As if by muscle memory, Thales' palm shot forth, and out burst a rectangular blast of black and orange energy that forced the Guardians to roll out of the way.

Ginzo and Lus quickly uprighted themselves after evading. Ginzo summoned a Golden Gun, unloading shots at Thales, who quickly threw out two more blasts that consumed the fire.

"The hell was that? I've never seen anything like that before!" Ginzo blurted, advancing towards his target.

"Some kind of new darkness energy?" Lus tried, summoning a Sentinel Shield and rushing towards the dark magician. "Let's kill him before he learns how to use it!"

Lus rushed toward Thales, covering himself with his shield to block an incoming blast of his new power. The shield did its job, shielding him from much of the blast, but small parts bled through and shocked Lus' body. Still, the Titan pushed on, making sure he was covered.

Thales teleported away to be behind the Titan, forcing Lus to break his momentum and spin around. Thales used the opportunity to launch another blast toward the Titan, which was blocked by his shield. Thales quickly saw a purple mist on the right side of his vision, making him leap back and launch a panic blast of magic towards it. Out of the mist rolled Ginzo, narrowly dodging the attack but pressing on, nonetheless. Thales used some of his normal magic to deliver a short-range lightning blast, the blow making Ginzo wince.

Ginzo, however, steeled himself and slashed forth, landing a grazing blow on Thales' forearms. The magician groaned in agony, stomping the ground and unleashing a wave of the rectangular Darkness magic, making Ginzo leap up, but Thales once again fired another blast of Darkness energy, this time directly hitting Ginzo, launching him away.

However, Lus quickly took Ginzo's opening, launching forth and landing an Arc-charged fist directly into Thales' sternum, sending him flying into a wall with a powerful crash.

Thales grit his teeth, the blow disorienting all of his senses. "You rats!". He launched two blasts of the Darkness magic before Lus could dodge out of the way. The Titan was thrown back into a wall, making Thales smile as his sight slowly returned. "Today you die for good!"

"That's my line!" Ginzo yelled, springing off a pillar before launching a Blade Barrage towards Thales. Thales retaliated by creating a shield spell infused with the Darkness magic, creating a spiraling rectangular mouth that consumed Ginzo's flaming knives.

Thales repositioned by teleporting once again, this time directly behind Lus who was still getting up. As Thales shot a blast, Lus ducked, causing the magic to only singe his armor.

The Titan then spun, swinging out his leg to bring the magician to the floor, before the Titan quickly stood and swung his leg up, bringing it down in a devastating flaming axe kick that forced Thales to block it with his forearm.

Thales screamed out, his arm most certainly broken and burned beyond repair. But the magician rolled to avoid a flaming fist from the Titan that shattered the ground, before darting up and forcefully palming a blast of his own dark magic into the Titan, making him groan in agony. The Titan reeled back, looking up to see Thales preparing another blast of the rectangular magic.

But Thales quickly grew confused as he felt his arms grow heavier than himself, looking over to see that Ginzo had tethered them to a nearby pillar with his Shadowshot. His eyes then darted around, looking for the Hunter, but grew tenser when he was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, his vision was forced upwards.

Ginzo had snuck up behind Thales and snaked his hands around Thales' chest, pulling it towards his knee which shot up into the sky. Thales reeled from the spinal blow, falling to the ground. Ginzo used the opening to fire a shot from his Austringer, but Thales rolled at the last possible moment, making the bullet only land in his side.

Thales this time teleported above Ginzo, using his position to deliver a kick straight to the Hunter's head, sending him reeling back. Thales teleported again, this time in such a way as to have both Lus and Ginzo in the sights of his newfound power. He fired off more blasts of magic that resembled spiraling rectangular missiles.

But at this moment, Thales quickly felt his wounds catching up to him. He had suffered quite a few broken bones and a wound from Ginzo's weapon that tore straight through him. Thales didn't have much healing magic but began to use any he knew to keep him in the fight.

His healing was interrupted by narrowly weaving out of the way of a blazing hammer thrown by Lus. The Titan then shot a Dead Messenger Void wave toward the magician, forcing him to teleport once more. As Lus looked around for where his target was, one of Thales' missiles struck him in the back, briefly sending him to the floor, before being struck by more, making him throw out a Ward of Dawn.

Thales continued trying to heal but was forced to teleport away again after Ginzo shot a trio of flaming arrows that quickly surrounded him, missing their mark by milliseconds.

Ginzo cursed and grit his teeth, readying another shot from his bow. "He keeps teleporting away!"

"Cover the room with Tethers!" Lus ordered. "I'll force him into one!"

Ginzo did as he was told, briefly wall-running before leaping off, jumping once more to get even higher before spinning and firing out Shadowshots everywhere, making the room a minefield for Thales.

Thales, healing up behind a pillar, nearly tripped over himself as he ducked out of the way of Lus' fist, which punched straight through the pillar rendering it to rubble. Thales teleported away from another punch, instead teleporting nearly on top of a Shadowshot by Ginzo, ensnaring him. Thales struggled with all his might, mustering every ounce of strength he could to break free from the trap.

But by the time any hope of him escaping arose, Ginzo was already behind him, with a flaming gun pressed against his head.

With a loud bang, Thales was now mere ashes.

Ginzo sighed, as his Golden Gun dissipated. "That's done. Now what, Pyramid? What do you want us to see?"

"Patience." The voice resonated, no longer in the Guardian's voices, but a different one. "That was but a mere taste of what's to come. Look upon the coffin."

Ginzo and Lus looked at the dark coffin at the front of the room, the ominous box radiating nefarious intentions.

"Did you know this world once had a great king? He's even called the 'King of Liberation'. We've saved him."

"Wasn't he dead?" Lus asked.

"Perhaps. But now, he is made anew."

"So what?" Ginzo bit. "You want us to fight him too? Did you not just see us put your last champion down?"

"Patience. That day has not come yet. Onwards."

"So, let's say there is a Pyramid here…"

Chopstick flew around Jose's office as the Warlock was busy peering through his notes. "What could we even do?"

"I don't know? Probably nothing…" Hornet answered over comms. "Nothing we've done has even damaged one."

"And the Traveler isn't here to save us." Leona added. "It'd be essentially a near-instant loss."

"We'd have to bring them to the city." Jose stated. "The students."

"What?! Are you insane?" Moa let out. "Bringing medieval age students that far into the future? Let alone from another dimension!"

"It's the only way we can protect them."

"But it isn't our duty! This isn't even our universe!" Moa retorted.

"But our problems somehow bled through." Anan answered. "If we fail the cleanup here, it's only right."

"I'm sure they'd adjust to the culture shock soon enough…" Chopstick tried. "But even if they did, would it only be the students? Only the Garreg-Mach Monastery attendees? Or would it be everyone on the continent?"

"There's no way the City could fit a whole continent." Anan nodded. "We'd need to figure out the space issue."

"Believe me, I know." Jose assured. "Less space means less farmland, less farmland means less food, less food means more death. But I'm sure there are abandoned districts from the Red War that can be converted into livable space again."

"Anan, Jose…this plan is asinine, even for you." Leona sighed. "Besides, how are we even gonna get them through?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Glaucia stated. "With the help of the Vex!"

"I don't think you guys understand how many people a damn continent is!" Moa gawked. "The city can't have that many people in the first place, so why try?"

"Then only the students?" Jose tried.

"How the hell do we guarantee that?" Moa asked. "As soon as word gets out, the gates would be flooded with people trying to enter our world. Also, I thought we agreed to go back to our own world even if the Hive and Vex weren't dealt with!"

"Anyway, this is all contingent on if there's a Pyramid here." Leona spoke. "Besides, we still have to find Lus and Ginzo. They could be in grave danger."

"But…" Jose tried, not wishing to let his idea die. "How-"

The Warlock was cut off by a knock at his door. Jose got up to answer, opening it to see Professor Byleth.

"Oh." Jose started. "Hey, Professor. How can I help you?"

"Lady Rhea wants to talk to you and the others," Byleth said. "She says she needs your help."

"Oh, alright. Thanks for the heads up." Jose nodded, closing the door as Byleth turned away, but pulled it open again as an idea sparked in his head. "Hey, actually wait a sec!"

"What is it?" Byleth asked, approaching Jose once again as he motioned for him to enter into his office.

Jose waited for Byleth to enter and for his door to be fully shut before speaking, switching to both speaker and comms. "Can someone help me explain causality and all that stuff?"

"I think there's something the Guardians aren't telling us."

Claude smirked and rested his feet on his table as he and his classmates were chatting in the cafeteria still. "Think about it. They've never made mention of these 'pyramids' before, and now that Lus and Ginzo disappeared they suddenly become the strongest enemy they've ever faced."

"You don't think…" Hilda began. "Did Professor Lus and Professor Ginzo betray them?"

"Not sure." Claude shrugged. "It definitely is a possibility."

"Not to mention they did start talking about rogue Guardians too." Lindhardt pondered. "I can't imagine the fallout that would occur if the Guardians fought."

"I'm sure Professor Lus and Ginzo are fine!" Annette argued. "You have to have faith in them. They've saved us more times than we can count!"

Dimitri nodded with Annette, before stroking his own chin. "Still, even if it is a morbid fascination, I must admit the so-called 'pyramids' are intriguing."

"Something about them reviving past traumas, boar prince?" Felix poked, garnering a sigh from Dimitri.

"If they are the strongest enemy the Guardians have faced…" Edelgard began, joining the conversation. "And not even the Guardians could do anything to damage them, I can't imagine what they could do to Fodlan."

"If they can erase entire planets…" Claude began. "Well, safe to say we wouldn't be putting up much of a fight."

"Blah blah magic hoo-hah!" Caspar groaned. "I bet they're like any other punks!"

"I wouldn't be so sure." Yuri shook his head. "The Guardians seemed pretty on edge when they were talking about the Pyramids. And considering the things they fight, I'm not sure any punk could even be considered a minor problem."

"Well, if they come here..." Marianne began, keeping her gaze down. "Are we as good as dead?"

"Sure seems that way..." Leonie nodded. "We could barely contest the Vex."

"So yeah, basically that's why we think you're acausal. Or rather we know that you are, we just don't know how."

Jose sighed as he finished his briefing on causality to Byleth, in no small part due to the help of Chopstick and the others.

Meanwhile, Byleth was currently debating with Sothis on whether or not to reveal their secret.

Sothis sighed as she pondered the thought. "Revealing our secret will no doubt be a great risk…"

Byleth nodded, but his face didn't change. "I trust the Guardians."

Byleth's lack of reaction made Sothis pinch her nose in slight frustration, sighing once again. "I suppose it could help us remember things. Just exercise caution when you explain it!"

As Byleth came out of his thoughts, he found Jose gesturing wildly to get his attention. "Hey, professor, You there?"

Byleth nodded. "Yes. I think I'm acausal."

Sothis popped in Byleth's head. "It may be best to not mention me, either!"

"Oh awesome, you are?" Jose cheered. "Uhh, do you, by chance, know how?"

"I can rewind time." Byleth spoke as if it was an everyday occurence.

"What?" Jose let out, groaning. "Dammit, that's OP!"

"O…P?" Byleth questioned, making the Warlock facepalm.

"OP means overpowered…basically you use it when something is well…overpowered. Anyway." Jose waved. "That makes my idea into an actual plan. Listen, we need your help to find out where Lus and Ginzo are."

"Of course." Byleth nodded, "How can I help?"

"Well, we need you to…rewind time… to figure out where they went."

"Sure. But can't I just stop them from disappearing?" Byleth asked.

"No…you can't because Guardians are paracausal, so even if we change the past, their current selves won't be affected. Hell, with how paracausality works, honestly I don't even know if they'll show up in the past, but it's the only idea I've got."

"If I'm right…" Chopstick began. "Their physical forms should appear, but we won't be able to interact with them. Nor will we see the effects of their powers."

"…I don't understand." Byleth mused, raising a hand to his chin.

"Don't worry, I'll explain on the way there, but let's go." Jose said, opening the door of his office.

"Right now?" Byleth asked, hurrying behind the Warlock.

"No time like the present!"

"Woah there pal," Chopstick began. "We still have to meet with Lady Rhea, remember."

"...Oh, yeah, that's right."

"Leona lied to you."

Lus grit his teeth as he heard his distorted voice speaking again. "Not this shit again."

"Marco is dead."

Lus sighed and did his best to ignore the voice in his head, this time informing Ginzo. "It's speaking again. Be ready."

Ginzo nodded. "I've got your back if anything happens."

"I've got yours too." Lus nodded back, the duo pushing onwards.

"Leona hid it from you."

"And why would she do that?" Lus asked, sighing.

"She knew the truth would hurt you."

"And that truth is?" Lus pointed, shrugging.

"Marco found us. Marco saw the beauty in our means. And Leona hated him for it."

"...Okay." Lus said, attempting to not care.

"You don't believe us? Go ahead, ask her. Watch her reaction. Let her tell you the story of how she killed her friend."

"Sure, I'll add it to my to-do list." Lus said, shutting his eyes as the new information latched onto his thoughts like a parasite.

The voice became audible for all to hear now, the Guardians and their Ghosts finally coming to a bridge overlooking the dark city.

"Behold."

What they saw was an unfathomable army of Scorn, all kneeling in worship. The army seemed to have no end, almost as if they could outnumber the Vex themselves.

"...Shit." Ginzo cursed, tightening the grip on his weapon.

"We just got rid of the Hive infestation. Now this?" Lus growled.

But the heads of the Scorn spun around to face the Guardians, making the Guardians rear up into their battle stances. An orange glow, the same as the one that was on Thales began emanating throughout the Pyramid, illuminating a lone tall figure in front of them, hanging upside down. As soon as the Guardians and their Ghosts laid their eyes upon it, they knew it was something beyond anything they'd fought before.

"Can we even take this many?" Cinnamon asked, hiding with Lus. "Or whatever…that…is?"

"We need to find our way out of here. The Scorn are one thing, but whatever the hell that thing is…call it a hunch, but we don't stand a chance as we are." Lus spoke, backing up.

"Let's move." Ginzo nodded, as he and Lus began their escape.

"Cinn, where to next?"

Lus narrowly avoided a swing from a Ravager that was clearly intended to decapitate him, before he quickly vaporized it with rapid punches from Arc-filled fists. Meanwhile, Ginzo threw out a Blade Barrage that cleared out the Raiders and Stalkers in front of them.

These Scorn were not only filled with Darkness, but they were stronger. Lus and Ginzo were no strangers to taking on hordes of enemies, even powerful ones, but these Scorn were able to survive longer against their abilities, push through the fire of their weapons, and were able to hit twice as hard as any normal Scorn soldier.

"I-I don't know!" Cinnamon exclaimed. "The Pyramid…it's shifting! It's like a moving maze!"

"Okay, well then how do we stop that?" Ginzo asked, running up a wall before jumping off and shooting a Shadowshot into a horde of Screebs.

"I don't know!" Cinnamon let out, fear taking over his voice.

Ginzo shot into the horde of Screebs with his Cloudstrike, causing a chain reaction of lightning and explosions to rock the hallway. But behind that was another wave of Screebs, Raiders, and Chieftains, with an Abomination in the back, firing away at the Hunter.

"Screw it!" Ginzo let out. "Let's run! We're gonna be overwhelmed!"

"Heard that!" Lus replied, tossing a Storm grenade into the onslaught of Scorn before following behind Ginzo. "Cinnamon, just keep giving us directions!"

"Okay! Make a left!"

The Guardians did as they were told and swung left through the hall, watching as the Pyramid shifted and blocked off their path behind them, in front of them were now three Abominations, already launching blasts of Arc towards the Guardians, with a few meeting their mark and dealing serious damage to Lus and Ginzo.

Lus quickly threw out a Ward of Dawn to block any more incoming shots as the Abominations marched towards them. Ginzo rolled out and summoned a Golden Gun, firing into one of the Abominations.

The Scorn tank was nearly unfazed however and kept marching on the two Guardians.

"Go to your right!" Cinnamon exclaimed, making Lus and Ginzo quickly bolt into a pathway that had shifted from the Pyramid's influence.

The two Guardians rushed down the hallway, moving as fast as possible to avoid any more Scorn. Their efforts were for naught, as on the walls and even the ceiling, a wave of Screebs were in hot pursuit of them.

One Screeb on the ceiling leaped and snagged a hold of Ginzo's cloak, pulling the Hunter back into its explosion, briefly making the Hunter drop to the floor.

Lus spun to pick up Ginzo from his stunned haze., carrying the Hunter on his shoulder, allowing Ginzo to cover his rear.

"Keep going straight! No-left!-right! Go right!"

Lus followed Cinnamon's directions and swung a sharp right, empowering himself with Arc to move as fast as his Light would allow.

Meanwhile, Ginzo unleashed several Cloudstrike shots, engulfing the Screebs in Arc storms that tore them apart.

"Left!"

As the Titan swung a left, Ginzo having fully recovered leaped off the Titan and left a Shadowshot behind them to slow down any attacks from their rear. The duo proceeded deeper into their path, and not a moment too soon, as the next onslaught of Scorn were hot on their trail.

"Right!" Cinnamon exclaimed, the Pyramid shifting once more.

"Taken!" Fortune shouted, the dark beings beaming in as the Guardians ran, sparing no time to fight their new enemies.

"Up the stairs! Then another right!"

Lus and Ginzo quickly ran up the stairs, atop which a Taken Knight met Lus with a hearty punch, sending the Titan to the ground. In an instant, however, Ginzo summoned an Arc Staff and ran it through the Knight, electrocuting it into mere ions. The Hunter helped the Titan up, and the two continued their mad run.

Even though he knew it was futile, Ginzo screamed into the comms, desperate for any form of help. "Goddammit! Anyone! Please pick up! We can't fight all these enemies just the two of us, so just pick up already!"

As expected, no reply came forth.

"Dammit!" Ginzo cursed, his stride not slowing. "Cinnamon, have we gotten closer to the exit?"

"It keeps shifting! At this point, we may as well be going in circles!" Cinnamon replied.

"Is there anywhere we can hide?" Lus asked, shooting a Dead Messenger shot into a line of Taken Thralls.

"Right here! Jump off!" Cinnamon shouted as the Guardians reached an open bridge that overlooked the dark city.

Without hesitation, both Guardians leaped off into the deep below.