[Axis Mundi]

Once the others had left, Aquarina descended the white stone stairs with someone else in tow. It was a tall, silver haired, dark skinned angel.

"Who is that?" Eiichi asked.

"My other ancestor, Halim," Hyosetsu said, staring at the angel with cyan wings.

"Halim?" the Carlos Knight asked as his eyes shifted to the man's well-toned abdomen. "I... uh... expected him to be fat."

"Yeah, same here," Hideo said, putting his hands behind his head.

I snickered.

"You guys," Setsuko said, glaring at us.

Why is she mad? Oh wait, this guy is her ancestor too. Oh right, he's mine too...

"Well, aren't you folks rude," Halim said, crossing his arms over his exposed chest. His frown suddenly became a grin. "Though, I don't blame you. I am known for my eating habits. I am just blessed with a fast metabolism."

Aquarina placed a hand on his shoulder. "Halim, you best be going now. We might not have much time," she said. She turned her ocean blue eyes toward us. "You better be serious about your training. Now is not the time to horse around."

"We won't," I said.

Halim grinned. "That's the spirit, kid!" he said as he formed a portal. "Well, Rina, we're off!"

His wife stared at him with narrowed eyes. "You know, I was talking to you too."

Halim smirked. "I know when to get serious, dear," he said as he looked back at her. He turned his cyan eyes toward the portal. "You five, follow me."

The five of us followed him into the swirling gray portal. We gasped. The vortex had taken us to strange pure white space. The only visible thing was a small grey town with a futuristic-looking crystal spiral tower at its center, which was where we were.

"Where are we?" Hideo asked, blinking as he stared out the window.

"Ugh, this place reminds me of the Abyss," Eiichi said, rubbing his eyes. "Beyond this village, the world just seems to go on and on..."

"This is Munil, like Xeleria, Wynaga, and Abyssia, it is another realm. Though this appears to be all that exists in this one," Halim said as he turned his back to the windows and walked down a hall which shimmered like a multi-colored moonstone. "This is a timeless place where you'll be spending the next forty-eight hours, though they'll feel like days."

"Wait, if this place is 'timeless', then how can forty-eight hours pass?" Hideo asked, raising an eyebrow as we followed after Halim.

The Archangel of Metal snickered. "I meant when forty-eight hours have passed outside. Right now, time in the outside worlds have likely moved a little more than a fraction of a nano second since we arrived. I guess that it's not truly timeless in the true sense of the word, but the movement of it is so slow that one could live one's entire life in what in our world is a few days."

I whistle and asked, "Wow, that's... amazing. So, we basically can train the equivalent of years in a few days in here?"

Halim shook his head as he came to a stop at a milky-white marble round chamber with four lonely pillars spread out in the four cardinal directions.

"I wish, but once forty-eight hours in the outside world have passed then you cannot return here. At least not for a very long time. This world is a fleeting one. Even us Seven Angels can't spend much time in here. I'm not even all that sure that you five will be able to last the entire forty-eight hours."

Hyosetsu scoffed. "Not sure about the others, but I will," he said, drawing his sword.

His ancestor grinned. "I see that you have the same ego as my wife. Fine, then let us hurry and start this thing! I've got to first teach you how to use those pauldrons. Stand straight and focus your mana into it."

I straightened myself out and closed my eyes to focus better. My energy drew forth from my hand and flowed down into the purple pauldron the foolish king had gifted me. I felt a powerful aura flow throughout my armor similar to that of my second heaven form. I opened my eyes and instantly noticed that a helmet covered my head.

My pauldron had turned black with spikes while purple cloth covered my front and back. My arms meanwhile were covered in black and gold panels. Even my long white hair was tied back into a ponytail by a purple ribbon. I looked like a samurai.

I turned toward the others and saw that Eiichi wore gold full body armor with a golden visor style helmet.

Setsuko's meanwhile donned black leather armor with orange plating around the shoulders, abdomen, chest, and thighs.

Hyosetsu glanced down at his blue armor made out of what resembled lacquered bamboo. He wore a large helmet made out of what looked like leather and bamboo. Covering his face though was a metal mask which flashed us an angry look.

"Woah, cool!" Hideo yelled, jumping up and down. He wore a black robe with multiple sashes fastened around the abdomen. His face was covered by a cloth of the same color. "This is awesome!"

"You look like a ninja," Setsuko said, snickering.

"He does!" Eiichi said, chuckling. He glanced over at Hyosetsu. "And you look like a creepy samurai."

"I can see it," I said, nodding.

"I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you two," Hyosetsu said, scoffing.

I snickered. "I wasn't saying it's bad."

"Hmph, I don't care what you think."

I gasped. His words... they reminded me of someone I once knew. Not in person, but online.

Halim chuckled. "Glad to see that you are fond of your new gear. That gear shall protect you once you have exited this tower. It should also further your protection when in Abyssia."

"This is the second time you mentioned that name," Hyosetsu said, crossing his arms. "Is that the full name of that god forsaken place?"

Halim nodded. "Yes... though I wouldn't say that it has been forsaken. In several ways, this realm is more forsaken than that one."

"What do you mean?" I asked, tilting my head.

The Angel of Metal shook his head. "Now isn't the time. Time here might flow slow, but we must use it to strengthen the five of you. You and your allies are the hope of the world."

"What about you, don't you plan to battle too?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

He snickered. "Not if you five do your duty. My sister, my wife, and I are the very last line of defense for Zionia. We are to fight only if Lady Saya and her angels fall. But Lady Saya in turn is but another line of protection. You five and your allies are the vanguard, so you must fight like it," he said, grasping a silver winged pendant.

A brilliant cyan light covered the pendant as it transformed into a tri-blade gauntlet. He took a step back and spread out his legs. "Come at me now, you who were not chosen by heaven. Show me that you deserve our blessing!"

Hyosetsu grinned and ran up at him. Halim moved to the side and came forth, slashing the air. Hyosetsu swung his sword down, preventing his left leg from getting sliced.

Halim grinned. "No bad, child."

"So, we're battling one of the Seven," I said, transforming Agnes into its shield form.

Hyosetsu flashed Halim a slasher smile as ice encased the claw. Halim sighed and jumped back. He slammed the floor with his claw, penetrating the marble. A powerful silver and cyan wave of energy shook the entire building.

I held out my shield in front of the others and watched as Hyosetsu was flung several feet away, until he landed against the crystal windows.

"Hyosetsu!" Setsuko yelled, glancing back.

"Tsk, this guy means business," Eiichi said, narrowing his eyes at him. He tapped my shoulder. "Move aside, peasant. I don't need your protection."

I slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me," I said, glaring at him.

He turned away. "Tsk. I'll defeat you again one day. You might think that you're higher than me, but you aren't."

Halim pulled out his claws and glanced up at the approaching Eiichi. "So now is the Spear-Knight. Come, Eiichi Kuroichi!" He stretched out his arm. "Come at me when you can!"

Eiichi gave him a smug grin. "Oh, you think I'm that dumb?"

The angel shrugged. "So be it." He flashed in front of Eiichi and kicked him to the floor.

"What in the world?" Hideo said, backing away.

"You had your chance, Eiichi!" He focused his cyan eyes on us three. "So, which of you three will come at me next? Or will you work together?"

Arches of electricity lit up the room as they made their way toward Halim. The angel grinned.

"Who said I was done!" Eiichi said, pushing himself off the ground.

"Beat him up some more!" I yelled. "That might work!"

"Thanks, but I know what to do," Eiichi said, wiping the blood from his face.

"I was talking to Halim, not you!"

Eiichi turned around and pointed his spear at me. "You want some too? Come at me, punk!"

I raised Agnes in front of me. "I will gladly wipe the floor with you once more."

He gritted his teeth together. "What did I just say about you thinking you're higher than me, peasant?"

Halim snickered. "Are you really a noble? But then again, you do carry Tekehaya's blood in you."

I gasped. Takehaya was the first Magus Maximus of Xeleria and husband of our first queen, then that would mean that...

Eiichi turned his crimson eyes back on Halim. "But first, I must defeat this one who looks down on me."

The Angel of Metal took a single step forward. "As proud as Takehaya and with demons deeper than those of his."

"Demons?" Hideo asked.

Halim raised a hand out. "I know you're hiding. Come forward, Anestarte!"

There was no response as we glanced around.

"Who are you speaking to?" Setsuko asked.

"That would be me," said a green haired-girl as she stepped forward. She flashed the angel a grin. "Long time no see, brother."

"You are not my sister! You are merely a shadow of her!" Halim said, glaring at her.

The girl crossed her arms and took a look around. "Yes, I guess you could say that. Or perhaps you are the shadow, still trying to abide by the rules set forth by the ancient ones. They are no longer around. I do not see why she and the rest of you continue to follow their way. The world is yours now! Do not imprison your desires!"

Halim shook his head. "You say that with such an innocent face. Yet, you are far from innocent! You are lust incarnate! You are a mistake! A mistake which we who continue to live on must amend!"

The girl stepped forward. "Eiichi, kill him!" she shouted, snapping her fingers.

Eiichi's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You heard me, kill this man!" She turned around and glared at us. "And kill these pathetic ones. I alone shall help you hold off the abyss. I must liberate my sister, Leviathan from the grasps of that man, Reginald."

Halim slashed Anestarte but she dissolved into smoke and reappeared in another part of the room. "I have no tangible form here. Listen to me, Eiichi. If you do what I say then the world will be yours. You will rule over not only Zionia but Abyssia and beyond! That man, your king knows this. That's why he has surrendered to the call of my brother."

"Hey, Jerknight!" I yelled. "Don't listen to her."

Anestarte glanced over at me and grinned. Something about it sent shivers down my spine. Not to mention that it was oddly familiar. "Aww, the rapist dares to speak. You couldn't hold back your desires."

"I did no such thing!" I yelled. "It was Eiichi who did!" I glared at her. "Though, I'm starting to think it was you who made him do it."

She snickered. "Are you sure? Perhaps, it was you who I used rather than Eiichi."

My eyes widened. The dream I had back home flashed before my mind. I clenched my hands into fists. "I... I..."

"She's a demon, do not allow her to provoke you," Setsuko said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You too, Eiichi. Do not heed her words! If you do then you'll force us to imprison you!"

Eiichi glanced up at Anestarte. "You! Why did you appear again? Get away! I'll do things my way, not your way!"

Anestarte smiled at Setsuko. "This girl sure is annoying. If only she had been the one whose innocence was stolen instead of..."

A diamond-like sphere destroyed her shadowy form. "Shut your mouth, you foul being!" Setsuko yelled as orange energy flowed around her. "You are an abomination to all of creation!"

"Ouch, feisty."

Eiichi shot lightning at multiple directions as Anestarte continued to appear in various places like some evil hologram.

"Hey, careful with where you're aiming!" I yelled, shielding the others from a stray bolt.

"Shut up!" he screamed. His left hand moved to his head. "Ugh..." He took a deep breath as he staggered back toward the wall, collapsing against it.

Anestrate smirked as her figure dissolved into dark wisps. "Nice try..."

Halim sighed and walked over to him. "Seems that Anestarte has retreated for now. I'm not sure as to why she retains a hold on this one." He glanced up at us. "You three go and train amongst yourselves."

"Leaving already?" Hyosetsu asked as he stepped into the chamber.

"Yes. If you wish to fight again, we can do so later. For now, head with these three. I will take this one to a place where the seal already placed on him can be further tightened. Though, I'm not sure... if it'll work. Anestarte is crafty in addition to being powerful."

Hyosetsu glanced at the unconscious Eiichi. "So, he fainted again."

Hideo sighed. "Almost seems like the guy does it on purpose to escape training. Well, how about we check the outside?"

"Yeah, it would allow us to see how the village is like," I said, putting my hands behind my helmet. I glanced over as Halim picked up Eiichi. That demoness, how did she get in contact with him?

*Character Section (none of the pictures used are mine unless other wise stated)**

Halim Mizu no Kin- Sex: Male Age: Unknown Height: 5'7 Title(s): Angel of Metal, Angel of the Sky, Male founder of Mizu no Kin.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :). Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?**