A/N: I OWN NO PART YU GI OH 5DS! ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE CREATORS!

Chapter 59: The Fight Against the Hunter

Yusei's POV

I was quick to find myself in a dense forest. The brush was so thick and since it had gotten close to nightfall that I was having trouble seeing quite far. I immediately brought a ball of light to my hand to allow me to see.

I felt something brush against my foot and turned to see a furry thing hurrying off. 'That thing was scared of something,' I thought.

I brought out my locket and used it to trace for Era. But the mark was so faint with it, I was having trouble making it out. The only time a trail with a locket was ever faint according to Era was when the certain angel was passed out or dying. Either way, it didn't give me good feelings. Fortunately, though, I could still see the trail and followed it. I kept myself at a fast pace since her trail was so faint.

"Don't worry, my sweet angel, you'll be eaten with joy," came a voice from a cave that the trail was pointing towards. I carefully and silently walked through the tunnels until I reached a cave system. I stopped at an opening towards a larger cave and looked around the corner to see a creature with a body I would've never thought I would see before stepping around a steaming rock with a depraved and eager smile. "You will certainly be at the peak of flavor. Me and my offspring will enjoy every bit of you."

I looked at the trail and noticed it led straight to the rock where it stopped. 'Era's in there. And if that rock is steaming…' I thought getting worried.

The creature then began to sniff a bit. "Oh… I smell a new angel here," she stated and turned towards where I stood. I was quick to turn invisible. "You cannot hide, angel. I can smell you. Your scent was all over my delicacy over cooking in the rock." I glared angrily when it referred to Era like it did. "Why don't you show yourself? Let me see the face of this one's pain."

'What does that mean?' I thought as I watched the creature walk closer to my location. Suddenly, it disappeared. 'What the…? How did…?' My thought was cut off as one of the creatures claws locked me to the wall by my neck. Knowing I couldn't hide anymore, I let my invisibility spell down.

"Ah, you are truly handsome," the creature stated. "It's no wonder why the Guardian Angel fell for you."

"You're going to let her go," I ordered, but winced a bit as the claws dug into my neck.

"Do you really believe you can stop me from devouring my food?" the creature asked. "Me and my offspring need to eat."

I grabbed the two sides of the claw holding me and began to try to pull them apart. "Yeah? Well, Era and I have our own child that needs us to live," I retorted. "And I'm not about to allow you to take both from me."

It tightened its grip of my neck. "You truly love her, don't you?" the creature asked before laughing. "How sweet. Too bad she won't last much longer. The heat of the rock will make sure she is nice and cooked very soon."

I let go with one hand and launched a ball of light at the creature's chest. It was sent flying back into a wall, being forced to let go of me in the process. I ran in and to the rock. I shot a blast at it, but I had to quickly dodge the blast and it was reflected back off the rock.

The creature laughed. "Unfortunately for you, those rocks reflect light. And all angel spells are made up of light. So I'm afraid those spells of yours aren't going to break those rocks and let you free your precious Guardian Angel," it told me.

It suddenly through a large crystal at me and I dodged it, while manipulating it enough for the flat side to hit Era's burning prison. I looked at noticed a large amount of cracks had formed around the stone.

"I'm going to get you out, Era. Just stay with me," I called to her. I thought I heard her whisper my name, but it was so silent that I couldn't tell for certain.

"Too bad you'll be my first meal," the creature stated, running up with its claw ready to stab me. I jumped out of the way and into the air, while she rammed into Era's cocoon of stone with her side, making the cracks larger and the stone weaker.

"No other angel will be your meal," I told her. I sent a powerful ball of light at the creature and it was sent through the walls of the cave and into the forest. I heard her scream in fear before silence. I wasn't sure what happened to her and at the moment, I didn't care. With me in the air, I dropped on the heart of the cracks and the wall encapsulating my mate shattered to pieces.

I noticed Era passed out and vines holding her in place. I sliced the vines off without a problem and carefully brought her out. She felt so hot in my arms; It worried me to end.

"Era…" I called. "Era, please, wake up." She didn't budge. I reached my ear down and listened for her heartbeat and thankfully found it. I used a healing spell to help with the burns she did have and a pain release spell to help with any pain she might've had. I then gently held her face that seemed to be at peace. "Era, wake up. Please…"

I watched as her eyes fluttered open. They seemed distant and unfocused at first, but slowly they regained their clarity and seriousness that I remembered. "Y-Yusei…" I whispered.

I immediately pulled her into me and held her head to my shoulder while I closed my eyes tight as I tucked my head into her shoulder. I felt my own tears land on her shoulder, both of joy that I found her and of fear that she would try to leave again. "Era, don't do this again," I whispered. "Please."

"Yusei, I…" she began but stopped.

"I know you want to do things yourself because you don't want to just rely on me. But I need you, Era. I need you with me. I rely on you to be here with me. I can't stand the thought of losing you, of not being with you. When you left like that, you have no idea what I felt," I told her. "And when I finally found you locked in that stone, getting ready to be eaten by that creature… those feelings just grew worse. I was terrified I lost you, Era. That I would never be able to get you back. You are stronger than you let yourself believe. You may rely on me to some extent, but not as much as you think. The only times you ever rely on me to help is if you are in situations like with Brehnam and the Underworld. Other than that, you are stronger than anyone I've ever known. You are the Era I fell in love within those first couple weeks of knowing you. You have never changed from that Era."

"Yusei…" Era muttered. I felt a couple tears fall onto my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who should be sorry, Era," I responded. "I should've realized what you were feeling sooner. Then I could've kept this from happening. Besides, I wasn't able to get to you sooner. I couldn't protect you as well as I should've."

"Yusei, that's…" she stopped.

"Just… never doing this again, Era. Don't leave me, especially like you did," I told her. "I just…" But I was cut off as I felt her lips on mine. I immediately gave into the kiss. For the first time, I was the one who needed comforting and it was Era kissing me to do so. I wanted to stay in that position for so long, but Era eventually pulled back.

"I love you, too, Yusei," she responded. "I'll stay with you, or at least try to. I promise."

"Let's get back," I told her and sent a message to Yue. I stood up and helped Era up. She winced. "Are you alright?"

"My ankle just hurts a bit, that's all," she answered, leaning on her other leg.

I looked at noticed it was a bit off place. "It's dislocated," I commented. She looked at it shocked. I picked her up into my arms. "I'll fix it the best I can once we're back at my room."

"Alright," she agreed.

I walked through the portal and back into my room where Yue was standing. "She alright?" she asked seeing Era in my arms.

"Dislocated ankle," I answered. "And needs to rest after what happened back there."

"What happened exactly?" Yue asked.

I explained everything that I had seen once I found her and she seemed shocked. "But that hunter thing is gone now," I finished. "She won't be doing much more harm to any other angels." Yue nodded.

I set Era on my bed, careful with her ankle. I used an anesthetic spell and quickly popped it back into place. "I can't do much more than that. I wouldn't be using this leg for until the World Racing Grand Prix starts again, Era," I told her.

"I'll be fine," she reassured.

"Era, angel or not, it was still a dislocated ankle," Yue retorted. "And considering we don't have any spare Healer Angels at the moment, I wouldn't be counting on getting one to get that ankle healed for a bit. By the time we do have a Healer Angel that could, you're ankle will be healed. Unless you go walking on it a lot which will only make it worse." I sighed but nodded. "Well, I need to get back to Council. Era, don't ever try doing that again. Or Crimson Dragon so help me…"

"I won't try, Yue," she responded. "I promise." The World Angel rolled her eyes before flying off and disappearing.

I looked at the sky out the window and saw it was coming to nightfall. "Get some rest, Era," I told her. "You'll need it to help the ankle and your body heal faster." She nodded before turning to fall asleep. It didn't take long before she was asleep. "See you in the morning."