[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights III: Song of Divine Wrath

Episode 32: Trial of a Knight

I stepped away from the crystal. "What was that?" I asked, touching my head. I glanced up and saw that I was back in the meadow.

"Welcome back," Hanketsu said, grinning.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

"Hmm? You tell me. How did it go? Meeting the part of your soul which now resides within Agnes."

Raising my shield over my head, I said, "It was strange. It felt like any other dream. Was that real?"

Hanketsu nodded. "Yes. It was. It appears that Agnes has recognized you."

I elevated my head. He has?

"But what does that mean?" I asked, standing up straight.

"It means that you've awaken more abilities, in other words, your Agnes has leveled up."

I stared at the shield in awe. "Leveled up, huh? It has been awhile since I last heard those words." Or at least, it felt like it had been. I chuckled. "Well, at least that means that I'm getting stronger!"

I turned toward Serra. His eyes were still dull, like when I had first met Yuko. I gasped... were my memories returning?

My ancestor stared at me for a while before finally grinning. "Yeah, you have. Though, you still are a long way away from being able to battle Reginald or any of the other ancient Pillars in a one on one. Your own father was no match against that man."

"You know him? Reginald?" I asked.

Hanketsu scoffed. "Of course, I do. I recently saw him during your clash in Xeleria."

I glanced up at the starry sky. "Don't... don't you think that he resembles me?"

The dark angel turned his back to me. "You know the answer, don't you?"

I bit my lip and thought of my own father. "Yeah, he's my grandfather."

"Yes. He is." He turned to look directly at me, flashing me eyes filled with concern. "You, Tetsuya, are an abyssal creature. Same with your siblings and paternal cousins."

With my hand on my chest, I answered, "I know. That's probably why Serrano and I were affected by Saya's attack against the shadows that appeared once Yuko's transformation collapsed. It was because..." The grip on my chest tightened. "Of our abysmal blood."

"Yes. It also seems to be why you two survived such serious wounds."

I gave him an odd look. "What do you mean? Weren't you the one who saved me?"

Hanketsu shook his head. "I saved you from falling to darkness. That man, Takon, he knew about you. He tried to turn you into one of his servants. But I managed to shield you... at my own cost."

"What?" I said, taking a step back. "What do you mean at your own cost?"

"Don't you recall what I told you before? About how there was someone suffering? Well, I was partially talking about myself."