No one was supposed to get hurt other than Yuma. Yusei had led him and Roman to a desolate part just to make sure Martha and the other kids wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

Then begins his trial by fire and little by little everything falls apart.

Roman's Underground Arachnid stole Yuma's Dai-Sojo and used it to smash through Yuma's defending Blizzed. Then it used Dai-Sojo again to defend itself against Gungnir's effect's.

He then had to scrambled to prevent the ticking time bomb that was Altar to the Bound Deity from going off because John, Mitch and Taka had somehow found themselves there with Martha and Trudge chasing after them.

And even when he managed to stop Altar from gaining enough counters to summon the Earthbound Immortal. Roman sprung out his trap card to finish the offerings.

The ground shook, purple flames rose. And through Earthbound Immortal Uru's roar, Yuma could barely make out Akiza's fearful exclamation coupled with Yusei demanding Roman to reveal his involvement with Zero Reverse and Jack's scream for Martha to run.

Earthbound Immortal Uru towered over even Yuma's memory of Chronomaly Atlandis and no doubt much stronger.

Before he could tell Akiza and Yusei to stand back, they each grabbed his shoulder.

"We're not leaving you." Yusei told him like he could read Yuma's mind.

"So let's face it together." Akiza continued, digging her heels into the ground.

"Then all three of you shall suffer together! " Roman laughed as Uru gathered all the negative energy and let loose a red spider web from his mouth.

Letting Yusei and Akiza's warmth nestle into his heart, Yuma looked straight at the incoming attack. "No one is suffering today."

With that red crystal form a circle barricade around them, cutting through the burning flames of the Netherworld and bounding Uru's circle of influence to the area within. At the same time, Gungnir refused to move out of the way of Uru's web. Even if the web technically was not supposed to hit the dragon, it would still be painful for Gungnir if the web were to pass through the dragon.

Not by Yuma's will.

Red clashed with red, Chaos pushed back against negative energy. In the end the web dissipated into dust and Gungnir left unharm

Yuma's life point dropped down to 500 but his friends are safe.

"That…that wasn't the Crimson Dragon." Yusei uttered, stunned at the sight of the attack being stopped.

"Indeed." Roman's voice rumbled, his eyes studying Yuma with an unnerving curiosity. "That power….Who are you really, Yuma Tsukumo?'

Breathlessly Yuma replied. "The person whose going to kick your ass."

Roman just smiled and placed a face down on his field. "Then by all means."

"Kattobingu!" Light shone through the dreary purple fire as Yuma drew his card. "I summon Scarlet Star."

His mark glowed, hope poured out of it as his companion witnessed the synchronization between the warrior and the dragon. " Imbued with the will of a burning star, rise again great spear of calamity and shoot for a new dawn! Gungnir, Chaos Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"

Returning Cryomancer and Scarlet Star back into the deck, Gungnir let out a bone chilling roar banishing Earthbound Immortal Uru alongside with one of Roman's backrow and gaining enough ATK to end the duel.

"Gungnir, attack Roman directly!"

Roman chuckle, his body engulfed in a purple smoke and out of it step…Blister?!

"Gungnir, stop!" Yuma commanded. Dread crawled their way up his spine as the sight of Blister with the Dark Signer duel disk forced his last moment with Shark from the dark pit of Yuma's mind.

Roman revealed his card to bring back Uru on the next turn and bile rise in Yuma's throat when he realized what he had to do.

The loser of the duel will disappear. Eternity was not an option that they had. Yuma would have to kill a person he cared for with his own hand again.

The ground was marble now, rubble turned into pillars, the skies filled with stars. And ….."Come on kid, attack already. I'll be fine. Just end this duel and kick these creeps to the curb."

Blister smiled at him, twisting Yuma's heart even further. Bracing himself, he walked through the field.

"Grungnir, please make it gentle." The ice dragon nodded before letting loose a frozen gust at the man. It blew through Yuma, his hair fluttering around his face and covering his tears, before reaching Blister. Ending the duel.

Yuma caught Blister before the man faded away.

"Kick their ass for me, okay?" Blister asked.

"I will." Yuma promised.

The fire faded and more Dark Signers stepped out of the shadows. They laughed and sneered at his pain.

"No wonder the human race is going extinct! No one is selfish any-"

"This isn't our last duel." Yuma cut him off, the mourning tears still ran down his face. "So where's our final battlefield ?"

"Eager for someone who just escaped the spiderweb." Roman laughed. "Each of our battles will be decided by the four stars of destiny."

(-.-)

Yuma dreamt of another world. Cosmic in nature, the surrounding was a dark sky decorated with stars that seemingly stretched on for eternity. Otherworldly crystals of red and blue float aimless around him.

There he dreamt that he pleaded and sob and begged Shark to call off the fight. That they could both obtain the Numeron Code with the information Astral left him, that they could work together to fix both the Astral world and the Barian world.

Then Shark, Nasch, denied their bond. Cutting through it and shoved the cut deep into Yuma heart.

(Since when had Shark thought so little of Yuma?)

"I activate the spell Glory of the Seven Emperor."

"No." In an instant ice and snow flooded the field, freezing the spell, preserving this duel for an eternity.

Shark couldn't take his choice from Yuma. This was how the duel was supposed to go because there were too many unseen hope and bloody will placed on Yuma, and could not bear to carry anymore. (Except it had already had. Betrayal and guilt pooled into his stomach. Yuma was done with denial but at the same time he hadn't accepted it yet.)

"Yuma?" A shooting star called out to him…..

And suddenly Yuma was aware of how unbalanced he was.

With Astral ( his soulmate, the Order to his Chaos ) so far away and their connection severed permanently by the deal, this left Yuma incomplete. He had lost Astral once before and Yuma mourned that they'll never be together again. But it was easier to remember Astral as a beacon of light in Yuma's heart.

That however didn't change that Yuma had half of a soul, it didn't change that it was ingrained in him to harmonize. And being apart from Astral, their connection severed permanently by his deal, was creating this itch to fit together with someone, anyone. (Would Astral felt the same way? And oh gods, what had Yuma subjected Astral to? Yuma prayed that Astral would forgive Yuma for hurting him again.)

"Yuma!" Steady hands held on to Yuma's shoulder and pulled him to face bright blue eyes. The wind stopped, Yuma didn't have to look to know that the image of Shark had long scattered to dust.

From the conner of his eyes, Yuma spotted that Yusei's mark too was glowing. And oh…oh.

(-.-)

There were tears in Yusei's eyes when Yuma woke up.

"I'm sorry." Yuma told the older boy quietly as they sat by the wall of the guest bedroom.

"Don't be. I promised to be there for you, didn't I?" Yusei reached out to wipe away Yuma's own tears.

Silence crept into the dark room, Yuma wished he could climb onto the roof to star watch but there were no stars to be found this night and something tells him that Martha wouldn't like him climbing up her house.

"Yuma," Yusei began, there was hesitation in his voice but it was soft. It reminded Yuma of Akari when she asked him why he came home at five in the morning looking like a building had collapsed on him. "That place in your dream, where was that?"

Yuma's first instinct was to lie and hide, which he usually does to Akari. But he rubbed his mark and leaned onto Yusei's shoulder. "Another dimension in another universe. It's complicated."

Yusei just nodded. "When you're comfortable to explain, I'll be willing to listen."

He was glad that Yusei didn't push. Glad that the familiar feeling of reaching out from his soul and having people answer was an option for him again.

(-.-)

Four dragons, four control units. The obvious plan was to split the group. Trudge drove ahead with Leo and Luna while Yuma followed on his Duel Runner.

The B.A.D area was empty, nothing but the sound of the two vehicles echoed through the air. There was something about the absence of life that was unnerving to Yuma. It made him wish that he was also in the car.

His fear was proven to be true when a cry rang in his ears.

"What was that screaming just now?" Luna panicked.

"What was what? I didn't hear anything." Came Leo's confused reply.

"No I heard it too." Yuma confirmed. "Maybe it's a warning."

"A warning about what?" Trudge asked.

The next thing they all knew a beam of light hit the back of the security truck. Yuma had to hold up his hand to shield himself from it. He immediately got off his Duel Runner once the light died down and rushed to the car.

Trudge and Leo were fine but Luna was nowhere to be seen.