*Etsuo*
[Meanwhile]
"Dan?" I asked.
"Yes, my brother. Or have you forgotten who he was?" the kid who resembled Dan asked.
I closed my eyes and snickered. "No..."
"Are you mocking him?" he screamed. "Tsk. Well, it ends here and now!"
"Stop it!" a voice called out. It sounded like Kiara. "Silas, stop! Don't hurt him." She gasped. "No, Etsuo!"
I felt hands against my wound. Mana began to enter into my body.
"Did you do this to him? Answer me! Did you do this to Etsuo!" She... or rather Dine yelled.
"No, I didn't. Now, move aside, let me finish him off!" he yelled.
"He wasn't the one who killed Dan!" Kiara yelled. "I already told you why he did what he did! Why won't Hideo and you understand?"
"Silas, listen to your sister," someone who sounded like Hideaki said.
"Tsk. Why should I listen to someone who would forgive a bunch of rebels? They might be our relatives, but they're still traitors!"
His father sighed.
"Listen to father, please," Kiara said. "Go back home, it's too dangerous here."
"Hmph. You're just defending your boyfriend! Whatever, if you like him better than us then so be it! But know that I won't overlook this. One of these days, I will avenge my brother!"
This one really is like his oldest brother...
"Wait!" I called out, using all of the energy I had left. "I... I am not without blame... for...what happened to Dan. I... should... never... have... befriended him... or Kiara... I doomed them."
Silas scoffed. "Hmph. At least you acknowledge it."
"Yes, but it doesn't solve anything," Hideo said. I felt his glare on me. "Though, at least we've apprehended him again."
Heh. I truly was where I had started...
"Don't worry, Etsuo. We won't hurt you," a voice called out.
I gasped. One of the three healing me... I opened my eyes and saw Rosa with her hands over me. She smiled. "Long time no see, huh?"
"Ro...sa... Why?"
She narrowed her eyes at me just like Mai would whenever she thought I asked something stupid. "Isn't it obvious? We're friends."
Friends? She still saw me as one despite everything? Didn't she know that I was the one who came up with the plan to use her?
I stared at her momentarily. There was something off about her, but I wasn't sure what it was. But it felt like a mix of her mana and Tetsuya's. Was it that Tetsuya's mana still lingered within her? Or perhaps, he had recently given her some more of his life-force...
I looked up and gasped as another pillar of darkness tore through the sky. "Roa... I need to help him." I moved forward but Rosa, Nori, and Ximena held me back.
"Where do you think you're going?" Ximena asked, pinning me down to the grassy floor. "You are in no state to go. We aren't done sealing the wound."
"Let go of me! I don't care what happens to me! I need to go save Roa!" I yelled, struggling. "I need to save him!"
"You won't be able to save them in the state you're in," Setsuko said, glaring at me as she watched her sister and the other two heal me. "You'll just get in his way, if anything."
I clenched my teeth. She certainly didn't hold her words, did she? Though, she was right... I would only get in Roa's way... like I've always had.
"Don't worry about Roa," Rosa said, smiling slightly. Her voice was strangely calm, as if she had confidence that he would be okay. "Tetsu and Serra went to help him."
Why would they help him? Especially, Serrano. Sure, Roa and he are bound by blood but... Roa alongside Satoru and Reno killed his teammates. Man-kin while having kept his hands clean still played a part too. Without me around, would Serrano attempt to avenge his companions' deaths?
*Roa*
[Kuroki Mountains]
Naoru wiped away the saliva from his face and swung his weapon.
"Nope, not going to happen!" a voice called out. The owner of the voice stood between us and grabbed a hold of the sword with both hands. A thousand tiny cuts appeared on the blocker's hands. He had somehow managed to spread out the energy, though for some reason it still cut him. At least none of them were more major than a paper cut.
I smiled as I stared at an athletically built teenage boy in front of me. "M-Man-Kin," I said.
He turned around and grinned. "Sorry for arriving late. Mai wanted to visit Dan's 'grave'."
"Man-Kin, I thought you promised not to tell anyone that," Mei yelled, rushing toward us. She stopped and glanced over at Mai who emerged from a stalk of six-foot grass.
Mai sighed. "I should've known not to have taken you along." She stepped forward and raised her hand at Naoru. A sphere of magenta energy formed in the palm of her hand. "Be gone!"
Naoru yanked his weapon free from Man-kin's grasp and jumped back into the air. "Tsk. More enemies have arrived. Slaughter them, Ela!"
The skeletal djinn moved toward Mai, but she fazed through her. "What?" she said.
"Mei, neutralize their powers."
Mei nodded and snapped her fingers.
The skeletal woman flinched as she began to slowly fade. "My powers... they're... fading."
"Hmph, so you're the one who broke into the palace with the help of that Kasai no Ki scum, Reno," Naoru said as he stepped back. "If I weren't too tired, I'll kill-"
"You talk too much," Mai said as she stood behind him, with a silver sword in hand. She yanked, it out, causing blood to spill over the ground. She gasped as the wound closed. "What? What are you?"
"No... Mei, didn't you stop all of his powers?" I asked as my body began to regenerate.
"I... I did. I mean, I should've," my pink haired cousin said as she stepped back.
Naoru pulled away from Mai and flew into the air. "You power, it has its limits. My weapon has two alternating abilities."
I smiled. "Thanks... for that... tidbit."
"Naoru!" a voice called out. I glanced up and saw Hyosetsu. The sword knight smiled as soon as he saw us. "Nicely done."
Naoru bowed his head. "Your praise honors me. Sadly, I was unable to kill them, Sir Hyosetsu."
Hyosetsu flew down and drew a plain looking sword. "Do not worry, that is why I am here. To insure their capture."
The black armored young man gasped. "Capture? You aren't going to kill them?"
The duke sighed. "I wouldn't mind, but capturing them also serves a purpose. Of course, this time we'll be certain to take precautionary measures to ensure that they won't escape. You can even be one of their guards."
"A purpose?" Naoru nodded. "I see. You're thinking of the greater war, wise of you."
Hyosetsu raised the plain sword in front of himself. "Now, leave. I'll handle these four by myself."
"Alright, sir." He flew away as fast as he could.
Tsk. That jerk got away, no matter. Hyosetsu, you'll pay for intervening!
Man-kin glared at the Baldo Knight as he and his sisters surrounded me.
"I'm going to go to where Etsuo is. Can you three delay him for me?"
"Of course," Mei said. "Now, hurry up and have big brother heal you."
I sighed and turned away. Sadly, he might be in a worse state than me.
Hyosetsu closed his eyes and appeared in front of me but a silver blade stopped his from striking me, their collision creating a mighty wind. I grunted as the sheer force of the gale sent me flying into my other two cousins.
The sword knight stared at Mai who stood before him. He smiled slightly. "Nicely done, blocking my sword."
Mei gasped as she pushed me aside. "Wait, is he like the crown princess? Do my powers not affect him?" she asked.
Mai shook her head as she stepped away from Hyosetsu. "No, I'm afraid that this is simply his brute strength. Much like Man-kin and my own."
"Yes. He isn't even wielding Baldo," I said as I struggled to stand.
"W-what? N-no way!" Mei said, stepping back.
"Do not fret," Mai said, maintaining her eyes on her opponent. "I'll handle him."
"Man-kin, help me get to Etsuo," I ordered.
He knelt down next to me and wrapped my left arm around his neck. "Mai, Mei, I'm going to take him to Etsuo. Be careful."
Hyosetsu took a step back and closed his eyes. "Dance of the Plum Blossoms!" He spun around, slicing the air in our direction.
Mai stepped between us once more, blocking the attack with the side of her sword. "Alright. I'll handle this one. It shouldn't take too long, anyway. He's rapidly using up his stamina with all of his fancy techniques. His sword might endure even less." Her eyes fell over the slight crack on Hyosetsu's plain sword.
"Didn't expect to run into another sword master," Hyosetsu said as he jumped back. He put a hand against the ground, pulling grass out in order to slow himself down. He slid his sword on one of the two scabbards on his back and pulled out another one just like it from the other. "But I've come prepared." He took a deep breath and swung his blade at her.
Mai glanced over at us. "Run."
"Wah?" Man-kin said, running to the right. He watched as the attack passed through his sister. A grassless scar laid next to us as the force of his blade ran for a few more feet. "T-that attack went on for several meters! How strong is this guy?"
I snickered slightly. "Don't be too surprised. This guy is one of the five making up the enemy's vanguard."
Mai turned her sword slightly. "Is that so? Then I shall nip the bud of the blossom here before the flower of our destruction blooms."
"Try me!" Hyosetsu said, unflinching.
This guy is already this strong, if he manages to get the boost that Osamu gave Naoru then he'll be even more of a threat. If only I weren't this injured, I would stay back and fight him myself.
"Let's get out of here," I whispered.
Man-kin nodded and squatted. "Get on and hold on to tightly, I'm going to get us out of here."
I would've grumbled if not for that fact that Etsuo needed me. The only one I liked riding on was on Blobby... Dine, I hoped that she was fine. It was already bad enough that Etsuo was hurt.
I looked up at the sky. Something or rather someone was following us. That guy hasn't given up. He has to be waiting for us to get out of Mai's disabling zone.
"Cuz, don't lower your guard. That guy nearly killed me... and he also stabbed Etsuo."
Man-kin eyes widened. "What?"
"That's why I wish to go to him. Not for him to heal me, but so that I can take him to someplace where he can be healed," I said, wincing. My wounds, they still weren't sealing fast enough.
Man-kin glanced up at the sky and narrowed his eyes. He stopped and curled his legs. "Hold on tight, we're going to fly!" He jumped into the air, rising and rising several miles.
"Woah," I said. I had no idea he could jump this high; it was higher than I had ever seen Etsuo jump and he could jump the highest out of all of us. Though, he had been training with his dad for years.
Man-kin gasped. "Roa, can you fly if you have to?"
"I think so, why do you ask?" I asked, trying not to wince. I didn't want him to worry about me more than he already was. I stared down and caught the scent of Kohri, but he wasn't the only one quickly approaching. Serrano and Tetsuya weren't too far behind. "No..."
I watched in dismay as we quickly started to fall back down. With me on his back like this, Man-kin couldn't release his wings to fly.
As we fell, I started to see shimmering particles. Ice.
I stared down and saw Kohri standing on the ground. He grinned as he saw us. "Hey!" he said, waving.
This guy, we couldn't trust him. He knew there was something fishy about Etsuo and me, but only held back from acting on his gut because of Rosalba naively believing us.
He swung his tiny silver hammer forward. The thing expanded suddenly.
"Roa, get away, I'll deal with him," Man-kin said as soon as we landed.
Kohri chuckled and lowered his hammer. "I know what your intentions are. Tetsuya and Serrano informed me that Etsuo is injured."
I gasped and turned around to see Tetsuya standing behind us.
"Boo!" he said, waving.
I glared at him.
"There is no escape. Come with us peacefully and pay for your crimes," Serrano said as he emerged from a dark portal. He held his hand out toward us. "Or do you think that I forgot what you did? And don't think that I'll forgive you. Unlike Dine, you weren't forced to do it."
"This is war," I said, closing my eyes. "I will protect my homeland, even if it means dirtying my hands."
"So be it," Serrano said as darkness danced in his right hand.
Man-kin charged toward him with a fist raised. Clang. He gasped as his fist hit a shield.
"You won't be hitting him," Tetsuya said, grinning. "Come with us peacefully. It'll be better that way. You'll get to see Etsuo again. That is what you want, isn't it?"
I stared at his eyes. There was something different about them. They were no longer the eyes of the young man who dreamed big. No, rather they were the eyes of one who had seen the darkness of the world around him and was desperately trying to keep it together.
"Why do you side with them?" I asked.
Tetsuya blinked. "Huh?"
"They accused you of a crime and they didn't even let you give your side of the events. Instead they mistreated you. Even when they needed your help, they set preconditions for the chance to clear your name. So, why do you continue to protect them? Instead, you should come with us. I'm certain that our grandfather would gladly welcome you."
Tetsuya lowered Agnes. His eyes lingered on me for a while. "I can't say that's not true. Even now I haven't had that chance. I am actually not even a knight. I never was to begin with."
"See, you should join us. Help us."
"Enough!" Serrano yelled, going around Tetsuya. He pointed his sword at us. "You should know that you can't defeat us. Not even you two with the help of Reno and that vile fox could defeat an injured me, so what makes you think now it'll be any different. So, don't go trying to tempt Tetsu to join you."
I scoffed. "Seems that Satoru was right about you, after all. You only use others. You use Tetsuya as a clutch. I bet that's why you accepted him back into our life. He is nothing but a support tool. You threw him away once, and you probably will again once you no longer feel that you need him."
"Shut up!" Tetsu said, looking up. Darkness surrounded him. "Stop talking like that fox or I'll kill you myself!"
Serrano stepped away from him. "Tetsu?"
Tetsuya shook his head as a tail sprouted from his lower back. "I hate... people... who try to sow distrust." He fell to his knees and screamed as his hands became claws.
"Tetsu, control yourself!" Kohri said, stepping closer.
"I think you made things worse," Man-kin said, glancing around. His lips turning into a frown as he murmured, "No, not him again."
I turned to see who he was looking at. Naoru descended from the sky a few feet away from us.
"I didn't expect to see you three here," Naoru said, smirking. "Well, now that I am here, allow me to assist you in their capture."
I stared at my draconic cousin. The more I stared, the more I noticed it, the hidden power that Etsuo and our uncle had seen in him. If I weren't careful, he could take us out. Kohri and Serrano were also here to assist him. Winning this would be tough... it could easily result in the death of Man-kin or me. Or both.
I raised my hands and sighed. "We surrender. Now take us to Etsuo."
"Kohri, Naoru, escort them back. I need to talk with Tetsu," Serrano said, approaching Tetsuya.
Naoru pointed his knife at my back and grinned. "Get moving," he said.
"Man-kin go."
Man-kin glared at Naoru. "Alright."
I glanced at my cousins. Serrano put a hand on Tetsuya's shoulder, but it was slapped away.
"Get away, you back-stabber!" the shield knight cried.
The blue-haired knight flinched and stepped back from him. "I'm sorry, but I..."
"You aren't sorry... No one believes you are," he said, pushing himself up. "Just leave. I don't want to talk to you right now."
Serrano turned away and nodded. "Alright... I'll leave." He opened his mouth to say something else, but nothing came out. He closed his eyes and ran off to catch up to us.
Tetsuya was shaking, as if struggling to contain the anger within, or perhaps it was fear. The fear of being hurt and abandoned once again by the one he cared about the most.
I smiled slightly. It seemed that Satoru's information about their relationship was still correct despite the whole buddy-buddy-again act they tried to pull. My words had managed to implant themselves into Tetsuya's fragile heart.
If the enemy is fighting among themselves then defeating them becomes much easier.
Though, it was a bit saddening to see two cousins who were close be divided. If things were a bit different, it could easily have been Etsuo and me...
**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :3. Thoughts, theories, predictions?**