"I've heard that you've gone through quite the transformation since I was last here."

I turn toward the ground and clench onto the bouquet and gift-wrapped katana.

"… Are those, for somebody?"

Looking forward, I give a nervous smile. "Oh yeah, I got a few things for a few people."

Iyuna continues walking forward. I feel a brush of cold wind as she passes me.

"Seems like you have a lot on your mind. If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me."

I let out a sigh, turning towards a white door with a silver handle. I knock on the door and step back.

"… Come in." A female's voice is heard from the other side.

My hand presses on the handle, and I enter the room. Its floor is tiled in white along with its pristine walls. The silk curtains flutter in the room alongside three bed-ridden patients who look at me with widened eyes.

A pink-haired girl gives a nervous smile while clenching her white bedsheets. "… Momoko… Nice of you to stop by."

Natsumi gives me a stern expression then faces toward the side; Dai, on the other hand, doesn't break his gaze. His piercing green eyes burn the side of my head from the corner of the room.

I close the door behind me while bowing. "Sorry for the intrusion. I just wanted to come by and check up on you."

Dai gives an frustrated expression while throwing his hand to the side."… Check up on us? YOU put us in here!"

My head falls to the ground as I walk towards a white-glass table and set the bouquet next to two other flower arrangements; One with white and red roses and another with an orange flower with spiked leaves giving off a subtle warmth.

"It's not her fault. We were all at fault for what happened."

I look toward Natsumi as she fixes her eyes on the flower arrangement. She then looks up at me and gives a soft smile.

"Thank you, Momoko."

I dip my head and walk over to Saori's bed.

"I'm sorry for your sword… it was probably in a class of its own but…."

My hand extrudes, showcasing a long and narrow scabbard with golden inscriptions gleaming in her pink pupils.

"I heard this one was made by Valer, herself. I hope you can accept this as an apology."

Saori grasps the scabbard and unsheathes it; Its silver outlining and darkened temper line reflect her pink locks as a smile grows across her face.

"It's beautiful!" She jumps from her bed and wraps her arms around my shoulders.

"For such a ruthless fighter, you're very considerate."

I scratch my cheek while giving a nervous laugh as she rests back into her bed.

"Speaking of ruthless, the hell was that?"

My eyes look over to Dai as he crosses his arm with an irritant expression.

"There's no way you get that strong in less than a month. You must've cheated!"

"She did train with General Calina, apparently known as 'The Immortal Empress,' so who knows what type of—"

"It was painful."

The three siblings look over at me with perturbed looks.

"… They did something to me… They put some type of monster in my body. At first, it felt painless, but it was like the creature wanted to get out of me. It kept kicking and pushing, my skin was bubbling, and it felt like I could die at any second. The monster kept digging into my consciousness and told me to end our suffering by killing us both. I thought of it several times as they put me through multiple procedures…."

Dai uncrosses his arm and looks towards the floor; Natsumi stands from her bed and walks to stand a few inches in front of me.

"Our father died in the first great war. We had to do odd jobs and go on dangerous dungeon raids to get by. It wasn't until we met Captain Stroyer, our dad's brother, who took us in and taught us how to fight properly. We vowed the day we became knights that we would fight for children like us, so their parents won't have to go to war and go through what we did. So we'll continue to get stronger so that one day the people of Phoenia… And any nation, for that matter, can live in peace."

Saori clenches the blade as a tear forms at the side of her eye. "Despite my actions, I didn't want to fight… I didn't really feel any true ambition to hurt us from your eyes when you were strangling me. I don't know what they did to you, but that doesn't change the type of person you are and the feelings of those around you."

The pink-haired girl stands as well and walks over to me, hugging me near my chest; Natsumi joins her while ruffling my hair.

"You've grown a lot since our fight in Ayuu, and I feel that I need to start appreciating people both weak and strong. That'll make me a better knight in the long run."

We look over to Dai, who averts his gaze; I snicker while covering my widening grin with my palm.

"… What? You're afraid of a group hug with a couple of cute girls?"

He jumps from his bed while looking at the ground with flushed cheeks. "A-As if!"

Natsumi pulls his hand forward, and we all laugh while Dai closes his eyes in nervousness.

"Let's all be the best knights we can be. For the weak without a proper path…."

Saori looks up with a beaming smile. "… For children who wish for the warmth of their parents."

"For the eldest who wish for their siblings to live long lives." Natsumi rubs Dai and Saori's hair.

Dai clenches his fist and throws it in the air. "For the strong who wish to shed huge amounts of blood on the battlefie—"

—Bonk

Natsumi karate chops Dai's head. "That's… Not what we were going for."

We all laugh while Dai clenches his head in misery.