Eiji watched as Eiichi flashed around the field. Like his previous match, his opponent couldn't keep up with the incredible speed. Hideo was forced to create a barrier of wind to slow down and stop Eiichi's lightning strikes, but the blonde knight ripped through it with ease.

Hideo let out a cry as Eiichi slashed him with Carlos' tip. He was crying tears of frustration at his inability to stop the vicious onslaught. Indeed his pride had to be as hurt as Tetsuya's.

"First that peasant with the shield and now you, what a sad excuse for knights you two are! This is why one shouldn't depend on the low born for help!" Eiichi yelled, a slasher smile on his face as he slammed Hideo in the back of the head, sending the small boy flying. Before Hideo could fall, the blonde appeared in front of him and slammed him again. The cycle repeated until Eiji couldn't stand it anymore.

"Stop your son!" Eiji yelled at his wife.

Eiko gave him a smirk. "Why should I? He has yet to finish off his opponent," the silver armored knight asked as she flipped her hair. "Plus, can't you see that he's putting those peasants in their place?"

Eiji sighed and held a hand out. Lightning suddenly sent Eiichi flying back. The blonde glanced up at his father, his eyes filled with anger.

"Again?" the Spear Knight snapped.

The Seven-Hill didn't respond to him. He knew that doing so would be useless. No matter how much he scolded him, his eldest child always did what he wanted. It didn't help that Eiko enabled him, but even when she wasn't there, their son still had to have his way. He always had to stop Eiichi by force from going too far. It haunted him to think that Eiichi could end up like him, to repeat the same mistakes which helped create Zaki's rebellion. Yet that same grin on Eiichi's face was so reminiscent to his during the war...

He watched as Hideo was carried away by some members of the one-hundred who had decided to help out. They were primary medics before soldiers.

Eiichi meanwhile stood in the center of the sandy battlefield with a triumphant gaze directed at Hyosetsu. "Come, please give me a challenge, uncrowned duke," the blonde said as the icy eyed knight stepped down.

"Call me that again, and I'll leave you in a worse state than you left your first two opponents," Hyosetsu said in a cold tone. The raven-haired knight grinned as he reached for the hilt of his sword, waiting on their cue to start.

"Begin!" Kuroshi yelled, waving his flag.

Hyosetsu drew his sword, but before he could completely do so, Eiichi raced past him several times. Yet, the raven-haired youth continued as if nothing and pulled out Baldo from its sheath.

"Your inability to fight seriously will be your downfall here!" Hyosetsu said as the temperature around him dropped to below freezing. Frost encased the white sand around him, spreading farther and farther until it covered the entire area of the former battlefield.

A grin crossed the duke's face as he saw Eiichi try to sneak up from behind. It had taken a while, but he was starting to slow down.

"You've wasted unnecessary energy," Hyosetsu said, blocking Carlos with Baldo as he spun around. "Your movements have slowed. I noticed during your brief battle with Hideo that you have slowed down. That peasant knight's attack did more damage than you wish to let on, did it not?"

Eiichi stepped back and spun Carlos. Blue, red, and yellow sparks crackled around him even as the ice started to crawl up his legs. "What?"

"You should be wise to not step in my domain," Hyosetsu said, a smirk on his face. He raised his left hand and unleashed a chilling wave of air on the Spear Knight. Eiichi, however, guarded with a golden barrier. The ice rapidly encased the barrier, and the temperature around the blonde knight continued to drop.

Eiichi let out a loud grunt and shattered the ice-covered barrier, sending crystal-like shards in all directions. Lady Miyuki made sure to stop them all before they could reach the shivering spectators. The only ones who were seemingly unaffected by the cold were the Seven-Hills, Kuroshi, Princess Setsuko, and King Osamu.

Eiji smiled at the sight of Eiichi covered in by gold and blue sparks. His boy was finally getting serious for once. Though he hoped that Miyuki's scion would be able to survive what was to come.

The energy around Eiichi shattered the ice around him as sparks flew out like solar flares from a star.

Golden wings emerged from Eiichi's back and covered the lightning knight.

Hyosetsu jumped back as Eiichi vanished from sight. He slashed the air in front of him, cutting a stunned Eiichi's right cheek.

"How did you know where I was going to appear?" Eiichi asked before vanishing from sight again.

"Easy, after watching your movements, I've realized how predictable they are," the icy knight responded as he blocked another attempt from Eiichi. "Plus, I can see them. Those giant wings of yours actually make you slower and an easier target!" Hyosetsu stabbed one of the wings, causing Eiichi to let out a chilling scream. "Art of the Black Snow Mountain: Seven Aurorae!" Hyosetsu's body dissolved into rainbow light.

Eiichi quickly retracted his wings. As soon as his wings were gone, so was the pain. He gasped as he felt something brush past him.

"What?" The Spear Knight spun around in time to block a downward slash from Baldo. "Tsk. Trying to beat me at my own game, eh?"

Hyosetsu shrugged. "Maybe." The two knights moved faster than twice the speed of sound, each blow creating shock waves of pure mana. Kuroshi had to form a barrier to keep the audience and the palace itself safe from the boys.

With each clash, the two were split apart farther by the explosions caused by their colliding energy. Still, neither one allowed himself to be fazed and rapidly returned to attack their opponent. Each clash resulted in a more violent explosion than the last. The barrier had to be reinforced several times in a row as the interior shook. Time and space itself almost seemed to tremble at the hands of the two.

King Osamu wore a broad smile on his face at the display in front of him. This was what he sought in the knights, strong individuals with ambition!

"Give up, while you still can," Eiichi said between grunts as Hyosetsu and he pushed one another. The two held their own against the resulting shockwaves. They gained little over the other as a few inches of air were exchanged.

"A true knight does not surrender," Hyosetsu responded in a calm voice as he pushed Eiichi back.

The way the Kuroyuki no San duke could be so calm against someone his equal was rather chilling to Eiji. His son might finally have met his match.

Eiichi scoffed as he pushed back. "That sounds like something that plebeian would say!"

Hyosetsu broke away and slashed the air seven times. "Do not compare me to such a weak individual. Both he and Hideo are unworthy of our title."

The blonde grinned. "Now that I agree with! They're an embarrassment, not only to the title but to their families!"

"Indeed. While you may be a gadfly, at the very least, you are strong enough to back up your attitude. Sadly, when it comes to fighting me, those words of yours do not live up!" Seven lights glistening in the colors of the rainbow appeared on Eiichi's chest.

"What's this?" Eiichi asked, eyes wide. "When did you?"

"This is the true power of Seven Aurorae. I swung at you seven times, each one had what can be called an echo slash, which leaves a mark on an opponent," Hyosetsu said as he floated away from his opponent. "This technique is powerful, but for it to work requires seven consecutive hits with little time between each one. Luckily you failed to notice each one of them. Had you done so, you would have had a chance to wipe them off."

"Wiped them off?" Eiichi asked as he put his hand on his chest. He rubbed the seven lines, but they didn't erase.

Hyosetsu grinned. "Too late! Seven Aurorae- Seven Slash Vibrations!"

Eiichi vanished from sight.

"That won't work, no matter where you go, you will take damage as it's attached to you!" Hyosetsu yelled, glancing around. For once, he failed to spot Eiichi.

"Like you said, a true knight does not surrender!" Eiichi yelled, coming down at him from above. "Golden Swallow!" He thrust the spear forward.

Hyosetsu raised Baldo overhead, blocking the lightning covered spear. If his sword were normal metal, he would've been seriously injured by the dangerous discharge of electricity coming off Carlos.

Still, the force created by their weapons colliding sent a cloud of ice and dust particles in all directions. Eiichi let out a grunt as seven rainbow-colored lines of energy appeared with little warning. Still, he managed to move fast enough to strike the center of the seven slashes, guarding against the strange attack's full power. Yet, the attack sent him flying into the ceiling of Kuroshi's barrier.

Hyosetsu spread out his wings and flapped them to stop his descent, but a strange force continued to push down on him. It was as if he were being repeatedly bombarded by countless smaller shock-waves. If he were to describe it in simple terms, it would be as a series of seemingly unending powerful quakes after an already devastating one.

The Sword Knight gritted his teeth. It had to be the effect of Eiichi's Golden Sparrow. He had failed to defend properly against the sheer power of Eiichi's spear. Even in the end, he was put on the defensive. Gravity didn't help matters either.

The two knights couldn't see each other thanks to the cloud of ice and dust. Yet, they could feel the other staring back, trying their best to weather the other's attack and remain conscious long enough to be declared the victor.

Eiji's eyes widened. "Are the boys going to be alright?" he whispered.

Kuroshi gasped as cracks appeared on top of the barrier. Eiichi wasn't going to last much longer. The same could be said about the underground portion of the barrier and Hyosetsu. That they had lasted this long against the other was a fantastic accomplishment on its own.

"They're stronger than I thought," Kuroshi said, staring at the cracking barrier.

"Why are you surprised?" Eiko asked, flashing the weapons' creator a smug grin. "One of those two is my son, after all. I am shocked that Miyuki's child has managed to match him so well thus far. Though it is a bit unfair to my lovely Eiichi, considering he had to fight two others."

Eiji gave his wife a deadpan look. "Making excuses for our son's loss, now, eh? Shows how much confidence you have in the child."

Eiko's face flushed. "How dare you! I far outpace you when it comes to my confidence in Eiichi's skills. Or have you forgotten how you doubted his capacity as a knight?"

The Seven-Hill leaned back on his seat and stared at his nails. "I still do. It takes more than power to make a good knight. If it were based on power, then I would be the best among us Seven."

The proud woman scoffed. "You truly think you're stronger than me?"

Eiji glared at her. "Yeah. Or do you wish for me to prove that here and now, eh?"

Anis shook her head. "And this guy dares to call his son 'childish'. Clearly, the boy got it from someone."

"Stay out of this loser!" Eiko snapped as she looked over her shoulder. "You are simply sullen due to your child's pathetic performance."

Anis right eye twitched. "What was that?"

"You heard me, you small chested country bumpkin!" Eiko said, leaning closer to Anis.

Kuroshi chuckled. "You two should leave the battles to the boys and Setsuko. Also, I don't think that you should be insulting a girl's cup-size. That armor makes you look bigger than you actually are after all."

Eiko's hands crackled with lightning. "You got three seconds to run! Too late, you're dead!"

Eiji sighed and redirected the electricity toward the barrier, causing the thing to shatter and unleashing the cloud of dust and ice on everything as two thuds echoed across the room.

"Woah!" Kuroshi said, eyes wide.

"She really meant it," Kohri said with his mouth open.

King Osamu chuckled. "Come on, that was one of Eiko's weakest attacks."

Eiko blushed. "Truly, you know me well, your highness."

Eiji yanked her closer to him, causing her to fall face-first against his chest. "I'm your husband, remember?" he said before kissing her passionately.

Eiko backed away and slapped him. "Do not kiss me so abruptly, especially in front of everyone."

The Seven-Hill knight rubbed his face. "Did you really have to slap me that hard? You don't mind it when-"

Eiko pinched his cheek. "Hush. Do not be so uncouth!"

"Okay, okay," Eiji said, wincing. "Now, let go."

The blonde woman released her grip on his face and stared back at the demolished battlefield. Dust still covered the room, but it was nothing for those who inherited the Earth Angel's eyes. Lying inside of a large crater were Hyosetsu and Eiichi.

"Eiichi!" Eiko yelled, running down to check up on her son. She jumped down to the crater and saw that both boys had begun to stir.

"Get off of me," Hyosetsu said as he glared at Eiichi, who was on top of him.

Eiichi smiled as he looked down at the thin-framed, long-haired boy. "Aww, but this is a nice position, don't ya think?"

The swordsman slapped him, sending him flying into the wall of the crater. "Sorry, not interested."

"They are still moving?" Anis said, putting both hands over her mouth.

Hyosetsu tried to stand, but his legs felt like goo.

"Here," Kohri said, extending his hand out toward his older brother.

The elder brother averted his gaze. "I can do it on my own."

Kohri stared at Hyosetsu's trembling legs. "Come on, man, don't be so prideful. Just take my hand!"

Hyosetsu scoffed as he continued to look away. "I would rather die."

Miyuki sighed as she made her way. She picked up her eldest son into her arms.

"Mother, let me go," Hyosetsu said in a calm yet flustered tone. "I am not a child!"

"I know, but you're not able to move on your own. The least I can do as your mother is take you to the infirmary."

Hyosestu sighed, though he smiled slightly.

"So who won?" Eiichi said, rubbing his forehead. He winced as the bones in his arms ached. "Ouch."

Eiji chuckled. "I would say it was a tie. Regardless, neither of you are in the condition to go up against the princess," the Seven-Hill male said as he picked up his oldest son.

Eiichi suddenly felt like Hyosetsu.

Setsuko sighed as she jumped down into the crater. "Too bad that we couldn't face one another. I was so looking forward to shutting you up once and for all," the first princess said, smiling widely.

"You're scary," Eiichi said, gulping.

The princess shrugged. "I get that a lot. Well, I'm off to go check up on the other two you knocked out." The princess rushed off like a bullet.

King Osamu eyed his oldest daughter as she arrived at the gate several meters away from where they stood. "That wild child."

"Seems all five are problem children. Eh, Osamu?" Kuroshi said, leaning on the king's shoulder.

"Don't get too friendly with me," the king said, removing his blacksmith's arm from his shoulder. "Anyway, once the boys are fine, we'll start to form the teams. I can already predict the outcome."

Kuroshi nodded. "Aye. So can I."

**Solar Note: What did you think of Hyosetsu and Eiichi's match? An unexpected outcome, eh? Who do you think the majority of the one hundred soldiers will side with?**