GASP! It appears I left you guys standing in the middle of a very sickening cliff hanger with little else to entertain you...

For a REALLY long time. Please forgive me, I knew not what I did. Enjoy!

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"You're not in the world you think you're in." Zabuza smirked, his voice ragged and his eyes bulging from his face. "This is a Realm of Spirits…a place for those perished in a life of sin… we walk for eternity, finding no escape…

Sukotto gripped his staff tight, his knuckles turning white. "So… you are dead…"

Zabuza laughed. "It is a half-death. I have a cheap imitation of life in this plane… my sole purpose to kill those who have sinned as well, so my soul may be cleansed. Prepare yourself!" He gripped his long-sword behind him and, in one fluid motion, drew it and ran at Sukotto.

The mage barely had time to react. He tossed the Card he had been hiding behind his back into the air. "LEAP!" He soared over Zabuza's head, readying another Card. As he landed, he turned and struck the second. "SUN!" The beam of light shot straight towards Zabuza. In a split second, the shinobi vanished into the mist, and the beam was lost into the fog. A painful scream followed.

Did I get him? Sukotto panted, his legs shaking. In response to this, a chain whipped out of the darkness and wrapped around his legs. It was suddenly drawn taught, and Sukotto was sent falling backwards, slamming his upper body into the cold dirt beneath him. The chain was flung back, and Sukotto knew what that meant.It was preparing for a second strike.

True to this, the whip reappeared, sailing over Sukotto's head in a giant arc. Sukotto brought his arms up in a feeble attempt to block his face, as the chain came flying down on him.

"ARRGH!" Pain erupted on his arms and stomach as the chain hit. As blood erupted from the slim cuts, the chain whipped back for a third assault. Before it reappeared over his head, Sukotto saw the chain flash in the moonlight. That chain… it's blue… it's-

"SAIMON-KUN! STOP! IT'S ME!" The whip, which had already moved in for its attack, stopped just above Sukotto's face, held motionlessly rigid in the air, as though lying on some invisible table.

"If it is you, tell me my birth month by tugging on the chain. If you give me a wrong answer, or try anything funny, you'll see just how fast this chain can fall." Judging by the tone in his voice, Saimon meant every word. Sukotto reached up and tugged on the chain five times, making sure to give enough time in between each.

Sukotto called back. "Now, tell me mine." The chain wiggled once and remained still. Sighing with relief, Sukotto grabbed onto it and pulled himself towards the source of the weapon. Soon enough, he found Saimon at the other end, a bloody wound on his stomach. "Did he give that to you?"

"Maybe… Could Zabuza shoot giant glowing beams or something?"

"No…" Sukotto gasped. "Oh no, I think I hit you with my Sunbeam! Sorry!"

Saimon noticed Sukotto's arms. "Looks like I'm guilty too…" He clenched his fist. "He made us try to kill each other."

"But why? He could kill us so much faster doing it himself."

"You don't think he's toying with us?"

Sukotto shook his head. "If I recall correctly, he wasn't really the kind to do that." He thought. "No, I think it's something else."

"There!" Saimon pointed to the left. A shadow was approaching, a giant sword in its grip. "Any ideas?"

Sukotto thought for a moment. "Is he standing in front of…?"

"What?"

Sukotto squinted into the distance. "Is that the Tower's silhouette behind him, there?"

Saimon followed his gaze. "Yeah, it is."

"He's standing in front of that dome thing. It was in the same direction as the Tower. Whatever material that was, it seemed to be kind of reflective. If I were to hit it with a Sunbeam at this distance, it'd probably reflect right off that thing and hit us."

"He's doing it again." Saimon brought his swords up. "If he isn't attacking us… we can rule out him being afraid… maybe he's setting a trap… or maybe…" Saimon dropped out of his ready stance. "I have an idea. Just stay put for second." The two boys remained motionless as the shadow grew closer.

"Saimon-kun… what exactly is this plan of yours?"

"Sukotto-kun, you trusted me at Mount. Fuji. Trust me here. Don't move. Bring your staff down, too. I want him to have a perfect opening." After a pause to make sure he wasn't joking, Sukotto nodded, and stayed motionless. Zabuza was so close, Sukotto could see the individual veins in the whites of his eyes.

"Now, close your eyes." Sukotto whipped his head around so fast he thought he might get whiplash.

"I beg your pardon?!"

"Quick! Do it! Just relax!" Saimon shut his eyes, and Sukotto, his heart in the back of his throat, did the same.

He heard the shifting of metal on Zabuza's shoulder, imagining in his head how Zabuza was lifting his sword above his head. He saw it rising to the top.

"Relax. You're breathing too loudly!"

Sukotto attempted to slow his breathing, but his lungs weren't getting any air. He gulped and forced himself to hold his hyperventilation. The surrounding area became very quiet.

"You will join me here… in this world…" The ragged voice made Sukotto jump

Sukotto tensed himself. He bit his lip, his knuckles turning white. His lungs began to scream for air… he mustn't pass out… This is it-

He opened his eyes. Something had sparkled on his consciousness. A small, quiet sparkle, but it was there.

"DIE!" The sword was brought down on Sukotto's head-

-and passed right through it. An emotionless expression on his face, Zabuza faded away to nothingness.

Sukotto fell to the ground, gasping for air. Saimon gave a relieved whistle and relaxed his shoulders. "Oh, good. I was right."

"YOU HAD DOUBTS?!" Sukotto punched Saimon square in the face. "YOU COULD'VE KILLED ME, IDIOT!"

Saimon returned the blow to Sukotto's stomach. "You didn't have to trust me, Stupid! Besides, you're still alive, so get over it!"

The boys stared at each other momentarily, Saimon's nose bleeding slightly, Sukotto breathing with a bit of difficulty. After a moment, Saimon began to grin, Sukotto rolled his eyes, and the two laughed, relief clear in their voices.

Sukotto wiped his forehead. "My heart won't be able to take too much more of that. Tell me next time."

Saimon nodded and looked at the mist around them. "Well, we know he was an illusion. But this mist…" Saimon swatted it with his bare hand. "It's wet. What do you think?"

Sukotto climbed to his feet. "Yeah. Both of them… Zabuza and this mist… they're Cards."

"Zabuza, too? You already got the Illusion."

Sukotto shook his head. "When the Loop flew away to the Tower, another Card followed it." He dug into his pockets, pulling out his Cards and looking at them. "I can't find Illusion, so it must've been that."

"And the whole creepy Forest thing?"

Sukotto nodded. "It's an illusion, too. Someone used the Loop to make sure we were the only ones in here. The darkness and the purple stuff is all just someone being creative."

"- and sick." Saimon huffed. "That person's at the Tower, then."

Sukotto nodded. "At least he… or she, I guess… was kind enough to scare away all the leeches and animals. But before we go thanking them, I'll take care of this mist." Sukotto brought his staff up. "If we just call out the Card's name, it should show its true form." He turned to the centre of the area (at least, what he thought the centre was). "Card mastered by Sakura, I identify you as that which hides behind a thick veil of fog! Mist!"

Out of the mist, a new shadow formed. A strange green fluid collected in front of the boys, taking the shape of a long-haired elf. Sukotto nodded, and swung his staff up.

"Return to the guise you were meant to be in;

SAKURA CARD!"

The spirit burst into the strange fluid. This time, it collected at the end of Sukotto's staff, bringing with it the mist around the boys. As the last tendril of fog vanished, the solidified Sakura Card flew down to Sukotto's hand.

Saimon watched as Sukotto stashed the Card in his robe pocket. "So, how do we get the girls out?"

Sukotto looked at the dome. "I think that' one's Card, too. But it'll have to be broken somehow if the Card's going to show its true form." He returned his staff to the inside. "It probably can only be broken from the inside, where its integrity will be the weakest."

"So… we wait?"

Sukotto nodded, frowning. "It's all we can do for now." With that, the two stood in front of the dome, watching, waiting, hoping the girls were safe inside there…

"You wanna start trying again?"

He didn't even need to answer. The two ran at the dome, hacking at it with everything they had.