There was a deaf cry as Kairo's creation was shattered under the snake embrace of the ghost vampire or whatever was left of it. Once its mission complete, it returned to its original shape, harboring its hammer as it stood proudly behind his master.
"You have no idea of how far I went to get this power…" the Collector said.
...
Seven years ago…
In a riverside mansion…
A little boy stood in a kitchen. Eyes blank at his yelling father. The elder man looked flustered, his face flickering between anger and shock. For the little boy, his words only flew past his mind, never leaving the mark they should have had on a child of his age.
The little boy tilted his head almost as if mocking his father, eyes falling on the figure on the ground. His eyes weren't that of detachment nor void. Instead it was calm and collected, that of someone who had nothing to blame himself for.
The maid lying in her own blood left a macabre scene in the once peaceful kitchen.
"She didn't want to give you her card? Did you ask for it first? You can't just go around and steal people's things. It's bad, Varion. As a heir of our family, you have to behave yourself."
"If I had asked, she would have given me. And there would be no joy in collecting them."
"The society doesn't work this way. You can't just steal all what you want. There are better ways to obtain what you desire. Are you listening to me, Varion? You wouldn't be able to collect everything, it's impossible," his father said, his breathing tired from all the yelling.
"Deal then… I will collect every card my heart sets on." Varion turned his back to his father and walked away. Leaving the Varion Mansion that day to sink into something different…
...
"Why would you go this far for cards?" Kairo's arms fell on the side, engulfed by fatigue and frustration. Their last attempt hadn't given anything. Nyx was now lying on the ground, unable to use her wings after the last clash with the ghost vampire. The Collector had been stronger than them, but why?
Kairo could not understand. "Our intentions are noble… we fought for justice, why didn't we win?" he questioned himself.
"I collected numerous cards, Kairo. From criminals, assassins, even kidnappers… friends and even family," the Collector spoke, his eyes lost in the distance where part of his deck was. For him, the three card limit was perfect. Without it, there would be no zeal for him to collect other people's cards. He tilted his face in Kairo's direction and asked, "What do you feel now, Kairo? Am I the greatest of evil in your little mind?" A genuine zeal to find out. Not to reason his actions with Kairo, but just to find out what animated the other for card magic.
"He's trying to get into your mind, Kairo. Don't listen to him. Who cares what you think about him?" Nyx warned from above. Clearly through the fog, the Collector was setting in Kairo's mind.
Kairo took a deep breath. Sliding his left foot on the ground to take the protector stance. "Evil doesn't have a name, it exists in any of our actions. Taking your life is evil. But I will feel good taking it." Kairo moved. The protector armor moved with speed that left trailing light on his path.
The Collector waved in a hurry, sending an army of ghost demons on Kairo's path. "Take it then, Kairo. I will gladly grant you my life, but before that I need to collect your cards." The Collector's aura grew like wildfire in the forest, shooting so high in the abyss the entire space became illuminated. The evolved ghost vampire stepped out, blocking the space.
The ghost vampire and the protector met in an intense clash. Fist against hammer. The impacts caused the void to flicker with light like sparkles coming to life. A firework was born in the abyss as Kairo and the ghost vampire clashed, stepping out to the left and evading. The fist and hammer went in a flurry of strikes.
Kairo had a revitalised smile as he fought. Mind clearer than it had never been. For the first time since his discovery of card magic, he felt glad aiming for someone's life. Almost as if part of his reason had fled with the argument. It wasn't about what was logical, but who would kill the other first.
He had seen many opponents, all whom were fanatics in their own zeal. Only now did Kairo understand it had nothing to do with evil or good. It was their actions that made the difference. Evil was everywhere; he wasn't an exception. Kairo felt embracing this fanaticism was what made all his past adversaries so powerful. What made his father so unshakable.
They were animated by a fire that made them invincible in their own light. Kairo was burning inside. Burning fire. "I will crush all of those who stand on my path. You can call me the angel of destruction if you wish, but for the order, I will create chaos."
Kairo said. The lightning of the protector armor flickered around his body, covering the outward part of his body as his eyes turned brighter.
"The fire in our eyes shines with the same light. Now we can end this, Kairo," the Collector said, calling forth the ghost demon once more. This time going all out in the confrontation.
The hammer and fist connected once more. Kairo and the ghost vampire were sent skidding in opposite directions.
"Now time to play my last card," Kairo said. He had been using only the protector armor since the beginning of the fight, which wasn't without reason. With the Ghost Melody, he needed to be careful. The Collector had no more ghost demons to rewind the actions that happened. This way he could assure his victory.
The ghost vampire's hammer spun above its body, creating a whistling of air that swept through the abyss. With a final push, the hammer fell on the ground, creating a tremor that caused the earth to level up towards Kairo's direction.
"Aiming for my support on land," Kairo smirked. He had thought of that. Using Animate under his feet, he propelled a block of earth above his foot. The sudden burst caused the protector armor to shoot into the sky.
The ghost vampire's face twitched; from its toothless mouth a groan echoed, mimicking the frustration on the Collector's face, almost as if they were connected. "Crush him," he said. The ghost vampire went with the hammer at hand for another massive swing. With Kairo floating in the air, it would be hard for the protector armor to evade, he felt. Thus the swing contained all the ghost vampire's strength. The hammer's river-like diagrams shone brightly like bloody rivers, adding to its momentum.
The hammer drew a nice arc in the air, aiming for Kairo's chest midair.
"Kairo!" Nyx yelled in worry.
Inches away from the hammer, Kairo's smile never left him. In a split second, he took off the protector armor, ejecting like a pilot out of a cockpit. The protector armor was crushed to pieces, sent flying in different directions.
Kairo's heart raced as he fell from the void towards the Collector. Without his armor, he was vulnerable and could be defeated in a split second. Yet his smile never left him. Nothing could stop him at this point. He would harbor the blazon of card mage police with pride.
"All this time it had been hidden in the shadow then… no wonder the sand paladin disappeared," the Collector said with a calm expression. In his voice, resignation could be heard. Kairo had outsmarted him. The sand paladin had not been out of combat without reason. The two figures could not appear at the same time.
"It's over, Collector. I win." Kairo landed on his two feet, the momentum causing his knees to arch downward as his figure anchored on the ground. The Collector stepped forward, trying to get close enough to touch Kairo's chest in a last move.
Kairo took two steps back away from his opponent. There was no need to insist.
Behind the Collector, a sniff could be heard. In the shadowy angle of the abyss, something tapped on the ground as it approached. Like an angel of death, its skeletal frame was the type to paralyze even the most courageous warriors. The Death Paladin's lance pierced through the Collector's body, lifting his minuscule figure high into the sky as if presenting a war trophy. The Dead Paladin smiled at Kairo as if asking for recognition. Kairo hadn't shown this ability in the fountain incident, otherwise the Collector would have been on guard for this in this confrontation.
Kairo staggered forward, his left hand on his chest. "We won, Nyx," he said in a low voice as he walked towards Nyx. Disregarding the Collector and the ghost vampire. Now that the mage was defeated, it was just a matter of seconds for his magic to disappear — this was the rule.
But on this particular day, it didn't happen that way…