[Meanwhile- Kuroriku's Southern Province]

I smiled as I dodged Serra's sword. "Nice try, cousin."

Serrano pulled his right sword back and thrust his left sword forward, I blocked with Agnes and pushed back against it.

"Come on, Rosa, Kohri. Put a little more work to it!" Setsuko yelled from across the hills as she dodged Rosa and Kohri's combination ice attack.

Rosa smiled as one of her triangular drone-like weapons snuck up behind her sister and fired a beam at her.

Setsuko side-stepped the beam and yawned. "What an obvious trick, Little Sis."

My princess pouted. "Thought I had you there for sure!"

Setsuko put a hand on her hip. "Sorry, but you have to try harder than that if you plan to hit me. Maybe team up with Serra and try to take down your knight. As long as I'm in Zen Mode, you two can't hope to beat me."

Rosa's face flushed. "D-don't look down on us!"

"Yeah!" Kohri said, grinning as he appeared before Setsuko.

The crown princess raised her right arm and winced as she was pushed back. Ice covered the area that Kohri's hammer had struck.

Setty laughed. "Guess that I shouldn't have underestimated you, Kohri."

"Us," Kohri said, pointing at Rosa. "Her job was to distract you to knock you out of Zen Mode."

The older princess laughed. "I see. Seems that I got a little over my head there."

I glanced back at Serra as he tried to get past my shield.

My cousin smirked. "Honestly, you Knights of Prophecy have gotten a little too big for your britches." He jumped back and took a deep breath. "Just because you trained in Munil for a while doesn't make you better than us."

I smiled. "I know. You managed to keep up with me rather well when we were in The Realm of Dreams."

His eyes glimmered as he lined his swords up. "Sabretooth Tiger Crunch!"

I pulled Agnes closer to my body and jumped back. The ground underfoot gave in, sending me falling back.

"Serra!" Setsuko yelled. Why was she yelling his name? I was the one falling. Well, not that I was in any real trouble with Agnes in my hands.

I bounced as a bubble-like barrier appeared around me. My eyes widened as I realized just far down I'd fallen. The sky was but a tiny dot in the distance. Wait, had Setty screamed at Serra for not watching his strength? Serra did have issues controlling it some years back. I hadn't noticed how much stronger he had become as we were both tearing up the landscape in that 'dream'.

"Hiyup!"I yelled, jumping out of my bubble as soon as I resurfaced. "Seems that you need to practice controlling the power of those twin swords, Cuz."

Setsuko nodded. "Indeed, he does. Too bad that Hyosetsu isn't here, else I would have him train under him."

Serra smiled weakly. "I asked him for a few tips before he departed to Mizu no Kin." He eyed his swords. "It's actually because of those that I released that much power."

I scratched my face. Hyo, was he a better teacher than me?

She sighed as she folded her hands. "Seems he forgot to give you the tips that I'm talking about."

I smiled. Of course not, he left out the important stuff. I sighed mentally. There I went, thinking like a kid again. There would always be people who are better at some things than me.

"Are we late for training?" a voice called out. We turned to the left and watched as Eita, his siblings, and Borasco stepped out of the portal.

I smiled at my former underclassman. "One's never too late for training!"

"If anything, they look like they started started early," Eika said, stepping forward. Her gaze shifted to the hole.

"Seems they're not holding back," Eisuke said, grinning as he peered down.

"Don't get too close, the ground might collapse," Setsuko said.

Eisuke glanced up at her. She was only a few feet away from the edge herself. "And you?"

She shrugged. "I have earth powers. You don't, or do you?"

He scoffed. "I'm part of the Kuroriku clan too." He held his hand out, causing the ground around the hole to shift. His teeth clenched. "Just need a little more time."

Eika put a hand on her little brother's shoulder. "Stop, Eisuke, you're embarrassing yourself in front of my friends."

Kohri smiled. "Let him at it. It's good training."

Rosa nodded.

Setsuko chuckled. "True."

"Snack time! Yuko, Mrs. Kuroriku, and I made some lemonade and biscuits!" Ximena yelled as she and Yuko strode out of the house.

Since I was here to watch over Ma, Tere went to train with her father in the capital. While Taku left with Prince Ryonoko to Amadeus. Big Bro said that there might be something that could help us against the demons there besides recruiting the Seven Lights.

"I helped too, a little bit," Onami said, blushing.

Kohri laughed. "You in a kitchen? Hard to imagine."

Onami glared at him. Suddenly, we were transported to a desert.

"What? Are we back home?" Eisuke asked, looking around.

No, this was that eye thing that Yuko did back in the palace when we first fought Satoru.

"Oh, it's that desert Yuko made!" Yuko said, glancing around. She looked down at the tray of lemonade in her hands and yelled. "Lemonade!" It was evaporating rapidly.

Onami blinked, returning our surroundings back to normal.

Yuko sniffed. "Yuko's Yummy Lemonade is half gone."

"Sorry, Yu. I didn't mean to ruin all your hard work," Onami said, fidgeting. She smiled weakly. "Uh, at least no sand got into it."

I walked over to Yuko and took a glass of the stuff. "Hmm, it is yummy!" It was just the right blend of lemon sourness with the sweetness of sugar.

Yuko's ears moved moved up as her hat twitched. "Really, Master?"

"Master? That girl is your servant? The economy here must be booming if peasants can afford them now," Eisuke asked.

I sighed. Why did she have to call me that again?

"Master saved Yuko!" Yuko exclaimed.

I facepalmed. Why did she have to say that? When would she learn to let me handle this kind of stuff?

"Oh, so you're working for him as a way to say thanks? That's awfully kind of you," Eisuke said, grinning.

I narrowed my eyes at him. His tone, it sounded like he was flirting with her.

"Psst, Eisuke, Yuko belongs to her 'Master'," Eita whispered, or at least he 'tried' to as we could all hear him.

Eika scoffed and glared at me. Why was she giving me that look? I kept telling Yuko not to call me that!

"Eh? Lucky guy, having a cute girl who is into him call him that."

"That so?" a voice called out.

Eisuke jumped and turned to see Amu as she walked out of the house. Aunt Rene and her kids were still staying here.

I snickered.

My back tingled as I felt a jab to the spine. I turned and saw Rosa glaring at me. "What's so funny?"

I laughed. "Amu's reaction."

She narrowed her hazel eyes at me as if not believing a word I'd said. Great, she was in jealous princess mode again. That was about as deadly as her sister's Zen Mode. Well, not that Setty wasn't capable of it herself. Yikes if Serra ever had to face jealous Zen Mode Setsuko.

Rosa crossed her arms and turned around. "Starting to wonder if I should've given Hyo a-" She cupped her mouth and blushed.

My eyes widened. Was she going to say 'a chance'? Wait, so Hyosetsu had made a move on her? That explains what he said about me losing her if I kept this up. I knew that he liked her despite speaking down to her. If anything, that was his way of flirting with her.

I sighed. "Sorry. I, uh."

She lowered her hands. "It's alright. Let's return to training."

Rosa...

"Master," Yuko said, looking at me with sad eyes.

I lowered my head. While I didn't wish to hurt either girl, I was already affecting both with my indecision. I had to make one soon, or else I would really lose both like Hyosetsu had warned me.

"I know how it feels," Serra said, patting my back. "I'm on the same boat after all."

I smiled weakly. It wasn't fair for us to do this the sisters.

"Why are you two mopping around?" Setsuko asked before finishing her biscuit.

"Love problems," I mumbled.

She smiled. "At least you're being honest for once."

What did she mean by that? She made it sound as if I were lying all of the time.

Serra chuckled.

So much for being on the same boat...

"You could learn from him, Serra," Setsuko said before turning her back to us.

Serra smiled faintly at me. "I supposed that's true."

Eh? He sure was taking that light heartedly.

"Seems that everyone is here," a voice called out, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"Yup!" Azami said, grinning as he walked out of the house with his twin brother. My aunt Selena and Plum were training Conrad by the river. Grandpa Saffron had gone off to observe them to make sure that they didn't think of trying anything funny. Yuko had also asked Con's angel friend to watch over him.

The king sighed. "Well, minus Miyuki and Eiko."

According to Kohri, Lady Miyuki had departed with Hyosetsu and the Mizu no Kin royals. Seemed she wanted to visit her family there. Likely also to keep tabs on Hyosetsu. Given his personality, I didn't blame her. A slip up and he could start a diplomatic disaster.

"Pardon our mother," Eika said, bowing her head. "She wished to stay home with our little siblings before the fighting began. But concern yourself not, she is diligent with her training."

Osamu smiled slightly. "I'm aware. She let me know during the funeral. As for training, I do not doubt it. She was my usual sparring partner in my youth. I trust Miyu to do the same."

"Miyu? You must be close to Mom," Kohri said, grinning.

"I'm pretty sure that my little brother had feelings for her when they were little," Azami said, wrapping an arm around his brother.

Osamu grabbed his arm and removed it from his shoulders, but not before making his big brother yelp in pain by squeezing his hand tight. "I did not."

Azami clenched his hand. "You could've said that instead of breaking my hand!"

The king rolled his eyes.

"Your dad is so childish," I mumbled to Serra.

Serra snickered. "Just like you."

I gave him a deadpan look.

"Here, let me heal that," Ma said as she rolled her chair out of the house.

"Thanks, Anis."

"No problem."

Osamu closed his eyes and jumped down the remaining steps. "Serrano, Tetsuya, come with me."

I furrowed my brows. "Me?"

He looked over his shoulder. "Did I stutter?"

Eita took out a notebook and began jotting something down. If I wasn't wrong, it was his pad of cool one-liners.

"That's overused," I mumbled as I followed Serra. Couldn't Osamu just tell me why he needed me? Or did he think being all mysterious made him cooler?

I looked up as Serra and his uncle took to the skies. Where was he taking us? Hopefully this wasn't something shady. I didn't trust the guy. He did try to enslave Nori. At the end of the day, he was no better than my father.

My eyes followed the king's path. He was flying straight forward without any deviation in his flight. Even when he curved, it would be gradual and seamless, no sudden turns.

"We are at our destination," the king said with the same monotone voice as those apps city people used to get around. He tucked his wings in and flew straight down, landing on a rocky flat area between three mountains.

"This place is weird," I said, tapping the unusually flat ground. It appeared to be the same age as the surrounding mountains, so it couldn't be a mesa. Did someone form it?

"It was formed by the Seven Hills Knights of long ago," Osamu said, turning around. "Your parents' generation and I used it as a training ground. At the time Takeshi and Anis were not great at making barriers, so it was safer to use this place."

"I see. So, why bring us two here and not the others?"

He sighed. "You are as impatient as your mother.

I narrowed my eyes at him. To this day, the guy made me want to punch his light out.

"So, why did you bring us here?" I repeated.

"Takeshi and I were thinking of showing this you once you returned to Munil, but due to his imprisonment, we had to delay it."

I furrowed my brow. "Dad's still imprisoned, so how can you show us whatever it is now?"

He pointed at Serrano's earring. "Aventine suggested me a way."

"She did? When?" Serrano asked, touching his earring.

"That's right," Aventine said, popping behind us, causing Serra to jump.

"A little warning would be nice!" I said, snickering.

She scratched her face. "I'm unsure how I can do so. If I say that I'm going to appear, my voice alone will cause him to jump."

Serrano laughed. "True. Uh, so what's this thing that you said you can help Uncle with?"

She held out her hand, projecting an image of the king fighting against a man who reminded me of Hyosetsu. Holding whatever recorded the image was my dad, panting.

"Osamu!" Father yelled as the red-haired man knee kicked the then prince into a pillar of what appeared to be a palace. The recording device shifted higher as dad raised his sword. No, there was no device. Aventine herself recorded it. And the man they were fighting, he must've been Kasai no Ki's disposed King, Tabiki!

Tabiki smirked at Father, sending shivers down his spine and mine. In his palm a fireball formed.

"You're no match for me. It makes me wonder how you even defeated my little brother. No matter, it ends here for your friend!"

"No!" Father screamed at the top of his lungs, dropping Aventine and flying straight toward the fireball.

"Takeshi!" the king yelled, pushing himself up. "Ta-Takeshi..." He watched in fear as a puddle of black goo sizzled where the fireball had struck. A green gem glowed in the center of it.

"That boy, he's like Father," Tabiki said, calmly walking toward it. "I see, that explains why you gave Hide a lot of trouble. But your end is here!"

Osamu gritted his teeth and ran forward, snatching the core up.

"Give me that," Tabiki said, turning to look at him.

"I don't know what this is, but I do know that it belongs to that guy." He hugged it. "That's why, I won't let you have it!" An orange aura covered Osamu.

"So, you returned to Second Heaven. Like that'll save you. I'll just kill the two of you!"

Osamu held out his sword as he braced for impact, suddenly, the core started to glow, covering him in shadows.

"What in the world?" Tabiki asked, eyes wide as black smoke rose around the king. No, not around but from him.

"You were saying, Tabiki?" a voice called out. Wait, that wasn't it, it sounded more like a pair speaking in unison. Serra and I leaned in as someone moved within the smoke. A plume of the stuff exploded outward like a jet without warning.

Tabiki spun around and blocked as a young man with long black hair and big eyes threw a punch at him. The king went flying through what appeared to be several rooms.

"Aventine, to me!" the stranger said. The sword flew over to him, giving us a closer look to the stranger. His skin was a lighter tone than my father's but darker than Osamu's and eyes clothes were a mix-and-match of the two.

"Who is this?" Serra and I asked in unison as we turned to look at Osamu.

The king scratched his head. "We never did agree on a name for him. Your father called him Takemu, I called him Osashi. Regardless, that young man is our fusion."

"Fusion?" we asked, gasping.

He nodded. "That's the secret behind how we stopped King Tabiki. Alone and as a pair, we couldn't do it. But combined, literally, we managed to push him to his limits."

"So, that's what Tabiki meant back in the Kuroki mountains," Serrano mumbled as he turned away.

"Yes. He thought I was the same Osamu he fought back then, incapable of defeating him without fusing with Takeshi."

"This guy sounds like a monster," I mumbled.

"True. At the end, we didn't truly defeat him. We merely tired him out. It was the arrival of the others that forced him to retreat." He lowered his head. "That's why, the war didn't truly end there. That man continued to fight even after being stripped of his title. Takeshi never did confirm it for me, but based on Tabiki's words, I believe he's the one who did your father in."

My gaze fell to the cement-like ground. Tabiki was the one who killed my father? He was the reason we had to go hungry? The reason my mom had to work long hours and pass out on the couch from exhaustion? The reason that Taku had to risk his life hunting demons? The reason we had no dad?

"Tetsu?" Serra asked, touching my shoulder.

"Tabiki, is he still in Kasai no Ki?" I asked, raising my head.

Osamu stared at me but didn't say a word.

Serrano shook his head at me. "I know what you're thinking, but he's our ally. Well, for now."

I curled my hands into fists. "I just want to talk to him."

"Like I'll believe that! I know you!"

"Listen to your cousin. Work on fusing. Then, you'll be strong enough to take that guy down yourselves."

Was that guy still a monster compared to us?

**Solar Note: Went for a meaty and Tetsu focused chapter for the 1st anniversary. If you enjoyed the chapter, please click on that star to show your love ^^. Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?**