*Takeshi*

Sebastian chuckled. "Great to see ya determined all of a sudden," he said, pointing his hammer at me. "Now come, Shi! Show me how strong ya truly are!"

I took a deep breath and covered Aventine with the shadows surrounding me. I took a step back and positioned my sword horizontally.

Sofia's older brother smirked. He vanished once again. I spun around, slashing the air around me. The blade, though, only cut through empty air. My eyes shifted toward my left, but I was too late. Before I could process it, I had been knocked over to the edge of the battlefield.

I held onto the corner with one hand. I gasped as Sebastian's hammer came flying at me. I ducked and watched as it vanished into the darkness, only to spin back around like a boomerang. Luckily, it passed me.

"Ya're pretty good at dodging," he said, laughing.

I sighed. I was still doing it... Was I good for nothing else but avoiding?

I pushed myself up and raised my arms over my head and chest. *Boom*

I grimaced as I stumbled on the edge.

Sebastian's eyes widened.

I smiled. "Didn't expect I'll be able to take a hit, huh?" I asked. I raised my sword and slashed diagonally. He dodged, but the edges of his loose robes sliced off.

He ripped the tattered parts of his robe off. "True, I didn't," he said, grinning. "But I welcome the surprise. Both from you and Anis!" He held his hand out. A cold wind blew across the battlefield. Tiny particles of what appeared to be ice formed around him. The stuff spread across the ground until it made its way over to me.

I jumped before it could touch me. My black wings spread out of the slits on the back of my t-shirt.

The ice rose, forming ice spikes in various spots, some of which grew up to three-feet-tall!

I gathered more dark mana around me and flew downward. "Level 3- Dark Spiral!" I yelled, slicing the ice back into particles. Some of the fragments struck my face, wings, arms, and legs as I made my way toward Sebastian.

Sebastian smiled as he stood his ground.

 My wings suddenly froze up, literally. A two-inch layer of ice had encased them completely.

I spun around once more, but only a few chunks were flung out of my body, and soon more filled their spot.

Gritting my teeth, I continued to spin toward him. "Darkness Wave!" I yelled, striking the ground with the tip of Aventine repeatedly. Waves of purple mana spread outward from where my blade had hit the floor.

Sebastian jumped up and threw his hammer at me.

I raised my sword, narrowly blocking it. A scream escaped my lips as my left arm struck the frozen floor. Ice quickly ran up my arm and covered the rest of my body.

"Now it's over," Sebastian said, smiling. The ice around me dissolved into light blue particles. He knelt and smiled as he held out a hand. "Here."

I stared at his stretched hand and smiled back.

"Thanks," I said, taking it. I stared at his tattered robes. "Sorry about that..."

He waved his free hand. "Don't mention it. I can fix them up later."

"Takeshi!" Anis yelled, jumping down from Sofia's throne. She flew over to me.

"Ya okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. What about you?"

"I'm fine, well, physically. Sorry I couldn't do much against Sebastian."

Her brow furrowed. "Least ya finally tried ya best." She patted my shoulder and smiled. "Ya were pretty cool, for a moment."

I snickered halfheartedly. "Only a moment, huh?" I said, rubbing my sword hand. It still felt shaky.

Her cheeks reddened. "Yeah. Only a bit."

I chuckled. "I'll take it." I blinked. "Wait, how did ya manage to move? Sofia put ya to sleep."

She blinked. "That... I forced myself awake."

"Ya did that? Against a Seven Hill weapon!"

She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at me. "Hey, I'm one too! As are you!"

"True, but ya were barely holding on. Did ya really manage to push it aside by willpower alone?"

She nodded. "Willpower shouldn't be underestimated!" she said, flexing her arm to show her non-existent biceps.

"I... see," I said, laughing.

"You are an odd one," Sofia said, landing next to her. She glanced at me. "Maybe that's why you two were paired up."

"I'm not weird," Anis said, averting her gaze.

"Nor am I," I mumbled.

"Not that there's anything inherently wrong with being weird!" Sebastian said, wrapping an arm around both of us. "Makes things more fun, right?"

Anis and I nodded.

Sofia giggled. "I guess. I wish I could face you two, though. Maybe next time."

"I'll like that very much," Anis said. "Takeshi and I will get stronger to the point that ya will be willing to fight us one on one or two on two if ya prefer."

"D-don't you think that you're getting ahead of yaself..." I said, lowering my head.

Anis raised an eyebrow at me. "Ya got skills, so why are ya afraid to fight?"

I scratched my cheek. "I don't like getting hurt."

"Hmph, what a wimp," Eiko said, jumping down. "His youngest sister seems like a better fit for Aventine."

"Well, that was an unexpected response from someone Aventine accepted as her wielder," Osamu said as he joined us.

"Here, I thought he could give me a challenge. Alas, it seems my hopes were misplaced," Eiji said as he flew down.

"We are about to go to war. If you are too fearful to fight, then you're better off going back home," Miyuki said as she remained on her throne. "We wouldn't want you to get yourself killed. Aventine already lost one of her wielders recently. It would be a shame if she lost another so soon."

"Maybe she needs to up her standards," Eiji said, snickering.

"Eiji, don't laugh!" Sofia yelled. "What happened to Alabaster is no laughing matter!"

"Alabaster?"

"He owned Aventine for a year and a couple of months, but unlike you, he never formed a covenant with its angel," Miyuki said, lowering her eyes. "He perished in the line of war."

Sebastian let go of Anis and me. "The guy was pretty strong too."

I gulped. "H-how strong exactly?"

He touched the tattered end of his robe. "About as strong as me."

Eiji walked on ahead of us. "He was weak in the end..."

"Weak or not, his loss is still a tragedy," Sofia said, glaring at him. "And I would've thought that you would be the last person to speak of him in such a manner."

"Were ya friends?" I asked.

"Why would I be friends with someone who got himself killed so easily?" Eiji asked, continuing on his way.

"What's his issue?" Anis asked, glaring at him.

Miyuki sighed. "Don't mind him. He's merely putting on an act."

Was he? He sounded pretty serious.

Anis grumbled. "I hate guys like him..." She covered her mouth.

"Ya okay?" I asked, putting an arm on her shoulders.

She yawned. "Yeah... just... tired is all."

Sofia snickered. "So it's finally taken hold."

"She merely delayed Soma's effects, huh?" Osamu asked, staring at her.

"Don't look at me, ya creep," Anis said, glaring at him.

The prince turned away and grumbled. "I'm out of here. I'll be in my training room if you need me for something important. If it's not vital, then don't interrupt me."

"Got it," I said. "Come, Anis. Let's get you back to bed."

"I've slept too much," she mumbled.

"She sounds drunk," Eiko said, making a disgusted face. She walked on ahead of us. "Hey, Osamu, do you need a sparring partner?"

Sofia leered at Eiko as she ran on after Osamu. "That girl..."

Was she jealous? Wait, was Osamu the one she was engaged with?!

"No worries, she doesn't like Osamu. She just hates Eiko more," Sebastian whispered into my ear, causing me to jump.

"Don't do that," I said, rubbing my ear.

He raised his hands and backed away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya."

Wait, she hates Eiko more? Then does that mean that she hates Osamu too? Why?

I snuck a glance at my sleeping fiancee. She did too.

"Hey, Miyuki, what do you think of the prince?" I asked.

"Osamu?" she asked, staring at me with her stoic eyes. "He's amicable."

I smiled. At least someone else here wasn't at odds with him.

I glanced at Sebastian.

"I only know him from our few interactions," he said, putting his hands behind his head. "He's very dedicated to his work. I give him that."

"Is he a workaholic?" I asked.

"Why are you interested in him?" Sofia asked, leering at me.

"Okay, now I think she's jealous," Sebastian whispered.

"Of Osamu?" I asked, trying not to laugh.

"Brother, don't start rumors now," Sofia said, giving him a death glare. She sighed. "I'm not jealous. Just don't like talking about the guy if it can be helped, is all..."

"Okay..." What happened between Osamu and her?

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter ^_^. Thoughts? Predictions?**