Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ The Enemy Revealed ❯ And The Cardmistress Stood Alone ( Chapter 18 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: HA47 
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.02.2002 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 248 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 01.02.2002 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 248 | Status: Completed
The Enemy Revealed
Chapter 18: And the Cardmistress Stood Alone
Without waiting for Sakura to tell him, Kerberos flew towards the spot where Syaoran once stood. He coughed a little due to the smoke billowing from the place of impact. He made it to the ground just as the others followed him downward.
Sakura leapt off her Sun Guardian and ran towards where she knew Syaoran was. "Syaoran-kun!" she yelled. *No, please. Not Syaoran-kun...*
She heard a cough near her, and after walking in that direction, she found the Chinese magician on his knees. His sword and hat were lying before him, and he seemed to be clutching something in his hand.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura hurried over to him and knelt close to him. His ceremonial robes were worse off than before with more rips and tears. She took his hand, and once he felt her touch, he raised his head and looked at her through half-opened eyes. "Daijobu ka?" the Cardmistress asked.
"I'm...fine," Syaoran answered.
"I'm sorry Shield didn't protect you," Sakura said.
"Don't worry," Syaoran said. His lifted his hand and showed her a charred piece of paper. "This saved me when Shield's power shattered." Both kids watched as the ofuda crumbled into ashes. "Besides, I should be sorry."
"Why, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked.
"Because I didn't defeat Kaizer Cyberon for you," Syaoran replied.
Ready and Brandon ran up to them. "Okay, anyone for scorched veggies?" the Shadowwalker remarked upon seeing the Chinese magician.
Ready shot Brandon a brief glare, then ran next to Syaoran. She and Sakura helped him to his feet. The Guardians came in with Eriol being supported by Ruby Moon.
Syaoran saw the boy who was the reincarnation of his well-known ancestor. "So, you're still alive," he managed to say dryly.
Eriol willed his mouth to form a smile. "As are you, my cute little relative."
O.G. noticed the black dome. "Um, did we miss something here?"
Just as those words left the bear Guardian's mouth, the dome faded away and revealed the others. Resting her fists after a useless pounding of her imposed enclosure, Meiling was about to try again when she noticed she could see her surroundings again.
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried, running towards her friend with the others. Yue and Spinel Sun were the exceptions; they flew over the others and landed next to Sakura.
"Eriol!" Spinel Sun said with concern. He noticed the poor condition of his master's robes, and he seemed paler than usual. He noted this matched his now frail form. "Are you...?"
"I'll be fine," Eriol said, still smiling faintly. "Thanks to Sakura-san and my students." He looked at Ready. "Just like your father."
Ready grinned at the comment. "So, we're still not in any big trouble?"
"We'll see," Eriol chuckled, almost falling over before Ruby Moon caught him. "I need to come up with makeup work with Kaho."
Yue looked down at the former Clow Read. "It is good to see you are still alive."
"Don't be too presumptuous."
Tomoyo was the first to notice Kaizer Cyberon standing a few feet away from them. Behind him, Algol hovered ominously over the ruined city. Meiling went into a protective stance before Sakura and Syaoran. "You hurt Syaoran!" she declared, glaring at the Emperor of the Cyber World.
"And your point is?" the Kaizer said in his cold voice with his arms crossed before his chest. "I did warn him. He's lucky he's still breathing."
Sakura's hold on Syaoran tightened. Syaoran felt her tremble as she looked upon the Kaizer, whose gaze went in her direction.
"Now then..." The Kaizer stepped forward and went into a slow walk. He seemed to be deliberately taking his time in order to lengthen the suspense.
"Protect Sakura and the others!" Kerberos yelled to his fellow Guardians.
Ruby Moon handed Eriol to Brandon and Maya, then joined the other Guardians in forming a shield in front of their charges. She glared at the approaching Kaizer. "Come on, already!" she snarled.
"We should not rush into this," Spinel Sun warned. "Remember the last time."
Ruby Moon's hand tightened into a fist. Kerberos narrowed his eyes on the Kaizer. "We should attack now!"
"Yeah!" Lupe agreed, baring her teeth.
"C'mon! He's taking too long!" O.G. shouted in frustration.
"We can't just attack him without a plan," Pegasus Uni said.
"We outnumber him, Uni," Lupe said. "We can take him."
"He is a powerful foe," Umbriel said. "We should not underestimate him."
Waiting was not in Ruby Moon's nature, however. With the image of her tortured master in her mind, the butterfly-winged Moon Guardian flew out of the Guardian wall and headed towards the Kaizer.
"Ruby Moon!" Spinel Sun yelled.
"You're mine!" she cried out as she held out her hand and launched a crystal barrage at the Kaizer.
Kaizer Cyberon raised his hand. "Legerdemain." The crystals struck an energy shield and disappeared.
Clenching her teeth and fists, Ruby Moon rushed at the Kaizer and started pounding on the shield. The Kaizer smirked as the Moon Guardian punched and punched.
"Come on!" Kerberos flew forward with Lupe and O.G. "Get clear!" he yelled before unleashing a powerful fire blast. Ruby Moon flew upward and tried another crystal blast. Lupe joined in with her own fire attack, and O.G. wailed on the Kaizer with both cannons.
Looking upward, Kaizer Cyberon smirked. He vanished, and as the attacks on the ground exploded on his former position, he appeared behind Ruby Moon. It took a second for Ruby Moon to realize what happened, but that was all the Kaizer needed.
"Dark Lightning!" he yelled, blasting Ruby Moon before she could react. Dark tendrils of electricity wrapped around her, and she held in her screams to deny her enemy the joy of seeing her suffer. "Hmmmm, getting a sense of deja vu, Guardian?" he asked coolly.
Kerberos aimed for Kaizer Cyberon and shot out a fireball. The Kaizer flew forward and caught Ruby Moon by the neck. Willing herself to fight back, she punched him in the chest with a glowing fist. As he staggered back, Ruby Moon fired crystals from both hands. "Not this time!" she shouted.
The Kaizer used his cape as a shield, then vanished again. Before Ruby Moon knew what happened, she was struck from above by Dark Lightning. The attack was powerful enough to push her to the ground, where she landed hard.
"I'm not liking the looks of this," Brandon admitted.
"Ruby-san!" Sakura shouted.
Ruby Moon slowly got up and ignored the pain in her limbs. With one good eye, she searched for the Emperor of the Cyber World.
"Behind you!" Kerberos warned her.
"Legerdemain!"
Ruby Moon was struck by a barrage of energy balls that caused her to lose her balance. The Kaizer appeared before her and struck her with a glowing fist. The blow was enough to send her flying, and she landed to the right of Sakura-tachi.
"Ruby!" Ready cried, watching as the Moon Guardian attempted to lift herself off the ground. She gave in to the pain and collapsed. Her head turned to her right, and her eyes closed. A red glow emerged from her body, and the battered form of Ruby Moon was replaced by that of Nakuru.
"Just like before," Eriol said solemnly.
The Kaizer looked at the remaining Guardians. "So, who's next?" he asked with an amused smile.
"Buddy, you're going down!" O.G. ran up to the Kaizer and brought his massive fists down on him. The Kaizer leapt out of the way and watched as O.G. punched concrete and gravel. "I don't care if you're just a kid, and I don't care why you did all this," the large bear growled as the Kaizer landed a few feet from him, "but I'm gonna make sure you don't hurt or kill any more people!"
"How noble," Kaizer Cyberon said coldly.
"Rrrrrraaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" O.G. bent down and fired missiles from both of his cannons. Kaizer Cyberon held out his hand, and the missiles froze in place before they could hit him. "Why you little..." O.G. began as he prepared to tackle him, but when he tried to move, he found himself frozen in place. "Hey!"
Kaizer Cyberon looked at the immobile missiles. "I believe these belong to you," he told O.G. "Allow me to return them." With a wave of his hand, the missiles reversed themselves and flew at the Shadowwalker Guardian. The resulting explosions knocked the large bear off his feet, and he crashed hard into the ground. "Dark Lightning!" the Kaizer shouted as he pumped a steady stream of Dark Lightning into the fallen Guardian. "Legerdemain!" he said, changing his attack into a rain of dark energy. A few seconds later, O.G. returned to his plushie-like form.
Seeing his foe beaten, Kaizer Cyberon resumed his march towards Sakura. Kerberos growled and charged the armored magician. Once he was close enough, the winged lion willed himself to let loose the most powerful fire blast he could muster. The attack hit the Kaizer, and Kerberos continued his charge towards the flame-engulfed figure.
Just as the Sun Guardian got closer to the fire, a hand shot out and seized him by the throat. Gasping, Kerberos watched as the Kaizer stepped out of the fire unharmed.
"So, you like fire," the Kaizer said, his red eye glowing as Kerberos continued his struggle to breathe. "Allow me to give you some." Still in the Kaizer's clutches, Kerberos was suddenly engulfed in dark flames. While Sakura-tachi looked horrified at the sight, a wicked grin crossed the Kaizer's pale face. The fire soon burned out, and little Kero-chan was left in Kaizer Cyberon's grasp. "Be gone, plaything!" he said, tossing the little lion away. Poor Kero-chan bounced off the ground a few times before landing next to Nakuru.
Lupe gasped as the Kaizer continued his march. "K-K-K-Kerberos," she whispered, looking in the direction of the fallen Sun Guardian. She wondered if Kero-chan let out a small moan. Then she refocused on Kaizer Cyberon. She bared her sharp teeth as she glared at the enemy magician. A low growl escaped her lips as she assumed a pouncing position.
Kaizer Cyberon stopped in his tracks and folded his arms over his chest. "What is this, an enchanted watchdog?" he remarked, amused at the ferocious wolf in his way.
"Uh, Maya, what's your wolf doing?" Brandon asked.
"She is going to avenge the one she loves," Tomoyo said knowingly. Maya just nodded her agreement.
"Be careful, Lupe-san!" Sakura shouted.
With a roar, Lupe unleashed an ice blast. The attack hit the Kaizer, and Lupe continued to fire on him until he was encased in a thick block of ice.
"Yes!" Meiling cried happily. "That'll show that little wannabe conqueror."
Lupe gasped for air. Catching her breath, she looked at the trapped Emperor of the Cyber World. "That was for you, Kerberos."
The next action was apparently an answer to Lupe. The ice trapping the Kaizer exploded, sending chunks all over the battleground. Everyone stared at the newly liberated Kaizer Cyberon, who seemed unaffected by Lupe's attack.
"Amusing," he said before disappearing.
The remaining Guardians looked for the Kaizer, and he reappeared before Lupe. "Now, let me repay you for your effort," the Kaizer said, raising his hand skyward. Lupe felt the ground shake beneath her. A few seconds later, a beam of dark energy shot out where Lupe was standing and made it impossible for the others to see her save a shadow desperately digging its claws into the ruined concrete. The beam faded away, and Lupe was visible again. Although she was not blasted upward towards the sky, her armor was scorched in several places. With her head up and her eyes still glaring at the Kaizer, it looked like Lupe was still in the fight. Sakura-tachi's expectations were dashed when the wolf Guardian's limbs shook and gave in to weakness, and Lupe fell to the ground. Her tongue rolled out, Lupe emitted a bright light, and the majestic armored wolf was replaced by her false form of a stuffed wolf toy.
"Lupe," Maya whispered, almost losing her hold on Eriol.
"Hmmmmmmm..." The Kaizer surveyed the scene around him. "Four Guardians down, and four left." He eyed the remaining Guardians. "So, who's next?"
None of the Guardians moved, especially Spinel Sun. The memory of what happened the first time he fought the Kaizer was playing in his mind. His limbs seemed to be working against him; they failed to move when he willed them. In fact, he was trembling as the Kaizer waited for his next opponent.
"Well?" The Kaizer looked over the four Guardians. "Ah, the ones who lack fire in their personality. No wonder none of you is coming over to challenge me." Dark energy crackled in his hand. "It looks like I'll have to give you an incentive to fight." Raising his hand again, he fired a single energy blast skyward, and it stopped right over Sakura-tachi and formed a cloud.
Without any hesitation, Yue flew up to the energy cloud. Just as he reached it, it unleashed a shower of deadly energy balls that headed towards Sakura-tachi. Taking aim, the Moon Guardian blasted the balls with crystals. Pegasus Uni flew towards the cloud and took out the cloud with a light beam from her horn. Turning her attention towards the Kaizer, she fired energy stars from her wings. The armored magician responded with using his cape as a shield.
Having protected himself from Pegasus Uni's star barrage, Kaizer Cyberon put down his cape. At the moment he did, Umbriel rushed at him and delivered a kick aimed at the Kaizer's chest. It hit the intended target, and the Kaizer stumbled to the ground.
"Destroy his helmet!" Syaoran managed to shout. "It's the source of his power!"
Umbriel nodded and raised his sword for the crucial strike. He had hoped to slice the Kaizer's helmet in half without harming him, but he vanished just as the blade descended towards its target. The Darkling watched as his weapon made contact with the ground.
"Behind you!" he heard his mistress cry out.
Umbriel moved in time to avoid being stabbed in the back by Kaizer Cyberon. Turning around, he saw the Kaizer with his sword ready to strike. "Not bad," he remarked. "But in the end, you will join your fellow Guardians."
Kaizer Cyberon thrust his blade at the Darkling, and Umbriel leapt back, giving Yue and Pegasus Uni a clear shot at the Kaizer. Crystals and star shots rained down on the Emperor of the Cyber World, who used the tried-and-true tactic of the cape shield. Seeing that the Kaizer was occupied, Spinel Sun steeled himself and joined in with a red light beam. The attack hit the Kaizer as he blocked the aerial attacks, but it had the same effectiveness as theirs-not much.
Seeing that their attacks were futile, the Guardians ceased fire. Kaizer Cyberon lowered his cape and glared at Spinel Sun. "Trying to make up for last time?" he inquired cruelly. "I must admit, I thought you would just let your fellow Guardians fight me, but you gathered enough courage to try to defeat me. That deserves a reward." As he spoke, his blade shone brightly. "Your suffering will be brief! Cyber Cutter!"
Kaizer Cyberon unleashed an energy wave at Spinel Sun. Standing his ground, he fired again, and a crimson beam of light collided with the Cyber Cutter. Both pushed against each other, sending sparks of energy out. Sakura-tachi watched as Spinel's beam slowly edged out the Cyber Cutter. For a moment, Sakura's eyes were filled with hope.
Then, the Kaizer destroyed that hope. He swung his sword again and sent out another Cyber Cutter that merged with its predecessor, making it larger. The combined attack gained the power advantage, and Spinel Sun began to feel the strain of expending so much energy. Another swing sent a third Cyber Cutter, and the attack got bigger. A final Cyber Cutter granted the Kaizer's attack an even larger form, and it proved too much for the Sun Guardian. The combined Cyber Cutter sliced through the red beam, and Sakura-tachi helplessly watched as it cleaved through Spinel Sun.
"Spinel-san!" Sakura shouted.
"No..." Eriol tried to break free and summon his staff, but he stumbled on his ruined robes, forcing Brandon and Maya to hold him tighter than before.
"Suppi!" Ready screamed.
For a brief moment, Spinel Sun felt like he was being torn apart. His mind pulled out a memory when he was sitting by Nakuru while she was watching some classical cartoons on British television. He recalled one cartoon where a stereotypical vile villain was switched with his victim by the hero and ended up being sliced in half on a conveyer belt rigged with a buzzsaw. The villain, a cat in a black suit who Spinel Sun saw as portraying cats in a bad light, ended up getting off his trap while trying to stay together. Later, he snapped back together only to get an anvil dropped on him courtesy of the mouse hero. The Sun Guardian had wondered how it would feel to be like that cat at that particular moment. As the pain intensified, he wished he had never had that thought.
Fortunately, two things happened. One was that the pain quickly vanished. The other was that being a magical being, Spinel Sun did not leave a symmetrically split corpse. Instead, the Sun Guardian exploded, expending his magic. Immediately, Suppi-chan crashed to the ground face first, twitched momentarily, and became still except for the rising and falling of his back. To everyone's relief, Suppi-chan made a little sound now and then.
"Thank goodness," Tomoyo whispered, checking over the fallen Sun Guardian through her camera lens.
Kaizer Cyberon gazed upon his latest victory, then returned his attention to the three remaining Guardians. "As for you, I will make you wish you were taken out as quickly as your friend."
Glaring at the Kaizer with his red eyes, Umbriel charged him with his sword out. Yue and Pegasus Uni flew at him, ready to fire. Seeing this triple threat, the Kaizer made his sword disappear. He leapt into the air just as Umbriel swung at him. "Legerdemain!" he said, and a Worm appeared and wrapped itself around the Darkling Guardian. As the Kaizer hovered in the air before Yue and Pegasus Uni, his hands began to crackle with dark energy.
"Now!" Pegasus Uni cried, firing a blast from her horn. Yue joined in with double crystal shots.
"Dark Lightning!" Kaizer Cyberon's hands unleashed twin bolts of the lethal attack at targets. The Dark Lightning nullified the incoming attacks and struck their points of origin. Trapped, Yue and Pegasus Uni struggled to escape as they felt the painful effects of the Dark Lightning. They also tried to not give the Kaizer any satisfaction of hearing them scream; both Guardians clenched their teeth tightly as the Dark Lightning crackled through their bodies. Unnoticed by the others, Umbriel broke free of the Worm, but the poisonous Cyber had grabbed his sword with its tail, and the Darkling was trying to retrieve it while avoiding the snapping jaws of the snake-like robot.
"Ganbatte, Yue-san!"
"Hang in there, Uni!"
Hearing their mistresses' words of encouragement, the two Guardians continued their struggle to escape and increased their efforts to ignore the steadily growing pain. Yue managed to move one arm and fire a crystal shot at the Kaizer. Unfortunately, his aim was off, and the crystals flew helplessly over the Kaizer's head.
"What's this? Still resisting?" Kaizer Cyberon increased the power of the Dark Lightning. "Not for long. Oh, I know you're suffering. You can't hide it from me. All I have to do is break you." As he spoke, his red eye glowed brighter as he increased the Dark Lightning's power. "Come now, Guardians. Scream for me. Scream for the most powerful magician on the Earth!"
The last word was punctuated with a powerful surge of Dark Lightning. The Guardian's resistance finally broke. Unable to break free, Pegasus Uni finally let out a scream of pain that made Ready cry out her Guardian's name. Yue's arm failed to produce another attack, but he continued to stay silent. But as more Dark Lightning was pumped into him, his teeth loosened, and a minute passed before he fulfilled the Kaizer's evil command.
*Forgive me, Sakura,* Yue thought as his mouth released all the screams he had held in.
Seeing an opening, Umbriel grabbed the Worm by its throat and grasped it tightly, making it gasp loudly. A few shakes made the snake-like Cyber drop his sword, which promptly returned to him. With one slice at its neck, he sent the Worm to the state of nothingness. With that nuisance gone, he turned his attention to the plight of his fellow Guardians.
"Delicious," Kaizer Cyberon remarked as he listened to the screams of the Guardians. "Divine, really." Thinking he saw Pegasus Uni passing out, he said, "Oh no, not yet. I don't want you to go into your false form yet." He looked down and noticed Umbriel, who was getting ready to jump. "Feeling left out, Darkling?" he asked. "Allow me to remedy that!"
Before Umbriel could even move, Kaizer Cyberon swung his arms together and smashed the Darkling between the two trapped Guardians. His grin widened across his pale face as he beheld three Guardians trapped in his Dark Lightning and the screams emanating from them.
"No..." Ready said softly. "Uni...Umbriel..." She felt tears beginning to gather at the corner of her eyes, but she would be damned if she allowed herself to give the Emperor of the Cyber World the satisfaction of seeing her break down.
Contrary to Ready, Sakura let the tears flow down her cheeks. "Stop it! Stop it!" she shouted pleadingly to the Kaizer.
Kaizer Cyberon heard the Cardmistress. "It is getting boring," he said firmly. With a final blast of Dark Lightning, the trapped Guardians exploded before Sakura-tachi's eyes. When all was visible, Sakura could see two human-like shapes and a small toy-like object falling to the ground. Yukito fell to one side. Umbriel, still in his true form but with a charred cape and badly scorched armor, fell to his knees, then to the ground. Pegasus Uni, now in her false form, dropped to the ground as gravity steered her that way.
"He...defeated them all," Syaoran said.
Sakura sniffled as she felt moisture roll down her cheeks. "Yukito-san," she whispered. Bending her head down, she sobbed loudly. After a moment, she raised her head and screamed "Yukito-san!" Now all she wanted was to help Yukito and the other fallen Guardians get away from the young man dressed in armor. "Meiling-chan," she started to tell Syaoran's cousin, "take care of Syaoran-kun while I..."
"Don't, Sakura-san," Eriol managed to say as he remained supported by Brandon and Maya.
Flashing a big grin, Kaizer Cyberon lowered himself to the ground. "Now that I've dispatched your so-called Guardians, it's time for me to claim my prize," he announced as he resumed his march.
Holding Syaoran close to her, Sakura took in the sight of all the defeated Guardians. She did not know Umbriel and other three animal Guardians, but she knew they came to Tokyo because of her. Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon were initially her enemies, but they became good friends. Her eyes finally laid on Kero-chan and Yukito. Kero-chan may have tricked her into become the Cardcaptor, but he was always there for her. Yue started out as hostile towards her in his role as the Judge, but he eventually accepted her. As Yukito, he was her brother's best friend and her first love until Syaoran admitted his feelings for her. The unconscious forms of all her friends were too much for the Cardmistress, and she continued to cry. Ignoring his own pain, Syaoran hugged Sakura and tried to comfort her.
Clutching her Starlighter Staff tightly, Ready looked at all the fallen Guardians. Her eyes went to Nakuru, and she recalled how the neutral gendered creature loved to shop for the finest in girls' clothing with her and her friends. Next was Suppi-chan, and she remembered how serious he acted and when Brandon decided to slip a chocolate in his oatmeal. Upon laying eyes on O.G., she recalled how he served his master before and after she and Brandon became friends. She looked at Lupe, and she remembered when she created and gave her to Maya after the budding inventor found out she was a Starlighter. She saw Sakura's defeated Guardians, and she recalled Eriol's tale of how valiantly they defended their mistress when the reincarnation of Clow Read put all of Tomoeda to sleep. Finally, she saw her own Guardians. She remembered how happy she was when Pegasus Uni was created just for her. She could still remember Umbriel watching over her as a little girl and making sure she stayed out of trouble, although he ended up spring her out of trouble. Now all of them had been defeated by a kid magician like her with delusions of grandeur with the power to make them come true and an apparent hatred for humanity, and he was on his way to claim the most powerful magical objects in the world for his own sinister goals.
Ready forced herself to look away from the Guardians and told herself that she saw signs of life in them. She looked briefly at the crying Sakura with Syaoran trying to comfort her. Her grip on her Staff becoming tighter, she faced the incoming Kaizer. Without looking back at Sakura and the others, she ran out to meet him.
Kaizer Cyberon stopped. "Well, well, well. What is this? A willing victim?"
"Ready, wait!" Brandon handed Eriol to Maya, who tried to keep the injured magician on his feet. While Tomoyo joined in to help Eriol stay up, the young Shadowwalker made an energy blade shoot out of his weapon and ran after his friend.
Meiling watched as the two young magicians raced towards the Kaizer. She looked at Sakura and Syaoran, and her hands tightened into fists. With a battle cry, she ran after Ready and Brandon.
"Meiling-chan! Matte!" Sakura shouted.
"Meiling, no..." Syaoran said.
"Ready, Brandon! Come back!" Maya pleaded.
Ready reached the Kaizer first. "I've had enough of you!" the young Starlighter shouted, leaping into the air. The tip of her Staff glowed as she raised it in the air, about to strike.
"Legerdemain!" The Kaizer held out his hand, and poor Ready froze in midair just as she was about to smash his helmet. "Really, I must assume you weren't paying attention to the previous battle," he said, amused at the sight of Ready grunting and trying to move. "I'm afraid you must be punished." With another wave of his hand, he made Ready fly over towards the others who stayed behind. Sakura watched as her new friend crashed a few inches from she and Syaoran were standing. The young Starlighter tried to stand up, but she succumbed to the pain and slumped to the ground, her Staff falling besides her.
Brandon and Meiling froze when Ready had been stopped in midair, and they had watched as she was flung back toward the others. For a few seconds, Brandon stood there and simply looked at Ready lying on the ground. He closed his eyes and held back the tears, then turned around. As Meiling continued to stare at the defeated Starlighter, Brandon charged at Kaizer Cyberon with his Shadowwalker Rod ready to strike.
"Hmmm, another one," the Kaizer said, sounding amused.
As Brandon rushed at the Kaizer, he made a swing for his head. The Kaizer stepped back and avoided another wild swing. "What's the matter? Did I hurt your friend?" he taunted as he dodged swing after swing.
"Hold still, damn it!" Brandon yelled in frustration as he kept swinging.
Meiling ran towards the two magicians as quickly as she could. The Kaizer stopped, and Brandon lunged at him. The armored magician held out his hand, and the young Shadowwalker was pushed back by an unseen force. He ended up landing near Sakura's left side. Sakura gasped as he watched Brandon fall back down after trying to get up.
Kaizer Cyberon smiled smugly at his recently dispatched foe, but his silent celebration was interrupted by knock to his chest. Meiling had rushed in and delivered a punch with all the force she could muster. Before she could go for the helmet, the Kaizer flew back and landed a few feet away. He riased his cape, then he opened it and launched a barrage of fireballs at the young fighter. Meiling chose to stay on the ground and ran around the resulting explosions. One exploded before her, and as the Kaizer tried to see if she was down, Meiling leapt through the smoke and delivered a flying kick to the Kaizer's chest, sending him reeling a little.
Recovering his balance, Kaizer Cyberon glared at his latest opponent. "Annoying little insect," he snarled as he fired an energy blast from his hand, which Meiling adeptly dodged. "You humans just don't know when to quit!" he yelled as he kept firing on her.
Meiling made her way through the blasts and reappeared before the Kaizer. "You hurt Syaoran and everyone else and made Kinomoto cry!" she declared with fire burning in her eyes. She attacked with a flurry of punches, which the Kaizer stepped away from while blocking. "I'm going to make you pay for that!"
"With what?" the Kaizer asked as he hovered away from the battling martial artist. "With your fancy fighting moves?" he said mockingly as he landed a few feet from Sakura-tachi. "Your friends possessed magical powers, and you saw what happened to them. What makes you, a little girl with no magical powers, any different from the other bugs?"
"I'll show you what this little girl can do!" Meiling yelled as she ran towards the Kaizer. Leaping into the air, she soared towards him with one foot out.
Kaizer Cyberon stepped aside and grabbed Meiling's foot. "Not much I see," he remarked as he held her tightly upside down.
"No! Meiling-chan!" Sakura cried.
"Meiling..." Syaoran said quietly.
Meiling tried to break out of the Kaizer's grip, but he was too strong for her. "Join the other human vermin!" he yelled as he flung her towards Eriol, Tomoyo, and Maya.
Maya held out her ring hand. Her plan was to summon a wind that could stop Meiling and bring her to the ground safely. Unfortunately, she never executed it. Meiling bowled her, Tomoyo, and the injured Eriol over, and all four people landed on the ground in a big pile with the martial artist and the master magician on top. On the bottom, Tomoyo was laid out with her camcorder next to her. The tool of her "strange" hobby was badly damaged and now exhibited a broken lens and a dented body. Sakura saw that her best friend was not moving underneath the human mass.
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura screamed, and she tried to carry Syaoran with her to tend to her friend.
"Sakura!" Syaoran shouted, raising his head. Sakura stopped in her tracks as Kaizer Cyberon appeared between her and her friends.
"Well, that was a nice spot of exhilarating exercise," the Emperor of the Cyber World said. "But enough fun. Give me what I want, Cardmistress." Holding out his open hand emphasized his point.
Willing himself to fight, Syaoran broke away from Sakura. He ignored the pain in his body and was about to attack the Kaizer with his sword. He never got to make a move. The Kaizer teleported in front of him and seized him by the neck. All the Chinese magician could do was gasp as he was lifted from the ground.
"Syaoran-kun!"
Sakura screaming his name made Syaoran fight the impending blackout. Through narrowed eyes, he glared at the Kaizer. He felt his grip on his sword loosen, and he heard it clang as it hit the ground.
"So, I haven't quite extinguished your fighting spirit yet, eh, Mr. Li?" the Kaizer said, enjoying himself as Syaoran struggled to keep breathing. "A pity you weren't much of a challenge. The data I have on you said you were the strongest magician of the Li Clan. Now when I look at you, I ask myself why I even bothered to scan your sword's data."
"Let Syaoran-kun go!" Sakura pleaded, clutching the Star Wand tightly.
"Sakura, st...!" Syaoran felt the Kaizer's grip tighten, and all he could do was gurgle.
"You know, Mr. Li, I could just snap your neck right now," Kaizer Cyberon informed him. "However, I prefer to extend your suffering as well as Miss Kinomoto's. It's more...delicious that way." With a sneer, he tossed Syaoran towards Sakura, and he landed at her feet.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura bent down to see how her love was doing. "Syaoran-kun, daijobu ka?" she asked as she looked into his eyes, which fought to stay open. From her view, the Chinese magician was fading fast. "Syaoran-kun?" She felt more tears roll down her cheeks. Syaoran's eyes finally closed, and Sakura hugged him tightly and cried, feeling his body move faintly.
"Pathetic."
Moistened, Sakura's eyes switched from Syaoran to the looming form of Kaizer Cyberon. "W-W-What?" the Cardmistress said.
"Look at you," the Kaizer said, disgusted. "Why are you crying over this broken little boy?"
"Because," Sakura said, sniffling, "because I love him." She sniffled again as she wiped away the tears. "He loves me, and I love him. We were meant to be together forever."
The Kaizer chuckled, then broke out into cruel laughter that echoed around him. "Cardmistress, you are so naïve. If-and I do emphasize 'if'-you do survive this and he does not, you can always find another boy to profess your love to." Sakura caught a tinge of hatred from the way the Kaizer said "love." "To use an old cliché," the Kaizer continued, "there are other fish in the sea. Your little boyfriend, like all humans, is replaceable."
"No, that's not true!" Sakura shouted, still holding Syaoran tightly. "You're wrong! Syaoran-kun is my one and only true love!"
Kaizer Cyberon laughed cruelly at the Cardmistress' assertions. "You little fool, there is no such thing as true love!" he declared.
Sakura sniffled again. She felt her eyes filling with moisture as she looked up at the armored form of the Emperor of the Cyber World. "Why are you so cruel?" she asked softly. "Why do you hate people so much? Why do you like to hurt them?"
The Kaizer glared down at the Cardmistress. His hand tightened into a fist at his side. He clenched his teeth, and a low snarl escaped his mouth. Sakura noticed that his red eye glowed intensely. "You little brat!" he said, nearly spitting out the words. His fist crackled with dark energy. "I will delight in your suffering, then I'll take..."
Sakura watched as the Kaizer was knocked down from behind. Landing on his hands and knees, the Kaizer kept himself from kissing concrete. Still holding Syaoran, Sakura saw who the attacker was.
Leaning on his Sun Staff, Hiiragizawa Eriol looked down at Kaizer Cyberon. "I won't let you harm Sakura-san," the Kaizer's ex-prisoner intoned, his eyes narrowing at the young megalomaniac.
Kaizer Cyberon levitated from his spot and faced the reincarnation of Clow Read. "Did my interrogator take away your common sense, old man?" he said scornfully. "My power exceeds yours and even that of Clow Read, remember?"
"Your power should not even exist," Eriol said matter-of-factly. "I'm stopping you before you collect them all."
Watching the Kaizer's back, Sakura saw him double over with laughter. "I see you've inherited Clow Read's sense of humor, old man, but not even you can stop me from unleashing the beautiful night."
*I've heard that phrase before,* Sakura thought. *What does Kaizer Cyberon mean by "the beautiful night"?*
A ball of energy came to life over Eriol's Staff. "For the sake of reality, I won't let you do that."
Kaizer Cyberon raised his hand. Sakura gasped as Syaoran was lifted off the ground by an unseen force and taken away from her. The unconscious Chinese magician floated to the Kaizer's front. "Care to change that, Mr. Hiiragizawa?" the Emperor of the Cyber World asked, keeping Syaoran in front of him.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura screamed.
Frustrated, Eriol made the energy ball vanish. "You..."
"Such sentiment should be purged from your thinking, Mr. Hiiragizawa," the Kaizer commented. "Fortunately for me, I've done that a long time ago."
Without warning, Syaoran sped towards Eriol. With no time to react, the master magician was knocked down by the flying body, and both boys fell to the ground. The surprise attack knocked Eriol out, and his Staff became a Key before hitting the ground.
"Eriol-kun! Syaoran-kun!" Sakura cried.
The Kaizer turned around. "I'm afraid they can't help you now, Cardmistress." He motioned around him. "No one can help you. You're all alone now, Miss Kinomoto."
Sakura got to her feet hurriedly and pulled out a Sakura Card. "Windy!" she called as she released its magic with her Wand.
Windy flew at the Kaizer and wrapped itself around him. It tightened its grip to keep him away from its mistress. The Kaizer only smiled, and dark energy surged from him and into Windy. The Sakura Card flickered, then exploded into energy and dissipated. That nuisance gone, Kaizer Cyberon continued on his way.
"Watery!" Sakura called, and Watery rushed forward to strike the Kaizer with its charging waves. The Kaizer raised his hand, and Watery stopped in its tracks. To Sakura's astonishment, Watery began to boil, then gradually became steam.
"You're only delaying your fate!" the Kaizer called to Sakura. "I suggest you hand me the Cards and Key instead of playing these parlor tricks on me!"
"Hoooooeeeeeee..." Nearly panicking, Sakura searched through her deck of Sakura Cards.
"Since you're taking too long..." The Kaizer's sword reappeared in his hand. "I'll just help myself!" he declared as he flew towards the Cardmistress.
Sakura snatched the first Card she saw. "Dash!" Before the Kaizer's blade struck, she sped away.
"Clever," Kaizer Cyberon remarked. He tracked Sakura with his red eye. "However, your speed won't save you. Cyber Cutter!"
The attack exploded inches from Sakura as she continued running. That was the case for the following Cyber Cutters. Feeling exhausted, Sakura stopped to catch her breath. The break lasted only a few seconds before she had to dash away to avoid another Cyber Cutter. *I can't keep doing this,* she told herself. As she continued avoiding the Kaizer's attacks, she searched through her Cards. *There must be a Card I can use on him.*
"You can't continue at that pace for long, Cardmistress!" Kaizer Cyberon said as he launched Cyber Cutter after Cyber Cutter. "Sooner or later, you'll have to stop again!"
Finally, Sakura found a Card she felt she could use. *I hope this works.*
Kaizer Cyberon watched as Sakura changed direction and headed towards him. "Well, at least you're facing death bravely, Miss Kinomoto!" he said, preparing to cut her down with another Cyber Cutter.
Knowing what to do, the super-fast Cardmistress charged the Emperor of the Cyber World. When Sakura was only a few feet away, Kaizer Cyberon fired the Cyber Cutter. Just as the attack neared her, Sakura jumped over it and appeared before the Kaizer.
"What?" Kaizer Cyberon exclaimed.
"Power!"
Before the Kaizer could switch his attack, Sakura brought her Star Wand down on his crown. A loud smash later, cracks began to form on the helmet, and Sakura took a step back. Dropping his sword, the Kaizer clutched his face mask, and he gritted his teeth. As his sword disappeared after spending a few seconds on the ground, the cracks on his helmet spread. Small sounds of pain slipped through the narrow spaces between his teeth, and a tired Sakura was treated to the helmet slowly crumbling into pieces. A second later, all of the helmet-face mask and crown--popped into oblivion, leaving the Kaizer's head exposed. With the Kaizer's gloved hand over his face, Sakura could not see what he looked like, but she could see some of his pale skin and blond hair trimmed properly.
*Thank goodness,* she thought, relieved that she destroyed the helmet. She sunk to her knees and caught her breath. *Now everything will be fine. Syaoran-kun will be fine. Tomoyo will be fine. Everyone will be fine. Without the helmet, Algol will disappear, and...*
Sakura looked up, and her eyes widened in shock. The giant Cyber still hovered above the area. Only some sounds of chuckling from in front of her made her look at Kaizer Cyberon. She saw him break out into laughter behind his hand.
"Hoe?" Sakura said, tired.
"Silly little girl," the Kaizer said, still covering his face. "Although you made a clever move, it still isn't over yet." As he spoke, a transparent shape began to form around his head. The crown reappeared on his head, and when he removed his hand, the face mask was back in place.
"Hoooooooeeeeeeeee!" Sakura cried, rising quickly. "B-b-but your helmet..."
"You thought destroying my helmet would stop me? That it would take away my powers?" the Kaizer asked, grinning evilly. "I'm afraid you miscalculated, Cardmistress. Now you'll pay for your error."
Before Sakura could do anything, the Kaizer vanished. She looked around, trying to see where he went. A booming voice from above answered her concerns.
"I'm up here, Cardmistress!"
Looking skyward, Sakura found herself looking at Algol. A Window with the Kaizer's face appeared in her line of sight.
"Since you have proven yourself stubborn in submitting to my will, all of Tokyo will suffer!" the Kaizer announced. Simulating a video camera utilizing a reverse zoom option or backing away from its subject, the Window revealed that he was standing on top of Algol's head. "Algol, full power! Reduce this miserable city to a smoking crater!"
The Window vanished. Algol rose higher, and once it was high enough, it tilted forward. Sakura saw its eyes glowing intensely. She knew what was next, and this time it was no simple demonstration. This time, people would definitely be in the target area, and they included Sakura and her fallen friends.
Clutching her Star Wand closely and watching Algol anxiously, the Cardmistress thought, *What can I do?*
Chapter 18: And the Cardmistress Stood Alone
Without waiting for Sakura to tell him, Kerberos flew towards the spot where Syaoran once stood. He coughed a little due to the smoke billowing from the place of impact. He made it to the ground just as the others followed him downward.
Sakura leapt off her Sun Guardian and ran towards where she knew Syaoran was. "Syaoran-kun!" she yelled. *No, please. Not Syaoran-kun...*
She heard a cough near her, and after walking in that direction, she found the Chinese magician on his knees. His sword and hat were lying before him, and he seemed to be clutching something in his hand.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura hurried over to him and knelt close to him. His ceremonial robes were worse off than before with more rips and tears. She took his hand, and once he felt her touch, he raised his head and looked at her through half-opened eyes. "Daijobu ka?" the Cardmistress asked.
"I'm...fine," Syaoran answered.
"I'm sorry Shield didn't protect you," Sakura said.
"Don't worry," Syaoran said. His lifted his hand and showed her a charred piece of paper. "This saved me when Shield's power shattered." Both kids watched as the ofuda crumbled into ashes. "Besides, I should be sorry."
"Why, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked.
"Because I didn't defeat Kaizer Cyberon for you," Syaoran replied.
Ready and Brandon ran up to them. "Okay, anyone for scorched veggies?" the Shadowwalker remarked upon seeing the Chinese magician.
Ready shot Brandon a brief glare, then ran next to Syaoran. She and Sakura helped him to his feet. The Guardians came in with Eriol being supported by Ruby Moon.
Syaoran saw the boy who was the reincarnation of his well-known ancestor. "So, you're still alive," he managed to say dryly.
Eriol willed his mouth to form a smile. "As are you, my cute little relative."
O.G. noticed the black dome. "Um, did we miss something here?"
Just as those words left the bear Guardian's mouth, the dome faded away and revealed the others. Resting her fists after a useless pounding of her imposed enclosure, Meiling was about to try again when she noticed she could see her surroundings again.
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo cried, running towards her friend with the others. Yue and Spinel Sun were the exceptions; they flew over the others and landed next to Sakura.
"Eriol!" Spinel Sun said with concern. He noticed the poor condition of his master's robes, and he seemed paler than usual. He noted this matched his now frail form. "Are you...?"
"I'll be fine," Eriol said, still smiling faintly. "Thanks to Sakura-san and my students." He looked at Ready. "Just like your father."
Ready grinned at the comment. "So, we're still not in any big trouble?"
"We'll see," Eriol chuckled, almost falling over before Ruby Moon caught him. "I need to come up with makeup work with Kaho."
Yue looked down at the former Clow Read. "It is good to see you are still alive."
"Don't be too presumptuous."
Tomoyo was the first to notice Kaizer Cyberon standing a few feet away from them. Behind him, Algol hovered ominously over the ruined city. Meiling went into a protective stance before Sakura and Syaoran. "You hurt Syaoran!" she declared, glaring at the Emperor of the Cyber World.
"And your point is?" the Kaizer said in his cold voice with his arms crossed before his chest. "I did warn him. He's lucky he's still breathing."
Sakura's hold on Syaoran tightened. Syaoran felt her tremble as she looked upon the Kaizer, whose gaze went in her direction.
"Now then..." The Kaizer stepped forward and went into a slow walk. He seemed to be deliberately taking his time in order to lengthen the suspense.
"Protect Sakura and the others!" Kerberos yelled to his fellow Guardians.
Ruby Moon handed Eriol to Brandon and Maya, then joined the other Guardians in forming a shield in front of their charges. She glared at the approaching Kaizer. "Come on, already!" she snarled.
"We should not rush into this," Spinel Sun warned. "Remember the last time."
Ruby Moon's hand tightened into a fist. Kerberos narrowed his eyes on the Kaizer. "We should attack now!"
"Yeah!" Lupe agreed, baring her teeth.
"C'mon! He's taking too long!" O.G. shouted in frustration.
"We can't just attack him without a plan," Pegasus Uni said.
"We outnumber him, Uni," Lupe said. "We can take him."
"He is a powerful foe," Umbriel said. "We should not underestimate him."
Waiting was not in Ruby Moon's nature, however. With the image of her tortured master in her mind, the butterfly-winged Moon Guardian flew out of the Guardian wall and headed towards the Kaizer.
"Ruby Moon!" Spinel Sun yelled.
"You're mine!" she cried out as she held out her hand and launched a crystal barrage at the Kaizer.
Kaizer Cyberon raised his hand. "Legerdemain." The crystals struck an energy shield and disappeared.
Clenching her teeth and fists, Ruby Moon rushed at the Kaizer and started pounding on the shield. The Kaizer smirked as the Moon Guardian punched and punched.
"Come on!" Kerberos flew forward with Lupe and O.G. "Get clear!" he yelled before unleashing a powerful fire blast. Ruby Moon flew upward and tried another crystal blast. Lupe joined in with her own fire attack, and O.G. wailed on the Kaizer with both cannons.
Looking upward, Kaizer Cyberon smirked. He vanished, and as the attacks on the ground exploded on his former position, he appeared behind Ruby Moon. It took a second for Ruby Moon to realize what happened, but that was all the Kaizer needed.
"Dark Lightning!" he yelled, blasting Ruby Moon before she could react. Dark tendrils of electricity wrapped around her, and she held in her screams to deny her enemy the joy of seeing her suffer. "Hmmmm, getting a sense of deja vu, Guardian?" he asked coolly.
Kerberos aimed for Kaizer Cyberon and shot out a fireball. The Kaizer flew forward and caught Ruby Moon by the neck. Willing herself to fight back, she punched him in the chest with a glowing fist. As he staggered back, Ruby Moon fired crystals from both hands. "Not this time!" she shouted.
The Kaizer used his cape as a shield, then vanished again. Before Ruby Moon knew what happened, she was struck from above by Dark Lightning. The attack was powerful enough to push her to the ground, where she landed hard.
"I'm not liking the looks of this," Brandon admitted.
"Ruby-san!" Sakura shouted.
Ruby Moon slowly got up and ignored the pain in her limbs. With one good eye, she searched for the Emperor of the Cyber World.
"Behind you!" Kerberos warned her.
"Legerdemain!"
Ruby Moon was struck by a barrage of energy balls that caused her to lose her balance. The Kaizer appeared before her and struck her with a glowing fist. The blow was enough to send her flying, and she landed to the right of Sakura-tachi.
"Ruby!" Ready cried, watching as the Moon Guardian attempted to lift herself off the ground. She gave in to the pain and collapsed. Her head turned to her right, and her eyes closed. A red glow emerged from her body, and the battered form of Ruby Moon was replaced by that of Nakuru.
"Just like before," Eriol said solemnly.
The Kaizer looked at the remaining Guardians. "So, who's next?" he asked with an amused smile.
"Buddy, you're going down!" O.G. ran up to the Kaizer and brought his massive fists down on him. The Kaizer leapt out of the way and watched as O.G. punched concrete and gravel. "I don't care if you're just a kid, and I don't care why you did all this," the large bear growled as the Kaizer landed a few feet from him, "but I'm gonna make sure you don't hurt or kill any more people!"
"How noble," Kaizer Cyberon said coldly.
"Rrrrrraaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" O.G. bent down and fired missiles from both of his cannons. Kaizer Cyberon held out his hand, and the missiles froze in place before they could hit him. "Why you little..." O.G. began as he prepared to tackle him, but when he tried to move, he found himself frozen in place. "Hey!"
Kaizer Cyberon looked at the immobile missiles. "I believe these belong to you," he told O.G. "Allow me to return them." With a wave of his hand, the missiles reversed themselves and flew at the Shadowwalker Guardian. The resulting explosions knocked the large bear off his feet, and he crashed hard into the ground. "Dark Lightning!" the Kaizer shouted as he pumped a steady stream of Dark Lightning into the fallen Guardian. "Legerdemain!" he said, changing his attack into a rain of dark energy. A few seconds later, O.G. returned to his plushie-like form.
Seeing his foe beaten, Kaizer Cyberon resumed his march towards Sakura. Kerberos growled and charged the armored magician. Once he was close enough, the winged lion willed himself to let loose the most powerful fire blast he could muster. The attack hit the Kaizer, and Kerberos continued his charge towards the flame-engulfed figure.
Just as the Sun Guardian got closer to the fire, a hand shot out and seized him by the throat. Gasping, Kerberos watched as the Kaizer stepped out of the fire unharmed.
"So, you like fire," the Kaizer said, his red eye glowing as Kerberos continued his struggle to breathe. "Allow me to give you some." Still in the Kaizer's clutches, Kerberos was suddenly engulfed in dark flames. While Sakura-tachi looked horrified at the sight, a wicked grin crossed the Kaizer's pale face. The fire soon burned out, and little Kero-chan was left in Kaizer Cyberon's grasp. "Be gone, plaything!" he said, tossing the little lion away. Poor Kero-chan bounced off the ground a few times before landing next to Nakuru.
Lupe gasped as the Kaizer continued his march. "K-K-K-Kerberos," she whispered, looking in the direction of the fallen Sun Guardian. She wondered if Kero-chan let out a small moan. Then she refocused on Kaizer Cyberon. She bared her sharp teeth as she glared at the enemy magician. A low growl escaped her lips as she assumed a pouncing position.
Kaizer Cyberon stopped in his tracks and folded his arms over his chest. "What is this, an enchanted watchdog?" he remarked, amused at the ferocious wolf in his way.
"Uh, Maya, what's your wolf doing?" Brandon asked.
"She is going to avenge the one she loves," Tomoyo said knowingly. Maya just nodded her agreement.
"Be careful, Lupe-san!" Sakura shouted.
With a roar, Lupe unleashed an ice blast. The attack hit the Kaizer, and Lupe continued to fire on him until he was encased in a thick block of ice.
"Yes!" Meiling cried happily. "That'll show that little wannabe conqueror."
Lupe gasped for air. Catching her breath, she looked at the trapped Emperor of the Cyber World. "That was for you, Kerberos."
The next action was apparently an answer to Lupe. The ice trapping the Kaizer exploded, sending chunks all over the battleground. Everyone stared at the newly liberated Kaizer Cyberon, who seemed unaffected by Lupe's attack.
"Amusing," he said before disappearing.
The remaining Guardians looked for the Kaizer, and he reappeared before Lupe. "Now, let me repay you for your effort," the Kaizer said, raising his hand skyward. Lupe felt the ground shake beneath her. A few seconds later, a beam of dark energy shot out where Lupe was standing and made it impossible for the others to see her save a shadow desperately digging its claws into the ruined concrete. The beam faded away, and Lupe was visible again. Although she was not blasted upward towards the sky, her armor was scorched in several places. With her head up and her eyes still glaring at the Kaizer, it looked like Lupe was still in the fight. Sakura-tachi's expectations were dashed when the wolf Guardian's limbs shook and gave in to weakness, and Lupe fell to the ground. Her tongue rolled out, Lupe emitted a bright light, and the majestic armored wolf was replaced by her false form of a stuffed wolf toy.
"Lupe," Maya whispered, almost losing her hold on Eriol.
"Hmmmmmmm..." The Kaizer surveyed the scene around him. "Four Guardians down, and four left." He eyed the remaining Guardians. "So, who's next?"
None of the Guardians moved, especially Spinel Sun. The memory of what happened the first time he fought the Kaizer was playing in his mind. His limbs seemed to be working against him; they failed to move when he willed them. In fact, he was trembling as the Kaizer waited for his next opponent.
"Well?" The Kaizer looked over the four Guardians. "Ah, the ones who lack fire in their personality. No wonder none of you is coming over to challenge me." Dark energy crackled in his hand. "It looks like I'll have to give you an incentive to fight." Raising his hand again, he fired a single energy blast skyward, and it stopped right over Sakura-tachi and formed a cloud.
Without any hesitation, Yue flew up to the energy cloud. Just as he reached it, it unleashed a shower of deadly energy balls that headed towards Sakura-tachi. Taking aim, the Moon Guardian blasted the balls with crystals. Pegasus Uni flew towards the cloud and took out the cloud with a light beam from her horn. Turning her attention towards the Kaizer, she fired energy stars from her wings. The armored magician responded with using his cape as a shield.
Having protected himself from Pegasus Uni's star barrage, Kaizer Cyberon put down his cape. At the moment he did, Umbriel rushed at him and delivered a kick aimed at the Kaizer's chest. It hit the intended target, and the Kaizer stumbled to the ground.
"Destroy his helmet!" Syaoran managed to shout. "It's the source of his power!"
Umbriel nodded and raised his sword for the crucial strike. He had hoped to slice the Kaizer's helmet in half without harming him, but he vanished just as the blade descended towards its target. The Darkling watched as his weapon made contact with the ground.
"Behind you!" he heard his mistress cry out.
Umbriel moved in time to avoid being stabbed in the back by Kaizer Cyberon. Turning around, he saw the Kaizer with his sword ready to strike. "Not bad," he remarked. "But in the end, you will join your fellow Guardians."
Kaizer Cyberon thrust his blade at the Darkling, and Umbriel leapt back, giving Yue and Pegasus Uni a clear shot at the Kaizer. Crystals and star shots rained down on the Emperor of the Cyber World, who used the tried-and-true tactic of the cape shield. Seeing that the Kaizer was occupied, Spinel Sun steeled himself and joined in with a red light beam. The attack hit the Kaizer as he blocked the aerial attacks, but it had the same effectiveness as theirs-not much.
Seeing that their attacks were futile, the Guardians ceased fire. Kaizer Cyberon lowered his cape and glared at Spinel Sun. "Trying to make up for last time?" he inquired cruelly. "I must admit, I thought you would just let your fellow Guardians fight me, but you gathered enough courage to try to defeat me. That deserves a reward." As he spoke, his blade shone brightly. "Your suffering will be brief! Cyber Cutter!"
Kaizer Cyberon unleashed an energy wave at Spinel Sun. Standing his ground, he fired again, and a crimson beam of light collided with the Cyber Cutter. Both pushed against each other, sending sparks of energy out. Sakura-tachi watched as Spinel's beam slowly edged out the Cyber Cutter. For a moment, Sakura's eyes were filled with hope.
Then, the Kaizer destroyed that hope. He swung his sword again and sent out another Cyber Cutter that merged with its predecessor, making it larger. The combined attack gained the power advantage, and Spinel Sun began to feel the strain of expending so much energy. Another swing sent a third Cyber Cutter, and the attack got bigger. A final Cyber Cutter granted the Kaizer's attack an even larger form, and it proved too much for the Sun Guardian. The combined Cyber Cutter sliced through the red beam, and Sakura-tachi helplessly watched as it cleaved through Spinel Sun.
"Spinel-san!" Sakura shouted.
"No..." Eriol tried to break free and summon his staff, but he stumbled on his ruined robes, forcing Brandon and Maya to hold him tighter than before.
"Suppi!" Ready screamed.
For a brief moment, Spinel Sun felt like he was being torn apart. His mind pulled out a memory when he was sitting by Nakuru while she was watching some classical cartoons on British television. He recalled one cartoon where a stereotypical vile villain was switched with his victim by the hero and ended up being sliced in half on a conveyer belt rigged with a buzzsaw. The villain, a cat in a black suit who Spinel Sun saw as portraying cats in a bad light, ended up getting off his trap while trying to stay together. Later, he snapped back together only to get an anvil dropped on him courtesy of the mouse hero. The Sun Guardian had wondered how it would feel to be like that cat at that particular moment. As the pain intensified, he wished he had never had that thought.
Fortunately, two things happened. One was that the pain quickly vanished. The other was that being a magical being, Spinel Sun did not leave a symmetrically split corpse. Instead, the Sun Guardian exploded, expending his magic. Immediately, Suppi-chan crashed to the ground face first, twitched momentarily, and became still except for the rising and falling of his back. To everyone's relief, Suppi-chan made a little sound now and then.
"Thank goodness," Tomoyo whispered, checking over the fallen Sun Guardian through her camera lens.
Kaizer Cyberon gazed upon his latest victory, then returned his attention to the three remaining Guardians. "As for you, I will make you wish you were taken out as quickly as your friend."
Glaring at the Kaizer with his red eyes, Umbriel charged him with his sword out. Yue and Pegasus Uni flew at him, ready to fire. Seeing this triple threat, the Kaizer made his sword disappear. He leapt into the air just as Umbriel swung at him. "Legerdemain!" he said, and a Worm appeared and wrapped itself around the Darkling Guardian. As the Kaizer hovered in the air before Yue and Pegasus Uni, his hands began to crackle with dark energy.
"Now!" Pegasus Uni cried, firing a blast from her horn. Yue joined in with double crystal shots.
"Dark Lightning!" Kaizer Cyberon's hands unleashed twin bolts of the lethal attack at targets. The Dark Lightning nullified the incoming attacks and struck their points of origin. Trapped, Yue and Pegasus Uni struggled to escape as they felt the painful effects of the Dark Lightning. They also tried to not give the Kaizer any satisfaction of hearing them scream; both Guardians clenched their teeth tightly as the Dark Lightning crackled through their bodies. Unnoticed by the others, Umbriel broke free of the Worm, but the poisonous Cyber had grabbed his sword with its tail, and the Darkling was trying to retrieve it while avoiding the snapping jaws of the snake-like robot.
"Ganbatte, Yue-san!"
"Hang in there, Uni!"
Hearing their mistresses' words of encouragement, the two Guardians continued their struggle to escape and increased their efforts to ignore the steadily growing pain. Yue managed to move one arm and fire a crystal shot at the Kaizer. Unfortunately, his aim was off, and the crystals flew helplessly over the Kaizer's head.
"What's this? Still resisting?" Kaizer Cyberon increased the power of the Dark Lightning. "Not for long. Oh, I know you're suffering. You can't hide it from me. All I have to do is break you." As he spoke, his red eye glowed brighter as he increased the Dark Lightning's power. "Come now, Guardians. Scream for me. Scream for the most powerful magician on the Earth!"
The last word was punctuated with a powerful surge of Dark Lightning. The Guardian's resistance finally broke. Unable to break free, Pegasus Uni finally let out a scream of pain that made Ready cry out her Guardian's name. Yue's arm failed to produce another attack, but he continued to stay silent. But as more Dark Lightning was pumped into him, his teeth loosened, and a minute passed before he fulfilled the Kaizer's evil command.
*Forgive me, Sakura,* Yue thought as his mouth released all the screams he had held in.
Seeing an opening, Umbriel grabbed the Worm by its throat and grasped it tightly, making it gasp loudly. A few shakes made the snake-like Cyber drop his sword, which promptly returned to him. With one slice at its neck, he sent the Worm to the state of nothingness. With that nuisance gone, he turned his attention to the plight of his fellow Guardians.
"Delicious," Kaizer Cyberon remarked as he listened to the screams of the Guardians. "Divine, really." Thinking he saw Pegasus Uni passing out, he said, "Oh no, not yet. I don't want you to go into your false form yet." He looked down and noticed Umbriel, who was getting ready to jump. "Feeling left out, Darkling?" he asked. "Allow me to remedy that!"
Before Umbriel could even move, Kaizer Cyberon swung his arms together and smashed the Darkling between the two trapped Guardians. His grin widened across his pale face as he beheld three Guardians trapped in his Dark Lightning and the screams emanating from them.
"No..." Ready said softly. "Uni...Umbriel..." She felt tears beginning to gather at the corner of her eyes, but she would be damned if she allowed herself to give the Emperor of the Cyber World the satisfaction of seeing her break down.
Contrary to Ready, Sakura let the tears flow down her cheeks. "Stop it! Stop it!" she shouted pleadingly to the Kaizer.
Kaizer Cyberon heard the Cardmistress. "It is getting boring," he said firmly. With a final blast of Dark Lightning, the trapped Guardians exploded before Sakura-tachi's eyes. When all was visible, Sakura could see two human-like shapes and a small toy-like object falling to the ground. Yukito fell to one side. Umbriel, still in his true form but with a charred cape and badly scorched armor, fell to his knees, then to the ground. Pegasus Uni, now in her false form, dropped to the ground as gravity steered her that way.
"He...defeated them all," Syaoran said.
Sakura sniffled as she felt moisture roll down her cheeks. "Yukito-san," she whispered. Bending her head down, she sobbed loudly. After a moment, she raised her head and screamed "Yukito-san!" Now all she wanted was to help Yukito and the other fallen Guardians get away from the young man dressed in armor. "Meiling-chan," she started to tell Syaoran's cousin, "take care of Syaoran-kun while I..."
"Don't, Sakura-san," Eriol managed to say as he remained supported by Brandon and Maya.
Flashing a big grin, Kaizer Cyberon lowered himself to the ground. "Now that I've dispatched your so-called Guardians, it's time for me to claim my prize," he announced as he resumed his march.
Holding Syaoran close to her, Sakura took in the sight of all the defeated Guardians. She did not know Umbriel and other three animal Guardians, but she knew they came to Tokyo because of her. Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon were initially her enemies, but they became good friends. Her eyes finally laid on Kero-chan and Yukito. Kero-chan may have tricked her into become the Cardcaptor, but he was always there for her. Yue started out as hostile towards her in his role as the Judge, but he eventually accepted her. As Yukito, he was her brother's best friend and her first love until Syaoran admitted his feelings for her. The unconscious forms of all her friends were too much for the Cardmistress, and she continued to cry. Ignoring his own pain, Syaoran hugged Sakura and tried to comfort her.
Clutching her Starlighter Staff tightly, Ready looked at all the fallen Guardians. Her eyes went to Nakuru, and she recalled how the neutral gendered creature loved to shop for the finest in girls' clothing with her and her friends. Next was Suppi-chan, and she remembered how serious he acted and when Brandon decided to slip a chocolate in his oatmeal. Upon laying eyes on O.G., she recalled how he served his master before and after she and Brandon became friends. She looked at Lupe, and she remembered when she created and gave her to Maya after the budding inventor found out she was a Starlighter. She saw Sakura's defeated Guardians, and she recalled Eriol's tale of how valiantly they defended their mistress when the reincarnation of Clow Read put all of Tomoeda to sleep. Finally, she saw her own Guardians. She remembered how happy she was when Pegasus Uni was created just for her. She could still remember Umbriel watching over her as a little girl and making sure she stayed out of trouble, although he ended up spring her out of trouble. Now all of them had been defeated by a kid magician like her with delusions of grandeur with the power to make them come true and an apparent hatred for humanity, and he was on his way to claim the most powerful magical objects in the world for his own sinister goals.
Ready forced herself to look away from the Guardians and told herself that she saw signs of life in them. She looked briefly at the crying Sakura with Syaoran trying to comfort her. Her grip on her Staff becoming tighter, she faced the incoming Kaizer. Without looking back at Sakura and the others, she ran out to meet him.
Kaizer Cyberon stopped. "Well, well, well. What is this? A willing victim?"
"Ready, wait!" Brandon handed Eriol to Maya, who tried to keep the injured magician on his feet. While Tomoyo joined in to help Eriol stay up, the young Shadowwalker made an energy blade shoot out of his weapon and ran after his friend.
Meiling watched as the two young magicians raced towards the Kaizer. She looked at Sakura and Syaoran, and her hands tightened into fists. With a battle cry, she ran after Ready and Brandon.
"Meiling-chan! Matte!" Sakura shouted.
"Meiling, no..." Syaoran said.
"Ready, Brandon! Come back!" Maya pleaded.
Ready reached the Kaizer first. "I've had enough of you!" the young Starlighter shouted, leaping into the air. The tip of her Staff glowed as she raised it in the air, about to strike.
"Legerdemain!" The Kaizer held out his hand, and poor Ready froze in midair just as she was about to smash his helmet. "Really, I must assume you weren't paying attention to the previous battle," he said, amused at the sight of Ready grunting and trying to move. "I'm afraid you must be punished." With another wave of his hand, he made Ready fly over towards the others who stayed behind. Sakura watched as her new friend crashed a few inches from she and Syaoran were standing. The young Starlighter tried to stand up, but she succumbed to the pain and slumped to the ground, her Staff falling besides her.
Brandon and Meiling froze when Ready had been stopped in midair, and they had watched as she was flung back toward the others. For a few seconds, Brandon stood there and simply looked at Ready lying on the ground. He closed his eyes and held back the tears, then turned around. As Meiling continued to stare at the defeated Starlighter, Brandon charged at Kaizer Cyberon with his Shadowwalker Rod ready to strike.
"Hmmm, another one," the Kaizer said, sounding amused.
As Brandon rushed at the Kaizer, he made a swing for his head. The Kaizer stepped back and avoided another wild swing. "What's the matter? Did I hurt your friend?" he taunted as he dodged swing after swing.
"Hold still, damn it!" Brandon yelled in frustration as he kept swinging.
Meiling ran towards the two magicians as quickly as she could. The Kaizer stopped, and Brandon lunged at him. The armored magician held out his hand, and the young Shadowwalker was pushed back by an unseen force. He ended up landing near Sakura's left side. Sakura gasped as he watched Brandon fall back down after trying to get up.
Kaizer Cyberon smiled smugly at his recently dispatched foe, but his silent celebration was interrupted by knock to his chest. Meiling had rushed in and delivered a punch with all the force she could muster. Before she could go for the helmet, the Kaizer flew back and landed a few feet away. He riased his cape, then he opened it and launched a barrage of fireballs at the young fighter. Meiling chose to stay on the ground and ran around the resulting explosions. One exploded before her, and as the Kaizer tried to see if she was down, Meiling leapt through the smoke and delivered a flying kick to the Kaizer's chest, sending him reeling a little.
Recovering his balance, Kaizer Cyberon glared at his latest opponent. "Annoying little insect," he snarled as he fired an energy blast from his hand, which Meiling adeptly dodged. "You humans just don't know when to quit!" he yelled as he kept firing on her.
Meiling made her way through the blasts and reappeared before the Kaizer. "You hurt Syaoran and everyone else and made Kinomoto cry!" she declared with fire burning in her eyes. She attacked with a flurry of punches, which the Kaizer stepped away from while blocking. "I'm going to make you pay for that!"
"With what?" the Kaizer asked as he hovered away from the battling martial artist. "With your fancy fighting moves?" he said mockingly as he landed a few feet from Sakura-tachi. "Your friends possessed magical powers, and you saw what happened to them. What makes you, a little girl with no magical powers, any different from the other bugs?"
"I'll show you what this little girl can do!" Meiling yelled as she ran towards the Kaizer. Leaping into the air, she soared towards him with one foot out.
Kaizer Cyberon stepped aside and grabbed Meiling's foot. "Not much I see," he remarked as he held her tightly upside down.
"No! Meiling-chan!" Sakura cried.
"Meiling..." Syaoran said quietly.
Meiling tried to break out of the Kaizer's grip, but he was too strong for her. "Join the other human vermin!" he yelled as he flung her towards Eriol, Tomoyo, and Maya.
Maya held out her ring hand. Her plan was to summon a wind that could stop Meiling and bring her to the ground safely. Unfortunately, she never executed it. Meiling bowled her, Tomoyo, and the injured Eriol over, and all four people landed on the ground in a big pile with the martial artist and the master magician on top. On the bottom, Tomoyo was laid out with her camcorder next to her. The tool of her "strange" hobby was badly damaged and now exhibited a broken lens and a dented body. Sakura saw that her best friend was not moving underneath the human mass.
"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura screamed, and she tried to carry Syaoran with her to tend to her friend.
"Sakura!" Syaoran shouted, raising his head. Sakura stopped in her tracks as Kaizer Cyberon appeared between her and her friends.
"Well, that was a nice spot of exhilarating exercise," the Emperor of the Cyber World said. "But enough fun. Give me what I want, Cardmistress." Holding out his open hand emphasized his point.
Willing himself to fight, Syaoran broke away from Sakura. He ignored the pain in his body and was about to attack the Kaizer with his sword. He never got to make a move. The Kaizer teleported in front of him and seized him by the neck. All the Chinese magician could do was gasp as he was lifted from the ground.
"Syaoran-kun!"
Sakura screaming his name made Syaoran fight the impending blackout. Through narrowed eyes, he glared at the Kaizer. He felt his grip on his sword loosen, and he heard it clang as it hit the ground.
"So, I haven't quite extinguished your fighting spirit yet, eh, Mr. Li?" the Kaizer said, enjoying himself as Syaoran struggled to keep breathing. "A pity you weren't much of a challenge. The data I have on you said you were the strongest magician of the Li Clan. Now when I look at you, I ask myself why I even bothered to scan your sword's data."
"Let Syaoran-kun go!" Sakura pleaded, clutching the Star Wand tightly.
"Sakura, st...!" Syaoran felt the Kaizer's grip tighten, and all he could do was gurgle.
"You know, Mr. Li, I could just snap your neck right now," Kaizer Cyberon informed him. "However, I prefer to extend your suffering as well as Miss Kinomoto's. It's more...delicious that way." With a sneer, he tossed Syaoran towards Sakura, and he landed at her feet.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura bent down to see how her love was doing. "Syaoran-kun, daijobu ka?" she asked as she looked into his eyes, which fought to stay open. From her view, the Chinese magician was fading fast. "Syaoran-kun?" She felt more tears roll down her cheeks. Syaoran's eyes finally closed, and Sakura hugged him tightly and cried, feeling his body move faintly.
"Pathetic."
Moistened, Sakura's eyes switched from Syaoran to the looming form of Kaizer Cyberon. "W-W-What?" the Cardmistress said.
"Look at you," the Kaizer said, disgusted. "Why are you crying over this broken little boy?"
"Because," Sakura said, sniffling, "because I love him." She sniffled again as she wiped away the tears. "He loves me, and I love him. We were meant to be together forever."
The Kaizer chuckled, then broke out into cruel laughter that echoed around him. "Cardmistress, you are so naïve. If-and I do emphasize 'if'-you do survive this and he does not, you can always find another boy to profess your love to." Sakura caught a tinge of hatred from the way the Kaizer said "love." "To use an old cliché," the Kaizer continued, "there are other fish in the sea. Your little boyfriend, like all humans, is replaceable."
"No, that's not true!" Sakura shouted, still holding Syaoran tightly. "You're wrong! Syaoran-kun is my one and only true love!"
Kaizer Cyberon laughed cruelly at the Cardmistress' assertions. "You little fool, there is no such thing as true love!" he declared.
Sakura sniffled again. She felt her eyes filling with moisture as she looked up at the armored form of the Emperor of the Cyber World. "Why are you so cruel?" she asked softly. "Why do you hate people so much? Why do you like to hurt them?"
The Kaizer glared down at the Cardmistress. His hand tightened into a fist at his side. He clenched his teeth, and a low snarl escaped his mouth. Sakura noticed that his red eye glowed intensely. "You little brat!" he said, nearly spitting out the words. His fist crackled with dark energy. "I will delight in your suffering, then I'll take..."
Sakura watched as the Kaizer was knocked down from behind. Landing on his hands and knees, the Kaizer kept himself from kissing concrete. Still holding Syaoran, Sakura saw who the attacker was.
Leaning on his Sun Staff, Hiiragizawa Eriol looked down at Kaizer Cyberon. "I won't let you harm Sakura-san," the Kaizer's ex-prisoner intoned, his eyes narrowing at the young megalomaniac.
Kaizer Cyberon levitated from his spot and faced the reincarnation of Clow Read. "Did my interrogator take away your common sense, old man?" he said scornfully. "My power exceeds yours and even that of Clow Read, remember?"
"Your power should not even exist," Eriol said matter-of-factly. "I'm stopping you before you collect them all."
Watching the Kaizer's back, Sakura saw him double over with laughter. "I see you've inherited Clow Read's sense of humor, old man, but not even you can stop me from unleashing the beautiful night."
*I've heard that phrase before,* Sakura thought. *What does Kaizer Cyberon mean by "the beautiful night"?*
A ball of energy came to life over Eriol's Staff. "For the sake of reality, I won't let you do that."
Kaizer Cyberon raised his hand. Sakura gasped as Syaoran was lifted off the ground by an unseen force and taken away from her. The unconscious Chinese magician floated to the Kaizer's front. "Care to change that, Mr. Hiiragizawa?" the Emperor of the Cyber World asked, keeping Syaoran in front of him.
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura screamed.
Frustrated, Eriol made the energy ball vanish. "You..."
"Such sentiment should be purged from your thinking, Mr. Hiiragizawa," the Kaizer commented. "Fortunately for me, I've done that a long time ago."
Without warning, Syaoran sped towards Eriol. With no time to react, the master magician was knocked down by the flying body, and both boys fell to the ground. The surprise attack knocked Eriol out, and his Staff became a Key before hitting the ground.
"Eriol-kun! Syaoran-kun!" Sakura cried.
The Kaizer turned around. "I'm afraid they can't help you now, Cardmistress." He motioned around him. "No one can help you. You're all alone now, Miss Kinomoto."
Sakura got to her feet hurriedly and pulled out a Sakura Card. "Windy!" she called as she released its magic with her Wand.
Windy flew at the Kaizer and wrapped itself around him. It tightened its grip to keep him away from its mistress. The Kaizer only smiled, and dark energy surged from him and into Windy. The Sakura Card flickered, then exploded into energy and dissipated. That nuisance gone, Kaizer Cyberon continued on his way.
"Watery!" Sakura called, and Watery rushed forward to strike the Kaizer with its charging waves. The Kaizer raised his hand, and Watery stopped in its tracks. To Sakura's astonishment, Watery began to boil, then gradually became steam.
"You're only delaying your fate!" the Kaizer called to Sakura. "I suggest you hand me the Cards and Key instead of playing these parlor tricks on me!"
"Hoooooeeeeeee..." Nearly panicking, Sakura searched through her deck of Sakura Cards.
"Since you're taking too long..." The Kaizer's sword reappeared in his hand. "I'll just help myself!" he declared as he flew towards the Cardmistress.
Sakura snatched the first Card she saw. "Dash!" Before the Kaizer's blade struck, she sped away.
"Clever," Kaizer Cyberon remarked. He tracked Sakura with his red eye. "However, your speed won't save you. Cyber Cutter!"
The attack exploded inches from Sakura as she continued running. That was the case for the following Cyber Cutters. Feeling exhausted, Sakura stopped to catch her breath. The break lasted only a few seconds before she had to dash away to avoid another Cyber Cutter. *I can't keep doing this,* she told herself. As she continued avoiding the Kaizer's attacks, she searched through her Cards. *There must be a Card I can use on him.*
"You can't continue at that pace for long, Cardmistress!" Kaizer Cyberon said as he launched Cyber Cutter after Cyber Cutter. "Sooner or later, you'll have to stop again!"
Finally, Sakura found a Card she felt she could use. *I hope this works.*
Kaizer Cyberon watched as Sakura changed direction and headed towards him. "Well, at least you're facing death bravely, Miss Kinomoto!" he said, preparing to cut her down with another Cyber Cutter.
Knowing what to do, the super-fast Cardmistress charged the Emperor of the Cyber World. When Sakura was only a few feet away, Kaizer Cyberon fired the Cyber Cutter. Just as the attack neared her, Sakura jumped over it and appeared before the Kaizer.
"What?" Kaizer Cyberon exclaimed.
"Power!"
Before the Kaizer could switch his attack, Sakura brought her Star Wand down on his crown. A loud smash later, cracks began to form on the helmet, and Sakura took a step back. Dropping his sword, the Kaizer clutched his face mask, and he gritted his teeth. As his sword disappeared after spending a few seconds on the ground, the cracks on his helmet spread. Small sounds of pain slipped through the narrow spaces between his teeth, and a tired Sakura was treated to the helmet slowly crumbling into pieces. A second later, all of the helmet-face mask and crown--popped into oblivion, leaving the Kaizer's head exposed. With the Kaizer's gloved hand over his face, Sakura could not see what he looked like, but she could see some of his pale skin and blond hair trimmed properly.
*Thank goodness,* she thought, relieved that she destroyed the helmet. She sunk to her knees and caught her breath. *Now everything will be fine. Syaoran-kun will be fine. Tomoyo will be fine. Everyone will be fine. Without the helmet, Algol will disappear, and...*
Sakura looked up, and her eyes widened in shock. The giant Cyber still hovered above the area. Only some sounds of chuckling from in front of her made her look at Kaizer Cyberon. She saw him break out into laughter behind his hand.
"Hoe?" Sakura said, tired.
"Silly little girl," the Kaizer said, still covering his face. "Although you made a clever move, it still isn't over yet." As he spoke, a transparent shape began to form around his head. The crown reappeared on his head, and when he removed his hand, the face mask was back in place.
"Hoooooooeeeeeeeee!" Sakura cried, rising quickly. "B-b-but your helmet..."
"You thought destroying my helmet would stop me? That it would take away my powers?" the Kaizer asked, grinning evilly. "I'm afraid you miscalculated, Cardmistress. Now you'll pay for your error."
Before Sakura could do anything, the Kaizer vanished. She looked around, trying to see where he went. A booming voice from above answered her concerns.
"I'm up here, Cardmistress!"
Looking skyward, Sakura found herself looking at Algol. A Window with the Kaizer's face appeared in her line of sight.
"Since you have proven yourself stubborn in submitting to my will, all of Tokyo will suffer!" the Kaizer announced. Simulating a video camera utilizing a reverse zoom option or backing away from its subject, the Window revealed that he was standing on top of Algol's head. "Algol, full power! Reduce this miserable city to a smoking crater!"
The Window vanished. Algol rose higher, and once it was high enough, it tilted forward. Sakura saw its eyes glowing intensely. She knew what was next, and this time it was no simple demonstration. This time, people would definitely be in the target area, and they included Sakura and her fallen friends.
Clutching her Star Wand closely and watching Algol anxiously, the Cardmistress thought, *What can I do?*