[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights I: Rise of a Guardian Angel

Episode 20: Plot Against the Hills

**Previously, on RoaGA: Rosa has distributed the third (Agnes to Tetsuya) and fourth (Baldo to Hyosetsu) weapons with the help of her fellow Seven-Hill Knights; Serrano, Miyuki, and Kohri. Now, all that that is left is to locate the owner of the final tool, Donato. After checking up on Tetsuya's progress with Agnes, she heads to the eastern province of the kingdom to assist her fellow Seven-Hill Knight, Eiji. The two are to identify who this final knight will be.

When she arrives in the eastern frontier, she finds the uneasy peace the region had enjoyed for the past two and a half decades uprooted as rebels attack in the hopes of kidnapping her. While she fends them off, the second son of the duke of the land is kidnapped by a mysterious robed rebel. The older brother of the boy runs on ahead of the princess and Roa (one half of the mysterious pair of boys she met in the northern province while observing Hyosetsu and Kohri battle) in an attempt to rescue his brother.**

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Hideo slashed the overgrowth of the forest with a black scimitar as he frantically searched for any sign of the rebels' hiding spot. "No footprints, nor feathers," he said, putting a hand against the soil. The only footprints were those of deer. If only Dan and he could have hunted in peace, the two would probably be heading home with a week's worth of deer meat.

He shook his head.

Now is no time to think of what could've been. I need to save Dan! Wait for me, Dante, I'll rescue you!

The teen ran further into the forest. He stopped as he came upon the sound of a waterfall.

Could they be hiding there? I've seen it a lot in video games, and even in the anime that Dan watches, but would they seriously go for such a cliché place?

He peered over a pair of eight-foot-tall ferns and saw water glistening in the sunlight, which managed to penetrate into the dense forest. The river cut through the woods like a giant earthworm as it flowed down toward his hometown.

"Hideo?" a voice called out from behind him.

He spun around and saw a green-eyed, white-haired man dressed in black hood-less robes with a black and red cape. Around his neck were two golden necklaces and one made up of tiny red crystals.

"Dad!" Hideo shouted. The teen cupped his hands over his mouth. As if on cue, arrows rained down on both of them from the opposite side of the river.

Hideo's father removed his cape and swung it over the arrows, causing them to bounce back in the direction they had come from. He draped the mantle over his son and himself to use as a shield.

Hideo stared at the red veil and smiled. It was one of the few angel tools that he knew of that didn't transform into a weapon. Such angel tools tended to be clothing articles. Because of that, they were given the moniker of 'Sacred Clothing'. Despite being unusual, they were as strong as any weapon. He wished that he could get one for himself one day.

The boy smiled and hugged the man. "Dad, I'm so glad you're here!"

The father smiled. "It's alright now, Hide. I'm here." He gasped. "Wait, where's Dan? Your mother called me to check up on the two of you after hearing that loud explosion from earlier. Kiara came running back home and told her you two came hunting here." His eyes widened. "Wait, don't tell me that Dan was—"

Hideo shook his head vehemently. "No, but he was kidnapped. I suspect that those guys who shot at us are behind it.

The duke placed his hands on his oldest son's shoulders. "I see, stay here, I'll go fetch your brother."

"Wait, dad!" Hideo yelled. "It's too dangerous! They're still launching arrows at us!"

His father smiled as he lifted his red cape to get a glimpse of the situation. "Who do you think you're talking to?" he asked as he snickered light-heartedly. "Now close your eyes." He grabbed his upper golden chain necklace, filling the inside of the mantle with a brilliant light.