Princess Rosalba watched from thousands of feet in the air as the two brothers flew up and clashed several meters above her. Sparks of cyan emitted from the sibling's weapons, lighting up the increasingly darkening sky.

Kohri grinned as he pushed against Baldo. "Not bad, big bro!"

"I'll master this weapon in no time, you'll see," he said, flying back. He raised the sword and swung it forth, unleashing a blast of cold air. While Baldo wasn't a katana like his previous angel tools, it still functioned similarly. He would just have to adjust for the difference in blade curvature as well as thickness.

The younger brother chuckled as he came down at his big brother. Hyosetsu blocked again, but the force sent him crashing into the ice below.

Rosalba gasped as she watched. The icy mist made it challenging to make out where exactly he had crashed. There wasn't even a sound made. Either the snow managed to absorb most of it, or he had saved himself.

She flew up and got a little closer. "Hyosetsu?" she called out.

Suddenly, a wave of cold air flew up from the mist.

Kohri's eyes widen. He crossed his arms together and folded his wings a bit. The Seven-Hill knight gritted his teeth as he tried his best to resist his brother's attack.

"Wow," Rosalba said. She glanced at the direction that the blast had come from and saw a blue blur made its way toward Kohri. "Another attack?"

She gasped as she came to a stop as it struck Kohri. It wasn't another blast, but Hyosetsu himself.

Kohri gripped his hammer with both his hands and spun around.

Hyosetsu smirked as he swung Baldo, defending against Kohri's full attack. However, the force of the impact pushed him once again.

"You got to train your center of gravity," Kohri said.

"How do you expect me to do that while we're in mid-air?" Hyosetsu asked as Kohri dashed toward him. He flew up and held Baldo with both hands. "Ice Horn!"

Blue mana covered Baldo, encasing it in a layer of ice. Next thing Rosa knew, Hyo had moved toward Kohri at sonic speed.

Kohri yelped as he barely dodged his brother's attack. "Woah! That was a close one!" He gasped as he noticed strands of red hair fly off. "No, it did get me!"

Hyosetsu swung his sword over his shoulder and smiled. "You're lucky it was only your hair, little brother. Next time, you won't be so lucky!"

Kohri turned around and chuckled. "Don't get cocky now, Hyo! I'm barely getting started!"

Hyosetsu closed his eyes and began slicing the air like how he had done at the palace with his old angel tools.

The younger brother gasped as he realized that the power behind the attack was the exact same as with the former weapons. How had his brother adjusted so quickly in so little time?

Kohri winced as Baldo cut his left cheek. "Incredible. You really are an amazing swordsman."

Hyosetsu scoffed as he kicked Kohri toward the ground. "Of course. While I prefer katanas, it doesn't matter if it's a rapier, claymore, or a katana. I'll bring out its full potential!"

Kohri chuckled. "It's a good thing that you didn't allow yourself to be pigeonholed into learning only one kind of sword art."

"True. That said, the power of this sword isn't too bad," Hyosetsu said he stared at his black sword. "It's as if the power of my old weapons got transferred over into it. If only I could call upon the angel of this weapon like I once could with the others."

Kohri wiped the freezing sweat from his forehead. He grinned and said, "I told ya it's amazing. I know that the one who made the weapon is a fishy guy, but he means well."

Hyosetsu closed his eyes and raise his sword into the air. Wind rushed toward the blade, cooling the surrounding air further and making the clouds spiral above.

"Enough talk! Time for us to finish this!" the older duke yelled at the top of his lungs.

Kohri chuckled as he spun his hammer rapidly, whipping up a blizzard. "Come at me, big bro! I'll show you what the heir of Esquilino can do!"

The older brother opened his cool-blue eyes, which were shining with a brilliant azure light. "Sword of the Heavens, rain down hail upon this land!" Suddenly, basketball-sized balls of ice started to rain down from the sky like small meteors.

The younger sibling threw his giant hammer into the air. The hammer zipped around as if telepathically controlled, shattering every single one of the hailstones before they even got close to Kohri. The shattered hailstones came down in the form of fine crystalline dust. With the sky cleared, the dust reflected the dying sunlight, creating an aurora-like glow across the land.

Rosalba's mouth widened as she shielded her eyes from the freezing particles.

These two really are going all out. The difference in power between Hyosetsu and Tetsuya is glaring. He might even be at the same level as the other two knights. Like the others, he seems to lack discipline if the manner he talked to his brother at the door is anything to go off of. It's the job of us Seven Hills to whip them into shape. Tetsuya might be the easiest one for us to handle...

"What are you thinking about?" a voice called out from behind.

Rosa spun around and saw a woman with the same icy eyes as Kohri flying toward her. She had on a long snow-white dress and had her hair tied into a loose ponytail.

"Auntie Miyuki," Rosa said, smiling.

Miyuki smiled back and bowed her head. "Pardon that I was unable to greet you, princess. I had to deal with that unruly older son of mine. Though I couldn't get him to come out. But it seems that his brother and you did just that."

Rosalba bowed her head slightly. "No need to be sorry, Lady Miyuki. It seems that the older duke is very eager in battle."

"Yes. He's a lot like his father in that regard..." Miyuki smiled slightly. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you a few years ago at the castle. Every time you seem to look more like your mother."

Rosa glanced down at the snow tens of feet below her. "Do I really? I think that my sister bears more of a resemblance. She even has her personality, according to Father."

"Yeah. You're more bubbly than Sofia was."

"Hey, auntie," she said, turning away from the clash of ice and snow in the distance. "Could you tell me who 'Takeshi' was to my mother?"

Miyuki raised an eyebrow at her. "Takeshi?"

"Yeah. The wielder of Aventine prior to Serra."

Miyuki laughed. "I know know who you mean. He was a dear companion. One of the three we lost..." She lowered her eyes, likely also thinking about her late husband and Rosa's mom.

Rosa reached into the pocket of her small winter coat and took out a letter. "My sister and I found this letter in the attic years ago. In it, she calls Takeshi 'precious' along with several other words."

The grand duchess sighed. "Those are old history. Do not pay them too much attention. Why are you curious about those dusty letters anyway?"

She lowered her head as tales of her parents flashed before her mind. "It always bothered me... My parents' relationship."

"Truly? The two were born to noble families. You surely must know that love between nobles is a rare thing. More often than not, it's an arrangement."

Rosa's grip on the letter tightened. She tried to keep tears from further leaking out. "I know... but neither my sister nor I wish to marry out of obligation. You and Uncle Sebastian loved one another, did you not?"

Miyuki smiled sadly as if the memories of times long gone by had suddenly flashed before her eyes. "Yes... we did. If I hadn't, then this void in my heart wouldn't be so large. Yet he left me with two wonderful children to light my world, even though the oldest can be hard to deal with from time to time."

Rosalba smiled. "I wish for something like that."

"Do you have someone in mind? Or is it the result of romanticism from all those books you love reading?"

Rosa closed her eyes and recalled the hand of a young boy around the age of nine or ten. Her five-year-old self reached out for it. He had a smile that seemed to radiate light.

The princess opened her eyes and gasped. "That boy... he's..."

Lady Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "He's what?"

The princess shook her head. "Simply a boy that I see in my dreams. I am not even sure if these memories are the product of a dream or reality."

Miyuki gave her a confused look. "I see..."

***

[50 miles north of Shirayuki City- Grand Crater]

A young man dressed in black robes consisting of multiple layers of cloth glanced down at the pitch-black hole and smiled.

"How long do you think it'll take for the others to arrive?" a voice called out. The young man's golden eyes shifted their gaze toward the white-haired young man standing behind him.

He raised the black orb in his right hand. "Don't know. A month perhaps. Though we have no need for my grandfather or the others. The two of us should be able to get the job done."

The white-haired boy sighed. "Always so confident. Roa." He turned his back to him, snickering. "Well then, let's get this started."

Roa pushed himself up the icy rock he had been sitting on. The orb in his right hand vanished like magic. Stretching his arms toward the sky, he smiled. "Yeah, we got a lot of sightseeing to do!"

The white-haired youth tilted his head at him. "Sightseeing?"

Roa grinned and put a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Yeah, we need to research this world for ourselves. Who knows how much has changed from what we've been told. Plus, finding out the vital areas will make this far smoother and cleaner."

The other young man nodded. "Right, your father did say to try to set up a clean invasion. Striking them where it hurts will ensure that we don't suffer unnecessary casualties, on both sides."

Roa crossed his arms together and walked in front of his companion. He took a brief glance at the snowy land. "Yeah, he was born here after all. He'd rather not see his precious homeland destroyed. Grandfather is the same way, wanting to protect that which my late grandmother cherished, this realm called Zionia."

***

[Fifteen Minutes Later]

Roa sighed as they continued to run through the ivory landscape. "This realm is starting to come off as an ice one! To think that I wanted to see this thing called 'snow'." He sighed. "I wish we could just fly out of here." He kicked up some snow into the air. He would've taken to the sky right then and there if it weren't due to freezing cold. His wings would surely freeze after some time, far faster than the rest of him as they would be exposed to the elements.

His companion chuckled. "Calm down. We have only been at this for a dozen minutes or so. Besides, we should be arriving at the city your father informed us about shortly."

"Hmm?" Roa said as he felt an intense chill. It was coming from further south where there was a radiant orange light bouncing off of the snow itself. "You feel that?"

The snow-white-haired young man nodded. "Yeah. There's a strong aura, two, no three... perhaps even four though that one is drastically weaker than the other two."

Roa smirked. "Let's check it out!"

The pair rushed off, and in a matter of seconds, they arrived at the base of a tall hill. Waves of ice roared across the icy wasteland as two figures clashed in the sky. Each clash caused the earth and even the heavens to tremble.

"Such power," the snow-white-haired young man said, eyes wide. He held his hands out and melted an incoming wave of ice but was sent back by the resulting water wave.

Roa rushed over and pulled him out of the newly made river of water, which flowed past them until it refroze from the sheer cold.

"Careful," the raven boy said. He glanced up at the two cyan lights in the sky and grinned. "This is interesting. Didn't think we would encounter people with such power in a realm which hasn't seen a full-fledged war in over a decade, at least not a pair around our age."

"Who are you two?" a voice called out from behind. The two spun around and saw a hazel-eyed girl descend from the heavens.

"Hey there," Roa said, waving. "We were just traveling across this godforsaken land, looking for a place to stay at."

Rosa looked up and down at their clothes. They were wearing robes, clothes uncommon in Kuroyuki no San outside of the palaces.

"What were you two doing walking around at this time of day in these conditions?" Rosa asked, tilting her head at them.

Roa rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh... we were sightseeing. What about you, miss? And those two up there?"

Rosa glanced up at the brothers as their clashes continued to shake the earth. "To test something out. I didn't think that Hyosetsu would be this strong, considering he barely obtained Baldo."

"Baldo, miss? What's a 'baldo'? Some kind of familiar?" the snow-white young man queried.

Rosa bit her lip. "Uh, sort of. Wait, familiar? Are you two perhaps from Xeleria?"

"The realm of magic?" Roa asked, putting a hand on his hip. "N-"

His partner elbowed him. A grin crossed the white-haired boy's face. "Yeah, we're from Xeleria, from Tora, in fact."

Rosalba looked at their golden eyes.

"Well, I did hear that there's a clan known for their golden eyes over there." She smiled and extended a hand out to them. "Nice to meet you. I am Rosa." Her hazel eyes darted toward the dark sky. "Those two are my cousins, Hyosetsu and Kohri."

Roa grinned. "Hyosetsu and Kohri, huh? I'll be sure to recall those names."

Rosa's left eye twitched. "And mine?"

Roa glanced over at her. "What about you?"

Rosa closed her eyes and grumbled. "How many rude people will I meet this month?"

The snow-white boy snickered. "Roa, she wishes for you to remember her too. Also, where are your manners?"

The raven-haired youth tilted his head. "Huh?"

His partner shook his head and sighed. "Just introduce yourself."

"Oh, why didn't you just say so?" He smiled at Rosalba. "I'm Roa Hoshizora, and this guy here who seems to blend into the surroundings is Etsuo Hoshizora."

"Are you two brothers?" the princess asked.

"Eh? No. We're not. We're cousins."

"Cousins, huh?" Rosa's face turned red. "Not again. Why do I keep thinking about that guy?"

"What guy?" Roa asked, leaning forward.

Rosa stepped back. "Even your eyes remind me of his..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Rosalba averted her gaze. "Uh, it's... Uh, forget it."

The white-haired boy smiled. "Such a shy girl."

Roa scoffed. "Strange if you ask me."

Rosalba flew away, her face as red as fresh blood.

"How mean," Etsuo said, covering up a smile.

Roa glanced up and saw that the two brothers were gone. Suddenly the ground shook violently as if a meteor had struck nearby. The pair below stared at the cloud of smoke coming from a few miles away. Without another word, the pair ran over to see what had happened while Rosa flew there.

"You two," Rosa shouted, arriving ahead of the mysterious cousin. She glared at a hole in the ground as she flew overhead. The Kuroyuki no San brothers rested on crimson snow while their mother stood between them. "I turn my eyes away from you for a moment, and you beat each other to this point."

Hyosestu wiped the blood from his mouth. He tried to stand up, but his legs wobbled. His entire body ached, especially his wings, which had broken his fall.

"Sorry," Kohri said, smiling despite the pain. "Though you did fail at your task as a referee."

Miyuki sighed. "You two would've killed one another if it were not for me stopping you. Luckily, I moved in closer to see your battle up close. Else, I might not have made it in time."

"Sorry, Mom," Kohri said, giving her an awkward grin.

Rosa landed on the ground and ran down to her cousins and aunt-in-law. "Stop talking and trying to get up." She knelt down and stared at their injuries. The two looked as if they had just been in a brutal no punches-held back wrestling match.

"You might damage something vital." Her ruby bracelet began to glow. "Let me heal you."

"Wait, that's-" Kohri said but stopped as he let out a painful growl.

Rosa sighed. "I'm just going to give you enough so that you won't die on the way back, so don't fret."

"Rosa... thank you," Miyuki said.

The princess smiled. "No need to, I need to care for the few family and friends I have." She closed her eyes. Crimson mana flowed out of her hands and wrapped itself around her cousins. The energy closed every injury and even healed their shattered wing bones.

"What happened here?" Etsuo asked as he and Roa arrived at the spot.

Rosa turned around. "Uh, I know it might be awkward to get asked a favor by someone you have recently met, but would you two mind helping me?"

"What? No!" Roa said. "Handle them yourself."

"Sure," said Etsuo as he stood beside Rosa. He knelt down as well and put his hands against the chests of the two brothers. White energy poured out of his hands, closing the rest of the brother's wounds.

"I meant as in helping me take one of them back to the palace while auntie carried the other one, but this works too," Rosa said, chuckling. "So this is healing magic. Based on the speed of regeneration, I bet it's top tier."

"Everything about Etsuo is top tier," Roa said, popping up behind her. He glared at his partner. "You really don't listen, do you?"

"Listen to what?" Etsuo said as he rose from the crimson snow-covered ground.

The raven-haired teen crossed his arms over his chest. "I already said no! Why did you heal these strangers?"

"I agree," Hyosestu said, pushing himself off the ground. He narrowed his eyes at the pair. "Getting help from magicians does not please me, not that receiving it from anyone else does."

Miyuki sighed at her son's words. "Honestly, dear-"

Roa grinned. "Rather proud, huh? There's nothing wrong with getting aid from another, but I can relate."

Miyuki turned toward Roa and gasped upon seeing his face. "Takeshi!"

Roa tilted his head at the grand duchess. "Takeshi? I'm Roa."

"That name," Rosa and Etsuo said at the same time. The two gave each other a curious look, wondering what connection the other had with Takeshi.

Miyuki shook her head. "Forgive me. You simply reminded me of an old acquaintance of mine. One who sadly is no longer in this world."

Roa looked down, hiding a smile. "I see, that's unfortunate."

Kohri lowered his head. "I can only imagine how his family felt, losing him."

Rosa glanced up at the gray night sky. "We all lost someone precious that day."

Hyosetsu nodded. "Yes..."

Miyuki walked over toward her sons and Rosa and hugged them. "Let us go inside. Dinner is likely being served as we speak." She eyed the two strangers. "You two can come too if you would like."

"You're inviting two strangers?" Roa said, taken aback.

The Grand Duchess grinned. "Yes, though, looking at you feels as if I am looking at an old friend."

Roa grinned. "Alright, I'll take you up on that, but only because we need a place to spend the night. Don't wish to spend it out here in the snow."

"Hmm, you two seem fishy," Kohri said, walking in front of them. "Why are you here?"

"We're travelers," Roa said, averting his gaze.

"They are looking for a place to stay at is what they told me earlier," the princess said, smiling at the two boys.

"Travelers, huh? Are you a part of a two-man circus or something?" Hyosetsu asked, grinning at his own remark.

Roa blinked. "What's a circus?"

"You don't know what a circus is?" Kohri said, mouth wide.

"Don't you have circuses where you're from?" Rosalba asked.

Etsuo glanced back and forth between his confused companion and the others. He sighed and walked over to the princess and put a hand on her shoulders. He grinned. "No, we don't have any back home."

Hyosetsu swung his sword, nearly cutting off Etsuo's arm. "Back off." He turned toward Rosa. "And you. Have some sense of self-preservation. Do not simply allow anyone to approach you. You might not be the firstborn, but you are still a princess. I do not believe I need to tell you what that entails, do I?"

Rosa lowered her head in shame. "No, you do not," she said in a whisper.

Roa glanced at his partner, who simply smiled.

"Hmm, while I don't trust them, they speak the truth," Kohri said, looking into the pair's eyes.

Roa gasped. "You can tell? Are you some kind of lie detective?"

Kohri grinned. "Lie detective? First time hearing it phrased that way. Usually, one calls me a living lie detector. But I do have a sixth sense for distinguishing truth and lies. And you two were lying earlier about being travelers."

Roa stepped back. "What the?"

Etsuo sighed. "You got us. We are here on an errand given to us by our grandfather."

"Errand?" Hyosetsu said, inching toward the two. "You expect us to believe that?"

Kohri tilted his head. "Uh, it seems he's telling the truth this time. Though it's a rather odd way to phrase a 'mission'."

Roa grinned. "I guess you can say that. 'Mission' is a far better descriptor."

"So much for everything about me being top tier," Etsuo said, snickering.

The raven-haired youth patted his partner's back. "I guess you could say that. Your word choice could use some work."

Etsuo sighed. "I expected you to comfort me."

"What a strange pair," Rosa muttered, snickering.

Roa's face reddened. "You're the weird one!" He put his hands over his face and shook his head. "Can't believe that we were just called strange by a weirdo!"

Etsuo patted his back. "We are rather weird, everyone is to some extent."

"I guess," Roa said, glancing up.

Miyuki giggled. "My niece seems to be correct. Now, come this way. I will escort you back, lest my guards suspect of you."

"Thankyou so much," Etsuo said, bowing.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter ^_^. Who do you think the boy that Rosalba recalled was?**