A/N: I'm back, bitches!

Deadpool: You never left.

Goodralisk: Who asked you? Anyway, this shall be the start of the second part and a sequel to Noble Strength. Basically, this is the time between post-Plegian War and the upcoming Valmese war. I've also decided to extend the time gap from the regular two years to seven, simply because A) I think for developing bonds between the characters and the recovery of Ylisse from the war, the two-year break didn't cut it. B) I truly think that it would take longer than two years to take over all of Valm. C) Though it's open to suggestion, IT'S MY FIC AND THIS IS HOW I DO IT.

Or rather: OUR fic.

Lancer: This is getting real successful! I think we're doing a good job!

Goodralisk: Also, I'm going to let Tychon narrate the parts of the story. Is that fine?

Deadpool: As long as I get some portion of the spotlight, I'm good.

Goodralisk: Fair enough!

Disclaimer: We don't own Fire Emblem, or else Emmeryn wouldn't have died. Probably. Can't always have a happy ending. Unless you're getting a massage. Speaking of which, I'd like one, my muscles are tense. Is there money in the budget for that?

...no? What do you mean n-"

The morning sun shines through the window of my bedroom, the rays kissing my face with their warm embrace and waking me from my slumber. I scratch my face to rid my irritation and wake me up a little bit. I sit up with matted hair pointing all over, instinctively clutching my abdomen where the wound I received from Gangrel was. The wound was a rather large patch of darkened skin, stretched out more than the surrounding skin. Reaching from my mid-abdomen to the bottom of my rib cage, tilting to the right side ever so slightly out of centre of mass. It perplexed me how I survived that attack. Not only was the stab was deep enough to kill, but the lightning should've have left burns, tears, and ultimately death. Nevertheless, I was grateful to have accomplished my life ambition of defeating the Mad King. I relished in the feeling as I smiled.

"When two tigers fight, one is bound to be hurt," I began before looking out of the window. "The other will be dead, eh, Gangrel?" I swung my legs out of the bed, standing up fully. A series of pops and cracks reach my ears as I bend my body, loosening up the muscles and joints tightened up by sleep. My morning yawn began its resurgence before it was interrupted by a sudden knock at my bedroom door.

"Milord, are you awake?" Along with my agreement to stay in Ylisse came Raven's insistence. I had no problem with it, really, he was rather attentive, in fact. Not a day went where I'd go without dirty clothing, despite my protests to wash them myself. He wasn't a noisy roommate at all, the only times he made any noise was when he played his flute, the lilting sounds were calm and soothing. All in all, he was a good roommate.

"Yes, but I'm indecent," I replied, referring to the lack of clothing I wore, save for my smallclothes. "Give me a moment."

Not wanting to make Raven wait, I quickly clothe myself with a simple dark cotton shirt and pants to match, something a little more casual for today. Wasting no time, I pack my gear up for the work day, and open the door to meet the loyal swordsmaster. Now you ask, why would I say work day? Well, Chrom gave me and Raven a job at the castle training soldiers to increase Ylisse's might back to what it was, as the war with Plegia had weakened their forces. And I'd say things were going well with it all. I went into my bathing chambers to freshen up a little after waking up; washing my face, cleansing my mouth, and washing and brushing my hair were amongst these preparations.

"I have breakfast prepared for the two of us, milord," Raven said once he met me downstairs in the dining room, two plates filled with food. Themish pork slices with scrambled eggs and hash made from the finest picked Rosannean potatoes. Enjoy," he finished with a smile.

"Raven, I appreciate this, don't get me wrong," I began. "But I'm perfectly fine with cooking. Really. You don't need to go so far."

"Oh please, milord," he smiled. "You were cooking basically all the time, even when you were injured. Allow me to handle these things from time to time, okay?"

I sighed and shook my head, a smile finding its way on my face. "I'm not getting a win here, am I?" I received a no from the swordsmaster, the same smile unchanged. Ultimately I conceded, taking my seat at the dining table. Taking a forkful of eggs with a bit of the pork, I put it in my mouth, and not in a million years have I ever had anything so heavenly. The eggs were so fluffy and light, seasoned perfectly with salt, pepper and cheese, while the pork was fried to the pinnacle of crispness without losing its flavour or being burnt.

"Raven."

"Yes milord?"

"What wizardry?"

He wiped his mouth of crumbs. "I beg your pardon?"

"What wizardry did you use to make this meal?" I asked almost monotonously.

"Oh nothing. I do hope it's to your liking-"

"It's...beautiful," I whispered, holding up the plate beneath a spotlight that somehow appeared.

"Milord, it's just bacon and eggs," Raven sweatdropped.

After eating our morning meals, we cleaned up and left the house, Raven making sure to lock the door behind us. I was thankful that Chrom gave us a two-story home here in Ylisstol, but there were three problems. One: I wasn't okay with living there rent-free, but that wasn't anything big enough to bother me much. However, the second problem was that everyone knew where I lived. And by everyone, I mean EVERYONE IN THE GOD-FORSAKEN CAPITAL.

And to make matters worse, problem number three was that my job was at the palace. On the OTHER SIDE of Ylisstol. Fortunately, I have Raven beside me so I don't have to deal with drowning in a swarm of people, but the days when he can't make it to work, few as they are, I have to sneak around to get to work. This morning marked two weeks since I was employed, a month since Gangrel was defeated.

"Hey, Raven?"

"Yes, milord?" he responded.

"It's a little bit of an odd question, but how did you find me exactly?" I asked. "Calling it a needle in a haystack is an understatement when trying to find me."

The swordsmaster tapped his chin in thought. "Well, it wasn't too hard to find you, only took me three years. Although, at least half of that was just getting leads before I set out to find your presence."

I turned my head in his direction. "Wait, you can sense magic energy?"

"Of course, milord. All Pandorian warriors can, it's a must," he replied. "Hell, I'm sure you're able to just as well, if not more."

We took the alleyways of Ylisstol to avoid the many citizens of Ylisse once we started getting to the heavier populated areas. "Interesting. I thought it was just a thing I had. I thought I was just weird."

"Yes, a few years after you left, my father took over the reign of Pandora, until you returned, of course. He made it a requirement for any and all Pandorian warriors to be able to sense magical power in order to become a true soldier of our great realm."

"What for?" I questioned him.

"To find you." Raven picked at the strands of hair flowing down his shoulders. "While it's a very effective battle use, it was for the purpose of finding you. Search parties were sent out year after year for you, but no such luck."

"And I assume that after all of these failed attempts, you left to find me for sure?"

He smiled with closed eyes. "Correct. As you said, it wasn't easy, but it was completed nonetheless."

I scoffed at the thought, that search parties were sent out for me. If my memory served me correctly, the same people searching for me were the same people who tried to kill me. Aside from Raven's family, no one really had any compassion in their hearts for me. I don't know, perhaps it had changed, I'd never know for sure right now.

Drowned in my thoughts, I didn't even notice the castle come into full view until it was a mere skip away. Raven, however, did. "Well, we've made to the castle without problem."

"Step right up and get an autograph from the war hero of Ylisse himself, Eric!"

"Fuck." I turn my head to the left side behind me and I see a crowd of Ylisseans, some were males, but majority of said crowd consisted of fangirls and women. But at the head of the crowd was a certain red-headed merchant.

"You just HAD to say that, didn't you, Rave?" I lamented.

"Apologies, milord," Raven sighed. "I didn't consider the persistence of anyone trying to make a quick copper off of you."

"Only 5 silver pieces!" Anna called. Really? My autograph should be at least worth twenty! Wait… This isn't the time to be contemplating this! Now how the hell am I going to get out of this?

"How fast can you run?" I whispered to the swordsmaster.

"Quite, but what are you planning?"

"You'll see." I cleared my throat loudly before yelling "Holy crap, a wyvern!" I pointed at a random direction, and to my surprise and relief, they actually took the bait. 'I can't believe that actually worked,' I thought as I ran towards the palace gate, taking Raven with me.

"Why are we running milord?" Raven asks me, not too far behind me. "I could easily stop them for you."

"Because once we get to the castle, they can't do anything," I responded. "I'd rather avoid the conflict for now."

Surprisingly, we made it to the front gates fine. With a polite greeting and a respectful gesture in the form of a bow from the two of us, the knights at the castle gates gave us access. My relief didn't last long, as with a shout from a female pointing out where I was, I now frantically ran past the gates and stood mid-way through the courtyard.

"Well, at least the guards can handle it from here," Raven mentioned.

I close my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief until I heard the clatter of armor. My eyes jolted open as I saw the crowd rushing towards us. "Raven, stop jinxing it!"

"So much for plan A, let's try B." With a wave of his hand and purple light dancing across his slender fingers, Raven pulled up a transparent force field of violet colour. The crowd halted at the unknown magical force, unable to move further.

Raven, frustrated with this display, still kept his smile, although his expression made all of the Ylisseans gulp in fear. "Milord isn't to be bothered right now. He has work to do, as I'm sure most of you do." Spying the ringleader of this operation, he turned his wrath upon her. "I do not want you trying to make money off of Lord Eric, do you understand? He is a warrior, not a celebrity."

Any thoughts of retorting died in Anna's throat, he only response was a timid "Yes".

Narrator/Tychon PoV

Meanwhile, Chrom was busy with Robin doing paperwork, the two swamped knee-deep in parchments. While both had papers all over their respective sides of the desk, the tactician's side was the lesser organized, sheets splayed all over while Chrom had his own in stacks, albeit messily. Signing the last sheet, the latter of the two threw down his quill as he moved to fix them up in an orderly fashion. "Finally, I never thought we'd be done. What is all of this anyway?"

Chrom ran a hand through his hair. "Most of it is just menial things; road repairs, maintenance rules, et cetera. And my most favourite: a TEN page report from one of the noblemen in Caldor insisting on a grant to build an opera house."

"I still have to sign that, by the way," Robin added in, finishing his part of that declination. "A lot of my portion goes towards collateral damage from the war. Property, businesses, yada yada, you get the idea."

"Well, better you than me," the prince sighed, placing his hands behind his head. "You're better suited for handling it than me."

A laugh of relief was shared between the two, though it was short-lived once Frederick entered to take the completed forms, only to replace them with more, a pile just as big as the last. The platinum-blond tactician's eye simply twitched and Chrom looked like he was ready to flip the desk.

"Frederick, have you seen Eric today?" Chrom asked, trying to take his mind off of the torture one calls paperwork. "Today was the first day for him."

"Actually, milord, I had come to report that he has arrived. Said that he and his charge were delayed."

"Okay, good," Chrom sighed. "Just direct him to where he's supposed to go, would you, Frederick?"

"But of course milord," the knight grinned.

Eric PoV

With guidance from the great knight, Raven and I finally reach the back end of the castle courtyard to meet the recruits. There were roughly two dozen of them in single-file groups of six. I recognized one of the recruits, the dancer Olivia. She helped us fight against Gangrel's forces in the final battle. Raven glanced her way as well, eliciting a blush from the dancer that did not go unnoticed by me. I kept that little detail to myself, smirking inwardly.

Raven stood next to me with strong posture as I cleared my throat, ready to begin. "Alright, everyone, I am Eric, the man next to me is Raven. He and I will be training you all in the sword for the next few weeks." Absently, I start to slowly pace in front of them. "You are going to work and you are going to sweat. You will get through it if you have the mindset and the willingness to work for it. 'If the mind conceives it, the body will do it.' That is what the code I live by, and if you want to serve Ylisse effectively, I advise you do so as well. It does not matter if you aren't good, because we will make you good, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Any questions?"

A single hand raised up into the air, belonging to a young man from a small village on the southeastern corner of Ylisse. "Yes, and you are..."

"My name is Donnel, Sir Lordshipness," the country boy, now named Donnel answered, his voice was thick with a southern drawl.

"Please, Eric is fine."

"O-okay. Are you the same guy who up n' saved Ylisse and beat Gangrel?"

I scratch my cheek with a single finger. "Well, I wouldn't say that I saved the realm on my own, I obviously had help. I did, however end the Mad King myself. I'd love to tell the story if you all want, but I have to train you guys first." I look out to them and I see an equal amount of female recruits as there are males. 'Good to see that there are more women joining the forces.'

"First and foremost, we will start a warm up jog around the courtyard, ten laps'll do. I will lead the group through it, adding in a few accompanying exercises. And training starts now!" I led the recruits and they kept up surprisingly well, especially Donnel. From what Raven told me, he had lots of promise. After learning of a slew of bandit attacks on the southeastern side of Ylisse, Raven took it upon himself to lead the charge in eliminating them, with Chrom's approval of course. Upon meeting a village under attack, conveniently, he met young Donnel, convincing him to take arms to defend his home. Ultimately, the farm boy decided to join the Ylisstol Army, and so here he was. This boy was definitely an interesting case.

"Let's dive into the workout, shall we?" I take out a book. "You are going to be doing fifty push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, 120 squats, then we do suicides up and down the length of the courtyard. And once again, I'll be leading you all through it. Ready?"

After about half an hour, the workout was complete. Most were struggling to catch their breath, but none were entirely burnt out. Still, the warm up proved to be very strenuous. In fact, it was only Raven and myself who weren't tired. "Are you guys feeling the burn yet?" A few of them nodded, but shook it off. "This will be a regularly occurring session where we do this, but today, to get a picture of where you stand, one by one, you will all spar with me." Everyone looked at each other with concern. "It's nothing grand, I just want to gauge your beginning level of skill. If you can hit me in the face or torso, you are done for the day. Time limit is five minutes per person." I take out a cooking timer, setting it for five minutes. "Who wants to go first?"

No one stepped forward at first, instead they were exchanging nervous glances. The corners of my mouth slowly tugged into a grimace, a little disappointed in the lack of conviction. Sensing this, Raven put on his usual smile to show them that there was no harm going to be done. "That is to say, we want to see your beginning level so we can not only train you accordingly, but so we can see your style and help you craft one suited to you. It matters not if you fail, the failure will make you a better fighter."

"Then… can I go first, sir?" Donnel asked. Raven just had such a way with people. Smiling, I tossed him a wooden sword and I took my own. "It won't be easy. Will you still press on?"

"Let's get 'er done!" He rushed at me, eager to prove his potential. I took my stance quickly, getting ready to take him on. He thrust his blade at the left side of my head, and I quickly raise my sword, pushing it to the side and striking his open body with the pommel, pushing him back. "Predictable."

Unfazed, he rushes at me again, starting off with a wide horizontal swipe, which I block with ease, then parry his blade following up with a clash. "So you know the basics of sword combat." I push him off. "I can work with that." From what I could make heads or tails of, Donnel had a very odd style specifically tailored to weakening his opponent. He had to polish it up, but I could see that his goal was to keep his stamina high while chipping away at his opponent, exhausting them. All in all, he had an effective tactic.

After some time, however, it looked like Donnel's fire was petering out, his attacks getting gradually sloppy. He brings down his sword, but I sidestep it, then thrust my sword at him. He dodges it, my wooden blade striking air. He twists behind me to hit my head, however, without even looking, I catch it with my left hand. "You did well dodging my strike." I turn my head in his direction. "You read your opponent, and that's exactly what real battle's like. Combat is a mental game. And by the way, you have thirty seconds left. Make them count."

Once again, he just barrels straight towards me. "Gods, have you been listening to anything I just said?" I spout rhetorically, moving to put him flat on his ass, but instead of striking like I thought he would have, he faked the strike, baiting me into parrying a false blow. He twists behind me and I go to hit the back of his head. Out of pure instinct, he ducks, blind to the strike as a bat, and taps my torso instead. "Baiting your opponent with a false attack. You did well. Give him a round of applause, everyone." The recruits applauded him enthusiastically as he took his seat off to the side against the castle wall.

I went through just about everyone, and because we were finished early, we just chatted, sparred for fun, or I told them stories about fighting in the Second Plegian War. At mid-afternoon, today's training session was over. All of them were fairly respectful to me, and they weren't afraid to let loose and be themselves around me rather than hold me as a figure of reverence and change in my presence, and I liked that. "Listen up, my prized pupils." I smiled at how that sounded. "I hope today was a fun day for everyone, I had a wonderful first day training you all. My system works. You have to work it, and you'll have plenty of time to learn and work the system. Keep hydrated and eat well. Dis-MISSED!"

Gradually everyone left the courtyard except one: Olivia. I went through my pack to pull out a sandwich, taking one half and biting out of it. Raven, on the other hand, had a chicken salad he had secure in a wooden bowl and had his fill too. "How can I help you, Olivia?" I asked in between bites once the pinkette approached me.

"Um... I know I didn't face you earlier like everyone else, but I wouldn't have been able to perform at my best with everyone staring at me."

Nodding, I finish the last bite of my sandwich. "That's fine, you can face me now if you're okay with it."

"I-I don't know, I mean, I don't want to take up your leisure time," the demure dancer replied.

"Well, the training for today finished early, so I have time to kill. And besides, I'm your teacher. I'd love to train you personally if you want it." I hand her a wooden sword and take up my own, starting the timer. But one thing I noticed before I begun was the way Raven ever so slightly blushed when he looked at her, even if it wasn't more than a glance. I don't even think he noticed it himself. Then an idea popped into my head.

"Actually…" I began with a devilish grin. "I'm a little tired out from today. Raven, would you mind sparring with her?"

"Very well," Raven said, the dancer's face burning a crimson red. Handing off the sword to the dark haired swordsmaster, I grinned like an imp as I watched the two.

"Ready?" Raven asks her. Trying to bring down the colour in her face, she nods. "Begin! Take your strike!"

She runs at him, holding her sword in a reverse grip, and she starts off with a swing to my side, which Raven ducks under. He ends up behind her and grabs her sword wrist while holding his other arm across her abdomen. "Hold it in a regular grip." He says before fixing the the sword in her hand. "You get its maximum effectiveness out of it when you do."

"I-I'm sorry. I'll do better."

"Don't apologize, I'm merely giving advice, nothing was wrong," he says with his trademark smile that made her blush three more shades. I nearly fell over laughing; the close proximity, the way he held her, and his obliviousness to it all made it so amusing to watch.

After letting her go, Olivia backs away, taking her stance again. Raven continued his attack on the dancer, but she flips over his swipe with grace. Following up, he stabbed with his sword, and she spins around the strike with ease, retaliating with a stab of her own. Taken off guard by only a split second, the dark-haired warrior took a 90 degree counterclockwise step with his left foot and pulled on her arm, basically guiding her away from him. "Olivia, why are you holding back?"

The dancer quickly regained her footing. "What...?"

"If you're afraid of hurting me, get rid of those feelings." Raven raises his sword at her. "Come at me with the intent to kill, got it?"

She hesitated at first, but then got her act together. I figured that Raven decided to bring out her potential by putting her on the defence. She flinched at his sudden movement, but once he struck, she stepped on his blade after dodging the attack narrowly, jumping off of it and landing behind him. "Your agility is astounding," the swordsmaster remarked as they continued to fight. He mainly blocked and parried her attacks, while she dodged or flipped over his.

"Thank you," she blushed furiously before striking again, not willing to let her guard down. Raven blocked her next attack, but instead of looking discouraged, she smirked and swept his leg from underneath him. It was only a split second before she was on top of him, her wooden sword at his chest. "Well done," I smiled.

"I am so, so sorry! Are you hurt?!" she shouted sheepishly as she got off of him.

"Hurt, no. Impressed, very much so." Raven began, picking himself off of the ground. "Your grace and movements are hard to follow and you used that to your advantage. But you lack confidence." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You need to stop thinking of yourself in such a low regard, you are much more than you know. I see it in you, you just need to see it."

"Thank you...thank you for your help," she said, avoiding eye contact with the kind warrior.

He simply smiled. "My pleasure."

'Gods damn it, just kiss already,' I thought to myself before finally noticing the time of day. "Damn, it's getting late."

"I have to get home. I recently got a place here in Ylisstol not too far from here."

"Would you mind if Raven took you home?" I offered.

"I'd love the company," she said with her trademark blush.

"Raven, if you would."

A bow was my answer. "Yes, milord." I watched the two leave the courtyard and once they left, I raised my hands, my fingers dangling as if there were strings on them. "Ha ha! Dance, puppets, dance!"

I decided to go to one of the local taverns to get a nice meal, and I see at one of the tables a certain red headed thief scoring lots of coppers and silvers in poker against Sully, Vaike, and Gregor. "Beating people in poker again?"

Gaius turned his head, lollipop and all. "Hey, Terminator, what's up?"

"Nothing much, Type 2," I retorted, earning a grumble from the sugar addict as I pulled up a chair. "Deal me a hand." Sully dealt me five cards; three 8's, a five and a king. "So how was your day?" I asked none of them in specific as I raised the bet to ten silver.

"Teach got a date today!", Vaike said.

I, however, didn't, or rather, couldn't believe he did. "You got a date?" I asked, a tone of disbelief evident in my voice, exchanging one of my cards for another. He nodded with pride. "Did you actually get stood up, but forget that it happened, 'cause that seems more likely for you."

Everyone shared a laugh. "It is true. Gregor was being the "wingman"," the aged mercenary added.

"You're just jealous that you don't have a lady in your life," Vaike said in a joking manner.

I looked up, thinking. "Meh, I never really gave it much thought. By the way, full house. Three 8's, two kings." I put down my cards face up, raking in the cash as everyone threw down their cards.

"C'mon, there must be someone in the Shepherds you have a thing for," the thief said.

"And when you find out, let me know," I retorted with a laugh, playing another hand.

"Oh, please. I bet you were so vengeance-crazed, you don't even know how to get a date," Gaius challenged.

"Just cause I had other things on my mind doesn't mean I can't get a woman." Before I could finish, a man whispered something inaudible to everyone else at the table. No doubt it hadn't to be something important, it was a dire request from Chrom. "And speaking of other thing, I have to bounce. Check you guys later," I finished as left my chair, the table waving or nodding their salutations.

I stretched my arms as I stood in the private quarters of Chrom's office, the big man himself sitting in the desk, perhaps made of mahogany, I presumed. "Yeah, Chrom, what's up?"

"Something's up," he stated blatantly. "To cut it short, I've received word that Chon'sin, a country on our neighbouring continent Valm, is being targeted by some sort of mercenary band, specifically its capital Kan'to."

"Wait, if they're simply sellswords, then how come they can't handle them?"

Chrom took up a file. "What we're dealing with are an amalgamation of many mercenary bands, standing over nine thousand for sure, perhaps reaching a full ten thousand. And this force also consists of military troops as well."

I rolled my hand, gesturing him to continue. "And that's a problem because..."

"Please take this seriously, Eric. Not everyone can take down armies on their own like you."

I laughed a bit. "Okay, okay, I'll do it. I simply need a force of maybe one hundred, aside from me."

"I was going to say that I was going to go and handle it, and I was wondering if you could hold down the fort until I got back."

I cocked a brow. "You know you can't do that."

"I know, I know," he sighed. "The royal life can be such a cage."

"When do I leave?" I asked.

"In about a month."

"Is that so?" I take a moment to think. "If so, can I take the new recruits as well ?"

"You can't be serious, Eric! That's not enough time for them to get ready!"

"I got this. I can assure you that they'll be ready by this time next month."

"...Fine, Eric, if you're so sure. And one more thing." He tossed the file on the desk, a few of the photos spilling from the file. "They're being led by this woman." I take up the picture, gripping it tightly once I caught the sight of who it was. Blonde hair, dark clothing, brass knuckles. Their leader was Alice. Fucking Alice. "What the hell is she doing leading mercenaries?"

"That's what we need to find out. The mission is: capture her and stop this. If she causes trouble in Chon'sin and they know she's Plegian..."

"It could possibly bring intercontinental war."

"Exactly."

"I'm sure that I'll have them ready within the month," I saluted.

The next morning after training, Raven and I stood in front of the trainees. "Before I dismiss you all, I have some news." All of them murmured amongst themselves but gradually got quieter, allowing me to continue. "Three weeks, I was informed that a force of ten thousand may strike Chon'sin in a week's time by the prince himself."

One of them raised his hand. "Sir, why are you telling us this?"

"Because that will be your first mission as militants. A force of one hundred Ylisseans will be assisting the Chon'sin troops, twenty of which will be you, all of which are led by me. However, this mission is strictly voluntary, albeit preferred that you-"

"Aye," they all sounded in unison. Wow, that was easier than I thought. "That's the spirit. Class dismissed!" I shot up a fist to cover my mouth. Where did that come from? For a second, I sounded like Vaike. As if on instinct, I look at the entrance to see him striking out with one of the trainees, the fighter being almost completely ignored. "What's up, Teach? Striking out for the umpteenth time?" I said, walking to him.

He beat a fist upon his chest. "It takes a while for the ladies to realize the Vaike's charms."

"Or to find any at all for that matter," I joked. "What brings you here?"

"Just looking for a challenge, thought you'd be hanging around." He hefted his axe onto his shoulder. "Maybe I can show these greenhorns who the real Teach is!"

"Do you really want to replay how the tournament went nearly a year ago?"

"Miracles don't happen twice, Eric. Remember that," he smiled.

"Well, I can't face you. For the next few weeks, I'll be preparing the recruits for an expedition to Chon'sin."

"A fight overseas? Could I come with?" he asked. I thought long and hard about that. I mean, Vaike's a good guy, he's got heart and all, but I don't think that he's suited for something delicate like this. Whatever, caution to the wind. The more help, the better. "Fine, but on one condition. I'm leading a hundred-man squad, so in order for the mission to be successful, I need the cooperation of every unit. When I have a plan, could you do your best to follow my orders?"

"Can do!" He shot a thumbs up before a voice behind me called my name, making me turn around.

"Ah, Olivia. Ready to start your private training?" I said, receiving a nod from the dancer, and a nudge from Vaike. "Private training, eh?"

"Shut up. You are interrupting my pupil's training, so please leave."

With that, he left Olivia, Raven and I alone, but not before laughing his way out. "In any case, let's begin your training for today."

After having her practice her form and technique of a wooden decoy for an hour or so, I simply nodded at her progress. "Amazing," I sighed, removing the now damaged wooden dummy. "You've improved exponentially over the course of this month."

She looked up at me. "I don't think I can join this expedition, I'll probably just get in the way. I'm only good at dancing, and even then, I'm not the best."

"Don't be so modest, I'm sure you're a great dancer. In fact, I'd love to see one of your dances if you don't mind."

"I don't know…"

"We can provide the music if you'd like," I heard before turning to Raven, who had a violin on hand.

I cocked and eyebrow and tilted my head. "Raven, why do you have a violin?"

"I'm not sure, milord," he replied. "Why do you have an ocarina?"

"Smartass," I grumbled, my attention back on the dancer. "So how about it?"

"O-okay then," she stuttered before Raven began playing.

(Wind's Course from Bravely Default)

Once the violin began, I begun to see why Basilio praised her so much. She was in perfect sync with every note Raven played, fluid as the ocean waves. Her movements were so graceful and mesmerizing, and for once, she didn't seem like the shy demure dancer that the Shepherds knew. She was so confident, as if she was the only one around. After a few minutes, the music concluded and her dance had ended. Raven and I couldn't help but applaud. "That was remarkable, Olivia. I've seen dancing before, but nothing like that."

"Th-thank you, Eric," she replied. "It's really nothing though. I just… go with it."

"If you fought the way you dance, you'd beat almost anything in your path." Then the gears began to turn in my head. "Hold up. ...What if you actually could? Try combining the movements of your dancing with what I've taught you." I drew my sword.

"W-w-wait! You and I are going to fight? Right now?!"

"Right now. And if you hold back..." I plaster a deadly smile on my face. "...you'll die." Without warning, I attack her at high speed, keeping her on the defensive and she only had a split second between each hit to dodge, the time she had to even draw her own sword was limited. "What are you doing? Stop dodging and fight me!"

"I... I can't...! I'm scared!"

"Scared of what?" I shout as our blades clash. "Scared of dying? Losing comrades in the midst of battle? This is exactly what battle is like!" I push off her sword and back up a bit. "If you fear for your life, you will lose it. Hesitate and you will age. Retreat and you will die."

I raise my blade in front of my face. "You must have the confidence to fight for your friends and family. To win at any cost. If you have any shred of fear in your being, you will die for sure. I've seen your potential and I have confidence in your abilities! Why can't you see it for yourself?"

"You have confidence in my ability?"

"Not just me. Raven does as well, and he knows what good potential is better than I do." The dancer looked over at the kind swordsmaster and simply blushed before facing me. "I've said it once and I'll say it again. You are more than you know, and you need to use it to your fullest. Prove to me that you are a product of our instruction! GO!"

With a deep breath, she sped towards me, not a sparkle of fear in her eyes. I ran towards her as well, going for a swift thrust, but half a second before it hits, she spins around it, aiming a slash to my left that I barely block. I push off, then go in for my offence, but as if she was lost in one of her dances, she evaded and flipped away from all of my attacks. 'Finally, she's showing what she's capable of.' With a lot of twirling and the grace of a swan, she kept me on the defensive, finishing with a wide arc to deflect for blade. Leaving my body open, she ended the fight with a slash to my chest.

I fell to a knee, placing a hand over the gash. "Oh, good Naga, what have I done?!" Olivia yelled, dropping her sword and kneeling at my side. "I'm so, so, so sorry! Oh, gods, you're hurt and it's all my fault!"

"Hey, hey, hey. Look at me. You did nothing wrong." Raven hands me a vulnerary and with a pop of a cork, I drink the bitter concoction, the bleeding starting to decrease. "Your fighting style, Olivia, is unique to you and you only, so name it well."

Olivia looks to the side, thinking. "Hmm...Espada Danzante."

"Beg your pardon?"

"The name of my style. Espada Danzante." She helped me to my feet. "In honour of my teachers."

"That's Pandorian for 'Dancing Blade'," Raven said. "A fitting name."

"Thank you." She bowed to me her thanks before drawing my knight in and hugging him. "For all of your help."

"You are very much welcome," I replied as Raven awkwardly returned said hug. As Olivia gathered her things and left, Raven was left in a daze of sorts. The only thing I could think was 'Oh Raven… one day you'll figure it out…'

And this is the first REWRITTEN chapter to the second part of the Noble Strength trilogy. This portion is basically the policy of Naruto: If it can be fit in, it's a great place for filler. Goodralisk over and-

Lancer: Hey, what about the rest of us?

Goodralisk: Right. We all out. Seriously though, you guys were extremely quiet. Especially Deadpool, how'd he keep silent?

Lancer: Well….

*Camera pans to Deadpool duct taped and hogtied*

Goodralisk: Nice work.