Chapter 56: Oaths

{Leo Corp Tower: July 30th, 2014: 7:45am}

The group was in a gun range that Reiji had set up to practice shooting a bit, most of them believing that with witches on their sides, a gun was impractical; however, the silver-haired seventeen-year-old has insisted, should the witches become too physically drained to fight with their magic, or if the need to shoot back should arise. Therefore, they had reported bright and early at the range, practicing a few rounds of target practice, which would later be a practice session in using the same targets to use as spell marking to make sure that the mortals and witches alike could actually hit a target with the spells they had in their arsenal.

Sawatari was next to Yuya in this situation, the two of them not doing horribly, but not great either, mostly because they had never handled a gun before. Shay did fine with the shots, hitting dead center most of the time, as did Serena and Sky, Dennis used his talents with carnival games to his advantage, and Tsukikage his training with knife throwing, while Gongenzaka was in a similar boat to Yuya and Sawatari, Reiji proving to be a decent shot, while Riley watched them, occasionally eyeing the ones having trouble, but mostly watching the ones who knew what they were doing. Yuya sighed, finding the weight of the gun strange in his grasp as he looked to the others who were either doing well or not.

"You're too tense, relax your shoulders, take in a deep breath, keep both your eyes open, and calm your heart rate. The more anxious you are, the harder it is to hit your target, that's also applying to your magic marks," Yuto directed him as Yuya swallowed around the knot in his throat, finding it difficult.

He wasn't opposed to guns, he knew they had their purposes; however, he also had never used one before, as witches didn't really use them, and that made him nervous, almost to the point that he couldn't pull the trigger. Knowing that, though, Yuya could only find himself disgruntled as Yuto sighed and suddenly arms were on his own, redirecting his hold and straightening his posture, the scent of earth and cedar trees came to his attention, and a moment later, he realized Shay was behind him, helping him position his hold better, and effectively spooking him.

"Relax, you're too tense. Take a deep breath, and pull the trigger," he said as Yuya nodded and pulled the trigger, hitting the target dead center.

"Okay… that wasn't too bad…" Shay nodded.

"Just remember to relax, if you don't, you'll end up getting someone hurt. Also, remember something, Sakaki…" scarlet met tawny.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Never aim a gun at someone you aren't willing to kill. The same goes for our spells, never initiate one unless you intend to use it… conscience and morals be damned, if someone wants to hurt you, they will, and it'll be up to you on whether or not you want to fight for your life, or not… I'll back you up because Yuto trusts you, but I won't always be there to help keep you safe, neither will the others, so I wanna know something." Yuya swallowed nervously.

"Know what? I um…" Shay narrowed his gaze.

"Are you willing to claim someone else's life in defense of another's? Or even your own? What lengths are you willing to go to in order to see this war end? Will you be okay with being called a killer? Being distrusted because you're viewed as a threat? Are you going to be able to stomach it, because if not, then you need to stay here, and that goes for everyone else here as well," he stated loud enough for everyone to hear, causing them all to turn the safety onto their guns and put them down, coming towards him and the scarlet-eyed boy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" sharp gold eyes looked to the others.

"I know what I'm fighting for, my home, my sister, my friends and family who are still alive and those who were taken from me. I'm fighting so that what happened in the Xyz Zone never spreads to the others, what are all of you fighting for? Are you willing to put everything on the line for this to succeed? I want to know before we go any further," Shay informed them. All of them thought on his questions, knowing that it was a serious one.

What were they fighting for? Because they thought it was right? Because they didn't have a choice? Academia was a problem, they all understood that; however, none of that mattered if they didn't have their own reasons for combating the militaristic faction. Most of them had never considered the question, but just because it was the right thing, or just so someone was doing something wasn't good enough. Shay looked them over, awaiting their answer, all deep in thought before he sighed, wondering if they could even give him an actual answer or not.

"For the honor of my clan, and our fallen comrades," Tsukikage answered swiftly, Shay looked to him.

"You're a warrior, so doing that makes sense…" Reiji fixed his glasses.

"My father started this mess, so my reasons are simple enough: I intend to finish it. I have an obligation to do something if my family is involved," he stated as Shay glanced to Dennis.

"And you?" the New Yorker laughed nervously.

"For my friends, I don't want to see them hurt, and I want people to be happy. None of that can happen if Academia is on the lose," he said as the Risulian Witch looked to Sky.

"What about you? Shuinin?" Sky glanced to the side.

"Academia put a Corruption Curse on me, they made me hunt down other witches and kill them. I want revenge, but I also want to keep the person who saved me safe," he explained as he glanced to Yuya, who looked down.

"I don't want him to feel like he owes me his life just because I helped him…" Yuto shook his head.

"You saved his life, and he feels as though he should help you… just as you feel obligated to help me and Shay save Ruri because we saved you." Shay's sharp eyes affixed themselves to Sawatari.

"And you? Other than the fact that you just want some glory, isn't there a reason you want to fight?" Sylvio shook his head.

"No, it's not that… I get it, I've got an ego, I was raised that way. But I have loved ones that I don't want to see carded… my parents live here, I grew up here… so I've got to do something, this is my hometown, like most of you…" he told him.

"In the end, we're all fighting for someone or something we want to protect, does it really matter?" Yuya thought.

"Knowing a person's resolve to fight is what makes teammates stronger. Yuma taught us that when the invasion started…" the boy glanced to the side at Yuto's statement.

"Gongenzaka?" the tallest of the group hummed.

"For honor, for family, for my friends, for my home… there are many reasons," he stated as Shay sighed, glancing to Serena.

"And you? What does the Princess of Academia have to make her want this?" he asked as the Kontis Witch clenched her hands.

"Joeri… my closest friend… I want to save him." Shay looked to them all, and then, his eyes locked onto Yuya.

"Can you give me an answer? Sakaki? Do you want to protect this Zone of our World? Your friends and family? What do you have that's driving you to choose to fight?" he inquired, tawny eyes boring holes into him as Yuya took in a deep breath.

"I… want to keep my promises to Yuzu… but I… also… want to protect all of you. We're going into war; at this point, we're not rivals, or anything else… we're brothers and sisters… Nakama… and we're going to have to work together if we want this to work… so, I intend to keep my promises to Yuzu, no matter what happens… but I'm also going to do my best to protect the people who are going onto those front lines with me… I'm not very powerful or strong… but the best thing I can do is have everyone's back… so long as you'll have mine," Yuya answered, causing Shay's eyes to grow wide.

"Yuma said almost the exact same thing to us when the invasion started… how… could he possibly…" the Risulian Witch banished the thought from his mind, choosing to focus on the matter at hand.

"Well said, I for one will have your back through thick and thin, that much I can assure you," Reiji answered.

"Good, and the rest of you?" the group shrugged, most smiling a bit.

"Hell, why not?! If you're willing to protect me, then I've gotta return the favor, don't I?" Sawatari replied as Yuya laughed.

"You better, or you'll have me to answer to!" Sky gave him a snarky look.

"Right, what we'll have to do in order to defeat Academia is do the best we can to work together, so right here and now, I propose we make a vow that if one of us needs it, we'll have their backs, they can count on us to be there for them," Dennis suggested as he held his hand out and the group nodded, Riley coming over to them as Yuya laid his hand atop the other's, Sky, Gongenzaka, and Sawatari following suit as Reiji, Riley, and finally Shay and Serena did as well.

"The Lancers will protect their own, no matter what." The group nodded, the sudden weight they had been feeling during all of their preparation fading almost instantly under that singular oath they had taken in that moment.

The day that followed that moment in the morning proved to be far more productive than it had started off as. The mortals ended up being capable of getting the targets in some area on the first try, and by the second to third attack, they hit the mark they were supposed to. Riley was learning a few small wind and basic healing spells, while Reiji seemed to be doing as well alongside the others. Yuto smiled as he watched the group work together, the mortals picking up magic and excelling within hours compared to earlier. The spirit had to admit it to himself, Yuya somehow knew how to say the right words that would touch the hearts of others, in a way that reminded him of Yuma greatly.

When he thought about the happy-go-lucky person with his silly grin and hyper personality, Yuto felt a slight ache seep into his chest. Yuma was a good friend of his who had a warm heart and was always doing what he could for others, even when his life was spiraling out of control. Yuma Tsukumo, through all of his trials, kept himself jovial and eager to explore new things: he remained a dreamer. Some people in the Resistance had called Yuma that several times, saying he was just a dreamer, and he had been fine with that; even now, Yuto was glad that he'd stayed just as he was to the end.

However, it made him wonder, what Yuya was exactly. He definitely was a dreamer, he'd shown that to him several times, especially when he'd faced him in a duel before Sky had been freed from the corruption curse. Yuya had said he wanted nothing more than for Witches and Mortals to exist peacefully, and for whatever stigmas were hanging around both parties to be cleared. His desire to bring peace made him many things, and while some would call him a fool, Yuto didn't see him as such.

"A dreamer, a make believer, an optimist, true to his heart, willing… honorable… compassionate… those are so many things that make up who he is… in layman's terms… Yuya's a light in the darkness…" Yuto thought to himself.

{Sawatari Residence: 6:04pm}

"I'm home!" Sylvio called as he came in the door, and looked to see his mother coming down the stairs to greet him.

She was a beautiful, elegant, slender woman with fair skin, blonde hair, and mauve eyes. Her name was Sofia, and even though she was in her mid-thirties, she still was as pretty as she'd been when his father had met her when they were teenagers during the summer. Sylvio had heard the story a thousand times and hadn't given it much thought, but recently, he had started to change his opinions on how he felt about hearing his parent's stories. The woman swept him into a tight embrace, just as she always did when he came home, and not a moment later, his father greeted him, giving him an equally tight hug that he returned.

"Come, dinner's ready, and we want to hear all about the day," Sofia stated as he nodded and followed them into the dining room where they sat down to begin dinner.

While they were aware of the Lancers, and that he was undergoing a brief training period, Sylvio had been exceptionally careful to tell them bare minimum details. It was common knowledge that his father wasn't that accepting of Yuya Sakaki – as he believed the scarlet-eyed boy was the person who'd attacked his son – and to double that, both his parents were devout Catholics, and as soon as he'd learned that half of the Lancers were indeed witches, he had gone to the local library and researched witches and the catholic church's history: it hadn't been pleasant. Hundreds of people slaughtered under the accusation of being witches, and while Sylvio didn't doubt that there had been real ones there, the mere thought turned his stomach. The blonde-brunette internally shook himself as he looked at the wonderful meal in front of him, and after their quick prayer, they began to eat.

"How did today go?" asked his father.

"Fine, we learned how to handle a few firearms just to be safe, but Reiji Akaba doesn't think we'll ever have to use them." Sofia sighed.

"I don't truly like you having to use a weapon, but I suppose being safe is better than being sorry," she stated.

"That's what he was thinking. It was neat, though, today… all of us learned what we're fighting for… it was really impressive… and you should have heard what Yuya said! He got us to agree to support each other in the battles coming up." Sofia smiled.

"He sounds like such a charming boy, oh! I know, Sylvio, invite him over for dinner, I'd love to meet him," she said as he stared while his father groaned.

"Sofia, do you not remember what that boy did to our son? He attacked him!" Sylvio took in a deep breath.

"No, he didn't! That was someone else, and it was a huge mistake. I met the friend of the guy who did that, and he explained what was happening… his name is Shay Obsidian, and those people who attacked everyone during the tournament kidnapped his little sister, the guy who attacked me is her boyfriend, and he's just desperate to find her and bring her home safely," he defended. His father sighed, glancing towards him as he took a bite of his chicken.

"There's something off about Yuya Sakaki. I don't exactly know what it is, but if I met him, I doubt I'd like him… someone like that is no good," he said as Sofia frowned.

"Now, you don't even know him. Don't judge people based upon pretense, that's unfair." Sylvio took to eating in silence, his father grumbling a bit as he continued his meal.

"Why do you not like Yuya? Other than the fact that you think he attacked me?" he questioned, being careful to choose his words as his father hummed, sipping at his wine before looking to him.

"His hair, his eyes… I've only seen him on TV and I get the feeling that he's unnatural… bad news, if you ask me, and I don't like the fact that Akaba has him as one of these… Lancers… it's asking for trouble." Sylvio frowned a bit.

At first, he'd admittedly thought that Yuya was strange as well – and he still did, to a point – but as he got to know him, Sylvio began to realize Yuya Sakaki wasn't much different from the rest of them. Yes, he was a Witch, a powerful one that was still learning how to control his magic, and while he wasn't the strongest fighter in their group, he had talent. As a Duelist, Yuya was on point, and never ceased to amaze the viewers, having kept a strong disposition and a brilliant smile on his features no matter what. As he had uncovered more, though, Yuya taught him to appreciate himself and what he had because when he got down to the wire on it: Yuya didn't have some of the things he did, and wealth had nothing to do with it.

Undoubtedly, he had a loving home, but Yuya's biological parents had died before he had even gotten the chance to know them, and that had left him to be raised by his aunt and uncle, who cared for him as if he was their own, while Sylvio had been blessed to grow up with his parents with him all the way. Amidst all of this though, Yuya had to struggle with being bullied because he looked different, and then his uncle had disappeared, and he'd been teased as being the son of a coward. Sylvio had been in school with the kid since their elementary years, but he had never gotten to truly know him until now.

Had he bothered, he would have learned that Yuya was anything but the shy, timid, crybaby that he recalled from their earlier days. He was bold, willful, and loving, things that Sylvio had often thought was a weakness, but proved to be Yuya's strength. With a faint nod of his head, the blonde-brunette found himself deciding something at that exact moment.

"I'm going to invite Yuya over for dinner tomorrow night. Getting to know him I think will help you see that he's a good person," he stated, his father gawking while his mother smiled.

"That sounds lovely! I'm glad you decided to do it!" his mother, ever one of the kindest people he'd ever met, agreed to his plan, her tone underlying that her husband had better not dare to disagree on the matter.

"Fine, bring him over for dinner. We'll see what I think about him after that," he said as Sylvio smiled.

"Alright, then."

{Leo Corp Tower: July 31st, 2014: 4:30pm}

Another day of training closed out, tomorrow, they had been given the blessing of rest before they would be departing for the Synchro Dimension. They had been told that a package would be awaiting them when they arrived home that evening, and as everyone was preparing to leave, Sylvio Sawatari found himself at a loss on how to approach Yuya. Normally, he'd just be blunt and say what he wanted, but in the case, he was having the Pendulum inventor over for dinner, meaning that he would have to be polite about this. Sighing, he swore under his breath and walked up to the boy, tapping him on the shoulder as he was met with scarlet eyes.

"Shit! Why is it that I get myself tongue tied now? Maybe because I'm inviting a witch into a house full of Catholics? Maybe? Nah, can't be…" Sawatari thought as Yuya raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything okay, Sawatari? You look a little pale," he said.

"Nothing's wrong, I merely wanted to ask if you would like to join me at my house for dinner." The boy gave him a surprised expression.

"Me? Why? I was kinda under the impression that you weren't fond of me," Yuya stated as the blonde-brunette felt a portion of his soul wither.

"I must look like a total jackass to him… and here I was thinking that we could become friends… how am I supposed to try and do that if he thinks I don't even remotely like him?" Sylvio thought in defeat.

"Not really, no. I just wanted to invite you over, as a… token of comradery, if you will," he explained as Yuya laughed a bit.

"Okay, I'll bite. Just let me call my aunt and we'll head over once we're finished here." Yuya grabbed his phone and went to call the woman while Sylvio gawked, shocked that he had agreed so readily.

The next hour went by in a slight blur, as it was their final day of training before they would be departing for their first destination. Everyone had practiced magic, combat, and with their new cards, leaving Reiji to only hope that they enjoyed their day off as he dismissed them, and everyone started waving goodbye, knowing that they wouldn't see each other more than likely for the next twenty-four hours while Sylvio directed Yuya to where they would need to go in order to walk to his house.

The two of them walked quietly, the sunset bathing a warm orange glow across the ground and themselves as they maintained a somewhat comfortable silence. The Abyss Actor Duelist would admit it, he had no idea how to start up a conversation with Yuya about him personally. It was always about the Lancers, the job they had to do, or wanting to duel him, but now, he was being given a chance to try and become a real friend to the other, and he didn't want to mess it up.

A heavy sigh left him, and he glanced to Yuya, who was looking up to the sky, seeming to take in the palette of colors above them, and in curiosity, Sawatari looked up as well, and was blown away by the fused purples, pinks, oranges, and blood reds. It was beautiful, and not something he really ever took in, which got him to think about something else. How did the world look through the eyes of someone like Yuya, a person who used magic and seemed to be in tune with nature? As the thought crossed him, Yuya reached up with his right hand, and ran a hand through his hair, causing the sunlight to catch the pale, long scar on his wrist. Mauve eyes opened wide at the sight of it, looking at how imperfect it was, how it seemed deep, but not extremely so, and where it was. Suddenly, he knew what he wanted to ask.

"What's with that scar?" he received a cautious look from Yuya.

"Um… they're… kind of personal…" the boy exposed both his wrists by turning his arms over, showing him the twin scars.

"Are those… what I think they are?" he inquired carefully. Yuya sighed, looking at the marks.

"Yea… just before my fourteenth birthday, I… tried to commit suicide… all of the bullying and teasing had just taken its toll on me… and I was in a lot of pain and didn't want to hurt anymore… so… I took a knife from the kitchen at home and kept it in my backpack all day… when I got to the Duel School, I waited until classes were over… and went into the bathroom… and slit my wrists…" Sylvio paled at the information.

"Then… how…" he couldn't ask the question, and Yuya seemed to know that.

"I looked at my reflection, as all this blood started slipping past my fingers… I saw my eyes growing dark and my face pale… in that moment… I thought about Yuzu and the others… and… how much pain I would be causing them… so I tried to stop the bleeding, but couldn't… I started to think that I was going to die, and then… Yuzu showed up and she managed to get the towels out of the cabinet and wrapped them around my wrists… if it wasn't for her… I wouldn't be here."

"When was your birthday?" he questioned as Yuya dropped his arms to his sides.

"May first…"

The information floored Sylvio to the point that he almost stopped dead in his tracks. Yuya had always seemed so strong and carefree, but now that he knew the truth, he realized he should have seen the signs. While the boy had a warmth to him, and was kind, known for being a beautiful and innocent person with a brilliant smile, Yuya was suffering behind it all, to the point that he felt like ending his life was the only option left to him.

The boy took in a deep breath and started to fall back into pace with the red-green-haired boy. His birthday was on May first, meaning that when he'd met him, it had only been a few weeks since Yuya had tried to do what he had, and yet he saw fit to still harass and bully him. It was a sharp punch to the gut, making him realize what a horrible person he had been up to this point when it came to Yuya Sakaki.

"Hey… Yuya?" he asked as the boy looked to him.

"What is it?" Sylvio took in a deep breath.

"I'm… sorry… for the things I said… for how I've treated you… I know I'm an arrogant ass, but that doesn't mean I should have said what I have or done what I did," he stated. Yuya gave him a long look, gauging whether or not the other was being truthful before he sighed.

"Yea, you're an ass… and you're very full of yourself… but you aren't a terrible person, you just have an ego the size of Texas, but hey, we've all got our flaws. Gods know I've got plenty of them… so… I forgive you, just keep your promise to have my back, and I'll have yours." Mauve eyes met scarlet ones as Yuya gave him a smile.

"I can totally do that! Just watch Neo Sawatari work his… er… magic," he said as Yuya laughed.

"That was a terrible pun."

{Sawatari Residence: 5:55pm}

The two carried a somewhat easy conversation, Yuya explaining how he'd reprogrammed the Duel Disks, taking time to pinpoint the more finite details as Sylvio listened to him, eager to learn something new that could potentially be helpful. It was as they arrived, that he made one thing certain to Yuya: his parents were Catholics, and he needed to be careful, because he wasn't certain how they would take to having a witch in their house or hanging around their son. Yuya had shrugged, merely stating that he had seen some worse reactions than people yelling and shouting about a witch being around someone they knew. With that warning in mind, Sylvio opened the door, being greeted by his mother instantly.

"Welcome home, Sylvio, did you have a good day?" she asked as he nodded and hugged his mother as she did so with him.

"Yea, we got everything done, so tomorrow we get to relax and do our own preparations." She nodded, happy to hear it as she glanced to the boy dressed in dark green pants, a black t-shirt and sneakers with a choker pendulum crystal and goggles on his head.

"You must be Yuya Sakaki, my Sylvio has told me quite a bit about you… it's nice to finally meet you, dearie," she stated as she held her hand out and he took the indication.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Sawatari." Yuya took her hand barely touching his lips to the tops of her fingers as she giggled.

"What a gentleman, so many young men your age don't know about being proper to a lady," she told him as Sylvio gawked at the scene, but couldn't help but find himself laughing internally.

"He must have had some serious etiquette classes as a witch…"

"My husband is in the dining room waiting for us, this way, please." Yuya tugged off his goggles, putting them into the pocket of his pants, which caused his bangs to fall into his face a bit before he sighed, knowing that it would be rude of him to wear them at the table while he was a guest elsewhere.

"Thank you for having me over," he stated as Sofia smiled warmly.

"Don't mention it, you're one of my son's comrades, getting to know you is the least we can do."

Yuya followed Sylvio's mother into the dining room where he was greeted by the opulence of the large European style house. Sitting at the head of the table was none other than Mr. Sawatari, a bland expression upon his face as Yuya came to stand next to his son and his wife sent him a sharp smile, letting him know to behave himself as Yuya bowed a bit, thanking him for having him as Sofia took her seat and Sylvio followed, dinner already being on the table as Yuya sat down as well, looking at the vast options available.

"Holy shit!" Yuto thought to him and Yuya couldn't help but internally agree.

"I hope that you enjoy your dinner with us. We weren't certain what you may like, so we picked a few different items to choose from. Are you a vegetarian?" Mr. Sawatari asked as Yuya shook his head.

"No sir, I'm not…" he nodded, and Sofia started to make her plate, her husband following as Sylvio did the same and Yuya carefully did as his teammate did.

"I feel way out of my league here… even with all my etiquette training…"

"If it makes you feel better… I don't know a damn thing about high society outside of my own bare-bones etiquette… I was just taught to mind my manners and be polite, not all this posh stuff like you…" Yuya mentally prodded Yuto.

"Don't know if that was a compliment, a dis, or you trying to be funny…" Sofia looked to him, and Yuya glanced her way as a small bowl of cream-like soup was settled next to him.

"Do you like shrimp? I made some chowder for tonight," she said. He nodded, carefully accepting it as he tried some, being mindful not to spill any, even though he was anxious.

"It's very good. Are you the head cook in the family?" Sofia smiled.

"I am, it's one of my hobbies," she told him.

"Then you and my aunt would get along really well… she's always trying new dishes." The woman raised an eyebrow.

"Aunt?" she inquired as Yuya nodded slowly.

"My parents passed away when I was a baby, the woman I live with now is my mother's older sister, so, by relation she's my aunt." The woman before him sent him a soft look.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. How dreadful… well, it seems you've been well taken care of, and you're clearly loved… in the end, I suppose it worked out just fine." Yuya smiled.

"They've treated me like I was their own child. I didn't even know until after my duel with Kachidoki," he admitted.

"Speaking of which, I witnessed that duel. Who knew you could be so brutal…" Mr. Sawatari's statement had Yuto hissing like an irate feline.

"I wonder if he'd like to personally meet Dark Rebellion?"

"Hush…"

"Well, I had to do something to defend myself. Otherwise, he would have continued beating me up," he said.

"Indeed… well, all in the past now. So, you're in the custody of your aunt and uncle? Did your parents not have other relatives? Or was it an option that they requested?" Yuya thought for a moment.

"My father and uncle are also brothers, when my aunt and uncle met, their younger siblings, my parents were already dating, and my mother Yaya had convinced my aunt to go on a date with her boyfriend's older brother… next thing that happened was my parents got married, and then my aunt and uncle married shortly before I was born," he explained as Mr. Sawatari hummed.

"How fascinating… by the way, Sylvio, did I hear that you have tomorrow off to finish your own preparations before leaving?" Mr. Sawatari asked.

"Yes, Reiji Akaba gave us the time off to do our own thing. He said it was a good idea to rest and wind down, so we weren't so hyperactive or anxious when we left that we made an error." Sofia nodded.

"That's probably a wise idea. It seems all of you children are in capable hands," she stated.

"We are, between Reiji and the rest of us, we'll be okay."

The meal continued in a peaceful silence, Yuya making sure to take his time to eat, thinking carefully on the conversation and the fact that Sylvio's father clearly had a dislike of him. However, he had no intentions of someone not liking him ruin the effort Sylvio and his mother were clearly trying to make. He minded himself, Yuto grumbling on occasion about how he didn't like the pompous windbag sitting there, eating with a snide glint in his eyes, but Yuya only gave the spirit a few mental prods and convinced him to relax for the time being.

It was as they started finishing their meal and the food was cleared away, leaving room for dessert to be presented as a type of parfait of some kind that Yuya couldn't quite pinpoint that Mr. Sawatari seemed to have decided on his next question. They had continued eating for a few moments, Yuto tensing like a spring to tightly wound as he growled, warning the person to not make him angry and then the man decided to begin his conversation with Yuya.

"Yuya, do you have a religion?" he inquired.

"I-I… pardon me?" the man gave him a once over. The question had caught him off guard, having never truly been asked that question in a direct manner before.

"I was asking if you had a religion?" he asked again as Yuya felt his magic slide across his skin a bit.

"Well… in a way…" the man narrowed his eyes.

"My family are Catholics, we have been for a very long time. I was curious, merely because Sylvio never brought it to my attention," he said.

"He has a death wish… I'm gonna feed him to Dark Rebellion!" Yuya prodded Yuto again.

"Shut up! Now isn't the time!"

"You don't say? I actually didn't know that your family was Catholic until today, Sylvio told me about it on the way here." Sofia remained silent, and Mr. Sawatari sighed.

"Would you mind telling me what your religious practices are? I'm curious," he stated as Sylvio sent him a worried glance before Yuya took in a deep breath. He never did this, but for once, he wanted to see what people who most like would be unaccepting would do, even though he had a good idea.

"Well… I'm a witch."

It took a moment to sink in, and then the man and woman's eyes grew wide. Yuya felt his heart begin hammering against his ribs violently, his magic wanting to overtake him due to his sudden spike in anxiety, but he crammed it back down, waiting to see what the two adults would do as Sylvio tightened his hands into fists. Because of the Fly-By-Night capsules, he had the ability to now use magic, but he also knew that doing so could make matters worse for Yuya; therefore, he prepared himself to defend his comrade.

"A… witch?! You're one of those devil worshipers?!" Mr. Sawatari snapped as Yuya shook his head.

"No, there's no devil in the craft. I'm a white witch, I don't use my magic for evil." The man narrowed his eyes.

"Poppycock! All witches are evil! Vile and repulsive!" Yuya flinched at the words.

"That's not true… I'm not like that… all the ones I know aren't…" the man glared.

"Sylvio, you are not allowed around this boy. See, I told you! He's nothing but trouble! Horrible and evil as they come! Those red eyes of yours should have given away that you're some sort of demon's whore spawn!" at that, Yuya could take no more. He stood, magic crackling visibly around his frame as he ground his teeth together.

"I am not evil, just like you; some witches are good, and some aren't! My entire family are witches! My magic is something I use to better myself and others… I am not a demon's spawn, I'm just me! A Waking Witch!" Yuya snarled, eyes gleaming with a trace of crimson as the magic around his body let out a few small shimmers.

"What in the devil is wrong with your eyes?!" the boy took in a deep breath.

"It's part of who I am! Yes, I'm a witch, but that doesn't mean I'm automatically evil! I'm just… a human being… if you cut me I bleed… if you hurt me, I feel that pain…" he said as the man glared.

"Human? Boy, you're the very definition of anything but that!" Yuya felt the words cut through him like a knife. He swallowed around the tightness in his throat, eyes threatening to burn.

"Thank you for the meal, have a nice evening."

With that he walked away, quick to move away from the others as he felt his magic coil around his body. He didn't stop it from numbing the ache in his chest, even as he ran as quickly as he could back home. That was how others really saw witches? If that was the case, then there would be no chance of witches coming out of hiding and co-existing alongside mortals, not when they only saw them as evil monsters. The sound of the little girl in the stadium during the duel between Shay and Sky echoed within his ears as he heard her crying that she was scared of the witch.

Back at the Sawatari residence, Sylvio was taking in a few deep breaths, steadying himself as he felt anger boil in the depths of his body, the electrical buzz in his veins telling him to subconsciously use the magic he temporarily had, but he refused to. Right now, he had a point to make, and his comrade needed him, because he had been wrongly accused by the man whom Sylvio called his father, someone he had looked up to for his whole life as he took in a deep breath.

"How could you?" he asked.

"Excuse me? Son, he's got you hexed! That boy is evil, think about what they say about witches." Sylvio shook his head.

"Do you know him? I mean, really know him?! Yuya's been through hell and high water to get where he is right now. But no, all you did was label him without knowing who he really is!" he snapped.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me! Go to your room, we'll take you to confession tomorrow, and everything will be sorted out and – "Sylvio shook his head.

"No! you're going to listen to me, dammit!" he roared, causing the man to jolt as he narrowed his gaze on him.

"Son…" he shook his head once more.

"Yuya… he's… so innocent, and kind of naïve… but his heart's in the right place… when someone he cares for is in danger, he'll put everything on the line to do it. Yuya's a good person, just because he doesn't believe the same things as we do… doesn't mean he's evil," he said.

"Witches are evil, there's no getting around it." Sylvio sighed.

"No, people are evil. By nature, we're wicked creatures… we can't help it… but even we have redeeming qualities. You know what Yuya's is? His kindness and understanding of others. He could care less what we believe, because these last few days, I've seen him treat both witches and mortals as equals… he doesn't think he's better or worse than us… he's just as human as we are," he told them, his father looking down.

"Are you… sure you can trust that boy?" Sylvio shrugged.

"I've been a complete ass to him for years, and the moment I asked, he forgave me. The least I can do for him, is be his friend."

{…..}

And we will find your saints to be canonized…

{…}

Author's Note: Let me start off by saying that I'm a Christian, but I also take the time to try and understand other religious practices and beliefs, most of the things in this fanfiction are just my own imagination from seeing movies and books with magic in them, or from doing research on what people believed witches to be back when I was a teenager.

In this chapter, which is very Sylvio Sawatari-centric, I wanted to focus on how Yuya could be treated if someone who wasn't as laid back on religion knew he was a witch, as to better prepare him for what will come soon. I also wanted to give Sylvio a bit of room to grow in his own way, by him choosing to not disregard his own beliefs, but also be there for his friend and comrade. Well, tell me what you think, okay, guys? And no flames, please.

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.

Trivia:

The conversation with the group was originally in chapter 50, but I felt it was better suited for another chapter.

Sylvio is an Italian name meaning: Silver.

Sylvio Sawatari is represented by the Knight in the Suit of Wands, which is known as a symbol of being an adventurous risk taker who follows their passions and heart. For the way he's going, it fits, huh?

All the Pillars are characterized by an extremely defining trait. Yuma's was the Dreamer.

Yuya's defining trait is how he can be a light in the darkest moments, being able to reach out to other's hearts through his actions and words.