[Some moments earlier]

I sighed I didn't get much out of my conversation with Sato. Truly, that man resembled that demonic fox, Satoru. If not for him having a teenage daughter, I would've suspected he was Satoru assuming a new identity.

"Cheer up," Koukyuu said, patting my shoulder. "We'll find out a way there. Though, perhaps the key is to ask the one with the power to seal the gateways."

"Who would that be?" I asked, turning to look at her as we walked with our kids to a nearby park.

"Nyima and her mother."

I gulped. "Ny-Nyima? Y-you mean that blue haired girl who I threatened as a kid?" I whispered, not wanting the kids to hear.

Koukyuu smiled. "So you finally remember her. Yes, her. She'll be the key to saving..."

"I got it!" a kid yelled before slamming into me. A frisbee flew past, hitting the kid on the head.

"Hey, watch it!" the kid yelled as he rubbed his head.

I grumbled. "You should be the one who should watch where you're going," I said.

"Hey, you're that guy from the festival," the kid said as he stepped back. "The one who shot that giant fox. That was so cool! Uh, though you're not as awesome as my daddy."

"Your daddy?" I asked. "Oh right, you're Eri's kid!"

The kid grinned. "Yup, sure am!"

I felt a pang of nostalgia while looking at him. Nostalgia for a time I didn't learn how to appreciate until it was too late.

"So, sorry about bumping into you," he said as he picked up the frisbee. He backed away slowly. "I'll try to be more careful from now on."

The pang intensified. He reminded me of when I was his age.

"Big bro!" a little boy yelled as he emerged from a portal. He ran on ahead of Lei who I remembered meeting during some of my visits to Nine Petal Academy. And prior to that during the Kyuu Seishinian games of long ago.

"Serein!" the kid yelled, running toward the little one.

"What bro doing?" he asked.

I chuckled. The way the kid spoke was funny... just like Dan did...

"Is mister sad?" Serein asked. He looked at me with his big blue eyes. Something about him felt familiar, but I couldn't put my finger as to what it was. Then again, the kid did look just like his dad.

"Me, sad? What makes you think that?" I asked, trying my best to look cheerful.

He crossed his tiny hands together. "Me feel suffering. Mister suffers."

Mister... his speech was closer to that of Yuko and Nori's than my brother's.

"Papa does seem to be sad," Zafi said, looking up at me with his adorable beady eyes. "Must be because of mama and uncle."

Koukyuu squatted down and took out a handkerchief to wipe away our son's tears.

"Mama and uncle?" Serein asked.

"Serein, don't pry into the lives of others," Raul said, grabbing his hand.

"Reminds me of someone," Lei said, glancing over at Nyima. He chuckled as he caught Nyima glaring back.

"Not like you don't pry," Nyima muttered.

"It's you!" I said.

Nyima gulped. "Uh, who are you?" she asked, averting her gaze.

"You don't recall? We met in Kyuu Seishin."

She laughed nervously. "R-really? I don't seem to recall."

I chuckled. Is she afraid of me? So, she likely recalls our original meeting all those years ago. If so, I can't blame her for reacting this way. I did threaten to shoot her...

"Bye," the kid who had bumped into me said. He grabbed his little brother's hand and escorted him into the vortex that Serein, Lei, and Nyima had come from.

"Whatever is bothering you, don't let it get to you," Nyima said. She turned over to Lei. "Same goes for you... and for me as well."

Lei put his hands behind his back in a manner reminiscent of a certain one I once knew. "You're right, but it can really be tough," he said, looking down at the ground.

Nyima sighed. "You're right about that. I sure can be..."

W-what had these kids gone through since I first met them? Why did their eyes contain such sadness? It... it wasn't right. They were younger than I was when I lost my brother.

"Lei! What are you doing here?" a voice called out. I turned and saw Eri and Ocarina make their way to us.

"Where are my little bundles of joy?" Ocarina said, looking around. She glanced at the portal and smiled. "So there they are. Serein, I know you're there, peeking."

Serein brought his head out of the portal and giggled. "Mama good!"

Ocarina chuckled and put a hand on her hips. "Of course I am. I can sense your prana with ease." She ran after him, causing him to let out a playful scream as he fled.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Lei, Nyima, Eri," I said, waving. I wanted to talk to Nyima about what had Koukyuu had mentioned, but I felt now wasn't the right time nor place to do so.

Eri placed a hand on my shoulder. "Keep on looking. You'll find a way, eventually," he said as if able to read my mind.

"Thanks, Tetsu," I whispered.

Eri chuckled and made his way into the portal along with Nyima and Lei.

"How odd, he didn't correct you just now," Koukyuu said.

"Right, he didn't..." I smiled and glanced up at the blue sky. "Then again, they are connected."

I looked down at my hand and formed a sphere of wind. This technique, for the past eight years, I had been the only one who has known it. Zafi and the others were too young to learn it, but that kid, Raul, perhaps he could learn it. He was an angel after all, one who could use wind if what I sensed from his mana was accurate. Who knew, perhaps one day he would need it in order to protect his little brother...

I chuckled. What was I doing? Projecting our past unto those kids' future... Surely they weren't going to meet the same fate that we did... Right?

An hour later we went to the large stadium that was across the park where we had encountered Koukyuu and Hideo. Iah and Adela were both a part of their teams.

Meanwhile, their two future pupils sat next to us.

"Go Mina!" Azure yelled. He waved a large yellow, blue, black, white, and azure flag around. "Show them off!"

"Quite a patriotic child," I muttered.

"Go go Wahkan," Serein yelled.

Azure glared at him. "Go Mina!" he yelled with more strength.

"Go go Wahkan!"

"Go Xian," Celeste yelled.

"Go, Wahkan," Astra muttered. "Go go."

I smiled and cupped my around around my mouth to amplify my voice. "Go Wahkan!" I yelled.

Astra looked up at me and giggled. She copied me and yelled once more.

Serein smiled at us. "That's the spirit!"

"Go Wahkan!" Lei yelled, louder than all of us.

Raul turned and yelled as well.

Azure pouted. "I won't lose to you... Go Mina!" he yelled with all his might.

"Go Mina!" a familiar voice echoed. Vermillion descended the stairs with Xuan.

"Big sis," Azure said, grinning.

"Go Wahkan," Xuan yelled, backing up her siblings.

"We outnumber you," Lei said.

"Yeah, I said. You'll need to try harder."

"Are you two competing against these kids?" Hikaru said as he and the others took their seats.

I blushed. "No, I wasn't..." Great, Lei's childishness was rubbing off on me.

"She was," Azure said with a smirk.

I could definitely see the resemblance between him and Iah. "Astra, Serein, and Raul, don't need my help to defeat you in a yelling contest."

Iah looked back at us and ran over. "How cute, you give it your all even against a child," he said, chuckling.

"Shut it," I said, my face heating up. "You should focus on the race that is about to start."

He glanced back at our team. "So your team consists of Yuzuki, Orion, Sirius, Stella, and Yen. I would've expected you to participate, Lei."

"I didn't feel up to the task," he said. "Though this is a great chance for Yen to get payback for losing against you in the exchange freshman tournament."

Iah chuckled and waved. "Yeah, right. I'll show her who's boss." He ran back to his team.

Hmph, guy was full of himself as usual. Though, it was kinda nice to have someone like him around. Someone who truly had confidence in his abilities and could back up his words. Unlike Lei and me...

"We're going to start the twenty-Mile race in a few minutes," an announcer said. "This event will take place over several days this year due to the large number of participants. The first seven countries participating around Xian, Mina, Kyuu Seishin, Wahkan, Sefa, Rios, and Higher Evolution Hierarchy."

"Higher Evolutionary Hierarchy?" Lei asked. "Where is that?"

"It's our neighbor," a blue haired man said. He sat down next to Lei. He smiled at Lei. "You look a lot like your father."

"You know this guy?" I asked.

"He's my mother's brother, Eu" Lei said, grinning.

"Uncle!" Serein yelled.

"You have met Serein?" Lei said.

"Yes, I've visited Ocarina as well." He picked up Serein and snickered. "He is looking more like his father too."

"I only remember Serein as a baby."

"You met me before?" Serein said.

Lei chuckled. "Yes, you were a cute little chubby baby back then."

Serein smiled. "Must be why you familiar."

Lei laughed. "I doubt you remember me, it's likely because of the family resemblance that you thought that. Anyways, uncle, what do you mean by 'neighbor'? I don't recall there being a country called Higher Evolutionary Hierarchy."

"Allow me to explain, brother," aunt Ocarina said.

"Go ahead, sis."

My aunt cleared her throat. "The H.E.H. used to be called Vale. Vale though underwent a rebellion by those who sought to create the "perfect" people. They are said to be mixing magic and biology to try and create the most powerful group of people in the world. Just like Kyuu Seishin did, they've shunned the outside world. It's remarkable that they are even participating in this year's tournament."

"It's not," Lei mother said as she made her way toward us. She was accompanied by her husband and their youngest son as well as the other members of our teams.

"Brothers!" Shandian said, smiling at his big brother. "Why aren't you participating?"

Lei looked away. "I am tired. I would've if I had more energy...don't worry your big bro will get his chance to shine."

"And there wasn't a spot for me," Kun said, chuckling. "Though Yen is faster than me, though she has less endurance."

Their little brother grinned as he sat down. "Hey, look it's about to begin!"

We all quieted down and watched the teams turn their attention to the woman floating over the arena on a bubble.

"From Xian are Adela, Renshu, Ona, Elliot, and Xi," the announcer said. Adela, Ona, Renshu, and Elliot made their way to the start of the track. Alongside them was a violet haired girl with layered brown hair.

"Kyuu Seishin's team consists of Etsuko Inu, Same, Ashynna, Gat, and Eien," the announcer continued.

"So that Ashynna is participating," Hikaru muttered. "My sister, Yen, and the other three might not win this."

"Don't say that," Lei said. "Yen is the second fastest after me, besides, unlike me she has better endurance."

"Yeah, big sister will win," Shandian said, grinning.

"She sure will," Kun said, nodding.

"I sure hope so," Hikaru said.

"Mina's team consists of Iah, Orichalcum, Scarlet, Maiya, and Darin. Wahkan's team is made up of Yen, Stella, Yuzuki, Sirius, and Orion."

"Interesting," Eri said, crossing his fingers together. "I didn't expect to see these many Hoshi in one team outside of Tora's."

Hikaru grinned. "Indeed. Over half of the team is made up of them."

"Sefa's team are Ulissis, Alban, Arima, and Alto," the announcer said.

"Wait, only four? Don't they got more?" I asked.

"Seems that Sefa is trying to conserve the energy of the others," Lei said, glancing over at President Bruno. Alongside him were several others.

The announcer called out the names of the H.E.H. participants and those of Rios, but none rang a bell, thought that was to be expected as they came from another continent than ours.

I watched as one of H.E.H.'s members made their way over to where Ulissis was. Ashynna seemed curious about them as she turned her attention to them.

"That girl, what or who is she looking for?" Hikaru muttered.

"Maybe she's looking for strong mages?" Lei suggested.

"No offense to Ulissis, but he isn't exactly strong."

"That boy looks familiar, doesn't he?" Harmonica asked, turning to look at her husband.

Feng narrowed his eyes at Ulissis. "Yes... Lei, Kun, what is the family name of your friend?"

"Amadeus, why?"

"Is he an angel?" Eri asked.

"I'm not sure," Hikaru said, leaning back against his seat. "I haven't see him use any angelic abilities. But to bear that surname, he must have a connection of some kind to them."

Feng rose from his seat and looked around.

"What's the matter, dad?" Kun asked.

"Do you know Ulissis?" Lei asked, startled.

His father took a deep breath. "No, but I do believe I know who his father is."

"Y-you do?" the two male triplets asked in unison.

"Yes. That he would allow his son to participate in these games is unsettling. That man who hates mages with a passion."

"He hates mages? But his son is one... I think," I said.

"Is he truly?" Feng asked as he sat back down.

Come to think about it, Ulissis has yet to show he can use magic. Magic doesn't affect him, which is abnormal even if he were part angel. So what is the mechanism behind his ability to resist magic? The only conclusion I could reach was that he was an anti-mage. If anyone discovered and ratted him out, he wouldn't only be suspended from participating in the games, his life would be fortified as well.

**Solar Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter :3. Thoughts? Theories as to what may be to come?**