Yu-Gi-Oh: P.O.D: Part 74

Suddenly a gas canister flew into the room, hissing and letting out a strange green gas. Immediately everyone starts coughing.
    "T-Tacey-chan! Wh-what is this?" Megumi asked.
    "I don't know! Wh-what's going on?" Tacey answered between coughs, covering her face with her sleeve.
    Nanjo suddenly fell out of his chair, unconscious on the floor.  
    Yu soon collapsed as well, falling all over the table.
    Tacey struggled to keep her balance, using the nearby wall to steady herself, but her legs were giving.
    Megumi slumped over Kou's bed. "N-Naruki...kun..."  Megumi then lost conciousness.
    Tacey's head reeled, before her vision blurred and she dropped like a stone.
    A malicious giggle echoed around the room.
    Meanwhile back at Xia's room, Lena is standing beside a still-asleep Xia.
    "Sister...sister, wake up. It's Ten o'clock." Lena stated.
    Xia yawned as she woke, stretching. "H-huh? Already ten?"
    Lena nodded. "Yes, do you want me to accompany you or would you rather see Kou alone?"
    Xia got up. "Well, you can come along. I might need some cheering...or at least, someone to keep Megumi-chan away." She said, sounding relieved, even a bit mischievious with the last comment.
    Lena smiled. "Yeah besides my Yu is there, come on let's go."
    Xia grabbed her duel disk, freshened her clothes a little, and walked out. "He should be up pretty soon, so let's hurry."
    When the two reached the infirmary, they found everybody unconious...and Kou gone.
    "Y-Yu!" Lena exclaimed, going to Yu's side.
    Xia looked around the room. "Wh-what...what happened in here?" She says, before noticing Kou's bed now empty. "Oh no! Kou's not here!" Xia noticed through the back window a girl dragging Kou towards the beach.
    "There! Someone's taking Kou!" She said, pointing outside. "Lena, please, stay here and make sure everyone's safe...I'm going to help Kou!"
    Lena nodded while she got Yu to sit up on the chair.
    Xia rushed out towards the beach, activating her duel disk as she ran. "I'm coming, Kou, just hang on!" Xia arrived at the beach, finding the girl placing Kou in the back of a speedboat, in the dark she couldn't tell who exactly it was, only that it was white dorm student.
    "Hey! Take your grubby hands off of him!" Xia shouted.
    "Ah, Senpai, you're here...I'd ask if you'd join us, but I'm afraid Kou will be my Adam." A familair voice replied.
    "What are you-" Xia said, before realizing who's voice this one. "Kasejima-chan?"
    The girl turned around, proving Xia right. "Yes Senpai, though I'm afraid my master has decided we can't do more here, and before long the Radiance will try to kill him...you see Senpai, I'm a member of the darkness."
    "You're with the Darkness?" Xia said, her tone shocked. "But...why? Why would you do this? Did Dahak put you up to this?"
    Kasejima laughed. "Dahak? That boy was just a test for Kou, to see if he was strong enough yet...no, I'm higher up in the chain than him...as for reason, well I just know that the darkness are going to create a new world..." Kasejima smiled down at Kou. "And it will be...wonderful..."
    Xia's brow narrowed as she clenched a fist. "So that's how it is, huh? Back when I first knew you, everyone pushed you around, and now you think you can take everything you want? Well, I have some news for you!" She shouted, raising her activated duel disk. "I challenge you to a duel! If I win, Kou stays here with me!"
    Kasejima put one step in the boat. "Wh...Why should I? There's nothing you have that I need, I could take this boat out right now and you couldn't stop me."
    Xia smirked. "That's ironic. You said you were better than Dahak, but you can't even accept one duel? So much for the Darkness being all that 'wonderful'. Your 'master' must push you around worse than the rest of the Academia if you're such a coward!"
    Kasejima grew a look of disgust. "Don't talk about the master like that!" Kasejima then activated her duel disk. "Fine i accept your challenge!"
    "Duel!"
    Xia drew her opening hand. "I'll go first, and I summon Gem-Armadillo in attack mode!" 1700 Attack. "Thanks to his effect, when he's normal summoned, I can add one Gem-Knight from my deck to my hand. Thanks to that, I'll add Gem-Knight Amber to my hand, then I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn."   
    Kasejima drew. "Hmmmm, I'll play the continuous spell: Call of the Mummy! Then though its effect special summon Zombie Master!" 1800 Attack. "Then summon Plaguespreader Zombie, but he won't be around long for I synch him with Zombie Master to synchro summon...Revived King Ha Des!" 2450 Attack. "Now go Ha Des, destroy her Armadillo!"  
    Xia looked at Ha Des. "I activate my face-down, Ego Boost! Try and stop that one!" 2700 Attack. "Gem-Armadillo, counter-attack! Rockhide Rollout!"
    Kasejima cringed. 3750 LP. "I um...set one card end end my turn."
    Xia drew her card. "Since you are so eager to leave with Kou, then tell me: you tried to get between him and all of us, is that correct?"
    Kasejima grew a smile. "Yes...it was even working, he was starting to doubt all of you...but now because of that Sebastien it's all been undone, but the master tells me he has a plan and Kou will be turned instantly." Kasejima let out a sigh of delight. "I  can't wait to see it..."
    Xia frowned. "Well, tell your master it will have to wait. I play the spell card, Gem-Knight Fusion!"
    "With that, I fuse Gem-Knight Amber with Gem-Knight Obsidian to fusion summon...Gem-Knight Prismaura!" 2450 Attack. "Gem-Armadillo, let's see you attack again!" Xia commanded, pointing at Kasejima.
    Kasejima raised her hand. "Trap card; Mirror Force!"
    Xia looked back at her face-down card. "Not yet..." She thought.
    Xia looked back at her hand. "I place one monster face-down, then activate Gem-Knight Fusion's effect. I'll banish Amber to return that spell to my hand, and end my turn."
    Kasejima drew. "Call of the haunted's effect, I special summon Vampire Lord!" 2000 Attack. "Then banish him to special summon Vampire Genesis!" 3000 Attack. "Next I activate Genesis' effect, discarding another Vampire Genesis to special summon Ha Des from the grave!" 2450 Attack.
    Xia cocked her eyebrow. "You look out of your element. I thought you were supposed to be the White dorm representative."
    Kasejima chuckled. "That's only my cover, that's like saying to a spy: but you're my bodyguard you can't kill me." Kasejima laughed. "King Ha Des, attack her face-down monster!"
    Xia winced as Gem-Knight Sapphire was destroyed.
    Kasejima grinned. "Prepare Senpai, because this attack will be real...Vampire Genesis! Attack her directly!"
    Xia looks down at her face-downs. "I activate 'Doublet Fusion'! I banish Saphire and Obsidian to fusion summon Gem-Knight Aquamarine in defense mode!" 2600 Defense.
    Kasejima, didn't seem to care. "Take out her Gem-Knight! Using Gem Knight Obsidian Twice? What do you really think that card represents Kou?"
    Xia placed her free hand against her chest. "I know Kou. He may be dark and unpolished at times, but he always shines bright. Oh, and before you think of something to add, whenever Aquamarine is sent to the graveyard, I get to choose one of your monsters, and that monster returns to your hand."  
    Kasejima chuckled. "With King Ha Des on the field, you can't Senpai, looks like you need to study more."
    Xia closed her eyes as Aquamarine was destroyed, then looked back at Kasejima with a determined look.
    Kasejima kept her smile. "I end my turn...rest assure Senpai...Kou-kun WILL be completely alone soon enough...and when he is I'll be there...the only person in his life..." Kasejima let out a sinister laugh. Xia placed her hand against her deck, closed her eyes and blocked out Kasejima's laugh.
    "You're wrong. I'll make sure that Kou will be safe...and I'll be there for him, every step of the way!" She said, shouting the last part as she drew her card.
    Kasejima's laugh stopped upon Xia's words. "Ugh don't say such pure things! How can you love him...and...not have any lust?"
    Xia took a moment to look at Kasejima. "You're right. I do love him, and it's because I learned to be true...to my friends, to myself...what about you? Can you say you're true to yourself?"
    "Sh-shut up! Just get on with your turn!" Kasejima snapped back.
    Xia smiled. "As you wish. I activate my face-down...return from the Different Dimension! It's a small price to pay, to get my monsters back. So, come forth, Gem-Knights Obsidian, Sapphire and Amber!" 2000 LP.
    "Now, I play this... Particle Fusion! I fuse my three Knights to bring forth the Lord and Ruler of all Gem-Knights, Master Dia!" 2900 Attack. "Thanks to Particle Fusion, I banish Gem-Knight Obsidian from my grave to add its power to Master Dia's, and with Dia's own ability, I banish Gem-Knight Prismaura so that Master Dia gains Prismaura's ability. So, by sending Gem-Knight Lazuli from my hand to my grave, I can destroy one face-up card on the field, so Ha Des, say good-bye!" 5000 Attack.  
    Kasejima cringed as Ha Des was destroyed. "I-I still have Vampire Genesis and enough life points to survive!"
    "I'm not done yet. Thanks to Gem-Knight Lazuli, when she is sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I can add a normal from my graveyard and add it to my hand. So, I'll add Gem-Knight Amber and summon it!" 1600 Attack. "Master Dia, attack Vampire Genesis! Diamond Blade Slash!" 4900 Attack.
    Kasejima cringed as Vampire Genesis was destoryed. 1850 LP.
    "Amber! Attack directly! Dagger Shard Barrage!"
    250 LP.
    Xia looked back at the card she had in hand. "Last chance, Kasejima. Give up, give me back Kou, and go back to your 'Master'!" She demmanded, ending her turn.
    Kasejima drew. "Not yet...I will have him...after all Kou-kun loves...strong-willed women...then again that's why he likes you....hmppph. I play Pot of greed to draw two cards...then play Dark Hole!"
    Xia looked worried as her monsters vanished in the vortex.
    "I'll place one card face-down and end my turn." Kasejima stated with a grin.
    "I play 'Graceful Charity'!" Xia said, drawing her three cards. "I'll discard Gem-Knight Fusion and Gem-Knight Crystal. Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"
    Kasejima cringed as her Magical Cylinder was destroyed.
    Xia smiled confidently. "Now, I summon Gem-Knight Emerald in attack mode!" 1800 Attack.
    Kasejima frowned. "N-no! You can't win!"
    Xia pointed at Kasejima. "Watch me. Emerald, attack directly! Emerald Cannon Blast!"
    Kasejima was sent flying into the boat as her life points hit zero. Kasejima reaches out to Kou. "Kou-kun...y-you know I'm...not wearing tights...I'll show you everything and let you-"
    Xia rushed towards the boat. "Kou-kun! I'm coming for you! Please, wake up!"
    Kasejima's body dissipated into darkness as Xia approached. "C-curse you...Senpai..."
    Xia took a moment to watch Kasejima vanish, then ran over to Kou. "Kou...please, wake up." She said, kneeling down next to him. "I don't want to you lose you again..."
    Suddenly Kou's left hand reached out to Xia. "M-Mei-chan...?"
    Xia reached over and grabbed Kou's hand. "Kou...I'm so glad you're safe..." She said, looking relieved, a warm smile on her face.
    Kou's eyes opened slightly, upon seeing Xia he grew a warm smile. "Mei-chan..." Kou tried to move his body closer, but his sat-up body only fell over, his head now resting on Xia's lap.
    Xia wrapped her arms around Kou. "It's okay...I'll always be here for you." She said. "Kou...I love you. I always had...I always will."
    Kou wrapped his arms around Xia in turn. "M-Mei-chan I...also..." Kou's eyes began to close.
    Xia placed a kiss on Kou's forehead. "It's okay. You've helped us so much. You can rest...I'll be there when you wake."
    Upon Xia's words, Kou went back to sleep, looking like a baby in Xia's arms.
    Xia blushed faintly as she cradled Kou, finally feeling like herself. "I'll go wherever you go...I'll help you whenever you need. Kou...thank you, my Obsidian knight..." She thought, looking at his sleeping form.