"Hey, Setty," I called out as we walked toward the lobby.

"Hmm?" she asked, turning around. We were behind everyone else, but I didn't mind that. In some ways, I appreciated it. It made it easier to ask her what I was about to.

My hands trembled. "Were... were our teammates given funerals?"

Setsuko lowered her gaze. "Of course they were. I only wished that we had retrieved their bones, though many were unaccounted for. The lower abyssmals devoured almost all there was of them. The remnants we did encounter on the way to saving you is likely gone by now. As for the survivors, a lot of them are currently undergoing therapy. Both physical and psychological."

I clenched my fists so tightly that blood began to drip out as my nails dug into my skin. It was all my fault. I was one of the Seven Hills, the 'strongest of our generation', yet I was unable to defend them against Reno, Satoru, Roa, and Man-kin. More so Satoru who had harmed and killed the most. If I had managed to kill him back then than Dan and they could possibly be alive.

Dan and his older sister, if I had more power then I could've stopped Mei and Reno. No matter how one sliced it, I was ultimately responsible. In a way I was even responsible for Tetsu's temporary death. Had I not sent him into a coma the night before I set out to the abyss, then Setsuko would've accompanied us to the abyss. Perhaps Tetsu, Kohri, and Yuko would've too. Then we surely would've defeated Satoru and company. Maybe we could've even rescued Dan.

I looked up as I felt a hand on my shoulder. Setsuko gave me a solemn smile. "I know what you're thinking and don't even try to deny it like you usually do." She let go of me and averted her gaze. "Don't do this to yourself, Serra. It wasn't your fault."

It was, it was my fault. Just like how it was my fault that my little brother died. I was unable to stand up for him, to save him from that prison of a home. I... I should've taken him with me, then he would've surely lived!

Setty sighed. "Serra, you shouldn't blame yourself for everything bad that happens. I know that you carry the full weight of your position as a Seven-Hill, but please, let me help..." Her voice, I could barely hear it. It felt distant. It was as if she were moving farther and farther from me.

"Set...ty..." I whispered.

She turned around and gasped as I flew past her.

"Serra!" she cried out, her voice suddenly audible once again.

"Serra!" Tetsuya yelled. Last thing I saw was him rushing over toward me with his arms open as if ready to catch me.

"Te...tsu," I whispered before blanking out.

***

*Unknown*

"He's waking up," someone called out. It was a woman's voice.

"About time," said another. This one was a man.

A strange darkness filled the room outside. Awaiting me were a red-haired woman and black-haired man.

The woman's long and slim fingers grasped the door of the capsule and unlocked it. She slowly pulled the door open.

"He seems fine," the male said, eying me with narrowed eyes. "But to be cautious we should keep an eye on him before he rampages again."

The female nodded. "I already prepared things. This boy shall not try to flee again."

I stumbled out of the capsule once the door was completely open and landed in the woman's arms.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "If you're still suffering from fatigue then go to sleep."

My arms curled around her. Holding her... felt so familiar. "Ma..." No, that wasn't it... I didn't even have a ma to begin with. Nor memories of a prior life to a few days ago, so why did I find this sensation familiar?

"Hey, I'm not your Ma," she said, flustered.

I let go of her and step back. "Sorry... Master Aster."

She grinned. "Good, you did manage to learn some manners during your time asleep. I have a mission for you."

I stood up straight with my arms facing the floor. "What are your orders?"

A chuckle echoed across the room. "Maybe it worked a little too well."

"Are you making fun of me?" I asked, glancing around the dark marble room. The place was filled with white oval capsules with glass doors like the one that I awoke in. Inside them were crystals of various colors.

Are they all like me? Experiments.

A hand touched my shoulder. "The others will be born to a better world. One of peace," Aster said, her eyes glowing with passion. This war will end with us. Our king will soon awaken to see his vision come true—all the other dimensions shattered and the Abyss all reigning."

Our king? There's someone above these Sir Takon and Lady Aster?

"Now, for your order— I need you to infiltrate the Realm of Angels, specifically the nation of Kuroriku. We must stop their army from further encroaching on our realm. I'll tell you the rest of the details on the way."

I nodded and ran after her. The Realm of Angels, why does that place seem so familiar? My hands grasped the spherical black and purple crystal in the center of my chest. It's as if my existence is being called there.

"You alright?" Aster asked, stopping by the metal door. "Are you still pained?"

I walked forward. "I'll be fine. First comes the mission, that's why I was made, wasn't I? To serve as the weapon of the Rulers and serve as one of the Thirteen Pillars— The Guardians of the Abyss."

She nudged me forward and smiled. "Yes, but I wish that we didn't need to rely on you. You're a kid..."

"I may be a kid but I can fight. My fellow Rabbit Pillar inserted the fighting styles of our enemies into me," I said.

I suddenly felt something push me.

"Hey, don't shove me," I said as the main door to the lab slid open. I turned around and saw it was Master Aster who was hugging me from behind.

"Sorry, but you're just so adorable! I can't have you fight!"

"Aster," Takon said, glaring at her. "The kid's right, first comes the mission."

She sighed as she slowly let go of me. "I know, I know. No need to be uptight about it."

"We don't have much time! We need to do this now or never!"

Aster's arms uncurled completely from me. "Right. Let's go, Calamity."

I glanced back at the sad Takon. What does he mean by 'we don't have much time'? Is something going to happen to them, or all of us inhabitants of Abyss?

I ran on ahead and waved at Aster to follow. "Hurry! We need to finish this mission so that our world isn't destroyed!"

She chased after me and snickered. "You know, chasing after you feels as if I'm chasing a white rabbit."

I noticed that there was a bounce in my step. "A rabbit... one that lives in the rabbit hole called Abyss," I whispered.

"Conrad?" I whispered. I touched my face, it was wet with tears. Another dream of him...

I found myself seating in a train making its way southeastward. I had been leaning on a pair of familiar looking broad shoulders. 

"Tetsu?" I asked, sitting up right. Was being close to Hanketsu's rosary the cause of my dreams? No, that couldn't be. I lived with Tetsu in a tiny dorm room for four years yet dreams of Conrad were more common during the first year of university, the year after his death.

Tetsuya smiled and said, "Nice to see that you're awake, sleeping beauty!"

I grumbled and delivered a good punch to his stomach but he shrugged it off as if it were nothing. I truly envied his physical prowess. If I were as strong as him then I probably could've fended off Mei, Reno, and Etsuo long enough for Setsuko to have healed herself and laid the hurt on them with Alma.

My cousin chuckled. "You gotta work out more, Serra!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Want me to slice your head off, zombie boy?" I asked.

Tetsu continued to laugh. "Hey, you might be one yourself!"

I grumbled. "I doubt it. Pretty sure that the queen's beam knocked us out as we're both part abyssmal," I whispered.

"That makes sense considering it was directed that them," he whispered back. He continued to smile.

I leered at him. "You know, you're rather happy for a guy who is going to a funeral."

Tetsu lowered his gaze, his smile vanishing. "Sorry, was just trying to cheer you up. I hate seeing you down."

I leaned my head back and sighed. "Well, your sad self isn't very pleasing to see either." I chuckled. "Thanks for trying, Tetsu."

Tetsu grinned. "No problem, bud!"

"Hmph, and I thought that you were the smart one. Seems that even you've fallen for his facade," Hyosetsu said as he glared at us.

"Hyo, don't start a fight, again," Rosa said, sighing.

Hyo gave her a look of disgust. "You especially! How can you forgive him without clearing things up?"

Rosa averted her eyes. "I..."

"You what? Trust in him? Or worse yet, you love him? You're being blinded by your emotions! Wake up from your fantasy!" he said, passionate rage cracking through his usual stoic manner of speaking.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Tetsu said, glaring at him.

"Trying to play the role of knight again, huh?" he asked, giving him a dirty look.

"Tetsu... didn't..." Rosa whispered.

"Hyo, remember what I told you while we were in Xeleria?" Setsuko asked with a smile to hide her anger.

The knight scoffed. "Your threats don't scare me, princess!"

Setsuko stood up.

Hyosetsu got up and moved his hand toward his belt but there was no sword strapped to it. He looked straight at her and formed a sword of ice in his left hand. "I guess it's time for us to settle which of us is the stronger one!"

"I want to join in too," Tetsu said, standing up.

I sighed. "You morons aren't seriously going to fight here, are you?"

Setsuko chuckled. "As if. We're obviously going to take this outside."

Rosa pulled on her older sister's sleeve. "S-sit down, sis. You too, Tetsu, Hyo! We're heading to a funeral. Now isn't the time nor place to fight. You can have your fight during the training camp Takeshi is planning."

Tetsu quickly sat back down. "Alright, but only because you asked."

"Training camp?" Hyosetsu asked, his attention caught.

"Yeah, Takeshi has been planning one for awhile now. Ever since the battle at Grand Crater," Setsuko said. "Actually, he's currently upgrading our weapons in the meantime."

"So y'all defenseless?" Tetsu asked, snickering.

The three other 'Knights of Prophecy' on board the bus scoffed.

"We aren't like you, we can defend ourselves perfectly well without our weapons," Eiichi said.

Tetsu grumbled and said, "I can too, had been doing so for years." He grinned. "Say, how about we have a fight without any angel tools?"

Setsuko chuckled. "Don't underestimate us, all three of us are well versed in martial arts."

Rosa smiled. "Tetsu is too. He even knows how to hit one's pressure points."

Eiichi raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?"

Tetsu nodded. "Yeah. I even knocked out Suzuki with it... well, her leaf clone that is. I planned on using it on Yuko to stop her, but things turned out differently."

I smiled. "That technique is his finisher. He would've used it against you, if he could've gotten you to stop moving."

Eiichi chuckled. "Well then, good thing I kept moving. Though I doubt I would've collapse from a single hit on a pressure point."

"Though I doubt that one would help against the abyssmals given they can turn to goo,"Tetsu said, looking out of the window. His eyes seemed tired even though he had just woken up from a short coma.

"Relax, Tetsu. We will continue to grow," I said. "Plus, I get the impression that our enemy won't be making any large moves for awhile. At least not in this universe."

Setsuko reclined her head back on her seat. "This war truly is expanding beyond Abyssia and Zionia. To think that Abyssia would attack Xeleria like that."

"They'll probably attack Xian next," I said. "They do want the Ziz after all, which, according to King Shin'en, is rumored to be kept by the Xianian high priestess somewhere in their floating capital."

"Do you think that Etsuo and the others learned that information?" Rosa asked.

"Shin'en said it is a rather common rumor in Kyuu Seishin, so I would say they likely did."

Tetsu rubbed his chin. "Wait, if they're after the Ziz, then why did they attack the games at Kyuu Seishin rather than go after Xian?"

"That mean ruler said they needed life energy," Yuko said, poking her head up from the seat behind ours. "He said that Master should be 'honored' being part of something greater when you..." She sniffed. "When you died."

"He did?" Tetsu gasped. "Wait, Hanketsu said something about me being within an abyssmal..."

"Hanketsu did?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, he was the one who helped me escape that strange place. I didn't get it at the time, and I still kinda don't, but it could be that they're gathering energy for an abyssmal. And based on what Yuko heard, it's must be an important one."

"For an abyssmal?" Setsuko asked. "What for? They appear to have the power to destroy us as it is." She clenched her hands together. "Are they simply toying with us? Their intentions make no sense to me."

"Daisaru did say that," Rosa said, sighing. "They're not serious at all about this. They're treating us like ants in a cup. They can spray us whenever they want."

"Well, we'll simply have to escape said 'cup'. An ant when angry can be a dangerous thing," Tetsu said. "More so a mountain of them."

I lowered my eyes. Is that really it? To me it seems as if they're keeping us alive for something. But for what? Could it be that they're trying to set the conditions for the prophecy of the Xian? The rise of ten heroes against the ancient darkness. A war in which all the universes but one will expire. One in which chaos, death, and darkness are victorious over order, life, and light.

I looked around the bus. Who were the ten, though? We had the five knights, but who could the other five potential candidates be? And what if they've yet to be born? What then? I could tell from looking at my grandfather's eyes that he was plotting something for the long term. They could afford to lose their battle... That more than their power made them dangerous in my eyes. An enemy who wins in the long run, no matter what the short-term outcome is. Beings as ancient as Daisaru, Takon, Aster and he could afford to wait a little longer...

**Solar Note: Thanks for continuing to read this series :). So, what did you think of Calamity and his interaction with the two Rulers?**