(Be-warned-Under Major Re-construction)

PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS AND DO NOT CONTINUE PAST THIS POINT until 2023 lol. 

While Lilith was fast asleep on Osamu's shoulder, Kazuki starred out the back of the wheeled camel-carriage to observe Angelo's burnt body. Tears, once again, came to his now-not-so-threatening eyes. It was no longer just about learning how to conjure the celestite powers himself—he would have to cope with the possibility that his new friends could die.

As he gazed outwards into the morning sun-star, over the sand clouded sea, he reached into the back of the duel camel carriage's raft, and pat Angelo's charred furry-face. He was unconscious now and barely holding on with carefully placed breaths.

Suddenly, the focal point in Kazuki's forehead began to flutter. Toshihiro, the ancient turtle, bearing demon for the Celestite of Life had started humming with curiosity. A glowing virescent light had shined from Kazuki's eyes for a short time, and then it spoke.

"Hmm. . . . I thought as much. The entire left side of Angelo's rib cage is heavily fractured which has caused his diaphragm and his lungs to slightly collapse. His right arm, broken in three different places caused by large fangs. These marks are incredibly close to vital spots, almost as if he missed on purpose. Nonetheless, they have drilled into his pectoralis major. It will be a long time before he uses this arm again. On top of all that, he has third-degree burns throughout his entire body. I'm amazed that he is still alive All Bearer."

With tears dripping onto Angelo's burnt nose, Kazuki whimpered.

"Angelo. I swear I'll get stronger. Please don't die."

"Get some rest little brother," said Osamu.

"What did you just call me?" Kazuki said, turning back to meet Osamu's blood-red eyes.

Osamu looked away from Kazuki's gaze instantly.

"Death's Mask has deceived the seven kingdoms," he said. "He is alive, and the true danger is not you. The worst is yet to come. So go to sleep."

Little brother?

***

The village of Zoenheim was entirely surrounded by The Everstorm. It was in the middle of nowhere, but this was the town's most magnificent defence. No trees, just a sand-filled wasteland that somehow gave the locals peace of mind. There were hundreds of houses all made of thick steel and were all roughly the same size. The tallest building was within its centre, The Suntower, where history from every era is kept highly guarded within its walls. Its mosaic shape took on three circular marble towers that ascended so high, that the final level entered the clouds. The morningtide sun-star shun upon on it, making it glow as if it were a mythical orange tree from a refreshing dream.

Just on the outer edge of The Suntower, laid Osamu's hovel. It wasn't much to look at, but it was a shelter. Inside it was small enough to house a man and a dog.

Osamu pulled up a few chairs beside the fireplace, throwing in some dead wood, and with a snap of his finger, it began to burn.

Lilith and Kazuki sat down and began to gaze at the flames. It reminded them of Angelo. Still missing him, they wondered when he would return from the medical centre, if at all.

To break the silence, Osamu spoke calmly over the crackling logs.

"I guess your first question would be, how am I your older brother?"

Kazuki looked up at Osamu who was de-robed now, wearing tan linen shorts. A maroon crystal was embedded in the middle of his spine. His regular hidden white mane was now tied into a ponytail that swung over his right shoulder and draped all the way down to his ankles. He looked like Kazuki, only he was much older and darker, coated with multiple scars that cris-crossed all over his body.

"I don't remember having a brother," Kazuki remarked, turning away.

Osamu looked at the floor. "Well, I am your brother. We share the same father and the same mother. What I am about to tell you may be a bit overwhelming, and seeing how you're looking pretty glum because of your demon friend, I don't think now is the best time. Maybe its best if you get some more rest, we will go to the library tomorrow and search for information on the whereabouts of a hollow portal. Angelo has already told me everything he could. He will be okay. I promise. We have the best medical-type celestite user in this part of the world," he said.

Kazuki folded his hands. "No, tell me what you were going to say,"

Osamu closed his eyes and shook his head, not wanting to tell, but the overwhelming obligation was visible to Kazuki's keen senses.

"Allow me to explain what I know then," said Osamu, waving his hand; a thin brush of wind came forth, igniting every light source within his wooden hovel.

"I arrived here when I was about six year's old—thirty-three years ago. It was then that Gomatusu found me. I began to live here, which practically forced me to study in the library ever since. Through my readings, I had finally learned the truth. The Netherplague 'created' a daughter, whom he named, Izanami. I believe this to be my mother, and yours, and our father's bearing demon due to a past encounter," explained Osamu, pointing to his many scars.

"Gomatusu ignored me. If Olomaris were to resurrect, he would need the twelve cores to be placed back into his soul. But first, a demon would have to be killed to empty a chasm. Here's the part that doesn't make any sense to me. A demon can only truly be killed by another demon. When you entered into the tournament of bearers, not only did you defeat the demon assigned to you but you had killed it entirely. This had almost completely unchained Olomaris from The Azmorian Twelve's sealing art, which is an S-Class crime. I have no explanation as to what we are, but we are not human," revealed Osamu.

Standing from his wooden chair, Osamu slouched overtop of it and stared out his only window, crammed with sand.

"The fool did not listen to me, he had you enter anyway, and now Olomaris is coming for you. To bear his nine of twelve crystal powers, I do not envy you in the slightest. When Death's Mask kills you, he will absorb these powers and let himself be consumed by Olomaris, thus bringing about what he has called, the maelstrom. I have heard him speak these words himself, a long time ago. It is how I know of these things. I don't know why he's doing this. I could be wrong, but it's all I know."

Kazuki quivered and tried to sit back down without falling.

"But if you're my brother...Who is Death's Mask? Do you have any idea?"

Lilith hung her head in grief. "I can't believe another war is starting," she muttered.

"I have not a clue, nor did Gomatusu," Osamu continued.

"We have been trying to find his true identity for decades. From what the council had gathered about The Black Lotus Clan, it was founded about seventy or so years ago by the tyrant that came to call himself Death's Mask. It consisted of eight individuals that possessed powers beyond that of the Nine Core Celestites that you bear. They each bear a mark, a tattoo of a black lotus flower somewhere on their body. Their first strike was what history came to call, The Lion's Head War. They began to kill everyone, carriers and non-carriers alike, by the millions. They wiped out whole cities with just the eight of them. Had I lived to see it myself, I would have laid my life down, just as many others had."

Lilith replied with a frightened tone. "But how are they still alive, wouldn't they at least die of old age? I doubt they are half-elven."

"No," Osamu answered, continuing his story.

"Death's Mask had taught them how to perform an unknown rite of some kind. It is the direct opposite of the Hellgate Zircon Ritual—what the bearing demon's call, the Evensong Rite, the rite that freed Angelo. The evensong is that of purging the negative energy within the soul of the demon, essentially unchaining them from Olomaris' control. It is highly forbidden to most bearers. This unknown rite, however, purges the positive. This is what turned the lotus into beings of extreme power. For had it not been for The Ironroses defeating more than half of its members, the world would be drowning in blood today. I have only just learned of this reverse ritual, from Angelo."

Kazuki brushed his hand through his draggled azure hair and belted out a deep breath.

"The Ironroses?" Lilith questioned.

"The best of the best. Ten individuals from every corner of the world were chosen on October 19th 843AC to become apart of an elite squadron. It's members mostly consisted of the 8th generation council of sages. They were to kill every black lotus member with strategic strikes. Luckily for us, they succeeded. A man that had come from nowhere had appeared on the final battlefield in Aratine. He proclaimed to be a long-dead legendary man known as Miyasato."

Kazuki chuckled while crossing his arms. "Well, I know something that you don't. Miyasato is our father, and that was him. He exploded himself in an attempt to kill Death's Mask, which seemed only to destroy the elves, and not him. That's what I was told by Felin anyway."

"Coda Katsumi almost killed Angelo with such ease. After all these years he is still alive. I can't believe mother fought someone like him. I wonder if the other members are still out there," said Lilith.

Looking out through the only window within his hovel, gazing into the desert early morning sky that filled itself with the pure eclipse of a bright orange sun-star, Osamu replied after a long pause.

"I only know of two," he answered, hanging his head.

Kazuki stood up and yelled in a demanding tone.

"Tell me who they are. I'm going to find them and make them pay!"

"The one you already met, The Silver Serpent, Coda Katsumi. The other is far more dangerous if you can believe it. He is also one of the original members, dating back almost seventy years ago, possibly more. He was seen no more than a day ago by my spies stationed just outside the Kingdom of Cosmic. I've had my suspicions of the capital city ever since the king's son claimed his father was ill at the gathering. It is very unlikely for King Augustus to become ill. His celestite controls the cosmic energy within the core of the planet. I highly doubt an illness could start to take his life that easily. He's incredibly powerful, probably one of the strongest warriors Azmoria has," Osamu explained, placing himself at his hearth once more.

"Not only that, he is one of the last surviving members of The Order of the Ironrose—that is if Agatha Haru and Diaxis Xelheim are still alive."

Kazuki shook his head and chuckled again. "I've met both of them. Agatha's the one who saved me from the tournament and later on I tripped into Diaxis's world and spoke with him. I should be hearing from him soon about Agatha's whereabouts. I hope. It's been a long time. I hope they're both okay."

"You've been through a lot more than I thought, haven't you little brother? However, this ancient black lotus man of which I spoke of—if he can truly be called a man any longer. His celestite alone can destroy an entire nation. He only goes by one name, and I was in disbelief when I heard it was him. Griever, The Sanguine Prince."