face down and I end my turn."
Fighting Kaiba with the prototype Duel Disks.
Joey drew, this was a whole new game, he could cope with this. "I summon Flame Swordsman in attack mode and attack you directly!"
Xuan had to take it, losing 1800 points.
"Your move."
Joey let out another pained gasp as whatever was ripping through his memories reached further into his mind.
Fighting alongside Hirutani.
Joey shook his head, those had been some of his darker days, when his mother had just left with Serenity and he'd been 'taken under Hirutani's wing'.
"What's the matter Wheeler?" Xuan asked, "Can't take the pressure."
Joey glared at him and recoiled unwillingly from the memory that assaulted him.
His mother driving away with Serenity in the car.
Xuan just drew, summoning Harvest, Angel of Wisdom from his deck. It was 1800 too and Xuan played one more card before ending his turn.
Mai vs Marik.
Joey drew. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight and play Attrition!"
Before Joey could explain what it did, Xuan activated Magic Jammer and Light , discarding a card to destroy it. "And do you know what's even better Wheeler?" Xuan laughed, "Because that was a counter trap I can sacrifice my Angel of Wisdom to summon Voltanis the Adjudicator!" Joey's Flame Swordsman exploded in an attack from the huge purply blue monster.
"But it's my turn!" Joey protested.
"That was Voltanis's effect." Xuan smirked, "Because I gave up one monster to summon him, he automatically destroys one monster."
"I play a card face down and end my turn."
Fighting Yugi in the Death Duel.
"Joey's in real trouble here." Tristan murmured, earning himself a swat from a worried looking Tea.
"I think he needs a pair of blinds." Robyn said. Tristan decided that her comment didn't translate properly and was too worried by the grin on Xuan's face to hear Kari's reply.
"Robyn, that's not helpful."
"It's all over Wheeler." Xuan called, "I activate Lightening Vortex, discarding one card from my hand to destroy all your monsters."
Joey growled, his face down card was Graceful Dice, it couldn't help him now.
"Joey only has 2800 points left!" Kari's eyes went wide.
"He's going to lose." Xuan nodded, amused, "Voltanis, attack him directly!"
Joey threw his arms up to protect himself, but the blast from Voltanis's staff hit him backwards, wiping out his life points.
There weren't many who noticed the extra colour in the blast or the movement of Xuan's lips.
Joey didn't get up.
"I believe you can announce me the winner now." Xuan said to a stunned Roland as the shadows faded.
Yami was already moving as the platform lowered itself, at Joey's side before it was completely settled. "Joey? Joey!"
"He's just unconscious, Pharaoh." Xuan laughed, "He'll wake soon enough."
"What did you do?" Yami snarled.
Xuan left without saying a word, retreating to the blimp to await the announcement of the Semi Final match ups.
"Kari, if you take him down, I'll make sure the proper authorities pick him up."
"What?" Kari asked her best friend, stunned for a moment, then blanched slightly, "Oh Gods, I've got him next!"
"It was just a few tricks, don't look in his eyes, focus on your cards and remember your memories make you who you are." Robyn said quietly. Kari didn't have time to respond as the doctor from yesterday and some of the blimp crew arrived with a stretcher, collecting Joey. The gang followed them back to the infirmary.
"Ready." Kari nodded.
"Yeap." Mai grinned.
"Mai Valentine to go first."
"Let's Duel!"
Mai drew, "I play two cards face down and play Harpie Lady in attack mode. It's your move Kari!"
"I play three cards face down and end my turn." Kari replied, the three cards appearing on her field.
"Is that all? I'm disappointed." Mai said, drawing, "Cyber Harpie Lady, attack mode and they both attack you!"
"I activate Scapegoat!" Kari activated it quickly. The two Harpies destroyed two sheep instead.
"Nice counter." Mai paused, "Kari, if I can ask, why did you enter this Tournament?"
"It probably sounds really bad." Kari went bright red, "But I actually entered for the Prize money. It's not cheap moving aboard and I need the money for rent."
Mai smiled slightly, "Alright, your move."
"I play another card face down and end my turn!"
"I activate Elegant Egotist to call forth my Harpie Lady Sisters." Mai gave Kari a sympathetic look, "I guess you weren't quick ready for our league, Harpies attack!"
Robyn squealed and clapped, much to the surprise of the gang.
"I activate Mirror Force!" The trap card activated, reflecting the attacks back and destroying all of Mai's Harpies.
"What?" Mai yelped, "Fine, I play a card face down and end my turn."
Kari drew, looking at her friend for a split second who grinned back before summoning Double Costan, a 1700 attack point monster that was the Dark equivalent of Kaiba's Kaiser Seahorse.
"Double Costan! Attack!"
Mai's points dropped to 2700.
"Your move Mai, I'm not out of this yet."
'Kari's doing well.' Yami said, appearing at Yugi's side in spirit form, confident no one could see him.
"If you're not careful I'll think you have a crush on her." Yugi teased, watching as Mai made her move.
Mai drew, "I play Amazoness Fighter in attack mode and play Amazoness Spellcaster, swapping my Fighter and your Double Costan's attack points! Amazoness Fighter, destroy Double Costan!"
The zombie card blew up.
"Your move."
'How long do you think she'll last against Mai?'
"Oh, I think Kari'll take her." Robyn answered, startling everyone.
"I activate Monster Reincarnation," Kari said, "Bringing Double Costan back to my hand and I summon it again. Double Costan, attack!" It got revenge on the Fighter but Mai didn't lose any life points, "Your move Mai."
'She can see me?'
"You can see him?" Yugi and Yami asked simultaneously.
Robyn nodded. "And I'm wondering why you're haunting your doppelganger." She said, smiling slyly at Yami.
Mai drew, "Harpie Lady in defence mode and equip her with Rose Whip." Harpie Lady grew to 1700 defence points. "Your move."
Yugi looked at Yami. "What should we tell her?"
'What you think is best.'
Robyn turned her eyes back to the match, "You don't have to tell me anything. I'm just curious."
Yugi and Yami fell silent, thinking.
"So what does Yugi call you?"
'Yami.'
"I use Double Costan as two tributes to summon my Dark Magician." Kari's odd robed magician appeared, "And he attacks Harpie Lady!" Harpie Lady exploded, "Because a Spellcaster attacked I can activate Magician's Circle, allowing me to summon the Dark Magician Girl!" The girl magician nodded to her teacher. "Your move."
"I play Spell Reproduction, giving up De-spell and Elf's Light to bring Elegant Egotist back to my hand, and summon Amazoness Chain Master in defence mode!"
The turn moved back to Kari, "I summon Magician's Valkeria!" Kari called, the 1600 attack point mage joining those already on the field, "She destroys your Amazoness Chain Master." Now Kari was the one who looked disappointed, "It's over already? Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, attack!"
Robyn flinched, and tried to cover it by turning back to Yami.
"I activate Mirror Wall!"
The two Magicians had their attack points cut in half, lowering them to 1250 and 1000. Mai was saved by 450.
"Nice!" Kari grinned, "Your move."
"So is there a reason you're haunting your lookalike?" Robyn asked Yami curiously.
"Does Kari know about Yami?" Yugi asked.
"She suspects there's two of you, but she didn't realise Yami was a spirit." Robyn replied, "But you didn't answer my question."
Mai drew and grinned, "I summon Harpie Lady and activate Elegant Egotist!" The sisters reappeared. "They attack your Valkeria and your Dark Magicians!"
"I activate Waboku!" She yelled over the Harpie's screeching. The trap card saved her life points but not her monsters.
"Your move."
"Alright then." Kari drew, "Dust Tornado to destroy Mirror Wall!" The tornado did it's job, "Then I activate Monster Reborn, bringing back my Dark Magician Girl!" This time she had 2300 attack points.
"Attack one of those Harpies!"
One died, enraging the other two.
"I end my turn."
'Can we tell you once the Quarter Finals are over?' Yami asked Robyn.
"I play Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation." Mai activated it and Kari gulped at the phoenix that swooped at her and destroyed her Dark Magician Girl and one of her Scapegoat as it came, her points dropping to 1700. "I play Card of Sanctity allowing us both to draw until we have six cards in our hands, play a card face down and end my turn."
Robyn sighed and nodded.
"Skilled Dark Magician, attack mode and I equip him with Mage Power, giving him 500 points for every magic and trap card, like these two." She set two cards face down, "Skilled Dark Magician! Attack!"
"Harpie Lady Sparrow Formation!" Mai activated it, saving herself again.
"I end my turn."
Mai drew, played a card face down and switched her Harpies to defence mode. "Your move."
"Dark Blade in attack mode and I equip him with Sword of Dark Rites." Kari growled, "And my monsters attack your Harpies."
Mai's remaining two Harpies died.
"Your move."
"Dunames Dark Witch, in defence mode!" Mai called, setting the monster. "Your move Kari."
She drew, "Then I end it, Dark Blade, destroy her witch!" It died with a pained scream, "And Skilled Dark Magician!" He didn't even need a command, he attacked, wiping the last of Mai's life points out. "Good game." Kari said, rushing over and shaking her hand.
"I knew fighting you would be a challenge, but I can't say I'm sorry to be out." Mai said with a small, pensive smile. "You will be careful, won't you?"
"Sure." Kari nodded. "I will." She grinned slightly as the two of them stepped down, "So how did I do?" She asked Robyn, with a grin as Joey watched Xuan take his place on the platform.
"Joey, be careful." Yami growled, taking over from Yugi.
"I will Yuge." Joey nodded, before going up himself.
Robyn swiped at her friend's head, "I thought I said to watch out for the Phoenix?"
"I didn't have anything to block it." Kari defended herself.
"Right… and attacking when she had a trap on field?"
Kari looked embarrassed at that, "Well I had to find out what it was somehow…"
Robyn shrugged, "O'well, at least your next match is a little predictable."
"Unpredictable?"
"Well yeah, I might know your deck really well, and I've Mai's in action, but Joey's is based on gambling and I've yet to see the fool's deck."
Joey glared at Xuan who merely smirked back.
"Duellists ready?"
"Ready." Both Duellists called.
"Xuan Li to move first."
"Let's Duel." Both Duellists called.
Xuan drew, "I summon Radiant Jeral, in defence mode and play the Sanctuary in the Sky!" Around them the arena faded into a huge, majestic looking coliseum, the only thing that remained was the snow.
"It's a field card." Xuan told Joey, "And you'll see what it does. I play one card face down and end my turn."
Joey drew, "I play Hayabusa Knight in attack mode and equip him with Lightening Sword, then I play two cards face down and end my turn."
Robyn for once was paying full attention to the duel, and began to strangle her scarf.
Kari wasn't seeing things she was sure of it, as something swished and the sky turned dark, purples and blacks where blues and whites had once been.
"I'm not afraid of an illusion." Joey growled, "Or didn't you learn from your pal Johnson's mistake?"
"This is no illusion, Wheeler." Xuan smirked catching Joey's gaze.
Joey let out a pained yelp and his hand came to his head as something brought a memory painfully to the front of his mind. Bullying Yugi…
"Joey!" Yami called, "Are you alright?"
"F… fine Yuge." Joey replied, he turned to glare at Xuan as the guy drew, "What have you done?"
"Called the Shadows." Xuan smirked, "They'll attack your mind at the end of every turn, bringing forward painful memories." Xuan looked at his hand, "Gellenduo in attack mode. I end my turn Wheeler."
The tape from Serenity.
Joey looked a little pale as he drew.
"How could Xuan call the Shadows?"
'I don't know.'
"I summon Blue Flame Swordsman in attack mode!"
"Activate Widespread Ruin."
Joey's Blue Flame Swordsman died and Joey growled, "I play The Warrior Returning Alive to bring him back to my hand and end my turn."
Playing Mai for the first time with everything at stake.
Xuan drew, "I'm going to introduce you to one of my most powerful beasts now, my Gellenduo works like Miss Ironhide's Double Costan, but for Light Fairy Monsters, so I sacrifice it, for Guardian Angel Joan!" The angelic woman appeared on the field with 2800 attack points. "Guardian Angel Joan, attack his Hayabusa Knight!"
Joey's birdlike knight died with a squawk and Joey lost 1200 life points, while Xuan gained them through Joan's special effect.
"You can do it, Joey." Kari whispered as Yami, Tea and Tristan gave much more audible support.
"I end my turn."
Vs Bakura as the Flame Swordsman.
"Eyes are the windows to the soul." Robyn said, looking at Yami again.
The Pharaoh looked at her, sure there was something she meant by that, but what? Could it help Joey?
Joey growled, "I play a card in defence mode and end my turn."
Yugi fighting Panik and his pyrotechnics.
Xuan drew, "I summon Royal Knight, in attack mode!" He smirked at Joey, "Joan, destroy his face down card!"
Everyone held their breath for a second as the card in question flipped up.
"What is that?"
"Fiber Jar." Joey replied, "We have to return all the cards on the field and in our hands and Graveyards back to our deck, shuffle them and draw a new hand of five cards!"
Xuan didn't look happy as the coliseum faded but the purple and black sky stayed and he drew a fresh hand. "A card face down and I end my turn."
Fighting Kaiba with the prototype Duel Disks.
Joey drew, this was a whole new game, he could cope with this. "I summon Flame Swordsman in attack mode and attack you directly!"
Xuan had to take it, losing 1800 points.
"Your move."
Joey let out another pained gasp as whatever was ripping through his memories reached further into his mind.
Fighting alongside Hirutani.
Joey shook his head, those had been some of his darker days, when his mother had just left with Serenity and he'd been 'taken under Hirutani's wing'.
"What's the matter Wheeler?" Xuan asked, "Can't take the pressure."
Joey glared at him and recoiled unwillingly from the memory that assaulted him.
His mother driving away with Serenity in the car.
Xuan just drew, summoning Harvest, Angel of Wisdom from his deck. It was 1800 too and Xuan played one more card before ending his turn.
Mai vs Marik.
Joey drew. "I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight and play Attrition!"
Before Joey could explain what it did, Xuan activated Magic Jammer and Light , discarding a card to destroy it. "And do you know what's even better Wheeler?" Xuan laughed, "Because that was a counter trap I can sacrifice my Angel of Wisdom to summon Voltanis the Adjudicator!" Joey's Flame Swordsman exploded in an attack from the huge purply blue monster.
"But it's my turn!" Joey protested.
"That was Voltanis's effect." Xuan smirked, "Because I gave up one monster to summon him, he automatically destroys one monster."
"I play a card face down and end my turn."
Fighting Yugi in the Death Duel.
"Joey's in real trouble here." Tristan murmured, earning himself a swat from a worried looking Tea.
"I think he needs a pair of blinds." Robyn said. Tristan decided that her comment didn't translate properly and was too worried by the grin on Xuan's face to hear Kari's reply.
"Robyn, that's not helpful."
"It's all over Wheeler." Xuan called, "I activate Lightening Vortex, discarding one card from my hand to destroy all your monsters."
Joey growled, his face down card was Graceful Dice, it couldn't help him now.
"Joey only has 2800 points left!" Kari's eyes went wide.
"He's going to lose." Xuan nodded, amused, "Voltanis, attack him directly!"
Joey threw his arms up to protect himself, but the blast from Voltanis's staff hit him backwards, wiping out his life points.
There weren't many who noticed the extra colour in the blast or the movement of Xuan's lips.
Joey didn't get up.
"I believe you can announce me the winner now." Xuan said to a stunned Roland as the shadows faded.
Yami was already moving as the platform lowered itself, at Joey's side before it was completely settled. "Joey? Joey!"
"He's just unconscious, Pharaoh." Xuan laughed, "He'll wake soon enough."
"What did you do?" Yami snarled.
Xuan left without saying a word, retreating to the blimp to await the announcement of the Semi Final match ups.
"Kari, if you take him down, I'll make sure the proper authorities pick him up."
"What?" Kari asked her best friend, stunned for a moment, then blanched slightly, "Oh Gods, I've got him next!"
"It was just a few tricks, don't look in his eyes, focus on your cards and remember your memories make you who you are." Robyn said quietly. Kari didn't have time to respond as the doctor from yesterday and some of the blimp crew arrived with a stretcher, collecting Joey. The gang followed them back to the infirmary.