*jazz hands* ~Early chapter~

Yeah, basically I was left unsatisfied with how the last chapter ended up and also being very excited to share this and the upcoming part, coupled with a frustration over how slow we're going(don't worry lads, I know, but I can't help myself, hope you'll all still bear with me c,:).

End result, I was very pumped to work on this and got it started on and finished earlier than usual, and now here we are.

Hope it's enjoyable!

/Yuya\

[Yuto]

~Yugo~

{Yuri}

A circle traced in the sky, a sphere reflecting instinct

Without saying a word, it only turns gently

A circle traced in cosmos, a sphere reflecting reason

Without hearing a thing, it only turns gently

Yuya sighs. He felt tired. Mom and Shuzo had just left to bring the kids home, leaving him, Yuzu, Gongenzaka, and Rin waiting at LDS where Sora was being treated.

Today had been… so much. Watching that duel, Sora getting badly injured and...

Yuto freezing up and just not responding to them had been frightening. There had been so much going on with Kurosaki and Sora's duel, that Yuto drifting off and just feeling… awful, even with Yugo and Yuri trying to reach him and failing, that he'd finally snapped.

Yuya doesn't quite remember what he said as an excuse to the others when he flew away from his spot at the railing and raced through the stands. He didn't know where he was going, yet his feet still lead him to where he needed to be, right to Yuto.

/Are you okay now, Yuto?\

[Yeah, thanks to you.]

Yuya fights back a smile. /No need to say thanks. Anyway, what are you going to do now? Akaba Reiji has found out about you, right?\

[Yeah. It seems we'll talk tomorrow. For now, I'm staying with Ruri and Shun.]

/How is he? Your friend, Shun.\

[Better. He's resting right now, and Ruri's with him. I'm mostly wandering close by.]

{Are you actually trying to be suspicious?}

~Nah man, that's just how Yuto is. At times I wonder if he actually has legs and isn't just floating everywhere with how he's always drifting around.~

[Of course I have legs.]

/Can affirm, Yuto does possess a pair of legs.\

~Okay but, are they proper legs? Like does he have feet that touch the ground?~

{Hm, excellent question. Just because you have legs doesn't mean you have feet.}

[Oh my god.]

~Your avoidance of the question only raises more suspicion!~

[That the biggest words you've used this week?]

~Hey!~

Yuya has to muffle a laugh by tightly clamping a hand over his mouth. This was seriously not the time to laugh.

But he felt a bit better somehow.

"You're lucky your friends aren't watching right now."

Yuya looks over next to him. Rin is giving him an unimpressed side-eyed look, as they both stand under the roof at the entrance to LDS. Yuzu and Gongenzaka are down by the street at the car, with mom and Shuzo and the kids.

Yuya smiles sheepishly, feeling a bit guilty. "Sorry. Had a conversation over if Yuto had legs or not."

Rin stares, blinking slowly. Then she lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes her head. "I don't even want to know."

Yuya chuckles. He looks down at the others by the street, hesitating for a moment before he says. "Yugo's doing well."

He can see from the corner of his eye how Rin tenses up, the motion barely noticeable. Her voice has a faint tremor in it when she speaks. "Is he?"

"Yeah," he answers as casually as he can. "Yesterday, he talked about how easy it is to get lost in Jack Atlas' place and how all the corridors look the same."

Rin laughs under her breath, shoulders relaxing a bit. "Right, he's living with the Duel King, lucky little shit."

Her voice sounds more teasing than serious. But there's a tone of relief there, and it makes Yuya smile too. Talking about Yugo with Rin is a bit shaky, but Yuya still wants to make sure she knows he's doing okay, and the same in reverse.

"And Rin?" She looks at him curiously. He gestures to where Yuzu and Gongenzaka are. "They're your friends too."

She jolts to a still, before she looks away and to the ground, chewing on her lower lip. He could spot the ghost of a hesitant smile on her face.

"You really should tell them soon," she says, changing the subject. "After today, they're both gonna have questions."

Yuya frowns, looking down as Yuzu and Gongenzaka turn to walk back to them as Yoko and Shuzo drive away to get the kids home. He swallows nervously. Why was he nervous? He couldn't imagine Yuzu and Gongenzaka would suddenly hate him or think he was crazy.

Maybe because his problems had always been shared with and between them. But this, this one thing, was only his, his to treasure and think about. Not for them to worry about.

It was a bit selfish, maybe even a lot. But after spending so long having people talk about dad, whether he wanted them to or not, usually negatively or drawing comparisons, he wanted to keep it to himself for as long as he could. Even long after he should have told them.

Yuya draws in a deep breath, counts to three, then lets it out in a big whoosh. "Alright. Let's do it."

Rin looks at him in surprise. "Wait, right now?"

"Yeah," Yuya says shortly before smiling as Yuzu and Gongenzaka come back. "Everything alright?"

Yuzu nods once, face downcast. "Dad and Yoko said to wait here until they're back, to keep an eye on Sora..."

"I see…"

Rin casts a glance at Yuya, then to Yuzu and Gongenzaka. She turns on her heel to step away from the group and closer to the glass doors behind them. Yuzu gives her a questioning look. "Rin?"

She doesn't turn around, opting to speak over her shoulder. "I'll keep an eye on the squirt, so you three can go and have a talk."

All three look at her in confusion, before Yuya's eyes widen in realisation as he catches on to what the girl is doing. He frowns and quickly steps forward to grab ahold of her arm and pull her back, making Rin let out a yelp. "Ooh no, you don't! You're part of this too!"

"Not your thing!" Rin glares at Yuya over her shoulder, almost making him cower, but he manages to stand his ground.

"I'm not telling your story for you!" Yuya responds, not letting go as he tries to drag her back to their little circle, but her struggling and digging her heels into the ground make it difficult.

"We can talk about that later!"

"You were the one who said we had to talk about it soon!"

"Yes, you! Not me! My business can wait!" Rin says loudly, giving a strong tug in an attempt to loosen Yuya's grip.

"Yours is important too!" Yuya says stubbornly in response, tugging hard and making Rin stumble.

A familiar clanking fills Yuya's ears before a big, strong grip pushes him back. Gongenzaka steps between them, one hand on each of their shoulders and keeping them apart with ease, expression stern. "Cut it out, you two!"

Yuzu steps up between them as well, looking both concerned and exasperated. "What's wrong suddenly, Yuya, Rin? What are you talking about?"

Yuya and Rin stare at each other stubbornly, unwilling to back down. Yuya might be stubborn, but Rin could outmatch anyone he'd ever met, but he was determined to not back down on this.

Yet somehow, she cracked first. But he couldn't feel that victorious, not when the composed look in her eyes seems to crack, face twisting up as a look of near heartbreak slip through. She averts her eyes quickly before anyone can get a good look, hand covering her mouth.

"Shit…" she whispers under her breath, voice muffled behind her fingers. "Goddamnit...!"

They look on in silence, unsure of what to do or even say. Yuzu looks like she's holding herself back from comforting the other girl, hand hovering uncertainly in the air and eyes filled with concern. Gongenzaka is frowning, worry set deep in his face but looking a bit lost.

In the end, it's Rin who ends up breaking the silence first.

"Fine, fine!" she grumbles irritably, looking up. She looks like her edges have been torn at, but still managing to hold them together. She looks at Yuya. "Go on then, I'll take over when it's my turn."

Yuya slumps. He doesn't know what he did, and he feels terrible, but he nods gratefully all the same.

"Yuzu, Gongenzaka," he says, their confused gazes turning from Rin to him. "I've got something very important to tell you about."

It's silent. Not even the wind could be heard, no cars were out close to this area at this time. Yuya feels the urge to fidget under his two best friends wide-eyed stares. Rin is silent next to him, waiting for a reaction.

"So, if I got what you said right," Gongenzaka says, starting to rattle off on his fingers, "There are other worlds aside from this one, based on summoning methods."

Here Gongenzaka looks at Yuya as if to confirm he's getting it right, so Yuya simply nods.

"And the Fusion Dimension, specifically a place called Academia, is invading the Xyz Dimension." A nod. "And Sora and that man called Kurosaki is from both respectively." Another nod. "And you have some kind of… mental connection to three other people from each Dimension."

Yuya nods. "Yuto, Yugo and Yuri."

"Since when?" Yuzu asks, disbelief flickering in her eyes.

Yuya fidgets silently, hesitant to answer. "...Since I was twelve."

Yuzu's eyes widen. "That long? And how did that even happen?"

"We don't know! We all just got a really, really bad headache one day, and then I just… had three more voices in my head. And we became friends."

Yuya can see how Yuzu and Gongenzaka are struggling to believe him. His shoulders slump as his body draws in on itself, his stomach churning unpleasantly.

"I know it sounds unbelievable, like I have some imaginary friends or something, but, they really exist. And they're all really, really important to me."

Yuya didn't want his best friends to think the other three didn't exist, to try and tell him they 'weren't real'. Because they were so important, that he can't imagine not having them chattering in his head, or sitting in peaceful silence with their faint presence and pulsing heartbeats right there if he just focused on them.

"They're real."

Yuya snaps his head up, then realising it wasn't any of the other two who spoke, and looked to his side. Rin is looking evenly at Yuzu and Gongenzaka, who are looking at her in surprise.

Rin crosses her arms over her chest. "My best friend is one of them, and he told me the same thing."

"Rin…" Yuzu says, questioning and confused. She looks at Yuya, who meets her eyes steadily. He didn't know what she was looking for, but he tried pleading with just his gaze for her to believe him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she cracked a smile and nodded once. "...Okay. If you're going that far, and with Rin even backing it up… I'll believe you, Yuya."

Gongenzaka huffs, big arms folded over his chest. "Lying like this isn't like the Yuya I know! I, the man Gongenzaka, believe your words!"

Yuya stares, mouth hanging open. He snaps it closed, a goofy smile he tries to smother forms over his lips. He slumps in relief, feeling like a weight has lifted off him.

"Thank you…" he says, relief and gratitude filling his voice. "Thank you! And... I'm sorry, for not telling either of you sooner."

"Seriously!" Yuzu says, placing her hands on her hips. "For two years, and you never said a thing! This isn't something you just keep to yourself!"

Gongenzaka nods, and Yuya gives them an apologetic look. "Sorry, with how I couldn't really prove it or it not being needed to explain, it never really happened..."

"Well, be sure to keep us in the loop from now on then," Yuzu says, frowning. She glances at Rin. "But… Rin, you said your best friend was one of them, but, if they're from another world..."

Rin nods. "He told me before… I came here."

Yuzu's brow furrow. "Rin?"

She meets the two questioning gazes evenly. "I never did tell you both where I'm from, did I?"

Gongenzaka catches on, looking concerned at his teacher. "Rin-dono… where exactly did you come from?"

Rin breathes out hard out of her nose, running a hand roughly through her green hair. "I'm not from this world at all. I'm actually from the Synchro Dimension, or City to be more specific." Surprised sounds come at her words, but she continues on. "Then one night, and I don't know why, Security was after me and Yugo."

"Yugo?" Yuzu asks, tilting her head. "Fusion?"

Yuya splutters out a short laugh, knowing just how Yugo would react to that. He could almost hear his loud protests in his head.

"No, Yugo," Rin corrects easily and continues. "He's my best friend. We got cornered and… they told me they would let me go free if Yugo came willingly."

Rin's body stiff up, hands curling into fists at her side. She glared at the ground as the memories came back to the forefront. "Yugo said to me he could go with them, but I basically said 'fuck no', and prepared to duel all of them. But then Yugo did… something. I don't know what, but, it sent me here. And left him behind."

A shocked silence fills the air as Rin finally pauses. Her shoulders and back are wrung so tight Yuya worried she'd crack. She draws in a deep breath, almost forcing her body to relax, and looked at Yuya.

"Yugo had told me about all this earlier, so I set out to find one of his 'mind buddies', and you both know the rest."

"Rin…" Yuzu says, looking at her with shock and disbelief, while Gongenzaka's brow is furrowed deep in concern and thought. Rin avoids both their gazes, looking down to the side.

Yuya chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment, before opening his mouth to say something. But voices shouting from inside the LDS building reached them before he could.

"Find him! He couldn't have gone far!"

People in suits were running around, looking frantic. Some came close enough for them to overhear their conversation.

"Contact headquarters! Tell them Shiuin Sora has escaped his hospital room!"

Yuya freezes up.

'Oh no.'

"President!"

Reiji looks up from the screens as Nakajima burst into the office, looking frazzled.

"Shiuin Sora has escaped from the Medical Ward!"

The words make him freeze for a mere second, unnoticeable to anyone else, before calming down. "Where did he head to?"

"He seems to have headed further into the building."

Reiji frowns, teeth grit together. He stands up. "Find out where he is."

The words the Academia soldier had rambled out in a haze after his defeat today rise up to the forefront of his mind as if to taunt him.

"I can't lose to Xyz…!"

"Duel me again...!"

If he is right in his assumption of the boy's goal…

"Deposit extra security to the rooms where the Xyz duelists are staying, with priority on Kurosaki Shun. Be discreet about it. I will be heading over to the surveillance room myself."

Sora tears through the dark halls, barely registering his surroundings save for roving his eyes around for anything trying to stop him.

Where was he. Where was Kurosaki.

Sora hadn't lost. He hadn't. If he just got serious, that kind of Xyz scum would be nothing more than dirt under his heel. He just got lucky, Sora had just gotten a bit soft dueling all these other softies for so long, but he could easily shake that off. He'd prove he was the stronger one!

He rounds a corner, eyes narrowing as he can just make out a figure up ahead, almost completely hidden in the dark. They flinch and whirl around, some fabric flowing around them and for a second, Sora wants to grin in triumph, thinking he found his prey-

Sora stops.

"Yuya?"

But no, that couldn't be Yuya. He wouldn't be here, wearing such dark clothing and skulking around these empty halls. Sora narrows his eyes. A memory niggled at his head, of a run-in with two Xyz users at the harbour. His eyes glance down to the duel disk strapped to the boy's arm.

"So you're another one of the Xyz cowards who ran away. Perfect timing, hurry up and call him out!"

"Who are you talking about?" The other says, not budging.

"Don't play dumb! Kurosaki Shun! Our fight isn't finished yet!"

The gray eyes he can barely make out in the dark narrow slightly. "It is finished. You lost."

Sora growls. "I didn't lose! If I just get serious, I'd win easily! Against him, you and that girl too!"

The other glares at him. Then, with a whirl of the long, dark cloak almost hiding him completely, he turns and dashes away.

"Wait!" he shouts, sprinting after him. He glares at the retreating back. Cowards, the lot of them, always running away and not facing him head-on. "I won't let you get away!"

/Yuto? What's happening in there? Sora is missing!\

[Sorry, Yuya, the Fusion spy ran into me.]

/What?!\

[He's after Shun. He wants a rematch, so I'm leading him away.]

/You- are you gonna be alright?\

[Yeah, don't worry. I'm leading him outside.]

/Where to? I'm going too, maybe I can talk him down!\

[...To the park.]

Yuya skids to a halt and takes a sharp turn down a corner that'll lead him to the park quicker. Good thing he decided on searching around the central park when they all split up to look for Sora.

His breathing was harsher when the trees finally came into view, not stopping his sprint. /I'm here. Where are you?\

[The outside stage.]

Yuya can see the dome-like structure of the stage up ahead and a spot of bright blue hair. A duel was happening, and…

He knows the other's decks. They've described their monsters to each other many times before, their dragons even more so. But while Yuya had a picture in his mind of what Yuto's deck looked like, seeing it was another thing. Ghosts and phantoms in heavy dark robes, with eerily glowing heads underneath their hoods, floating near their master. Yuto moves, talking as the two monsters morph into streaks of light and flow into a galaxy.

"From the pitch black, rise up against the foolish oppression, Fang of Rebellion! Descend now! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!"

Oh…!

Yuya stares as the dark dragon appears, roaring as it lands in front of Yuto. Yuya had never seen it before, but he could make out parts that Yuto had described to them. But his words couldn't have conveyed the ominous and forceful aura it radiated. Even if it's shape was long and slim, the thought it would be easy to face wouldn't even process. And yet, it seemed to almost shield Yuto behind its body, subtly enough you barely noticed it.

Yuya couldn't think of a better fit for Yuto.

And there was a longing in his chest at the sight of the dragon that seemed almost achingly familiar.

Yuya watched in almost a trance as the dragon reared up, and attacked Sora's monster. Lightning wrapped around its wings at it lit up and swooped across the ground, hitting its target with its sharp chin.

Sora's scream as he's flown back harshly breaks him out if it. Yuya runs over. "Sora!"

The boy doesn't even turn to acknowledge him as he stops next to him. "Stay out of this, Yuya! This has nothing to do with you!"

"What are you talking about, Sora?! You're badly injured, you should still be resting!"

"Not until I've beaten him!" Sora says without even looking in Yuya's direction, eyes fixated on the stage. Yuto is standing on it, looking down at them with a blank expression that gave nothing away.

But the voice that speaks in his head is gentle, almost melancholy.

[If you want to protect your friend, I won't stop you.]

Yuya stops, staring wide-eyed at Yuto. His expression doesn't change.

Did… did Yuto think Yuya would pick Sora over him? Yuya couldn't do something like that, he couldn't choose which of his friends to protect over the other.

But if they insisted on fighting…

~You should just do what you want to do, right?~

{It's not Yuya if he doesn't, always doing things no one asked him to.}

Yuya smiles and stands up straight, moving back so they stand in a triangle formation. He takes out his duel disk and slides his deck into place.

Engaging: Battle Royal Mode

"My turn!" Yuya draws, glances at the card in his hand, then moves. "I set the Pendulum Scale with scale 1 Stargazer Magician and scale 8 Timegazer Magician!"

His two magicians rise into the air as the two pillars of light enveloped them. "I can now summon monsters between levels 2 and 7 simultaneously! I special summon Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

The pendulum in the sky sway, trail of light following it. "Appear! Wondrous and beautiful dichromatic eyes! Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Odd Eyes descend on the field with a roar. And then, Yuya feels a sudden heat pierce his chest. He wince, hand grasping his shirt over his heart. On the stage, he sees Yuto do the same.

The two dragons stop, and start to roar, energy flowing out around them.

Voices, too disconnected and far-off yet also too loud for him to make any sense of them. And it wasn't any he recognised, yet felt so familiar nonetheless.

-Alongtime-

-ToolongTooaloneToo-

-Sleepingpeacefullymustbekept-

-MustprotectMustshieldMustreconnectMust-

"What-" Yuya stutters, swaying. He feels like he needs to fight to breathe, chest too tight and hot to bring any air into it.

Somehow, he finds Yuto's eyes. Yuya scrambles for his presence, gripping ahold tightly onto his, Yugo's and Yuri's. He can feel them returning it.

And the hot pressure lets up enough for the heat to reduce. And in its wake, left a feeling like his spirit was being protectively embraced.

"I activate Command Performance! All my opponents face-up monsters currently in attack position are changed to defense position! And they cannot switch their battle position until the end of my next turn!"

Sora looks sharply at him in startled anger. "Wha-"

Bright light shines out of the card. Dark Rebellion growls as it cowers from the light, all forced into defense position.

"I set one card and end my turn."

His opponents look at him in surprise, Sora's noticeably more furious. "If you're only gonna get in the way, leave! I can take care of this myself!"

"I'm not gonna fight," Yuya says. He puts his hands on his hips and puffs out his chest. "I'm gonna get as much in the way as is possible until you stop!"

Sora gapes at him in seemingly speechless fury before he almost explodes. "Don't joke around! In battle, this kind of stupid stunt will get you-"

"Puha-"

Yuya looks up in surprise as Sora abruptly cuts himself off and swivels his enraged eyes on the source of the sound.

Yuto was still standing in the same place, but face no longer set in that blank yet serious expression. Instead, his mouth was covered by his hand, face turned away and shoulders looking like they were shaking.

"...Yuto?" Yuya says, feeling lost.

The sound came again, except this time, Yuto turned back to them properly.

And he started to laugh.

It wasn't amused cackling, mocking chuckles or even that loud in volume, but it was still laughter. Subdued, quieter than what was normal, but Yuto's eyes were quirked up in joy, small but definitely existing mirthful smile on his lips.

Yuya had never heard it out loud before and he found it was pure music to his ears.

"What… are you laughing about…!" Sora almost growls out, still angry but sounding more confused.

"That's just like you, Yuya," Yuto says, looking at him, smile still present. He turns back to the duel, drawing ar card. "It's my turn. I activate the spell card Emergency Provisions. For every spell and trap card I send to the graveyard, I gain 1000 life points. I send two traps to the graveyard."

Yuya watches in shock as Yuto's life points raise by 2000 points.

Gray eyes close. "I end my turn."

"Yuto…" Yuya can't help but smile. Yuto meets his eyes and nods once, smiling. He wasn't going to fight either, he understood.

"Don't joke around…" Sora seethes, fist clenched tightly at his side. "If neither of you is going to take this seriously, I'll teach you just how strong real Fusion summoning is!"

Sora's smile turns cruel and vicious as he moves to Fusion summon from his graveyard. But then, his duel disk gives an error sound.

"Huh, wait!" he shouts, turning panicked, hand grasping at his disk. "Wait, I can't go back yet! Not until I beat that guy!"

Yuya's eyes widen, stepping closer. "Sora!"

[Don't get too close, Yuya.]

/Huh?\

"Until I beat that guy," Sora shouts even as light starts to surround him, "I can't go back to Academia!"

His voice turns echoed at the end as the light from his duel disk swallows him and he disappears in particles of light.

Yuya stares at the empty space Sora had just occupied with wide eyes. "Wha… what just happened?"

"He was forced to return," Yuto says. Yuya looks at him as the other hops down from the stage. "Back to Academia."

"Back- but he's still injured!"

"Academia have doctors, he'll be fine." [This place has security cameras, we have to watch what we're saying out loud.]

Yuya frowns. He couldn't help but worry, still. "So, what now?" /What do we do?\

"That's up to you, if you still want to fight." [I should go back to LDS. You too should go back to your friends.]

"I never wanted to fight to begin with!" /Already? ...Can't you stay? I told Yuzu and Gongenzaka about you all, and about everything. I… I'd like you to meet them.\

Yuto's eyes widen, a touched look in his eyes. But he averted them soon enough. [I don't know if it's a good time… Would they even trust me?]

/I trust you, so they will too.\

The corner of Yuto's mouth quirks up in a half-smile. Dark Rebellion leans their head down close to the ground and near their master, rumbling in contentment. Yuto's eyes widen in surprise, almost taking a startled step back before stopping himself.

Yuya laughs. "Seems someone else is happy too."

Odd Eyes seem to agree, a thrilling sound making its way from them. Yuya pets the dragon on the head as it leans closer to him, the sounds increasing in volume.

"Yuya!"

Yuya's head snaps up at the familiar sound of Yuzu's voice rings out over the park. Then, the comforting atmosphere breaks as Odd Eyes and Dark Rebellion starts growling, hovering protectively over them. "Odd Eyes? What's-"

Yuya's words are cut off as a buzzing noise sharply enters his head, interrupting all other thoughts.

It grew louder.

And louder.

And louder.

Yuya didn't know if he screamed or not, he couldn't hear anything over the intruding sound and his high pulse. His fingers gripped tight over his hair and skull as he leaned over, breathing hard. What was happening? What, he didn't understand, did the others-

And it was then, with a gut-wrenching feeling that made him feel like his heart had burst, that Yuya realised the others were being muffled

'I can't hear them. I can't feel them I can't-wherearetheywheredidtheygo nonononononono'

Yuya could just barely make out Yuri, who sounded panicked and distressed. But he couldn't make out any words behind what felt like frosted glass thick enough to block out sound. Yugo was almost no noise whatsoever, almost pounding on the glass in panic and fear and it tore at him all of it did where were they-

Yuya's head snaps up, disoriented eyes searching frantically for the only one he knew should be here.

Yuto is in the same position, bowed over and gripping his head with a hand, jaw clenched hard and panic glossed over his unfocused eyes.

Stumbling closer, Yuya tries to call out to him, but his throat feels like it has closed up and refuses to cooperate. He manages a chopped up attempt that sounds more like strained breathing. "Yuu-"

Even so, Yuto's head snaps up, roving in much the same way Yuya's did until grey finds red. They stumble closer and reach for the other as the buzzing increases like static in their heads.

'Don'ttakethemawaydon'ttakethemawaydon'ttakethemawayfromme-'

They more or less fall into each other, shaking hands desperately clutching at the other like they would disappear if they let go. Misery and emptiness tears at them from where the frosted glass blocks them from each other, enough to make their eyes sting. Fingers clench onto cloth and limbs wrap tight around each other as their eyes flicker into glowing lights of purple and red.

You're still hereI'm still hereDon't go awayI'll never leaveNothing will keep us apart-

Their dragons roar together. Distantly, two more start as well.

And something seems to shatter.

/[~{We're still connected}~]\

Yuzu tears into the area with Rin beside her, their wrists glowing pink and green, just in time to see the dragons disappear. The imposing creatures seem almost mournful, still folded over the two entwined figures even as they vanish, leaving their master alone.

But to an outsider, two boys are left still holding tightly onto each other, even unconscious and collapsed to the ground, not yet fallen tears clinging to their eyelashes and closed eyes.

The connected square, a closed cage

And the small voices become clear

The separating square, an unbinding cage

And the loud voices become obstruct

Our eternally linked routes clear our field of vision