My eyes darted back and forth across the white room I found myself in. It wasn't the room where we male knights would sleep, but its walls and ceiling were just as white.

I squatted and touched my forehead. Last I recalled, I had sat Setsuko against the wall after she had passed out. After that, I blanked out as well.

I eyed the floor. Its structure was reminiscent of ice with a trace of mana akin to that of Baldo.

"Seems that our trials have begun," I said, standing up. I smiled. Did Baldo initiate this, knowing that I wouldn't want to be behind Setsuko?

That makes me the fourth one to undergo the trial after Hideo, then presumably Tetsuya and Setsuko. Honestly, I will not be shocked if that pervert also is undergoing his own angel trial. But why would our guardian angels awaken one after the other? Did our angels figure the time for action was now? Or maybe this is all a part of the angel tool's creator's plan.

I stepped outside of the room, only to end up in a long blue corridor. Various snowflake designs covered its shimmering floor. It almost felt like I had been transported back home, but I knew that wasn't the case. There was no corridor with empty blue walls like this one, and especially not a pure white room like the one I was just in.

I closed my eyes like Setsuko had shown me while she trained in zen mode. It was an impressive but delicate technique. Even the slightest thought could disrupt it. It was somewhat surprising that someone like her would opt to learn it rather than focus on activating Third Heaven. As a kid, she was always so hyper.

Then again, she did use to act before thinking.

I took a deep breath and quieted my thoughts as much as I could. Though the silence was peaceful, there was also an eerie feeling to it. It reminded me of when I was a kid, and Kohri jumped out from behind a couch one night while I was alone in the library.

I shook my head, pushing aside the embarrassing memory. After a while, a map of my surroundings came into view in my mind's eye. There were various other hallways up ahead, some leading into dead ends and others pouring into even more corridors.

I opened my eyes and continued walking.

"A maze, huh?" I said, glancing up at the wall in front of me. I pulled my sword out of its sheath. "Usually, I try to figure these things out, but I don't exactly have the time to be playing games. Baldo, cut a straight path!" I swung my sword, unleashing a stream of blue mana, which sliced through the wall and several others beyond.

I took a deep breath and slid Baldo back into its sheath. "I hope this isn't the entire trial. If so, this is pathetic."

"My, what a haughty young man you are," an androgynous voice called out. "Reserve those words for when you have entered my chamber."

Just like the walls of the maze from the abysmal palace, the wall in front of me suddenly reconstructed themselves.

Mana converged on the index and fingers of my left hand, forming a knife. "If you're my angel, then you must know that this won't work on me."

"It's because I'm your angel that you should be prepared for what I have in store for you."

I jumped up as a small black dot appeared under my feet. The dot expanded outward until it touched the surrounding walls. A dragon's tail popped out from the portal and lurched at me, swaying back and forth like a serpent.

I raised Baldo over my head to block, but the strength of the tail knocked me back. I held out my hand, catching myself and kicked the dragon tail as it came in for another attack.

"Sorry, not this time!" I said, jumping into the sky and spreading out my wings. I flew away as fast as I could. While I didn't mind fighting the dragon, I had to focus on finding my guardian angel.

Wait, could that dragon tail belong to Hyoryu? But it looked different. Hmm, could it be that the form I've summoned it in is incomplete? Or is this form the famous 'dracovolution' I had heard about? It is something worth inquiring about with my Wynagan teammates as soon as I can.

"For a silent type, your mind sure is anything but," the voice from before said.

I air dashed forward, ignoring its comment. It was obviously attempting to provoke me. If this weren't a trial, I would start to wonder if my guardian were indeed an angel.

A light chuckle echoed in my head. "Hope you're ready."

Suddenly, a wall came down in front of me. I turned myself around and kicked it with both my feet, cracking portions of it.

I turned around and watched as another wall came down, closing me in.

I grasped Baldo and stepped toward the center. My blue eyes darted back and forth between the black slabs. Based on the damage I had done to it and the color and texture, they had to be made up of alainsite, a material mined in my home province.

"What, think I'll have the walls close in on you?" the voice called out.

"You aren't? Or are you trying to give me false hope?"

The angel chuckled. "You're awfully cautious, aren't you? Almost to the point of paranoia."

"Respond to my question."

"Alright. I will let you move on if you can answer this."

"A riddle?"

"Only if you make it one."

What does it mean by that?

"Answer truthfully. Here's your question: What is your dream?"

"That's simple. My dream is to become the next Grand Duke of Kuroyuki no San. My mother had done things to garner it prestige in Kuroriku. Still, I desire to extend that to all of Zionia and possibly beyond that."

The walls rose. "Should have gone with a more difficult one. Oh well, I still got two more. Now, go on and see if you can find me."

I jumped up and retook flight. My wings took me across several winding halls until I came across a dead-end. Had I reached the part beyond where my mind's eye could go? Or was the maze moving?

I closed my eyes again and repeated the same procedure from earlier, except this time, I searched for the white room.

I gasped and looked straight at the dead-end. A room like the one I had begun in was right beyond here, but was it a different one?

I sighed. I should've left something behind to help ease this task. Though, who is to say that the item wouldn't be teleported.

I unsheathed Baldo and covered it with ice mana. "Frozen World!" I yelled as I brought my sword over my head. A thin layer of cyan ice covered the wall in front of me and the rest of my surroundings as the ice mana leaked out of Baldo's blade. I brought the sword down on my target, shattering it into fist white ice crystals.

I jumped through the wall as another vortex appeared where I had once stood. This time, a dragon's claw emerged.

I slid away as the long dragon hand lurched at me. Its sharp claws stabbed the floor, sending chunks of marble flying in all directions.

"Not this again," I said as I flew around the dragon's hand. Why couldn't my guardian have given me a regular fight as a trial?

"That wouldn't have taken you out of your element," the angel said.

"I wouldn't say this is exactly doing that either."

"At least it's something different. Now, are you going to continue to run away?"

I clenched Baldo and transformed it into its Twilight Gear form. "No. I plan to settle this here!" I flew straight at the vortex. However, on the other side wasn't a dragon, but three-way fork akin to where the first portal had appeared. On the floor were even markings created by a massive creature's tail.

I sighed. It was a trap... I let my guardian's words get to me, losing sight of my objective.

I closed my eyes again. Now was a great time to see if the maze was moving. The various twists, turns, and dead-ends flashed before my head. Their positions and layout remained the same.

Is the room a different one, or could this maze be warping as I walk around... I turned toward the path on the right. Previously I had gone left.

I folded my wings and walked this time. Baldo reverted back to normal as I raised it at the wall on my left. As I walked, I scratched the wall with the tip of my sword. Assuming my guardian wouldn't eliminate the marks, this would help me find my way should things start to bend.

I continued walking until I came across another slab of alainsite blocking my path.

"Time for another question, or is this another trap?" I asked as a slab blocked my way back.

"Question. Tell me, Hyosetsu, what are your feelings toward the junior Princess?"

I gasped. "Rosalba? Why are you asking about her."

"I ask the questions here. Now, answer truthfully."

I scoffed. "Well, what can I say; the princess is a naïve girl who can barely take care of herself. In a way, she's like a lost puppy that has to be protected."

"Why do you protect her?"

I frowned. "Is this the third question?"

"No, it's a continuation of the second."

I took a deep breath. "I don't know why I do."

The walls started to inch closer. Why were they moving?

"Do not lie, young duke. You know the answer deep in your heart."

Memories of the time I had spent with the naïve princess passed through my head. Her grumbles and laughter echoed through my ears while her pouts and gentle smiles flashed before my eyes. However, those were replaced by sobs and tears.

My heart ached as I thought about how she nearly died after having given up on life. Had I not been there at that time, she would surely have passed on to the otherworld by now.

I clenched my teeth and spun around."Frozen World!" Ice glazed the entire enclosure.

"So, you've chosen to keep silent, huh?"

"I don't understand what you mean. I've told the whole truth! But, if I must add something, I presume it's because she inspires my protective side with her defenselessness."

"Closer, but you still haven't said what I'm looking for. I'm not a demon, so I won't pressure you into saying it, but keep it in mind."

Images of Rosa smiling appeared in my head, but this time, standing beside her was Tetsuya. My heart hurt almost as much as it did with the memories of her suicide attempt.

I strode forward and shattered the alainsite wall. "You might be my guardian angel, but you have no right to dig into my feelings!"

"As your guardian angel, I know your feelings from the very start. More so than you do, well more like what you're willing to acknowledge."

I jumped up and flew away. I was done listening to it yammer on about how I felt about particular stuff and people. I didn't need to know myself. What I needed was the power to protect that which I cared for from being destroyed by those shadowy beings and anyone else who would threaten them.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Pardon for the long wait. I have been busy helping my dad with a home construction project which has left me with little time to write. Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on the chapter and overall story :)**