One week.

For seven whole days, Kamui had been meticulously working on her plans for the remainder of the war. From the moment she woke to the instant she slept, her mind was filled with maps, battle strategies, territories and protocols. She had been so hard at work that she had drawn the concern of her entire family, though Silas assured them that she was fine.

"She gets like this sometimes," he had said. "She'll put her mind to something and won't put it off until it's done. She's a hard worker, that's for sure."

Most of the days, she had been assisted by someone close to her. It had been Leo on the second, Camilla on the fourth, Siegbert on the fifth and now Peri on the seventh. The once-childish woman traced her fingers along a map of the continent with focused eyes.

"So on the eighth day, we'll be stationed in Notre Sagesse after moving through Cyrkensia. Before we head out, we leave behind a decently sized squad of soldiers to protect them in case any Hoshidans make it past us and try to occupy the place. From there, we advance to Vanaheim…"

As Peri spoke, Kamui found herself staring at the woman's face with a tired yet blissful expression. She was glad that she had overcome her insecurities regarding her sexuality ages ago, or else she'd never be able to do something like this without drowning in immense shame.

"Kamui? Hey, are you listening?" Peri snapped her fingers twice to regain Kamui's attention, though instead of shooting up and apologizing like she expected, the princess simply nodded her head to indicate that she was still mentally present.

"You know, sometimes I wonder how things would be had I not freaked out back when we went on that date."

Peri thinned her eyes in confusion, taking a moment to figure out just what she was talking about before remembering and giving Kamui a cheeky smile. "Oh yeah, I remember that. We went to see that play and I cried on your shoulder. It's funny, I can't even remember what it was about at this point."

"Do you ever think about the same thing, though?" Kamui asked. "We never would have been able to get married, for starters, since we're both women. Kana, Sophie, and Soleil wouldn't be around. I can't even begin to imagine where Laslow and Silas would be without us…it's strange how we just don't know what could have been, isn't it?"

Peri nodded in affirmation as she leaned back in her chair. "It is. Really, I don't know if I would have mellowed out if it hadn't been for Laslow. He…kind of changed me, in that way." She found herself groaning and covering her face as her cheeks took on a red tint. "Gods, I was so weird when I was younger! I know I couldn't help it, but it's embarrassing to think back on. No wonder you didn't like me back. Only someone as crazy as Laslow would fall in love with a murder-happy girl who couldn't tell right from wrong."

Kamui scoffed. "No no, that wasn't it. It was more that I wasn't in the right place at the time to handle someone as eccentric as you," she explained with a snicker. "Laslow…he's been through more than either of us, even back then, so I'm not surprised that he was able to help you through things. He's a good man."

The other woman opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a knock coming from the room's front door. Kamui raised her eyebrow in curiosity; no was scheduled to be using the conference room at the moment. She exchanged an inquisitive look with Peri before glancing back at the door.

"Enter!"

Not a second later, her dearest Jakob entered the room with his blue-haired son by his side, both men sharing dark expressions. Jakob held within his hand an important looking document whilst Dwyer possessed a letter sealed with wax.

"Xander told us that you both would be here…" Dwyer mumbled as he approached the table while his father closed the door behind him, grimacing the whole way.

"Yes, we're working on battle plans…" Kamui kept her eyes on the envelope in Dwyer's hands as her heart began to pound. Judging by the look on his face, all was not well. "Was there something you needed from us?"

Jakob sighed, biting his lip and turning around to face his liege. "I was told to give this to Iago first and foremost, but by my own judgement, you are better off being the first to learn about it." He cleared his throat and held the document before him, beginning to read. "King Iago, I, Baroness Lieve'tel, am writing to inform you that on the first day of the ninth month, the territory of Asgard was invaded by and subsequently taken over by Hoshidan forces. Due to our small military force, we were unable to defend ourselves. I beg of you your forgiveness and humbly request that you utilize your immense power to liberate my people and I from our adversaries. Many of my subjects have been killed, and as such, and I have very little allies at this time. I am in hiding at the moment and suspect that I will be found and captured shortly. I can only hope that this letter reaches you before I am too late." Jakob pressed his lips together before finishing. "From, Astrid von Lieve'tel, Baroness of Asgard."

Kamui was in such shock that she didn't even notice how tightly Peri was squeezing her hand. The princess blinked. Under usual circumstances she would have begun to hyperventilate or lose her focus, but even as the color drained from her face, she refused to give in. No, this was a new Kamui.

"Okay…" she breathed, tapping her fingertips along the edge of the table. "So, Corrin attacked far earlier than planned. I hadn't anticipated action so soon, especially when Princess Hinoka is still without a second retainer, but this is fine. We can handle this."

"I'm afraid that you'll have to discuss this with Iago and Hans before you can take any sort of action, however, this is another matter at hand." Jakob turned to his son with a deep frown. "Dwyer."

The young man shook his head sorrowfully and weakly extended the letter not to Kamui, but to Peri. The woman's eyes widened when she realized that he wasn't here for Kamui and she snatched the letter out of his hand at once, beginning to tear the envelope open not a moment later as Dwyer drew in a shaky breath.

"I know we don't know each other well, but…I am so, so sorry, Ms. Peri."

Kamui watched as Peri paid the boy no mind, frantically unfolded the letter and began to read. Kamui started to read as well, but stopped herself after the first few words.

Now, she was filled with dread.

As a child, she had witnessed countless couriers read off those exact words to her father, kneeling before him in Castle Krakenburg's throne room. To whom it may concern, we offer our condolences and regret to inform you of the passing of…

Peri's bright eyes widened as they began to fill with tears, a sight that shattered Kamui's heart a thousand times over. "D-Daddy…?" she squeaked as reality set in. Her hands began to tremble while her lip quivered. The butlers in the room averted their eyes just as the floodgates burst and Peri threw her arms around Kamui, beginning to bawl.

While Peri sobbed into her shoulder, Kamui found herself wrapping her arms around her and absentmindedly stroking her back as her own mind wandered. Kamui had only met Peri's father—Count Tyr—on one occasion some time ago after he invited the two to a banquet, but from her limited interactions with him and Peri's own stories, she knew that he was a good man. The district of Asgard was where the majority of Nohr's nobility resided, and while it had an adequate amount of knights residing in it, they would fall easily if they were met with any kind of sizable force, and yet, the soldiers of Nohr were trained to fight to the bitter end even if all hope seemed lost. Even disregarding the Count's death, so many people had to have needlessly lost their lives.

Kamui bit her tongue—it wasn't as if she hadn't done similar years ago. Immediately, she dismissed the thought from her head. No, no, no. That isn't on you. It was Iago—you didn't know what would happen, she told herself. She had been played by Nohr's current king, and yet, Corrin would commit such an act willingly? It made her stomach turn. Even after the ambush and attempted murder of her and the people who had once been his cherished brothers and sisters, Kamui had been holding out hope that the sweet, kind boy she used to know was still there. Now that he had taken the lives of innocents, though…she was not so sure.

"I'll take this to the king," Dwyer said with his head hung low, gently taking the document from his father's hand. After Jakob gave a nod of approval, the young man silently exited the room. Now alone with the pair of women, Jakob cleared his throat.

"Ah…if I may ask, what do you plan to do now?"

Jakob's words could just barely be heard over the sound of Peri's crying. Placing her hand tenderly on the girl's head and running her fingers through her hair. She stared down at the various maps and sheets of paper laid out before her, a thousand thoughts running through her mind all at once. With a deep breath, she nodded to herself.

"Armistice ended months ago, so…I suppose it's time to do this."

"I see you're doing well for yourselves. I'm glad."

Corrin sat on a soft beige couch in the middle of a modern-looking living room with a smile on his face. While the other furniture that filled the room tied it all together and gave it a nice, comfortable feeling, what threw it all off balance was the myriad children's toys scattered across the floor. While a well-toned man tended to a cut of meat sizzling in a frying pan atop a stove in the next room, a tall, perky-looking woman with her hair in a braid that fell over her shoulder presented the prince with a cup of tea. Corrin took the saucer into his hands with a smile and set it down on the low table before him.

"Thank you, Hana. Might I ask, where's your little one?"

Hana shook her head before sitting down right next to Corrin and putting her hands in her lap. "You don't have to be so formal, Corrin. We're friends, remember? As for Hisame, he's out in town playing with his friends. One of their mothers is supervising, so he should be home before dark."

"That's good, that's good," Corrin said as he raised the teacup to his lips. "Has he been growing well? What sort of child is he?"

"A tough one to handle, that's the sort of child he is!" Hinata called from the kitchen with a hearty laugh. "We shouldn't be surprised, though. With Hana's spunk and my energy, he was bound to turn out like this!"

The woman nodded in agreement with her husband, leaning over the couch to brush a peculiar looking toy out of the way. "You know, over in Windmire, they're starting to make these like, mechanical carriage-type things. I've got no idea how it works. Runs on petroleum or something."

"Are they, now? I'm surprised that they aren't putting all of their industrial efforts into war." Corrin closed his eyes and took a sip from his cup with a calm expression. "They're going to need the extra firepower with what's coming to them."

Though he could not see, the smile began to fade from Hana's face. "Right…I'm guessing that's what you're here about?"

"Mmm," Corrin confirmed. "This war has gone on for far too long and I plan to put an end to it within the coming weeks. We launched an attack on Asgard two days ago that was a complete success. No casualties—on our end. In fact, the old squad and I are set to start on the path tomorrow morning. I was wondering if…"

Now, Hana was frowning. " Tomorrow ? Corrin, this is incredibly short notice. Even then…while I appreciate the offer, we really do have our hands full with Hisame here."

"Not a problem. I'm a prince, remember? While we're out fighting, he'll be placed under the care of the best handmaids in the nation. You wouldn't have a thing to worry about."

"You already know how we feel about other people looking after our kid for too long…"

"I do." Corrin smiled. "But think about it, Hana." He set his saucer down and leaned over to take her hands into his own, squeezing them as he stared into her brown eyes. "This is your chance to make history here. Not only will you be a hero to millions of people, but you'll be contributing to the abolition of tyranny and the administering of justice. I know you, Hana. You're someone who always wants to do good. You want this."

Hana bit her lip and began to draw her hands back, but Corrin's grip did not let loose. "Corrin…"

"Don't you want to go back to the old days? Your sword slicing through the air and cutting down those who carry out evil? Even after you left, Sakura and Takumi never did try to replace you two as their retainers. You can fight side by side with my sister again, protecting her just like you did for years upon years. Surely you want to remember what it's like to be a warrior."

"I assure you that I haven't forgotten," Hana asserted, roughly pulling her hands from Corrin's grasp and setting her gaze on her lap with a troubled look. "Look, I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I don't want to go back to fighting. I'm happy with my life as it is right now. I make a nice living as a kendo instructor, have a wonderful husband that I come home to everyday, and an amazing little boy that I put to sleep every night. Going back out there on the battlefield and killing people…that just isn't for me anymore." The woman let out a long breath before putting a smile back on and looking at her guest. "Besides, I'm sure that you guys will be fine without—"

Hana cut her speech short upon seeing just how disturbed Corrin looked. He did not appear to be upset, but rather hurt. A deep frown was etched onto his face as if he had carved it on there himself.

"It disappoints me to hear that. I was really looking forward to the chance to fight by your side once again. You were one of my most cherished soldiers, you know."

Hana found that hard to believe; he had barely made an effort to get to know her in their relatively short time together. Despite this, she acquiesced.

"Thank you. I do wish you and everyone else the best of luck, but I'm afraid that Hinata and I won't be contributing." As she spoke, Corrin was already rising from his seat and making his way towards the front door. Almost as if he were waiting for his cue, Hinata once again shouted from the kitchen.

"Hey, Corrin! You going to be staying long? I can whip up another cut of beef for you if you want!"

"No, I was just leaving," Corrin called flatly.

"Already? Damn, that sucks. Well, I'll see you around soon sometime, yeah?"

There was no response. Corrin had already left by the time Hinata finished his sentence, leaving Hana sitting dumbfounded and alone. She watched as the prince shut the door behind him without so much as a goodbye. He had left as soon as he had come. Hana was ecstatic when he showed up out of the blew barely ten minutes ago and was hoping to catch up after months of having not seen each other, but apparently the only thing on his mind was the war. On one hand she understood—it was only natural for someone in his position to be focused on warfare—but on the other hand, his sudden attitude shift upon the mention of combat made her uneasy. She had of course been aware of the capture and subsequent escape of his sister as well as the execution of one of Princess Camilla's retainers, but had it really changed it that much? The man she had just sat with was unrecognizable from the Corrin she once knew. He was so…cold.

With a sigh, Hana rose from the couch and walked over to the kitchen's entrance, knocking on the frame to get Hinata's attention. "Hey, I think I'm going to head to the castle soon to see Sakura. Do you want to come, too?"

Hinata shrugged as he flipped the meat on the pan, the sizzle making a smile twitch on his face. "I take it you didn't get what you wanted out of the good old Assassin Prince, huh? Sure, I'll go with you. I can leave a note for Yusuke's mom asking her to look after Hisame for just a little bit longer. We might have to pay her, though."

"That's fine. Thanks, Hina." With that, the swordswoman returned to the living room and began to tidy up her son's toys, the uneasy expression remaining on her face.

Meanwhile, just outside their front door, Prince Corrin ground his teeth and shook his head. Both Hana and Hinata were extremely skilled in their crafts and he was expected to make due without them in his efforts to finally defeat Kamui? It was baffling. He supposed that they cared more about not being apart from their son for at most two weeks than helping defeat a great evil that had led to thousands of deaths of the years.

It didn't matter, though. Even if he was to lose two valuable tools, Corrin knew that his own prowess was more than enough to make up for it. Swordfaire, ninjutsu, and his dragon abilities all made him a force to be reckoned with. On top of that, he could fly, and he knew that neither Kamui nor her petulant son could do such a thing. He supposed that his sister had not been lucky enough to receive that trait from their bloodline.

Do you think that your mom could fly like you can?

Corrin's head suddenly pounded as a voice echoed through his thoughts—Lilith's. She had once asked him that while she was observing one of the earliest of Kara's flight training sessions. He cursed under his breath. It was pointless to spend time hung up over a traitor like her.

After taking several moments to exhale, Corrin spread his wings and kicked off of the ground to take to the skies. Hana and Hinata only lived about a mile or so outside of Shirasagi, so he figured that he should reach the castle in a little under ten minutes. As he glided through the air, he closed his eyes in an attempt to clear his head. It wasn't as if he had to concern himself over anyone crashing into him at this altitude.

Tomorrow, he and his team would be departing for Asgard along with around three-hundred Hoshidan soldiers. While he was certain that he and his elite squad could easily handle around a hundred or so of Nohr's troops at once, Yukimura wished to make certain that there was as little risk as possible. They had now arrived at the home stretch of the war, after all, and to lose here would cost them everything. That was not an option.

Three-hundred…the number stayed stuck in Corrin's mind. Three-hundred of his country's finest soldiers, from those fresh out of the academy to those who had served for the majority of their lives. Men and women, young and old, eager and jaded, they would be putting their lives on the line all for Corrin. The prince bore the weight of all those lives on his shoulders…he could feel his wings beginning to ache, but he grit his teeth and kept on soaring. In the coming days, each drop of blood spilled would be on his sister's hands. She could have ended the conflict weeks ago—or at the very least make an effort to de-escalate it—but no. She had always taken such pride in herself as a fighter when they were younger and here she was allowing that very ego to permit the deaths of innocents. She was being so difficult…after her disgusting rejection of peace at Izumo, the least she could have done was to allow herself and the rest of those Nohrians to be captured and put on trial, or at least accepted her own execution with dignity. She showed her cowardice when she had allowed herself to be rescued by her comrades instead of attempting to escape on her own, though the crime did not go unpunished, as it came at the cost of a valuable Nohrian life. Corrin found himself smiling; at least Setsuna had been avenged on that day.

Is that truly how you feel?

The prince nearly went tumbling down onto the pavement of the capitol below. He faltered in his flight for only a moment before catching the thermals with his wings once again and allowing them to raise him further in the air. With wide eyes, he caught a glimpse of several citizens down below waving and shouting greetings at their cherished Assassin Prince. His expression remained unchanged as he gave a single salute in return.

Once again, he was hearing voices, only this time it was not Lilith. It wasn't even an echo of something he had heard in the past. No, this was entirely new, and it was the person whose voice he heard that shocked him the most and made his heart jump into his throat.

"Mother…"

The city of Valhalla in the Nohrian district of Asgard was a rather beautiful one, which was to be expected considering its residents were primarily affluent aristocrats. The streets almost always looked freshly paved with bricks of gold, the architecture was lavish and luxurious, and the people were almost always dressed as if they were out to attend a gala. In addition to that, the city was so distinctly Nohrian. From the designs of the buildings and the fashion of its denizens, it had an incredibly modern feel. That feel, however, was currently offset by the dozens upon dozens of soldiers clad in traditional Hoshidan armor that were patrolling the streets.

By mandate of King Ryoma himself, all residents of Valhalla were under order to not leave their homes under any circumstance lest they face imprisonment or worse if they did not comply. Despite this, Princess Sakura had assured everyone that no harm would come to them as long as they followed the orders they were given and did not cause any trouble. The occupation would last two weeks at most, and during that time the Hoshidan soldiers were instructed to provide food and supplies to the population regularly. They weren't trying to hurt any citizens, after all, but rather they wished to keep a key area of Nohr's economic and political structure under their control.

Standing before a row of a dozen or so pegasi with a clipboard in her hand, Hinoka found herself staring at Corrin talking with a slightly taller older-looking man. He had sea-green hair and a small amount of hair sprouting from his chin, circular glasses resting on his face. This was Yukimura, Hoshido's head tactician. Hinoka was slightly taken aback when she had been informed that he would be accompanying them on this journey, though he explained that he wished to be present in case any last-minute decisions had to be made or if Corrin needed a consultant. Usually, Azura played that role, but Corrin had been acting rather cold towards her as of late for a reason that no one seemed to know.

"Hey, Noka? You okay?"

The princess jumped in surprise, but soon found herself calmed once again at the sight of her husband's golden hair and bright smile. Hinoka pressed her lips together and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

Kaden tilted his head, unconvinced. "You sure? You were sort of staring at Corrin and that old guy over there."

"Really, Kaden, everything's alright," Hinoka answered with a chuckle. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be helping Reina with the kinshi? Don't tell me you're slacking off now."

The kitsune's ears stiffened and he frowned. "Aaaw, I don't like that lady, though! She scares me…don't you have anything else that I could do to help out?"

Hinoka sighed and shook her head, a smile still on her face. "Sure. I know Selkie can do it on her own, but I want you to patrol the western side of the city to see if anyone's out and about. If you find anyone, escort them back to their residences. If they don't comply…just bark. I'm sure one of the soldiers will be over to help you in no time."

"Yeah, yeah! I can do that!" Kaden responded with a wide grin and a wagging tail. "Ah…which way's west again?"

The chipper Kitsune man took off in the direction his wife pointed at once and left her snickering. Once again, Hinoka was by herself, though that soon changed when Azura approached her just as soon as Kaden left.

"Finishing up here?" she asked.

Hinoka nodded and quickly gave her checklist a final look before holding it at her side. "Mhm, I'm done. Did you need something?"

The songstress bit her lip and quickly glanced at the tactician and High Commander before turning her gaze back to Hinoka. "Ah…yes. It's about Corrin. Are you worried about him?"

Hinoka blinked. The question came out of nowhere, so it wasn't as if she had an answer prepared. While her face remained blank for several moments, it slowly shifted into a frown as time passed.

"Um…what makes you ask that?"

Azura frowned as well, though hers was more of disappointment than concern. "Hinoka. We have been sisters for twenty-three years. I know you, and I know that you see what I see—what we all see. I don't have to explain myself. All I want is an answer from you."

With a grimace, Hinoka couldn't help but look away and mumble. "I…yes. I am. The other day, I had a talk about him with Sakura and the boys. We know that he has a lot on his mind, but the way he's acting—"

"I know what's going on." Azura seized her sister's hands with her own and looked her in the eyes. "Listen. Tonight, after Corrin and the kids are asleep, I need you, Ryoma, Takumi, and Sakura to come to the tent I'll be sharing with Kaze and Midori. We'll all be heading out tomorrow, so we need to do this tonight, okay? There's a pond in a nearby park here. I'll be taking you there. I'll explain everything, I promise."

Hinoka cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh? Azura, what are you talking about?"

"Please, just trust me on this. Corrin won't look me in the eye, Shigure's still missing, I can't drag Kaze and Midori into this, I—" the singer's voice waved for a moment and she uttered a silent curse. "I'm alone here. I can't do this by myself anymore…please."

Noticing the tears just starting to well in Azura's eyes, Hinoka quickly nodded her head and acquiesced. She hated seeing her siblings cry.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell the others about it soon. I trust you, Azura."

Letting Hinoka's hands fall loosely from her grasp, Azura gave a breath of relief and blinked away her tears. "Thank you. I know you must be confused, but I'll tell you everything tonight. Just be careful not to let Corrin catch wind of this." Azura turned her head to glance behind her only to catch a glimpse of the aforementioned man staring directly at her, Yukimura's words going in through one ear and out the other. His expression was incredibly disconcerting. With his half-closed eyes and his neutral expression he seemed almost disinterested, though Azura knew that to not be the case. She whipped her head back around and grit her teeth.

"It's been like this ever since we left…he's like a hawk. Always watching me."

"Whatever it is that happened between you two to make things like this, I'm sure he means well. He's Corrin, you know?" Hinoka offered with a hopeful albeit half-hearted smile. "Biggest heart in all of Hoshido. Loving brother, husband, and father. Our Corrin."

Azura did not respond. She only hung her head low and pursed her lips, not meeting the other princess' gaze.

"I'll see you tonight."

And with that, she kept her head down as she continued onward towards a destination that Hinoka did not know. Hinoka stared in wonder as her sister walked away; just what did she want to tell her?

Meanwhile, a young kunoichi crouched perched atop one of the numerous spires present around Valhalla, staring far down below at the man she called Father. With a frown on her face, she pushed her glasses up to rest better on her nose and let out a despondent sigh. She forced the countless thoughts racing through her mind to quiet down before closing her eyes and leaning back against the stone.

Kotomi had always liked high places. She wasn't sure if it was due to Corrin's natural affinity for the sky combined with the fact that unlike her sister, she couldn't fly, but she wasn't someone to concern herself over the "why" of things. All she knew was that being so far above everyone else made her feel alone and at peace, and that was all that mattered.

"Hey."

Rhajat would have ended up with a kunai buried in her chest if it hadn't been for Shiro reflexively snatching it out of the air a split second before it could touch her. Despite the attempt on her life, Rhajat's expression remained as stone-cold as usual as Kotomi gasped.

The door to the roof of the building she was on was wide open and three people stood barely an arm's length away from her. Kotomi cursed herself—how did she manage to allow them to approach her unnoticed? Not to mention the fact that she had nearly murdered one of her friends.

"Gods! Rhajat, I'm sorry! I didn't notice you!"

"Don't mention it. I'm alive, aren't I?" the girl responded with a nonchalant shrug. Shiro spun the weapon in his hand and presented it to its owner handle-first. Biting her lip, Kotomi took it back before loading it onto her belt and responding with a quiet "thank you".

"What're you doing up here?" the prince asked curiously. "We saw you from the streets and Midori here got a little worried that you were going to jump or something. I told her that if you were going to kill yourself you'd just cut your stomach open like a good ninja, but she insisted we at least check on you."

Midori protested, stomping her foot and balling her fists. "Why do you say that like you're making fun of me?! It isn't a bad thing to want to make sure that your cousin is OK!"

"It's fine, Midori. I was just…thinking," Kotomi answered as she stepped over the guard-rail and touched her feet to solid ground. "I have a lot on my mind, you know?"

"Thinking about the next few days, I assume? Makes sense." Shiro bent over to lean on the aforementioned rail with a smile, closing his eyes and turning his head up to bask in the soft rays of the setting sun. "It's all because of us, you know."

A shudder ran down Kotomi's spine. "I know…that's what I was thinking about." She hid her eyes behind her dark hair and rubbed her arm. "I was wondering…did we do the right thing? Helping Kamui escape?"

"Depends on who you ask. To your dad? No, we didn't. To Kamui and her family? Of course we did. If you ask me, for instance, I think we did because it would have been a shame to let such a pretty face go to waste~," Rhajat said as a lecherous smile crept across her face, prompting Midori to step away from her with a look of horror.

Kotomi shook her head. "I understand that, but when it comes to the consequences of our actions…there has to be a right answer, right? What if more people die than would have if we had just let her be killed? What if we lose and Nohr takes over Hoshido, leading to a dictatorship that could last generations?"

"You worry too much," Shiro said with a lighthearted chuckle, much to Kotomi's annoyance. "Look, you said it yourself back when we came up with the plan to begin with. You think that Kamui is a good person, right? So would it be 'right' to allow a good person to be condemned to death just to fulfill someone's desire for revenge? Because let's be real, we don't know what would have come from killing her. Unless they can look into the infinite amount of different futures, no one can. For all we know, that could have just pissed the Nohrians off even more. Gods know that no sane person would want to face the wrath of Princess Camilla trying to avenge a dead sibling. I've never even met the woman and that thought terrifies me."

"I know that, but I can't help but feel that we screwed up somehow. My dad lost his arm," Kotomi looked to Midori, "he won't talk to your mom anymore, and that poor girl was executed in Kamui's place. Was all that worth it for whatever future we're going to come to?"

"You can ask yourself that when it's all said and done," Rhajat answered. "You see the way that your dad's been for a while. If we hadn't stopped him from killing his own sister, there may have been no coming back from that. Hell, there still might not be, but we don't know that yet. There's no use in dwelling on paths that you don't know."

Shiro stretched his arms and opened his eyes to look down on his younger cousin. "Look, let me tell you something. When we were getting everyone in on that plan, Matoi said something to me that got me to thinking for a while. She asked me 'Shouldn't you hate her? She's part of the reason that you've never met your mother' . I'd asked myself that same question a dozen times, but for whatever reason, when someone actually asked for an answer…I had to stop for a while. I decided that no, I shouldn't hate her."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "What's the point in hating someone you've never met? It isn't like she's the one who severed my mom's head from her body, either. Things would be different if that were the case, I'd like to think. Regardless, even now I think about the guy that did kill her. Hans, I think his name is. Do I want to get the guy? Of course, but not because I'm out for revenge. It's because he's a bad person that needs to be stopped. I do hold resentment towards him for taking the experience of growing up without a mom from me, but I don't think killing him would do much to help that. I think the same thing applies to Corrin. He wouldn't have felt fulfilled by killing his sister—in fact, he wouldn't have felt fulfilled by killing everyone responsible for Grandmother or Grandfather's deaths. That's just not how people work. The hole in his heart can't be filled by blood, only healing."

Kotomi's chest hurt. What Shiro was saying made sense, but still she felt a heavy sense of guilt weighing her down. Even so, she slowly nodded her head and stood up straight.

"Alright. I understand what you mean. I won't pretend that the upcoming fights aren't going to be hard, but I'll do my best. I just…we have to find a way to stop him from killing her when we win. I don't want to let that happen."

"Yeah, I don't want her to die, either," Midori added. "But, if they end up fighting, I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to get involved…"

"Oh, they will. There isn't a thing on this planet that could stop those two from crossing blades when all is said and done. We'll get to it when we get to it, though." Rhajat gave a small smile and put her hand on the short girl's head. "For now, just do what you can. Anyway, it's getting dark, and you guys know how my dad can be. We may be the same age, but he treats me like a child anyway."

"Hey, don't be so hard on the guy. He mostly knew you as a teenager with the way time in your deeprealm worked out, right? It's only natural." Shiro laughed as Rhajat grumbled. "We should all probably get going, though. The journey to Windmire starts tomorrow, so we've got to be all well-rested." He began to make his way back towards the door in which they had come in from before beckoning to Kotomi. "You too, Kotomi. I'm sure that your little sis is worried about you."

The corners of the young woman's mouth could not help but turn up into a smile. "Right. Coming."

The first wave of Hoshidan forces that had been sent did not last.

Kamui was surprised that her brother had not opted to lead the assault himself. Perhaps if he had, she would not be staring out at a sea of bodies that covered the land. They had arrived in Muspelheim—the district that occupied most of the space between Helheim and Asgard—that morning and had been almost completely wiped out by the time the sun was at its highest. It was mostly desert, so their bodies lay atop red stone and sand. Once upon a time the sight would have made Kamui's stomach turn, but she had changed much over the years.

Hans placed a rough hand on the princess' shoulder and leaned in a little too close with a devious grin. "Would you look at all that? Ain't it beautiful? Should teach them to know their place."

Kamui brushed his hand away, unblinking. "It's sickening, that's what it is. And don't touch me."

The older man sneered as she stepped back a bit, a scowl on his face that quickly reverted back to a smug smile. "Right…so, what's our next move, Commander ? I may outrank you, but you're still the one leading this whole thing."

"Did you pay no attention at all during the briefing? I suppose I should have come to expect that of you." Kamui crossed her arms and began to make her way down the steep rocky hill. "Through Muspelheim. We defeat any Hoshidans we might come across along the way, take back Valhalla, and then move across the Bottomless Canyon. From there we move through Vanaheim and then finally arrive at Shirasagi in Alfheim. Things should be apparent by that point."

"What do you plan on doing with your dear old brother? Not to mention those other Hoshidan brats."

Kamui's ear twitched. "That's none of your concern at this moment. Hans, what I would like for you to do is report our victory to the king and see to it that he is comfortable. That's a simple enough task, isn't it?"

Before the man could even respond, Kamui had manifested the gateway to the Astral Plane before them and stopped walking. The veins in Hans' forehead threatened to burst through his skin.

"And what makes you think that I'd—"

"Hans." Kamui turned to look up at him, staring into his fury-filled eyes with a stone cold expression. "You can shout at me. You can stomp your feet. You can even complain to Iago. I don't care. You do not scare me. Now, I suggest you stop wasting both of our time and simply do as I say."

Hans gazed at the short girl with his mouth agape and shock plastered on his face. After a moment, he simply grit his teeth and gave a grunt before walking right through the portal. Kamui smirked behind his back and closed it once he was a fair distance away, then continuing down the hill and reaching the flatland.

"Hey!" Lilith called as she lightly jogged up to her commander, Sophie and Kana at her side. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail and she was wearing the same ebony-black armor that she had donned during the ambush on the road from Izumo. "Arthur and Keaton just finished surveying the area. No stragglers. Everyone's either dead or retreated."

"And those with injuries?"

"In the medical tent with Jakob. He's handling the enemy injuries while Auntie Elise does our own. We figured that it may have made things feel weird if they were being tended to by the princess of the nation they're at war with," Sophie added.

Kamui gave a satisfied smile and nod. "Good. And our squad is the only one that knows about it, right? None of the soldiers from the general army?"

"That's right," Kana answered. "Nyx and Ophelia are doing a good job of keeping it under wraps with illusion magic—everyone outside of the whitelist just sees a huge boulder. They could have just made the tent invisible, but that ran the risk of people walking right into it. Once the Hoshidans are all better, we're going to drop them off in the nearest town."

The princess was greatly pleased by this, as made evident by a single hearty clap. While the upper-class denizens and politicians of Nohr may have been riddled with extreme xenophobia, she knew that the general populace was rather welcoming. They would welcome anyone in need with open arms, even if they were foreign soldiers.

"Good, good. Everything's going as planned then…we're in the home stretch now, you guys." Kamui slung each arm over her children and pulled them into a tight hug with a wide grin. "We're so, so close. In just a few days this will all be over. Everyone will be together again."

"Then I can finally meet Uncle Corrin, huh? Assuming he's not all psycho-killer by that point. You must be excited too, right, Kana?"

The young boy bit his lip nervously, but nevertheless gave a nod. "Yeah. Dad always says that I looked more like Corrin than him. I uh…wonder if that's true."

Lilith tapped Kamui on the shoulder. "We should start gathering bodies before it gets dark. I know Xander wanted to get started right after the battle ended, but you have to be there to divide everyone into groups."

"Right, right." Kamui released Sophie and Kana and took a deep breath, her grin slowly fading from her face. There were dozens upon dozens of corpses to collect and set to pyre. At one point, each and every one of them had been a living, breathing person with their own hopes and dreams, needs and desires, family and friends…the thought made Kamui's heart hurt, but she knew that she had to carry on forward. There was no use in crying over spilled milk, after all.

"Well then," she began, hands on her hips and head held high. "Let's begin."

A/N: Well, we're in the endgame now, fellas. The coming chapters will be among the last to be published as we reach the end of this story. Now, I'll be frank with you all...yeah, we've totally caught up to what I had pre-written. However, that's a good thing! I like this timing because it allows me to work on the last couple of chapters at my own pace. That being said, thus ends the biweekly update schedule that I've (mostly) kept to these past couple months. I want the last chapters to be the best that they can be, so I'm going to take my time with them. My hope is that we'll be done here by the end of the year, but hey, anything can happen. I'm a college student, after all, and my workload is threatening to bury me ~ That's life, though. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed, and as always, have yourself a good one.