*Kei*

"We're getting closer," I said as my father's presence grew nearer.

Koukyuu gulped. She was more nervous than she had originally let on.

"Kou, if you can't speak with him, let me do it," I said, flying closer to her.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't come all this way to back out now."

I ruffled her white hair. "No need to force things. Just stay behind me, Hideaki, Lorenzo, and the knights. Maki is right to be doubtful."

She frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah. But like I told Maki, we have to try everything we can. If things do go south, Kiyoshi and I will fight him while the rest of you get away."

"I think you should be the one who gets away, not us Seven Flames," Zaki said with a slight smile. "Like Kiyoshi said, it's our duty to protect you."

Koukyuu smiled. "Thanks."

Hideaki smiled. "Don't mention it. We are family and family has to protect one another."

My sister smiled shyly. "Now I feel a little bad for not having stayed back with Maki."

"He's probably safer than us," I said. "Dad likely doesn't expect us to be after him. Plus, the only one of us he considers a threat is Shin'en. Maki is probably just a pretender in his eyes."

"Poor Maki," Koukyuu said, looking at the ground. She gasped and slowed herself down.

Emon dashed formed and fired a blast of wind. His attack collided with a red beam coming from the forest below. The two exploded, creating a giant fireball and shock wave that brought the surrounding forest down.

Emon bit his lip as he stared at the broken trees. "No..."

"We got bigger issues to worry about!" Kiyoshi said as he flew down. "Come out, Ken!"

A red haired guy ascended from the forest and fired another attack from the riffle in his hands.

"Ken? Why are you attacking us?" Koukyuu asked as Kiyoshi swatted the attack away, sending it flying into the demolished below.

Ken smiled. "The king's ordered me to stop all who get near. Imagine my shock, seeing my fellow knights with an enemy duke."

Hideaki flew ahead of us. "I might be a Kurorikuian duke, but I'm also a Kasai no Ki by blood. The king is my late father's brother."

Ken gasped. "Wait, you're the son of Prince Hideyoshi?"

"Yeah, and I'm his daughter," Zaki said. "Your king knows me."

Ken sighed. "Sorry about that. Thought that my fellow knights had turned coattail after being influenced by the Kurorikuians."

"Don't worry. We aren't here to fight," Hideaki said. "We merely wish to speak to the former king."

"Former? King Tabiki said he's taken the crown once again from his sons. If anything, you should be fighting Kuroriku."

"Now isn't the time," Zaki said. "I detest Kuroriku too, but we have to work together to defeat Abyssia and Cianio!"

Ken turned around. "Cianio is our ally."

I gritted my teeth. "And you're fine teaming up with demons? What is the point of ruling the world if we lose our souls?"

He closed his eyes. "I don't like it either, but this is our best chance. Kasai no Ki is still a fragile nation."

"Teaming up with the demons will cause everyone else to hate us," Koukyuu said, crossing her arms.

"My children thought similarly to the king, except they chose to ally themselves with Abyssia. In the end, all they got was hurt cousins."

Ken sighed. "You're probably right, but it might be too late to turn back now."

"Indeed," a voice called out. A white haired man with horns stepped out of a portal.

"A demon? No, an abysmal," I said, startled.

The man snickered. "Both, actually."

Kiyoshi dashed at him and stabbed him in the chest with a thorn covered rapier.

The man grasped the rapier. Kiyoshi's screamed as lightning ran from the man's hands into his body.

"Kiyo!" Kou yelled as the man swatted him away with his tails. She sent fireballs at the man.

The man dashed around, avoiding each attack my sister threw at him.

Emon rushed at the same time to grab Kiyoshi as he lost altitude. "Got him!"

Koukyuu smiled. "Good." She cupped her hands together. "Ignis Draco!"

Several fox tails appeared and shielded the man from my sister's fire dragon spell.

"He's a kitsune too?" Lorenzo said, gritting his teeth.

A snake appeared out of his wife's left arm. Its eyes were directed at the man. "Identify yourself."

"I'm Audrey Zettai," he said smirking.

"Zettai?" Koukyuu said, gasping.

"He must be related to Satoru," Emon said.

Audrey nodded. "Yes, he's my younger brother." He pulled out his trident from his back and spun it around. "So, who is next? Or are you all going to attack at once."

"We have to attack together," Hideaki whispered as he pointed his scepter at the man.

I nodded and summoned my wand. Green light covered it as it changed into an emerald scythe.

Koukyuu scoffed as she pointed drones similar to Rosa's at the man. "Let's make him pay for hurting Kiyoshi."

"No, let me deal him with him. The rest of you go ahead," Kiyoshi said as he opened his eyes.

"You can still move?" Ken asked.

Kiyoshi smiled. "I'm not a wimp like you."

Ken grumbled as he pointed his bow at Audrey. "I'll ignore that remark this once."

"Kiyo, rest," Emon said.

Kiyoshi shook his head as he pushed Emon away . "It's best that you get back, all of you."

"At least you're fine," Koukyuu said, sighing.

The Blood Rose Knight snickered. "Fine? I'm not fine. I'm freaking mad!" Slivers of pink aura danced around him.

Audrey snickered and fired a bolt of lightning from his trident.

The rose knight flew straight down, but the sphere of electricity followed after him.

"Tracking lightning, huh? Shaking that off will probably be a nag." He chuckled. "Not that I have to."

I backed away as the air around us grew denser. "Everyone, clear the way for Kiyoshi!" I yelled.

Audrey got back as well as the sky overhead darkened. Kiyoshi chuckled as the pink aura grew larger, covering more of his body. "You can tell what's coming, huh? I see it, fear in your eyes."

"Another one who can use Second Heaven," Audrey said, grimacing.

A rose aura enveloped its owner completely, even dying his black hair a deep rose color. "Begone, abysmal-demon!"

Audrey's eyes widened as Kiyoshi's arm struck his chest, sending him flying back. The guy gasped for air. "W-what's this feeling."

Kiyoshi smiled. "A kind of poison."

The energy gripped his chest as his body started to become covered in crystals. "M-my core."

The rest of us stared in awe. We all knew that Kiyoshi's Second Heaven was dangerous, but that it would have this much effectiveness against abysmals was really something else.

Kiyoshi slammed Audrey in the head, sending him falling straight to the ground, forming a giant crater.

"That's all?" Kiyoshi asked, putting a hand on his hips. "Hmph. Pathetic. That Rooster Pillar gave me more of a challenge."

A blast of electricity flew up from below, shocking all of us.

"W-why couldn't you finish him before taunting?" Koukyuu asked, angrily.

Kiyoshi gritted his teeth and swung his hand, dispersing the electricity into the air. "Thought he would be out cold. Plus, you guys should've gone on ahead. Like I said, I'll take care of this guy."

My sister nodded and flew on ahead. 

"Wait for me, Princess! It's best that I escort you," Ken said, rushing after her, Lorenzo, and my cousins.

Koukyuu smiled. "Thanks, Kenny."

Ken blushed. "K-Kenny?"

I glanced back at the ground. Audrey, he wasn't using his full power yet.

"Kiyoshi, be careful. Underestimating your opponent is dangerous."

"Don't worry, I get it," Kiyoshi said, rotating his arm. "That guy's ascended into Second Hell."

I looked down and gasped as the forest around Audrey was set on fire by multiple electrical discharges.

"You sure you'll be able to defeat him alone? You couldn't do much against him in base."

He smiled. "You worry too much, prince. The mana poisoning will gradually weaken him back down to base and ultimately kill him. It's all about buying time."

"You aren't the type to run around," Emon said, leering at him. "That's why I'm staying behind to help."

Kiyoshi grumbled. "Fine, but don't get in my way!" He dashed down and struck the ground with a wave of pink energy.

A bolt of lightning zipped into the air, avoiding the attack. Audrey glared at us. His eyes had turned cyan and had a white ring around each pupil. Two pairs of demon wings had sprouted from his back and his nails on his hands and feet had turned into sharp claws. To top it off was a light yellow aura which crackled with electricity.

"You might actually be worthy of being a Seven Flame after all," Audrey said, smirking. He glanced at me. "So, two others stayed back. Not that it matters."

I flew back. It's actually two," I said before rushing away.

"Oh, afraid?" Audrey yelled.

I was, a little, but that wasn't why I was leaving. I couldn't let Koukyuu confront Father by herself. "Nah, it's just that I have more important things to do!"

Audrey suddenly appeared in front of me and grabbed my neck with a thin white tail. "A white lie there."

I winced as I grasped the tail. "L-let me go!"

He smiled. "Sure, but only because you're family." He swung me toward the ground, sending me falling toward a lake. My body would go splat if I didn't slow down!

"Kei!" a familiar voice shouted. It then hit me, the lake I had been flung to was the same one we had left Maki and the others at. I turned and saw my big brother. He winced and smiled. "Got ya!"

"What's going on in the sky?" Suzuki asked, eyeing the rumbling dark clouds.

"One of Satoru's brothers appeared. He's currently fighting Kiyoshi, and Emon. Koukyuu, Ken, Lorenzo, and my cousins went ahead of us, but I foolishly allowed myself to become distracted by the battle," I said, averting my gaze.

"Satoru's brother?" Hideo asked. He spread his emerald wings out.

"Wait, where are you going?" his cousin snapped.

"I'm going to make Satoru pay an eye for an eye. In this case, a brother for a brother." With those words, the Rifle knight flew off.

Suzuki huffed.

"Hideo's in trouble. This guy is more dangerous than he looks," Maki said. "I know as Serrano, Tetsuya, Yuko, and I struggled against him. He's one of the reasons why Conrad is in the predicament he's in."

"We better go after him," Suzuki said, taking off.

"Great, fighting time!" Reno exclaimed.

"Wait, didn't you hear what I just said?" Maki snapped, causing Suzuki to stop.

"We did, but like Koukyuu said earlier, we can't shy away from war. Plus, our little brother might get hurt. What kind of siblings would we be if we let him fight alone against an opponent like that?" the red-haired woman said before going after her brother.

"But, he's not alone. He's with Kiyoshi," Maki murmured.

"Not that he's very reliable," I said, jumping off.

"Wait, are you able to fight?"

I closed my eyes. My wings and neck ached, but apart from that, I was feeling alright. "I think so."

Maki furrowed his brow. "Y-you think so? Maybe you should stay here. Until you're more certain."

I glanced back at him. "How are you feeling? Ready to go?"

Brother nodded. "My back hurts a little still, but other than that, my body feels as good as new."

I smiled. "Good. Let's leave things to Kiyoshi and the others."

"You plan to bypass that guy?"

"It probably won't be easy, but it's worth trying. We have to catch up with Koukyuu as soon as possible. Before she encounters Father."

Maki spread out his crimson wings. "Yeah, lets get going."

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter ^^. Thoughts? Predictions? Theories?**