Tetsuya could feel his cousin's gaze on him as he covered his golden eyes with his right arm.

"You're going to crash if you don't look," Serrano said in a stern yet gentle tone.

The brunette young man removed his arm from his eyes, whose whites had turned red. Why did the meeting have to fall on the day of his father's death? It wasn't like the king had no idea, considering he knew his father.

Couldn't the king have changed it? A one-day delay wasn't going to cause issues, was it?

The two descended as they reached the gates to the imperial stronghold. It towered above all the other structures around it. The skyscrapers themselves, which already threatened to pierce the sky, struggled against its enormity. Even still, the doors of the building itself were a mile away, separated from where he was by orange and purple gardens. Seeing the sight washed some of his sorrows away.

"Surprised?" Serrano asked, chuckling. "I was too. I mean, it already looks enormous from afar, but when you're up close, you start to wonder if this was even made by people."

Tetsuya nodded. "All of this wealth, it's amazing."

Did Papa feel the same way when he came here? Dad, are you proud of me? I know it took a while, but as I showed you at your tomb, I can now use an angel tool. Though I wish that the one in my possession had been Aventine. Or one you made, after all, you did promise to make me one just like Taku's.

Serrano patted Tetsuya's back. "Cheer up, buddy. Like Kuroshi told Tere, uncle Tekeshi would be sad to see you like this."

Tetsuya nodded.

I got to try my best for my dad's sake. I am part of his legacy. If I don't reasonably present myself, I'll dishonor his good name.

Serrano tapped his cousin's head lightly and chuckled. "Let's go in. Wait until you see the inside, it's as amazing as all this."

Tetsuya followed after him, but two lances slid down in front of the gate. Serrano turned around briefly but didn't seem especially alarmed as he continued on his way.

"What purpose do you have here?" one of the guards asked as she pointed her golden lance at him.

Tetsuya showed her the letter that Rosa had sent him and the bracelet on his right hand. "I was called here," he answered, flashing her a smile.

She snatched the note and skimmed through it. "Seems authentic but just to make sure..." She gave him back the letter. "Hold it, and don't get scared." She backed away from him and struck the seal on the note with her lance. An orange barrier manifested as the tip of the weapon came within an inch of the letter. "Wow, so it was real...um, I mean, go on ahead."

Tetsuya sighed as nervousness washed over him. It felt the way he did during his first day of school back when he was a kid.

He ran through the garden, paying little attention to the thousands of species found throughout it. It wasn't until he came upon a familiar smell that he stopped. Just a few feet from the front gates of the palace was a small field of lavender.

The young man choked back a cry as the scent of the flowers brought back a faint memory. He shook his head and averted his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and pushed open the palace gates adorned in gold leaf.

Tetsuya gasped as soon as he was on the other side of the doors. His cousin was right. The inside of the palace was just as impressive as the outside. Various white marble statues posing as if they were models were displayed throughout the expansive room. It reminded him of a museum he'd once visited with his family. Except, the quality of the palace statues was greater than anything he had seen on display there.

The interior castle walls were black marble. The floor was purple marble except for the central lobby, which contained a mosaic made up of different materials he couldn't even begin to name. The brilliance of the colors of this part of the floor was like that of jewels. He wouldn't be surprised if it was made out of actual gems considering the wealth of the monarchy.

Tetsuya ran up the flight of stairs to his right to catch a better glimpse at what the image on the mosaic was supposed to be. His eyes widened at the sight as he stood at the rails between the twin staircases. The mosaic was of two angels, a female with brown hair and orange eyes and a male with black hair and purple eyes.

Something about the male angel reminded him of his own family. He was the same angel as the one in the book he had shown Yuko weeks ago.

He still wasn't sure if it was true, but in his family, there was a story about how they descended directly from the Angel of Darkness. The only possible proof of that was his last name and the rosary he kept hidden from view under his white t-shirt.

His mother once told him that a day would come in which one would appear with the ability to transform the rosary into its sword form as their ancestor could. Unfortunately, he was not that child. The rosary had no response when he tried to change it. If the rosary were any other kind of angelic tool, he would've had a higher chance, not that he had much luck with those either... However, as it was one of the Seven Angel tools, only the chosen one could use it.

"Admiring our ancestor?" a voice called out, making Tetsuya jump. Somehow he had lost track of time admiring the image.

He turned around and saw that it was Serrano. He had changed into dark blue robes whose fabric shimmered in the light coming down from the chandeliers. Tetsuya's guessed that the clothes were made out of silk or something similar. Serrano's long navy blue hair was swept back, allowing one to see his ears. The right one had Aventine.

"Nice clothes. Where can I find a pair?" Tetsuya asked, laughing.

Serrano snickered. "I'll go find you something nice. We can't have you meeting the king like this."

Tetsuya nodded. This wasn't the first time that his cousin was going to meet the king. He had previously met him when he became one of the Seven Hills, and likely other countless times. Since Serrano inherited Aventine, Tetsuya hadn't expected that one day he would be serving a more significant role than his cousin.

"Do we even have enough time, though?" Tetsuya asked, giving him a curious look.

Serrano grinned and bowed his head. "Yeah, a maid just now told me they delayed the meeting by thirty minutes. It appears that the crown princess has yet to show up."

The muscular young man swung his hands behind his head. "Setsuko, huh? Rosa sure seemed to admire her. Wonder what kind of person she is."

"She's a-" Serrano started, but the sound of the front doors opening cut him off.

"What is a pleb doing here?" a voice rang across the large room. "Did the guards somehow fail at their job?" A blond-haired young man glanced up at them, his red eyes contained a mix of curiosity and mockery.

Who the heck did the guy think he was?

Tetsuya took a deep breath and flashed the golden letter in front of the young man's eyes, grinning. "I was invited by the king." Technically, the second princess, but it has the king's seal on it.

The youth scoffed and turned his head away. "I did not think that the clan leader would call upon a plebeian. I wonder if he called upon any more peasants."

Tetsuya attempted to shrug off his words. Most city folk that he'd met thus far were like him at first, pretentious and egotistical. Especially the wealthier ones.

Yet he couldn't help but glance down at his clothes; a pair of black jeans, a white shirt, and a black vest. They were the best clothes that he had for the occasion but compared to the snobby noble, he was dressed in rags. The noble had on a black, double-breasted, woolen trench coat along with matching black gloves. Actually, the rest of his outfit (black dress pants and dark brown slacks) fit the coat too.

"Don't mind him," Serrano said, smiling at Tetsuya before turning to look at the blonde. "Eiichi, treat Tetsuya well."

"Eiichi?" Tetsuya gasped. Then this is Eita's older brother.

Eiichi's eyes went back and forth between them. "Is this guy your relative?" He scoffed, raising his hands over his own head. "I forgot that you were a peasant yourself."

Serrano's eyes grew unusually cold. "So, what if did I grow up as a peasant? I am still me. If anything, I say that it made me a better person than I otherwise would be. If I'd been raised in wealth, I might've grown up to be like you."

The guy stepped back. "Woah! Way to talk to a friend."

"Right back at ya!" Serrano snapped.

Eiichi turned away. "You seem so lighthearted around this guy. It's almost as if you're a different person. So, which of the two Serranos is the real one? The stoic and reserved one, or the friendly and snarky one?"

Tetsuya glanced at his cousin, who remained as serious as a statue. "Both of them," Tetsuya responded, leaping over the golden rail.

Landing in a crouched position in front of the mosaic, he looked up at the noble. He quickly rose to his full height, towering over the six-foot-tall nobleman.

"And just so you know, I won't let you talk down to us."

Eiichi chuckled as he walked away. "My, my, such bold words from a bottom feeder. Don't let the doors knock you out on your way out, now will ya?"

Tetsuya curled his hands into fists. He wanted to run after the guy and deliver a good one to his face.

Instead, he took another deep breath and turned to look at his cousin. Was that guy really his friend?

"Hmm, that's odd. Where are the others?" Serrano said, glancing at the door. Suddenly, as if on cue, the door opened.

"How rude!" Teresa shouted as she nearly stumbled inside. "The king should really fire these people!"

"Well, the princess is talking to them right now," Anis said, sighing in relief. "We're lucky she came when she did."

Kuroshi sighed as he entered. "To think they mistook me as a rebel."

"Well, you do wear the same get-up as them," Anis said, pointing at his black cloak and mask. "Not to mention you give off a shifty aura."

The masked man scoffed. "As if! If you ask me, those two give off a shiftier aura than me!"

Anis put a hand over her face and shook her head at him. "You can't honestly have me believe that."

Teresa narrowed her eyes at them. "Is now really the time and place to argue?"

"Anyway, let's get going. Since they delayed the meeting a bit, we have enough time to get you changed," Serrano said, waving at his family plus Kuroshi.

Teresa's eyes widened as she took her first proper look at the interior of the castle. "Woah, this place is amazing! It's like that museum we went to with Pa and Ma!"

"Yeah, it really is like it," Kuroshi said, chuckling as they followed Serrano up the purple velvet stairs.

"You know the place I'm talking about?" Teresa asked, tilting her head at him.

"Yeah, it's the one at the southern province's capital. Tekeshi loved seeing the pyramids in that town."

Anis snickered. "Yeah, the guy was obsessed with tombs."

"Yeah, you know, you could've made him a nicer tomb than a simple tombstone," Kuroshi said, putting his hands on his hips.

Tetsuya raised a hand up to his chin and nodded. "In that case, I'll make him a better tomb once we return home. The best stone-based tomb that I possibly can!"

Teresa smiled slightly. "I'll help too. It's the least we can do after leaving him behind on this day."

"If he was here, he would say he's the luckiest guy in the world, to have children such as yourselves," Kuroshi said, adjusting his mask.

Serrano snorted. "He sure is," he said with a grin. The blue-haired Seven-Hill knight led them into a hallway wide enough for a bus to drive through with ample space remaining. He came to a stop in the third room. "Here's my room."

"What?" Tetsuya screamed, mouth agape.

"Ya live here in the palace?" Teresa asked, stepping back.

Serrano ruffled the hair on the back of his head and chuckled. "Yeah, since high school. Sorry for not having told you."

"Why? How? Is it because you're one of the Seven Hills? Wait, did Papa live here too at one point?" she continued, moving her hands frantically.

"I'll tell you later," Serrano said, glancing around. "I need to find someone to lend you two some clothes. Tetsuya, grab what you like from my dresser. I recommend something loose-fitting as the rest of my clothes might be a bit tight on you."

"No need for that," Kuroshi said, snapping his fingers. Suddenly the girls were wearing long flowing gowns. Teresa's was light pink with frilly sleeves making her hands look like roses while a ribbon with a single rose wrapped around her waist. Anis meanwhile wore a lavender gown with simple long sleeves that reached down to her knees.

"If you could do that, why didn't you say so earlier?" Tetsuya said, glancing down at his crimson coatee with golden dragon embroidery running down the front side. A pair of black trousers and military boots finished the look.

"Sorry, sort of got distracted," Kuroshi said, bonking his own head.

Anis rolled her eyes as she raised the skirt of her dress. "Don't try to hide behind your cute act," she said as she began to descend the stairs.

"Hey, wait up!" Kuroshi yelled. "Don't forget, we need to go elsewhere."

Tetsuya and his sister gave the two a judging look. "Where are ya two off to without us?" Teresa asked.

"It's nothing that concerns you," Kuroshi said, winking as he wrapped his right arm around Anis's left arm. "See ya!" The two vanished in a poof of smoke.

"That guy. If he could've done that, then why didn't he just teleport us to the castle grounds?" Tetsuya said as his right eye twitched.

Serrano sighed. "He's the definition of a troll. Anyway, let's hurry. Tere, be careful while walking with that dress, you might fall."

Teresa raised the skirt of her dress like how she had seen her mother do. "No need to worry, I might have been born in boondocks, but I can play the role of a refined girl," she said, chuckling like some cartoon rich girl.

"Ehhhh," the two boys said, giving her deadpan looks.

She moved her head to the side. "What's with that? Ya boys doubting me?" She held her head high and walked down the stairs slowly. Her feet swayed left and right with each step she took.

"Need help?" Serrano asked, standing next to her with his right arm stretched out for her.

"No," Teresa said, shaking her head even as she continued to move uneasily. After a while, she let out a sharp cry. "This would so much easier without these darn high-heels! Couldn't that player have given me some nice boots instead?"

Serrano tilted his head. "Come to think of it, how did he figure your sizes?"

That sent shivers down the siblings' spines. "G-good question," Teresa said.

Tetsuya crossed his arms over his chest and walked ahead of the two. "Perhaps, Mama told him. Though it could also be that his magic allows the clothes to fit automatically."

Teresa grinned. "Woah! I wanna learn how to do that!" Her smile faded slightly. "Eh, but then again, magic is impossible for us. We aren't mages."

"I heard that there are ways we angels can use magic, even if we lack Xelerian blood," Serrano said.

"Really?" Tetsu asked.

"Yeah, like-" The blue-haired knight paused.

As the three arrived on the first floor, the front doors opened anew. This time a dark brown-haired lanky girl wearing a white t-shirt and short shorts entered.

Teresa suddenly stopped and bowed. "Ya- Your Highness."

Tetsuya did a double-take. "This girl is a noble?" he blurted out.

Serrano chuckled and said, "Stand, Tere. Setty isn't the type who demands one bow to her."

Tetsuya did a triple take. After looking at her a third time, he noticed the resemblance between Rosa and this girl. "Setty? So this is Rosa's sister!"

Setsuko smiled brightly. "And you must be the famous Agnes Knight, Tetsuya, correct?"

The young man's face flushed. "F-famous?"

The crown princess nodded as she closed the golden gates behind her. "Aye, Rosa won't stop talking about her dashing and brave knight." She walked over to him and circled him. "Looking at you, I must agree on the dashing part."

Serrano elbowed Tetsuya. "Hey, hear that? The little princess doesn't stop talking about you," the blue-haired youth whispered. "Anyway, Setty here is one of your fellow knights."

Tetsuya gasped. "So even the heiress is a knight?"

Setsuko chuckled. She kneeled and touched the bracelet on her right leg. The item let out a brilliant glow, blinding the three of them. As the effect wore off, they began to make out a pair of spheres attached to a long chain.

"I am the Alma Knight," the first princess said, extending her left hand out. "I look forward to working with you, Tetsuya of the Agnes."

Tetsuya smiled and took her hand into his. "Likewise, Setsuko of the Alma."

"Come, let's get going!" his cousin called out, waving at them as he headed to the door between the twin set of stairs. "You already kept your father waiting long enough, princess!"

Setsuko winced upon hearing those last words and ran after him.

"She certainly is Rosa's sister," Tetsuya said, chuckling as he and Teresa followed after them to meet the king and the other knights.

**Character Section**

Official Artwork. Drawn by VGMart

Eiichi Kuroichi Raiyama- Sex: Male Age: 21 Birthday: October 31st Title: Heir of the Western Provinces, Bolt of Judgment, Heir of the Gods, Red-Eyed One

Reference art. Will replace with official art (already commissioned) later.

Setsuko Kuroriku- Sex: Female Age: 22 Birthday: March 12th Titles: Alma Knight, (Lone Female) Knight of Prophecy, First Princess of Kuroriku, Heiress to the Imperial Throne, Lioness, Warrior Princess, Wild One

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :3. What do you think of Eiichi and Setsuko? I know you barely saw much of them in this chapter, but you'll certainly see more of them in the upcoming ones :3**