Despite the pain in his thigh, Kairo was smiling. "At least now we know all his cards. There will be no more surprises," he said. Jed's abilities made him the perfect spy, but he wasn't invincible. Kairo had a plan to win.
"I don't have much time left before I run out of aura. We'll have a one-hit chance. I'll use all I have to take down the Scarecrow Master in one hit, but I'll need you to buy time," Kairo said in a low voice.
"Time, you said? Ironic," Nyx said. Raising her palm, she caught the flying card between her fingers.
"Pocket Hourglass," she whispered. The circuitry of the void responded with golden flares that sent the scarecrows flying backward. Basking in the golden aura, Nyx's long black hair floated upward. With that tiny card Nyx waved, a golden halo pulled outward, sealing the entire wooden house in its pull.
"What the hell is that again?" Kairo asked. But Nyx simply shook her head. "I'm not as trained as you. I can't hold Sifa and Hourglass at the same time. But within this space, I would be safe. Now it's up to you," she said.
Although curious, Kairo knew they didn't have much time left. His wound was killing him, and the aura of Tactical Brilliance was slowly dwindling. Soon, it would disappear like the Sand Paladin.
"We won't have another chance." Kairo readied himself.
Jed and the Scarecrow Master had a worried look.
"A temporal zone where no damage can be dealt… the card Hourglass. To think such a card exists in the Card Mage Police," the Scarecrow Master's eyes twinkled.
"Get rid of Kairo. Even if she is immune to pain in this zone, Kairo is not. Get rid of him now," Jed ordered, shooting toward him. Ordered by their masters, the scarecrows all swarmed toward Kairo.
"Don't mind them, Kairo. Keep going—they can't harm you in here," she screamed.
Kairo was startled. The moment Jed's claws pierced into his chest, there was a subtle ripple that prevented the claws from going any deeper. "Incredible," he murmured. Without further ado, he leaned forward and cannonballed toward the Scarecrow Master.
A single hit would be enough to end this battle. Kairo danced agilely through the space. Without care for the scarecrows, he just charged like a war machine. His fist was armed like a comet. The Scarecrow Master's face turned so pale he almost fell backward. Pulling out his last card, his twisted voice echoed.
"You both have been foolish enough to think my scarecrows are weak. Now you shall all pay the price." The Scarecrow Master pulled out his last card. The circuitry of the void was summoned once more, and this time, he connected the card with the ground.
"Rise from the dead, weapons of the past… Cemetery of Legends!"
Out of the brink, the space distorted like they had been transported to an ancient battlefield. As far as the eye could see, there were weapons stuck into the earth—swords, daggers, lances. Even in the wooden walls, weapons had appeared. The scarecrows caught them one after another. In a blink, they shifted from their wooden sticks to gleaming legendary weapons. Their aura, too, seemed to have changed.
Kairo, who had been charging blindly, felt something was off. The scarecrow he could kick away minutes ago appeared more imposing with a purple sword in hand. It slashed forward, tearing a clean line into the space.
Forced to halt his charge—"I can't let this thing touch me"—Kairo slid forward, flipping above the monstrous blow to evade the attack.
"That was close. Now it's only a matter of time before she runs out of energy and the Hourglass disappears. Once it does, with Shadow Mark still active, I'll get rid of Kairo once and for all," Jed smirked, returning to his acolyte's side. He had no more reason to keep attacking in this space.
"What makes you think I'll run out of aura before you do? You just wait… I won't miss your face," Nyx said.
"We started fighting before them. That was the reason the scarecrows attacked us with sticks at the beginning," Kairo's face darkened. It was like everything about this place was reminding him of his mistake.
"What is the plan, Kairo?" Nyx's agitated voice continued rising. Her skin, usually full of vigor, started losing its color.
Kairo took a glance at his opponents. He had to hurry.
"I am the fastest of us. I will open the way and you deal with the Scarecrow Master. As for Jed, leave him to me. He hasn't touched you with Shadow Mark, he won't try to instantly kill you."
"Are you conscious of what you're asking? Without the Hourglass? And your wound? He has an army of scarecrows armed with legendary weapons. And Jed just needs a single hit to kill you… I—"
Kairo, up until now, had never seen Nyx hesitate on anything.
Yet right now, she was unable to make a decision.
Kairo felt touched, but there was no other choice. If they didn't try something now, there would be no other chance.
"I know I'm asking you to put your life in my hands, but please… trust me, Nyx," Kairo said.
Nyx stared silently into Kairo's eyes for an instant. Then her usual smile returned.
"I can't wait to tie him up with Sifa. Let's do this, Kairo," she said.
"Keep planning as much as you want. You're done for once this stupid Hourglass vanishes," Jed said.
Kairo took a deep breath, getting ready. He pulled a golden sword from the unearthed ground.
The advantage of cards like Cemetery of Legends was well known to Kairo. There was no limit to who could use the weapons.
The golden sword felt extremely heavy in his hands, but Kairo stood straight.
For the first time, his heart rate started racing.
There would be no other chance — Kairo knew it.
"Now, Nyx," Kairo said.
Nyx waved, and the Hourglass vanished from sight, pulling with it the golden halo that illuminated the area.
It lasted less than a second, but the scarecrows were like lightning — as if the weapons had not only increased their strength.
Nyx wielded a purple lance, clearing the path forward.
Swinging the lance back and forth, she clashed continuously with the scarecrows, drawing snake-like sparkles in the void, as if she were painting with her lance.
She looked to be directing the combat, using the tip of her weapon to guide the scarecrows while fending off their attacks.
Her jet-black hair moved with her, following the pace as she evaded the swords and countered.
Weapon mastery had been one of the numerous things they had learned in their one-year training.
But despite that, she was in a really bad posture.
The scarecrows were swarming without pity.
Her little frame trembled upon every impact.
She was buying time.
Kairo leaned forward.
"Father, you always said to keep a cool head in this kind of situation… but frankly speaking, I'm dying in here. Such a lie of an advice."
Kairo cannonballed forward.
His speed, too, had doubled thanks to the golden sword.
The first scarecrows in his path moved in unison, striking with their swords one after another.
Kairo stepped to the side and pivoted in another direction, shooting toward the master.
"Get him, Jed! Get him now!" he yelled in fear.
Jed was the next in line, gripping a massive scythe.
He popped out behind Kairo, ready to finish him in one clean strike.
But Kairo kept running forward.
"Die!" Jed cried out.
The scythe drew a purple arc in the space, aiming for his head — but Kairo jumped backward, entering the short range of the scythe.
"Huh? What are you doing?" Jed's face flashed in shock.
The scythe missed Kairo's head by inches, slicing beads of his hair as it moved just in front of his eyes.
Kairo moved, shooting the sword into Jed's leg.
Crimson blood splashed on the ground while Jed let out a deafening cry.
"Bastard! What have you done?! My leg—"
Kairo caught his breath — and shot out.
The Scarecrow Master's face was ashen at the moment.
"My job is not only to catch criminals but to beat the crap out of them. That was Rellion's promise—and now mine."
Kairo's fist landed onto his jaw. A sickening crack echoed as his fingers anchored into the ground, his face going blank in an instant.
...
A few minutes later, Kairo was laying on the weed, tending to his wounds.
Nyx, on the other hand, had finished tying up Jed and the unconscious Scarecrow Master, smiling at them with a more-than-devilish smile.
"Told you I would tie you up," she smirked.
"Now it's time for you to tell us why you did all of this. You have sixty seconds. After that, I'm calling Fabian and Danzan. They'll know how to deal with you guys," Kairo said.
Jed's face was pale and ashen, his eyes so red it looked like he was going to cry at any moment.
Of them all, he had the most grievous wound.
"You… okay, I will talk. Maybe if you listen, you too will change your mind."