Roa stepped back as the light from Reno's angel tool filled the cavern. The sheer light itself already told him that the kid had more power than he had anticipated.

"You alright?" Reno asked, chuckling as he swung the katana in his hands over his shoulders.

His sister blinked. "Reno, how about next time you give some prior warning, huh? At least when we're inside a freaking cavern with bad lighting!"

Reno eyed Rosalba, who was rubbing her eyes and smirked. "Lucky me," he muttered as she dashed forward.

Roa stepped in front of Rosa even though his eyes hadn't recovered from the light grenade either.

"Out of my way!" Reno slashed Roa's arm, causing dark red blood to splash in all directions.

The young rebel grinned as he lowered his eyes to his katana. His smirk soon vanished, replaced by agape mouth. The dark red 'blood' that had poured out of Roa's side had morphed into tendrils.

"What in the world?" Reno asked as he swung his sword. The strange liquid wouldn't come off. In fact, it was more of a gelatinous solid than a liquid.

The golden-eyed, raven-haired boy chuckled as Reno desperately tried to the sword out of the ruby tendrils. He wouldn't let him escape. The root-like tendrils advanced slowly, almost mockingly so, toward the golden and red hilt of the sword.

"Wh-what are you?" Reno asked, his voice shaking with hints of fear.

"Huh?" Rosa said, still unable to see.

"I am an angel, like yourselves—one with powers greater than most, but an angel nonetheless. Now, how about you stop cowering? Or was that light show all you have to offer? It rose my expectations, but it seems that I was mistaken. Or do you have something else to offer?"

Reno gritted his teeth as he regained his composure. "Roar, Alabaster!" Red flames rose from the hilt of the blade and made their way toward the tip, burning away the shadows as if they were paper. Roa let go of the sword edge and stepped back.

"Get behind me, Princess!" the dark-haired teen yelled as he brandished his bronze sword.

Rosa rubbed her eyes again and stepped back and put a hand against the wall. "Oh, hear my call and shield us!" she chanted, causing the tunnel to tremble.

Despite his still blurry vision, Roa could make out the outline of a wall where there wasn't one before. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"We can't waste our time here," Rosa said, turning around. "We need to find an alternate way to where the rebel leader is."

Roa sighed. "You really are more trouble than you're worth. Don't you think it's risky to even be here? They are after you."

Rosa's lips quivered as she ran her hand through the cavern walls to guide her as her vision recovered. "True, it is risky. However, I cannot sit by while someone needs my help. I am one of the Seven-Hill Knights after all. I have a duty to protect the people."

"Isn't it the fault of your predecessors that this is all going on?" Roa asked as he sheathed his sword and followed after her.

She blinked as she tried to see if her eyesight had returned to normal. Things were still hazy, but luckily the earth mana of the cavern was guiding her. "It appears so, though I have no idea what my mother and her generation did to anger these people. Neither Father nor the history books had spoken about anything like this. It feels strange to be in the dark like this."

Roa scoffed. "It appears this part of Zionia has a dark history. So much for this world being 'heaven'."

Rosa smiled slightly. "This isn't heaven, yet it isn't hell either. The real heaven lies elsewhere. As for claiming it's all of Zionia, it's not. This is actually the most violent continent and nation in the entire realm. However, it pales in comparison to your home universe, does it not?"

"I would say it's about the same as here," Roa said, putting his hands behind his head. "It seems that violence is more multi-universal than I expected."

"I'm surprised to hear you speak like that. Truth be told, I thought you were somewhat of a blood knight."

Roa put down his hands and pouted as they turned right into the central cavern. "I much rather fight for sport than to kill. That's not to say that I'm not able to take a life if I must."

The princess smiled. "That reminds me of what Tetsuya said the other day. Defend life, but be ready to kill if necessary. Now, what does 'necessary' entail? Those boundaries aren't so easy to establish."

Roa nodded somberly. "I agree..."

"Really?"

"Come back here, you coward! Fight me like a man!" a voice roared behind them. The two spun around and saw Reno charging at Roa with a two-foot flaming katana. He swung his sword, unleashing a wave of flames that melted the stone it touched.

Rosa stepped back and touched the unmelted wall on her side. "Oh—"

"Hold it," Roa said, raising a hand while he blocked the flames with his left one. "I'll take him on. Running away will only delay them."

Rosa gasped as she noticed that it was only Reno. "Say, where is the red-haired girl he was with earlier?" She turned toward the left and raised a wall there.

"Trapping yourselves in? Now that saves me the trouble," Reno said. He laughed and swung his katana wildly. The rock between himself and the other two started to resemble melted cheese.

Rosa pushed the rock wall back, giving Roa and her more space. She had to do something about the heat. Suddenly she stopped as a whip of flame ruptured her wall.

"Come and play, little princess," Suzuki said, grinning from the other side of the crumbling wall.

"Crud, she made it around quicker than expected," Roa said, looking back. He turned his eyes toward the path beyond where Suzuki stood. "Hey, princess, think that you can make a path for us? Or push that girl away at the very least?"

Rosa summoned a simple silver sword from her hyperspace ring and pointed it at Suzuki. "Sure!" Rocks gathered around the blade of the sword, encasing it entirely. The stones merged with the metal. In the princess's hands was a crystal sword.

"So, you can merge earth and metal mana. You're more skilled than our mother made you out to be," Suzuki said, surprised. "But why aren't you using your Seven Hill Angel tool? Are you underestimating us?"

The princess shook her head as she charged forward. "No, not at all." She struck the whip-sword with an upright swing, sending it flying out of Suzuki's grip. The rebel watched as the sword stuck to the ceiling. 

Rosa dashed forward and pointed the tip of her crystal sword against the red-haired woman's neck. "Now, give back Hideo's brother unless if you want to die!"

Reno stopped his onslaught of flames, watching as the princess held his sister at knifepoint when it should've been the reverse.

Suzuki chuckled. "Well, this is going to be more fun than I expected."

Rosa shrieked as something hot touched her right leg. She gasped as she realized that the hilt of the whip sword had descended from the ceiling. The weapon was curling around her leg like a snake.

'Such remote control over her weapon. I haven't see anyone whose able to move their weapon like this. The closest I've seen is Kohri moving his weapon around when he fought Hyosetsu,' the princess thought.

"You're mine now, princess," Suzuki said, grinning.

Rosa covered her leg in stone to shield herself, though she knew it would only slow things down.

"Damn it! How could you have allowed yourself to get caught?" Roa yelled, sending a wave of darkness at Suzuki, sending her flying away.

"Look out!" Rosa yelled as she used stone hands to pull away the sword. She formed a wall in behind Roa, but it rapidly melted. The raven-haired teen turned around and blocked Reno's sword with his bare left arm in time. The flames burned his skin away, but Roa didn't even wince from the pain.

"You'll pay for hurting my big sis!" Reno yelled as the intensity of his flames grew larger. The once red flames were now burning blue.

Roa snickered. "You left yourself wide open." He slammed the blunt part of his blade against Reno's side, knocking the teen into the black cavern wall.

"Roa," Rosalba said as she stared at her protector in awe. His arm and entire body were healing rapidly.

"Honestly, you worry too much," Roa said, closing his eyes. He stared at her leg, which strangely had started to heal on its own. "Seems you have regeneration capabilities of your own."

Rosa stared at her leg. To her shock, the burn marks were all gone. "What in the world?"

"Hmm, is this not normal for you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Uh, no!" Rosa said. "Then again, I have never gotten hurt to this extent, except for that one time I—" She bit her lip.

"You what?"

"T-the time that I jumped out of the car to save Bear-Woof."

"Wait, you jumped out of one of those machines to save your stuffed animal?"

Rosa blushed. "Uh, now isn't the time to talk about this." She stared at the direction Suzuki was sent flying. "Roa, tie this guy up. I'll go take care of his sister!"

"You bastards think we'll be trounced?" Reno asked, standing up. "Well, you are certainly mistaken! Alabaster!"

Rosa let out a scream as something erupted from the ground and grabbed her. Staring at her was a red-eyed, green bodied being without legs.

"A djinn?" Rosa said, eyes wide as she struggled to free itself from its giant hand. 

'Djinn' were the hardest angels to control. It was said that they were the first beings to enjoy free-will. However, they were virtually untamable. Anyone who came in possession with an angel weapon bearing a djinn would usually die before they even realized it. There were a couple who could withstand holding one for mere minutes, but they quickly realized it was futile to hold on to one. Less than one out of every three million could indefinitely carry a weapon containing a djinn. An even smaller number could summon said djinn.

"So, you had a trick up your sleeve, huh?" Roa said, grinning.

Reno smiled through the pain as he leaned against the cavern wall. "Yes, but calling this guy forth like this isn't something I would've liked to do. Alas, you pushed me this far."

"Run, Roa! I can free myself!" she yelled as crystal spikes erupted from her sword. Though they did nothing against the gaseous-like hands of the djinn.

The other arm of the djinn swooped from the ground like smoke.

"What in the world?" Roa said as he jumped out of its way. The hand smacked the ceiling, sending a cloud of debris raining down over the three of them.

"This guy is going to bury himself," Roa said, shocked as he stared at the panting Reno.

"I fight for my homeland," Reno said, pressing the back of his head against the wall. "Even if I must die to achieve it."

Roa smiled. "You're such an inspiration. Sadly, we couldn't be allies." Large black wings erupted from his back, sending even more dust into the air.

Reno and Rosa both coughed as they breathed in the dust.

"Alabaster, take the princess away!" Reno shouted as he raised his head from the wall. "I'll fight Roa!"

"Reno, you truly are a man among men," the djinn said, closing its eyes. "It was a pleasure to call you my master. However, this time I must disobey! If you die then I'll have no one to summon me left." The djinn lurched forward and reached for Roa, but the young man's wings wouldn't budge.

"You're no match for him, not with the strength I have to offer you!" Reno shouted. "This guy is a monster! He's at the level of the younger Seven Hills!"

Rosa gasped but then shook her head. "No, I shouldn't be surprised to hear that. No one would look at Hyosetsu and Hideo's battle and think they could take either one of them on if he weren't strong to hold his own."

Roa grinned widely. "Let go, Alabaster!"

The djinn threw the princess at him. Rosa grunted and spun around before she could slam into Roa. A glob of dirt rose around her, softening her landing. Pain rained up the leg that Suzuki had burned. She dropped to one knee and winced.

Roa gasped as a green smoke-like hand came at him from the front. He pushed against the giant fist with both of his hands. "Damn it! Why couldn't you just take the princess?"

"Roa," Rosa said, leering at him. She glanced at Reno. Maybe if I capture him... No, that would draw the djinn's attention back to me.

The djinn's fist turned gaseous again, slamming through Roa like a violent gust.

Roa coughed out dark blood as he struck the floor.

"I'll crush you like the insect you are, Kuroriku!" the being roared as it raised its fist. Its voice alone caused more debris to fill the cavern. 

Roa jumped out of the way of the fist. He watched as multiple cracks spread throughout the cavern. At the rate things were going, the entire system of caves could collapse at any moment.

"Yes, I'm a Kuroriku, but I have nothing to do with whatever grudge you have against the monarchy! I am not even a royal!" Roa said as held out his right palm. He formed a sphere of darkness.

"Silence, it matters not if you are one. Whoever dares to hurt Reno shall perish by my hands and my hands alone! That's my job as his guardian angel!"

"So? I won't fall here. I, too, have a homeland to protect!" The shadow orb expanded to the size of a basketball but then contracted anew to the size of a marble.

"A homeland to protect? I didn't figure any Kurorikuian would feel so strongly about his homeland," Reno said, glancing at Roa. "Yet, you know not what my people have suffered under yours. Your will is weaker than our own!"

"I am not fighting for Kuroriku!" Roa yelled as he dodged another punch from Alabaster. "This land is not my home! Nor, do I consider these my people!" Tendrils of darkness shot out of his wings, ripping the djinn's left arm into shreds.

Reno's eyes widened.

'What kind of attack was that?' the princess wondered.

"Duck!" Roa yelled.

Rosa dropped to the floor and raised the ground around her.

Roa thrust his right hand forward and unleashed his sphere, blowing the djinn away and widening the side of the cavern entrance.

"How can this be?" Reno said, gripping his necklace. "How could Alabaster lose to some guy without an angel tool?"

Roa walked over to him and poked his forehead lightly. "Your djinn and you did well, kid. Unfortunately, you had to go up against me."

Reno slapped his hand away and rubbed his forehead. "How- how can you be so friendly? I tried to kill you!"

The black-haired teen chuckled as he turned around. "While we aren't allies, you aren't exactly my enemy either. Your rage burns hot. While I disagree with your ways, I think fighting for your people to be pretty dang cool."

Reno's face reddened. "Cool, huh?" the redhead whispered to himself. He smiled and closed his eyes. "You're pretty awesome too, Roa. I would love to fight you again..."

Roa nodded. "Sure, kid. We can arrange that."

Reno chuckled. "Next time I'll wipe that smile off your face and make you drop that 'kid' moniker. Then you'll see me as a man!"

Roa restrained himself from letting out a belly laugh. If he did, he could cause the entire cave to fall. "You sure are an entertaining one." He fell to his knees as he made his way to Rosa, who laid on the ground. She seemed to be in pain.

"Rosa, go back and ask for help," Roa said, closing his eyes as his head hit the floor.

"Roa!" Rosa yelled. She stared at the leg that Suzuki had burned. It still ached from the bad landing earlier. Luckily, it was healing on its own, but not fast enough as she heard footsteps behind her.

"Seems my brother lost, at least he took that bodyguard of yours down with him," a voice echoed.

The princess gulped and didn't dare to look back. She knew that it was Suzuki.

"Like that bodyguard of yours said, you truly are more trouble than you're worth. Now, how about I fix that leg for you?"

Rosa slammed her hands on the ground with all her might. "I do not plan on going with you without a fight!" Several walls of earth formed behind her.

"The same old trick again, eh? Do you not know anything else?" Suzuki asked.

Rosa felt like screaming as an intense heat hit her back.  Her walls of stone were being reduced to lava. My earth attacks are useless. What do I do now? Maybe if I use ice. No, my ice attacks are too weak.

"Good night, princess!" the red-haired woman said in a low and sinister voice.

"I won't let you," a voice yelled out.

Rosa looked over her shoulder. 'Tetsuya?' 

The melting earth wall slumped to reveal a tall, dark-skinned young man standing behind her with his right arm held out in front of her. Sweat and tears were dripping down her face. 

"What are you doing here? Run!" Rosa yelled.

Tetsuya gripped the sword-whip's tip with his bare hand. "You are a naïve girl. What kind of man would I be if I abandoned the one who gave me the chance to follow my childhood dream?" He yanked the sword, causing Suzuki to nearly stumble.

"How unexpected, seems these caverns are getting overtaken by annoying gadflies. Time to reduce you all to cinders!" Suzuki yelled.

Tetsuya grinned. "Oh? Just try me, redhead!"

Orange flames appeared on the golden hilt of her whip sword. "That young man from before might've withstood my brother's flames, but you certainly won't be able to do so with mine!"

Tetsuya threw the tip of the whip sword toward his left before the flames could engulf the entire blade. He cupped his hands together and formed a sphere of darkness in his hands, just like the one Roa had created. "Watch closely, Princess. You're about to witness the rise of a new legend!"

Suzuki scoffed as she swung her weapon once more. "A legend who failed to protect his princess!"

Tetsuya threw his sphere of darkness at the sword, but the blade-whip swerved on its own. He reached his right arm for it, but at the speed it was moving and his distance, there was no way he could stop it.

**Solar Note: Thanks so much for reading :). I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, if so then click on that star to show your love <3! So, what did you think of Roa vs. Reno? How about Tetsuya vs. Suzuki? Think that he'll be able to protect his princess?**