[Hours later- Angelic Dome: Serrano's personal room]

Serrano blocked Setsuko's Alma only for the diamond-like sphere to bounce and wrap around Aventine as if it were the tail of a dragon. The silver-eyed knight grunted as he felt Alma's weight push down on his sword. To him, the thing weighed tons. He figured it had to have unique properties to allow only Setsuko to lift it. Or his fiancee was just that much physically stronger than him.

"Got you now!" Setsuko said, grinning. Her clothes had several tears and were covered in blood as well as sweat.

The Seven-Hill grinned as purple sparks crackled around him. He let go of Aventine and slammed the ground, causing a ten-foot wave of rocks to manifest from the ground and head toward the princess.

Setsuko raised a hand as she took Aventine into her hands, where it reverted back into its crystal form. The wave passed her and slammed against the wall behind her, sending rocks flying in all directions.

Serrano sighed. "You're getting better at resisting my moves."

She gave him a smile. "Right back at you! This win is mine, though!"

Serrano raised his right hand, teleporting Aventine back into his hands. "Come at me with all you got, Princess! I can take it!"

Setsuko's apricot wings expanded as orange sparks crackled around her. Alma spun and spun in her hands, causing the air to crackle with energy. "You better because here comes the finisher! Imperial Meteor!"

Serrano closed his eyes and grinned, covering his sword in a blue aura. Setsuko stared at him for a while before unleashing her weapon. The thing was coming fast, too fast for most to dodge. Even Eiichi would have had trouble escaping. But Serrano didn't avoid her meteor hammer. Instead, he had Aventine meet the meteor hammer straight on.

The collision sent the two angels flying into the walls of the room. The floating domes were reduced to dust, and cracks appeared on the walls. The two warriors hit the ground with a thud once the force of their attacks subsided.

Setsuko stood up and turned the dust around her into spears as she walked forward as if nothing had happened.

"Hey, aren't you tired?" Serrano asked as he cleared the dust away from his side.

The first princess raised a finger to her lips. "Tired? Me? Not at all. But if you are, then just give up," she said, shrugging.

Serrano pointed his sword as she came closer. The blast had blown away the sleeves of the blue shirt he was wearing. Dark blood trickled down his arms until it reached the hilt of his sword. He winced and lowered the blade.

"Fine, you win," he grumbled. "But next time, I'll defeat you!"

The princess jumped into the air. "Hahaha! That makes how many wins for me?"

The knight turned away as the door of his room reappeared. "You're only winning by one victory... Next time it'll be even again..."

She grinned smugly as she turned away and pulled off her shirt. "Sore loser."

Serrano stopped and turned back around. "I'm not a... Hey! What are you doing?"

The princess looked over her shoulder and gave him a dry laugh. "What? I'm taking off my shirt. It's drenched in sweat and blood. Besides, I'm wearing a sports bra, not to mention we are engaged. So it's alright to see me like this."

The blue-haired knight sighed as he too removed his shirt. "True, but even then, you can afford some modesty."

Setsuko rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Modesty. Look at you, removing your shirt in front of a shirtless girl. What would people think if they saw us."

Serrano chuckled. "Come on, they wouldn't think that. You might not be modest, but you aren't that kind of girl." He drew closer to her and chuckled. "Hey, are you blushing?"

"B-blushing?" Setsuko asked as she averted her gaze. "I am not!"

Serrano went around her and smiled as he saw her deep red face. "Yes, you are!"

She glanced down at his surprisingly toned body. "I simply need a drink is all!" she said, closing her eyes.

"You're saying that after checking out your future husband? Real smooth there, Princess," Serrano said, poking her cheeks. "You can't hide things from me! Being the secretive one is my thing!"

"For the love of the Sky Father, what happened to the serious guy I used to know?" she asked, shaking her head.

Serrano snickered. "I guess that being around you princesses as well as Tetsu these past few years changed me." He backed away from her, causing his fiancee to raise her head. The playful look on his face was gone. "Hey, Setty. Why haven't you broken off the engagement yet?" A toothy grin replaced the somber frown. "Don't tell me you developed feelings for me."

She took a deep breath as the blush subsided. "I have not. As I've told you before, I only see you as a friend. Nothing less and nothing more."

The knight lowered his head as the somber look reappeared. "So why not break it? Of all the things I would imagine a rebellious child doing, I would think that going against an arranged marriage would be number one."

Setsuko glanced up at the star-covered ceiling. "I got my reasons for why I haven't. As I said, one day, we will be married. We will even procreate, but there'll be no love, so don't expect any."

A drop of sweat, or perhaps a tear, ran down Serrano's face. "Great, a hallow marriage? What's the point then?"

The princess grabbed her stomach as she bent down.

"Hey, are you okay? I didn't hit you too hard, did I? Wait, does this mean that I would've won if I had kept at it?" Serrano asked as he squatted next to her. His eyes widen upon seeing her face... she was smiling. "Why-why are you smiling?"

The princess burst into laughter. "Wow, who would've imagined you saying that eight years ago?" She slapped her fiance on the back, sending him falling to his knees. "Tell me, who are you, and what did you do to my fiance?"

Serrano narrowed his eyes as he pushed himself off of the ground. "Hahaha, very funny!" He chuckled. "Alright, maybe it is." He held a hand out to her. "But in all seriousness, it would be best to break it."

"Why do you seem anxious to break it?" she asked, giving him a suspicious look as she pushed herself off the floor. "Oh, do you got someone else?"

The knight averted his gaze. "Does it matter if I do?"

Setsuko lowered her own gaze. "So there is..."

He nodded. "Yeah... though I think she only sees me as a friend too."

"Did she tell you?"

He shook his head. "No..."

"Then how do you know for sure she does?"

"I'm... afraid of her response... She's the only real friend I have apart from you princesses and my cousin. Not to mention, I also like a certain someone too..."

Setsuko punched him in the chest. "There's the Serrano I know!" She narrowed her eyes before whispering, "Except for the player part."

He let out a dry laugh. "I know, pathetic, huh? I'm still a coward."

She sighed. "Perhaps, but it is understandable. It is somewhat relieving to see that you haven't changed too much over these past few years."

He rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze.

"Are you laughing?" she asked, taking a step away from him.

"No. But I do find it cute how you hide your jealousy," he said in a cheerful tone.

Setsuko pushed him. "I'm not jealous of this girl! Hmph, why would I be?"

Serrano turned around and chuckled. "Because despite your words, you like me."

The princess grumbled. "You're so annoying! I'm actually starting to miss the stoic and boring you. And just so you know, I like you even less now that I know you're a two-timer!"

Serrano lowered his head. "I know, I don't like these conflicting feelings... The engagement kind of makes things easier and yet harder at the same time too."

She sighed and took his hand. "For a guy as smart as you, you sure can be such an idiot sometimes."

The knight put his head on his future wife's shoulders as they headed toward the door of the strange room. "Same goes to you, princess."

"No one said anything about leaning against my shoulders," she said, giving him a stern look.

He raised his head. "Ahhh, sorry. I was feeling a little exhausted there. What time is it anyway? Felt like we were fighting forever."

"Yeah, sure," she mumbled as she let go of his hand and took out an orange phone. She gasped a bit as she saw a message from Rosa. "Hey, Setty. I'm showing Tetsu and the others around. Once you two are done with your sparring, how about joining us? Let me know if you want to, and I'll tell you where we are."

"Want to join them?" Serrano asked as they arrived at the door.

Setsuko smiled at her phone. "Yeah. Think we've done enough training for today. I'll let her know that we'll be there in a few."

***

[Half an hour later- On top of the tallest skyscraper in Kaguya City]

A gray-haired youth stared down at the enormous city below. He could see a great deal from his perch, yet the palace still managed to dominate most of the skyline. Its towers stood taller than even the crystal skyscraper he was seated on.

"How many days has it been since I arrived in this city? When are those darn doves going to act? Should I force them to?" the boy asked as he laid his back on the blue crystal ceiling. He held out a hand toward the heavens. He chuckled. "No, I am already doing what I want in the north. I'll allow them to do their thing here. But perhaps meeting them will be a good idea."

"I see," a husky female voice called back from the crystal in his hand. "Keep me updated on the situation on hand. I've been informed that your boss will arrive in a few days."

The young man pushed himself off. "Wait, he's coming to Zionia?"

"Yes. He wishes to see what his pupils are doing. Especially that spawn of his." The lady snickered. "I wish I could join you, child. Sadly, Master has ordered us to hold our ground. We must first test the waters, so to speak. Though, that's simply an excuse."

"An excuse for what, Mother?" the young man asked as he stood up.

The woman chuckled. "Nothing. I'm certain that he'll eventually come around to our way of thinking."

"Whatever you say, Mom," he said as he watched the crystal grow dim. "Seems I've wasted all my available time. I'll inform you what's going on when something worth mentioning occurs."

"Surely hope so, though I don't think it'll be that long if one of us thirteen is going to be joining you soon. Speaking of us thirteen, have you found out what became of the traitor?"

"No, but perhaps Etsuo and Roa have."

"I see. Be careful around those two doves, child. They mustn't-" The crystal became as black as coal.

'I know, Mother, I know. You have nothing to worry about. I'll get the job done.'

He gazed down and jumped off the skyscraper. The wind rushed past his entire body. Oh, how he loved the sensation, but it still was nothing compared to the thrill of battle. He had grown bored with observing. He needed to do something before his boss arrived.

A gasp escaped his lips as he saw Etsuo and Roa walking together as several of the 'doves' they were with were lined up next to a stand. The two boys were smiling as they licked some colored, creamy, frozen substance.

Roa glanced up and glared at the gray-haired teen as he fell. He glanced back at the others who were still standing by the truck.

"Etsuo, can you join the others?" Roa asked, smiling. "I got something to do."

"Something to do?" Etsuo asked, tilting his head.

Roa nodded. "Make sure the others don't get too close," he whispered into his friend's ear.

"O-okay," Etsuo said before raising his gaze. However, he saw nothing coming at them. But he did feel it, the uncanny aura of their peer. "Satoru..." He quickly turned away. "Be safe, alright?"

The raven-haired, golden-eyed youth scoffed. "Aren't I always?"

The snow-white haired, golden-eyed young man laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, of course, you do. 'Mr. Almost gets killed in a cave in'!"

Roa put his hands on his hips and turned away from his companion. "Hey, I would be safe even if you hadn't come. You know cave-ins can't take this down," he said, pridefully pointing at himself with his thumbs.

Etsuo sighed. "Okay, Mr. Hotshot."

Roa chuckled as he watched his friend walk off.

"You two are overly protective of one another, it is honestly quite sickening," the gray-haired youth said as he turned away. A smug grin covered his face. "You still think that you're the best thing around, don't you?"

"Well, just my luck," Roa said before devouring the creamy substance along with its cone-shaped container. "I ended up running into you while you're in a talkative mood. As for me thinking that I'm the best thing around, I think they call that projecting."

"Well, I am great, thanks for noticing."

Roa rolled his eyes. "You know that wasn't what I meant."

Satoru raised a clawed hand toward him. "I'll make you acknowledge me one day, the way you do with that weakling. Roa, you aren't like him nor the others. You are strong. Why do you hold yourself back by being friends with him?"

"He's my cousin and best bud," Roa said as wisps of darkness began to dance around him. "Now, if you're done, I got to join my companions."

Satoru scoffed. "Companions? All of them except for Etsuo are the enemy! Do not forget what we came here for."

"Please don't speak of this here where others can overhear," Roa whispered as he lowered his head. "I trust that you figured why I am with them."

The gray-haired youth nodded. "Yes. Though I think that the two of us should be able to take over this kingdom while their defenses are down. Why aid in building them up?"

Roa chuckled as he looked at his peer in the eyes. "I don't think I need to explain myself to a cynic such as yourself."

Satoru grinned and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "I like that smile of yours. Keep up the good work, faker..." The youth dissolved into a fury of blue flames.

Roa glanced around. People were looking at him strangely. To them, he had been talking to himself all this time.

***

Etsuo glanced back at Roa as he waited on a bench as the others ordered their ice cream.

"Something bothering you?" He glanced up and saw Rosalba holding a cone of orange ice cream. "You keep gazing back at Roa." She narrowed her eyes at the raven-haired teen. "Wait, who is he even talking to?"

The white-haired teen chuckled as he looked at his cousin. "Roa actually tends to talk to himself, much like you."

The princess's face reddened. "I do not... alright, maybe I do," she mumbled, looking away.

"Such an oddball," Tetsu said as he walked up behind her. He held a purple cone, which Etsuo figured had to be either grape or lavender.

"Still being a jerk, I see," Rosa said, pouting as she turned away from him.

"He's teasing ya because he likes ya. Tetsu is immature like that," Teresa said, winking as she joined them.

"Stop making up stuff, sis," Tetsu said before angrily taking a bite of his cone.

His sister cooed. "Oh, if I'm making stuff up, then why are ya as red as a beet?"

"Because ya called me immature!" he said, raising his head and putting his left hand behind his neck. "Though ya aren't one ta talk. Least, I don't sleep with a bear."

Rosa pouted again. "I sleep with a bear, too, you know."

"Well, you are a child." They all turned to see the raven-haired teen.

Rosa sighed. She had given up on getting Roa to respect her. She saw it easier to get used to him poking fun of her than to struggle.

The princess smiled. "So, done talking to yourself, fellow weirdo?"

The teen raised his arms in front of himself as if to block an attack. "Who the heck are you calling weirdo?"

Tetsu snickered. "You were talking to yourself a while ago."

Roa sighed. "I was speaking to a ghost."

"A ghost?" Teresa yelled as she jumped, nearly dropping her cone in the process.

"Roa, don't scare her," Etsuo said, snickering.

Roa grinned. "She's a big scaredy-cat."

"I'm not scared, and I'm not a cat!" Teresa said before walking on ahead.

"Cat?" Nori asked. The kid stood behind Roa with eyes wide. "Nori isn't scared..." He gripped his cherry cone and shivered. He glanced around. "Nori didn't feel a ghost, though. Though he did feel a kitsune."

Etsuo and Roa's eyes widened. They both had the same question on their minds, This kid managed to sense Satoru?

"Is he a friend from your homeworld?" Nori asked, smiling at them.

"Uh, not really," Roa said, glancing at the sky. He could faintly feel Satoru observing them from his perch.

"Why did he make himself invisible?" Rosa asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If it's a kitsune, then it's likely his familiar," Yuko said as she arrived. She had chosen a chocolate cone. "Though to Yuko, he felt similar to Nori and her."

"Similar?" Tetsuya asked, tilting his head.

Yuko ignored him, choosing to lick her ice cream instead. Her lips curved upwards. "Yummy!"

He smiled at her. "Why did you pick chocolate?" he asked as he took a seat next to Etsuo.

Yuko averted her gaze. "Because... Mister used chocolate in his cookies, so Yuko thought it'll taste similar. It doesn't taste all that close to the chips, but Yuko likes it."

He grinned. "Hey, want me to make you some? It's been a while since I've cooked."

"Y-yeah!" Yuko blurted out. She covered her mouth with a hand.

Tetsuya chuckled. She really was a kid at the end of the day.

"So, what did you mean when you said the kitsune was similar to Nori and you?" Etsuo asked.

Yuko bit her lip. "Similar aura. Yet, somewhat different. Like a mix."

Etsuo smiled. "I see. Oh, by the way, Nori, why did you think Roa was talking about you when he said 'cat'?"

Nori froze. "Uh..." He grabbed his baseball cap with his free hand and held it down tightly.

"That's because... Nori is usually called a cat," Yuko responded for him.

"And here I was starting to think you were a nekomata," Roa said, shrugging.

Nori and Yuko's faces lost their color, causing the raven-haired teen to smile.

"But seems I was wrong..." he said with a slight smile.

"Y-yeah," Yuko said as color returned to their faces.

Everyone besides Roa gave the two kids curious looks.

"So, where should we head to next?" Tetsu asked, trying to change the subject.

"We'll wait here for my sister and Serrano to join us. Sis said they'll be here soon," Rosa said before taking a lick of her ice cream. "Hmm, so good!"

"There she goes again, talking to herself," Roa said, chuckling.

Rosa grumbled. It would take her some more time to be entirely resistant to Roa's snark, if at all.

Tetsu snickered and took a lick of her ice cream. "Hmm! It is good!"

"What are you doing?" Rosa asked as she backed away from him.

Tetsu smiled and held out his own ice cream. "Want a taste?"

Rosa lowered her head. "Uh... Okay. I guess I can. Never tasted grape ice cream before."

She moved closer to him and took a lick. "It's delicious!"

"You two," Teresa said with a wide grin.

Roa chuckled. "So, when's the wedding?"

"We-wedding?" the two said as their faces turned bright red.

Etsuo chuckled. "Roa. First, they need to date."

"I guess, but maybe they'll skip that and the wedding and go straight for the baby-making," he said, giving the princess and Tetsu a wink.

"Roa!" Rosa yelled, slapping him.

Roa's eyes widened. "Hey! That was uncalled for!"

"What's uncalled for are your obscene remarks!"

Tetsu looked down at his ice cream and smiled. A kid, huh?

**Solar Note: Thanks for continuing to read RoaGA :3. This is the first of three chapters I'll be publishing throughout today (7/4/18) to celebrate RoaGA having passed 20K three days ago :3. So, what did you think of Setsuko and Serrano's relationship thus far? What about what Satoru's planning?**