The body of King Garon shattered into fragments of blue light, dissolving into the air as the Nohr siblings stood watching. Nothing remained where his withered, possessed body had laid. No blood, no armour, no body. Nothing to show of the hollow King.

Corrin stood, withdrawing her sword with a heavy sigh.

"Rest in peace, Father," Xander said. His lips pressed tightly together, the only sign of pain in his strong features.

"Xander, we did the right thing," Corrin said. Truly glad it was over, the pang of guilt rang over the fading adrenalin from the fight. Despite what he had become, King Garon was their father. There was no changing that. "I know in my heart this was the only way to save him. I just wish…" She raised her eyes heavenward, a softness overcoming her voice. "I just wish I could have gotten to know the real Garon. Goodbye, father."

The moment weighed heavily in the air as the empty throne loomed before them. Someone had to ease to mood. They had won. Yet something unsettling churned in Corrin's stomach.

She turned back to her siblings, a fleeting smile drawn. "That's it, my dear friends and siblings. We won the war!" She stepped towards the throne, hoping her mood would catch up with the tone of ease in her voice. "Quickly, let's free the remaining Hoshidan soldiers and release the prisoners–"

A noise she knew all too well sounded behind her and she whirled, a haze of purple firing past her. A dark arrow whipping past close enough to feel. A figure stood at the end of the throne room, Corrin's heart lurching in her chest, the recognition freezing her blood.

Takumi stood cloaked in a veil of purple fog that peeled off his body in waves. He trembled, fingers tight around his Fujin Yumi as the darkness flowed over it, wrapping around the yumi. His breath shook, heavy and loud, eyes wide and unseeing.

"Betrayal…" His guttural voice snapped between his staggered breaths. "Betrayal… I am betrayal!" He snapped his head up, eyes blazing red and locked onto Corrin. He drew his yumi, a dark arrow forming. Harsh light glinted off the tip. The Fujin Yumi shuddered in his grip, Takumi convulsing to drawing the arrow back further, pulling off his marksman stance. His eyes blazed, a fury held within that now burned free.

Corrin withdrew her sword, her siblings standing by her side protectively having drawn their own weapons. She could barely manage to draw breath to speak. "Takumi – you're alive!" The joy of seeing him again drained as she took in his pale skin, the way he twitched, the dark shadow weaving around him… "But… What happened to you?"

Takumi spoke again, his voice deep and raw, echoing a building fury. "The pain of betrayal… yours and mine… it burns… burns! I must… I will… kill you… Kill you!"

His words… his voice… it wasn't like Takumi at all. "Takumi, snap out of it! Please–"

"I will… kill you… lost sister… Die, Corrin!"

The arrow came hard and fast, a blur of dark purple. Corrin leapt from its path, her siblings scattering, ready to dodge and fight back at any given moment. The second arrow caught Corrin's sword. It pinged off and clattered at her feet. The third clipped her armour, slicing a gash in the side of the dark metal.

"Betrayal… death… murder…" Takumi muttered, crimson eyes searching the ground, never resting, never stopping, flickering to everything in sight. "Betrayal… death… murder…"

"Takumi, stop this! The war is over; King Garon has been defeated!" Corrin said. She touched where the arrow had grazed her, felt the deep groove in the once smooth breastplate. "Please, brother. There's no reason to fight each other anymore!"

"War… betrayal… death… murder…" He panted, chest heaving with each ragged breath and course word he spoke. "That is all there is… I will… not be swayed… war… betrayal… death…"

Nothing she said was getting to him. "Damn it, Takumi! Please, stop this madness and listen to me for a change!"

"Corrin, wait," Azura said, speaking up from beside Corrin. "I'm afraid he can't be reasoned with. You're not going to want to hear this, but… I believe he is possessed by something, just as King Garon was."

Corrin's heart sank. "No! Please, it can't be so…"

"I'm sorry Corrin, but look at him! The way he's moving and speaking…" Azura trailed off, pointing out what she too didn't want to accept. "Takumi is… no longer with us. I'm afraid it's too late to save him. I'm guessing that when he threw himself off the Great Wall of Suzanoh he was already–"

"No! I can't accept that!" Corrin shook her head. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword, knuckles bleeding white. "Are you saying I must now defeat my own brother? Killing my father wasn't enough?" Her words burnt in her throat, tears stinging her eyes. This wasn't true. It couldn't be true. They had won. They'd defeated Garon. This couldn't…

Azura sighed softly. "Yes, that is what I am saying. I'm so sorry."

"This can't be happening…"

"This is all your fault…" Takumi cut in, the depth of his voice sending a sharp shiver through Corrin. Tears drew lines down his cheeks, words shaking as he spoke. "Hoshido is dead. All… your… fault! You destroyed… my kingdom… my family… If you die… I can rest… If you die… the pain… the pain will stop… if I kill you!"

"Takumi! Please, my brother. Please, don't cry…" Each word cut into her heart, driving the guilt deeper.

"We have to fight him, Corrin. His mind is… not well." Azura chose her words carefully, but her meaning was clear. The Takumi Corrin knew was no longer there. "The monster has latched on to his regrets, to his resentment and bitterness. His heart and mind have been pushed past the point of no return. We have to stop him before more innocent lives are lost."

"Wait, don't move," Corrin ordered, lowering her blade. She blinked back hot tears, swallowing her racing heart thundering in her throat.

"Corrin?"

"Takumi has every right to be angry at me," Corrin said. "I am to blame for much of the heartache in his life. I chose this path. I must take responsibility for it." She took in a deep breath, shutting her eyes for but a moment, before starting towards Takumi. "There's only one way to do that."

"Y-You don't intend to–" she startled as Corrin continued past her. "Wait, Corrin! It's too dangerous! Please, come back!"

Corrin grit her teeth, holding back her words. She stood before Takumi, sword lowered, defences dropped.

"Corrin…" Takumi muttered again. "Betrayal… death… Must… kill you…"

"Takumi…" She sucked in a tight breath, forcing herself to stay calm. She couldn't falter now. "I know I've never been there for you like a sister should… I've caused you so much suffering, and I couldn't save you at the Great Wall. This all grieves me more than you will ever know, but I will not fall here on this day." He didn't look at her, nor give any indication that he heard her words. All Corrin could do was speak and hope something, anything, got through. "I won't let you kill me, but the very least I can do is accept all of your anger."
"Death! Betrayal! Murder!" Takumi spat back, the rage only growing. "I will kill you, Corrin! I… will… kill… you!

"Takumi! If you're going to aim that thing at anyone, aim it at me! I'm the one you want!" Corrin raised her sword, aiming the glowing tip straight at Takumi. She planted her feet, drew a deep breath and steadied herself. "Go on then! Loose you arrow, brother!"

"Die!"

There was a moment when Corrin believed she could take it. The arrow flew faster than she could blink, notched and loose in a blur of violent purple. It hit straight and true, like Takumi's arrows always did, right in the centre of her chest. The force snapped her head back, impact hitting her like a whip. Or like an arrow from the Fujin Yumi. It threw her off her feet and into the air, vision flashing white, ears bleeding with screams. Hot pain seared through her. Aching hot and yet numbingly cold. Voices echoed in her ears, that of Azura, Xander… was Elise crying?

"Corrin!" Azura cried, bolting over to her side.

"No!" A painful shriek came from Elise with wild, shuddering sobs. "Corrin?! Corrin?!"

"How could one arrow be so powerful?" Xander staggered towards her, calm exterior shattered, hand drawn across his face in shock.

"Don't… worry…" Corrin said, words tumbling from her mouth in a shaky breath. "I'm… fine… After all I've been through… that's not enough to stop me…" A dry laugh stabbed pain through her chest. "Ryoma is… counting on me…" Pain swelled, vision spotting black, leaving only the ache of the wound and Elise's crying before it all faded into nothing.