**Previously, on RoaGA: Rosa has distributed the third (Agnes to Tetsuya) and fourth (Baldo to Hyosetsu) weapons with the help of her fellow Seven-Hill Knights; Serrano, Miyuki, and Kohri. Now, all that that is left is to locate the owner of the final tool, Donato. After checking up on Tetsuya's progress with Agnes, she heads to the eastern province of the kingdom to assist her fellow Seven-Hill Knight, Eiji. The two are to identify who this final knight will be.

When she arrives in the eastern frontier, she finds the uneasy peace the region had enjoyed for the past two and a half decades uprooted as rebels attack in the hopes of kidnapping her. While she fends them off, the second son of the duke of the land is kidnapped by a mysterious robed rebel. The older brother of the boy runs on ahead of the princess and Roa (one half of the mysterious pair of boys she met in the northern province while observing Hyosetsu and Kohri battle) in an attempt to rescue his brother.**

***

Hideo slashed the overgrowth of the forest with a black scimitar as he frantically searched for any sign of the rebels' hiding spot. "No footprints, nor feathers," he said, putting a hand against the soil. The only footprints were those of deer. If only Dan and he could have hunted in peace, the two would probably be heading home with a week's worth of deer meat.

He shook his head.

Now is no time to think of what could've been. I need to save Dan! Wait for me, Dante, I'll rescue you!

The teen ran further into the forest. He stopped as he came upon the sound of a waterfall.

Could they be hiding there? I've seen it a lot in video games, and even in the anime that Dan watches, but would they seriously go for such a cliché place?

He peered over a pair of eight-foot-tall ferns and saw water glistening in the sunlight, which managed to penetrate into the dense forest. The river cut through the woods like a giant earthworm as it flowed down toward his hometown.

"Hideo?" a voice called out from behind him.

He spun around and saw a green-eyed, white-haired man dressed in black hood-less robes with a black and red cape. Around his neck were two golden necklaces and one made up of tiny red crystals.

"Dad!" Hideo shouted. The teen cupped his hands over his mouth. As if on cue, arrows rained down on both of them from the opposite side of the river.

Hideo's father removed his cape and swung it over the arrows, causing them to bounce back in the direction they had come from. He draped the mantle over his son and himself to use as a shield.

Hideo stared at the red veil and smiled. It was one of the few angel tools that he knew of that didn't transform into a weapon. Such angel tools tended to be clothing articles. Because of that, they were given the moniker of 'Sacred Clothing'. Despite being unusual, they were as strong as any weapon. He wished that he could get one for himself one day.

The boy smiled and hugged the man. "Dad, I'm so glad you're here!"

The father smiled. "It's alright now, Hide. I'm here." He gasped. "Wait, where's Dan? Your mother called me to check up on the two of you after hearing that loud explosion from earlier. Kiara came running back home and told her you two came hunting here." His eyes widened. "Wait, don't tell me that Dan was—"

Hideo shook his head vehemently. "No, but he was kidnapped. I suspect that those guys who shot at us are behind it.

The duke placed his hands on his oldest son's shoulders. "I see, stay here, I'll go fetch your brother."

"Wait, dad!" Hideo yelled. "It's too dangerous! They're still launching arrows at us!"

His father smiled as he lifted his red cape to get a glimpse of the situation. "Who do you think you're talking to?" he asked as he snickered light-heartedly. "Now close your eyes." He grabbed his upper golden chain necklace, filling the inside of the mantle with a brilliant light.

When Hideo opened his eyes, he saw that his father was gone.

"You may come out now," his father called out.

Hideo peered out of the cape and blinked. Broken wooden arrows with leaves instead of feathers littered the forest floor. Standing near a pile of unconscious men was his father.

The duke turned around and smiled at his son. In his hands was a wooden staff with rings on top forming what looked like a sun.

"Done cleaning up here," Hideo's dad said.

Hideo smiled at the sight. "I do not think that I will ever get used to your time powers."

His father stepped forward. "Even I have a hard time getting accustomed to them after all these years. Go back home and wait for me to return with your brother."

Hideo narrowed his eyes at his father and ran forward and glanced at his face. He was bleeding a bit from his mouth. His mother once told him that while his father's temporal ability was powerful, it came with a high cost. "Dad, do not go alone. I am old enough to join the military now, I can help!"

Hideo's father licked the blood spilling from the side of his mouth and sighed. "I had a feeling you would say that. You were always overprotective of Dan. I have to wonder how he managed to get kidnapped."

Hideo flinched at the remark. "I was... someone swooped in like a shadow. I was about to shoot at them, but they transformed into a raven and flew off. A strange man called Kuroshi said he was taken here."

"Kuroshi? You mean an angel of death did?"

"I don't think he was one. Though he did know where Dan was..."

"Damn!" Hideo's father ran for the waterfall.

Hideo followed after his father as an unsettling sensation seemed to cover the entire forest.

Please, Heavenly Sky Father, Earth Mother. Please, tell me that man wasn't an angel of death, that Dan is still alive.

***

[Rebel Central]

A robed figure stared intently at the young boy seated on a throne of stone. She grimaced as she continued to stare at the teen's face. Something about him reminded her of the brother she once had.

"Poor boy. Unfortunately, it is your fate to become the sacrifice for our revival," she said, stepping back. "Those cursed Seven-Hill Knights will soon descend upon us if we capture that princess. I'm certain after seeing that girl in action that it won't be too hard to do so."

"Drawing them toward us is an ineffective idea," said a teenage girl dressed in a red leather coat and black jeans. She was busy peeling apples with her knife. She was but one of three sitting in the far corners of the room, taking up the lower-left corner.

The figure raised its right arm up, showing off a jasper clock. "We won't be defenseless. After all, I have one of the Seven-Flame weapons, comparable to those of the Seven-Hills."

"If only it were one monster we were facing," said a red-eyed teen as he nibbled on one of the peeled apples. He swept his long red locks back with his free hand and sighed. "Currently, the master of this land is heading here to rescue that boy. His power is said to be comparable to that of the older Seven-Hill Knights. Speaking about them, one of those senior knights has been snooping around. He is one of the veterans who took down your father."

The figure glanced at the watch once more. The angel tool had belonged to the rebel's father.

The cloaked figure removed their hood, allowing long locks of green hair to fall over its shoulders. The rebel was a woman who looked no older than twenty.

"I have an ace up my sleeve for that Seven-Hill." Her pink eyes turned toward the slumbering Dan. "As for the master of these lands, we got this boy here. Now, I am sure that either one of you two can deal with the princess herself."

The boy scoffed as he spat out apple seeds into a corner of the dimly lit cavern. "Of course. Though I was looking forward to going up against Serrano."

"Serrano?" the girl peeling apples asked.

The boy nodded. "Yup! I hear he is the strongest of his generation, a true genius! Not to mention, he's the nephew of Tekeshi!"

The air around the leader grew warmer, drawing the attention of the other two. "If that guy decides to show up, I'll personally take care of him. I will shatter his Aventine into a million pieces," the woman said, green flames dancing around her.

"Hmm, it appears that the master is here," the red-haired girl said as she put down her knife on a stone table. She bit down on the apple in her hand and headed for the door. "Lend me the boy, I will take care of him."

The robed woman nodded and put a hand over Dan's eyes. Dan's body had begun to stir. "Awaken child, the heroes you so love are here. Now, how about you go with Suzuki? She will lead you to them."

Dan nodded lazily.

The rebel leader grinned as she extended a hand to him. "We are about to witness a heartwarming reunion," she said as she led him to Suzuki. "Please be sure to tell us all the details once you return, Suzu."

Suzuki took Dan's hand. "Stop it, your smile is creeping me out. And how many times must I tell you not to call me 'Suzu'? I'm not a child anymore!"

"Yeah, Zaki. She already an adult," a voice called out. Remaining seated in the upper far-left corner of the square rock chamber was a green-haired man who seemed to resemble a pirate more than a rebel.

Zaki laughed. "Sorry, I can't help it. The day we were all looking forward to is finally drawing near. If we manage to capture the second princess, then we should have leverage over her father to leave these lands. As for me calling her Suzu, she's still my little girl."

Suzuki smiled slightly and shrugged. "Well, save the joy for after we've destroyed them, Mom. Best not to jump the gun on these monsters."

"If only Emon were here," said the red-haired boy, sighing.

Suzuki nodded. "Yeah."

"You know your younger brother's destiny is different than our own," Zaki said, looking up at the rocky ceiling.

"I know. I sorta envy Emon for it. Though at the same time, I don't. Well, I'm off, wish me luck!" Suzuki said, leading the dizzy Dan out of the chamber.

Zaki and the teenage boy watched as Suzuki and Dan vanished into the darkness of the cavern.

"Well, I am going to go capture that princess!" the boy said as he crushed the apple pit in his hands.

Zaki smiled as she walked to the stone throne that Dan had sat in. "I look forward to your return, Reno," she said as she took a seat. "But be wary of that veteran Seven-Hill. If you come across him, get out of there as fast as possible. Only I stand a chance against him."

Reno sighed as he stopped by the entrance. "Yeah, yeah. I know, Mom! Well, I better hurry up and capture the princess before that Seven-Hills arrives."

Zaki sighed as Reno vanished into the darkness.

"Having concerns about using those two for this task?" asked the green-haired man.

She glanced over her right shoulder and walked over to the man and embraced him. "Yes, but it must be done," she said, pressing her head against his chest. "We need the help of those two if we seek to accomplish our goal for independence. The wind of these lands will be purified for their generation and many more to come once we have shaken off the yoke of Kurorikuian domination."

***

[Cavern- Central Path]

"How much more until we get there?" Hideo's father asked as they paused.

Hideo opened his eyes and removed his hand from the right cavern wall. "I sense my brother, he's with someone else. Both of them are heading this way."

Hideo's father gasped. "This way? Are they trying to flee? Wait, there are two other paths, right? Perhaps they plan to take one of those... If so, we need to go back and wait for them."

"No need to," Hideo said, keeping his eyes forward. "They're heading straight here."

His father narrowed his eyes and tossed his staff into the darkness. A loud clang echoed from the other side. "It seems you were right."

"My, my. Look at you, attacking a girl without even talking to her. For a duke, you are surely rash and ungracious," a young woman in a red bodysuit said, emerging from the darkness with Dan in tow.

"Dan!" Hideo yelled. He ran toward his brother but stopped as he realized his ruby eyes seemed blank. "What, what did you do to him?"

The girl sighed. "Our leader took his soul. Alas, you two will not be recovering it, unless you surrender."

"Surrender?" Hideo's dad said as his staff levitated from the floor. The weapon lurched toward the girl's back. Unfortunately, the girl ducked and kicked the golden staff back.

"Nice try, but you should give up already. If you defeat me here, our leader will crush his soul into tiny fragments. If she does, he will remain an empty husk for the rest of his life."

Hideo gripped his bow tightly as gusts of wind blew around him. "Y-you monsters! How dare you... How dare use Dan as bait? I'm going to kill every single damn one of you!" He raised his hand, ready to unleash the wind on her.

Suzuki chuckled and wagged her finger at him. "Nope, that won't do. My boss will surely crush his soul before you can even hope to get to her. Not that defeating her will necessarily free the poor boy." She eyed the soulless Dan. "Now, how about we get to talking about our terms?"

Hideo's father took a single step forward. "So you DON'T have a way to communicate if we resist, hmm? Only if you die..." He smiled. "So, you just have to stay awake."

Suzuki bit her lip and sighed. "You're as wise as they say, but I don't plan to lose here!"Her eyes widened as he appeared behind her, with staff in tow.

"Time, stop!" the dominus said with his staff raised.

The young woman chuckled as she spun around, kicking him into the wall. She snickered as she stared at the baffled look he was giving her. "Should've physically attacked me. Sorry, but unlike with my colleagues, your staff's temporal effects are unless against me."

"What?" Hideo's father asked as he jumped aside, dodging another kick from her.

She turned and flung her body forward. "My angel tool protects me against temporal attacks, that is why I was sent here to fight you. My leader and I are the best counters."

The man stared at the frozen Hideo and Dan and unpaused time. "Damn it... You rebels went too far this time..." He lowered his head as his anger bubbled internally. No matter what he tried, there was no way to defeat them without risking his child's life. If only he had a weapon which dealt with souls...

Wait, a weapon that impacts souls. That's it! If the princess is here then—

"What? What are you plotting?" Suzuki asked, stepping back.

Hideo's dad grinned. Should I drop a hint? Well, it won't hurt to make them worry a little. It might throw them into disarray.

"I thought of something, there is a way to reclaim Dan!"

Suzuki gasped. "There is?"

The man grinned widely. "Hideo, distract this girl. I am heading to the entrance to guard the exit. We can't give their leader a chance to escape. Once the one with the key to reclaiming Dan arrives, we will have won."

"Key?" Suzuki asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're bluffing, aren't you?"

"Hahaha. I do not bluff, young lady." With those words, the duke rushed off in the direction he and Hideo had come from.

"I won't let you escape!" Suzuki yelled, gathering flames into the palms of her hands.

Hideo raised his bow in front of her. "Hey, what are you doing? Your opponent is me."

Suzuki narrowed her red eyes and growled. "You annoying pest. I have no interest in fighting you! Dan, attack him!"

"Huh?" Hideo said, glancing over the girl's shoulder. A speck of life appeared in Dan's eyes, but it wasn't normal. Instead, it was dark and twisted.

"Yes, mistress," Dan said, charging forward. Hideo watched as his brother's nails transformed into tar-colored claws.

The rebels were turning his beloved brother into a demon!

***Character Section***

Hideaki Makkuroyama- Age: ? Sex: Male Likes: His wife, Deer meat Dislikes: Those who disrupt the peace. Titles: He who is like a Seven-Hill, Duke of the East, Heir of the fallen/snipped branch

Reno - Age: 17 Sex: Male Likes: Fish, Motorcycles Dislikes: The Kurorikuian Monarchy Titles: The Rebel of Flame

Suzuki - Age: 20 Sex: Female Likes: Apples, Strong Opponents Dislikes: Boring Stuff Titles: Flame Oni

Zaki- Sex: Female Age: ? Likes: Nature, spending quality time with Lorenzo and the kids, Revenge Dislikes: The Kurorikuian Monarchy, Surrender Titles: Seven-Flame Knight: The Verdant Flame, The Voice of the Forest, Princess of Wind

Lorenzo - Sex: Male Age: ? Likes: Zaki, His kids, Talking to animals and plants Dislikes: Those who would abuse nature, those who hurt his family, the monarchy Titles: Pirate of the Forest, Prince of the Forest, He who Speaks with the Forest

**Solar Note: Hope that you all enjoyed this chapter :3. Also hope that you folks don't mind the brief summary of what has happened thus far ^^. I don't plan to do them too often, but they can be helpful for readers who have taken a long break from reading :). So, what did you folks think of the rebel family? Do you think that they'll be able to rescue Dan's soul or be forced to give into their demands?**