I stared at Eiichi as he sparred with his brother. The Raiyama brothers had been going at it for hours now. Apart from the Grand Duke related stuff and the usual daily stuff, they hadn't stopped training since their father's funeral two weeks ago. They would often wolf down their meals to return to it. Hopefully, they wouldn't get sick.

I took a step forward. Perhaps, I should stop them.

"Don't you think that you've trained enough?" someone else called out. I turned left and saw Suzuki making her way over. She had decided to stay here in Raiyama as the harsh desert environment made for more grueling training. At least she knew when to stop unlike the idiot brothers.

Eiichi glared at her. "You don't seem to care, but then again, what can I expect from someone who betrayed her own clan."

Suzuki narrowed her eyes at him. "Need I remind you that I don't consider the Kuroriku as my clan?" She averted her gaze and hugged her shoulders. "That said, it was a mistake to have sided with them."

Suzuki. I'd heard how her cousin had perished in Abyssia. And while I didn't really know her, it did appear that she regretted her actions.

"Then prove it by recovering your cousin," Eiichi snapped. "His brother has worked tirelessly for that. You should at least match him."

"Eiichi, don't be so harsh on her," Eita said.

Suzuki turned around. "No, I think that your brother is right. I haven't done enough to help in the recovery of Dante."

"Wait!" I yelled, appearing out of my hiding spot. "I think that you do have a point, Suzuki. Eiichi, Eita, you two need to rest! We don't know when the enemy might attack again. If you two are exhausted, then all of this will be for nothing."

Eita lowered his sword. "Yeah, you're right."

Eiichi turned away, annoyed. "If only I could train in Munil some more, then I could grow faster."

I stepped toward him. "Eii, not sure if I told you this or not, but pushing your body to its limits can slow your growth. In physical exercise, the muscles need time to repair and come back better than before. It's the same thing with mana control. Since you're training both, that puts further strain on it."

Eiichi glanced at me and smiled weakly. "Master said the same thing once." He sighed. "Guess that I got no choice but to lay down."

"You laying down? Good luck with that! You have to pass out for that," Eita said.

"Good luck?" I asked.

"Eiichi's always out and about. Usually on dates and such."

A date? Should I ask him out on one?

Eiichi laughed bitterly. "That was back when I didn't take training seriously." He walked over to me and grabbed the sports bag that he had given me for safekeeping. "I wish that I had."

"Uh, Eiichi." My cheeks turned red as his red eyes locked with mine.

He turned to look at me, giving me a confused look. "Yeah?"

I stepped away from him and lowered my gaze. "Do, uh, do you want to go out. I mean as friends!"

"Woah, you got friend-zoned," Eita said, popping up behind him.

"Shut up," Eiichi said, sending him flying back with a punch to the chest.

Eita chuckled as he rubbed his chest. It was nice that at least one of them was still taking things lightheartedly.

"Fine," Eiichi said.

I blinked. "Huh?"

His cheeks flushed. "What? Did you forget what you asked me already? I'll go on that 'friendly' date you suggested."

I gulped and waved my hands in front of me. "No, I didn't forget!" Ugh, why did I friendzone him? I should've tried being honest. Though, I barely knew him. Still, taking things slowly was best right now.

He smiled as he put his bag over his shoulder. It made him look more attractive than he already was.

"I know, we should go on a double date!" Eita said, smiling at Suzuki.

The redhead sighed. "Fine, that way you can stop annoying me about it."

Eita frowned. "Sorry."

Suzuki grumbled. Bet she felt as bad I did for friend zoning Eiichi.

Eiichi snickered. "You're worse than friend zoned, brother."

"Shut up!" Eita yelled, flying at him. 

Eiichi caught hit his fist with his palm. "Nice try, but you aren't at my level yet."

He huffed and jumped back. "Ugh. I won't be able to awaken Capitolinus at this rate..."

"Well, it took the little princess years to do so," Suzuki said, walking away.

"Right, but I don't want to wait fourteen years to activate it!"

"Well, maybe you just need to see someone you love be killed before your eyes."

That's awful. Wait, was that how Rosalba activated hers?

"I definitely don't want that."

Suzuki smiled and flew off.

"Wait for me!" I yelled, chasing after her.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you going to go get ready for the date too?"

She grumbled. "Yes. But first I need to buy something nice. All I have are these clothes and the funeral attire I wore at Eita's dad's funeral and that of my great-grandfather."

My eyes widened. So that's where she, Reno, and Alabaster had briefly gone.

"Your great-grandfather died?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes. He was killed by Kimura."

"Huh?" I said, flying away.

Suzuki looked at the white palace. "He wanted to die anyway. Though, it didn't make it any less sad. Not so much me as I barely knew him, but for my mom and uncles who did."

"Oh." I wanted to know how it'd happened, but it would've been rude to press any further.

"Hopefully, he's now with his wife and my grandpa."

Oh, right. Her grandfather had been killed by the old generation of Seven Hills.

"Uh, want to go shopping with me then?" I asked, trying my best smile.

She laughed. "Sure, I'm not very girly."

I tilted my head. "I'm not either."

"Hmm, we might need someone else to give us advice," Suzuki mumbled. She gasped. "I know, Akari!"

"Akane?"

She laughed. "No, Akari. She's the ex of Zafir."

"Oh, I see! Akari... that's a pretty name." Maybe I should name one of my kids that. Though, I probably shouldn't be thinking such things when we still had a war to win.

"There she is!," Suzuki said, landing on a balcony.

"Need something?" a blond haired girl with fair skin said, taken aback. She reminded me of Eiichi and his mother.

"Yeah, we need some advice."

"Oh? Well, I'm all ears. Though, if it's dating related, I advise you ask someone like Onami instead."

"It's kind of related, yet not," I said, landing.

Akari's eyes widened. "Mom?"

"Huh?" I said, tilting my head.

She looked me up and down. "No... you look four years younger than her. But, how uncanny. It feels as if I traveled back in time."

I smiled. "I look like your mom? Bet she's pretty."

Akari chuckled. "A bit conceited, don't you think? But that is. Yet, her beauty wasn't enough for Dad."

"Sounds like she got with a jerk," Suzuki said.

I sighed. The girl was worse than me.

"No denying that. Wish I knew who he was, then I would punch his face. Sadly, I don't even know how he looks like. Mom doesn't even have any pictures of them."

"Can't blame your mom for burning them. I would too," Suzuki said.

"Mom says she didn't burn them. She doesn't even remember much of Dad other than he was a handsome guy."

"How non-specific..."

Akari nodded. "Yeah, good looking guys aren't all that uncommon. Well, there is something else. My big brother got his crimson eyes from him."

Red-eyed handsome guy? Why did that sound like...

"Maybe he was a Makkuroyama or a Raiyama."

"Could be. Either way, I think he might've taken advantage of her, that's why Mom claims not to recall. Like what happened to Rosa."

If Eiichi were twenty-something years older, I would start to suspect he was her father.

"Wait, maybe she lost her memory like me," I said.

"Huh? You lost your memory?" Akari said.

I smiled slightly. "Yeah, but I'm making new ones! That said, I wish I could remember who my family is. Sometimes I think that I'm Lady's Saya's sister."

"That can't be, my uncle Daisuke's the youngest." Akari hugged herself and stepped back. "What's your name?"

"My name? Sabine."

She laughed. "Oh. For a moment there, I thought you were going to say Sabrina!"

I fell to my knees as a pulse ran through my brain.

"Hey, you okay?" Suzuki asked.

I nodded as the headache passed. "Y-yeah."

"I'll go get you a glass of water!" Akari said, running off.

"What was that?" Suzuki asked as she sat me down against the wall.

I rubbed my head. "I'm not sure, I suddenly felt a jolt in my brain."

"A jolt? Do you think your memories might be coming back?"

Sabrina echoed in my head. Was that my real name? Just who was I? Why did I share and look like Akari's mother? Could it be that I was a clone? Eiichi had found me in the abyss. Perhaps I was created to fight the abysmals. But by who? Sir Tetsuya's father?

I smiled at her. "No, not really."

"Here you go!" Akari said, running back out with a water bottle.

"Thanks," I said, taking it.

She gave me a grin reminiscent of Eita.

"Think you should take it easy. We can delay the date with the guys or go looking like we do now," Suzuki said.

Akari smiled. "Wait, you two wanted fashion advise? I could give you that. There's a couple clothes here. Lady Eiko gave me some too, though those are pregnancy clothes."

"Are you close to her?" I asked as Suzuki helped me up.

"Lady Eiko? Yeah. She's like a second mom to me!"

Suzuki scrunched her nose. "Really? Hard to think she cares for someone outside of her family given how snobby she comes off."

"She's not too bad once you get to know her. Plus, I think it's because I look like her."

"Ahh, so she sees you as an honorary kid."

"Yeah."

Perhaps instead of asking who I was, I should've been asking who Akari was. Why did she look like Eiichi's family and why did her mother look like me?

Akari opened her closet. "Tada! Pick whatever you want. We can make any adjustments necessary later. Though, I don't think you'll need much, Suzu. Our sizes are similar."

I put my hands on my small chest. Wish the same could be said about me...

"Don't worry, I got a few things that will go well with a cups too!"

I grumbled. Why did she have to say it like that?

"I'm a b-cup!" I snapped.

Akari laughed. "Sorry. It's hard to tell with your baggy clothes. At least I was close. Though that you could've been bigger underneath all that loose fabric."

I wished.

"This red looks nice," Suzuki said, grabbing one of the dresses.

"You like it?"

She tilted her head. "Yeah, but I'm not sure if it's good for dates. Is it too formal?"

"You don't wear dresses often, do you?"

Suzuki sighed. "No. I never attended any parties."

"Not even prom?"

"I was homeschooled."

"Yikes. You've missed out on a lot. Good thing you have me! I'll have your dates slobbering like dogs once I'm done with you."

I laughed. How self-confident.

Suzuki sighed. "I rather not. My date already acts like a puppy."

"Aww!" Akari said, bringing her hands up to her face.

"It's not as cute as it sounds!"

Poor Eita. Hmm, wonder what I can do to help him out with her... I should find out what Suzuki likes!

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter ^^. There are only a few more laidback ones like this remaining (feel it's needed after the more emotionally charged last episodes), so if you like action you're in for a treat!**