I had helped Ximena and Nori search for clues on the latter's family but we couldn't find much except that they lived in the north, near the borders with Mina and Xian.

"Don't be sad, Nori. Everything will turn out okay," Ximena said said, patting his head. "After the games, we can take a trip northward and continue the search there."

Nori nodded even as he had tears at the edge of his eyes. "Nori prays that will come true."

I smiled. "That's the spirit!" I yelled, grinning. "Now, how about we go watch some of the matches? Setty must be waiting for us."

"Well, you. I don't think she cares much about seeing me at least," Xime said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? Did she say anything to you?"

"No, but she doesn't quiet give off a welcoming vibe toward me."

I sighed. "I guess she's simply jealous. Don't take it to heart."

Ximena lowered her head. "Even then, how can I not? If she likes you then where does that..."

I flicked her on the forehead. "Put you? No matter which of the two I end up with, the other will still be an important friend."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Did Eita's brother rub off on you? That sounds a bit playboy-ish."

I chuckled nervously. "I... I didn't mean it as that..." I placed a hand on my heart. "Honestly, sometimes I confuse even myself... What is it that I want in this life? I feel as if I'm lost at sea without an anchor. The recent events with Tetsu and the rest of my family have only made that sea more chaotic than it already was."

"Serra should rely on the Sky Father more. After all, he's the anchor to our hearts. When one feels a drift, he will stabilize. When one feels dead, he'll bring life back into them," Nori said with a hopeful smile.

Xime patted the red haired boy's head. "Nori is right. Rely more on the Sky Father for support when you feel like life threatens to spill over."

The Sky Father? When I prayed to him to help Conrad and me... where was he?

Tetsu was more open about his mistrust toward the divine than I, but I wasn't any more trusting of them than he was. The Sky Father and Earth Mother had abandoned me, their anchor was non-existent in my life. Since the day I was born up to now.

"I sense that you doubt his promises," Ximena said, tapping me on the chest. "But please keep them in mind should you find yourself lost. His life will shine even in the darkest abyss."

I closed my eyes and recalled how Tetsuya had arrived to my life when I most needed a light. Had the Sky Father brought him into my life for that purpose? If so, then why was that light now dimmed? What once gave me hope and joy now only caused despair and confusion within this heart of mine.

The two people who still brought hope into my life, I risk hurting with my fickle heart... Love... Was love itself a sin? It certainly had lead many astray. And not just the romantic kind. Or perhaps it was our sins which warped the purity of love into something grotesque and unphantamble, something that can sting more than even the deepest gashes.

Suddenly I felt a hug from behind. "It's alright, Serra. I know that you're in pain, but do not allow your despair to win out. Surrendering to despair is said to be the 8th and most deadliest of the sins."

"Is that so? Then who is the angel representing hope who fell to despair?" I asked.

"Is there an eighth angel?" Nori asked, tilting his head to the side.

Ximena let go of me. "Hmm, I'm not sure. Some claim there was once one, while others disregard it as a myth."

I thought back to the opal in the dining room of the palace. Was there a reason that eight pillar was made? Perhaps a remnant of a long forgotten eighth angel. After all, even the old palace contained an eight pillar similar to it... That that motif would be passed on through the ages, it couldn't be a mere coincidence.

Though the mere thought sent chills through my skin as the seven archangels were said to have produced the seven archdemons in their attempt to wash away their sins. In their folly, they didn't only create the first demons, but also splintered Zionia in half, with one of tumbling toward 'abyss'. Was that 'abyss' mentioned in the old texts a reference to Abyssia? If so then the realm of demons must be near it...

The demons, they were our people's true arch enemy. That they had yet to make a move in our conflict with Abyssia was worrisome. Were they waiting for us to grow wary in war with the abyssmals before launching a fresh assault on us?

No, the demons were already involved. That man our team and those of Hyosetsu and Eiichi encountered during our first expedition was one of them. One could tell by his mana. Collin, the son of the leviathan, the mighty serpent of the abyss and one of the seven archdemons. The beast itself was also the product of the sins of Ximena's ancestor, Renata.

Now, if there were a demon of despair... just how awful it? Despair had taken the lives a great deal of people. As much as each of the seven sins has destroyed lives.

Ximena grabbed my arm and smiled. "Come, we're going to miss the rest of the matches for today's main event, the team tournament!" She used her free hand and grabbed Nori's hand.

I chuckled as I saw Nori blush. "I think you might not be all that different from me after all."

Xime and even Nori gave me a confused look.

"Nevermind," I said, taking out my phone. Luckily, Maki got it and the others to work with the phone coverage of this nation. Though the service of Kyuu Seishin and the rest of Xeleria was far slower than phone service throughout our Universe due to the technology being behind by two decades.

When I asked why that was, considering that Xeleria had Saya's brother as ruler and should thus be familiar with Zionian technology, Maki said it was because Xeleria was less united that Zionia. Meaning nations and businesses invested more in defense than they did in telecommunications and other areas. He said that if Abyssia ever decided to attack Xeleria, the response would likely be worse than that of Zionia. Wynaga's unity was even worse than both of them, suffering from several regional disputes.

There was also the fact that Xelerians could communicate through spells. Phones were things more reserved for those who lacked magic or as a way to conserve one's energy for those who did have it. Though it appeared that the former group was on the rise. Magic was inexplicably becoming rarer in this realm known for it.

"Hello?" Setsuko asked as she finally answered.

"Hey, where are you?" I asked, smiling.

"Well, I was just watching you being hugged by your crush not too long ago."

I spun on my heels and saw my fiancée standing behind a street-lamp. The princess gave me a toothy smile and waved.

"Uh, it wasn't that kind of hug," I blurted out.

"Whatever, you don't have to explain it to me," she said in person as she put down her phone. "How about we head out? I heard that Eri's national team is going up against this one."

"So Wahkan versus Kyuu Seishin," Ximena said with a grin. "I wonder who will win."

"Not sure. I've only seen one member from each team fight in the past. Eri on Wahkan's side and Koukyuu on Kyuu Seishin's side. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses."

"I see..." I said, putting my hands behind my head. "I think it'll be Wahkan, though."

"They're actually tied," Setsuko said as she lead the way to the stadium. "The upcoming match will decide who wins. Eri himself lost against this guy who could turn into a horse."

"A horse?" I asked. Roa suddenly came to mind.

"They're the sixth branch of the Kyuu Hyaku clan. They're the fourth strongest," someone said. Making their way toward us were Maki and Akane.

"Though, come to think about it, that horse guy did fight like how Roa did on the surveillance video," Setsuko said.

"Maybe that's because he is Roa," I said, sighing.

"What do you mean?" Maki asked, furrowing his brow.

"Did Koukyuu tell you about Roa, Etsuo, and Satoru?" Setsuko asked.

"Yes. What about them?" he asked as we arrived at the entrance of the arena.

"Well, Serrano here seems to think that young man going by the name of 'Soto' might actually be Roa in disguise."

Maki shook his head. "That, that can't be. I would've been able to see through their illusions if that were true."

"Did I hear someone call my name?" a voice called out.

I grabbed my earring and spun around. The young man whistled even as the tip of my weapon was pointed at his neck.

"Are you an angel?" he asked, a smiling playing in the tips of his lips.

"You might be able to disguise your appearance, but you failed to hide your voice and personality, cousin," I snapped.

Ximena gasped. "Wait, what?"

"Serrano, lower your sword," Maki said as he pointed a golden sword at me. "Else you'll force my hand."

I scoffed. "You don't see it because you didn't meet this guy."

'Soto' sighed. "I haven't met you either, weirdo. You know, you're almost as strange as this princess I once knew."

I dug the tip of my sword into his neck. "Now you're just mocking us, aren't you?"

Soto waved his hand, sending me flying into the wall. A sword made out of blue lightning appeared in his hands. "I don't know who you are or you think I am, but don't ever think of doing that again, got it?" With that said, the young man vanished in a blur of blue.

"Serra, you shouldn't fight, you know that you haven't fully recovered yet," Setsuko said as she held out a hand to me. "Though that guy's mana... It felt different yet similar to Roa's."

"Different?" Maki asked unfazed. The guy was unusually relaxed, though the Kasai no Ki generally said to be.

"I only met Roa once, so I can't say for sure," Ximena said. "But it could be that the guy is his doppleganger, or perhaps he's managed to distort his mana to the point it feels different to those that knew him."

"His doppleganger?" I asked.

"Yeah, Eri is Tetsu's for example."

"Is that why he reminded me of Tetsuya?" Setsuko asked, glancing over at the arena. "Anyways, let's go in. It sounds like the next match seems to have begun already."

Suddenly, Ximena and the others froze in place as if they had been turned into stone. I turned to look at the others, they were also stuck in place.

"What in the world is going on?" I asked, walking over to Ximena. "Xime... Hey, this isn't funny!"

"Serra, come over here!" Setty said, waving at me from deeper in the stadium

I made my the way into the interior of the building. Everyone else was frozen in place, as if time had stopped. Standing in the battlefield was a black haired young man with bright blue eyes. Gray tails were wrapping around him like snakes.

"Why do you give off the same energy as that blue haired peasant? That defiant look even in the face of defeat is even the same," the fox snapped as he tightened his hold on the kid.

"I... I don't know who you're talking about," the kid said as he struggled to breath. There was something about the kid that reminded me of my brother as well as my old self. The one who tried his best to please others, especially his mom.

"Let go of him!" I yelled.

The guy grinned as soon as he saw me.

"Oi, hurry up and finish the match, Eto!" Soto yelled as he jumped down the stands. Beside him were two others. One a muscular white-haired teen and the other I recognized from the abyss. It was Etsuo's younger brother, Man-kin.

Man-kin gasped as soon as he saw me.

"Setsuko, prepare yourself," I said as I gripped the hilt of Aventine. I dashed forward toward the one holding the boy but a fox tail came a me from below. I jumped into the air and sliced it off. As I had expected, darkness rather than blood spilled out of the wound.

"Like I thought, you are that vile fox."

"Tsk. You simply had to ruin our fun," Satoru said as he reverted back to his real form. The boy descended to the ground, but Setsuko managed to grab him in time before he could touch the ground.

"Who are you?" the kid asked as his eyes wavered.

"Rest, everything will be alright," Setsuko said, running a hand through his forehead. "You did well, holding in, but it takes more than that against someone like this guy."

"I couldn't... freeze him," he whispered before closing his eyes.

Suddenly the world around us came to life as I aimed for Satoru's jugular.

"What in the world?" the announcer of the match said. "There's a pair helping Sirius out!"

Suddenly the crowd erupted into a bout of boos.

"Wait! This isn't what it looks like!" I yelled. I gasped as I recalled hearing those very same words from Tetsuya. Could Satoru have set him up too?

"No worries, I can defeat these 'helpers' too," Satoru said as ice danced in his hands. He was back to his disguise.

"So the one freezing time was this one," Setsuko said, glancing down at Sirius. "Like Serrano said, this isn't what it looks like. Sirius' opponent here nearly killed him, look at the state his in."

Suddenly a pair of magicians appeared around us. "Hand over the boy, we will evaluate if your words are true or not."

Setsuko made her way to the closest one to her. The medical mage gasped as soon as she saw Sirius' neck and arms. They were red, the wounds still too recent as to produce bruises, but clear evidence that he was being strangled.

"It seems that is indeed the case," the medical mage yelled so that everyone could hear.

Suddenly the crowd's boos turned from us toward Satoru who had things flung at him.

"Hey! Stop that!"

I smiled at him. "Seems you failed to beat us yet again, fox-boy. Try again next time, eh?"

Satoru swung his tail at me but it was blocked by a golden sword. "Woah there, lashing out on an audience member is against the rules too," Maki said, glaring at Satoru.

"How about we take him someplace where we can discipline him?" Setsuko suggested as she appeared behind the fox.

"Good idea," said a burly man with the face of an ogre as he made his way to us. "Allow me to take him."

"Thanks, Mr. Obi," Maki said, bowing his head.

"Think nothing of it, young one. I will make sure that this one learns how to behave himself, daring to disgrace Kyuu Seishin the way he has, and in front of an international audience too!"

He chanted something under his breath, causing red chains to wrap around the fox.

Satoru turned to look at me. "You think that you've won, but you don't know how far from the truth that is..."

"Come along," Mr. Obi said, yanking on the chains as if Satoru a dog on a leash. "You need to start learning proper etiquette."

"Yes, sir," Satoru said, lowering his head.

"Strange, why isn't he fighting back?" Setsuko asked.

"No idea, but that's the least of our concerns right now," I said, turning to where Man-kin and the other two were. "Seems the others fled."

Maki turned his back to us. "Come, I want you and the others to brief me on just who those people truly are. I can't have my sister-in-law's national team be jeopardized like this by potential spies from another dimension."

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :3. I'll like to thank everyone who has read. Today (12/15/2018) marks 2 years since I first published RoaGA here on Wattpad. In those 2 years I've written 3 versions of the first book, and 2 of this one. For those who stuck with me though all of those changes, thank you so much. I pray that I'll be able to continue entertaining you with this story and the others to come ^_^. Thoughts on Serrano's general attitude? What do you think that Satoru meant with his last words prior to being pulled out of their by Mr. Obi?**