Kairo skidded several steps back before he could stabilize his body. Nyx in the sky prepared to dive down to his help but Kairo shook his head. In the sky she was harder to target than he was. This was their biggest advantage they could not lose.
"The sand paladin wasn't fast enough to react to that attack. Meaning the Ghost Vampires are faster than us here. Stay above and I will provide an opportunity," Kairo straightened his back. He expected the Collector to be a challenger; he was ready for that. No matter how powerful the ghost vampires were, he would not give up.
"Great, listen to Kairo. Stay up and observe," the Collector added. He slowly stretched his arms upward and pointed in Kairo's direction, a chilling smile on his face. "Mark," he ordered.
Kairo had not expected any moment of respite. Now that the Collector had the advantage, he wouldn't let them breathe. Kairo moved the protector armor; it was incredibly slow compared to the ghost demons.
Despite shooting through the space, he was quickly caught up by the ghost demons. "Not all have evolved into vampires. Only the leaders. This should be manageable," Kairo thought. Stepping to the side, he slid his foot on the ground, changing the protector body on the ground.
The vampire lord lifted its hammer, slamming it down. Its frame was so large that Kairo felt minuscule underneath. "Take this one again," he gritted his teeth and lifted his arms. The impact sent shockwaves in the abyss. The earth underneath the protector fractured, spreading out like a spider web.
Kairo bit his lips under the strain, yet he didn't flee. "Now, Nyx," he yelled. His hands sealing the hammer frame. He couldn't be faster than the ghost vampire, hence he just had to make them slower.
The ghost vampire pulled the hammer with all its strength but to its dismay was unable to take it out of the protector's grip. Kairo's fingers were trembling, yet he never budged, keeping the hammer sealed in between his palms.
Nyx acted instantly, almost like she had been waiting for this particular moment. The starry sky disappeared and behind her something different appeared. First condensed into particles of light like a cocoon opening. Then there was a loud flap and the angel's wings spread majestically behind her.
She stretched her left arm, sealing the shimmering angel's sword in between. The twin cards were activated at the same time. She dove down like a meteor, leaving a bright trace of light as she descended.
The Collector ordered his ghost demons; they all flew in the sky, stalling time for the ghost vampire to free its hammer from Kairo's grip.
Nyx's angelic figure left the ghost demons in the dust. The falling light pivoted midair, skidding past her opponent with graceful ease. There was a clean swing and she landed after the ghost vampire. A sword strike flashed in the form of golden light on the ghost's body.
Kairo finally released the hammer, taking a few steps back. "We did the right choice choosing a purely offensive deck for her on this mission," Kairo thought, a proud smile on his face.
The ghost demon's body trembled intensely, like a breaking mirror about to fade. However, before it could disappear, the ghost demons began chanting again, sending the strange symbols of the Ghost Melody into the void.
"It's regenerating again."
The Collector held his face; on his lips a trace of blood. Ever since he grew up, he had never felt this alive collecting someone's cards. The ghost vampire's wound faded, painted by a river-like black liquid. Its wounds hadn't disappeared; instead they had been filled by something else. The ghost demons around reduced even more, feeding the ghost vampire into something more terrifying.
From its hammer, black arcs drew like rivers in the forest, undulating to form the ghost symbols on the hammer. The ghost lord's figure shifted, encased by a ragged piece of armor mimicking that of an old warrior forgotten by the ages.
"I will take him down before things get out of hand," Nyx said, taking to the skies with her angel's wings once more. The ghost vampire was getting stronger with the disappearance of ghost demons. When no one would be left, he would be invincible, she felt.
"Don't be reckless," Kairo warned. He summoned the protector lightning in his palm and let it spread outward. The ghost demons barreled in a circle trying to drown him under their number.
Kairo stepped out and slid above the hammer strike, then stepped to the right to evade another swing. The ghost demons were far from the ghost vampire's speed, giving him enough time to react. Kairo's fist sent another ghost demon flying.
"I wouldn't have another chance," he thought. In the past he had been limited with the range of his card magic, but with the protector lightning it wasn't a problem. A single shot, that was all he needed to win.
The ghost vampire's hammer was faster than a sword, clashing in quick succession with Nyx's angelic weapon. In the void, the ghost vampire flowed like water, evading with ease the sword's strikes, while its hammer sent Nyx flying away.
Despite the pain, she rushed back into combat. She skidded in the air like a dancer, passing above the massive hammer frame. Using her sword, Nyx aimed at the vampire lord's chest, drawing a clean arc downward. The speed and strength behind the move left the swing trailing as she moved.
The ghost vampire stretched its hammer horizontally, taking the sword strike head on. The abyss illuminated once more. The ghost vampire moved its hammer using the momentum to send a hammer strike to her thigh. The bone-jarring impact sent Nyx flying backward once more.
Kairo's heartbeat increased. This would be the last beat of this confrontation. She was buying time for him to hit the Collector. He couldn't afford to miss this chance. Holding the lightning in his hands, Kairo felt like he held the last beat of hope for them in between. Heavier than it should have been, but brighter than it had ever been. He lifted his arm in the protector's direction. "Now let's end this," he said.
The lightning clapped in the void, shining brighter than the fire around them. It undulated in the air like a dragon coming to life as it had been shaped from Kairo's desire to win. The lightning form snaked past the ghost demons; its massive frame opened its mouth above the Collector's head, shielding his entire field of view.
Kairo released the lightning dragon on his opponent. Its massive frame cried like a living figure, making sounds of sparkles coming to life in quick succession. It dove down, biting the Collector's head.
"Incredible, forged from your will alone," the Collector smiled at the coming attack. The confrontation was better than anything he had ever imagined. In his eyes there was no regret nor fear. Even if he fell now, he would be glad having seen this. However, he smirked, it wasn't time to die. "Accumulated and pushed to the limits, this is the fastest way to let people reveal who they really are. Grow, Kairo... grow larger than you have ever been," he ordered.
The ghost vampire's eyes twinkled like two blood moons, summoned by its master's desire. It morphed again. Its figure turned into a bloody red light that descended towards the dragon. Nyx tried to stop the ghost vampire but was unable to get close to the falling shape.
It morphed again as it dove down, turning into an ancient Chinese style red dragon, sealing the lightning dragon in its coiling embrace. It was like two mythical figures clashing. The lightning white and the blood red dragon clashed against each other.
Kairo fell on one knee, exhausted by his creation. Shaping the card magic with his will was something he had never done, neither did he think it was possible. His breathing was harsh and labored. He lifted his head only to see the blood red figure crush the lightning dragon. With it, Kairo and Nyx's last hope of winning this fight.