Rosalba opened the plain wooden door in front of them and shouted, "We need the best armor you have!"

A tall and bulky looking black-haired man emerged from the back of the store. "We have a lot of good armor. Ah, Kohri!"

Rosalba ran over to talk to the man.

"You know him?" Tetsuya questioned, glancing at Kohri.

Kohri nodded. "He's the one I was talking about, my master. This man is the one who taught me most of what I know. So give the place a look. I'm going to go to the back and grab something which might suit Nicolas and Takuya.."

"Alright," Tetsuya said, waving goodbye. His golden eyes scanned the place. Spread throughout the small store were several kinds of armor. Some of them were made out of leather, while others were made out of metal. The metal armors weren't all heavy looking. Some of them were chain metal with cloth covering the steel plating. Others were full body armor with the metal helmet included. Then there was mirror-armor, which consisted of a mirror-like shield-looking portion in the chest area. The rest of the armor was made up of leather laces.

"I got it!" Rosalba shouted. In her arms, she held silver armor, which resembled the mirror armor on display. Except, it appeared to be made up of mostly wood and leather rather than metal.

"I prefer something a little more lightweight," Tetsuya said, glancing over at the other armor in the display.

"Come on, this armor is the best around! It'll protect you against the monsters of the Abyss!" she said, walking over to him and pressing it against his chest.

His ears perked up upon hearing 'Abyss' after so long. "What is Abyss? We spent a lot of time talking the other day, but nothing was actually mentioned about our mission. Yuko told me more about the enemy at school than anyone at the palace did."

"That's because Father left it to us to inform you." She lowered her face so he couldn't see her expression. Though the armor reflected a face filled with concern. "Like I told you prior, the Abyss is another realm just like the magic and dragon realms. Unlike those two, this realm is truly alien to us. Very few people have ever visited the realm, and even fewer have returned alive."

She raised her head and pushed the armor against his chest.

"The realm has swallowed even the greatest of warriors. There is no way to return back from the Abyss without either a portal or something that can teleport you back to one of the other realms," she continued. "Each weapon has something within them that resonates with the sphere of light at the temple covering the vortex to the abyss. I'll take you to see it later. It's really amazing to look at."

"You've been to the Abyss before?"

Rosalba shivered. "No, but I have seen a vortex to it. Kuroshi showed us one during our meeting. It's... quite a terrifying sight."

"How so?"

She lowered her eyes. "Simply by looking at it-- one gets the feeling that they're being swallowed up by a tar-pit. One which looks like it could sprout arms that can reach out at any moment and grab you. So, it'll be best to be prepared."

Is that why she and Serrano seemed shaken the other day? Was it that frightening of a sight?

"Thinking of buying that armor?" the blacksmith said, with a broad grin on his face. "It'll be a hundred gold coins."

"So expensive?" Tetsuya said, stepping away from the armor. "I don't have that kind of money."

"Yes, we do," Rosalba said. "They gave you a bag of coins when you left the castle. Wait, don't tell me you forgot about it?"

He sighed. "No, I have it." He took out a hundred coins from the silk bag inside his jeans. "Here you go."

"Wait," Yuko said, keeping his hand down. "Let Yuko handle this."

He chuckled. Right, those bartering skills she mentioned. He crossed his arms over his chest and handed the money over to Yuko.

"Thanks, Master," she said before heading over to the counter. "Yuko's master will only pay sixty." She sat down sixty gold coins. "Take it or leave it."

The man let out a belly laugh. "You're trying to barter with me? Little girl, you're hilarious."

Yuko kept her poker face. "Yuko ain't playing around. Deal or no deal?

The blacksmith's smile vanished. "Uh..." he said in a nervous voice as the girl continue to give him the stink eye. "I'll take eighty."

Yuko scoffed and dropped twenty more coins. "Rather greedy of you, sir, but fine. Yuko accepts."

"Here you go," the man said, returning two coins. "Consider that as Kohri's employee discount."

"Aww, thanks, boss," Kohri said, emerging from the back with a tiny silver hammer. "Think I found something for the other guys." His icy eyes landed on the silver armor. "Ahh, that's a great set of armor! Perhaps the best in the entire shop. Hey, if you want, I'll tell you its properties later."

"Uh, sure," Tetsuya said. The guy was starting to remind him of Teresa.

Rosalba nudged him on ahead. "Go over there and change into your armor. I'll go show you around town after this. Meanwhile, you're changing, I'll continue to look around."

Tetsuya changed his clothes in a small dressing room in the back where Kohri had come from. The armor was surprisingly lighter than he expected. He guessed that its weight and sturdiness were the reasons it cost so much. It was a good thing that he had someone as knowledgeable as Kohri around to explain later what it was made out of.

Rosalba and Kohri waited for him outside of the dressing room. In Rosa's hands was a small box.

As soon as she saw him, her face lit up. "You look very handsome. This will finish the armor." She took out a silver helmet from the box in her hands and held it out to him. "Go on, put it on!"

He took it from her and did as she asked. "Do I have to pay more for this?"

"Not at all, it actually is part of a set," she said, laughing. She smiled at him as she took in the sight of Tetsuya in full body armor. "You look rather dashing." She looked down. "Not that you don't in civilian clothes."

Suddenly the armor felt like a furnace. "Uh, thanks," he said, looking over to see what Teresa was getting. Instead of looking at armor, his sister was smiling at them, giving them a thumbs up.

Kohri snickered. "I'm glad that my armor looks nice on an actual person and not just on a mannequin."

"You made this?" Tetsuya questioned.

The duke grinned and laughed at the same time. "Yup! It's made from an alloy called 'angelos'. Its unique properties, such as hardness and weight, are the result of the three percent seraphium contained in said alloy. It also has ophanium and cherubium. Three percent of each too!"

Tetsuya's head started to ache from all the new information, but he pushed it aside.

"Ophanium has reflective properties," Kohri continues. "Legend has it that one of the sacred weapons of Xeleria is made out of said material."

"R... reflective properties?"

"It means that energy-based attacks and projectiles can bounce off the armor," Rosalba explained. "Even someone using martial arts will feel strong recoil from striking it."

Woah, Kohri ain't the only one who knows his stuff.

"And cherubium?"

"It allows one to fill the armor with the aura of one's self or one's angel," Kohri said, grinning as he explained. "Thus, allowing it to adapt into your angelic form or any other form for that matter."

In their world, not everyone was an angel. They might've resembled them when their wings were hidden, but they were mortals. However, they could connect with their guardian angels and awaken power like that of an angel. To do so, one needed to form a covenant with an angel.

"Shouldn't I make a covenant with this?" Tetsuya asked, raising his shield.

"As soon as it was handed to you, one was formed," Kohri responded. "Within it is your angelic powers."

Tetsuya glanced down at his bracelet. "You mean that I don't have an angel?"

"Kind of... I mean, you already are one. So it works differently for us than for those with more mortal blood. The angel that manifests will be your own angelic power. That's why you can't abandon the weapon. Lose it, and part of your soul will be severed from your body."

"That's... frightening. Wait, is it the same case with your tools too?"

"Uh, not exactly," he said, ruffling his red hair. "It would be better to demonstrate it to you later if we got time."

Tetsuya nodded. He was much better with visual learning than hearing anyway.

"This is nice!" Nicolas said, walking out of the dressing room. He had on a hooded cape tied around his waist by a green belt.

"What's with that outfit?" Reno asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He looks nice in it," Teresa said, looking him up and down.

Nicolas chuckled. "Are you checking me out?"

She averted her eyes. "What? No! Well, yes, but your clothes, not your body."

He chuckled. "Lighten up, I'm just playing with ya."

Teresa smiled slightly.

"I think it looks awesome!" Roa said. He nudged his partner. "Hey, doesn't he remind you of your dad?"

Etsuo chuckled. "Yeah. Hey, are you a boxer too, Nico? Uh, you don't mind me calling you that, do you?"

"Nico is fine," the young soldier said. "And yes, I am a boxer." He shifted his gaze toward the young blacksmith-knight-duke. "Not sure how you figured this would go good with me, Sir Kohri, but I love it!"

Kohri grinned. "Call it intuition."

Tetsuya recalled what Rosalba had said back in Elitia, how a blacksmith relied on their intuition to find the best owner of the stuff they made.

"Did you make that too?" Tetsuya asked.

"Uh, yeah," Kohri said, blushing. "My intuition works best with stuff I make. That's actually how I know that armor suits you perfectly."

So what Rosa said is true...

"So, what properties does this have?" Nico asked as he punched the air.

"It's made out of aria fibers from a certain breed of spiders from the magic realm. They are fireproof, so you don't have to worry about rushing into flames. Even the exposed areas such as your lower legs and face are protected as the aura radiated from aria fibers covers those areas. In fact, flames will halt within two feet from you."

"Our clothes are made out of similar stuff," Reno said, crossing his arms around his boyish chest.

"Wow," Etsuo said, eyes wide. "I didn't know such fibers even existed. Bet my dad would love to have something like that."

"Not that he needs it, that guy's aura can deflect even the deadliest of aura bullets," Roa said, leaning against a shelf.

"Hey, be careful! You might tip something over! There's swords on that shelf!" Kohri snapped as he looked at the shelf uneasily.

Roa stepped forward. "There. Now quit worrying." His golden eyes shifted toward the dressing room. "So, what's taking the other guy so long?"

As if on cue, Takuya returned wearing a black hakama and a blue shirt exposing his chest. Teresa noticed he was wearing no shoes.

"How do I look?" Takuya asked in a shy voice as he turned around.

Teresa giggled and said, "Ya look very handsome, big bro!"

"Really?" Takuya said, raising his hands toward his face. The sleeves were big enough to cover most of it.

"Yeah, you do," Tetsuya said, walking over. He punched his brother lightly on the shoulder. "Ya look like a warrior from the old times."

Takuya chuckled. "Ya do know these clothes are still worn by the Kasai no Ki, right?"

"Wow, the one who isn't Kasai no Ki is rocking their signature style," Reno said, whistling. He glanced over at his sister. He jumped as he saw she was gone. "Sis?"

"Over here," Suzuki responded. She was eying a set of black plated armor, which looked somewhat like a dress.

"Want to buy that?" Tetsuya asked.

She lowered her head. "I already said that you do not need to waste a penny on me."

Tetsuya scoffed. "Come on, no need to be prideful about it. If you want it, I'll buy it, as long as there are enough funds."

"Wow, do you tell that to every girl?" Suzuki asked, smiling slightly. "Fine, if you insist, then so be it. But do keep in mind that if all your funds will run out, it's because nudged me to buy it."

"She's making me sound as if I'm like Eiichi," Tetsuya mumbled as his face reddened.

Eita chuckled at the mention of his brother. "What? You and that of jerk of a brother are nothing alike."

Rosalba elbowed Tetsuya on the side and laughed. "Yeah, you're no Eiichi. Though you should be careful. Your kindness could end up leading girls to you like bees to pollen."

"Uh, I think it's a little too late for that," he said, chuckling nervously.

She narrowed her eyes. "Oh right, I forgot about the harem you had back at your school."

He sighed. "Please don't remind me."

The princess giggled. "You know, they probably would've spread out if you were taken."

"Maybe," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Though I had no plans back then to date, nor do I now."

"Why not?" she asked in a whisper.

"I got nothing to stand on. I can't take my special someone out on dates. Not that I got a special someone."

"I see," Rosa said, turning away.

Tetsuya smiled and poked her in the back of the head. "Or maybe I do!"

Rosa gasped. "What? You do? Who?"

He snickered. "You really want to know?" he asked, leaning in.

He watched as the princess's face reddened. She even summoned her bear to cover her face as their faces grew dangerously close.

"I'm just kidding with ya! I got no one."

She punched him in the center of his chest, sending him back a few feet.

"You jerk!" she yelled. She turned away while keeping her plush over her still red face.

"Wow, she's stronger than I thought," he said, rubbing his arm. He watched as she stomped over to where Teresa was. His smile from earlier returned.

That girl is like my mom in more ways than one. He snickered. Though, that spunk is what makes her so fun to be around!