Chapter 9

Previously

"You mean that-?" Yami started with wide eyes, not willing to believe what his mind just told him.

"Yes, Pharaoh," Timeous confirmed, "this is a fight to the death."

Presently

"You! How are you alive! I killed you myself!" the man, now identified as Oricál, shouted outraged.

"Yes, you have killed your sister. Unfortunately for you, I am not her; I am her descendant, the first one to have her exact name." Mana answered calmly, while wracking her brains in an effort to think of a strategy to overpower him or at least weaken him enough for her to defeat him.

"Liar! She didn't have children!" Oricál bellowed.

"She did," Mana countered while keeping the cool façade "She entrusted her only child to her advisor and his wife who passed the child off as their own. She wanted to make sure that you would not be able to kill the child like you killed her husband."

"Well, I can always make sure that her line ends with you." Oricál sneered and attacked.

Mana, who was still somewhat weak from the manoeuvres used in the battle against the serpent, was able to dodge the attack just in time. Getting up from where she had fallen, she knew that she was going to have to work fast - sloppiness was not an option.

Running away from the offender to gain some distance, Mana carefully observed her surroundings to see if she had something she could use to her advantage.

Oricál sent multiple dark spells at her, while running up to her, fully intent to shove the sword he conjured through the girl's heart.

"Mana, look out!" Yami shouted to alert the girl of the ancient magician who was swiftly approaching her.

Turning around just in time, Mana raised the wand she hastily summoned to deflect the sword.

"You are no match for me, you pathetic girl. I can easily overpower you. Look at you, already panting and we have not even started yet. You are a disgrace. You are not worthy of my sister's name. If the whole world is as weak as you are, then this world, the kingdom which should have been mine, instead of my sister's, will be mine before the end of the day." Orical said smugly.

'He's right. I am at my wits' end.' Mana thought 'I cannot defeat him if I just continue defending myself. Think, Mana, think! There must be something you can do!'

"Don't you even dare believe him, Mana! I have seen personally seen what you can do! You saved Joey, Yugi, the Pearson brothers and thousands of other people Dartz and that snake have taken captive!" Mai yelled, trying to encourage the girl not to give up.

"She's right and as if that's not enough, you sent each and every one of the captives to their own times and ensured that they won't be captured by that worm again! And need I remind you that you also erased the whole incident from their minds so that they won't be plagued by it?" Joey added.

"You're the reason we were able to defeat that thing so that no one will ever be bothered by it again, Mana! You saved all of us, Mana, each and every one of us!." Yami voiced his opinion, desperately trying to convince the magician not to give up.

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save all of us, because we didn't listen to your warnings! You were right, Mana! You were right and as your master, I apologize for ignoring you when I should have believed you from the start. If there is anyone who can defeat that man, then it is you!" Mahad said with conviction.

Mana, who had listened to them, started to think of any possible way to defeat her enemy when it suddenly struck her…

Flashback

(Mana POV)

The pharaoh, who was dying, had called me to his chambers. As I went kneeled at his bedside, I asked him why he called for me when he should actually be spending time with his son.

"I have called for you, because I need tell you something, child." the dying pharaoh said, "When you were born, you were born with a lot of magical power. Because you had so much power, I personally sealed half of it away so that it could grow. When the time arrives, the seal will be released naturally. The seal can forcibly be opened, but you must promise me that you will only release the seal in the most dire of circumstances. Promise me, Mana."

"I promise, pharaoh Aknamkanon, but how do you forcibly release the seal. And when will it be released naturally?"

"The wristbands I gave you when you were still a baby aren't just normal wristbands. Have you noticed how their size always adjusted as you grew up? They are the connection to the seal, a key of sorts. If you take them off, the seal will be released forcefully, but when they crack the whole way through and fall off, the seal has been released naturally. The Egyptian gods did not tell me a lot about the natural release though, you will have to ask them yourself, but it's more than likely that certain conditions will have to be met for the sealed magic to be released naturally." Aknamkanaon explained.

"Must the seal be closed again if I release it forcefully?" Mana asked, wanting to know all the facts about the seal.

"Yes, child, it must be sealed again. It must grow until it has reached its full potential." The waning pharaoh answered. "Just put the wristbands back on as soon as possible, because if you don't, that sealed away power might be too much for your body to handle…"

End of Flashback

'That's it!' Mana thought. 'I know what to do now. I was told to only use it in the most dire of circumstances, I would think that this situation is fitting.' and ripped of her wristbands.

Sceneswitch

On the outskirts of the desert, far away from the palace and even farther from the current battle, lies an old magician's training field that have been used by apprentices, magicians and magicians in training for many generations. This old training field was also a place where some magicians sealed some of their magic away. The moment Mana took her wristbands off, one could hear clicking and creaking, as if a key has been used to open an old rusted lock that hasn't been used in years. Screeching, the seal opened, like and old wooden door whose hinges had seen better times. But the moment the 'door' was fully open, something shot into the sky, directly taking its course to its master.

Sceneswitch

Meanwhile, Mana was with her back pressed against one of the barrier's walls, desperately trying to outlast or dodge her enemy's attacks, but she was pressed in a corner, much to the spectators' frustration to be stuck on the other side of the barrier, unable to help her.

'I could really use that sealed magic right about n-' her thoughts were cut off when a stream of lightning hit her directly in the chest, temporarily blinding her enemy. When he finally opened his eyes, he was shocked to see that the girl who was like a rat in a trap merely seconds ago was missing.

"Behind you." He heard her say. Swinging around, he looked straight at the girl. He was surprised, because not a glimpse of the scared, yet brave girl of a few seconds ago could be seen, instead he saw a cool, confident, and calm woman, who had caught her second breath and was ready for battle. Said woman was bathed in what looked like liquid lightning (imagine Laxus (Fairy Tail) bathed in his yellow lightning )

Swinging his sword at the girl for a killing blow, Oricál was shocked to see the woman calmly deflect it with the wand-transformed sword single-handedly (imagine Ichigo (Bleach) just before his ultimate form in his fight against Aizen). Lightning was dancing dangerously around the girl, burning the sand beneath and around her to a crisp.

The battle lasted for a good 15 to 20 minutes before Oricál swapped his sword for his wand, giving Mana time to move around him so that she was standing directly behind him.

"Too slow." She whispered in his ear, "Good-bye, Oricál, I will finish what my ancestor started." Oricál had barely registered what she said, when she appeared right in front of him and thrust her sword into her enemy's chest, de-transformed it back into a wand and muttered a deadly spell, effectively killing him. Pulling her wand out of her enemy's chest, the dead man crumpled to the floor. Mana turned away from him, staggered to her wristbands and put it on.

Slowly, the barrier surrounding Mana and Orical's corpse disappeared. The moment it was completely gone, Yami started to walk towards her, but the walk turned into a full-out sprint. He had just reached her in time to let the girl with unsteady legs up.

"Did I ever tell you that you have perfect timing, Pharaoh?" Mana slurred into his chest too tired to lift her head.

"Mana, are you alright?" Yami asked with a concerned voice.

"Sleepy…" was all he could hear before the girl fully lost consciousness. Yami, who caught her crumbling form just in time, slowly lied her down on the sand.

"Mana? Mana, wake up!" he said urgently, gently shaking her in an effort to wake her, but to no avail.

"Stand back, Pharaoh," he heard Mai tell him, "let me take a look at her." and with that, she knelt by the unconscious girl and placed her fingers on Mana's neck to check her pulse.

"Mai, what-?" He started asking her, but was cut off.

"It's alright, Pharaoh. Let Mai check her. You may not know this, but before Mai became a professional duelist, she studied the arts of healing. She's a fully qualified doctor." Joey told his friend reassuringly.

After a while, Mai turned to her friends and smiled at them. "Apart from being exhausted of the two battles, she is completely fine. Mana will most likely wake in the morning and be her usual self."

"Very well, Mahad, will you please create transportation for my friends so that we can go back to the palace. I'll be taking Mana with me on my horse."

"Certainly, Pharaoh." Mahad answered and turned around to see to the transportation.

"The prophecy has finally been fulfilled. Thanks to her, we are finally free to return to our home." Manaria said proudly.

"We will be taking our leave now." Timeous announced before turning to Yami "I know that I asked you before, but again, I feel the need to ask you to protect little Mana for us. Will you do that for us, Pharaoh?"

"Of course, Timeous, I will protect her for you."

"I thank you, Pharaoh. Goodbye." Timeous said and with that, the Atlantians faded away.

Yami got on his horse first and took Mana from Joey. Once, the others were on their horses or in the wagon Mahad created, they started moving back to the palace.