With a sullen frown, Guran crossed his arms and brought his gaze to his pupil yet again. "Now, don't say things like that. If there's anything I'd rather you learned from your time here above everything else, it's that what you've gone through has never been for nothing. That, I assure you." He nodded with closed eyes.

"A LOT of people fell in that fight, gramps. I might not have known the thousands, but I at least knew the one that meant the most. Sure, I'm stronger now... but had I been before, I wouldn't have lost back then." Kyoya's heart still ached, yet deep down he knew that she'd never let him sulk.

That said, it still wasn't the easiest task in the world.

The feeling of a leaf falling upon his left shoulder prompted him to brush it off, but when his hand met what happened to be another hand, he quickly took it back.

"That makes four this month."

The voice that greeted him was one he'd grown to treasure. Turning, his eyes met those of sister Reika.

"Yeesh, it's not my fault you never make any noise when you move around!" The boy whined, though it only added to the hilarity of his ordeal.

Her ability to cast nothing short of almost overwhelming calm in their surroundings never failed to astound the boy, nor his master. If as little as a tapping on the shoulder felt as nothing more than that of a falling leaf, he didn't fancy considering what more elaborate tricks she could pull, with the right circumstances.

Sister Reika could have easily been called one of the more enigmatic women of Takera. She was the youngest of three, aged seventeen, and hardly taller than Kyoya at 6'1", though she made it tradition to exaggerate the difference in height.

Her skin was never seen anything short of immaculate: rosy and pale, even visibly soft, though he never dared touch knowingly unless invited to do so, on account of her threats of retaliation.

Both her eyes and long, flowing hair were a paled light pink, the outlandish natural color adding to the ability to assume that she was a Mage of some degree. She was only ever seen donning a white and rose-gold garb, a trademark sword at her side.

The young woman's expression remained indefinitely neutral, but the slightest change in said look gave off monumental effect.

She smiled warmly to Kyoya, then doing the same to Guran.

"A pleasure to see you, as always, my dear. Have you come with any concern, or would you like to join our little chat?" The master offered, turning to her and returning her gesture.

"A slight concern, though one I'll be taking upon myself." With that statement, her gaze shifted to Kyoya.

His nerves went into overdrive as she eyed him, until her rightfully tense address came about.

"You do understand what will be happening tomorrow, don't you?" She inquired.

"I knocked off my final trial... so I'll be able to take on the world again."

His faltering stare quickly became one of determination. He had never truly been held here against his will; sure, he'd wanted to leave, and had even tried, but was stopped and asked by Guran if it was truly his time to go -- to which he'd say yes.

Every time, without fail, he ended up back at the barrier, which he'd been instructed not to break, even if it meant waiting days outside. That alone taught him the raw discipline that would be needed for such a lifestyle: the constant struggle for survival when he'd venture out taught him just how big the world was, as every time he'd spent countless hours training, another, stronger Demon sent him back bordering a body bag.

It could be argued that the maiden, at least temporarily, filled the void that losing Sera had carved into his being. He figured his foster sister would turn up sooner or later to discuss his impending departure.

In short, she taught him the elements of living that Master Guran wasn't quite capable, alongside being a wonderful, and realistic, role model.

She brought upon him impeccable housemaking, advanced meal preparation, downright absurd combat prowess; she'd practically turned him into a fist-fighting housewife, this title proudly provided by the daring Sister Reika herself.

Even years prior, being only thirteen, the girl was still able to teach him lessons in the form of mystical stories of old, detailing the many hardships of one man to the next, and that endurance would provide closure in the end...

...Unfortunately, that was usually the extent of her teachings back then, but he valued it all the same.

"Yes, that's correct, but..."

She took a long, tense pause, followed by a deep breath. "...as a maiden serving under the ever-holding wing of Fate, I cannot allow that a bearer of her torch depart it's teaching absent of favor."

Then, a brief silence befell them.

That opening hit rang differently than her usual: it was a command he'd been instructed to remember for the day that would come.

Upon the eve of their departure, young to find themselves vigilant in their training, overcoming odds and surpassing expectations, would be tested.

This test would not be by strength, nor by smarts, but by spirit, and their tester would be one that had studied and honed Fate's ancient method. Given the existence of Demons, he viewed no supernatural phenomena as an impossibility, and thus treated such matters with the utmost priority.

"Reika...! Has it-?" Guran mouthed.

"Yes. It came to me at dusk, commanding that I confirm for myself that Kyoya is prepared for what ever may await him. It was cryptic, more than what my sisters said to have experienced... but it was, without a doubt, what I was instructed." She almost looked distraught to have bore this news, but was doing a fair job at hiding it.

"Can't say that sounds like the easiest bit to understand... Is there anything else?" Kyoya breathed, the atmosphere bordering palpable.

"If I was told, I would tell you." The girl answered.

"This is the first time an envoy has spoken without clear institution in quite some time... I feel that it desires for you to approach this matter without the luxury of knowledge -- or any of us." Guran calculated, his arms crossed in deep thought. "Needless to say, your sisters would be envious of this occasion."

"I'm well aware of this, master... If nothing else, I've found my calling. They'd be proud. I know it."

A content nod preluded their master speaking further.

"In hindsight, Reika... I do believe that prior to his departure, you owe it to the boy to 'come clean' about the endeavors you've faced, just as he's done to you. All this talk of your siblings without any elaboration is sure to have left him a bit curious. The debt has yet to be paid, for quite some time, even." Guran pulled at his collar, meekly looking to the statue.

"Is that right." Kyoya cornered an expectant glance to his foster Sister.

Following another sigh, Reika spoke.

"As you'd know, I'm the third of three to have served time at the shrine. Two sisters before me, now following their own dreams, made their mark here. They sought Eternity, with my first sister failing in her pursuit roughly ten years ago. Five after that, just before I arrived here, my second sister met the same result."

The maiden then lost what remained of the tension about her. "And finally, four years ago, I succeeded." A meager coat enveloped her words for a moment, but was shaken off swiftly afterward. "Within the blade entrusted to me by master Guran..."

She gripped her katana, slightly unsheathing it to show a symbol of a flower and leaf, delicately etched into the metal just below the hilt. "...their blessings reside, pushing me to move forward and carry the torch that has been handed down to me; all leading up to my confirmation of a truly capable pupil. Their dream was to become Heirs to Eternity, champions of light whose sole duty is to combat the demonic forces that threaten our world, just as our master has."

Reika nodded to herself, continuing. "Such is achieved through using the overcoming of immense hardship to unlock ancient secrets, and then all will fall into place. For my sisters, it was our elderly caretakers. For myself... Well, I'm sure you can put it together."

The Rose maintained a smile. "As of now, all that remains for you to show me that you're prepared to go, for good, is to overcome the sorrow you hold in your heart just as I have, and use it to prevail over me in the battle that will ultimately decide if you leave us with any chance at besting what lies beyond the known world."

"I-... I'm sorry, that you've had to push through all that. You really didn't have to tell me, did you?" Kyoya's guilt weighed on his shoulders even heavier, now in the face of one that he understood so much clearer.

"It's true that I would've regretted not telling you, so no harm, no foul. There's no use sulking when it would only slow you down... Seems as something you've yet to pick up on, looking at your conversation earlier." She snarked, a clear attempt at lightening the mood.

"Yeah, yeah... but hold on! After all the teasing, and the funny business, and the whole lot of everything in-between, you can't possibly be telling me-!" The boy was swiftly silenced.

"Yes, I'm telling you, Kyoya. There lies potential that can only be realized upon the shedding of your strife and acceptance of what has come to pass. Master Guran sees in you a young Dragon budding with excitement and anticipation to prove his worth to the world. If they could come to tell you, the four years you've spent here with me would be proof enough to my sisters that they see something special in you as well. With the confirmation, any and all of our collective strains will fade."

As much as he'd wanted to question further, it was perfectly apparent that there was no going back. A seedling of worry planted itself, but Kyoya was swift in uprooting it before awaiting whatever else Reika would decide.