Chapter 14: - Wingweaver
"Oh great, I'm up next." Kari whispered as Yami and Kaiba exchanged traditional end of match arguments and the platform lowered for the next to step up, opening the note.
Good luck Kari. You're the strongest person I know. You can win this. Don't let the magic trick you into losing the Duel.
Robyn.
P.S. Put this in your deck, you're going to need her.
"Wingweaver." Kari breathed, it was Robyn's favourite card… no that was an understatement, Wingweaver to Robyn was like Dark Magician Girl to Kari, a trusted partner, for her to be entrusted to Kari for this match meant she was really going to need her. Wait… she read the note again. "So it was magic."
"Ready?" Yugi2 asked her as she shuffled Wingweaver into her deck.
Kari snorted, "As ready as I'm going to get."
"Good luck."
Kari nodded her thanks and stepped up onto the platform, refusing to make eye contact with the man she was about to fight.
"You seem afraid of me." She could hear the smirk in Xuan's voice.
"I'm not scared of you."
"Then face me like a real Duellist."
"I'm not a fool." She responded, keeping her mind on Robyn's warning.
"Are both Duellists ready?"
Kari nodded without taking her eyes from her deck and heard Xuan respond with "Ready."
"Kari Ironhide to move first."
"Let's Duel."
Kari drew, "One card face down and Dark Blade in attack mode and I equip him with Sword of Dark Rites, increasing his attack by 400. Your move Xuan."
Xuan snorted, "I set a card in defence mode and play Sanctuary in the Sky." The coliseum from his match with Joey was back. "I also set one card face down and end my turn."
No Shadows… he's not calling them? "I set a card face down and attack your face down card!"
It exploded, it was a ring of some kind with wings and wrapped by a ribbon. "It's called Nova Summoner, when it's destroyed I can summon Airknight Parshath from my deck."
The winged knight appeared on the field.
"Your move, Xuan."
"Still afraid to look at me?"
"I told you, I'm not stupid."
"It doesn't matter." Kari let out a startled gasp as the Shadows closed in around them and a cord of light connected her to Dark Blade, "I sacrifice Airknight Parshath to summon Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin!"
The huge angelic beast was big enough to dwarf the Duellists.
"He's still not strong enough to take my Dark Blade!" Kari growled.
"Not yet, but if I equip him with Cetus of Dagla…" It grew to 2800. "Now you'll see what the Shadows do this time. Neo-Parshath, attack!"
Dark Blade was destroyed in the attack, the light cord recoiled and Kari screamed in pain.
Xuan waited to speak again until she had regained her breath and could look just below eye level at him.
"Wh…wha… what was that?" She stammered, trying not to shake with the aftermath of the pain that had ripped through her body.
"I warned you to quit before, the Shadows will cause you to feel every bit of pain felt by your monsters. It's not too late you know, just surrender the Duel now and you won't have to go through that again."
"I… I'm not afraid of you."
"Your eyes speak otherwise."
Kari quickly looked away again.
"By the way. It's your move."
Kari drew and studied her hand, "I set a card in defence mode." Kari growled, "And one face down and end my turn."
She glanced at her new friends, who were giving Xuan the dirtiest look she could imagine as a fresh cord connected her to her monster.
"I summon Gellenduo in attack mode and they attack your face down card."
The Gellenduo were destroyed by her Old Vindictive Magician as they destroyed him. Another scream of pain came from Kari, but she was rewarded by a grunt of pain from Xuan as Gellenduo blew up.
She was still cringing from the fading pain as he ordered his Neo-Parshath to attack her directly.
"I activate Shadow Spell!"
The huge fairy was bound in chains that lowered his attack by 700 and stopped it in it's tracks.
"I took Gellenduo's attack to stop your Neo-Parshath." Kari smiled. "I told you. I'm not scared."
"Fine, I end my turn."
Kari drew and grinned, it was the Dark Magician Girl that Robyn had given her, "I play Monster Reborn to bring back Old Vindictive Magician and sacrifice him for the Dark Magician Girl!" The magician appeared on the field with glare at Xuan, "And I activate my other two face down cards, Sage's Stone and Magic Formula." Kari's Dark Magician appeared on the field and Dark Magician Girl went up by 700.
"Dark Magician Girl, attack Neo-Parshath!"
He didn't cry out in pain as his monster was destroyed.
"What?"
"My Sanctuary in the Sky is protecting my monsters, they feel no pain as they die but your Dark Monsters are without protection. I will lose no life points from losing my fairies."
"So your Shadows affect me only?" Kari's voice wavered. She had been betting on the effects hurting him too.
Joey and Tea entered the Coliseum.
"That's right, your deck, steeped in darkness, doesn't have the same protections from Sanctuary in the Sky that my deck, born from light, does."
"In other words he's a cheating b...d!" Kari couldn't help the smile that grew on her face at Tristan's remark.
"What's happening?" Joey asked after waving off Yugi2's concerned questions.
"Xuan's cheating at his own Shadow Game." Yugi2 said, "Protecting himself and letting Kari feel the effects." Joey looked outraged but also like he felt guilty…. Oh… of course, he felt that it was his fault because he hadn't beaten Xuan in the quarters.
"Dark Magician, attack him directly!" She bellowed. She had the satisfaction of a cry from him that time as his points dropped to 1500.
I end my turn." Kari called, still focusing in the one card in her hand, her two Magicians guarding her.
Xuan drew and once again she could hear the smirk in his tone, "I play Lightening Vortex!"
"No!" Kari cried out, then screamed in agony as her two Magicians were attacked by lightening.
She found herself on her knees when the pain stopped, her points growing by 1000.
She forced herself to her feet as Xuan summoned Harvest, Angel of Wisdom.
She wondered if it was bad that the pain she felt from the attack was less then the pain the shadows were causing as she lost 1800.
She drew, "A card in defence mode, Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Sanctuary and a card face down. That's it for this turn."
"I summon Freya, Spirit of Victory. She boosts my fairies by 400 and you can't attack her while she's protected by other fairies. Now, Harvest, attack her face down card!"
She screamed as her defence mode Magician of Faith was torn apart by Harvest, on hands and knees by the time it was gone.
"Th…" She couldn't croak it out.
"I know what it does, chose your Magic Card." Xuan said.
He waited until she'd taken Monster Reborn back before sending Freya to attack her.
Still on the ground she couldn't bring herself to move. It hurt, oh Gods it hurt, but she had the card she needed now, if she could focus on anything but the fact she hurt for long enough to pull of the move she needed and draw the right card.
"Kari!" She raised her head and looked at Yugi2.
"Y…Yugi?"
"Don't give in, you can take him."
Kari nodded and forced herself to her feet. "I'm not done yet." I just need one card… please, deck… Robyn… She drew. "I play Monster Reborn to bring back your Gellenduo!" She croaked, "And sacrifice it for Wingweaver!" The 2750 Light Fairy appeared on her side of the field. "Now I'm protected too."
Xuan looked furious.
"Wingweaver, destroy Harvest!"
The six winged, purple haired fairy, who looked more like an angel to Kari in the state she was in, fired a blast of light at Harvest, who died instantly.
Xuan grunted as his points dropped to 550.
"I end my turn."
"Where did you get that card?"
"My best friend." Kari replied, "She's protecting me, just like her most trusted card."
"I play Card of Sanctity so we both draw until we have six cards in our hand and I set two face down."
Kari saw the plan of action as she drew and looked at her hand, "Wingweaver attack Freya!"
Xuan smirked as he activated Widespread Ruin, destroying her Wingweaver.
"And because I activated a trap I can tribute Freya to summon Voltanis the Adjudicator!" is 2800 attack point monster was back, but Kari had no monsters down to destroy.
Now safe, she set one in face down defence mode.
"I end my turn."
"This is over, Ironhide, Voltanis attack her face down card!"
Yes!
Kari screamed in agony as her Princess of Tsurugi died in the blast.
Xuan's life points hit zero because of the Princess's flip effect, taking 500 points per face down magic or trap card he had.
"The match belongs to Kari Ironhide."
She heard that as the pain was fading and her eyes rolled back in her head.
She was unconscious before she hit the ground.
Xuan was furious, but Yami and Joey were already moving before he could draw his wand, scrambling up onto the lowering platform to the girl's side.
"Kari?" Joey went to shake her to try to wake her up, but she subconsciously flinched away from the touch.
"She's still hurting." Yami growled, wheeling around to face Xuan himself, shadows flaring. "How could you?"
"How dare she beat me? Me!" Xuan was glowering at the teen on the floor.
"You're lucky she knocked you out of the Tournament." Yami was in a towering rage and Xuan hadn't seemed to realise this yet. "After what you did to my friends, you would have faced a true Shadow Game instead of whatever magic you used to imitate one."
Xuan levelled his wand at Yami, firing off two spells which were just absorbed by the real Shadows.
There would have been a real Shadow Games then and there if not for a sudden flash of red light and Xuan collapsing into unconsciousness.
Yami growled as he fought back the shadows who were hungry for the soul of the man who had dared imitate them. Back Shadows back!
"What do we do with him?" Joey kicked the git.
A group of men and women came in. "Where is he?" He asked the girl at the door. It was Robyn, who directed them to the unconscious man.
"Is anyone hurt?" One of the new group asked.
"Everyone'll be fine." Robyn said, "Just take him away before someone does something they'll regret."
The group took Xuan away and Yami finally sighed and calmed down, turning back to Kari before glancing at Kaiba.
"I'm not Duelling in the Finals until she's awake, even if you have to postpone them." Yami said firmly.
"You won't duel, she can't, I have no choice but to wait." Kaiba growled, he stalked out.
Two minutes later the Doctor was back again with a stretcher and his crew.
Four minutes later they were back in the infirmary.
Good luck Kari. You're the strongest person I know. You can win this. Don't let the magic trick you into losing the Duel.
Robyn.
P.S. Put this in your deck, you're going to need her.
"Wingweaver." Kari breathed, it was Robyn's favourite card… no that was an understatement, Wingweaver to Robyn was like Dark Magician Girl to Kari, a trusted partner, for her to be entrusted to Kari for this match meant she was really going to need her. Wait… she read the note again. "So it was magic."
"Ready?" Yugi2 asked her as she shuffled Wingweaver into her deck.
Kari snorted, "As ready as I'm going to get."
"Good luck."
Kari nodded her thanks and stepped up onto the platform, refusing to make eye contact with the man she was about to fight.
"You seem afraid of me." She could hear the smirk in Xuan's voice.
"I'm not scared of you."
"Then face me like a real Duellist."
"I'm not a fool." She responded, keeping her mind on Robyn's warning.
"Are both Duellists ready?"
Kari nodded without taking her eyes from her deck and heard Xuan respond with "Ready."
"Kari Ironhide to move first."
"Let's Duel."
Kari drew, "One card face down and Dark Blade in attack mode and I equip him with Sword of Dark Rites, increasing his attack by 400. Your move Xuan."
Xuan snorted, "I set a card in defence mode and play Sanctuary in the Sky." The coliseum from his match with Joey was back. "I also set one card face down and end my turn."
No Shadows… he's not calling them? "I set a card face down and attack your face down card!"
It exploded, it was a ring of some kind with wings and wrapped by a ribbon. "It's called Nova Summoner, when it's destroyed I can summon Airknight Parshath from my deck."
The winged knight appeared on the field.
"Your move, Xuan."
"Still afraid to look at me?"
"I told you, I'm not stupid."
"It doesn't matter." Kari let out a startled gasp as the Shadows closed in around them and a cord of light connected her to Dark Blade, "I sacrifice Airknight Parshath to summon Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin!"
The huge angelic beast was big enough to dwarf the Duellists.
"He's still not strong enough to take my Dark Blade!" Kari growled.
"Not yet, but if I equip him with Cetus of Dagla…" It grew to 2800. "Now you'll see what the Shadows do this time. Neo-Parshath, attack!"
Dark Blade was destroyed in the attack, the light cord recoiled and Kari screamed in pain.
Xuan waited to speak again until she had regained her breath and could look just below eye level at him.
"Wh…wha… what was that?" She stammered, trying not to shake with the aftermath of the pain that had ripped through her body.
"I warned you to quit before, the Shadows will cause you to feel every bit of pain felt by your monsters. It's not too late you know, just surrender the Duel now and you won't have to go through that again."
"I… I'm not afraid of you."
"Your eyes speak otherwise."
Kari quickly looked away again.
"By the way. It's your move."
Kari drew and studied her hand, "I set a card in defence mode." Kari growled, "And one face down and end my turn."
She glanced at her new friends, who were giving Xuan the dirtiest look she could imagine as a fresh cord connected her to her monster.
"I summon Gellenduo in attack mode and they attack your face down card."
The Gellenduo were destroyed by her Old Vindictive Magician as they destroyed him. Another scream of pain came from Kari, but she was rewarded by a grunt of pain from Xuan as Gellenduo blew up.
She was still cringing from the fading pain as he ordered his Neo-Parshath to attack her directly.
"I activate Shadow Spell!"
The huge fairy was bound in chains that lowered his attack by 700 and stopped it in it's tracks.
"I took Gellenduo's attack to stop your Neo-Parshath." Kari smiled. "I told you. I'm not scared."
"Fine, I end my turn."
Kari drew and grinned, it was the Dark Magician Girl that Robyn had given her, "I play Monster Reborn to bring back Old Vindictive Magician and sacrifice him for the Dark Magician Girl!" The magician appeared on the field with glare at Xuan, "And I activate my other two face down cards, Sage's Stone and Magic Formula." Kari's Dark Magician appeared on the field and Dark Magician Girl went up by 700.
"Dark Magician Girl, attack Neo-Parshath!"
He didn't cry out in pain as his monster was destroyed.
"What?"
"My Sanctuary in the Sky is protecting my monsters, they feel no pain as they die but your Dark Monsters are without protection. I will lose no life points from losing my fairies."
"So your Shadows affect me only?" Kari's voice wavered. She had been betting on the effects hurting him too.
Joey and Tea entered the Coliseum.
"That's right, your deck, steeped in darkness, doesn't have the same protections from Sanctuary in the Sky that my deck, born from light, does."
"In other words he's a cheating b...d!" Kari couldn't help the smile that grew on her face at Tristan's remark.
"What's happening?" Joey asked after waving off Yugi2's concerned questions.
"Xuan's cheating at his own Shadow Game." Yugi2 said, "Protecting himself and letting Kari feel the effects." Joey looked outraged but also like he felt guilty…. Oh… of course, he felt that it was his fault because he hadn't beaten Xuan in the quarters.
"Dark Magician, attack him directly!" She bellowed. She had the satisfaction of a cry from him that time as his points dropped to 1500.
I end my turn." Kari called, still focusing in the one card in her hand, her two Magicians guarding her.
Xuan drew and once again she could hear the smirk in his tone, "I play Lightening Vortex!"
"No!" Kari cried out, then screamed in agony as her two Magicians were attacked by lightening.
She found herself on her knees when the pain stopped, her points growing by 1000.
She forced herself to her feet as Xuan summoned Harvest, Angel of Wisdom.
She wondered if it was bad that the pain she felt from the attack was less then the pain the shadows were causing as she lost 1800.
She drew, "A card in defence mode, Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Sanctuary and a card face down. That's it for this turn."
"I summon Freya, Spirit of Victory. She boosts my fairies by 400 and you can't attack her while she's protected by other fairies. Now, Harvest, attack her face down card!"
She screamed as her defence mode Magician of Faith was torn apart by Harvest, on hands and knees by the time it was gone.
"Th…" She couldn't croak it out.
"I know what it does, chose your Magic Card." Xuan said.
He waited until she'd taken Monster Reborn back before sending Freya to attack her.
Still on the ground she couldn't bring herself to move. It hurt, oh Gods it hurt, but she had the card she needed now, if she could focus on anything but the fact she hurt for long enough to pull of the move she needed and draw the right card.
"Kari!" She raised her head and looked at Yugi2.
"Y…Yugi?"
"Don't give in, you can take him."
Kari nodded and forced herself to her feet. "I'm not done yet." I just need one card… please, deck… Robyn… She drew. "I play Monster Reborn to bring back your Gellenduo!" She croaked, "And sacrifice it for Wingweaver!" The 2750 Light Fairy appeared on her side of the field. "Now I'm protected too."
Xuan looked furious.
"Wingweaver, destroy Harvest!"
The six winged, purple haired fairy, who looked more like an angel to Kari in the state she was in, fired a blast of light at Harvest, who died instantly.
Xuan grunted as his points dropped to 550.
"I end my turn."
"Where did you get that card?"
"My best friend." Kari replied, "She's protecting me, just like her most trusted card."
"I play Card of Sanctity so we both draw until we have six cards in our hand and I set two face down."
Kari saw the plan of action as she drew and looked at her hand, "Wingweaver attack Freya!"
Xuan smirked as he activated Widespread Ruin, destroying her Wingweaver.
"And because I activated a trap I can tribute Freya to summon Voltanis the Adjudicator!" is 2800 attack point monster was back, but Kari had no monsters down to destroy.
Now safe, she set one in face down defence mode.
"I end my turn."
"This is over, Ironhide, Voltanis attack her face down card!"
Yes!
Kari screamed in agony as her Princess of Tsurugi died in the blast.
Xuan's life points hit zero because of the Princess's flip effect, taking 500 points per face down magic or trap card he had.
"The match belongs to Kari Ironhide."
She heard that as the pain was fading and her eyes rolled back in her head.
She was unconscious before she hit the ground.
Xuan was furious, but Yami and Joey were already moving before he could draw his wand, scrambling up onto the lowering platform to the girl's side.
"Kari?" Joey went to shake her to try to wake her up, but she subconsciously flinched away from the touch.
"She's still hurting." Yami growled, wheeling around to face Xuan himself, shadows flaring. "How could you?"
"How dare she beat me? Me!" Xuan was glowering at the teen on the floor.
"You're lucky she knocked you out of the Tournament." Yami was in a towering rage and Xuan hadn't seemed to realise this yet. "After what you did to my friends, you would have faced a true Shadow Game instead of whatever magic you used to imitate one."
Xuan levelled his wand at Yami, firing off two spells which were just absorbed by the real Shadows.
There would have been a real Shadow Games then and there if not for a sudden flash of red light and Xuan collapsing into unconsciousness.
Yami growled as he fought back the shadows who were hungry for the soul of the man who had dared imitate them. Back Shadows back!
"What do we do with him?" Joey kicked the git.
A group of men and women came in. "Where is he?" He asked the girl at the door. It was Robyn, who directed them to the unconscious man.
"Is anyone hurt?" One of the new group asked.
"Everyone'll be fine." Robyn said, "Just take him away before someone does something they'll regret."
The group took Xuan away and Yami finally sighed and calmed down, turning back to Kari before glancing at Kaiba.
"I'm not Duelling in the Finals until she's awake, even if you have to postpone them." Yami said firmly.
"You won't duel, she can't, I have no choice but to wait." Kaiba growled, he stalked out.
Two minutes later the Doctor was back again with a stretcher and his crew.
Four minutes later they were back in the infirmary.