Author's Notes: Is it wrong of me to say that we're finally close to the end of this arc and I couldn't be happier? This took far more out of me than it should've. I'll be glad when Part 4 starts. If I could go back and re-do my choice of changing Part 3… I still would, because canon Part 3 still was terrible, full of great ideas that were poorly handled, leading to what felt like a janky, disjointed narrative. I loved the concept and the idea they were going for and I felt it could've been really special to be able to understand both sides of a conflict but, like the missing support conversations, it felt like a serious ball drop of a company being too ambitious and not properly executing.

Anyway, so, for those of you that haven't already seen, I started an Awakening story. Yes, I am aware I have probably updated that more in this past month than I update this story in a year. I mean, I took a week off for Christmas and it's already almost at 100k words. It's fresh, new, exciting, and honestly a really refreshing breath of light-hearted air that I desperately needed after all the doom and gloom that's going on in this story. It also doesn't help that there are so many characters that I like in that game that it makes it easy to write, plus writing that much in such a short amount of time really re-wired my mind. Instead of forgetting to write when I get home from work, sometimes I start craving the need to write while driving home and have the urge to create and do more and more. It's become almost an addiction. I'm trying to now redirect that motivation into this story to finish it off.

Also, if anyone here was here when I first published this story, this was never supposed to be my main story. This was supposed to be a side story I worked on for fun while I worked on my "main story", which was a Naruto/DBZ crossover if memory serves, but I had so much fun writing this story at first that it just consumed me. That's basically what happened, except RR is the "side story" and this is the "main story". I write that for fun (and there are some chapters I have to revise AFTER publishing because I realize I made a typo or a reference that the characters wouldn't normally make); I actually care about this story and am meticulously obsessive about the quality of my writing for these chapters.

Plus, to be honest, it's nice to have a protagonist that isn't a mage. I'm finding writing combat with a lance to be much more simple and relaxing than trying to imagine flashy battles of throwing tons of spells and all these elaborate choreographies that I imagine and try to put into words.

Trust me, I know things seem weird now, because I dropped too many hints about what direction I wanted to take this story without the proper setup, which is a terribly backwards way of doing things. The implications with Ike and Urvan and Mist and Ragnell… that could've been handled better. Trust me when I say that I do have things planned out in a way that should, hopefully, satisfactorily answer any kind of questions or discrepancies or anything of the sort. It seems weird, but that's my haphazard handling of this situation coupled with really slow updates, which should not be an issue anymore.

Also, I would like to say that… I've spent time re-reading the Path of Radiance plot and kinda found myself enjoying Ike's character. Sometimes I forget that the Ike that I grew to dislike was Radiant Dawn's version of him. I don't own a copy of Path of Radiance anymore, so any time I needed to re-experience Tellius, I popped in Radiant Dawn. Radiant Dawn, whether you like it or hate it, I think we can all agree on, did a disservice to the original Path of Radiance characters in terms of personality. The lack of support conversations, the way they stripped the nuances of some characters, and made their unique quirks into severely in-your-face habits just felt like a slap in the face. Ilyana is more than just a food-obsessed person, and yet it seems all her conversations have some kind food or hunger related topic… and don't even get me started on how little there is to work with on the Dawn Brigade and their personalities. Part of the reason I struggle to give the Dawn Brigade any screentime here is because there's just not enough for me to work with. Support Conversations were an obsession of mine when I started this story and I would spend hours reading every single support conversation from every single character to feel like I knew every character like I knew myself.

Looking back to when I started the Dawn Brigade arc almost ten years ago—Ashera above, it feels almost criminal that it has taken me this long to get this far—I marvel when I re-read this story at how I was able to extract as much as I could with how little we were given for their personalities. I think that's kinda why I don't exactly write them a lot in scenes, because I'm always afraid of not portraying them properly. In my pursuit of perfection and my fear and worry of making a mistake, I have accidentally shunned characters I felt I could not accurately portray. That is a grievous error that I'm not sure I can fully rectify in this story. Our MC, unfortunately, is too much of an idiot and a socially awkward dolt (much like his author) to really spend much time talking to people he's not comfortable around. Not to mention he, uh, is in a completely different location.

That was a bit of a ramble, but I felt it was necessary to put it out there. There is some missed, untapped, and even wasted potential in this story, but… hey, I was seventeen when I started this story. I had barely written before this story (you can look at my profile and see my feeble attempts at other stories). I'm still learning and improving. I'm still trying to become better than I was last chapter. This whole story has been a journey, from beginning to now to the end. Compare these chapters now to chapters, say, 15-20, and tell me it doesn't feel a lot better. Maybe not as charmingly idealistic and positive as before, but… I can still write that way when necessary. It's just, at my core, I gravitate towards writing darker themes and darker stories (and third-person), none of which are things I really can put in here (yet).

So, thanks for sticking around, enjoy the chapter, and I'm going to TRY to have some semblance of a regular update schedule for this. I mean, if I can bang out a 7k+ word chapter every Monday/Friday on Round Robin and STILL have time to pre-write extra scenes for the future (scenes I wanted to make sure were properly written, so I write them early and just keep going over them over and over to make sure they're perfect for when they FINALLY come up), then I can make time to update this at least every other Saturday.

Yes, I realize a lot of characters are a little out of character. I apologize for that. It's been a while, I'm kinda sick of this arc, I just want to get it over with, and I'm pushing the plot along to make that happen.

Hopefully!

Chapter 155:

One's True Self

Matthew's POV:

I stood in front of a tavern about a few miles away from the canyon and bridge where most of the battles were staged. General Selena had given me permission to visit this tavern, knowing the nature of my business and the need for me to operate independently on occasion. The decision to have her take on the mantle previously held by General Micaiah was a unanimous decision. General Selena was to be our new leader and we would be working toward vetting candidates to take her position as the Mage General.

Queen Elincia had confirmed with us that their meeting they had the other day was simply an update to let the leadership in Crimea know they were staying in place until they received reinforcements from Melior. This gave us a few extra days to decide what we would be doing next and how would we work around this development.

As I entered the tavern, I took a quick look around me. The room was relatively empty and none of the patrons were particularly alarming or gave signs of being trouble. I casually made my way to the bar and looked up at the bartender. He gave me a curious look.

"Ya lookin' for some milk or somethin'?" he asked, chuckling to himself.

"Not really. I appear to be having an issue and need to speak with a Fireman to get it resolved," I replied. The bartender twitched with surprise, although I barely perceived it.

"If you wait in that back table and put out the lantern there, you will be served shortly," he said to me. I nodded in reply and did what was instructed. As the minutes passed, I looked casually around the bar to see if I could perceive his entrance. I felt a presence suddenly at my table and I looked up to see a man sitting across from me that was not there just a few seconds ago.

"Like master, like student," he commented.

"The Fireman himself. It is an honor meet you," I said.

"You meet with me because I chose to let you meet me," he merely replied. "Just as I choose to let you see me. Do you have business?"

"I do, indeed. I know I have none of the rapport with you as my predecessor, but—"

"That is not necessary," he said to me.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You will never have the rapport with me as General John once did, nor should you strive for that. If you cannot be your own person and make your own path, you will fall just as he did. Strived to be too much like General Petrine and, like his master, met with an untimely end," he said. "Please keep your business proposal brief."

"Understood. I have a mission I would like you to go on," I said.

"That will be a negative from me," he replied.

"What? I have a fair and appropriate amount of gold for the request," I said.

"I am currently performing a mission of highest importance. Once I finish my contract, I will contact you in regards to your request, should my services still be required," he said.

"Who else is utilizing your services?" I asked.

"Seven-thousand, three hundred gold," he replied.

"What is that for?"

"That is my price for answering that question," he replied. "I see you were never taught the darker side of our art. That is a failing on the part of your former general that could have potentially cost your life."

"Darker side?" I asked.

"There are only two things that you can always rely upon. Your money and yourself. Strive to take care of both and everything else becomes much easier in life," he said. I nodded.

"How much for that piece of advice?" I asked.

"That was free of charge."

"Do you not charge for information?"

"I make it a habit to sometimes help those I potentially see as repeat employers. There is merit to keeping you alive and safe. You cannot pay me for future missions if you are dead," he merely stated. "I took great strides to teaching your predecessor and he escaped many situations that he would have perished in without my instruction. Due to that, I have enjoyed a healthy stream of missions for him as a reward for the risk of taking no payment. Similar to how that bartender gave that patron a free drink, in the hope the customer will understand the quality of the service rendered."

I looked to the bar to see that the bartender was indeed giving one of the customers a drink. I sighed to myself. It looks like there was so much to this that General John had willfully kept away from his students. We were supposed to be paragons of justice and light; how can we do that when our profession is rooted in everything those values stand against?

"Do you have any information about The Wraith?" I asked. The Fireman looked back at me silently.

"The Wraith? I do not know any by that identity; perhaps I might know them by another. What do you already know of this individual?" Volke asked.

"Very little. It appeared General John was trying to keep tabs on them as he wanted to know whether this individual was a threat to Daein. I, unfortunately, was not privy to the information he had gathered on this mysterious individual, outside of giving them a name. They apparently wear a cloak that covers most of his body with a hood that covers most of his face. He is a fearsome warrior of the sword, although apparently he is just as good with the lance. He fought the Black Knight in combat and had proven to be an equal," I said.

"Only rumors. You know as much as most others," Volke replied. "This also is a mission I cannot help you with currently. I will follow-up with your initial request when the opportunity arises. If there is no other business…"

"So, I assume you will contact me when the time is right?" I asked. Before he could answer, I felt something irritating my nose. I sneezed in reaction. When I opened my eyes back up, I looked across the table to see the Fireman had already disappeared. Wait, I didn't even sense him leaving. How is that possible? In such a short amount of time, too?

… General John, who is this resource you left me? What else did you not show us?

I returned back to camp as the sun was beginning to set with my mind more confused than it was when I left. There has been silence from the other side of the bridge from the Crimean camp, outside of the fact they had set their camp up away from the edge of the bridge to prevent us from spying on their camp. Although we were not caught, it seems their tactician was aware of the fact we had spies watching the happenings of their camp.

"General Matthew, you have returned from your mission. It's almost time for the generals' meeting," Zihark said.

"Understood. Thank you," I replied. I walked to the meeting tent and sighed to myself. When was this war going to end? Why did we have to continue engaging in this pointless war?

I walked into the tent to see only General Selena sitting in there, maps and other notes scattered around her.

"General Selena?" I asked. She jumped slightly before looking at me.

"Oh, General Matthew. You're here early. Is there any particular reason?" she asked.

"No, but… you seem stressed. Anything I can do to help?" I asked.

"No, your strategy that you proposed is sound. I'm just trying to familiarize myself with it before the meeting, so I can properly explain it to those in attendance," she replied.

"Selena… is everything okay?" I asked. She bit her lip for a second as she looked me in the eye.

"Remember when you asked me whether I would fight for Daein or fight for my king?"

"I remember that clearly."

"That line is blurrier than you ever could imagine," she said to me.

"What do you mean? I don't understand," I replied.

"You will in due time. I… cannot say anything more on the matter," she said as she bit her lip in frustration.

"General…? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course I am!" she replied. "I just… feel the same as you do and most of our soldiers do. When will this war end? When will the conflict be resolved? How many people will die before peace returns? Will we even have enough people to take care of our lands after the war?"

"Those are difficult questions, General Selena. Still, I feel that certain measures are in place to help alleviate your concern," I replied, implying the plan we had with Micaiah was still going.

"Indeed. I hope those measures are enough to bring an end to this madness," she replied.

"As do I, General Selena… as do I."

We sat there mostly in silence as the other generals entered the tent. General Nino looked tired and exhausted, unlike her usual charismatic and energetic self. General Tauroneo looked like he was ready to surrender in this war. King Pelleas entered the tent and sat down at his spot at the head of the table. Did they find a replacement for Selena yet?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, leadership of the Daein forces, it pains me to have to bring you this news. Unfortunately, we are still unsuccessful in finding a replacement for General Selena's position. In the meantime, I apologize that you have to continue doing the duties of both positions," he said. I saw General Selena sigh to herself slightly.

"I am doing the best I can with what I have, your highness," she replied.

"Nobody here is faulting you, General Selena. This is our fault for giving you this position without having your successor prepared. You were the most qualified candidate of the Four Riders due to your tenure, knowledge of the enemy, variety of experiences in battle, and ability to cope with what had come your way. The exemplary work you are doing is nothing short of extraordinary, both in terms of the amount of effort you put forth and the quality of work you consistently produce," King Pelleas said.

"Your praise is appreciated, but I cannot rest and consider myself successful until we achieve victory in this war."

"Naturally. That is why we are here. We are here to discuss our next course of action," he said. He looked at me with a pensive look on his face. "General Matthew, do you have any intelligence on what the enemy is planning?"

"Unfortunately, due to the new location where they are encamped, it is very difficult to acquire any information from their camp without compromising the identities of our spies. However, the last information I had heard is that they are currently waiting for reinforcements before they strike again. They are just as aware as we are that this stalemate will only draw out this war needlessly, so they are taking precautions to ensure they can claim swift victory," I said. "However, this was a report I had received two days ago. It is entirely possible, although unlikely, they have their reinforcements and are prepared to cross the bridge."

"If they cross the bridge, will we be ready?"

"My scouts are watching the bridge closely. At the first sign of Crimea attempting to cross, we will be informed and will mobilize accordingly," I replied.

"Very well. General Tauroneo, how are the troops?"

"The physical units are in peak condition. Morale may be at an all-time low, but in terms of physicality and preparedness, they are ready to fight. Many are ready to fight and give everything they have if it means the extra effort could bring an end to this war faster."

"Excellent. We may need that extra effort in the upcoming battles," King Pelleas replied. "General Nino, how are the mages?"

"They are drilled and ready. We are all just anxiously awaiting our orders."

"Good, good. General Selena, do we have a strategy?" he asked.

"The strategy that we have agreed upon is simple. Because they are allowing us the space across the river, the idea is when we get our reinforcements from Nevassa, we will take hold on the other side of the river and immediately set up fortifications. Instead of pushing forward after crossing as we are prone to doing, we will simply hold the position and repel any of their attempts to reclaim the location. Once we are there, we will continue to move forward, methodically, using whatever resources available, to push forward to Melior. Our morale is at an all-time low, as General Tauroneo has stated, but multiple reports from our scouts indicate that their troop morale is at an all-time low as well. If we can take advantage of the low morale and use it in our favor, this could be spark that we have been missing to end this war," General Selena said.

"That is absolutely perf—"

King Pelleas paused as he heard a noise outside. We all looked up as we heard a commotion outside. A few of us got up and peeked into the twilight outside.

"Generals! The camp is under attack!" a soldier said to us.

"How? The bridge is under surveillance!" I replied quickly.

"They aren't attacking from the bridge. They are attacking from the south. They must have flown across the canyon downstream!" the soldier frantically explained. We looked at each other and quickly got out of the tent to head to our respective areas. I quickly headed to my tent and grabbed my weapons before heading to my group's area.

"General Matthew."

"Leila."

I saw my trusty right-hand rushing with me to the location of my unit. We arrived and waited for the others to arrive.

"General Matthew, what is going on?" a soldier asked.

"We are being surprise attacked," I replied. "We are organizing as best as we can and then launching a counter-attack! Our makeshift front is doing what they can to prevent their troops from breaking through, until we are organized enough to strike back."

"What are our orders?"

I paused for a second. I had no idea what were our orders. General Selena might have something for us to do, but she was already overwhelmed with preparing the mounted units for combat.

"Infiltrate their backlines. Find where they are positioned, and then use throwing knives to attempt to strike their healers from a distance. Do not put yourself in harm's way. I only want you serving as a distraction. I do not want anyone risking their lives yet. We are improvising and surviving until we can have an official strategy. We are merely buying time, remember that!" I ordered.

"Understood!" they replied before disappearing.

"Is that the order from the top?" Leila asked.

"There are no orders. We were not expecting this. That was a judgment call, and a judgment I hope to be correct," I replied. They were supposed to be passively waiting for reinforcements! Why were they attacking?

"I'm going to the frontlines. I want to see what's going on," I said. Leila nodded and together we ran to the front. After some time travelling, we arrived to see a large force pushing as hard as they could against our soldiers who were fighting valiantly to hold their position. This was a disaster! They outmaneuvered us! I never expected them to fly across the river. How long were they doing that? They only have a limited number of flying units, so they had to have been doing this for the past few days. Was Queen Elincia unaware of this development?

"General Matthew!"

I turned to see General Selena riding up behind me.

"General Selena, what are you doing up here?"

"I was checking the status of the troops here. Preparations for our counterattack are ready. The troops are marching forward to relieve our frontline."

"Will it be enough?" I asked.

"It has to be, or else we are done and have to surrender. This was an all-or-nothing move by them, so we have to fight back likewise," she replied.

We looked down to see our troops mobilized and moving toward the front. I watched the two frontlines collide in a flurry of what seemed less like organized battling and more like emotional projecting. I could see our soldiers were fighting just for the chance to finally end this war and go home and I saw their soldiers fighting for the same reason. Nobody was fighting for what they believed in. Everyone was just fighting because they had no other option.

What have we done? What have we created? What have we started of which we can't finish? I've had enough of this. I think Selena's had enough of this as well. I saw the bodies start to fall on both sides. Again, both sides were somewhat evenly matched, although I saw our frontline pull back every minute due to the nature of the surprise attack. We were not prepared for such an eventuality. I saw Crimea grow desperate. If they lost this battle, they would have no way to retreat. They were the ones who were fighting frantically, not wanting to lose this battle.

"General Selena…" I began.

"I know. I know…" she replied, wiping an eye. "This is not what I signed up for when I became a general again…"

"It's time for me to head back down and lead the troops. I had wanted to glimpse how the enemy forces looked, but it's time for me to head back to my troops and lead them."

"Good luck, General Selena," I replied.

"You as well. General Matthew… if we survive… if all five of us generals survive when this war ends, I think we need to return to Nevassa and drink ourselves into a stupor and reflect upon these past few months," she said. "This was the most pointless war I have ever seen in my entire time as a soldier."

"You better survive as well, General Selena. I… owe a lot to you. In my short time as a general, you have shown me so much," I said.

"That seems to be what I do… guiding people to be the best they can be," she replied with a smile, worn out, but still genuine.

I watched her descend the hill I was on as I continued to watch the battlefield. I could see my group were doing their best to distract their healers as I saw their mages were trying to hit my soldiers and failing to hit a single one. I smiled a bit to myself. I trained them well, at least.

As the battlefield grew more and more chaotic, I began to realize just how many lives had passed… and for what? For some stupid conflict over a misunderstanding? General John was innocent. That much was clear. I cannot understand why both sides continue to fight this war when talking things through would have been so much easier. Nobody really, truly believes General John killed those diplomats. Something had to be going on… nothing seems right in here. Nothing seems to line up…

As the battle raged on, I saw movement on a hill nearby. I strained my eyes, but all I caught was a glimpse of a shimmer from a lighter color and what looked like a purple outfit. Before I could react, I saw a blast of light emanate from the figure being shot into the sky. The blast twisted upon itself until it formed what looked to be a dragon and a tiger. Its light shone brightly on the battlefield against the rapidly darkening sky. I looked down to see all the soldiers on the ground see the two symbols in the sky. Wait, was that…

I watched as troops, both Crimean and Daein, start to put their arms on the ground and sit down. There were confused looks from some, probably from those who were not informed of Micaiah's plan. Even through the confusion, seeing both sides put up a protest, they joined in as well! In the middle of a sea of dead and almost dead bodies, I could see every troop was sitting down. Nobody was fighting. Nobody was continuing. Everyone was protesting in solidarity. I watched King Geoffrey ride to the frontline in a hurry holding a flag for parley and I started making my way down to the frontline as well. I might as well be present to figure out what he wanted to talk about.

I arrived at the frontline to see King Geoffrey standing with Queen Elincia. Generals and commanders were half-heartedly trying to get their troops to get up, but nobody seemed particularly interested in continuing this battle. Only King Geoffrey seemed to be in a panic, trying to get everyone to move again.

"General Matthew, what is the meaning of this?" Queen Elincia asked, louder than she probably needed to, in an attempt to draw King Geoffrey's attention to me.

"I have no idea. It appears the troops are protesting," I replied equally loudly and theatrically.

"This is madness! This is absurd!" I heard King Geoffrey say as he came over. "Every single soldier is willfully ignoring the command of those above them."

"Perhaps they tire of the war as much as we do," I replied.

"General Matthew, you are in no position to speak on behalf of our troops," King Geoffrey said.

"No, but he has the authority to speak on behalf of his troops."

I saw Count Bastian step forward, a look of admiration on his face as he looked around.

"Thank you, Count Bastian," I replied. I saw the rest of the Four Riders arrive to my spot.

"I wonder who could have possibly organized such a protest so cleanly and neatly," he asked as he observed everything around him. "This was methodically planned out, and behind my back no less."

"This has been a long time coming," I replied.

"This solves nothing, General Matthew. Our nations are still at war. This conflict must be settled," King Geoffrey said. I saw King Pelleas arrive at our frontline, just as the queen's retainers arrived as well.

"Looks like everyone is here," Queen Elincia said.

"Not General Micaiah," Count Bastian said.

"Oh, your intelligence didn't inform you of the fact she was dismissed from her position? General Selena is the one in charge of all our forces now," I said.

"General Selena? Are you behind this? That would not surprise me in the least. You were always a cunning, yet sensible and level-headed leader," Count Bastian said. The fact that he dropped his silver tongue and was speaking normally spoke volumes over the level of amazement he had.

"Yes, please explain General Selena, are you behind this?" General Tauroneo asked.

"No, I am afraid I am not," she replied.

"King Geoffrey, it appears our subjects have spoken. We could have them all executed for treason, but I do not wish to follow in my father's footsteps. If we executed any dissenter here and now, we would have nobody to help run our nations," King Pelleas said in resignation.

"This war still must be resolved," King Geoffrey replied.

"Then how about one-on-one combat?" Count Bastian said.

"You wish for the fate of both of our nations be decided by one warrior from each side?" General Tauroneo asked.

"Would you not have it any other way? Our soldiers tire of fighting. I am sure many in your leadership share those sentiments," Count Bastian said.

"Very well, we both will choose our champions and settle this in a fair one-on-one match. The winner of this duel will claim victory in this war and will thus claim ownership of the other's land. I do believe this method would be preferred over the traditional method of resolving a war," King Pelleas said.

"I… have no objections," King Geoffrey said.

"Wait, this is absurd," Queen Elincia interjected.

"What do you mean?" King Pelleas said.

"We should just end this war here and now. This war was pointless in the first place. Crimea has no reason to risk her land over a petty squabble. Did we forget why we started this war? This was a war between Hatari and Gallia antagonized by the assassination of Gallian diplomats, allegedly executed by General John. Since when was this a war to take each other's territory?" Queen Elincia asked.

"So long as our two nations are separate, it feels as though we are fated to fight each other. We can overcome that conflict by merging into one nation," King Pelleas said. Queen Elincia opened her mouth to say something, but paused, unsure of what to say.

"Who will your champion be?" General Tauroneo asked.

"That is simple. Can someone summon Commander Ike?" King Geoffrey asked.

"I had a feeling you would be utilizing the commander as your champion. It seems like a logical choice," General Selena said.

"As for you?" King Geoffrey asked. I saw King Pelleas turn to me.

"Can you summon the Black Knight?" he asked me.

"I am already here."

We turned to see the Black Knight had just arrived to the scene, his sword already in hand.

"Then we shall have to wait for the good commander," Count Bastian stated. We waited for a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, before we heard a gasp. We turned to see Commander Ike was walking toward us, but he was holding his shoulder.

"Commander Ike? Commander Ike! What happened?" King Geoffrey asked.

"I… was overwhelmed. I was ambushed by a large number of enemies and barely managed to fight them off," he replied.

"Can someone heal him?" King Geoffrey asked.

"He's already been healed," his sister said, as she walked up behind him. "Any more magic pumped into him could be dangerous. He needs to do the rest of the recovery process naturally."

"But, who will represent Crimea?" King Geoffrey asked.

"As well as finding someone to represent Daein," the Black Knight said.

"I thought you were, good sir knight?" General Selena asked.

"I am not a soldier in your army, but one who is contracted to fight alongside you all. If the commander is not battling, then I have no interest in battling as well," the Black Knight said.

"Then who will fight for us?" King Pelleas asked.

"Allow me, sir," General Selena said.

"General Selena?"

"As leader of our troops, the responsibility should be pushed to nobody else but myself. I accept any and all responsibility on the slim possibility I should fail," she said. I looked at her, new respect for her welling up inside of me. Stories of her strength of character in the last Daein regime were well known, but seeing it for myself helped me to understand how a mage such as herself had such a high standing in the former King Ashnard's army.

"Very well. King Geoffrey?" King Pelleas said, looking over.

"I will represent Crimea."

We all looked to see Queen Elincia stepped forward, unsheathing her blade.

"Your highness, please reconsi—"

"Count Bastion, this is not your place. As leader of Crimea by birthright, I declare that this is my fight. The fault of this war lies not with the common soldiers, who all have shown they have no interest in this war. It lies not with the common citizens, who have many more things in common with each other than differences. It lies not with our generals, who also tire of this war. It lies within our leadership. With our royalty. With our kings and our queens and our struggles to prove who is superior. I am part of the problem, and I will fight to atone for the transgressions against my citizens that we have enacted," Queen Elincia said as she stepped forward.

"Very well. A match between Queen Elincia of Crimea and General Selena of Daein will henceforth commence. The victor in this battle will be declared when one side yields, is deemed unfit to battle further, or perishes," Count Bastian declared.

"Not quite."

I looked up and saw Micaiah walking toward the group. King Pelleas gave a confused look to her.

"Micaiah? What are you doing here? I thought you were in Nevassa?" he asked.

"I am where I am needed most. King Pelleas and King Geoffrey, your desires and needs to overcome each other in this war have driven your nations down to ruin. Look at the soldiers before you who no longer wish to fight. Look at the generals and advisors who had suggested time and time again to end this fighting. This protest is the culmination of your ignorance and blindness to your citizens. This protest is a statement that cannot be ignored. Whatever reasons you have for this needless death… this needless antagonism… this needless violence… they end here," Micaiah said.

"You dare presume—"

Lucia began to interject, but King Geoffrey held up a hand.

"She speaks some truth, my sister," he said after a moment's pause. "There is much blame to be put on these events, and much of it has been shifted to the wrong groups and individuals."

"All of those here are vested in either Crimea or Daein, so it is natural that the outcome be one or the other. I myself had harbored such a deep respect and patriotism for my land that I, too, was blind to what was going on before me. I was also blind to the plight of the common citizens. It hurts me to realize what I had become as a general when considering I was once a commoner like those who suffer now. Naturally, the both of you would fight to claim victory in this war. All of you are too vested to consider the third option, so I will consider it for you. I offer myself as a third party in this fate-deciding battle. If I win, Crimea and Daein will agree to a truce and this battle ends here and now," General Micaiah stated. I smiled at her widely.

"You would dare betray Daein?" King Pelleas asked.

"With whose support do you make this declaration? You do not represent Crimea and Daein seems unwilling to support you," King Geoffrey said.

"Just as Queen Elincia is fighting for the good of Crimea and General Selena is fighting for the good of Daein, I fight for the good of the people themselves. I fight as the voice of each of these soldiers. Who do you think organized this protest? Who do you think came with the plan that soldiers from both sides would be so tired of war as to rid themselves of their enmity for each other in the interest of self-preservation? I am here as the embodiment of their will for peace between the lands. Crimean citizens hate Daein citizens because that's what they're told for generations as a tradition. The same goes for the other way. Those of you who remember the former Spymaster General, Daein General John, who was formerly a general within the Crimean army as well, understood the need to bridge peace between both nations. We should be striving for peace and protecting the citizens," she said.

"I am fighting for my citizens!" King Geoffrey said angrily.

"This war is for the good of our citizens," King Pelleas added.

"How is it good for them? You're sending them to their slaughter!" Micaiah angrily lashed out. I saw the looks of surprise on those around. Micaiah was never one to anger or lash out, even under duress. "Look around at this battlefield and those who lay fallen. Strewn all around us are dead soldiers who were once your subjects. Take a good, hard look around before looking at the remaining soldiers in their eyes and tell them this was for their own good. Say with conviction and absolute honesty that in your heart, you felt those unnecessary deaths were for their own good! That they might be next, but in the end, it's for the good of the whole, or so everyone claims. What good is there anymore in this war?"

"I…" King Geoffrey said, a look of panic on his face.

"I am the will of the people. I will fight for the right of the people," General Micaiah said.

"General Micaiah, please, this is an issue that does not concern you. This is the fault of those who are ruling and those that are commanding. This is my time to fight for my people and atone for our faults," Queen Elincia said.

"You can do this without taking the land of your opponent."

"I… have to do this, General Micaiah. There is more at stake than just this war," Queen Elincia said.

"That is also why I must fight," General Selena said.

"General Selena…? Why? I thought we were working together toward peace," General Micaiah asked. I could see the confusion crossing her face. I was confused as well. I thought both of them would be on our side?

"I… cannot say why. Peace is a wonderful notion, but the lives of the many outweigh the needs of the few," General Selena replied.

"You call those who fight in your forces the 'few'? What… happened to you?"

"I cannot say," General Selena merely replied, looking directly at the ground. "If you wish to stop us, then you will have to give us everything you have. I cannot lose, so I will likewise be giving you everything I have."

"I… very well," Micaiah said. "I cannot pretend to understand why you have had a sudden change of heart, but know that I will not be wavering in my determination here."

"I… would not expect you to. I am sorry, General Micaiah," General Selena said.

"Then… the contestants are settled. The fate of this continent rests on you three," Count Bastian said solemnly. "We shall have to make a space for their battle, and mages to erect a barrier."

"A barrier?" I asked.

"The power that these three wield is on a whole other level. We will have to make sure their spells do not escape and harm the environment or the people around us," he replied. The group separated as they made preparations for this climatic battle.

"General Matthew," Micaiah said as she walked to me. I looked at her with a small smile.

"General Micaiah… you did it. You got the soldiers to stop fighting. Peace… is within our grasp," I said with a smile.

"It is, but… the hardest part has yet to come. Something happened to Queen Elincia and General Selena. They are not acting in a way that I expected them to. I expected them to settle the quarrel and join me in solidarity, yet it seems both are acting almost as irrationally as their kings," she replied in a serious tone. I frowned a bit to myself. General Selena did seem a bit skittish in the tent earlier.

"Can you handle them?" I asked.

"It is no longer a question of if I can or not. I have to," she replied. I sighed to myself as I realized my powerlessness in this whole situation. I saw a hastily assembled battlefield was assembled off to the side. All the protesting soldiers, Crimean and Daein, were working together eagerly with renewed vigor. Why wouldn't they? This was their chance to end the war.

"Go. I have faith in you," I said with a smile. She smiled back at me.

"That means a lot, General Matthew. Thank you," she replied. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Well, after this battle… after this war... perhaps it's time we started planning for the future. As a nation… and as individuals," I said.

"Naturally. The future must never repeat the mistakes of the past. When this war is over, I will summon the courage to do what I could not for these past couple of years. Queen Elincia was right when she criticized me once before. Sometimes one must throw tradition and pattern to the wind and follow their emotion and intuition to find their ideal future," she replied.

"What future is that?" I asked her. She looked at me and paused.

"When this war is over," she replied simply with an air of mystery.

"I… understand," I replied. A lie to add to my recent trend of insincerity.

Soon, the preparations were completed, and the armies pushed forward, morbidly curious to watch a battle that would decide their fate. Win, lose, or draw was not as important as the war being over, but it was still an important outcome nonetheless. I watched Queen Elincia step into the ring's west entrance, her sword in her hand. I watched General Selena step into the ring's east entrance, mounted upon her horse. General Micaiah stepped into the ring from the south entrance, looking oddly out of place without a mount or an actual weapon, but with that bird still sitting on her shoulder.

"Soldiers of Daein and Crimea, our leaders have heard your feelings and heeded your pleas. We tire of this war. We all tire of this war. This battle here is the culmination of your desires. This battle here decides the fate and outcome of this war. Many of you may not agree to this method or agree with the results, but considering the alternative is more violence, I think we can all agree this is a far better option. Many of us have families and homes to return to that we would love to return to alive. Many of us have loved ones who eagerly await to see our faces again. Let us respect the spirit of these warriors and may fate determine who is truly to emerge victorious!" Count Bastian announced.

I heard murmurs amongst the crowd. It was a solemn moment of unity, but it was an accepting atmosphere as well. Perhaps even if one nation took over the other, there could be peace between the lands and one day, we could take pride in being one nation.

"General Micaiah, are you prepared?" Count Bastian asked.

"I am."

"Queen Elincia, are you prepared?"

"I am prepared."

"General Selena, are you prepared?"

"As ready as I have to be…"

"Then, let this battle—"

A sudden explosion emanated from the north entrance of the arena as a cloud of smoke billowed out. A fireball flew into the arena, nearly striking Count Bastian.

"What is the meaning of this?" Count Bastian asked. "Who would resort to violence in this attempt at resolution?"

"I would."

I narrowed my eyes and looked through the smoke to see a solitary figure. I watched the figure slowly come into focus, walking forward in purposeful, confident strides.

"King Pelleas. King Geoffrey. I warned the both of you. I warned Queen Elincia and General Micaiah how I felt about pointless violence. I had hoped you all would have found a peaceful resolution, yet you two still continued to fight the war. Even now, you resort to a trial by combat as your way of so-called peace. You could have simply decided no more. You could have chosen to have a diplomatic talk. Your soldiers clearly stated they wanted no more violence, and yet here you all are, championing violence as a catalyst for progress. I warned both of you what would happen if you defied my wish and desire for peace across this continent. I said to you that I would topple your nations and leave you crumbled in the dust of half-forgotten history. You reap what you sow... and I am here, as your reaper, to finish what both of you have started."

The figure walked out of the cloud of smoke and I saw General John standing in the arena. I heard angry murmurs fly through the crowd around me. He was alive? This whole time, he was alive? I saw a few scars and knew he must have had a terribly painful and drawn out recovery from the blaze. He was wearing his battle mage outfit, albeit stripped of his general's pins. His armor glistened on his chest, the cape flourished in the wind of power that was encircling him, and those quirky goggles that completed the outfit were a breath of familiarity in this sea of the unknown. That outfit must've been stolen from Selena's tent prior to his arrival here.

"He's alive."

"My friends burned alive in that valley because of him."

"My friend served under him and perished on a mission."

I could tell just from the mutterings of those around me that many were not pleased with his return. Crimean soldiers were rumbling about those who were lost in Death Valley; Daein soldiers were rumbling about how they should never have stooped to such shameful levels of desperation.

"G-General John? The former Spymaster General? You are alive? We all thought you had perished," Count Bastian said.

"Justice will never die," he merely replied. "I am here to win this battle and execute my wishes upon these nations."

"You wish to intrude upon this battle? Queen Elincia fights for Crimea. General Selena fights for Daein. General Micaiah is fighting for the will of the commoners. Former Spymaster General, I now ask of you: What do you fight for and who do you represent?" Count Bastion asked.

"Myself," he replied simply, but with a tone of confidence.

"Preposterous! I cannot allow this," he replied. I gasped in shock as General John flicked out of vision and appeared behind Bastion with a sword to his back. I saw the movement, trained as I was, but noticed there was a distinctly different way he moved, almost as if he heavily modified his combat style.

"Who is going to stop me? Your guards? They tried to stop me entering this arena and yet here I am. In fact, if you care to notice, I am unscathed. Who else could stop me? You? You could not stop me from approaching you this quickly. Can any of these so-called champions stop me? I would love to see them try. I vow not to take their lives, but I cannot vouch for anything beyond that," he said. General John… what are you doing? Who are you? What have you become? What is this unfettered hubris that is leaking out from him?

"What do you wish for the nations to do after this fight?" he asked.

"What do I wish for? Whatever I please. I would be well within my right as the victor of a trial by combat to choose what I wish for after this incident. A unified nation with myself as a ruler sounds nice for starters. No more war between both nations. No more Crimean pride. No more Daein pride. No more pointless traditions that either nation has to follow. No more laguz slavery. No more prejudice. No more hatred. No more oppressing the weak. No more oppressing the poor. No more reasons for violence amongst one another. Any who opposes these ideals can either flee to Begnion or be executed. Trust me when I say I have executed people for far less. Perhaps when I am finished culling those who would still incite violence, I will hand over the unified kingdom to Begnion, so that all beorc will be under one rule," he said. "One single beorc nation moving toward the future together."

"Very well, General John, if you are the victor, your wish is as bound as the others," Count Bastian said.

"That's preposterous! Someone stop him," King Pelleas said. General John simply looked up to him before turning away, not even acknowledging the protest in any other way.

"Nobody will stop him?" King Geoffrey said. "This is the man that burned Crimean lives alive in the valley!"

"Perhaps I did have those lives burned in the valley. Perhaps I have scoured the Daein countryside putting down dissenters that would dare oppose the throne. Perhaps I have done many things that are regrettable and have harmed my image and my position. I remain the darkness that exists so that each of you could glow just a bit brighter. Daein citizens… Crimean citizens… feel how you want, but know that I acted alone. I have done what I have done without restriction or oversight so that those who I have served with would be blameless. None of those in Daein's leadership, as all of you may know, shoulders any blame for the incident of Death Valley. That is my responsibility and my burden to bear. If you need to hate someone, if you need to rage against someone, I am here. Hate me. Revile me. Despise me if you must. Light cannot exist without darkness for they are two halves of the same coin," he declared.

"General John…" I heard Micaiah say sadly.

"You murdered Gallian diplomats! You are the reason we are in this war in the first place," King Geoffrey stated. I saw his head turn and his eyes flash to the king of Crimea, an oppressive level of loathing and anger in his eyes that I had never seen before suddenly overtaking his formerly remorseful expression. I unconsciously took a step back at the mere presence he seemed to have, and I was not even the target of his ire. I noticed many in the crowd had unconsciously taken a step back as well.

"He has grown exceptionally well," the Black Knight commented, almost in a proud tone. I had only just noticed how close he was to me. What an oversight… was I really that focused on this battle and the end of the war that I have been slipping on staying on constant alert? Constant vigilance! That's what General John always taught me. Constant vigilance!

"You can hate me all you want for all the deeds I have done to keep my land safe and you can speak ill of my character for the actions I take to keep those I love out of harm's way, but I will not allow you to falsely besmirch my name. I never had a part in that atrocity outside of the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the fact that you cling to that slanderous myth shows you are unable to cope with the reality that perhaps things are deeper than you care to realize," he replied.

"Very well then! If you are guilty, then let the Goddess Ashera's will be done and have you struck down in this battle! Count Bastian, when you are ready," King Geoffrey stated.

"Very well. On behalf of Queen Elincia, General Selena, General Micaiah, and General John… let this battle commence!"

Author's Note: So, I showed John's monologue of wanting peace and no more violence to someone I know who's reading the story and her response simply was, "So, you're Claude now."

I really need to play Three Houses. I really need a Switch.