Solomon was nervous about the day before him.
He paced about his room, checking the time in frequent intervals.
Bansha's eyes were beginning to open as it grew. It analyzed Solomon carefully as he moved around.
Finally, after checking the clock more than a dozen times beforehand, it was time for him to leave.
He leaned down and smiled at Bansha.
"Well… Wish me luck, boy… or girl."
Bansha growled warily in response. That was enough for Solomon.
He exited the room and found Raizel already waiting for him inside his armor.
"Are you sure that you're ready for this?"
"No… but it certainly beats sitting in here and overthinking everything." Raizel admitted.
Solomon clasped the metal knight on the shoulder.
"It'll all work out. Just relax."
Raizel nodded, and together, the two of them stepped out into the dark halls of the academy.
"I've been thinking about what it told you." Raizel spoke when they were a short distance away. "The armor."
"…Really?" Solomon was bad at hiding his surprise.
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"Oh, I dunno… I didn't really think you'd be able to think about anything other than Ms. Big Sword."
Raizel almost tripped on his face. "I-I didn't spend that much time thinking about her… don't make me seem like some kind of-"
Solomon looked back. "Oh, good morning, Nila."
"N-Nila?!" Raizel turned around to find nothing but an empty hallway.
A suffocated cackling drew his attention to the floor, where Solomon was on his knees, trying not to wake the entire first-year floor with his laughter.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Solomon wiped a tear from his eye. "I just… kekekeke!!"
"..."
- 2 Minutes Later..
The brothers were walking towards their destination and Solomon was carrying a fist-sized knot on the back of his head.
"Okay, okay, what did you think of?"
"That question. 'What is the opposite of pain?' I think it gave you a clue."
"To it's name...?" Solomon instantly caught on. "Did it ever do anything like that for you?"
"No... maybe it thinks you're more handsome than me."
Solomon slicked his hair back smugly.
"Nah, that can't be it..." Raizel waved his hand. "Even with this metal mug, I'm still..."
- 2 More Minutes Later...
The brothers resumed their walk in silence. Raizel was now sporting a fist-sized dent in the back of his helmet.
"...Pleasure." Solomon finally said.
"Look, I know it's been a while for you, but I'm not interested in-"
"No, you fool. That must be the answer to the riddle. The opposite of pain is pleasure."
Raizel rubbed his faceplate. "Well, ordinarily I'd agree with you, but if that were the case, I think the armor would have already responded since you said the name out loud."
Solomon touched his chest instinctively. He didn't feel any different at all.
"...Maybe pleasure is correct, but the language has to be different." He guessed.
"You're really sold on this whole 'pleasure' thing, aren't you? You sure it's not just because-"
"One more sex joke, and Bansha will be learning to do all of their business in your chestplate."
Raizel shut up quickly because he knew Solomon wasn't joking.
"Besides..." Solomon murmured as they stepped inside the training hall. "You're one to lecture me about having pressure built up when you've never been with a woman in your entire life... or death."
Raizel shrugged. "Nothing can compare to the mother of your child, I'm afraid."
The air changed as soon as he said it.
Solomon's feet would no longer budge as he stared at his brother's back.
"...What?"
Evidently, Raizel did not seem to realize what he had said either. His glowing eyes widened.
"That..."
"You and Nila had a child together..?"
"Brother, it's not that simple-"
"How can it not be simple?? You were a father, and-"
"I was ALMOST a father." Raizel corrected. His words became subtler as his will seemed to deflate. "But thanks to Redeemer... I never got to see my child's face. And Nila died in my arms..."
The living armor started to turn around. "Look, I don't want you to start-"
A heat washed over the surface of his metal body.
Solomon, his eyes and body brimming with fire, breathed heavily as he tried to wrestle with the weight of all that he had learned.
The entire hall rumbled as Solomon punched the nearest wall. Cracks spread along the surface as he drew back his fist to strike it again.
"Enough!" Raizel grabbed his arm. "I have had my time to grieve! It was not my wish to burden you with the needless talk of the past! Besides, I live again! I still have a chance to protect Nila and be with her again."
The flames had yet to fade from Solomon's eyes. He didn't even really notice them.
"But your child…"
Raizel clenched his undead fists. "…It's enough just to-"
"Stop. We both know it isn't enough!"
"Maybe not, but I will take what I can get after already losing everything once! Our current mission is bigger than my-"
"I…" Solomon began. "I was the one who did this to you. I'm going to be the one to figure out how to give you back everything I took."
The gravity of what Solomon was saying nearly knocked Raizel off his feet. It was so flagrantly absurd that he wanted to believe that his brother had just gotten caught up in the heat of the moment and spoken without thinking.
"…Solomon, I need you to think about what you are saying for two seconds-"
The door to the training hall opened once again.
Stepping in behind the brothers was the young Dakota Von Valii.
Entering behind him was the very subject of their conversation: Nila.
When Raizel laid eyes on her again, his entire body stiffened.
Solomon's eyes lost their intense light. He took several moments to calm himself down.
"…Thank you both for coming. I'm aware it's early, but I find this gives us an advantage over the other groups in our… Wait, where's Bird Boy?"
Dakota shrugged. Nila folded her arms.
"We barely know him. You can't expect us to be responsible for him."
Solomon's gaze softened as he looked at Nila. Something she instantly noticed and was naturally taken aback by.
"You know what…? You're right, my apologies. You're my team."
If Nila looked anymore surprised, her eyebrows were never going to go back to their normal positioning.
Solomon placed his hand on the shoulder of the knight beside him.
"This is my brother, Raizel. He'll keep you both company while I step out for a moment."
Solomon moved past his two group members and exited the training hall.
Dakota and Nila watched him go before they turned their gaze to the silent metal man.
His expression was unreadable, but the way he shifted his weight from foot to foot made it clear that he was nervous about something.
Suddenly, the giant dropped to one knee and lowered his head deeply.
His voice was heavy and full of reverence.
"It is… my honor to meet you."