Chapter 8: Invading the Castle

After defeating the mysterious man and retrieving Eirika's bracelet back, she and her group continued their journey and eventually they reached their destination: Castle Renvall, the place where everyone thought Ephraim was held captive.

"So, this is Renvall?" Sento asked.

"Yes. My brother is somewhere inside that castle..." Eirika answered.

"Renvall is surrounded by lakes. The only entrance is the bridge to the main gate, and it's well guarded." Seth stated. "Castle Renvall is a natural stronghold, easy to defend and difficult to assault. We must plan our attack carefully."

"I agree..." Eirika nodded.

"Princess Eirika! Please allow me to fight beside you." Franz said. "My elder brother, Forde, is in there with Prince Ephraim, Sir Kyle, Sir Orson...Let me help you set them free!"

"There is nothing to discuss. We will fight." Gilliam said.

"The hour of your reunion is not far off now." Moulder told her.

"I am yours to command, Your Highness." Vanessa told her.

"We're with you all the way! Right, Dad?" Ross said.

"Don't work yourself into a lather, Ross. In the heat of battle, a good warrior remains calm where lesser men do not." Garcia told his son.

"You need anything stolen, I'm your man. 'Course, my blade's no joke either." Colm told her.

"I'm sure I can help if you'll let me...I'll keep myself safe." Neimi said.

"You can't possibly consider fighting without my genius at your side!" Lute told her.

"I have yet to repay you for helping me fight those abominations. Please, let me stand by your side a while longer." Artur told her.

"This has trouble written all over it. Bet you it's all a trap..." Joshua said. "Ah, well...My luck's gotta turn around sometime, right?"

"May the sacred light surround us and protect us all." Natasha told the group.

"I've been with you ever since we first met. And I'll help you in anyway I can!" Sento told her.

"Well, I may be a phantom thief, but I'm not above helping others just to see their loved ones. You have my word on that, Princess." Kairi told her.

"We might as well get this over with, if you really want to see your brother. I'll crush those who stand in your way with the fire burning in my heart!" Kazumi said.

"Well, Princess, let us prepare for battle." Seth told her.

"Brother, I'm on my way." Eirika muttered before telling the group. "Let's go!"

While everyone prepares their weapons, Sento equips the Build Driver and takes the Rabbit and Tank Full Bottle, Kazumi equips the Sclash Driver and takes the Robot Sclashjelly and Kairi takes out the VS Changer and Red Dial Fighter.

RABBIT! TANK! BEST MATCH!

ROBOT JELLY!

RED! 0-1-0! MASQUERAISE! KAITOU CHANGE!

"Henshin!" Both Sento and Kazumi shouted.

"Kaitou Change!" Kairi shouted.

HAGANE NO MOONSAULT! RABBITTANK! YEAH!

ROBOT IN GREASE! BRAAAA!

LUPINRANGER~!

After the three transformed into their respective forms, the group is now prepared to take on the Grado forces guarding Castle Renvall.

"The laws of victory has been set!" Sento said.

And with that, the group charged towards the Grado soldiers. While the battle is going on, we see the Grado general observing the battle.

"We're under attack! Rouse yourselves! General Valter's adjutant, Lord Tirado, has charged us with defending the castle!" The general told the soldiers. "Show them the might of Murray's Brigade! Don't let anyone near the castle!"

Back into the battle, we see Eirika taking out several Grado soldiers that comes in her way with a rapier, all by herself. Then, Sento can be seen taking out a Grado lancer with his Drill Crusher in hand. However, just as he was about to engage another soldier, he saw a big arrow coming towards Eirika.

"Watch out!" Sento shouted before pushing him and Eirika out of the arrow's range.

"T-Thank you, Sento." Eirika thanked him as she gets up on her own.

"We need to do something about the ballistae over there." Sento told her.

"Leave it to me." Kairi said as he took out the Magic Dial Fighter and inserts it into the VS Changer.

MAGIC! 0-2-9! MASQUERAISE! KAITOU BOOST!

After doing all that, Lupin Red suddenly has the Magic Arrow appearing in his right arm. He then sets it up by pointing it at one of the ballista he sees and pulled the trigger. He then released it, firing off an energy arrow at the ballista and just like that, he was taken out.

"That takes care of one." Sento said before turning towards the second ballista. "And now for the other..."

Sento takes out the Panda and Rocket Full Bottle and inserts them into the Build Driver.

PANDA! ROCKET! BEST MATCH! ARE YOU READY?

"Build Up!" Sento shouted.

BUTTOBI MONOTONE! ROCKETPANDA! YEAH!

And with that, Sento transformed into Kamen Rider Build: RocketPanda Form. He then used the Space Ride Arm in his left hand to fly towards the ballista, hitting the Grado soldiers along the way. He eventually reached the ballista and was destroyed by Sento as he takes out the soldier with the Space Ride Arm.

"Alright, that should all of the ballistae!" Sento said before returning to Eirika's side.

Meanwhile, we see Kazumi using the Blizzard Knuckle against the Grado Axeman. He inserts the Blizzard Full Bottle into the Blizzard Knuckle.

GLACIAL KNUCKLE! KACHI KACHI KACHI KATCCHIN!

Then, Kazumi punches the Axeman with it, causing him to get frozen. After that, Kazumi punches him one more time, breaking the ice that froze them and was blown away, taking him out completely.

"I see you still have the Blizzard Knuckle..." Sento said.

"Yeah. I've had it ever since I...you know, died." Kazumi said.

"But promise me that you'll never go into Grease Blizzard again...I don't wanna lose you the second time around..." Sento told him.

"Heh, don't worry about it, Sento. I will only use the Blizzard Knuckle for attacking." Kazumi reassured him.

It seems that the Grado forces are getting smaller and smaller as the group takes them out. Eventually, Eirika, Sento and Kairi reached the castle, where the general was waiting for them.

"Our ballistae have failed? How could this be?" The general asked.

"Don't underestimate our power." Sento told him.

"Grr...I guess it's up to me!" The general said before charging towards the three.

But then, two more soldiers coming from inside the castle to aid the general.

"Kairi and I will handle these two. You and Seth go and fight the general." Sento told her.

"Right." Eirika nodded as she and Seth charged towards the general.

The general tried attacking Eirika with his sword, but Seth managed to block it. Then, Eirika tried to attack the general, but he managed to get away before he could get hit. But, out of nowhere, Seth managed to land a hit on the general, allowing Eirika to deal the finishing blow to the general.

"Lord Tirado..." His last words before finally dying.

"The general is out. We should go inside the castle, Princess Eirika." Seth told her.

And with that, Eirika and Seth goes inside the castle. Meanwhile, Sento and Kairi managed to take out the soldiers.

"Kairi, something's not right here..." Sento said.

"Yeah, I can feel it too..." Kairi nodded.

But then, Good Striker arrived after scouting the interior of the castle.

"Goodie, did you find Eirika's brother?" Kairi asked.

"No, but the castle is full of enemies!" GoodStriker answered.

"I knew it's a trap!" Sento said.

"Well, let's go in there! They might need help." Kairi told him.

And with that, Sento and Kairi demorphed and entered the castle to help Eirika and Seth.


Inside the castle...

"My brother is somewhere in this castle...Seth, we must go inside!" Eirika told him.

"Hold, Lady Eirika." Seth noticed someone coming in their direction. "Look, in the shadows- a figure..."

"Ah! An enemy soldier!" Eirika said.

Then, we see a brown-haird man with a green scarf riding a horse coming at them.

"Princess Eirika. And...is that you, Seth?" The man asked.

"Sir Orson..." Seth muttered. "Why are you here? You should be with Prince Ephraim."

"Are you all right, Orson? If you're here, my brother must be here as well, right?" Eirika asked.

It was at this moment that Sento and Kairi arrived, but they decided to hide into a nearby wall, so as to not let their presence known.

"Yes...Prince Ephraim and I were both captured by Grado forces and held here as prisoners." Orson said. "I just managed to escape my cell...A chance to escape-It's what I had prayed for..."

"I don't like the sound of that guy..." Sento said to Kairi.

"Yeah...Something about him just doesn't feel right..." Kairi repiled back.

"Orson, are you well? Your face is so pale. Grado's men, don't tell me they've-" Eirika asked.

"No...it's nothing." Orson answered. "But Lord Ephraim...I cannot say whether he's still unharmed."

"What?! Where is he? Where is my brother?" Eirika asked.

"If he lives still, he will be in one of the deeper cells, where I was held." Orson told them. "Head down this corridor to the dungeons. Quickly, before reinforcements arrive."

"Thank you..." Eirika said to him.

They then proceed to where Orson came from and eventually into the dungeon where Ephraim was being held captive. Sento and Kairi, still having some suspicions about Orson, decides to follow them.

"This way, Princess Eirika. Prince Ephraim is being kept in a cell back here." Orson told her.

"Very well, let's go." Eirika said.

"Sir Orson..." Seth muttered. "How long ago were you taken prisoner?"

"Some two weeks past. Prince Ephraim and I were forced to surrender. We've been held captive here in this dungeon since that black day." Orson answered.

"Did you gain any news from your captors during that time?" Seth asked.

"Unfortunately, no. Not a word...Our daily meal was brought to us by servants from the neighboring village." Orson answered. "They were instructed not to speak to us, and we heard nothing of the war."

"Renais has fallen. King Fado...The king is dead." Seth answered.

"Dead...My king..." Orson frowned. "My apologies, Princess Eirika. I have served you poorly..."

"You're not to blame, Sir Orson. We must look to the future, not find fault in the past." Eirika reassured him. "The Grado army pursues me in hopes of acquiring my bracelet. My brother wears this bracelet's twin, and he is in danger, too."

"Bracelet? Ah, I remember...Prince Ephraim still wears the bracelet. And Grado is after them?" Grado said. "If that's the case, Princess...Perhaps you should entrust the bracelets to someone else."

"Perhaps, but..." Eirika said.

"Give them to me or to Seth. Let someone you trust guard them. If the empire desires your bracelet, you are in danger as long as you hold it. For your own safety, Your Highness, please. What say you? We must not allow the Sacred Stone of Renais to be taken." Orson told her.

"Wait, how does he know about the Sacred Stone? I thought only Seth knows about it." Sento asked.

"I don't know, but he's definitely suspicious..." Kairi said. "Should we step in?"

"...I guess we should." Sento nodded.

"Everything you say is true and sensible, yet..." Eirika said.

"He's not to be trusted..." A voice can be heard.

Then, Sento and Kairi finally stepped in to confront Orson.

"Sento? Kairi?" Eirika was surprised to see them here.

"You thought you could fool us, but thankfully, we're not that dumb." Sento told them.

"What are you two talking about?" Orson said.

"Then tell me this, why did no enemy reinforcements come from the castle during our battle outside?" Sento asked.

"W-Well..." Orson tried to answer.

"Why would you escape your cell and yet leave Prince Ephraim in chains?" Seth asked.

"Except he wasn't in chains..." Kairi added.

"What do you mean, Kairi?" Eirika asked.

"I had GoodStriker scanned the interior of the castle before we fought outside. Turns out that the cells were empty. That can only mean one thing..." Kairi explained.

"Either he escaped the cell or..." Sento said.

"He wasn't captured at all." Kairi added.

"What?" Eirika asked.

"And finally, how did you know about the Sacred Stone? Only Seth knows about it." Sento asked Orson.

"There is some misunderstanding here. I..." Orson said.

"Don't play dumb. I know you have a blade within your doublet. You can't fool us!" Kairi told him.

"Very well. If only Eirika had been alone. You three, however, simply will not be deceived." Orson told them.

"Orson. Why did you betray Renais?" Seth asked.

"My fondest wish will be granted...To spend the rest of my days in the embrace of my loving wife once more..." Orson explained.

"What are you saying?" Eirika asked him.

Then, three more warriors arrived.

"That's enough. You've done well, Orson. I'll take over now. You may return to your beloved wife." The general told him.

"Who are you?" Seth asked.

"We've never met. I am Tirado. Loyal and talented aide to Valter, general of the Grado army." He introduced himself.

"You're that monster's-" Seth said.

"And you are General Seth of Renais, yes?" Tirado asked. "I thought to catch a little bird in my net, and it seems instead I've snared three hawks."

"Where is my brother?!" Eirika demanded.

"Ah, yes. Your brother. Like these two said, he's not here." Tirado answered. "The coward fled Lord Valter's pursuit...Somehow, he escaped the castle. And escaping under these conditions...Tch! Such stubbornness is quite annoying."

"It was my cunning that led us to turn this unfortunate blunder to our advantage." Tirado stated. "I spread the rumors myself. I led the villagers to believe he was our prisoner. What better trap with which to catch his sweet, devoted sister?"

"My brother escaped?" Eirika asked.

"Yes, but your no-doubt emotional reunion will have to wait until the afterlife. Let's end this, shall we?" Tirado said. "First, to destroy the bridge and cut off your only avenue of escape."

Then, the bridge suddenly collapsed on it's own, preventing them from escape.

"Oh, no! The bridge!" Sento said.

"All soldiers to arms! Kill the princess! Take her bracelet!" Tirado ordered.

Tirado flees the scene while more Grado soldiers showed up.

"Princess Eirika, we have to get away from this place!" Seth told her.

"But how? The bridge is gone!" Eirika said.

"There is a way for us to get out of here." Kairi told them. "Goodie said that there's an exit to the west. We should go there."

"Yeah, but first, we have to deal with these guys." Sento said.

"Right." Eirika nodded.


A/N: And that's Chapter 8. So, yeah, turns out that Kazumi still has the Blizzard Knuckle in his possession, but Sento told him not to go Grease Blizzard as he fears that he might die again...But who knows, we might see Grease Blizzard in later chapters.

That's it for now and I'll be seeing you in Chapter 9, which will have a double reunion with Eirika & Ephraim, as well as Sento & Banjo.