*Eiichi*

[Earlier]

The air in front of me crackled as I thrust my javelin. It was heavy, but I had gotten used to it. It would've been nice if Carlos had a transformation like Donato, Baldo, and Agnes.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and thrust my javelin once again.

Eita stopped shooting at a metal target he had stuck to a tree and turned to look at me.

"You really don't want to go check out that strange tower?" Eita asked, moving his arms up and down. "Or what about the former Kasai no Ki king?"

I sighed. "This is the third time you ask. Whatever it is, Setsuko the others have probably checked out by now. As for Tabiki, Maki and the others probably went to talk to him."

Eita sighed and stared at his walkie talkie. We had to use those since the cellphone service was down right now. "At least everyone is safe."

"Told you mom and the others would take care of that."

Eita looked over his shoulder. "But, you're a knight. It's your duty to protect the weak."

I turned away. "I'm not much of one. I only became one for the glory, not because I care for others. Tetsuya is more deserving of knighthood than me."

Eita walked forward. "Yeah. Sorry, brother, but I'm going. I've stayed on the sidelines long enough."

"Wait, Eita. Your injuries."

He touched his stomach. "I'll be fine. Camila patched me up."

I sighed. "Fine, but if you're in pain, don't expect me to bail you out."

"I'm not. Especially considering that nothing seems to move you from this spot."

"I'm not strong enough," I said, thrusting my javelin once more. This time, it slipped from my hand. The javelin knocked down the trees in its path as it flew far.

"Yikes," Eita said, staring at the destruction.

I smiled slightly. Wasn't even trying. If it had mana packed into it, the destruction would've been greater.

"Found you," a voice called out from the woods.

Shivers ran up my back at the sound of the voice.

"Huh? Who are you?" Eita asked.

A white haired boy with glowing red eyes held his hand at him and shot a dark sphere at my brother. "Shut up."

"Eita!" I yelled.

My brother jumped up and watched as the sphere exploded upon contact with the tree behind him, sending splinters flying in multiple directions.

"That wasn't very strong," Eita said, looking back at the boy.

The boy formed multiple more spheres, this time without moving his hand.

"Eita, get away!"

My brother flew toward the boy and vanished.

The boy in black turned around and grabbed my brother's electricity covered hand.

Eita winced as the boy applied pressure to his wrist.

"You should have heeded your monster of a brother's words."

Eita clenched his teeth and unleashed a electricity from his entire body, sending the boy flying into a nearby pond.

"Don't call Eiichi a monster," Eita said, panting. He fell to his knees.

"Eita!" I yelled, running toward him.

My brother glanced at the boy as his burnt hand regenerated.

"Who is that guy?"

I eyed the boy. "Conrad. Serrano's brother."

Eita gasped. "That's Serrano's brother? So the abysmals are attacking us too?"

"No. I think this one came out of his own volition." I narrowed my eyes at the boy. Something was off about Conrad. It seemed as if he was being controlled by a demon, but I couldn't pick up on it.

"You'll going to die, Eiichi," Conrad said as he raised his head, revealing a slasher smile.

I held my left hand forward. Prana surged up from my Magicum Organum into my hand, causing it to glow bright yellow. "Leiji!"

Conrad held a hand forward as golden chains charged with electricity rushed toward him. The chains shattered, sending electricity flying back at me.

I held out my hands and channeled the rouge electricity into the tips of my fingers. "Fulgur Draco Maxima!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Conrad jumped as a golden electric dragon vaporized the pond. He glanced down as arcs of electricity flew upward. The white-haired boy clicked his tongue and formed a barrier of darkness. The eletricity struck the barrier head on, pushing him higher into the air.

"I won't lose to you!" Conrad yelled.

My eyes widened as the electricity dispersed. 

"His barrier withstood a Fulgur Draco Maxima," Eita said, eyes wide.

Golden wisps appeared around me. "Eita. Get out of here, now," I said in a cold tone.

Eita winced. "I don't think I'm any shape to do so, even if I wanted to."

I rose into the air. The sky crackled as clouds gathered directly above me. Lightning struck not too far from here, but it was a burned out part of the forest, so no new wildfires were made.

"Alright. Stay where you are in that case. Only move if you have to."

"So, this is Second Heaven," Eita said, smiling slightly as golden sparks crackled around me.

"Yeah. I didn't want to have to resort to it, but this kid isn't a push over," I said, pointing Carlos at Conrad.

The red-eyed boy jumped into the air and threw a punch at me, but I caught it. His left leg struck my side, but Conrad was the one screaming in agony. He continued to cry as the aura around me covered his arm.

"Who are you, really?" I asked, leering at him.

Conrad grunted and kicked me in the stomach with both his feet. This time, it worked. I spread my wings to slow down my momentum. Much to my surprise, he was gone.

"I'm Conrad," the boy said as he appeared behind me. He fired a dark sphere against my back, sending me plummeting toward the ground.

I winced as one of my wings felt out of place. Had he broken it?

Conrad reached down and grabbed a hold of my broken wing. He punched my back, causing me to scream.

"I can kill you, but I won't. You have to suffer," he said in a bone chilling tone. Was this really Serra's naive little brother.

"Let go!" I yelled, stabbing him with the pole of my javelin.

He spat out black gunk from his mouth as he lost his grip on my wing. Why did he not have blood? He wasn't a pure abysmal. Or was it that his angelic side is gone?

Conrad smiled slightly. "Nice hit, but you won't get another!"

I stared at the ground. Holding my arms forward, I formed a barrier. My eyes widened as spiky black whips shattered it from behind.

"No you don't!"

"Eiichi!" Eita screamed as the spiky tendrils dug into my skin.

"I feel bad for you, having a brother like him," Conrad said as his eyes softened.

Electricity flowed out of my body and set the tendrils on fire. Seemed they sucked at conducting electricity.

Conrad let go of his black whips and flew to the ground with his mismatched pair of wings. One was a black raven-like wing with and the other a black bat-like wing.

The golden aura reappeared around me, destroying the remnants of the burning wing.

"I'm sorry too!" Eita yelled, tackling Conrad in the back.

"Eita, stop! He's too dangerous!" I yelled.

Conrad pushed him away and formed a purple knife out of darkness mana. "Why won't you listen?"

Eita glared at him. "I won't sit down and watch as you maim my brother."

Conrad gritted his teeth. "You would defend someone like him? You're ignorant of what he did, aren't you? Your brother attacked Piedad and tried to force himself on her. To make matters worse, he poisoned me in order to shut me up."

"You did that?" Eita asked, staring at me with wide eyes.

I gripped my broken wing as I landed with the help my other three. "Yeah... I did. I'm the one who responsible for his death and Piedad's." I turned away. "I'm also the one who attacked Rosa and framed Tetsuya."

"You did what?" Conrad asked, grabbing me by the neck. Darkness poured out hands as he dug his nails against my skin.

"I know that what I did that has no excuse! I'm willing to pay for what I did to all of you."

"Conrad, let go of him," Eita said, staggering toward me. "Killing him won't bring you justice."

My heart sank at the sight of Eita's eyes. They held a mix of anger and sadness.

Conrad nodded. "Fine." He dropped me, only to knee kick me in the stomach, sending me barreling into the dried up lake bed. "I won't kill you, only because I wish to see what happens to your miserable existence."

I tried to push myself up but my arms ached. Perhaps, I shouldn't have let him hit me as much as I did. But, it appeared it managed to calm him down.

"Wait, that's it?" a voice echoed. It came from Conrad. He gripped his head.

"Conrad?" Eita asked.

"You're supposed to break him more. If not kill him then kill those close to him."

Conrad closed his eyes in agony as he pointed a finger at a confused Eita.

"Eita!" I screamed, rushing forward.

I pushed Conrad to the ground and watched as the beam barely missed striking my brother's left leg.

"So, you finally show yourself," I said, glaring at Conrad.

Conrad gripped his head and muttered, "I-Ifrit's trying to take over again."

"Fight him!" Eita yelled.

"Conrad!" a voice called out. I turned and watched as King Osamu and a man resembling Serrano and Conrad made his way toward us.

"D-Dad. Uncle," Conrad said, tears in his eyes. "I-I don't want to hurt people any more."

"I know," Azami said, picking him up.

"Hold him well, Azami," Osamu said, covering his fist in orange light. "Celestial Knuckle!"

A hellish scream came out of Conrad.

"D-damn it," Ifrit said, using Conrad's lips for one more time.

Conrad closed his eyes.

"Is he alright?" Eita asked, trying to move toward them.

"He should be," Azami said, staring at the boy.

"I'm surprised you're still alive," King Osamu said, leering at me like he had done to Tetsuya in the dungeon. Did he know it was me?

I turned my back to him. "I am too." That boy, he might been filled with anger, but that wrath wasn't enough to overpower his merciful side.

That was his fatal flaw, though. If he had only killed me all those years ago instead of having spared me, he would have lived out the rest of his life.

"Your Majesty, there's something that I'll like to tell you. It's about what happened at the ball."

"The ball?" Azami asked, glancing at his brother.

If Conrad hadn't killed me, his father and uncle probably would.

I closed my eyes. "Yeah. But, before I do, allow me to finish this war alongside the others."

Osamu took a deep breath. "Fine. It was what I allowed with Tetsuya, so you'll get the same treatment. Now, get out of my sight, trash."

I lowered my head and staggered into the forest.

Tears dripped down my eyes as I stumbled into the dirt.

"Eiichi, why didn't you let me fight?" Carlos's voice echoed.

"I couldn't do that. Facing Conrad is my duty, as the one who caused his death," I whispered.

Carlos sighed. "That's not true. But you won't listen to a thing I say, will you?"

I closed my eyes and continued to cry. Carlos had gone silent.

"Eiichi?" Mom's voice echoed. I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. "Eii, are you alright? Where's Eita? What was that storm? Did you go into Second Heaven?"

"Mom, please let me go."

"Huh?" she asked. "How do you expect me to do that when you're in this state?"

"A-a monster like me doesn't deserve your pity."

I removed her hands from my shoulders and got up.

"Eiichi!" Mom yelled, running after me.

"Go tend Eita. He's in the clearing over there. He's more injured than me. I'll be in my tent. I need some alone time."

Mom took a deep breath. "I'm not sure what washed over you, but alright. Just, please don't hurt yourself."

"I won't." That would be the coward's way out and I was done being one. It was time for me to face my crimes.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter ^^. Next couple will wrap up loose ends for this arc**