"Did she just…" Yugi looked to Atem with raised eyebrows. Even Mahad and Mana were curiously looking to him in shock.

The eldest prince hardly noticed their gazes though. His head was racing with so many thoughts that he was momentarily stunned, even when they had drug him back to the water he remained listless for several moments until a fierce pressure threatened to crush his chest that flooded his system with adrenaline. "Mahad, what did she mean?"

"There is a spell that Mana and I will have to perform so unfortunately there is no time for us to explain." Mahad's gaze met his partner's, earning a nod, and they clasped hands. "While we do that, just ensure that those two remain within the nearby vicinity."

Amethyst flashed crimson as he looked to Yugi after realizing that the powerful duo were focused elsewhere. The fierce pressure was pulling him towards upwards, farther up the shoreline, meaning that Anzu had gone in that direction. "I'm going to the loch. They're headed for the mansion."

"I'm right behind you." The ghost of loneliness touched his heart when his brother turned away without hesitation but it was brushed off with a sigh. He had already accepted the fact that Anzu had become deeply rooted within Atem's heart, which meant that she would now be his first concern, and though it made Yugi glad that the merman who tended to keep to himself had found his soulmate it made him feel inwardly confident that it would never break their sibling bond. It wasn't until the golden tail was nearly out of sight that Yugi's gaze hardened. "Tell me what you couldn't tell him."

Mana took over the spell as Mahad's gaze finally met those of the youngest merprince. "The girl is prepared to test the limits of the Ainma Vinculum even if it results in betting her life. None know if its other capabilities since most of the involved parties are merfolk. Perhaps the fact that she is human and he is royalty may bring about special properties or affects. He was capable of sensing when she was in danger though they were several miles apart and he was incredibly sickly during their time apart, yet it took only a brief encounter with her to restore his strength."

"She's human though, I thought they don't have magic…" Lavender widened. "Because of mother's scale she was able to live."

Mahad nodded. "Whether she is aware of it or not, Anzu was gifted something extremely powerful. It is possible that the scale did more than simply heal her body and save her life." His brows furrowed in concentration, allowing his magical energy to pool around their hands more, then refocused upon Yugi. "Did it not seem odd that her dancing would cause all to stop and watch? You said yourself that upon the liner it was as if time was nonexistent for as long as she was performing. It could be that she was casting a spell without realizing it. I have studied every tome and form of magic within the ocean, I have even encountered a few that mentioned the practices upon land, and there are several supposed users who resort to medicinal herbs or dances. The magical exchange required for the Ainma Vinculum was occurring, it just wasn't as powerful as it could be since hers isn't capable of manifesting into a tangible form."

Yugi's brows furrowed, his bronze tail swishing with agitation and worry. "How does that explain why she ran off to be the bait?"

"The power that ties the involved parties has never been measured. She is currently searching for the answer to what where the verse the Goddess of the Sea had sung was from while at the same time forcing Atem to dive farther into his abilities than he ever could on his own. The greatest magic, according to legends, is when the user's heart is at its strongest response. We are all familiar with the strength Bakura wields with his Cor Tenebrae et Odium."

Mana gave his hands a fierce squeeze as the final incantation passed from her lips, signaling that the first part of the spell was completed and that it was Mahad's turn to begin the second, and she set her eyes upon the still confused merprince. "We don't have time for this! That human girl is preparing to sacrifice herself so that Atem can realize his full power and that the wretched Siren King can finally be put down along with that twisted goddess!" She shook her head when his lips parted. "Don't you dare say that you haven't noticed that he has been holding back."

Yugi's lips closed. Ever since they were young he'd had the suspicion that Atem would always hold back when they sparred for training. His attack spells and combat skills were unmatched by even the merfolk who had the shark tails, deemed the greatest warrior race among the marine world, while Yugi had always lagged behind as the support for healing and increased power or defense. It had seemed that the older they became the less his older brother would withhold his power while dueling but perhaps that wasn't entirely true. The only time he had seen the confident smirk waver from Atem's face, the single moment when all amusement had left those amethyst eyes of his, was when they had dueled for answers as to why they had been following the ship way back before the secret of his fascination with Anzu had been revealed. All eyes widened as vibrations came from the shoreline, the water growing hot and alight with flames that had rained down by falling debris. Yugi quickly rose to the surface and his lavender eyes widened as they fell upon the mass of angry flames that had once been the mansion.