At the break of dawn, life started to stir within the Fraldarius manor. Soldiers awoke, ready to go back to the one thing they loved doing the most: training. Non-combatants returned to their assigned stations and life within the city went back to normal.

Breakfast was soon attained by those who desired it. Delicious meals fulfilled the hunger of anyone that entered the manor's dining hall, which was filled to the brim with ravenous people.

But not everybody followed their hunger. Lucas remained within bed, eyes completely open. Dark circles formed around his reddened eyes and his skin had become rather pale. He clutched his head due to a pounding headache he was feeling. Light seeped into his room through its singular window, causing him to recoil in pain when he laid his vision upon it.

Lucas attempted to shield his eyes, yet the pain was still there.

"You…this isn't good for your health, I hope you know," Sothis sighed within his mind. She looked down at him from atop her throne as he stood on the dark 'ground' beside the staircase. "Neither is it particularly pleasant for us."

Byleth nodded in silence, a very faint frown on his face.

"S-sorry. I just…"

"I understand." The goddess closed her eyes. "You are facing a rather difficult situation. One that you were never prepared to handle. I cannot blame you for feeling this way, considering where you came from."

"Yeah. It-it's something, alright. This pain, this throbbing in my head - it won't go away. Is there anything I can do to make it…d-disappear?"

Sothis reopened her divine, green eyes and shook her head. "There are many ways. I do not recommend them."

"That's…not helpful, Sothis. I n-need solutions. I need some way to-" A surge of pain shot through Lucas' head, causing him to clutch his head and pause for a moment. "-to stop it. A painkiller of some kind. Literally a-anything."

"You are facing turmoil within your mind. A moral conflict is eating at the very foundation of your soul. The only safe way to solve it, to put yourself at ease…is to face it directly."

"But I can't. It's t-too much. I can't do it, Sothis. I'm too weak."

"I see."

Sothis leaned on the rightmost arm rest of her throne, the one Byleth was standing right next to. She yawned.

"Then you shall forever suffer. Although you have chosen to hide away from the frontlines, Fate will remind you of the consequences of your decision. You will still feel the pain - even if you are no longer inflicting it."

"You know why it's important to fight," said Byleth. "You have discarded your weapons, regardless."

"Fighting just leads to more fighting and killing. Violence breeds violence, as they say. I don't want to be a part of that anymore."

"Perhaps. However…no, you haven't realized it yet, have you?"

Lucas tried to raise an eyebrow, but only slightly managed to do so. "Realised what?"

"Recall the five years we've spent sleeping. The period of time that I always seem to miss."

Byleth stepped forward, standing on the edge of the top of the staircase.

"The world will always move on, no matter if you're there…or not."

Lucas weakly frowned. He said nothing, entering a state of deep pondering that was hindered time and time again by the pounding within his head. His thoughts were always interrupted by the conflict within his soul.

A knock on the door then made it impossible for him to focus. A familiar voice came from the other side, bringing his attention entirely away from his mind.

"My teacher…are you still in there?" Edelgard asked, following a repeated set of knocks. "It's time for the war council."

Lucas groaned.

"Should I even bother? It's not like I'll be carrying out any of these plans."

"That may not be the case. However, your input is still valuable. Perhaps more so than anyone else at the meeting."

Lucas grumbled to himself. "Right. Of course. It's never that fucking easy, is it?" He yawned. "Give me a second, then. I'll be right out."

Inside the room, Lucas rose from his bed. He went over to the chair that was next to the desk underneath the window and grabbed the black cloak that was hung around its back. The professor then retrieved his uniform boots that were beside the desk itself. Once his outfit was completed, he sluggishly dragged his feet over to the door and then opened it.

Edelgard was taken aback.

"I…Professor, you-" She frowned. "You look so pale…have you not had any sleep?"

"I have, but only barely. Two hours or so, I'd say."

Edelgard shook her head. "That's…not good. At all. You know how important it is to rest."

"What's done is done. Are we going to the meeting, then?"

The princess sighed.

"So we shall. Follow me."

Closing the door behind him, Lucas began following Edelgard throughout the halls of the Fraldarius manor. They traversed over the regal blue carpet that covered the middle portion of the floor, following hints and guidance from the manor's servants to keep themselves on track.

Lucas' movements were slow - he lagged behind a bit. Edelgard was inclined to keep moving at her usual pace, but she quickly decided to slow down for his sake. From then on, the two walked through the manor's many corridors at a moderate speed.

Eventually, the pair arrived at the same set of double doors Rodrigue brought them to the night before. Edelgard pushed them open, revealing the large room inside.

It was the same as it had been previously. The massive wooden table was still in the middle of the room and the paintings of previous Fraldarius figures were still all over the walls. Rodrigue sat at the head of the table while the likes of Jeralt, Claude, and Dimitri were seated elsewhere.

Much to Edelgard and Lucas' surprise, however, there was an additional person present at the meeting. An elderly, orange-haired man with heavy armor stood beside Rodrigue's seat. He regarded the two that just entered with a slight nod.

Rodrigue and everyone else turned to face the pair.

"Ah, Edelgard. And…Lucas, was it? Please, take a seat. We were just about to begin." Rodrigue motioned to the table.

"Thank you." Edelgard nodded at him, then turned to Lucas, who merely yawned.

She sighed, then sat down at the middle portion of the table. Her teacher took a seat beside her.

"Every single one of the meeting's participants has now arrived, Rodrigue. We may start," Gilbert said.

"Yes, of course."

Rodrigue cleared his throat, then glanced at everyone else in the room. He smiled.

"On the tenth of the Great Tree Moon, we shall begin our march to the capital city of Faerghus - Fhirdiad. It's currently under the control of Cornelia, a mage that has pledged loyalty to the Adrestian Empire. Defeating her and reclaiming the throne will not be an easy task."

"Even so, it shall be done. That traitorous witch will die." Dimitri grunted as he folded his arms.

"Indeed. Ensuring her death will be instrumental in our retaking of the city and the royal palace. However, Cornelia has many skilled knights under her command, ones that foolishly believed her lies. They will not be simple opponents to overcome."

"Yeah." Jeralt nodded. "Faerghus knights are some of the strongest, most stalwart fighters I've ever seen. We probably have the numbers advantage, but I'm not sure if that'll be enough."

Claude grinned. "Good thing I'm here, then. I've got a few ideas on how we can approach this."

"Oh? Do tell, Claude. I'm curious to hear what the Master Tactician has to say." Rodrigue shared his own grin.

"Heh. Guess that name's gotten around, huh? Alright. I'll show you what I spent almost all night coming up with."

Claude leaned forward in his chair, retaining his confident expression. He reached into a pocket that was buried deep within the innards of his golden-yellow robes and pulled out several pieces of paper. He laid them all out onto the table, unfolding every one of them.

"So, I managed to find a map of Fhirdiad." Claude held up a sketch of a city. "This little drawing here is of the area of the city where the main battle's probably gonna take place. It's near the royal palace, so I imagine Cornelia's gonna want to put a bunch of her troops there. Seems like a good idea to have a strong, final line of defense."

Rodrigue put a hand to his chin as he stared at Claude's drawing. "Hmm, I see. That's a logical assumption. If that is the case, then her soldiers would likely be spread rather thin on the outer layers of the city."

"If they are even there," said Edelgard. "Having a minimal amount of soldiers defend against an overwhelming wave of enemies - she may realize that to be an ineffective strategy."

"Ah. That is true. I'm afraid to say that I am unfamiliar with her prowess as a commander or a tactician, so I am unable to confirm which idea she is more likely to follow. But I do believe she would feel inclined to protect the palace, at the very least. It's her only means of controlling the city."

"Exactly why I drew this." Claude motioned to his drawing again. "I was trying to figure out different ways Cornelia might use this area. Troop compositions, general use of the environment, that kind of thing. I came to only one possible conclusion."

He pointed to a small, square-like open space in the lower-left corner of his drawing, then did the same with the bottom middle area as well as the bottom right.

"There are three different paths up to the palace from the south. Cornelia will probably wanna keep all these paths secure because if they aren't, we'd be able to slip right past her defenses and take the city without a problem."

"Are you saying we should split up our forces into three groups?" Jeralt asked.

"Uh-huh. That's precisely what I'm saying."

Jeralt grumbled. "Hmph. Feels like we do that every damn battle…"

"Hey, if it works, it works. Better than letting all of our allies get killed by a single surprise attack. That being said…"

Claude turned to Lucas, who'd been staring blankly into the corner of the room.

"What do you think, Teach?"

Lucas jumped in place, emitting a slight yelp. He blinked multiple times in rapid succession as he attempted to focus on Claude's blurry visage.

"Uh…"

Something in that same corner interested him to no end. His gaze was drawn towards it, teased by some unknown sensation.

"Teach?"

Another yelp. Lucas returned to looking at Claude.

"Are you okay, Teach? You look like you barely got any sleep last night."

"Um…" Lucas' mind wandered for a moment. "Barely. I, uh, only got like two hours. At most. S-sorry."

"Oh. That makes sense, then. Look, what do you think of my plan? The three groups thing, that is. Does it sound good to you?"

"Right, that. It…it sounds good to me. But, uh-"

"Stop wasting our time," Dimitri barked. "Or are you only going to selectively use your knowledge of the future? Just like you did before."

Lucas gasped. His gaze fell to the floor.

Rodrigue arched his brow. "What was that? Knowledge of…the future?"

"Dimitri!" Edelgard exclaimed.

Claude and Jeralt glanced at every other person in the meeting, then sighed in relative conjunction with Gilbert.

"Uh-oh. Guess the secret's out," Claude said after sighing. "Thanks for that, Your Highness."

"Hmph. If he is to use his gift, then he must use it to help others. I will not allow him to selfishly endanger the lives of innocents. Not anymore…"

Dimitri glared at Lucas, who whimpered under such a hateful gaze. The blonde-haired man then closed his eyes while his arms were folded.

"Gift? What are you all referring to?" Rodrigue asked, his brow still raised.

"I shall explain," said Gilbert. "Five years ago, prior to my departure from Garreg Mach, Seteth informed myself and the Knights of Seiros of the gift that Lucas Hog possesses. He has the ability to see the future, to accurately predict events that have yet to transpire. It is the reason why the Knights of Seiros have remained at the monastery all these years."

Rodrigue's mouth flew open. "Is that so? How intriguing." He turned to Lucas. "That must mean you know of Cornelia's plans, do you not? You know precisely what sort of strategy she will use."

Lucas failed to answer due to his attention being focused elsewhere. Edelgard turned to him with furrowed brows upon her face, then looked back at Rodrigue.

"He does. He knows things about this world and its people that we don't. You could call it a gift from the goddess, if you so please."

"A gift from the goddess…" Rodrigue's surprised expression slowly morphed into a slight smile. "How very intriguing. Lucas, if you will, I must request that you inform us of Cornelia's strategy for her defense of Fhirdiad. We have to make use of every advantage we have. Please, tell us."

Lucas sighed, which transformed into a yawn. He looked over to Edelgard, who gave him a reassuring smile. His gaze then landed on Rodrigue.

"A-alright." Lucas inspected the drawing Claude was still holding up. "Claude's plan…it'll work. I think. I can't…yeah, it should work. Cornelia should be using all three paths. But there's s-something else we need to watch out for…"

"What might that be?"

"Um…well, how do I explain this? She has robots. Big metal things that are controlled with, like, magic. I think they're called Tetanus? No, wait, that's something else. Tetanus, Titan, Tights…Titanus! That's what they are. Titanus."

"Titanus? How're we gonna fight those things?" Claude asked. "If they're made of metal, then it can't be easy to take them down."

"Mmm, no." Lucas sluggishly shook his head. "They're v-very strong. You'll need to attack them in groups, in formations or whatever. But that's not all. I think Cornelia might use some Viskams in this fight."

"Huh? What are those, Teach?"

"Viskams are, like…magical turret things. Get near 'em, and they'll hit you with a blast of magic. They're tough to destroy, so you'll probably w-wanna find the energy switch that keeps them supplied with mana. Dunno where the switch will be exactly. Somewhere on the battlefield, I think."

"Titanus and Viskam…we'll keep them in mind. Thank you for your information. Is there anything else we should be aware of?" Rodrigue looked expectantly at Lucas.

"N-no. That's it. Just work around them and…you'll be fine."

Rodrigue nodded. "I see. Thank you again, Lucas." He turned to Claude. "I trust this information will be put to good use in your strategy."

"Absolutely," said Claude. "It's not gonna change much, but it will allow me to determine how we should deal with those Titanus and Viskam things."

"How delightful. I will entrust you with the creation of our battle strategy, Claude. I believe the Master Tactician can come up with something…masterful, you might say." Rodrigue chuckled to himself.

"Got it. I won't let you down."

Rodrigue smiled, turning his attention to the meeting's participants as a whole.

"I am fortunate to have allies such as yourselves. Without you, we would be locked in endless fighting with the forces of the Faerghus Dukedom. Now, we are finally able to make a solid push towards recapturing our home."

He rose from his seat and bowed.

"I must thank you, Resistance. This would not be possible without your assistance."

"You're welcome." Edelgard nodded. "It's in all of our best interests to ensure the downfall of Cornelia. It will lessen the control that Arundel has on Fódlan as a whole, thus weakening the Empire."

"Yes, you are correct. It may be a mere stepping stone on the path to ending this war, but I am thankful all the same." Rodrigue's brows furrowed. "It pains me to know that I won't be joining you for the assault on Fhirdiad. I have my own home I must protect."

"That's fine." Jeralt waved it off. "As long as you let Lucas stay here while we're at Fhirdiad, I don't mind where you go."

"Is he not a combatant? He has a shield…"

As if on cue, Lucas began mindlessly stroking his Seiros Shield while staring at the table.

"Yeah, about that," Jeralt said while keeping a corner of his eye trained on Lucas. "He gave up fighting before we got here. Said he just wants to be an advisor for the Resistance, what with his foreknowledge and everything. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Ah, I understand. He can stay here with me, in that case."

Rodrigue's expression returned to normal.

"I believe that is all. Is there anything else that anyone wishes to bring to our attention?"

Nobody said anything.

"Good. Then you are all dismissed. Ready yourselves, for in three weeks…Fhirdiad will be ours once more."

The meeting's participants all nodded. They left the room at their individual paces, departing to prepare for the next battle in their own ways. Lucas was one of the last few to leave as Jeralt had to snap him out of whatever sleep-deprived trance he'd fallen in.

Lucas left the room while almost hugging his Seiros Shield, revelling in the divine energy it was radiating. However, despite the pleasure it was providing him, it wasn't enough to deprive him of all pain.

The throbbing in his head persisted.

Three weeks later, in the middle of the Great Tree Moon, the Resistance began their march towards Fhirdiad. As House Fraldarius was rather close to the capital city, the overall journey didn't take too long to complete - just over half a week.

However, the march wasn't without its problems. There were several moments where the wheels on their carts got stuck in shallow pits of snow. There were also times when even the horses became similarly stuck. While these sorts of events did slow down the journey somewhat, they didn't halt their progress too much.

The Resistance - alongside their newfound Kingdom allies - pushed on, despite any unexpected drawbacks.

Heading immediately west from Rodrigue and Felix's home, the Resistance crossed over a small bridge that was above a thin river. From there, they moved towards the northwest. Fhirdiad was getting ever closer as the hours passed. The Resistance's wyvern-based scouts were soon able to catch a faint glimpse of a massive city in the distance.

That was it; their destination was within reach. Jeralt and Gilbert called for their respective forces to stop for that night and prepare a campsite. The last one they needed before the assault on the Kingdom capital.

Tents were promptly set up. Considering how close they were to the beginning of their attack, all they needed was to ensure that everybody had their own bed. This was quite a challenging task due to the sheer amount of people they had, but it was eventually done. Everyone possessed a means with which to attain sleep.

That night, Edelgard retired to her assigned tent. Carefully placing Lucas' hat and her weapons to the side, she slid into bed, still wearing the Evening Wear uniform she obtained from the monastery. Her eyes closed and her mind drifted to a restful state.

For all of two seconds. Someone called out from the other side of the flap of her tent.

"El."

She immediately shot awake. Edelgard lifted her head from her makeshift pillows, her gaze floating over to the tent's entrance.

"Come in, Dimitri."

The flap was pushed aside. Dimitri stepped inside the tent, uncaring for the snow that covered his dark boots. His expression was blank, although Edelgard could see something in his eyes. She smiled.

"I assume there is a reason for your visit."

"There is," he said, monotonically. "I would like to ask you a question."

"Ask."

Dimitri nodded.

"The reason why you lost the color of your hair…it was because of those filthy Agarthans. Their inhumane experiments resulted in the deaths of your siblings. However…" Dimitri stared straight at Edelgard. "You are able to smile, in spite of all you have seen. I must ask - do you hear them? Do you feel their regret? Have they cast their hold upon you?"

Edelgard furrowed her brows. Her smile dropped, though it became faint. It was still there, at least.

"Long ago, that may have been the case." She closed her eyes. "But not now. I fight for the sake of Fódlan. To rid the world of its darkness."

"How? How is it that you are unable to hear their voices? I do not understand. How do you not feel their regret?"

Edelgard opened her eyes, shooting Dimitri a warm smile.

"Because I understand the warmth of life."

"Warmth…of life?" Dimitri's expression mostly stayed the same, yet Edelgard could tell - there was something different. "I still do not understand."

"Someday, you will."

Dimitri opened his mouth in surprise.

"You have such faith in me, El. Such faith in one so selfish as I."

"Selfishness is not inherently a bad trait. One must preserve their own life before being able to help and guide others. You are not selfish, Dimitri. You are merely lost."

Edelgard's smile widened.

"We shall help you find your way."

Dimitri's expression remained neutral. Instead of responding verbally, he turned around, facing the exit of the tent.

"You are not the first to say that. Marianne, she…"

His head lowered and his arm moved in front of his chest. Edelgard couldn't quite make out what he was doing since his back blocked her view, but she very lightly chuckled to herself regardless.

"She cares for you. We all do, but that girl…she cares for you the most. I've seen it in her eyes."

"I do not know why. It is as Felix says - I am a boar. A boar who thirsts for the blood of my enemies. What else is there to see?"

"That's a question you must answer for yourself. Only you can decide who you are."

"Only I can decide…"

Dimitri raised his head, then glanced back at Edelgard for a brief second.

"I a-am…"

He departed from the tent. Edelgard smiled, watching her step sibling leave with a slow, sluggish step. Snow fell from his boots and landed within her tent, but she paid that no mind.

Edelgard glanced to the side of her narrow bed. Lucas' hat rested on the side of the tent. The two weapons he discarded, his Levin Sword and his Killing Edge, were right by the hat. Within arm's reach of her bed was her Relic - the Sword of the Creator - as was her secondary weapon, her Silver Axe.

Content and at peace, Edelgard lowered her head back to her makeshift pillows. This time, she was able to sleep.

The next morning, the campsite was cleared away. Everything was gone and packed away into their carts. As soon as they were ready, the Resistance resumed the last leg of their march.

They approached Fhirdiad.

As the minutes passed, the Resistance and Kingdom forces marched closer to the city. Indistinct screams and yells were coming from within. It was as if the fighting had already started, even though the Dukedom's enemies hadn't arrived yet.

What came as a shock to everyone was the fact that Fhirdiad's front gates were open. Jeralt grunted.

"This has gotta be some kind of trap. They wouldn't just let us in like this."

Gilbert nodded. "I agree. We must not wander into an unfavorable position. I do not believe Cornelia would be so foolish as to grant us a painless entry."

"Heh. I wouldn't be so sure."

Claude stepped forward, a smirk on his face. Gilbert and Jeralt stared at him with raised brows.

"What are you saying, kid?"

"I'm saying that there's obviously something going on in there. Don't you hear the sounds of battle? I don't know if you noticed, but we're not making that noise. There's gotta be someone else in there fighting Cornelia's forces." Claude returned their gazes.

"Someone else…" Gilbert paused to think. "I do not know of any other forces that would oppose Cornelia's reign in such a manner. It may very well be that the people of Fhirdiad are rebelling against her."

Claude and Jeralt incredulously stared at the elderly knight.

"A rebellion? Why now, of all times?" Jeralt asked as he scratched his head.

"Perhaps they know of our arrival. It is possible they overheard the news of our approach from a careless, likely drunk, knight. Or it could be that there are those in the Dukedom still loyal to His Highness."

"Well," Claude grinned, unsheathing Failnaught. "Either way, innocent people are getting hurt in there. I doubt that a bunch of civilians would be able to stand up to trained knights. Let's get moving."

Jeralt and Gilbert nodded. They, along with everyone else, prepared their weapons. They charged in, leaving behind their carriages and steeds closer to the city's front gate.

Snow became trampled beneath their feet as they began their assault on Fhirdad.

As the Resistance and Kingdom forces charged through the streets of the capital city, they occasionally came across pockets of Dukedom soldiers engaged in one-sided fights with civilians. Such soldiers were promptly dealt with, allowing the rebellious civilians to escape to relative safety.

Those that escaped had no choice but to allow the Dukedom's enemies to fight on their behalf. Indeed, they fought, cutting through any loose groups of opposing soldiers they happened across. There weren't many, so when faced against the elites of the Resistance and the Kingdom - the Dukedom knights stood no chance.

Their progress towards the palace continued. Eventually, after cutting their way through some more knights, the Resistance and Kingdom forces ended up in a familiar area. Three different paths up towards the imposingly gigantic royal palace of Fhirdiad. Hordes of Dukedom soldiers lined the paths, ready to defend their home.

As planned, they split up into three groups. Edelgard and Jeralt represented the Resistance as they were assigned the leftmost path. Claude and the Golden Deer were given the rightmost path.

This left the middle path to Dimitri, Gilbert, and the Blue Lions. His Highness twitched, seemingly ready to get into battle. Felix glared at him from a distance, but Sylvain prevented him from doing so for too long.

As the three groups began to charge into the battlefield, in the distance, Cornelia observed her opponents' arrival from a high-up platform that was near the palace. She grinned maliciously.

"The Resistance has combined their forces with the likes of that little princeling's pathetic army…" Cornelia said to herself. "Try as they might. No matter what hopeless actions they may take, it will all lead to their deaths."

Purple magic crackled around her fingertips.

"Come to me, princeling. I will finish what I started."

She remained where she was, observing the battle from on high.

Down below, the battle began. Resistance and Kingdom forces engaged with the Dukedom's knights. Claude's team was swiftly met with several heavily armored Fortress Knights and less armored Grapplers, who were backed up by Warlocks and Bishops.

The likes of Lysithea, Marianne, and Flayn attempted to counter the considerable physical defenses of the enemy Fortress Knights, but the Dukedom's spellcasters got in their way, forcing the three girls to change their target. Small clouds of mana formed when different spells collided with one another - a battle of projectiles had taken place.

Raphael, Leonie, and Hilda kept several Grapplers busy, allowing Ignatz to take them out with a well-aimed arrow or two. These three promptly went on to eliminate the magic users that were giving Lysithea, Marriane, and Flayn such trouble. In turn, this gave the three girls the opportunity to finish off those Fortress Knights with relative ease.

Lysithea and Marianne's Relics, along with Flayn's Sacred Weapon, were most efficient in these aggressive efforts.

Claude was up in the air, alongside his fellow Wyvern Riders and Wyvern Lords. He unleashed the blinding speed of Failnaught to bring down countless foes. Later within the fight, his airborne group came across a contingent of Dukedom Falcon Knights. An air battle ensued.

The inherent weakness of winged mounts was something Claude, with his expert command over the bow, exploited to the highest extent.

Back on the ground, Hilda was swinging around her Hero's Relic - Freikugel - to great effect. She smashed a poor Grappler's face in with a single slash of her axe, shaking the lifeless body from the edge of her now-bloody Relic and discarding it to the ground.

Once she had a moment to herself, Hilda looked up so she could briefly observe the aerial battle. Almost right away, she saw Claude bring down several enemy Falcon Knights in quick succession. Hilda sighed, but then grinned. She refocused her efforts and got back into her own fights.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom forces led by Dimitri and Gilbert were making a valiant push through the middle path. They had quickly come across a horde of Swordmasters and Dark Bishops. The spellcasters were promptly countered by swift moves from Ingrid, who swooped down from above atop her pegasus, diving in and out to eliminate those Dark Bishops with a single lunge from Lúin.

Sylvain was rather useful in this endeavor, as well. He was a Paladin, which meant that he had a steed of his own. He used it to break past enemy lines, helping Ingrid to exterminate the Dark Bishops that were giving some of their other soldiers trouble. It also helped that his Hero's Relic, the Lance of Ruin, was rather powerful. It was capable of cutting through swathes of spell users without him needing to put too much effort into his attacks.

The Kingdom had several Heroes' Relics. Annette, who was a Mage, had one of them - an axe named Crusher. Its attacks were charged with magic, meaning that it dealt magical damage. This gave Annette the ability to largely bypass any physical defense of anyone that came her way. Many Swordmasters fell to her power.

Mercedes, as a Bishop, was right behind Annie. She provided her good friend with any means of healing she may have required. There was no Relic in her possession, but Mercie's assistance was still greatly valued by Annette. Her ownership of the Tathlum Bow, a Sacred Weapon that connected to her Crest of Lamine, was also valued.

Felix was also adept at taking down Swordmasters. Although he didn't quite have an offensive-oriented Relic as everyone else had, he did have an Aegis Shield. It granted him a near-impervious level of defense, making it seemingly impossible for him to be taken out. He blocked many blows with his shield and used his Sacred Weapon - the Sword of Moralta - to cut down his opposition.

Sometimes, Felix switched to the other Sacred Weapon he had at his disposal: the Sword of Begalta. It wasn't quite as effective for him as the Sword of Moralta, but it was good for preserving the durability of his other blade. Either way, no matter which sword he was using at any given time, his foes didn't have a particularly good time.

Dimitri led the push forward, Areadbhar in hand. The Swordmasters and Dark Bishops had all been slain by the hands of both him and his allies. His forces hurried up a wide staircase that led to an open area.

But as they got there, three large flashes of purple light appeared right in front of them. A trio of gigantic, metal constructs that focused themselves upon the Kingdom forces.

"These must be the Titanus that Lucas warned us about," Gilbert said to himself, pointing his Silver Lance at the construct nearest to him. He raised his voice, addressing the soldiers he commanded. "We know how to fight them! Surround them and attack with all you have! Relic wielders, spread yourselves out amongst these three! We shall require the power of your weapons to defeat them!"

His soldiers shouted, raising their weapons as they rushed in to deal with the three Titanus units. As per Gilbert's orders, the Relic wielders spread themselves out. At least one of them was fighting one of the Titanus. Felix and Sylvain had the leftmost one, Ingrid and Annette fought the rightmost unit, which left Dimitri with the one in the middle.

Dimitri charged ahead, leading a battalion of Kingdom soldiers toward the Titanus unit. He performed a sweeping slash with Areadbhar, cutting deep into the unit's metallic sheen. His soldiers followed suit with their respective weapons of choice, resulting in additional holes and gashes being created upon the mechanical doll.

But it wasn't done. Its gigantic sword glowed orange and red, generating enough power to allow it to perform a hefty slash. The slash itself was powerful on its own as it cleared away a small number of Dimitri's soldiers. However, it was nothing compared to the crescent-shaped blast of orange-red magical energy that was released.

The wave of energy exploded upon contact with another group of Kingdom knights, flinging them away into a nearby wall. Dimitri avoided it since he was out of its range. He looked at the damage the Titanus unit caused and grit his teeth in response.

"Agarthan scum…! Your dolls will not get in my way!"

Dimitri started to unload another assault on the Titanus with Areadbhar, but stopped.

"Your Highness."

A deep, familiar voice came from behind him. Dimitri turned his head sideways, allowing him to keep one eye on the Titanus unit and another on the person that had returned to him.

His eyes widened when he realized who it was. All of the tension in his body was released as he turned completely around.

A dark-skinned, white and gray-haired man stood before him. His face was riddled with scars, some even approaching his blue-green eyes. He was wearing heavy gray and brown armor, befitting that of an Armored Knight.

"Dedue!" Dimitri exclaimed. "You're alive…h-how? I thought you were-"

"We do not have time to discuss this, Your Highness. Let us talk after the battle. For now, allow me to fight alongside you."

"Y-yes. Of course, Dedue."

Dimitri turned back around, facing the Titanus unit once more.

"Dedue, I…please. Never do that again." He raised his Relic, pointing it at the mechanical construct that was fighting his soldiers. "Never throw your life away."

"Understood, Your Highness."

Together, Dimitri and Dedue engaged the Titanus unit, fighting it with all of their might. The Duscurian man watched out for his liege and never left his side.

As the battle with the Titanus raged on, some of the Kingdom soldiers found themselves struck by a sudden beam of lightning. Gilbert's eyes wandered over to a distant wall, where two dark blue magical constructs that had light blue mana coursing through them were positioned.

"Viskam…Cornelia's magical turrets. Avoid their strikes, everyone, and do not attempt to attack them! We must wait until the lever has been located! Focus your efforts on eliminating these large enemies first!" Gilbert yelled, ensuring his order could be heard by everyone.

It seemed to work, as nobody broke off from their engagements with the three Titanus units to attempt to deal with the Viskam turrets. All of their attention was aimed solely at the mechanical dolls.

While Dimitri and Gilbert's team fought the Titanus, Claude's squad was continuing up their path. They weren't occupied with any turrets or large, imposing enemies of any kind, which meant that their progress was smooth.

The squad pushed on through, cutting down the remainder of the Falcon Knights, Warlocks, and Fortress Knights in the area. They went up a set of stairs, where a few more Dukedom soldiers were waiting. Claude's team had barely lost anybody, so their sheer numbers were more than enough to secure a victory against such a minuscule group of Fortress Knights.

With no other enemies in the immediate area, Claude instructed his soldiers to stop and take a short break. He didn't follow his own orders, however, as he laid his eyes upon a secret, secluded path in the corner of the area they were in.

Claude decided to investigate. Dismounting from his wyvern, he hurried down the empty, stone corridor. At the other end of the path was a small room that had nothing inside of it - except for a lever.

He grinned and immediately pulled it in the other direction.

Seconds later, the Viskam turrets that had been picking off members of Dimitri's squad all turned off. The light that was escaping from the blue mana within the turrets was no longer lit and they never fired ever again.

Dimitri, Gilbert, the Blue Lions, and the rest of the Kingdom soldiers were able to continue their fights with the three Titanus units in relative peace. Mercedes and the other Bishops were on hand to heal anyone that was hurt by the Viskam, allowing them to rejoin the battle.

While all of this was going on, Edelgard and Jeralt's team was dealing with their own problems. Initially, all they had to worry about was some Snipers and Fortress Knights. The Snipers were dealt with through the use of some swift lunges from Jeralt, while Edelgard's sheer strength was enough to shatter the heavy armor of the Fortress Knights.

Though, she did sometimes switch to Lucas' Levin Sword. She didn't have to use as much of her strength for the Fortress Knights using the jagged, magical blade. The power of mana did most of the work for her.

What came next was the problem. In the same area as some Grapplers and Warlocks, there was a Titanus unit. Fortunately, there was only one of them, though the Grapplers and Warlocks demanded some of the Resistance's attention.

Edelgard focused on the Titanus. She equipped her Sword of the Creator, using its extendable range to stay out of the unit's striking distance. Its sword beam was something she hadn't expected, however. Due to her heavy armor weighing her down and thus decreasing her mobility, she opted to block the magical blast the Titanus unit aimed at her.

The block was successful, but there was a noticeable dent in her armor. For the sake of ending the battle, Edelgard swung her Relic, unloading as much power as possible onto the artificial being.

She ducked and dodged her away around further basic sword slashes from the Titanus unit. Although it was large, it was also slow. Much slower than her. This meant that she could comfortably avoid most of its hits. Any further uses of its sword beam attack were anticipated by Edelgard as well, meaning that she was able to continually put herself in a favorable position with which to evade the blast of magic.

Ultimately, with a final swing of the Sword of the Creator, Edelgard caused the Titanus monster to tumble over. It didn't move once it fell. Therefore, it was no longer a danger to herself or her allies. She took a moment to catch her breath, somewhat exhausted from the encounter she had just faced.

Her time of peace didn't last long. A beam of purple magic appeared in front of her, indicating that someone was about to teleport in.

A dark blue-haired man with blue eyes and a black and red cloak appeared in front of Edelgard. An eternal smug expression was on his face.

"My, Princess. You and your friends have put on quite the show," he said. "Excellent work on taking out Cornelia's little pet, there."

Edelgard halted her break and aimed the Sword of the Creator at the man's face.

"Adrian Aquila. What are you doing here? I shouldn't think the Emperor would want to keep a failure like you around."

The second Flame Emperor was unfazed.

"Oh, please," Adrian scoffed. "I hardly failed in Derdriu. It was that useless girl that failed to meet our expectations. If anything, I did the Emperor a favor by getting rid of her. Saved him some time from doing the execution himself."

"Bernadetta did not deserve what you did to her. Her body still lies in Derdriu, waiting to be buried. There was no need to kill her."

"No need? I disagree. If I had let her go, she would have spilled some very important secrets regarding the Empire. She was a loud one, Princess." Adrian's grin widened. "I had to silence her."

"Enough! I've grown tired of acknowledging the fact that you're still alive. I'll prevent you from needlessly taking any further lives!"

Edelgard lunged with the Sword of the Creator, extending out the blade so it could reach Adrian. However, he side-stepped at the last second. The Relic passed right by his face.

His grin did not disappear.

"Close one, Princess. But not close enough. Here..." He pulled out his Hero's Relic from underneath his cloak. "I'll show you the power you could've had."

Adrian began walking, stepping very slowly towards Edelgard. She retracted the Sword of the Creator's extendable blade and tried again with a horizontal slash, but Adrian merely leapt high into the air. He raised Aymr, intending to bring it down upon his opponent.

But she side-stepped before it could make contact. Adrian landed on the ground, causing the stones around him to crack underneath his pressure. He stood back up and gave Edelgard a grin.

"Too slow."

Edelgard scowled at him. "You never answered my question. What are you doinghere? I assumed you were assigned to the Alliance - not to the Kingdom. Is this not Cornelia's territory?"

"Oh, it is. And you're right. The Emperor did assign me to watch over the Alliance. But that hasn't gone particularly well, has it?" Adrian snickered. "Here's a fun secret for you, Princess. Emperor 'Arundel' doesn't know I'm here."

"Hmph. Should I care? Because I don't. I care not for what my 'uncle' thinks."

"Ha! That's one thing we agree on, Princess. I'm not particularly fond of him, either. But I am grateful, at least. Grateful for the power he has given me. The very same power you discarded." Adrian aimed Aymr in her direction. "Now…die."

In an instant, he surged ahead, taking Edelgard by surprise. She was only barely able to duck underneath a sideways swing of Aymr. Fighting through her shock, Edelgard attempted to retaliate using a stab with the Sword of the Creator, but all it hit was the air in front of her.

Adrian jumped up into the air again. This time, however, he wasn't performing an overhead slash. He leapt over Edelgard, even front flipping while in midair. The blue-haired man landed behind the woman, giving him ample opportunity to prepare a powerful swing.

One charged with the power of the Crest of Seiros.

Edelgard was frozen, her eyes trembling with a mix of surprise and fear. She eventually snapped out of it, but it was too late.

Aymr slammed into her cheek. The immense power behind the attack was enough to send her flying into the distance. When she landed, she skidded across the ground until she stopped.

The unmasked Flame Emperor II grinned. He slowly stepped over to Edelgard's body. She was still conscious, as was evident by her opened eyes and the fact that she was still holding firmly onto the Sword of the Creator. A deep gash ran along her left cheek, caused by the very same attack he made moments earlier.

It was clear by her trembling limbs and the blood that poured from her gash that she wasn't getting up any time soon. Such an idea only served to amuse Adrian further. He laughed as he stood over her.

"Do you see it? The power that I possess? It's really quite something, wouldn't you think?" Adrian gloated, spreading his arms out into the air. "It's been some time since I was last able to spread my wings like this. I thank you for such an entertaining battle, Princess."

"Ugh…y-you-"

Adrian pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh…don't waste your energy. Spend your last moments thinking about all the joys and merriment you've seen in your life. Do it - before I take it away from you."

He aimed Aymr at her head.

"You'll join your old pet Hubert in the afterlife. If that even exists."

The axe was raised. Edelgard didn't close her eyes as she chose not to avert her gaze from the fate that was about to befall her.

Silence. There were no other sounds in the world besides that of steel clashing upon steel in the distance, as well as the screams and battle cries of many soldiers. The wind brought her comfort in her final moments.

She awaited her death.

Adrian smiled, then lowered his axe to his side. No longer was it aimed at Edelgard.

"W-what? Weren't you-"

"I think you've had enough. I wasn't really going to kill you, you know."

Edelgard frowned. "E-excuse me?"

"Honest. I never intended on killing you. I just wanted you to suffer a bit, is all. As I said, I don't care much for your 'uncle'. I care much less for Cornelia, as…attractive as she may be." Adrian turned his back to her. "I only wanted you to know exactly how powerful I am. Then, you'll spread word of my power, and soon, everyone will know the depths of my strength."

He rotated his head halfway, keeping an eye on Edelgard's fallen body.

"Besides, I need you alive. I'd like to show you something later. But as for now, this is where we part ways." He turned his head back. "Goodbye, Princess. Be sure to tell all your friends about me."

Adrian disappeared through the use of teleportation magic, leaving Edelgard to bleed.

Her breathing became slower and her eyes felt heavy. The distant screams and yells started to become quieter, gradually lowering in volume as the seconds passed.

One of them got closer, it seemed to her. She couldn't quite tell who it was or where they were, as it was all muffled and hard to make out.

"Kid-!"

It was the last thing she heard before falling unconscious.

The rest of the battle continued as normal. Claude's team finished their short break and were dealing with two Titanus units that were in a large, open area. Failnaught, Lysithea's Thyrsus, and Marianne's Blutgang were especially effective in dealing with such mechanical monsters.

Although the units were tough, they were soon brought down by the combined might of Claude's troops. As were the miscellaneous Bishops and Grapplers that were around the same area.

In the meantime, Dimitri and Gilbert's team were fighting an additional pair of Titanus units. They were above two different sets of staircases, one being on the left and the other on the right. This meant that the team had to split up.

Doing so wasn't a problem for them. They had a considerable quantity of Heroes' Relics, which gave them an effective advantage over the Titanus. One-half of the wielders of offense-oriented Relics fought the leftmost Titanus while the other half dealt with the rightmost unit.

As they already had experience fighting such things, the Kingdom forces soon defeated the last two Titanus units. Following them was a small group of Snipers, though they were barely able to fight back. The strength of the military group that had just taken down five Titanus monsters was too much for the Dukedom Snipers to handle.

With all their immediate enemies handled, Dimitri and Gilbert lead their squad further north. They ended up meeting with Claude's team, who were finishing off some Grapplers that chose not to escape their fate. The two groups approached one another as soon as they were free.

"Hey there. Glad to see you all made it through," Claude said to them. His gaze then landed upon the man that stood to the left of Dimitri. "Hold on. Isn't that-"

"Yes. Dedue is alive. It…it came as a surprise to me as well." Dimitri looked in the direction of his retainer, whose stoic expression remained despite the scrutiny of the Golden Deer.

"Whoa, wait, I thought you said he died protecting you. How is he still alive?" Hilda asked.

Dimitri turned to Dedue. The Duscurian shook his head.

"I will explain when the battle is over. Cornelia is still alive, therefore, the battle has yet to conclude."

Upon hearing this, Dimitri's grip on Areadbhar tightened. He looked all around the area, finding no signs of his target. His gaze then landed on the figure of the immense palace looking down on them all.

"Dedue is right. It's not over yet."

Dimitri ran ahead, brushing past everyone in his way as he rushed towards the massive staircase that led up to the palace.

Marianne reached out with her hand. "D-Dimitri!"

"Uh-oh. I don't like the looks of this." Claude scratched the side of his head. He glanced at Dedue, then Marianne. "Hey, Dedue, Mariannne. You two mind keeping an eye on him? It wouldn't be good if the rightful king of Faerghus got caught in a trap."

The two nodded. "You need not tell me to do that," Dedue said. He looked at Marianne. "Let us go."

"Mm."

As such, Dedue and Marianne hurried off after Dimitri, following wherever he had gotten to.

The rest of the now-merged group took a moment to breathe and relax after all the fighting they had been through. Claude approached Gilbert.

"Hey, so, any idea where Edelgard and Jeralt's group are? Haven't seen any of them in a while. Not counting when I was up in the air on my wyvern, of course."

Gilbert shook his head. "I have not seen them."

"Oh. Well, that's just great, then. Considering that both of our paths took us to the same area, I think they'll show up here sooner or later. I hope they do."

"As do I."

The conversation came to a lull. Claude and Gilbert took their breaks alongside everyone else, relaxing their sore muscles and getting their injuries healed. Some of the others had gone off after Marianne and Dedue - just to ensure their safety.

Minutes after their departure, the third and final group came around the corner. Claude and Gilbert's eyes widened when they saw Jeralt - who was leading the squad - carry an unconscious Edelgard in his arms.

Claude and Gilbert glanced at each other with their astonished expressions.

While the three groups were reuniting, Dimitri made a mad dash for the royal palace. He burst through his doors, breaking down and pushing past everything and everyone that was in his way.

"Cornelia…there is only one place you can be. You won't hide from me!"

He ran through the halls of the palace, heading down a specific route so he could get to a certain room as fast as he could. Dimitri hurried up several flights of stairs and bolted straight down multiple corridors. Nothing stopped him.

Not even a set of double doors. Dimitri gripped Areadbhar, then forced the doors open with a kick.

He stepped inside to a realm of blue and gold-lined stone. Faerghus blue carpets were laid across the floor, steel chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and a singular, large stained glass window was on the leftmost wall.

At the end of the chamber opposite the window was a gold and dark blue throne. Sat upon it was-

"CORNELIA!"

The usurper sat smugly upon the throne. She returned Dimitri's violent gaze.

"Your Highness. It makes me so happy to see you still breathing." Cornelia smirked. "You've grown rather strong, haven't you?"

"You shameless witch! You're the one that killed my uncle and tried to have me executed for a crime I did not commit! You ally yourself with the very same Emperor who wishes to control this land with an iron-clad fist! For all these crimes, and more…" Dimitri pointed Areadbhar at the woman. "I will kill you, scum!"

"How aggressive. Foolish, as well. You won't be able to reach me."

Purple mana crackled at her fingertips. She flung a Miasma at Dimitri, which he promptly swiped away with Areadbhar. He began to move forwards, rushing ahead with a violent ferocity that was not unlike a ravenous boar.

Cornelia continued to intercept him with various spells, attempting the likes of Miasma, Death, and Luna. None of them affected him - not in any major way. If he was hurt by them, he didn't show it. Neither did he slow down.

Dimitri kept moving. Cornelia's eyes widened and her movements slowed. Spells eventually stopped being fired from her hands as she realized the futility of her actions.

The king was right in front of her. He pulled back and lunged forward with every bit of power he had. His Crest of Blaiddyd flared up, massively increasing the strength of his attack.

Areadbhar was forced right through Cornelia's chest. She coughed up blood, letting it intentionally spill onto his blonde, unkempt hair.

"Y-you…"

"Enough talk. You've caused enough misery with your words, witch. You have nothing left to say."

"D-do I?" Cornelia coughed up more blood. "I have something of a t-tale you may be inclined to hear…"

"What is it about?"

"T-the Tragedy of Duscur. I know the t-truth. I know who ordered the death of the king, and all those p-poor Duscurians. It was-"

Cornelia screamed in agony as Dimitri retracted Areadbhar as forcefully as he could.

"I already know. There is nothing you can tell me that I am not already aware of. Pass on…Agarthan scum."

She froze. Cornelia entered a considerable coughing fit, staining the ground of the throne room with her blood. Her skin started to become pale, returning to its natural gray and wrinkled form.

"Y-you bastard-!"

With a single swipe of his lance, Dimitri beheaded Cornelia. Her lifeless corpse fell to the ground and her head rolled down the steps to the throne.

He looked down at his blood-stained hands.

"It's over…" He said, his voice weak. "Cornelia is no more…the Kingdom can finally be restored."

He clenched his hands.

"But Thales is still alive. That means…th-that means the battle is not truly over. Not until his head is mine."

Dimitri looked up at the ceiling, at something that wasn't quite in reach.

At the same set of doors he used to enter the throne room, Marianne reached out, intending to be by his side. But Dedue held her back.

She turned around as if to ask 'why'. He shook his head.

"His Highness has changed since I last saw him, those five years ago. On the day of his execution, when I set him free and allowed him to escape with his life…" Dedue said. "That day was when all of the pain and anguish he had suppressed over the years, ever since that tragedy - that day was when it all released."

"S-something was unlocked inside of him, causing all of that pain to surface…" Marianne clasped her hands together. "I know how that feels."

Dedue nodded.

"I will need your help in watching over him. I…I am not the best with emotions. I can guide his anger in the right direction, but I cannot comfort him sufficiently in times of need. I simply cannot connect with those feelings."

He turned to Marianne.

"But you can. Please, help him. Help him in any way you can."

She nodded - without any hesitation.

"I will."

Marianne turned away and hurried over to Dimitri's side. Dedue watched on, a smile appearing on his face.

Author Notes: The battle for Fhirdiad has officially concluded! Cornelia was defeated, and now the Dukedom's no more. Dimitri got what he wanted and perhaps then some. Heh. Only one more chapter to go until the end of Act 3! Act 4 should be very interesting...

Once again, thanks to Frost for beta-reading.

Thanks to you all for reading, and I'll see you next time!

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