A/N: How's it going everybody!
Here comes the aftermath of the duel.
2019
"Yeesh, what a duel." Bea started. "I would've guessed that it would end in a draw, or something like that…"
"Really Bea?" Eden questioned, surprised by the teal-haired girl's reaction. "Normally on things like this, you would bet that one of them would die, or something… which would've been fitting considering the scenario."
"She's right Green," Clark spoke, ignoring the girl wincing at the nickname. "What happened?"
"It's just different, that's all." Bea assured. "Why it's different though? Don't ask. It just does to me."
"If you say so…" Clark simply shrugged in response. Eden on the other hand, wasn't fully convinced.
"Doesn't it seem kind of odd how she just accepted her loss like that?" Damien asked. "I mean, considering how she has acted so far, you would think that the Emperor wouldn't have submitted that easily."
"She has some form of honor you know…" Yael started. "… Just not with the Church, that is."
"I suppose that makes sense… somehow."
"To those who have heard of the legend, the Duel was the start of the final stretch for this war." Ms. Gregory began. "What would've followed afterwards, would prove that point."
Verdant Rain Moon, 1186
Garreg Mach Outskirts
It happened so quickly. One minute, Niya had claimed victory for both her allies, and the future of the Fodlan continent. The next minute, Edelgard had quickly leaped in front of her, taking a poisonous dagger to the gut.
Now, Edelgard laid there, breathing heavily, clutching her struck body as the poison worked its way through her bloodstream, and to the rest of her body. It wouldn't take long until Edelgard's life would eventually fade, and end her life.
Edelgard's assailant, the Imperial Army general Trahsar, stood there stunned, unable to process properly the fact that he had just struck his Emperor with the poisoned dagger.
"No… no…" Trahsar could only repeat in horror.
"You damn fool!" Hunter angrily scolded. "How dare you!"
Before Trahsar could protest, the sound of breaking glass filled the area. Niya had once again activated the Divine Pulse. Edelgard may be a lost cause at this point when it came to changing her mind about her ideals, but there was still no way that Niya would let Edelgard die like that.
The former professor watched, as Edelgard went back up, and the blade exited her stomach, with Trahsar rushing back to his original position. Satisfied, she allowed time to run its course again.
The moment time went back, Niya whipped out her dagger, and shot it towards Trahsar's own, knocking it out of his grip, shocking the general.
"But, how?" Trahsar began in shock.
Before anyone could respond, Jeritza picked up the fallen dagger, and inspected it. "Poison…" he simply said.
By this point, Edelgard had recovered, and stood up. "Trahsar, what is the meaning of this?"
Before the general could explain himself, a female voice echoed throughout the arena, as dark clouds began to swirl above the arena. "Tsk. Tsk. Typical. You want something done, it's best not to entrust a lowly human for the task."
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Edelgard demanded.
"Oh. How rude of me. Very well…" A shot of dark magic shot down from the clouds, and when it dissipated, a curvaceous woman with strawberry blonde hair, and a very revealing Gremory outfit appeared.
"Lady Cornelia!" Ingrid spoke in shock. "What is going on here? What are you doing here?"
"Ingrid dear, you've grown quite a lot, haven't you?" Cornelia briefly acknowledged, before turning her attention back to everyone else. "I'm here because this war isn't going how we planned. Honestly, how the little Emperor managed to uncover ancient text, and revived everyone's memory, is beyond me."
"Wait, is this why none remember the duel's origins?" Seteth questioned.
"Of course." Cornelia smirked. "Imagine how life would've been if the duel's history remained intact. Surely it would've been a lot more peaceful, wouldn't it?"
"So that means everything about every major event in Fodlan's history has been all you, and your groups doing, hasn't it?" Seteth realized. "All those lives lost, and for what? Because you all betrayed the teachings of the Goddess, and dared go beyond her."
"How fitting that you leave out that it led to a civilization collapsing, with survivors being forced to retreat beneath the surface." Cornelia glared. "Typical for a Church worshipper like you."
She then whipped towards Trahsar, as the latter cowered at her presence. "As for you, your services are no longer needed." When she finished, she then struck him with her own hidden dagger, right where his heart was, watching the general fall, as she withdrew it.
"No… please…" He pleaded, as his life began to fade. "Give me… another… chaa…"
"You had your chance you fool." Cornelia chastised, before she turned her attention to the awaiting Imperial Army. "As for them, the fun can really begin."
Immediately after she finished her sentence, she conjured out an aura of dark magic, allowing it to weave through the fields, spreading more and more, before the sinister wave finally reached the Imperial army. The aura split into multiple individual strands, before entering each soldier violently. With all soldiers screeching in pain as they tried to resist, the aura worked its way into their minds, before their eyes rolled back, revealing a lifeless stare, all resistance was futile, as the army have been reduced into nothing more but mere puppets.
"What on earth?" Hunter began in disbelief. He could barely believe what was happening. Angrily, he turned to Cornelia. "This wasn't part of the plan!"
"I don't care." Cornelia huffed. "You were taking too long, so the plan changed."
While Cornelia targeted the Imperial Army, she also managed to take control of Jeritza, easily winning the Death Knight over to her side. With one of Edgelgard's closest allies now completely under her control, the duo teleported away from the arena, and to their own army, while Hunter hesitantly teleported to the army as well. Once there with the army, Cornelia commanded the army to start rushing forward, while keeping the other half of the army in reserve.
"We have no interest in prisoners." Cornelia telepathically conveyed. "Kill them all."
Little did anyone realize, another battle was about to commence.
"Hunter… why?" Edelgard began. When she witnessed what had happened, she began to wonder if Hubert was a member as well, but she brushed it off, as she knew that a bigger problem began to appear.
Niya, realizing what was about to happen, turned to her marshals, ordering out. "Prepare for war. Remember, stick to the plan no matter what."
"Understood." Ingrid nodded, before she quickly got up to her Pegasus, awaiting the next order.
"You got it." Yuri simply shrugged, before rushing back as well.
"Seteth," Niya interrupted. "I know Edelgard is our enemy now, but she is in no condition to fight, get her in the Monastery now."
Seteth was hesitant at first, and even wanted to argue, but seeing what was currently happening, he agreed in the end. However, when he tried to get Edelgard out, the Emperor refused.
"I appreciate the aid Niya, but allow me to fight with you." Edelgard pleaded. "I promise to leave, and fulfill the duel's consequences when this is all over."
Though hesitant at first, Niya eventually nodded, saying "Very well.", before she turned to Seteth. "Seteth, get into position."
"Right." Seteth nodded, before getting on his wyvern, Odin, and getting into position.
Niya then turned to Edelgard. "Are you with me?"
"I am." Edelgard nodded. "Until my very last."
As the rushing army grew closer, Niya swung the Sublime Sword forward, which Ingrid took as the signal, and flew off, before Ashe followed suit, with a few more Wyvern riders, and Pegasus Knights following afterwards. The Wyvern Riders in particular, had their wyverns carry rocks on their feet.
"Look to the skies!" Cornelia telepathically ordered, but the order came a bit too late, as the Wyverns began dropping their rocks once they were over the enemy raid, crushing the soldiers under the massive pieces of stone, while the Pegasus riders threw their javelins, and shot arrows.
While some of the possessed Snipers, and Bow Knights managed to shoot down a few of them, knowing that it wasn't enough, Cornelia ordered the possessed Wyvern Riders to go up there and meet them head on. However, the possessed riders did not attack with weapons.
Once of them managed to latch unto one of the Pegasus riders, gripping the wings, forcing them both to plummet towards the ground. The Pegasus rider tries her best to swat away at the wyvern, but it was no use, and the two crashed into the ground, the impact killing both of them. A few more would suffer the same fate.
Satisfied for what they have done, the surviving fliers retreat.
While the fliers did a number on the rushing group, Niya knew that more had to be done, and with a turn back, she gestured to both Ferdinand, and Sylvain. The two nodded, and rushed back to the Monastery, before finally making it to the Abyss.
Normally, the Abyss was too small for a horse to make it through, but ever since the last time the tunnels were used, a foreshock happened, which had widened the tunnels significantly, allowing horses to finally pass through.
Once they passed through, there waiting were a group of soldiers, eagerly awaiting the next phase, along with Seiros Captain, Everon.
"It's time everyone. Charge!" Ferdinand called out, with the army letting out a collective battle cry, before they separate into two groups, each one following either Ferdinand or Sylvain.
Back on the surface, Cornelia then orders the possessed engineers to operate the trebuchets, that are now beginning to lob the massive boulders well beyond the reach of a typical arrow, some missed the target, but a very few manage to hit the army, flattening them under its massive weight. Some boulders even manage to sail pass, the army, and tear a massive hole into the Monastery walls.
"That's it." Cornelia smiled evilly. "Crush them all. Raze the Monastery to the ground."
As all this was happening, Niya kept a calm demeanor, something that shocked even Edelgard, as Ingrid returned.
"Niya, act quickly now." Edelgard spoke in an uncharacteristic panic, but was only met with the professor counting down.
"10"
"09"
"08"
"07"
"06"
"05"
"04"
"03"
"02"
"01"
"GET READY!" Niya finally yelled out loud.
Abyss
"Now!" Sylvain shouted out, his order echoing throughout the Abyss' walls.
With the command, the soldiers drew out their weapons, and began swinging them, breaking down the various pillars that have helped the walls in keeping the Abyss standing up, as well as the ground that was currently being charged across by the possessed Imperial Army. With the pillars slowly being destroyed one by one, the ground slowly begins to crumble above, none of those above knowing about it. Before the charging army knew it, the ground collapses, sending hundreds of them plunging to the depths of the deep underground, killing all who fell on impact. Both Ferdinand's and Sylvain's group have long since passed the collapsing ground. The ones who have managed to survive stop in shock, and are forced to go around the massive hole.
As they neared what seemed like the dead end of the tunnel, a Sniper from each of the two groups took their bow, and shot an arrow ahead, cutting down a piece of rope that lowers a trap door allowing them to finally get back up to the surface, and engage what remains of the initial charging enemy.
Above Ground
"CHARGE!" Niya bellowed out, as she, Edelgard, and the rest of the Student Army now began charging forward to engage the enemy. All the while, Cornelia could only stand there in shock, not anticipating the current events to happen.
Leonie, who led a group of Bow Knights fired arrows at any stragglers from the turn. Bernadetta, Ignatz, and a few other Snipers held on by the arena, letting loose any arrows while the army fought on ahead.
Though surprised by the aid of Edelgard, especially considering how she is their main opponent, they had a feeling that this alliance was only temporary for the time being.
"How?" She cursed, before turning to the soldiers held in reserve. "So much for reserving the rest. You all, charge now! Cut them down!"
The possessed army obeyed, and began charging forward as well.
Meanwhile
Garreg Mach Monastery
As the battle was ongoing, high above on the third floor, the Archbishop was still in a suspended state of animation, almost as if she was a statue. Yet for some reason, she was glowing, bathing her personal chambers in both a soothing, green aura, and a twinkling-like phenomena as though there were stars in the room.
Eventually, the light began to pulsate, with a blinding, white light slowly taking over the soothing green aura.
A/N: And we're clear!
And that concludes the duel!
I know there might be some comments that may address this, (Please comment anyway.) but just so you all know, this isn't some "Golden Route". I know I'm kind of breaking tradition by letting Edelgard survive, but considering this a unique take on the Silver Snow route, I think I'm allowed to make a few changes.
Also yes, I'm gonna confirm it here: Some parts of the battle are inspired by the Narnia films, but I had to find a way to destroy the Abyss since I mentioned it destroyed in the Prologue chapter, and this was my best excuse.
Also, go me. Way to introduce a tunnel system way back in Chapter 1, and never use it until now. Nice.
Anyways, one two-parter ends, another number-parter continues. Until the next chapter, BYE!