CH26: Dual Duel

"Sakura, how are you doing?" Yukito asked as she made an appearance for breakfast.

She shrugged in response. Sakura picked up a plate and began to serve herself.

"She's fine. It takes an awful lot to take down a ferocious kaijyuu like her," Touya said. Sakura's return from where the food was laid out to her usual seat at the table conveniently took her by Touya. She made as if to stomp on his foot, but hesitated at the last second and continued walking.

"Don't worry, foot injuries aren't fatal, besides, he deserves it," Li whispered, before shoving a wedge of fruit into his mouth. Sakura glared at him.

"Will you be attending school today?" Yelan asked Sakura. Sakura shrugged apathetically. "Very well, Wei will give you a ride to school. I will call and inform them that you and Li shall be attending today."

"Sakura!" Tomoyo met her almost immediately. "How are you feeling? I was worried when you didn't come to school yesterday. I tried to call you, but they said you weren't talking to anyone."

"I don't want to talk about it," Sakura snapped. "… I'm sorry," she mumbled afterwards.

"Sakura… If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. But remember, no matter what it is, I am you friend and I want to help."

"There's nothing you can do." Sakura replied.

"What happened? Your fiancée dump you?" A sneering voice asked. "I heard all about mister perfect, the hottest guy in the school. It seems like you two are the only people that anyone talks about."

"It's not that," Sakura responded. She wondered who this annoying person was.

"Just ignore him," Tomoyo said. "He enrolled yesterday, and has been nothing but a pain to everyone. He enjoys other people's misery."

"Or, maybe you just aren't good enough for him and he's getting a little extra on the si…" The punch was so quick, that the boy was half-way across the room before anyone had noticed Syaoran had arrived.

"Maybe if you want to question my conduct, you should do it to my face, instead of bothering Sakura," Li growled. The boy stood up. He was a full head taller than Li, and looked like a body builder.

"Maybe you should pick your fights more wisely. Maybe you should find out who you are dealing with before you start a fight."

"You are right. I would have never attacked you if I knew. I try to avoid fighting weaklings like you," Syaoran responded. This time the other guy swung, but was too slow. Syaoran dodged the blow effortlessly, and countered with a leg sweep, knocking the boy over once again.

The bell rang. "No one makes a fool of Rukadin Umarut. We'll finish this after school, in the park. Bring your girlfriend; then she can see how much of a loser you really are."

"Onii-chan?" Sakura exclaimed, as they arrived in the park. He was standing behind a stainless steel cart where some hot dogs were grilling. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a part-time job." He shrugged and tossed a hotdog to her.

"Arigatou!" She smiled took a big bite.

"How nice, a boy, his sister, and a soon to be dead fiancée," Umarut remarked.

"I was sure you were going to chicken out," Syaoran said. "Especially after that beating I gave you earlier."

"Is that what that was? I thought a beating was what I was about to give you."

"Syaoran!" Sakura cried as Umarut's fist made a connection with Li's face.

"You went easy on me in class," Syaoran said. "Show me what you've really got." He rubbed a trickle of blood from his lip. Umarut struck again. Syaoran fell to the ground. Umarut mounted him in an instant and struck him hard once again.

"Leave him alone!" Sakura grabbed his arm, restraining his next punch. He used his other had to strike at Sakura, but instead received a knee to the gut from Touya who decided to intervene.

"No one touches my sister," He said.

"Really?" Umarut grinned. "If you feel that strongly, you can kill her yourself."

"What makes you think that I'll be hurting anyone but you?"

"This!" Umarut threw an item at Touya and he snatched it out of the air.

"What is this?" Touya held a small silver sword pin. "Buying me off with jewellery is not going to get you anywhere."

"It isn't a bribe," The pin pulsed then extended into a full sized sword. Touya's eyes became unfocused and he took a battle stance, pointing the sword towards Sakura.

"Touya…" Sakura said, fearing that Umarut may have been right about what he had said. Touya raised the sword above his head.

"You can do it Sakura. Fight him, fight your own brother and die."

"No!" Sakura screamed, covering her head and diving away from her brother. She barely avoided the blade and fell to the ground. She was winded by the impact. Touya stepped towards her. The blade flew through the air and stopped millimetres from her skin. Another blade had stopped it; Syaoran's blade. His face was bruised and bleeding, but he was standing.

"Is that all?" Syaoran asked. "I thought the Sword Card would have more skill."

"You again? I had forgotten about you. You might have escaped with your life, if you had not interfered again." Umarut sneered as he advanced towards Syaoran who was blocking a flurry of strikes from Touya and the sword card.

"Wind! Come to my aid!" Syaoran aimed downward, propelling himself up and sending out a shockwave towards his two attackers.

"Don't hurt Touya!" Sakura cried. Umarut was knocked backwards, but Touya sliced through the wall of air and it dissipated.

"I can do that too," Umarut taunted. "I call on Amun!" He raised his hand and wind blasted from it. Syaoran tried to defend himself, but it gave Touya an opening and he made a deep cut into the muscle of Syaoran's forearm. This caused Syaoran to drop his sword and succumb to Umarut's wind. He flew back and hit the ground, rolling to a stop beside Sakura.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," Li whispered as his face grew pale as the blood seeped from his arm. "I couldn't protect you."

"You have to get back up, I can't fight him."

"I'm sorry… I believe in you…" Li's eyes closed.

"Syaoran…" His eyes were closed. He was unconscious.

"How touching. A girl and her lover dying together."

"No…" Sakura sobbed, "No one is going to die. I'll find a way to protect everyone." With Touya advancing on her, she was forced to leave Syaoran on his own for his safety.

"Key that hides the power of darkness, your mistress commands you under the contract to reveal your true form. Release!" She used the wand to deflect a blow from the sword. "Wood, bind him." The grass began to grow at an accelerated rate, wrapping around Touya's legs. He easily cut through it with the sword and continued advancing.

"There is nothing you can do Sakura," Umarut taunted. "You refuse to hurt him, and he will cut through any bind you place on him."

"I will stop him, and you," Sakura retorted. "And he won't have a scratch on him."

"You don't have the power to stop either of us, or at least none that you are willing to use."

"Sleep!" Touya fell face forward to the ground, releasing the sword. As soon as it left Touya's grasp, the sword shrunk back into its pin form.

"Bastet, keep me from harm." Before the sleep could put Umarut to sleep, a shield was erected to protect him.

"Lightning!" A bolt arced from one of Sakura's ofudas and struck the shield. Not only did the shield block the attack, but it sent a beam of light as a counter attack. She dodged the beam of light. Umarut made no move to attack her, but she had no way to get to him. 'He probably can't attack and maintain the shield at the same time.' Sakura thought, 'and my magic can't penetrate his barrier.'

Sakura desperately tried to think of a method to break through Umarut's seemingly perfect defence. A glint of silver in the grass caught her eye. 'Maybe that will work…' she thought. "Sword Card!" Sakura struck it with her staff. "Return to the form you were meant to have and lend me your power!" Her staff transformed into the same sword that Touya had been holding earlier.

"Nothing can touch me while I'm under Bastet's protection."

"I am willing to bet that this is no ordinary sword, and it can get through your barrier. Are you willing to bet against it?"

"I guess we'll find out next time," Umarut said. Sakura struck at him with all her might, but the sword passed right through both the barrier and his body as if they weren't there,

"That's not you…" Sakura gasped, "This was all a trick!"

"Think what you want for now, because it doesn't matter. Soon you will pay for what you have done to me." He faded out of existence in a swirl of darkness.

Sakura glanced around to see if it was safe. She didn't see him anywhere, nor could she sense him. Now that she had thought about it, she hadn't sensed him when he was there. She could sense Touya and Syaoran easily. She could sense a faint trace of Yukito somewhere on the other side of the park. She could even sense some strange power coming from somewhere in the city, but there was no trace that anyone else had been there.

Sakura raced over to Syaoran. There was a large pool of blood around his arm, but the flow was slowing. Sakura took the scarf of her school uniform and used it to bind his wound. She searched through Syaoran's bag and found his cellphone, which he rarely used, and pushed the speed-dial button marked home.

"Moshi-moshi Syaoran!"

"Fanren?" Sakura asked desperately "Li's hurt. We're at the park."

"I'll send Wei and have Okaa-san call the doctor."

"Arigatou…"