Kenichi nodded, as he attached his sword'd scabbard to his belt. "Let's go."

As he says that, Tarozaemon and Machi follow him towards the mountain.

"I don't know what I'll find there, but one thing is certain... I'll find out what happened to you, mother!"

PRESENT DAY: MOUNTAIN FUKUJIMA, TVARYN

A girl wearing a single white cloth, with scarlet hair and eyes, stood up from the cliff where she always sat. "Is this it? Is this where peace ends?"

...

"Where are you?"

PRESENT DAY: XXXXX'X XXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Ihote is resting on his office's chair as his usual messaging underling comes in. "Boss! Another letter from the informant!"

"Hmm? Read it then."

"It seems that this kid Kenichi has some kind of reflecting SOUL, as he witnessed in a fight between him and the bear guy."

"A... reflective SOUL? Could that be some kind of psychic SOUL power? Continue."

"The boy is also... gonna climb the mountain..." He said, trying not to get heard.

"WHAT?!" Ihote slams his desk, breaking it in half. "Send a guy! Find someone with Lightning SOUL and go tell the informant to stop them at once! What's on top of the mountain is something that must stay there at all costs!"

"Sh-Should I inform the Lord about the latest developments?"

"Of course, you imbecile! Move your ass before I kill you with my own two hands!" He threatens the underling, that flees before anything happens. Ihote is then left alone with his anger. "How does he know?!"

PRESENT DAY: XXXXX'X XXXX, TVARYN

After some minutes, somewhere, a portal is open yet again to another bird. As the armored man takes the letter he reads it. "A kid was found with a special kind of reflective SOUL and is now getting ready to climb the mountain for some reason. His name is... Kenichi?"

The figure crumbles the letter and disintegrates it, before standing from his throne. "So this was your plan, Feliticia? You damn witch..." His voice, now distorted, said.

PRESENT DAY: MOUNTAIN FUKUJIMA, TVARYN

Kenichi explains to Tarozaemon and Machi how he thought they were not real. How he thought that their world was a fake inside his own world. And also he now thinks it's not like that and that he's positive that his mother was the same Sanada that founded the kingdom 300 years ago, though he himself can't explain how.

"So you're going to the cave to see if you find more clues about your mother? We can only help you." Tarozaemon says.

"I know we met yesterday, but I have this weird feeling that we were always meant to know each other, Kenichi. So, me and Tarozaemon will help with whatever we can." Machi smiles.

"That sympathy has to end someday, though. You guys have your own mission after all." Kenichi says, feeling already a bit sad that he has to say goodbye to his first friends in this world.

"Shut up, you idiot. For as long as you're in our world, we'll help each other out. Isn't that what friends are for? Leaning on each other when needed." Tarozaemon says, laughing in the end.

That made Kenichi feel way more calm about the current situation, though he didn't know what the hell was at the peak nor the cave, he knew he could trust his two friends to be there for him. He also felt the same way, he'd do anything to help these two, if the time came.

As they approached the peak with silent footsteps, they noticed a girl, sitting near the cliff of the mountain. Tarozaemon and Machi suddenly would sheathe their weapons, which caught the attention of the girl. "Wh-Who are you?!"

"Hey, guys! What are you doing?!" Kenichi was also startled by this.

Tarozaemon and Machi were trembling.

"How can she...?" Machi mumbled.

"Kenichi, watch out! I'm feeling a huge presence within her! Something I never felt before!" Tarozaemon warned him.

"Is that a reason to start attacking indiscriminately?" Kenichi asked them. "She didn't even try to attack us!"

"Who are you...?"

Kenichi turned to the girl, smiling. "I'm Kenichi Sanada!"

The girl's heart skipped a bit when she heard his answer. "Sa... nada?"

"Yeah." Kenichi moved his hands as to signal Tarozaemon and Machi to back off a bit.

Tarozaemon nodded and respected his friend's wish, as he and Machi descended a bit of the mountain's path.

"You're a Sanada?" She asked.

"Yeah. You know another one?"

"Yeah... I met her a long time ago."

"Her? You mean... Feliticia?"

"Ho-How do you know her name?!" She seemed scared.

"Yeah, she's... she's my mother."

"Your mother...?"

"If you know where she is, maybeー!" Kenichi was interrupted by a fire ball grazing his face. "Wha-What was that for?!"

"You're one of them... Right?" The girl looked past Kenichi.

"One of them?" As Kenichi repeated those words, he turned back, noticing Bernardus standing there. "Calm down! He's a friend of mine!"

"A friend... of yours?!" Flames started to erupt from her eyes and hair, as she started to float. "You made a grave mistake by fooling me!"

"Wha-What is this power...?" Kenichi said, as he fell back from fear.

"I'll take care of this, Kenichi. Go!" Bernardus got into a stance and looked at the girl. "I don't know who you are, but you're going down now!"

DISTANT PAST: MOUNTAIN FUKUJIMA, TVARYN

The girl, at this time still a kid, is sitting down near the cliff of the mountain when she's approached by a woman.

"Hello, Ignis. How are you?"

"Feliticia! You're here!"

Feliticia puts her rapier and shield on the ground and sits besides Ignis. "Yeah. You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah. I heard some people talk about love and got interested in it."

Feliticia laughs. "Aren't you still way too young for that?"

"Well, it's not like I wanna fall in love now, but... If you had to fall for someone, what kind of person would that someone be?"

"What kind, uh?" Feliticia looks at the sky, watching carefully as the clouds drifted slowly along the sunset sky. "Well, he had to be someone selfless, for one. Someone that puts the safety of others over his own safety. Someone who vows to protect the peace of the world and keep it that way. I guess that would be his first trait!" She laughs.

Ignis looked at Feliticia with sparks on her eyes.

PRESENT DAY: XXXXX'X XXXXXX XXXXXXXX, TVARYN

Ihote grabs a big cannon with his right hand and an axe with his second, preparing to leave his office, as the usual underling arrives.

"Boss! The flying boatship's motors are ready! Ready for Feliticia's invasion!"

Ihote smirks. "Good... Let everyone be prepared! It's time to go to work!"

"Yes, sir!" The underling seemed happy to go to work, running along the halls of he ship to press a button in a wall.

Alarms screamed in every inch of the ship, every single one of Ihote's underlings partied, getting ready to invade the city. They looked like pirates ready to invade another ship to steal their booty.

PRESENT DAY: MOUNTAIN FUKUJIMA, TVARYN

As Kenichi gets back, Bernardus' eyes start shining yellow, thunder starting to envelop his legs. He makes his nails grow like claws, as he grits his teeth in anger.

"You fools, promised me the safety of the city if I kept myself in here and now you threaten me?! Idiots... All of you!" She just send a huge burst of fire towards Bernardus, that he dodges easily enough.

The burst makes a huge sound catching the attention of both Tarozaemon and Machi that come running back.

"Kenichi!" Machi screams.

Kenichi is sitting on the ground, eyes close, deep in thought. He's trying to figure out how to end this conflict, but suddenly some cannon shots are heard.

As they all calm down and look towards the city, they see a huge flying boatship landing on the city.

"No..." Ignis says, kneeling on the ground.

Kenichi finds this weird as well, but someone else reacts. "What is he doing here?!" Bernardus says, before using his powers to quickly descend the mountain.

"We should go and check that out as well, Kenichi." Tarozaemon says.

As Kenichi and Machi got closer to Tarozaemon, he used his earth powers to make them slide safely down the mountain.

Ignis looked down at them as they went down the mountain. "That presence... The Kitagawa Family Stone...?"

PRESENT DAY: MAIN PLAZA, ROYAL CITY OF FELITICIA, TVARYN

Ihote leaves his ship and takes a huge deep breath, before laughing a bit. "It feels so good to leave the ship for a bit, uh? Who would've known?!"

Some citizens gather round to check what was happening, until Borus steps up. "Welcome. Who might you be, traveler?"

"Me? My name's Ihote Valkutra and I'm here on a simple task."

As the group arrives, Bernardus approaches Ihote. "What are you doing here?!"

"Oh? It's the boy! Change of plans. We're gonna conquer this city now."

"Wait... Conquer?" Kenichi says. "Bernardus, what's the meaning of this?"

"You must be Kenichi, right? Didn't you know? Bernardus here works for me. He's been gathering quite the info on this city for a long time now and even on you and your little group."

Kenichi's heart sunk, as he looked at the person he considered a friend. "Bernardus...? He's joking, right...?"

"Don't forget our deal, boy!" Ihote says to Bernardus, laughing. "I'll give you your part, but first, perform a last task for me, will you?"

"Uh?" Bernardus looked confused.

"Kill this insignificant vermin." A sadistic smile would form in Ihote's face, as Kenichi's and Bernardus' eyes widened.

"You don't need to do this, Bernardus!" Tarozaemon said, as Ihote's lackeys surrounded him and Machi.

"Shut up and don't you dare interfere with our bosses plans!" A lackey said, pointing his sword at Tarozaemon.

He just sighed and took his sword slowly. "Prepare yourself, Machi. We won't leave this one without a fight, that's for sure."

Machi just nodded and took out both of her kunais. She'd then look at Kenichi with a worried look on her face. "Kenichi..."

Kenichi clenched his fists and looked at Bernardus. "So it's gonna be like this? You just suddenly betray us? Betray the city that believed in you?"

"What do you know, uh?! You know nothing about me!"

"You're right, I don't..." With a serious face, Kenichi took his sword out, slowly. "But I know one thing for sure. Betraying bastards like you don't deserve to live."

Bernardus laughs. "You're joking, right?!" He gets into his fighting stance. "I just have to destroy you and I'll finally see her again! No hard feelings."

As they both locked glances at each other, Ihote laughed. "Now THIS! Will be a spectacle I'll enjoy!"

Ignis would suddenly appear. "Ihote..."

"Oh? Ignis? Breaking our agreement, are we?" He smirks. "You know that you'll never see her again, right?"

"I've come to make a bet with you."

"Uh? A bet?"

YEARS AGO: MOUNTAIN FUKUJIMA, TVARYN

"Where are you going?" A sad looking Ignis notices a leaving Feliticia.

Adjusting her giant bag on her back, Feliticia looked back. "I need to depart, Ignis."

"For how long...?"

"A long time. I don't even know if we'll see each other again."

"But... Why?"

"There's someone that needs me. He needs my help. I can't turn back on him."

"So that's it?! You're leaving?! Just like that?!"

Feliticia smiles, petting Ignis on her head, gently. "One day, you'll be visited by a Sanada, even if it's not me. I want you to take care of them for me, okay? Follow them. Fight for them. Show them the path."

"The path to what...?"

Feliticia lands her right index finger on Ignis' chest, smiling. "Here."

PRESENT DAY: MAIN PLAZA, ROYAL CITY OF FELITICIA, TVARYN

"What's this bet?" Ihote asks, waiting for the answer.

"Him against you." She points to Kenichi. "If he wins, our agreement is cancelled and you give me the information I want. If he loses, I'll return to the mountain forever and you can keep the information I want with you forever."

Ihote laughs. "For him to beat me, he first needs to beat Bernardus. And I seriously doubt he can do that!"

Everything said, Kenichi gripped his sword as hard as he could, as he jumped forward using his SOUL, hitting incredible speeds.

Bernardus seemed pissed, as he did the same, taking his claws out.

As both jumped at each other, screaming, they both slashed each other and...

END OF DOCUMENT IX