You wake up at the end of the moon, and Seraphine speaks to You.

Seraphine: Let's go and see how the Golden Deer are doing. Maybe they've found a clue about where Raithius' father is. Even if they haven't figured anything new out, it wouldn't hurt to drop by and see how they're doing.

You nod your agreement and walk to the cardinals' room. When You arrive, You are surprised to see that all of the Golden Deer are standing inside. Calypso is with them. You ask what is going on.

Calypso: The remains of the Canis Mafia are up and moving again. These should be the last few fighters, but I believe that we should still move towards them and see what's going on. The sooner we knock them out, the better.

Wolfgang: Plus, they've been working with Bazler, and even if he's gone, we know for sure that he was allied with Malice. They could know something about where our perpetrator has disappeared to.

Cedric: I believe that following through with this attack would be for the best then… I hope that we'll be able to figure something new out today. I'm getting tired of waiting for something new to be uncovered.

Adeline: Judging by this map, we should be heading into Alliance territory again today. It's been a few moons since we went there… In fact, we haven't marched in Leicester since my parents were defeated.

Jill: It makes sense that the remnants of Canis would be there. After all, that's where they've been operating for years now, and it doesn't seem likely that they'd move somewhere else if they made an attempt to oppose us.

Lev: Given that we've claimed the rest of the surrounding space though, I would say that we're going to be able to defeat them with relative ease… Of course, we should still remain on guard, but we will have the advantage.

William: That's true… I guess we'll simply have to see how the fight pans out. Luckily for us, the rest of the group should already be prepared for us to head out. Everyone's been getting a bit stir crazy.

Sofia: It's a bit upsetting that all of us have found a way to look forward to and dread battles at the same time in the past five years, but I suppose there's nothing for us to do about it now. We need to go and take care of Canis as soon as possible.

Novalee: I've already alerted the other members of our group. They're going to be ready soon, and when they are prepared, we'll be moving into Leicester as soon as possible. There's too much for us to get done to back down now.

Raithius: I'm glad that we all understand our objective for the day then. Now, let's go and finish getting ourselves ready for the coming fight. We can't afford to slip up now, but I'm sure you were already aware of that. Either way, let's roll.

The Golden Deer leave the room, and Calypso follows them. You suspect that she is going to finish preparations for the rest of the fight. You look down at the map briefly, and a smile appears on your face as Seraphine speaks.

Seraphine: Look at how much progress we've made since coming here… I never would have imagined that something like this would be possible. I mean, when we first showed up again, everything was falling apart. These days, it seems as if the world is finally being stitched back together. Even if we didn't see the chaos of it, I think that we still felt how disastrous everything was.

You nod your agreement.

Seraphine: We need to help them finish this war before we can take a breath to relax though. We're so close, and… I can't wait to finally see everything go back to normal. It seems like we never got the chance to actually see peace. Before, we didn't remember anything, and after we settled into life, everything crumbled around us. I'm going to look forward to this, and I think it's going to keep me moving forward even as we deal with these difficult times.

You say that You intend to end the war as soon as possible.

Seraphine: I'm glad to hear it, because I feel the same. Still, I suppose we shouldn't stay here for too long. The rest of the group is counting on us, and it would be best if we didn't keep them waiting for much longer.

You nod your understanding as Seraphine stops talking. You move to the front of the monastery, and soon afterward, your group begins marching into Alliance territory.

When You finally arrive, You look around the area. Your attention falls on a rather large building in the distance.

Wolfgang: This is the place. I know this area like the back of my hand. It was used as a contact point by members of Canis to drop off supplies from time to time, but before that, it was the home of a group that thought they could stand up to Canis. They were absolutely crushed. A lot of awful stuff has gone down here, to say the least. Of course they'd use it as a stronghold.

Raithius: The building seems rather secure, but I'm willing to bet that we'll be able to break through the door if we tried. From there, we'd simply have to be careful.

Jill: I don't think there's a need for that. The door is already open. It's like they've been waiting for us to show up.

Cedric: Perhaps they realized we were coming… Even without intel from another source, they must be aware that we would want to get rid of them for rebelling and causing issues.

Lev: I think that we should prepare ourselves for the fight to come. We don't want anything bad to happen while we're in there, after all.

William: We'll simply wait for you to give us the word, Raithius. We trust your judgement completely.

Adeline: They have to be ready for us in there… If Cedric is right and they've been preparing for us, we need to be sure that we're well-equipped to face their onslaught as soon as we get inside.

Sofia: We're going to keep this under control… I'm sure of it… Honestly, I wish we could just destroy the building and get them out that way, but I don't think we can risk it.

Novalee: No… That's not an option. There's the chance that information regarding Julius Origo will be inside, and we don't have any leads. We need to hold onto the possibility that there's something for us to use to track him down.

Raithius: It's just as Novalee says. Now, I think we've been standing around here for long enough. Let's get in there.

You nod your agreement, and the group moves into the building. As soon as You arrive, You glance around the area. There are many Canis fighters scattered about the area, and You are sure that they have been ready for your group to arrive. The Golden Deer form a small semicircle at the entrance of the building, ready to charge through enemy lines as soon as the battle begins. Raithius speaks as soon as your party is set up within the building.

Raithius: We were right… They've been waiting for us. Now, let's show them what we're made of in return. The battle begins now, everyone! Let's do this!

The battle begins around You. Your eyes dart across the battlefield as You watch the way your team carves through the enemy forces. You remember how strong they have become, recalling the last time your group fought against the Canis Mafia five years ago. You can't help but think about how much they have grown up, and part of You wishes that You had been there to see them develop from wide-eyed, innocent children into powerful soldiers.

Your group continues to fight until the forces have been completely wiped out. There are no lingering members of Canis after the battle is over, and You look at the rest of the room just to make sure that You are alone. The others follow suit, and Raithius is the first one to break the silence.

Raithius: We did it… We were able to defeat them all.

Wolfgang: Canis is gone… I know I probably shouldn't be happy since I'm its leader, but I'm glad it's out of commission, to be honest.

Cedric: We should search through the rest of the building. There has to be something here for us.

Sofia: Hang on a moment… This page was in the pocket of one of the fighters. Judging by the fancy seal, I'd say that it's important.

Jill: Don't leave us in suspense then. Just go on and open it.

Sofia opens the envelope and shows it to the rest of the group. Judging by how the wax was barely sticking to the parchment, You assume that the seal had been broken before.

Adeline: Hey… Is it just me, or is this a map?

William: No, it certainly is… And there's a letter behind it.

Lev: I can look over it. You all should see if there's anything on the map.

Novalee: There's a point highlighted on the page… It appears to be in the area of Derdriu.

Raithius: I wonder what these guys would want with Derdriu. Even if it's the capital of the Alliance, it's been a centerpoint for loyal forces for ages.

Sofia: If they tried to invade the area, they would be wiped out easily…

William: How about if only one person tried to break through?

Adeline: What do you mean?

Lev: This letter… It's from your father, Raithius!

Jill: Do you think this map is pointing to where he's been hiding out?

Wolfgang: Bazler was allied with Malice, and if these soldiers were working with him, then they'd be involved with your father.

Novalee: If this letter is to be believed, he's hiding in Derdriu somewhere.

Cedric: It seems that we've found our final target then… That narrows down the search into a very easy range for us to sift through.

Raithius: If we're sure that he's in Derdriu, then… It seems as if we've finished our business here.

Novalee: That Canis fighter wouldn't be keeping it on him unless the letter was recent and therefore important.

Adeline: I agree. This has to be leading us to where your father is hiding, Raithius.

Lev: In that case, we should return to the monastery. We have a lot of preparation to take care of if we want to invade Derdriu next moon.

Cedric: We're approaching the final frontier. If Raithius' father truly is waiting for us in Derdriu, all we'll need to do is fight through his remaining fighters and then claim victory.

William: Finally… After five years of fighting, we might finally get a respite. It doesn't seem real.

Jill: It isn't real quite yet. We need to make sure that he's there before we allow relief to take us over.

Sofia: Even then, we're going to need to concentrate on taking him out, so it'll be awhile before we're able to truly enjoy ourselves.

Wolfgang: Still, I'd say that we're making great progress! Look at us! We've managed to take out the Canis Mafia and figure out where Raithius' father is in one fell swoop. On top of that, we were able to reclaim the Alliance from all sorts of corruption. The future is in our hands.

Lev: The way you're talking makes it sound like you were always planning on getting rid of Canis, Wolfgang.

Wolfgang: I was, actually. Just because I'm the leader now doesn't change the fact that it's been responsible for terrible things. Hell, I wouldn't have taken charge if not for those awful deeds. Something like that doesn't deserve to survive.

Novalee: Everything that has caused problems is being taken care of in one neat little line. It means we'll have all the time we could ever want to change the future.

Sofia: I'm happy with how it's all been going… Look at us. We really are changing the world one day at a time, huh?

Jill: Five years ago, we knew that the war was coming, but we didn't know how it was going to end. In a way, it's like we're finally putting out the fires lit half a decade ago.

Cedric: It wouldn't be happening if we weren't all there for each other every step of the way… And we still have more to take care of before we can relax. Our work isn't finished.

Adeline: Even after the war is over, we'll still have quite a bit to take care of. The rest of Leicester is looking for recovery, and that doesn't even factor in Faerghus or Adrestia.

Novalee: When the future arrives, we'll grasp it the way that we took on this war. The path to come can't threaten us after all that we've been through.

Raithius: Exactly. Even if life gets difficult, we'll stick together just the same as always. That's what we do best, right?

Lev: I suppose it is… We really have come far in the past five years, huh…?

Jill: And there's still more work to be done. We had better go back to the monastery so that we can get ready.

William: You're right. This is going to be our largest battle yet, and it would be best if we were ready for it.

Cedric: We don't know how long he's going to be staying in Derdriu, so we have to be ready to take care of everything as soon as possible.

Sofia: Yeah… Everything's starting to come together, but the pieces won't be able to completely fall into place until after we get rid of the one responsible for all this.

Wolfgang: In that case, what are we doing still standing around here for? If the rest of our lives are really waiting, we had best get going so that we can grab them by the neck!

Adeline: Your affection for violent metaphors is unsettling, but I agree completely. This is going to be our last battle.

Novalee: I hope that he's ready for us, because we aren't going to be holding back in the slightest. He doesn't deserve that much.

Raithius: I'm glad that we're all in agreement. Now, let's go back home… After all, we've still got a lot of work ahead of us.

You and the rest of the group begin to travel back to the monastery. When You start moving, You find yourself thinking about the peace waiting for You in the years to come. The idea of being able to reclaim your future brings a smile to your face, and the sentiment is shared by the rest of the group. You can feel the air practically buzzing with positivity the entire way back to Garreg Mach.

When You do arrive back at the monastery, You make your way up to the cardinals' room. You see the rest of the Golden Deer in the area by the time You walk inside, and You watch Raithius intently.

Raithius: Now that we have an idea on where we can find my father, we've only got a little bit left to do before this war is over…

Lev: Oh, that's incredible to hear you say…

William: We should do what we have to in order to get ready then.

Novalee: I believe we should turn in as early as possible just to make sure that we're ready for the fight to come.

Sofia: You have a point there. We can't afford to be unprepared for this last fight.

Cedric: The final battle… I didn't think I would ever have the chance to speak those words.

Jill: We've been holding onto that hope for so long, but it still feels fake now that we're talking about it.

Adeline: Still, it's going to be real as soon as we enter Derdriu, and that's all that I really need to know.

Wolfgang: It sounds to me like we're all as ready as it gets for this fight… You know, emotionally. We still need to turn our attention to physical preparations just to make sure that we know what we're going to be doing.

Novalee: Wolfgang is right. If we're going to be ready for this invasion, we're going to need to prepare ourselves in every way possible between training, stocking up on supplies, and taking care of ourselves.

Adeline: It seems that we're all in agreement on that then. I trust that we'll be able to start determining a strategy for our final fight soon, and when we do… I know that it'll be great to put together.

Lev: Unless there's any final business for us to take care of, we should rest tonight. After all, we can't afford to slack off when we're so close to being free at long last… It still feels strange to talk that way.

Cedric: In that case, perhaps we should call our meeting here so that we can split up and get some sleep. There's too much riding on this victory for us to allow the idea of peace to get to us now.

Sofia: Man… I feel like my bed is calling my name. Then again, it does make sense. We toppled the Canis Mafia today, and that's no small feat. They've been bothering everyone on the continent for years.

Wolfgang: That's certainly one way of putting it. I'm happy to have it gone too. That means I won't have to deal with it after the war ends. The plan was always to get rid of it, so at least we took care of the group early.

William: If there's nothing else for us to do, we should split up for the night. I get the feeling that everyone else has already taken that advice to heart, and they most certainly have the right plan by doing so.

Jill: Alright. We can meet up at the start of the next moon to discuss our strategy, and we'll spend the rest of the month making final preparations. As soon as we're finished, we march on Derdriu.

Raithius: Perfect. I'll see you all later on then. Be sure to stay out of trouble in the last few weeks of the fighting. I don't want to have to clean up any of your messes this late in the war, you know?

You hear laughter rise up from the group.

Raithius: Anyways, I'll see you all soon.

You nod and leave the cardinals' room after the Golden Deer have filed through the door. You find yourself walking past Jill's room, but she is not there just yet. You suspect that she has headed downstairs to take care of final business before the night falls. You hesitate before walking inside.

Seraphine: Janae still isn't awake… I hope that she starts feeling better soon…

You nod your agreement before sitting down in the chair stationed at Janae's bedside. Your eyes close as You imagine what will happen when she finally does awaken, and your hands slowly move out to grasp her fingers between your own. Silence covers the room for a few minutes until her fingers begin to twitch. Your eyes shoot open, and You look down to see Janae's eyes opening.

Seraphine: No way… This can't be happening…!

You watch as Janae's eyes open fully, and she looks to You with a light smile on her face.

Janae: It… It's you… You're alright…

You feel tears forming in your eyes, and You nod slowly.

Janae: I'm so glad…

You ease Janae into a sitting position, and as soon as she is upright, she throws her arms around your body. You return the gesture, unsure of what to say. However, You soon realize that words have no point, as the quiet speaks volumes more than any sentence ever could.

Janae: It's okay now… I'm here… And I'm not going to leave you ever again.

You nod slowly to show that You understand.

Janae: It's going to be alright from here on out… I'll make sure of it.

You allow the quiet to cover You in the seconds that follow, and when You finally do pull away from Janae, You can see that she is smiling with tears in her eyes. She looks so much older than the last time You saw her awake five years before, and You feel a pang of sadness at the realization that she has missed out on so much of her life.

Janae: I don't think I could ever tell you in full how happy I am to see that you're still here… You've changed so much since I last had the chance to see you, but it's incredible that you're alright.

You tell her that You are relieved she is alright as well.

Janae: Thank you so much for your kindness… Soon, we'll be together without any worries of fighting ever again…

You say that much has happened since she fell asleep.

Janae: I can tell… Your hair is…

You offer to explain everything to her.

Janae: That would be incredible. Thank you.

You tell Janae about everything that has happened since You last saw her. She listens intently, and after You are finished, she frowns to You.

Janae: I'm sorry that you have suffered so much in my absence… I'll do what I can to prevent that in the future. When the war ends… We're going to have to get to know each other better. Time has taken so much from us, but we can still enjoy a second chance. It's rare that you get another opportunity to make up for past regrets, but I believe that the goddess gifted us this on purpose… She knew that we needed it, and I'm glad that she recognized such.

You say that You feel the same.

Janae: Ah… It's getting late. You should get some rest of your own. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you because you were exhausted from speaking to me. I'll still be here when you awaken. I promise. I'm not going to leave you ever again.

You tell Janae that You are thankful she is alright.

Janae: I feel the same to you… Until we speak again… My child.

You get to your feet and leave the room. You hear her whisper as You walk away.

Janae: At long last… My dear Crescent has returned to me…

You hear Seraphine's voice as You return to your room.

Seraphine: I don't know what to say… Her being back doesn't even feel real… But I suppose it's just another reason for us to fight as hard as possible in this war. She's counting on us to bring peace back to the continent. We won't be able to form a relationship with her if we get hurt during the final battle, after all.

You nod your agreement.

Seraphine: I'm exhausted after that battle though… Let's get to sleep. We can check on her again tomorrow. By then, I'm sure Jill and Aisa will have made sure that she's alright. Until then… Goodnight.

Seraphine's voice stops echoing in your mind, and You lay down on your bed. Hope swells in your chest, and tears stream freely down your cheeks even though You release no sobs. You eagerly look forward to the end of the war, excited to get the chance to connect with Janae the way You should have been able to many years ago. Your dreams are filled with navy hair, bright smiles, and the promise of a beautiful tomorrow. You vow silently to fulfill such a wish as soon as the opportunity presents itself, and your resolve strengthens to defeat Julius Origo once and for all in the name of the peace You, Janae, and the rest of the continent deserves…


Only chapter twenty-three and endgame are left now oh boy!

-Digital