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

Episode 21: Loss of a Brother

Hideo barely dodged his brother's attack as the latter's claws sliced through the air, cutting the ground with the air pressure alone. His eyes widened as the cracks went on for several more meters.

"Well, with that, I'll be taking my leave," the girl said, running past the shocked Hideo. "Perhaps if The Lightning King hadn't taken down our other members, this fate could've been avoided. Alas, your brother's body is needed to make up for at least some of our losses."

"You're that low on manpower as to rely on a kid? How pathetic..." Hideo snapped. The bowman spun around and shot an arrow at her, but he quickly regretted turning his attention away from Dante.

Hideo gagged as blood pushed its way up his mouth. His green eyes peered down. Running through his side were black claws.

"Dan...te," Hideo whispered as he collapsed to the ground. Dan gave him a cold-look. The kind and shy little brother he once knew wasn't there anymore. What had they done to his soul?

Dante pulled his claws out of Hideo and walked away to catch up to his 'mistress'.

Damn, I cannot die here. I cannot! I need to save my brother! I need to rescue Dante! Hurry up, stupid body, move! Come on, move! Move! Oh, Divine Couple, please, help me stop Dan. I need to rescue him!

Hideo suddenly felt a hand fall on his side. His vision was blurry, but he could see a red-haired kid dressed in white robes, yet who had no shoes on. In the boy's hand was a wooden staff that glowed bright green. Accompanying him was a little girl who had the same look in her eyes as his brother.

He tried to move his lips to ask the two who they were, but he could barely breathe due to all the blood in his throat, less alone speak.

"I thought I felt you two," Hideo heard a familiar voice echoed. He glanced up and saw the outline of a black-cloaked man donning a mask approached the two from behind.

Kuroshi.

"Master," the girl said in a stoic tone as she bowed. "Yuko and Nori came here upon the orders of Serrano."

The man hummed. "Right, I foresaw your arrival on this mountain. He sent you here to spy on that boy accompanying the princess, didn't he? The angel of Ximena was your guide, was she not?"

"How did you know? And how do you know, Miss?" Nori asked.

Kuroshi chuckled. "Agnes."

"Agnes?" Yuko asked, tilting her head.

The man nodded. "Correct. You know, the wielder of Aventine was right to ask you to come here. That raven-haired boy, as well as the one currently training Tetsuya, are both highly suspect. I want you two to take this boy to Eiji once he's healed. However, before you do so, call Serrano and Tetsuya to come here. I think this will be a good time to test out the Agnes Knight."

Yuko nodded as Kuroshi handed her a purple and black cellphone, which strangely already had Serrano's number. The man turned his back to the three and walked forward.

"Where is Master going?" Yuko asked as she put the phone against her ear.

He laid a gloved finger against one of the black stone walls of the cavern. "I sense an eerie power at work here, someone has cast a dark art."

Hideo pushed himself up. "Someone is controlling my brother!" the teen said as he wiped the blood off his lips. "The one behind it has to be deeper in the cavern. How did you three even come here?"

Kuroshi chuckled. "After Ximena's Olivine showed Nori and Yuko to the mountain, Yuko here created a new cavern from the left side of the mountain. I simply followed it."