[Meanwhile in Xeleria]

"Papa!" a voice called out to me. It was like that of a little girl. She ran up through the field of mist around me. Her face beamed with a large smile. I found myself smiling back and held a hand out toward her.

Suddenly the girl and the mist faded, replaced by darkness.

I opened my eyes. A dream? For some reason I found myself with a tear rolling down my face.  That dream, it had felt so real...

I blinked and shook my head. I was in a hotel room. I had spent the night looking over the girl we found in the abyss. Usually one of my teammates would also be here, but none was to be seen. I assumed they all went to get breakfast.

I rose from the golden chair I had fallen asleep in and made my way to her. I pulled her long bangs out of her closed eyes. The girl's face was now gentle like that of a child's. She had been moving uneasily all night. I had even thought that she was suffering a seizure a few times. It was a miracle that she now looked so peaceful.

"Hmm?" the girl said as she opened her eyes. They were as blue as the sea. She gasped and moved away from me. "Who, who are you?"

I chuckled. "What? You don't remember your own lover?" I asked, brining a finger toward my lips. "Seemed you fainted after I kissed you."

"What? R-really?" she asked as her face reddened.

Wait, she believes that? Does she not recall what happened?

I leaned in close to her and grinned. "Yeah, I guess it was too passionate for you."

The girl moved away some more and fell off of the bed. She gasped as she realized she hadn't hit the floor.

I chuckled. "Easy there, princess! It's nothing to be too frightened off. I mean, most newbies are shy. Well, except for me." I placed her back on the bed and backed away. A laugh escaped my lips as she continued to blush. "You know, I was kidding around. I am not your boyfriend. Me and some others found you in a dark world."

The girl's redness gradually subsided, in fact it became increasingly pale. "Dark world?"

I dropped my smile and nodded. "Yeah. One called Abyssia. Do you not recall it?"

She shook her head. "It's the opposite. It... It seems to be the only significant thing I do recall," she said, sitting up. "I don't even remember my own name, nor where I come from."

"You don't?"

She closed her gorgeous eyes. "No. It's as if the darkness washed those memories away. I am lucky to remember how to even talk..."

Perhaps if she had stayed in the realm some more, she would have forgotten even that. So it's like Kuroshi said, the darkness corrupts and erases one's memories bit by bit.

I put a hand over her right one as I sat down on the bed. "Your memories might be gone, but you can always make new ones. They might not fill the void those lost ones left behind entirely, but it's better than dwelling on them."

She smiled slightly. "You sure you're not my boyfriend?" she asked as her bangs fell over her face.

I rubbed her hand and leaned in. "I'm not, but I can be, if you want me to. We can make beautiful memories together."

She pulled her hand away from me. "Uh, I..."

I chuckled and jumped off of the bed. "Consider it. Well, I'm off! Today's games are going to begin soon. I want to see if I can learn anything from observing them." I held my hand out and summoned a golden wand. "Being part Xelerian, I have always wanted to learn magic since I was I kid. I even got my parents to hire me a tutor."

"Magic, huh? I overheard that mages aren't look as highly in Zionia and likewise, angels aren't looked at highly here."

I lowered my eyes. "That's true. But, it's still important to know it. Using mana is good and all, but there might come a time in which it won't be of use. For those cases, my prana usage would come in handy."

I had thought that time had come when Takuya said he could feel no mana within the palace of the abyssmals back in Grand Crater. Alas, our internal mana proved to be useful enough. Not like I could draw on the natural mana to the extent that Setsuko could. Though that made the importance of drawing from my magicum organum even more important.

"A wand?" the girl asked as she looked down at her right hand. Suddenly a golden crystalline wand appeared in her hand. She gasped. "How did I..."

I tapped my head. "Wands are summoned by the mere thought. Those who aren't adept at using them will summon them whenever it comes to mind." The wand in my hand vanished into a puff of smoke. "Likewise, you need to think them away too."

She chuckled. "Why do I feel like a little kid hearing this?" she asked as she stared at her wand nostalgically. "I wonder, who gave this to me."

I shrugged. "Probably one of your parents if not both. I got mine from my dad."

"Your... dad?" she asked, her voice dripping with nostalgia. "I think I got this from mine too." She closed her eyes. "But... I... can't recall how he looks."

"So parts of your memories linger still," I said, sliding my hands into the pockets of my black leather jeans.

"Is... that a good thing?" she asked, gripping the wand with both hands.

I turned around. "I can't say, but it might mean that your memories are merely fogged up, rather than truly gone. And even if parts are gone, perhaps when you meet the ones who inspired said memories, they might be retold from their perspective. Though that isn't exactly the same thing, at least it's something."

"I guess..." she jumped off the bed and ran over to me. She wrapped her fingers on my hand. "Uh, is it alright if I come with you? I... want to create new memories."

I grinned. "Does that mean that you accept to date me?"

She quickly let go of my hand. "Uh, no. I mean, you're handsome and all, but..." She touched her forehead. "Given my situation, I don't think it's ideal to date."

I sighed. "You got a point there, you could have a boyfriend already for all we know. Though, not like that really matters to me," I said with a wink. "And who knows, if he's a beauty then perhaps we can invite him too!"

"What?" she mumbled, backing away.

"I'm just toying with you!" I said as I opened the door. "If you want me all to yourself then that's okay too."

"I... uh..."

I walked over to her and grabbed her hand. "Come on! Don't be so nervous!"

She nodded her head slowly and followed me out.

"Oh, she's awake," Hideo called out as he approached us. He tilted his head at her. "So, what's your name? And are you a boy or a girl? Or both?"

The girl chuckled nervously.

"Hideo, that's no way to talk to a damsel."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Should I be hearing that from the likes of you, Mr. Playboy?"

"Playboy?"

I scoffed. "Don't listen to him. He's merely jealous that he can't get himself someone to be with while I have an easy time finding one at the drop of a dime."

"I'm not!" Hideo exclaimed, glaring at me.

I wagged a finger at him. "Hey, watch it. Your temper if flaring up again."

He puffed his cheeks. "I don't even know why I'm talking to a perv like you!"

I chuckled. "Maybe because you're in love with me?"

Hideo stopped and gagged. "Ew, gross! Like I would like someone as narcissistic and egoistic as you! I rather stay single for life! And besides, I have no interest in boys! I barely even have one for girls!"

"No interest in either? Wow, you should at least try finding yourself a nice girl, even with your so called 'minimal interest'. Else your line will end with you."

His face flushed. "Like I care! I got more important things to think about than finding a girlfriend!"

I watched as the emerald eye knight ran off.

"Did you just hit on that kid?" the mysterious girl asked.

I chuckled. "He might look like one, but he's not. He actually turned eighteen when we met you."

She narrowed her eyes at me just like Hideo did a moment ago. "So, do you hit on everyone you find cute like this?"

I put an arm forward, pinning her between the wall and me. "Do I detect jealousy?"

She mumbled something underneath her breath.

I grabbed her hand again. "It's alright. I was just teasing that one. You're the one I have more interest in."

She averted her eyes.

Only a few minutes had passed and she was already proving to be a fun one. Come to think of it, the girl in my dream sorta looked like her... except her hair was blond.

Did that dream mean something? I had overhead Rosalba tell the peasant about the significance of dreams while en route to Kuroyuki no San. How some of them are related to the past and others to the future. Could it be that I've finally found my destined partner? Nah, that couldn't be. Marriage wasn't for someone like me.

*Hideo*

[Kyuu Seishin Grand Hotel]

I grumbled. That Eiichi sure was irritating. His pestering for me to get a girlfriend was almost as irritating as my mom's. When would others understand that love wasn't for me? Plus, who would even be interested in me?

"There you are, you kept me waiting." I turned and saw Koukyuu making her way toward me.

I chuckled nervously. "Uh, I did? I wasn't aware that you were--" She passed me by, instead walking up to her plebian male friend. Accompanying him was a little kid around the same age as the girl who had spilled her drink on my cape.

"Sorry, Kou. I was left with babysitting duty," Zydeco said. He looked down at the kid who looked like a darker (both hair and skin) version of him. "But it's fine if Alto accompanies us, right?"

Koukyuu smiled at the little kid. "Sure!"

"Really?" the kid exclaimed. He jumped into the air like a rocket, one his brother needed to bring back down.

"Easy there, sport."

Alto grinned. "Though is it really okay? You're going on a date, aren't you?"

Koukyuu grumbled. "A date?"

"No, it's not! And please don't say that out loud or else rumors will spread."

Koukyuu gave him a dry smile. "Not that they haven't already, at least at school."

Zydeco sighed. "Right. Well, spread further than they already have." He turned his cool blue eyes toward me and grinned. He likely meant it was a friendly one, but I couldn't help but feel mocked. Why were the peasants themselves more popular than me? Was it their looks? I do admit, they were handsomer than me.

Or perhaps... it was that they were braver and more mature... my sisters and mom had said that girls preferred mature guys. Not necessarily in age but rather in attitude.

"Hey! Hideo!" Zydeco said, waving as he continued to smile. "Sonata has finally finished washing your cape! She went to look for you!"

"I should give her a call then," Koukyuu said as she brought out a red flip-phone. The technology of this world truly was over a decade behind ours.

"Please do, it'll save her some time. Plus, we can all go enjoy the festival together!"

Koukyuu lowered her phone somewhat. "Oh?" she said in a low voice.

"Something wrong?"

The Kasai no Ki princess shook her head. "No, nothing at all." She turned around and walked over to a corner of the room.

She was jealous, even a dolt in matters of love like me could see that.

"Hey, is that interest finally kicking in?" someone whispered in my ear, causing me to jump.

"Wow, that was a loud scream," Zydeco's little brother said.

I grumbled and looked at the one who had scared me. It was, as expected, Eiichi. "Don't appear behind me like that!"

Eiichi leaned in and whispered, "It's okay. You're maturing. No need to deny that you were checking Koukyuu out. Though I think a babe like her might be too much for a newbie like you. But don't let my words get you down." He punched my arm in what was likely intended to be a light punch, even though it almost caused me to tumble. "Good luck, buddy!"

I glared at him. Who was he calling 'buddy'? I wouldn't want him as a friend even if he was the only person interested in befriending me. I feared befriending someone like him would lead to no good. He was a pervert after all.

"Good luck!" the mysterious girl said, waving at me.

Not her too! I sighed. I just hope that Eiichi doesn't warp her. Hmm, maybe I should keep an eye out on them.

"Alright, Sonata told us to meet up in front of the octopus ball stand near Eternal Hill," Koukyuu said as she walked up to me.

"Thanks," I said, averting my eyes.

"No need to thank me, thank Sonata instead," she said in her usual cold demeanor. Seemed she only showed her warm side to Zydeco...

"I will," I said, running off, passing by Setsuko and Rosa as they returned from who knew where.

"Hideo?" Setsuko asked.

I ignored her and Rosa.

"Hey, wait up!" Zydeco yelled, chasing after me. "You're going to get lost!"

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this chapter :3. Thoughts on the youngest two knights and their issues with love?**