*Tabiki*

I sat on my throne, a hand against my face. A tear rolled down my left eye. Father... had he passed away like he'd expected? That man had a death wish. Though, he didn't wish to die at the hands of just anyone. He wished to be killed by his own family. I would've done it, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. His best chance was for his unaware grandchildren or great-grandchildren to do it.

"Mom, brother, Dad will see you soon. Sadly, when I pass, that won't be the case for me," I said, staring at the empty crimson chamber. My soul would pass to the reincarnation I had prepared in advance when I died the previous time. Hopefully, he would be able to fulfill my plan to bring down Kuroriku, should I fail.

***

[Decades Ago]

"Are we almost there?" Shin'en said as he glanced out of the window.

I patted my son's head. "No, En, it'll take a little longer to get to your grandfather's place."

En turned to look at me and frowned. "Darn it. I want to play with Ala and Zaki now..."

Mom who sat on my right snickered. "Be patient, Eni. It won't feel as never-ending if you are."

Shin'en sighed. "Okay."

Mom giggled. "We can play in the meantime. Would you like that, Eni?"

En nodded multiple times that he looked like a bobblehead toy.

"Yeah!" En said, grinning.

Mom glanced at me. "Though, seems we have a wall between us."

I lifted up En and sat him down next to Mom. "There you go."

"That was fun," En said, grinning at me.

I smiled slightly. Only because he was lifted. Wasn't so fun for me.

En glanced at Mom. "Wished Mommy were here."

I did too. Sadly, his mom had caught a fever the other day. Traveling was too much for her.

Usually, it was En who suffered from fevers. He inherited his mom's physical condition, meaning he was weak to the heat. It was ill advised using fire.

Though, there were members of the Kasai no Ki, who weren't Yukihito, who had a low tolerance to heat. Their bodies contained more wood mana than fire, but they were predisposed for using flame. As such, their internal temperature was too much for their bodies to take.

"I wish Audrey were here too," Mom said, sighing.

En looked up at her uneasily. "Grandma, is it true that Grandpa Drey is a demon?" 

Mom's mouth quivered. "A demon? Where did you hear that from?"

My son lowered his head. "The kids at school told me that they overheard their parents talking about it. The adults said I was a demon from Grandpa's side." He glanced up at Mom with tearful eyes. "Is that true?"

Grandma brought him close to her and snuggled him. "Dear, you're not a demon. You're a little angel. A cute and cuddly one."

En giggled and hugged Mom back. "Thanks, Grandma!"

"So, what do you want to play, Eni?" Mom asked with her usual radiant smile.

He glanced up at the ceiling of the train. "Let me think..." His eyes sparkled. "I know! I want to play-" Before he could finish, the train shook violently, swaying left and right.

"What's going on?" En asked, hugging Mom tightly.

"I'm not sure, dear. Tabiki, think it's them? The rebels?"

I peered outside and saw the earth was moving up and down. The communist rebels of the north didn't have earth powers. No one in Kasai no Ki could do so, except for those who descended from the Makkuroyama.

"Think this is caused by our neighbor to the west," I said, standing up. I grabbed Shin'en from my Mom. "Let's get out of here, before-" I was sent flying as stones tore the floor of the train. The people on the seat across the aisle were impaled.

"Daddy!" En yelled, hugging me. He gasped for air.

"En, calm down," Mom said even as the crowd in the train burst into a frenzy. Several melted the train and ran out, only to get skewered by stones.

"Damn it!" I yelled as I stared at the ground.

"We have to go up," Mom said, blasting the ceiling of the train with a fireball. We took to the air and watched as more spikes tore through the train, maiming those inside.

I curled my hands into fists at the sounds of the screams. 

My eyes scanned the green slopes. Where were the ones attacking them hiding?

"Tabi, get Eni out of here. I'm going to handle this," Mom said, her warm smile gone.

"Grandma, don't go!" Shin'en cried, holding a hand out as she flew toward the hills.

I gasped as I saw the ground move. "They're beneath the hills!"

Mom formed a giant fireball and blast it at the land, burning the ground. Several screams could be heard from within the earth.

"That's a smart plan," I said, looking over my back.

En cried into my chest. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. I didn't blame him.

"Don't worry, En. We'll going to be at your uncle's soon, you'll see."

He didn't nod his head like usual.

I patted his back. "Eni," I whispered as I stared at his frightened face. We needed to get out of here.

Mom summoned a crimson bladed spear with a golden pole. A long, pine-green ribbon swayed in the wind as it long at the opposite end of the polearm.

Root-like appendages erupted out of the end of the ribbon, tearing the ground. Several people dressed in casual clothing screamed as their bodies were completely covered.

"Who sent you?" Mom demanded as her roots continued to tear through the landscape.

None of those trapped responded.

"You won't talk, huh? Maybe a little pressure will change things," Mom said, tightening the grip of her roots on them.

Several of them screamed into agony.

I covered En's ears. Even if they were the enemy, their screams could affect him negatively. He was only a kid.

None of them answered, despite the pain inflicted on them.

Mom clicked her tongue and gripped her hand, causing blood to splatter out of some of the root-cocoons. "Answer me or you'll up like them!"

Her eyes widened as a ray of lightning pierced her back.

"Mom!" I yelled, rushing toward her. "Are you alright?"

I jumped back as a similar beam rushed at me.

I turned toward the west and saw a white-haired man dressed in a long flowing white robe. The robe wasn't like my own, instead it resembled a dress, except it wasn't body fitting like a woman's. Such clothes, they were those usually worn by the desert people in Kuroriku's west, the Raiyama.

"What difference would knowing make?" the man asked, smirking.

"So, it is the Kuroriku who are after our lives," I said, glaring at him.

The man snickered as he raised a golden staff at us.

"H-He's one of the Seven Hills," Mom said, gripping her wound.

"Attack, Capitolinus!" he yelled, raising his weapon.

A blond angel appeared in front of us. With a flutter of his wings, the three of us were pushed back. Multiple golden feathers flew out of the angel's back, impaling me.

"S-son!" Mom screamed. She dashed forward and created a firewall in front of us, burning the feathers away.

"I'm alright, Mom," I said, plucking one of the feathers out of my arms. "I'm an abysmal, I can heal." I glanced down at my son. He continued to quiver, but he was unharmed.

I grabbed my necklace and transformed it into a flaming sword. "You'll pay for what you did!" I yelled, swinging my blade at him.

Capitolinus held his hands forward, forming a yellow barrier.

I clicked my tongue. "Come forth, King of Old! The highest among the Seven Flame Angels, Grannus!"

A male angel with flowing, long, white hair appeared in front of me.

"Kuroriku scum," Grannus said, glaring at the blond-angel. He vanished and reappeared in front of the Seven Hill angel, shattering the barrier with a single punch.

Capitolinus gritted his teeth. "Long time no see, Grannus."

"Do not speak so casually, scum!" Grannus said, kicking him on the side.

The Seven Hill knight flew back, glancing at his angel as it plummeted to the ground. "Guess they don't call Grannus the strongest for nothing."

"Kill him!" I yelled.

The knight smiled and flicked his hand. My eyes widened as he vanished. That was magic. I turned around and gasped for air as the knight impaled me on the back.

"Sorry, but you'll be the one dying today, Prince Tabiki," the knight said, grinning as he pulled his short knife out of my body.

"D-daddy!" En yelled at the sight of the dark red blood flowing from my mouth.

"Tabi!" Mom yelled. She slammed the knight and slashed him in the chest with her spear.

"Tabiki!" Grannus  yelled. Just before he could reach me, he was held back by golden strings.

"Sorry, but your fight is with me," Capitolinus said with cold eyes.

"Damn you, scum!" Grannus said, grabbing hold of the strings. He yanked and them and flew down. Dust flew in all directions as the two angels struck the ground.

"Lightning Falcon!" the Seven-Hill yelled, clapping his hands as the shockwaves pushed him back up.

Mom dodged his electric falcon and sent a green fireball at him. "Burn alive, Seven-Hill!" Mom yelled.

The knight gritted his teeth. Unfortunately, the flames didn't burn him thanks to the golden barrier he had formed around him.

The Seven Hill frowned. He was sweating bullets. The barrier might've protected him from being burned, but the heat had gotten through.

"Tabi," Mom said as he body became wrapped in flames. She turned to look at me and smiled. "Please be a good King."

Shivers ran across my body. "Don't, Mom! Let me fight him!"

"No, you have to protect your son. Plus, I don't have much strength left," she said, closing her eyes.

The white haired knight gasped as Mother slammed her hands against his barrier. Electricity flowed out of the barrier and electrocuted Mom, but she continued to grip it.

"You're going with me," Mom said, closing her eyes.

The knight screamed as the two were consumed in a giant fireball.

"Mom!" I cried out as I flew away.

"G-Grandma," En said, closing his eyes.

Tears flowed down my face. Mom... I gritted my teeth. Kuroriku, you'll pay for this!

***

The sound of the door opening knocked me out of my recollection. "Seems like they aren't here, yet" a voice whispered at the end of the hall. The green eyed boy closed the door as soon as he realized I was staring at him.

How did he get here? Ken and father were to block all Kuroriku. The boy did have a trace of my blood, but it was overwhelmed by the scent of Kuroriku blood.

"Who are you?" I demanded, opening the doors with a gust of wind and drawing the boy toward me.

The boy grimaced and pushed against my wind, stopping at mid room.

I tapped my throne and glared at him. "I said to identify yourself. How did you get here?"

**Solar Note: I hope that you enjoyed the chapter ^^**