At the end of the moon, You are sleeping soundly in your room when You hear a sudden set of knocks at your door. You awaken immediately and move to see who it is. Seraphine speaks in the back of your mind.

Seraphine: Who could be coming to see us…? As far as I know, there wasn't a mission for us to take care of this month… The search is still going on to find Julius Origo…

You open the door and see Novalee standing outside.

Novalee: Professor, you need to come at once. The monastery is under attack, and we'll need to move quickly if we want to stay safe.

Novalee dashes off. You respond with shock.

Seraphine: No way…! Let's see what's going on!

You follow Novalee to the cardinals' room. The rest of the Golden Deer are waiting there, and panic seems to live in the air.

Raithius: We're sure that this is actually happening?

Sofia: I would say so. The Canis Mafia is marching on Garreg Mach.

Adeline: Wolfgang, I thought you were supposed to be keeping them under control…

Lev: She would never betray us, so this must be out of her control.

Cedric: I highly doubt that she would have them come this way… It would put her in danger.

Wolfgang: I'm glad that you trust me that much. You're right. I didn't do this.

William: In other words, they're going against your demands for some reason…

Jill: Is there anyone who they'd want to listen to aside from you?

Wolfgang: There's only one person, but I'd rather not think about that right now. Besides, we're going to have to go and defend the monastery. I don't have time to talk about all of that.

Cedric: As curious as I am to hear the truth, you likely have a point. I want to make sure that we're able to keep Garreg Mach safe.

Jill: In that case, we should set up a defensive perimeter around the area. We can't let them get inside.

Novalee: I agree completely. We're all going to have to block the first gate. I'll leave other soldiers to take care of the rest.

William: That sounds like a plan. We should get out there as soon as possible. They could be trying to break down our door at any moment.

Lev: The rest of the soldiers are only going to be able to hold them off for so long… I have a bad feeling about this.

Adeline: Now isn't the time to hesitate. We have too much on the line to wait for them to break through.

Sofia: I agree with Adeline. Raithius, are you ready for us to go? We're waiting for your command.

Raithius: Let's go. Stay safe out there, everyone. We have to defend the monastery, and we can't let them break through. We're going to be victorious in this battle!

You and the rest of the Golden Deer head outside as quickly as You possibly can. You glance around the area and cringe upon seeing more enemies than You can count. There are many members of the Canis Mafia scattered around the area, and You know that it won't be easy to keep them all at bay. You see no commander in sight, so You decide to put your efforts into defending the entrance to the monastery. The objective is to defend the monastery for fifteen turns against numerous reinforcements from the Canis Mafia.

You turn to Raithius as soon as the battle begins properly.

Raithius: There are so many of them… We're going to have to tread carefully! Remember to stay safe, and don't leave any weak points for them to get through! Gods, if there's any time for Magnolia to come through with reinforcements, this would be the perfect moment… Still, we can't rely on anyone but ourselves. Let's get down to business!

The fight starts around You, and You watch as the Golden Deer begin to defend their home. You fight alongside them with all the ferocity that You have, praying that the enemy will not break through to Garreg Mach.

At the start of the third turn, the following dialogue plays out.

Raithius: There are so many of them… This is awful!

Magnolia appears at the top right of the map along with Luciana and any Blue Lions who have not been recruited. Note: all dialogue not said by Magnolia or Luciana only plays out if the specific character was not added to the party before the war began.

Magnolia: Raithius! How are you doing?! Are you handling everything alright?!

Raithius: Maggy! Perfect time for you to turn up!

Luciana: I was hoping our paths would cross once again…

Nora: Garreg Mach… It's been far too long since I was last here.

Aestlyn: I'm glad to see that you're all safe.

Kyle: This reminds me of the Battle of Garreg Mach, but we're going to succeed now where we failed before.

Illona: I didn't think I would ever be coming back here…

Falon: It's a relief to see this place still standing…

Cassia: If the enemy needs to be exterminated, we'll fight with you.

Karim: They aren't going to get away with this!

Magnolia: Soldiers of Faerghus, the time is now! We must reclaim Garreg Mach!

Magnolia's team joins the fight as allied units, though they are out of your control. Their assistance helps to cut down on the numerous reinforcements, but there are still far too many foes for your team to manage without issues.

At the start of turn five, Cordelia, the Knights of Seiros, and members of the Church of Seiros appear at the top left segment of the map. All Knights of Seiros who have not been recruited will be with her. Note: all dialogue not said by Cordelia only plays out if the specific character was not added to the party before the war began. Nesreen, Niko, Adrian, Yuliya, Kaeta, and Derric have no dialogue here due to their plot-based recruitment from Part One.

Cordelia: I'm glad that we were able to catch up with them… I was terrified when I saw that there were Canis Mafia fighters marching on Garreg Mach, but we've managed to reach them.

Piers: It's been too long since we were last here…

Rodain: I wish we could return on better terms.

Wynne: They aren't going to know what hit them.

Miriam: If these miscreants truly wish to begin conflict, they will feel the consequences of their actions.

Herwig: It's truly a relief to see that this building is still standing…

Reese: How incredible it is to see familiar faces.

Cordelia: Knights of Seiros, we move! Aid the Leicester army at once!

Raithius: Captain Torryn! It's good to see you here!

Cordelia: I'm glad to see you're still kicking as well. Now, how about we go on and bring this fight to an end? These guys seem to be giving you a bit of trouble.

Raithius: That sounds spectacular. Thanks for the assist!

Cordelia: There's no need to thank me. I'm just doing my duty.

The Knights of Seiros and their church-affiliated allies charge into battle soon afterwards. The battle is starting to shift in your favor, but there are still too many enemies for You to count flooding onto the battlefield. You cannot help but think about how lucky You are to have already run into so many old friends in such a short period of time.

At the start of turn seven, the following dialogue plays out as Eli, Quinn, and the Ashen Wolves appear at the bottom of the map. Note: this dialogue only appears if Cindered Shadows has been completed. Note: all dialogue not said by Eli or Quinn only plays out if the specific character was not added to the party before the war began.

Eli: Garreg Mach is in a state of chaos… I'm glad that we arrived when we did.

Quinn: I pray that nothing has happened to Abyss in our absence…

Grey: The fight already seems pretty damn intense.

Taiyin: I hope nobody's gotten hurt…

Saias: We'll do what we can to lift the weight on your shoulders!

Ansel: Let's see what this battle brings…!

Tsubasa: This is bound to be an interesting experience.

Gabriel: I was looking forward to coming back home, but I suppose this fight has to take priority.

Magnus: They're all fools for crossing me, and I'll have to show them with brute force!

Ernst: It seems we have no choice but to fight.

Eli: Raithius, is there anything we can do to help you out?

Raithius: Any aid would be greatly appreciated. Be sure to stay safe out there!

Eli: Of course. We're here for you no matter what!

The battle continues, and the Ashen Wolves continue towards your party, breaking through the enemy lines that separate your two groups. You cannot help but feel relief at seeing even more old faces brought back to the monastery after all this time.

At the start of turn nine, Aisa and Roy arrive from the bottom left corner of the map.

Roy: Lady Aisa, a battle has broken out… Are you going to join?

Aisa: I believe it would be for the best… Let us go.

Raithius: Lady Aisa…!

Magnolia: You're alive…!

Cordelia: Lady Aisa, I can't believe it! What happened?

Aisa: I can explain after the battle has drawn to a close. For now, we have other business to attend to.

Raithius: Yeah… You're right. Come on, everyone! We're going to find a way to win this battle no matter what!

You cannot help but smile at seeing Aisa and Roy return. You cannot believe that Aisa is truly standing before your very eyes after You were so sure that she had died in the Battle of Garreg Mach years beforehand. Relief floods through You, but You make sure not to get too distracted in the heart of the fight.

At the start of turn eleven, the Black Eagles appear at the bottom right corner of the map. Chris and Polly lead them, and the unrecruited Black Eagles are accompanied by two figures: Liram and Morgana. Note: all dialogue not said by Chris, Polly, Liram, or Morgana only plays out if the specific character was not added to the party before the war began.

Chris: The journey here from Enbarr was far longer than I would have liked… I'm just glad that we were able to get here on time.

Polly: Bazler's going to pay for throwing us around the continent this way.

Morgana: I don't see him anywhere… But there are people defending the monastery.

Liram: In that case, we'll just have to break through to them.

Zelhira: Last I heard, the Leicester Alliance was taking up residence in Garreg Mach.

Aquillus: The Canis Mafia has caused far too many problems for far too long…

Hegias: This is the next step towards peace for all…

Callisto: I don't know who they think they are, but they aren't getting away with this.

Florence: I hope they like tasting the other end of my lance!

Tuncay: We've got to find a way to get through to the other side.

Raithius: Damn… It seems today really is full of surprises.

Novalee: I'm willing to hazard a guess that we've found the group responsible for taking down the Empire…

Magnolia: I could have never imagined that today would unfold this way…

Chris: We can discuss this later. There's too much at stake right now, and I don't want to waste any time.

Raithius: You're right as always. There had better be a damn good explanation for this though!

Chris: Of course. For now, the battle awaits.

You focus on getting through the remainder of the battle. The enemy reinforcements continue to come in waves for quite some time, but You manage to navigate the battlefield with ease at some points, giving You the chance to speak with a few members of the other groups that You have missed.

If you speak with Magnolia, the following dialogue plays out.

Magnolia: I'm sorry it took us so long to see each other again, Professor. I know that you heard about all that happened in the capital of the Kingdom… Still, I managed to come out the other side, and I'm here to stay. It's the least I can do to repay your team for helping me out with House Goneril. But we can talk more later. For now, we've got a lot more to concentrate on. I'm sure we'll be able to take care of this easily together!

If you speak with Luciana, the following dialogue plays out.

Luciana: I'm glad that we were able to reunite once again. It was a pleasure fighting with you in Goneril lands, and I intend to continue battling at your side until we've followed this conflict through to the end. Lady Magnolia is counting on your assistance, and I can certainly see why she trusts you so much. For the time being though, we should focus on the fight. It's best not to get distracted.

If you speak with Cordelia, the following dialogue plays out. Note: Cordelia can only be spoken to after Aisa and Roy appear on the map.

Cordelia: I heard that you were back, but I never got the chance to stop by and see you… We Knights of Seiros were really busy trying to find Lady Aisa, but it seems our search wound up being fruitless. It's good to see both you and her again. I'm going to do what I can to help you from here on out, and that's a promise. I hope that your skills are just as sharp as they were the last time we saw each other!

If you speak with Eli, the following dialogue plays out.

Eli: I'm sorry that it took us so long to see each other once again. I wound up being incredibly busy taking care of business outside of Abyss, you see… Still, now that I'm finished with everything else, I'm free to stand by your side on the battlefield once again. I'm going to be counting on you, and I'm hoping that you'll be able to rely on me just the same.

If you speak with Aisa, the following dialogue plays out.

Aisa: Professor… I didn't think that I would see you here today… I understand that you must have many questions about what has happened these past few years, and I would be happy to answer your inquiries after the fight ends. Until then, we have more important matters to attend to.

If you speak with Roy, the following dialogue plays out.

Roy: I spent a lot of time trying to find Lady Aisa before coming here, and it was only recently that I was able to find her once again. I'm sorry I couldn't be here when you appeared once more. Still, it's all worked out fine now, so I guess that's what matters most. I'm looking forward to talking with you again after the battle ends.

If you speak with Chris, the following dialogue plays out.

Chris: It's good to see you, Professor. It's been far too long since we last met. I've been rather busy as of late, but now that everything has been taken care of, I'm going to be fighting alongside you and Raithius for the time being. Please try to stay safe for the rest of the battle. None of us want anything to happen to you. If you need help, feel free to call for me. I'm at your service.

After fifteen turns have passed, the enemy forces retreat.

Raithius: It finally looks like this is over… That's such a relief.

Magnolia: It seems we're finally getting the chance to talk about what happened…

Raithius: We're going to meet up immediately. Everybody else, clear out the area and make sure that there aren't any soldiers who wanted to hide out in the shadows. It's best to be safe rather than sorry.

You follow Raithius, Novalee, Magnolia, Luciana, Cordelia, Eli, Quinn, Aisa, Roy, Chris, and Polly up to the cardinals' room. You follow them wordlessly as Seraphine speaks in the back of your mind.

Seraphine: I can't believe this is happening… I was so sure that we weren't going to be seeing some of these people again, but here they are, alive and well… All we can do is listen to their explanations. I'm glad to see them safe, but I have a bad feeling about what's to come…

You nod your agreement as You arrive at the cardinals' room, and Seraphine falls silent. The rest of the group settles in, and You look to Raithius as the meeting begins. Note: Eli and Quinn's dialogue only plays out if Cindered Shadows has been completed.

Raithius: Well… Would you look at that? All of us are back together again after all this time… I never would have expected a reunion like this once again.

Novalee: We were so sure that it wasn't even going to be possible, and yet… Here you all are.

Roy: I suppose that we're bound together by fate after all… Who would have thought?

Magnolia: If you ask me, I think a few of us are owed explanations regarding a few falsified deaths.

Aisa: I understand why you are upset…

Cordelia: Can you please talk to us about what happened? All of us spent years searching for you, and I was so sure that you were gone.

Aisa: ...I thought it would be safest if I disappeared. That is all I can say at this moment. You will simply have to trust me.

Eli: The continent fell apart without the Church of Seiros to hold it together…

Quinn: It shows how dependent the people of this land are on their religion.

Raithius: If you don't want to talk about it, fine. I know that a lot has been happening, and I don't want to press it too hard right off the bat. We'll need to hear the truth later though.

Magnolia: What have you all been doing these past five years?

Polly: That's a bit of a complicated story…

Chris: To put it simply, we've been fighting back against Malice.

Raithius: I see… I get the sneaking suspicion that I know exactly what you've been doing in the past few moons in particular… You killed Argades von Doroftie, didn't you?

Chris: It seems that you've heard about my actions then…

Luciana: I knew that there was a resistance stirring within the Empire, but I never could have imagined that its leader would be the Imperial princess… We all believed that you had died in the Battle of Garreg Mach as well.

Chris: Argades lied about it. He thought that he had won, but he never thought to check his work. Disappointing, really. As soon as I was able to find footing in the Empire, I started to fight back, and everything's under my control at this point… Well, everything aside from one person…

Polly: We chased him all the way here, and we still weren't able to get him in captivity… Damn it all.

Cordelia: If you don't mind my asking, who are you talking about?

Chris: ...Thaddeus Bazler escaped from the Empire during the aftermath of the coup. We've been trying to find and apprehend him, and we tracked him to the area around Garreg Mach.

Raithius: It seems to me like he's the culprit behind today's invasion… I know that he allied with the Canis Mafia at one point in time. Wolfgang told me that much.

Novalee: He would be the only person aside from Wolfgang to be able to get them to attack… It must have been him.

Chris: We searched the surrounding area as thoroughly as we could before joining the fight, but he was nowhere to be found. We're going to have to keep trying to take him in.

Luciana: How incredible it is that we all crossed paths at the same time… We were lucky to arrive in time to help you fend off the invasion.

Raithius: I feel the same. I don't think we would have been able to get through it without backup.

Magnolia: Hearing that Bazler is behind this… It gives me a bad feeling. Of all the people who could be at large, it just has to be him…

Aisa: We will dedicate our every effort to bringing him to justice.

Cordelia: Are you planning on resuming your duties as archbishop? I know that would reassure a lot of people.

Aisa: ...Not yet. For the time being, there are more important matters to attend to.

Roy: I must agree with Lady Aisa. We need to put all of our attention on tracking down Bazler. If he has control of the Canis Mafia, we have to find him as soon as possible. Who knows what he could try and do as long as he has them on his side?

Raithius: Yeah. I can get you all up to speed on what we've been doing around here, and you can talk about what you've been up to.

Novalee: We determined who one of the foremost leaders of Malice is… Former archduke Julius Origo is behind many of our problems. He escaped after one of our recent battles, and we're attempting to track him now.

Luciana: It seems that many people who we assumed dead are coming back now… But not all of them are as kind-hearted as those who are gathered here, it seems.

Magnolia: We can help you search for him then… I've mostly gotten rid of Malice influences within the Kingdom, and I'll be able to put as much focus as possible on finding him. If he steps into Faerghus territory, I'll be aware of it immediately.

Luciana: We managed to correct Faerghus rather quickly after taking care of House Goneril. Your assistance in the battle did a lot to help us.

Cordelia: We Knights of Seiros spent time searching for Lady Aisa. We may not have found her, but we were able to cross paths with another familiar face… Evenor Hepius was found, and we were able to bring her to justice. She… She's gone.

Roy: Incredible…

Chris: You already know what Polly and I have been up to. We managed to run Malice out of the Empire, and many of the foremost noble houses have fallen. As soon as we clean up any final business here, I'm going to be restructuring everything.

Polly: We've got everything under control, so there's no need to worry about what we've been busy with.

Eli: Quinn and I followed after those who were involved with the attack on Abyss five years ago. We managed to defeat them as well, and we came back because our mission is finished.

Quinn: They won't be bothering us anymore, to say the least.

Aisa: I have been watching over someone for quite some time… Professor, do you remember Janae McCreary?

You nod.

Aisa: I have been sustaining her with my magic… She has not yet woken up, but I have faith that she will one day. Now that we are here in the monastery… I can move her to the infirmary, and you can stop by to see her whenever you would like.

You say that You would like that.

Raithius: It's good to hear that you're all doing well. I think that we have a lot to take care of from here on out, but we can knock it all out together.

Chris: Our first step should be to find Bazler. He has too much on his side, and the only way to topple all that he's created is to take him out.

Magnolia: The rest of the monster will collapse if we cut off the head… And Bazler can most certainly be referred to as a monster.

Raithius: Settle into the monastery with your forces. I'll give you status updates on our next actions as soon as possible. Everything is going to be alright.

You nod your understanding.

Raithius: Everything is a bit chaotic right now, but we're going to handle it. Make yourselves comfortable. Novalee and I will handle all of the technical stuff. We have more than enough space.

Novalee: If you need anything, all you need to do is ask.

The group begins to disperse, but You linger for a while longer, and You decide to approach Aisa and Roy.

Aisa: I take it that you are curious about seeing Janae then… I have been looking after her all this time, and while she has not stirred, I have no doubt that she will be alright.

Roy: We're going to move her into the monastery, and after everything has settled down, we'll be sure to tell you. If you want to see her, feel free to drop by.

You nod once again and watch as they walk away. Seraphine appears at your side.

Seraphine: So much has happened… I get the feeling everything is going to be chaotic for a while. I can tell that you're exhausted by the unexpected fight, so maybe we should leave the arrangements to everyone else and try to rest. We can see how the others are doing later.

You hesitantly agree before starting to move back to your room.

Seraphine: Aisa is alive after all, and Chris was the one behind the invasion on Enbarr… Somehow, all of this feels right. I'm glad that they're all okay, and we know what to do next now. We have to find Bazler as soon as possible. He's done far too much to be allowed to survive.

You say that You feel the same.

Seraphine: I know that everyone's going to be happy to be back together though… It's just like old times. With all of these incredible people at our side, we have to win this war. We're going to find out where Raithius' father disappeared to as well. Everything seems like it's falling into place… Julius Origo had best prepare himself. He's not going to be ready for this.

You nod as Seraphine disappears. You arrive back at your room and begin to settle down for the night. Exhaustion hits You, but You are filled with immense joy as well. You are beyond relieved to see so many of your old companions back at the monastery safe and alive. The war has hurt many people, but at least those You have come to care for remain. Your mind is filled with all of the new information that You have received between the death of Evenor, the destruction of the Empire, and the reappearance of Aisa and Janae. You pray that Janae is alright and make a mental note to see her as soon as possible once she is settled in. You drift off to sleep soon after, and your dreams are filled with as much uncertainty and doubt as hope and light…


And so ends chapter twenty!

-Digital