[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights IV: Fated Holy War

Episode 37: Old Enemy

*Maki*

[Earlier]

"Tetsuya," Naoru said, flying over to the shield knight.

"Need something?" Tetsuya asked, glancing at him.

He raised one of his knives. "I want to take this to Setsuko and His Majesty, but I'm not in any state to fight."

"Yeah, you aren't!" Rosa snapped. "Let me do it."

Naoru shook his head. "I need to hand it directly to them. It'll work better that way."

Rosa frowned. "That so? Then I'll go with you!"

"No, you stay here," Tetsuya said. He walked over to Naoru. "Let me guess, you want me to make you a barrier?"

Naoru nodded. "Yes."

Tetsuya held out his hand and smiled. "Done."

Rosa leaned toward Naoru. "There's a barrier? I don't see a thing?"

"It's invisible," Hyosetsu said, closing his eyes. "If not for my ice, I would've had a harder time fighting him because of it."

"Yeah," Tetsuya said, somewhat annoyed. Did he lose to Hyosetsu in Munil?

Naoru clenched his knife. "I'll be going now." He jumped back into the air and vanished.

"Nao!" Rosa yelled. She sighed. "Why doesn't he rest?"

"Because, he has things to do," Hyosetsu said as he watched the flames.

Tetsuya glanced at him. "Is it just me or is are those flames reminiscent of your ice?"

"The aura of their creator, you mean?"

"Yeah."

Hyosetsu clenched his sword. "Indeed. I'm not sure why."

My eyes widened. The two of them were right. Hyosetsu and Dad gave off the same aura, just like Tetsuya and Eri shared the same vibe. Wait, could it be that Hyosetsu was Father's doppelganger?

"This is Father's doing?" Kei asked as he walked up to me.

I nodded. "Yes, it appears that way. Kei, find Koukyuu and get her away from here. I'll be the one to fight Father." Setsuko, Serrano, Selena and King Osamu were likely fighting him, but father was much older and wiser. He was a literal cunning fox.

Kei shook his head at me and summoned forth a white wand. Green light covered the wand, transforming it into a scythe. "Sorry, Mac, but I can't let you do it alone."

I sighed. Had a feeling that he would say that. Hopefully, Koukyuu wouldn't decide to join us too. I didn't want either of them to get hurt. Plus, there was the chance that our Father would die before our eyes. Kei had the best relationship with him, so him seeing that would probably scar him for life.

"Do you think you'll be able to do it?" I asked.

"Fight him? Of course, I've sparred with him multiple times."

I scoffed. "That was him going easy on us. However, that's not what I meant. I mean, if you had to kill him to maintain the peace between Kuroriku and Kasai no Ki, would you do it?"

Kei's hand trembled. "I..."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I thought so. You can't, can you? Stay here and protect this place. I'll go and confront Father. If all goes well, I should be able to convince him to give up what he's doing."

He looked me directly in the eyes. "Wouldn't Koukyuu and me be able to convince him of that better than you?"

I averted my gaze. Kei had a point there. He and Koukyuu had the best relationship with that guy. Shin'en would probably have done better if he were here. My eyes shifted back to the burning mountain range. Out of the four of us, I was his biggest disappointment.