Hello, dear readers. This is CrossVipeR316 with the latest-

Actually, I think I've kept you waiting long enough. Enjoy.

Copyright disclaimer: I only own the plot of this fic. For a full copyright disclaimer, please read chapter 1.

Buddy, I'm adorable.Nah


Chapter 33

Radiant Descendant VS Avatar of Death!
The answer lies in the heat of battle!

The worry on Nowi's face is so palpable that Donnel has to hug her to his chest to stop her from doing anything rash. After Nah collapsed back at the Dragon's cradle, Libra had a medical tent set up as fast as he could and had Nah brought in for intensive field care, with strict orders that he was not to be disturbed. Ten minutes later, he asked Miriel to get what she could gather from her research instruments on short notice and join him in the tent. After twenty more minutes, Miriel asked for Tiki to join them, which thankfully was possible, since Tiki had finally stopped sleeping for the majority of the day.

That was two hours ago. The air in our camp is tense as many of us await the news on Nah's condition. Nowi in particular almost whimpers like a puppy in pain while squirming in Donnel's grip. Seeing her ache on such a deep level hurts.

"My little Nah… My baby girl…" Nowi sniffles as tears fall from her eyes.

I kneel in front of Nowi. "Nowi."

No response.

"Nowi, look at me." I urge her. When she does that, I gently place my hands on her shoulders. "She's your and Donnel's daughter. I myself had a hand in raising her. She's stronger than this. Believe in her."

Nowi bites her lip and nods.

And that's when Libra finally exits the tent. Donnel finally lets up on his grip, which Nowi takes as the signal to almost teleport in front of the War Monk.

Nowi grabs hold of Libra's robe. "How is she?!" she all but demands to know.

"Her condition is stable." Libra assures Nowi patiently. "What she needs now is rest. Though I would not recommend it, she requested your presence, Nowi. And she wishes for Donnel and Jack to join in too."

I raise an eyebrow before I shrug and head for the medical tent.

As we enter the tent, we find Nah sitting on a field bed, wringing her hands with an expression full of sorrow on her face. Tiki sits by the bed with an unreadable look on her face.

"Nah? How are you feeling?" Nowi asks her daughter tentatively.

Nah clenches her fists as tears start flowing. "I'm sorry… Mother… Father… Uncle Jack… I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? Fer what?" Donnel asks confused.

Nah curls into herself. "I ended up throwing it all away. All that work to raise me… To make me strong. All gone."

I frown. "Nah, you're not making any sense. Look, just take a deep breath and we can talk this-"

"Uncle Jack, my powers are gone!" Nah shouts with her voice cracking.

I blink. "…Gone? What do you mean, "gone"? Aren't your powers tied to your heritage?"

Nah shakes her head. "I can't feel them anymore. When I woke up, all I could sense was a feeling of emptiness. I tried to draw on my flames, but they wouldn't come out."

"But…how?" Nowi asks in disbelief. "You're part dragon. A dragon's flames don't just extinguish like that. Not unless…" Nowi pales. "Not unless they're on death's door."

"Fortunately, we can rule that possibility out." Miriel interjects.

The Sage pulls out a vial with green stone fragments.

I eye contents with a raised eyebrow. "What's in the vial?"

"As you may recall from the last battle, Nah consumed her own Dragonstone. This allowed her to draw on the power stored within to a far larger extent than what manaketes are supposedly capable of naturally." the Sage explains.

Hang on… In most series with superpowers, that usually comes with a catch as big as the power boost itself. I mean, that's what happens to Deku whenever he goes full blast with One for All (with no Eri riding piggyback). Or whenever Lee goes Eight Inner Gates. You get the idea.

I grimace. "I don't like where this is going. Nah's body couldn't handle it, right?"

"That is not all." Miriel replies. "The only way for Nah to survive such an influx of power was if she forced herself to become accustomed to it. I hypothesize that her body subconsciously harmonized itself with the Dragonstone and thus accepted it as a part of her own physiology. While this alleviated her most immediate concern of survival, it caused another by the time the power in the stone had diminished below a certain level."

A chill runs up my spine as I realize where Miriel is going with this train of thought. "If that stone ran out of power…Nah would be too weak to survive."

Miriel nods grimly. "I arrived at the same conclusion while I treated Nah."

"But… But what did you do to her?" Nowi asks in a shaky voice.

"Neither Libra nor I could initially deduce the cause for the rapid decline in Nah's condition. Hence, we asked Tiki to join us." Miriel explains. "As the eldest manakete among us, we believed that she may provide us with some clue. That is when she brought up the possibility that Nah consuming her own Dragonstone may be connected to the cause."

"I simply told you about what happened during the final moments of the last battle." Tiki interjects.

"Nevertheless, it gave us the lead we needed. If Nah's Dragonstone – or what remained of it, at least – was the cause of her condition, we simply needed to remove it. It took some effort, but we managed to perform surgery on Nah." Miriel shows us the vial again. "What you see here are the fragments of the Dragonstone that Libra and I managed to extract from Nah's body. After the surgery, Nah's body reverted back to its natural state, thanks to Libra's healing magic."

"Hey, you did make sure to use clean tools for that treatment, right?" I ask apprehensive. "And you made sure to clean the area where you opened up Nah's body both before and after you started, didn't you?"

Miriel gives me a look that roughly translates into a scoff. "Do not underestimate the amount of medical knowledge that I have partaken in as a result of my position as head researcher in peacetime, Jack. I am fully aware of the importance of sanitation when performing non-magical medical treatments."

I sigh in relief. "Well, that's one arrow dodged at least."

For real, not disinfecting medical tools or even washing your hands before treatment can easily turn into a death sentence for the patient.


[Fun Fact: Even the Romans knew of the importance of sterilizing their medical tools before they performed field surgery on their soldiers, even though they had no clue about the existence of microbes. They didn't use any disinfectant, however. They simply let the tools rest in a fire for a while and let them cool off before surgery, thus killing any microbes with heat. This practice – along with just about everything else connected to ancient Rome – was gradually rejected as the church grew in power. It would take all the way until the 19th century before a Hungarian physician named Ignaz Semmelweis proposed that doctors wash their hands before they entered the midwives' ward in order to reduce the frequency of childbed fever; an often-fatal disease caused by an infection in the woman's reproductive organs. His idea was rejected by the medical community at the time, and it was only years after his death that the idea was finally accepted into standard medical procedure, partially thanks to Louis Pasteur's research in microbiology. Really, Semmelweis deserves more recognition for what he did. What he – along with hundreds of other physicians and researchers in modern history – laid the groundwork for has saved countless lives since his passing.]


Miriel adjusts her glasses. "Back to my point, Nah's condition stabilized after Libra finished her treatment. Thus, we are at our current situation."

Nowi gives the stone fragments a closer look. "There's no glow in the shards anymore. The light's all gone."

Tiki nods. "Which would mean Nah ended up completely draining the stone off its power. Even if it were intact, she would no longer have any such well of power to tap into."

Nowi turns to her daughter with a relieved smile. "Well, the important part is that you're alive, Nah. That's all that matters to me."

"I shouldn't be here anymore." Nah responds with a despondent tone.

Nowi blinks. "Huh? Why would you say that?"

Nah clenches her fists into the sheet as a scowl forms on her face. "My powers are gone. I'm no longer any good in a fight. I'm no good for this army at all anymore."

"Nah, ya can't jus' expect us to throw you aside 'cause o' that." Donnel protests.

"Then what good am I?!" Nah shouts as her tears start flowing again. "I will just be a burden on the battlefield! You're all better off if I just go back!"

Nowi walks up to her daughter and hugs her. "You're not a burden, Nah. You never were, and you never will be. Neither me nor Donnel will ever send you away just because there's something you can't do anymore."

Nah's response is to hug her mother back, all while her sobs fill the air in the tent.

I sidle up to Tiki. "There's something that just seems off with all this."

Tiki gives me a curious look. "Hm? What do you mean?"

I rub my chin. "I find it hard to believe that Nah would just lose her powers. The power to turn into a dragon is an ability that she was born with. All my future self did was teach her to channel that power in a different way. Just because she can't feel her powers anymore doesn't mean they're just gone, right?"

That, and a quick Observe tells me that Nah's skillset remains intact.

Tiki shakes her head. "Your reasoning is solid, but it does nothing to help Nah's issue. Even if her powers remain, as you claim, she would not be able to use them."

I raise an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"You may already know a bit about this, seeing as you have spent quite some time with both Nowi and Nah. Manaketes transform by drawing power from their Dragonstones. By sealing some of our lifeforce into these stones, we can maintain an appearance similar to humans, albeit while aging far slower than you do. If we are to return to our true form, the power that we sealed inside our Dragonstone is necessary."

I eye the dimmed Dragonstone fragments in the vial. "But since Nah's stone is nothing more than dulled shards, she no longer has the means to accomplish that."

Tiki nods. "Exactly. Though she still possesses the longevity and heritage of manaketes, her draconic powers may well be out of her reach for the rest of her life." The ancient manakete puts a hand on her chin. "Unless… But no, she would not go that far."

"Hm? What was that?"

Tiki shakes her head. "Please, pay me no mind. Such thoughts are better left untouched."

I frown. "Tiki, you can plainly see how deeply this affects Nah. If you can think of a way to help her, then please. I'm not asking you as an ally; I'm begging you as part of Nah's family."

Tiki sighs. "There might be a way. If what she lacks is a Dragonstone to draw power from, then finding a stone that still houses power may enable her to transform once more."

I smile. "Sounds like a plan. Where do we find one?"

The glare Tiki sends me tells me that I just said something incredibly stupid.

"Jack, a manakete's Dragonstone is not a tool of warfare. While it is true that transforming into a dragon grants us incredible power, that is just our race in their natural state. Unlike you humans, we manaketes do not strive to obtain power for the sake of conquest or battle. The reason why we seal part of our lifeforce into a stone is so we can coexist with other races more easily, as per the wishes of my mother. Moreover, you fail to realize just what you are asking for when you say that we search for a new Dragonstone for Nah."

I blink bemused (and more than a little nervous). "Wait… What am I missing?"

"Jack, the act of sealing one's lifeforce into a stone bonds you to that very stone for as long as you live. When a manakete does this, they essentially turn their stone into a part of themselves." Tiki explains. "For a manakete to tap into the power of a stone that they did not create themselves is akin to claiming the soul of someone else. Such an action is a taboo of the gravest nature among our race."

I gulp. "Wait… So if I were to apply that to myself, would that be the same as-"

"You forcing yourself onto Robin and violating her." Tiki finishes with a tone of finality.

That's- I don't even- Yikes. Okay, we are not going there.

"*Ahem* As touching as this moment may be, need I remind you all that Nah needs her bedrest?" Libra cuts in. "I would ask you to let her have that opportunity for as much as possible."

I rub my chin. "Hey, Libra, we'll be marching while Nah recovers from her treatment, right? How will we manage that?"

"The answer should be simple. We simply transport her in a cart." Miriel replies.

This causes Nah to blanch. "Oh, heck no! It was bad enough when you dragged me on that blasted ship, just so we could sail to Valm in the first place. I am NOT letting you put me on another deathtrap and pull me all the way to the other side of the continent!"

"Nah, please be reasonable." Libra implores the half-manakete. "Your recovery is important, but so is the urge that we end this war as soon as possible. We cannot remain here for as long as you need to recover, just because you cannot handle being transported in a vehicle."

"And you expect your patient to recover while you torture her? Don't you guys have something called the Hippocratic oath?!"

"She raises a fair point." Miriel points out. "Stress can severely impede any form of recovery. If Nah is uncomfortable with being transported on a cart, it may be detrimental to move her by those means while she is still recovering."

I scratch my head. "This isn't working. We need to find a way to transport Nah that she's comfortable with."

"You could carry me, Uncle Jack." Nah suggests.

I give her a dry look. "What am I, your personal ride? I'm not giving you a continent-spanning piggyback ride, no matter how much you beg me."

Nowi rubs her chin before she drops her fist into her palm. "I've got it! Jack, can't you transform into that baggy thing, just like you did for Robin back at the ship?"

A tic mark pulses on my forehead. "I'm not Nah's personal seat either! And Robin's the only one who gets to enjoy that privilege!"

Miriel's glasses flash. "Ah, I see where you are going with this. You are suggesting that we have Jack shapeshift into something more mobile."

Nowi nods. "That's right. Nah can't handle vehicles, but she's fine so long as Jack is carrying her. But I don't know if it works if Jack turns into some sort of vehicle himself."

I mull the thought over in my head. We're short on options as things stand right now. Might as well give this crazy idea a shot.

"Alright, how about this?" I ask and turn into a bed on wheels, complete with canvas on top to protect Nah from the weather.

Miriel gives my transformed state a closer look. "A bit unorthodox, but this should suffice as a trial run. Shall we?"

Nah is carefully lifted into my transformed state.

"Hey, it's really comfy in here. Way better than my bedroll." Nah remarks cheerfully from inside me.

Dear Naga, that sounded so weird on so many levels.

"I think I'll stay in sickbed for a bit longer."

A tic mark appears on the canvas. "Oi! I'm not about to turn into your personal lodgings! The moment you're discharged, you're out!"

"Hey, no being stingy with the sick, Uncle Jack!"

"You're literally trying to exploit me for your personal benefit!"

Miriel clears her throat before our argument can devolve any further. "Now, then. Shall we see how comfortable Nah is with being transported this way?"

Donnel grabs the handles on one end of me and starts maneuvering with the limited space offered in the medical tent.

"Nah? How are you feeling?" Nowi asks.

"Still comfy in here. Hey, are we moving? Doesn't feel like it. Must be because I'm surrounded by Uncle Jack – literally." Nah replies cheerfully. "Alright, I've decided. As of today, you're my very own wagon, Uncle Jack."

I dispel the transformation and catch Nah in a princess carry. "No free rides until we're actually marching. And no more than until you've recovered."

Nah crosses her arms with a pout. "Stingy old man."

"Hey, I'm still in the prime of my life! Mind your tongue, kid!"

"I'm not a child anymore. I thought you of all people understood, Pops!"

"The only reason why I'm not giving you a thorough spanking is because you're still ordained with bedrest by order of our head healer, little girl!"

Libra looks at our argument with a bemused expression. "Nowi, Donnel, you two certainly raised an interesting child."

"I blame Jack." Nowi instantly retorts.

"Hey, would you will-be parents stop shifting the blame on me?!" I yell back indignant. "It's bad enough that Lissa and Olivia blame me for their sons' quirky personalities!"


I flip over a new page in the tome in my hand and rub my chin as I study the rune circle illustrated and the text underneath.

"Interesting… So that's how the spell works." I mutter as I try to organize the abundance of information in my mind. "But if that's the case, is it possible to change the trajectory if I-"

"For someone who once stated that they enjoy reading books, I find it rare to actually see you read at all." Miriel remarks behind me.

My train of thought screeches to a halt as I blink and look up from the tome.

"Oh, hi, Miriel. Are you done packing your stuff?" I ask.

Miriel nods. "The parts that I am responsible for, at least. Kellam offered to handle the remainder of our belongings due to most of it being quite heavy. He mentioned that it would be suitable for physical conditioning."

I raise an eyebrow. "His words or yours?"

"Mine mainly, as you may guess quite easily." the Sage replies with an amused smile. "Back to the matter at hand, that is no ordinary book. If I recall correctly, that is the tome used by the Valmese general whom you fought and defeated at Fort Steiger."

I nod and hold it up. "That's the one. Of all the tomes she could've had in her possession, Forsetti was among the last I would expect. It more than lives up to its legend."

Miriel adjusts her glasses. "As confirmed by the rumors surrounding General Pheros and the stronghold she guarded until her demise. Though I fail to see any purpose for you to study such a tome, aside from learning the spell tied to it. To my knowledge, you have already mastered the element of wind."

I shake my head. "It's far from that simple. Tell me, Miriel; if the collective research among your peers in, say, agriculture would progress to a point that you had discovered all there is to know about the subject, would that mean that you have exhausted all possible avenues when it comes to growing crops?"

A flash of understanding sparkles in Miriel's eyes. "No, it would not. Having complete knowledge in such a subject – as farfetched an assumption it may be – merely means that we can plan the process from tilling the soil to harvesting the crops in virtually any way available to us. Going by that same logic, having complete mastery of wind magic merely means you have total control when bending the wind to your will. How you use that ability is completely up to you."

I smile. "I figured you would catch on with that analogy." Then I give the Forsetti tome a contemplative look. "And this tome has showed me how narrow my perspective on applying the element of wind truly is. Mastering the art of Forsetti is more than just making a giant mass of air flow according to your will. At its core, Forsetti is the manifestation of a literal force of nature. That's what I'm trying to grasp."

"The fact that you already possess such mastery of the element of wind is the only reason why I am not actively attempting to stop you from trying." Miriel informs me. "Though I am curious. How does that spell work?"

I scratch my head. "It's… a bit complex. The simplest way to explain – according to how the tome itself instructs on this matter – would probably be a practical demonstration. In fact, you might learn more if you join me in it. Tell me, how good is your own skill in wind magic?"

Miriel pulls out a wind-elemental tome of her own with a hint of interest on her face. "It should be sufficient for a simple experiment. I merely require adequate instructions."

I nod. "Alright. What we will do is aim our spells at, say… Ah, those leaves on the ground should be a good target. Try casting your magic as a gentle air current. I myself will cast mine as a faster, stronger one."

I delay my casting a bit to let Miriel's wind spell get a head start. By the time my own spell catches up to it, the leaves swirl in a vertical motion.

The slight tremble in Miriel's hand as she adjusts her glasses is one of her subtle tells that describe how giddy she is on the inside to analyze what she just observed.

"The motion produced when your wind current overtook mine was circular in character." the Sage remarks, more to herself than me.

I nod. "That's right. By shaping two air currents with different speeds and layering them on top of each other, the faster one curls over the slower one, thus forming a vortex of air. The more mana you feed into these two currents, the bigger and stronger it becomes. This is the first step in casting the spell of Forsetti – forming the air construct that concentrates its immense power."

"And what would the next step be?"

"Control. Now that I have formed my vortex, I need only feed it with more mana to maintain it. To guide it towards my target, I make a third air current and shove it against the vortex's side to tilt it. With enough practice, I could coil that third air current around my vortex to make aiming easier. From there, it's only a matter of supplying the vortex with more mana to maintain it."

"A natural disaster, formed through the will of a caster. I have heard legends of spells from ancient times and the destruction they could wreak, but this is the first time it is explained to me how such power can be evoked." Miriel remarks with a hint of awe.

I reply with a nod and a serious expression. "And there's a reason why it's so rare to hear of them. In Forsetti's case, it's because it requires an enormous amount of mana to even attempt in the first place, as well as a high level of skill in wind magic to control it properly. A lack of mana means that you can't even perform the first step of the spell, let alone attempt it in its entirety. And a lack of control means that the whole spell could backfire on you with frightening ease."

"I take it you intend to add this spell to your repertoire of combat skills?"

I shake my head. "Not really. I already have a spell that works similar to Forsetti. Though now that I know how it works, I could apply that knowledge to techniques I know already. That way, I might be able to improve what I already know."

Miriel blinks before her amused smile returns. "Using a legendary spell as a steppingstone to improve and branch out with the knowledge it provides. For all your feats and antics, this may be the one instance where you have truly surpassed my expectations about you, Jack."

I give an amused smile in return. "Hey, that's how science in general develops. If scholars everywhere thought that one groundbreaking discovery was the conclusive moment where humankind's understanding of a matter became complete, anything that could be learned beyond that point would never be discovered."

Miriel nods. "A fair point, if taken to a logical extreme. I take it you wish to train in peace?"

I shrug. "You're free to observe, if you wish. Who knows, you might pick up on something on your own."

The Sage frowns. "I do not perform research for the sake of applying it in combat, but our current situation could make such an action necessary. Very well, I shall attempt to observe as inconspicuously as I am capable."

"Mind you, this is just me experimenting. If you want something more along your academic standards, you need to try this on your own in a safe environment. That, or you'll have to find me when I actually train and observe me then."

With that reply, I slap the ground and Transmute a giant cube of dirt turned into solid rock. Like I explained to Miriel earlier, I intend to apply the principles of Forsetti in a skill I already know. Namely, Emera Baram. But that would require a lot more open space. So for now, I'll try something smaller.

A skill that I have been wondering how I could improve is my Hurricane Fist. It's powerful in its own right, but I feel that the destructive power is too dispersed. More specifically, I feel like the punch itself lacks the kind of impact that I want it to have. At the same time, there is only so much I can do, even with my entire arm protected with triple Reinforcement from the shoulder down. If I add too much force to the air burst behind my elbow, I risk injuring my arm in the process. But…what if I were to find something to cushion the impact on my knuckles? I've had this thought since I noticed that Brady mainly focuses his heavier punches on his right fist, because that's the one that's armored. But even a gauntlet is limited in how much punishment it can take. Which brings me to the question of whether I can make something on my own to handle the impact.

The answer I have arrived at is simple; coat my hand in a layer of compressed air. I can form it pretty much whenever I want, wherever I want. And now is the time to test my idea.

The first step is to see if the whole air-around-my-fist thing would even work in normal conditions. In this instance, I start simply by forming a bubble of air around my fist. I tap it a few times. Feels pretty solid. I rear back my fist and punch the rock cube.

*Thwack!*

A few cracks form at the point of impact. Hm… The air definitely cushioned the impact on my fist, but it also ended up softening the blow on the rock. Come to think about it, the air bubble around my fist right now is no different from a boxing glove. I could afford to punch harder, seeing as my fist is protected now. But at the same time, this would only work against opponents with light armor or no armor at all. For someone with sturdier protection, the air bubble softens the impact too much. Even if I integrate this into my Hurricane Fist, the softening of the impact would still stand. In fact, the net loss of power would probably increase with my MP input.

I rub my chin in thought. How do I protect my fist with air without diminishing the impact? The problem is that the outermost layer is too soft. Could I harden the air somehow? Nah, that's not it.

But… What if I made it denser? Something along the lines of…more air in a bubble of the same size… Yeah, that might work. A harder surface, while my fists are encased in a more rigid layer of air. The cushioning should still work, but the outermost layer allows for a stronger impact.

I start manipulating the air using my Wind mastery. Though the procedure is slow, kind of like when I set up Ursus Shock. That won't do. I have to complete the setup within a few seconds at most if I am to use this new technique in actual combat. I need something that can compress air fast and in an easy, simple manner…

Wait, there might be a way. According to the animé adaptation of Full Metal Alchemist, part of Colonel Mustang's flame alchemy has him concentrate oxygen within a pocket of air before he ignites it with a finger snap (which makes little to no sense, since there's no fuel to combust). If he can concentrate a specific gas in the atmosphere through alchemy, I should be able to achieve a similar result.

Decision made, I clap my hands together and then stretch out my open hands in front of me. I encase a bubble of air using some wind manipulation and concentrate on only that pocket for my Transmutation. Alright, I've managed to break it down. Now to reform it in a tighter space around my now clenched fists and-

*Szzz..*

"Augh! Hot, hot, hot!"

My concentration is broken by a sudden influx of heat that almost singe my hands. I hiss in pain as I look at my trembling, slightly smoking hands.

"Jack, what in the world did you just do?" Miriel asks concerned as she inspects my hands.

"Something incredibly stupid that I should have thought of beforehand." I groan as I activate Pure Breeze to heal the damage ASAP.

Seriously, how could I forget something so important like the ideal gas law?! Of course the temperature of the air would go through the roof if I compressed it many times over! Heck, the glow within the air bubble that I form with Ursus Shock is practically a megawatt warning sign screaming about the dangerous conditions contained within! I'm such an idiot!


[Fun Fact: The ideal gas law, in very simplified terms, states the following:

Gas pressure * Gas volume = Mass of the gas * Absolute temperature of the gas * The ideal gas constant

Note that the temperature in this equation is its absolute value, meaning that the temperature is measured from Absolute zero.

A lot of stuff related to gases can be calculated by using this equation and a bit of algebra. For example, you can also add the following equation to the mix:

Mass = Density * Volume

Put that equation into the ideal gas law, and you have the volume factor on both sides of the equal sign, which means you can divide both sides by the volume. The ideal gas law then looks like this:

Gas pressure = Gas density * Absolute temperature of the gas * The ideal gas constant

This reworked equation explains a number of things, including the secret behind the diesel-fueled combustion engine. Diesel vapor and air is injected into an engine cylinder before the piston pushes into the cylinder. This compresses the gas mixture inside at a rapid pace, which causes the temperature inside the cylinder to skyrocket. At the peak of compression, the temperature is so high that the diesel vapor ignites on its own. The resulting explosion then pushes the piston back, thus providing the propulsion that serves as the engine's mechanical power output. This combustion mechanism works without a spark plug, unlike gasoline-fueled engines, which needs that spark in order to start the ignition of the gasoline vapor. Diesel engines are also slightly more efficient in terms of mechanical power output in relation to power input, compared to gasoline engines. On the other hand, the main downside of diesel engines is that the high working temperature causes oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere to bond. This causes toxic NOx gases to be formed as a byproduct of powering a diesel engine.]


"Not every instance of research results in a favorable outcome." Miriel points out. "In fact, I can name a number of instances in history when the result of one experiment was initially deemed a lost cause, only to find use in an entirely different field."

I mull her comment in my head before I snap my fingers.

"Miriel, that's brilliant. I can't do what I just did the way I intended at first, but I might be able to apply it on another skill I have."

The Sage blinks. "It usually takes significantly longer before research reaches this stage, though that is only statistically speaking. Pray tell, what did you even do?"

"You know how a pressure cooker works, right?"

"In theory, yes."

"My little experiment works a bit like that, except I scale it up somewhere around a thousand times. And I do want the whole thing to blow up in my enemies' faces. Kind of like how I did it against the Valmese main fleet back when we first set sail for this continent."

Miriel gives me a dry look. "You know a spell that wrecked multiple ships in less than a minute, and you intend to improve on it."

I grin. "Just like I've been trying to learn how to use Forsetti in more creative ways. Just like we both concluded a little while back." I scratch my chin. "Of course, I'll need a lot of space with no one around if I am to try this new idea safely. The people of Valm might soon find that strange, massive holes are dotting their otherwise open and even landscape."

Miriel's look gets even dryer. "Again, you simply take that point to a logical extreme."


Due to effective treatment, some good fortune, Nah's innate vitality from her manakete heritage or a combination of those three, my niece was up and running again after just a few days of marching. Much to everyone's relief, might I add. Seeing Nowi fuss over her daughter in an overdramatic fashion gets old surprisingly fast. Libra may have instructed Nah to take it easy, since she was just discharged, but the look in her eyes tells me her only plan is to run herself into the ground with some crazy training to make up for her lost powers. That, or she's just getting grumpy.

It's around noon the day after Nah was discharged when I head out of camp for some personal training. We still have a lot of ground to cover before we reach Castle Valm, and pretty much everyone is preparing for the big showdown in their own way.

As I enter the woods a few minutes away from the camp perimeter, I hear some strange noise coming from among the trees. I follow the sound and find Nah in a clearing, swinging away with a practice axe.

"I should've known you would throw Libra's instructions out the window first chance you got." I remark as I enter the clearing.

My entrance startles Nah out of her focus. The half-manakete tries to hide the training weapon behind her back.

"Wah! Uncle Jack? What are you doing here?"

"Training, just like you."

Nah's expression falls. "Oh. Guess I'll just find some other place, then. I don't want to get in your way."

I shrug. "Hey, I can confine my training to a limited space if I want to. No need for you to find a new training spot for my sake."

Nah grabs her arm with her free hand. "It's just… I don't want you to be distracted by some dead weight flailing around."

I raise an eyebrow. "Nah, when have I ever called you dead weight?"

My niece shakes her head. "But that's exactly what I am now! Heck, even if I trained as hard as I can with this axe, there's no way I'll be able to swing it properly when the real battle comes. I just- I thought I could make myself useful in some way if I tried." She bites her lip as she starts crying. "Who am I kidding? This will never work."

I bring Nah into a one-armed hug. "Nah, I'm so sorry for failing you."

This causes Nah to pause and look up at me.

"You? Failing me?" Nah asks bewildered. "Uncle Jack, I'm the one who got reckless. I'm the one who sacrificed my own powers when there could have been another way."

I shake my head. "And I failed to teach you better than that. I should've guided you closer, pushed you harder, anything that could have let us avoid this mess. But I didn't." I tighten my hold on my niece. "I grew complacent. I thought the training you had gone through would be enough for you to forge a path on your own. I neglected you before you were truly ready."

"Stop blaming yourself! I'm not a kid anymore, Uncle Jack! What I did was my decision and mine alone! You didn't fail me! You never told me to do something like what I did!" Nah yells as she returns the hug. She puts her head against my chest as her tone goes quieter. "I knew it was a crazy plan at best. Some part of me thought I might be able to handle it. I couldn't just let those monsters reach Tiki, so I had to do something. It's wasn't your fault. It's mine."

The silence between is deafening.

"Even if you say that, it won't relieve me of the responsibility I feel." I tell Nah. "I trained you once before, and I can train you again."

Nah tightens her grip. "You will?"

I smile and nod. "Yes. And this time, I'll train you right. That's a promise."

Nah cries into my chest upon hearing my declaration. I let her for a few minutes before I gently pry her off me.

"So, I take it you've already decided on what you want to train in." I remark as I point at the practice axe in Nah's hand.

My niece nods. "I know that Father was good with an axe, so I figured at least some of that might have passed on to me, right?"

I give Nah a deadpan stare. "That's not how skills are typically passed down between generations, regardless of how fairytales try to depict the main character inheriting some godly power due to what's basically cheating." I shrug. "Still, far be it for me to dissuade you from your own decision."

I Trace a practice axe of my own. "Now, the first thing you might've noticed is how the weight is concentrated in an axe; it is the heaviest at the blade, meaning the part that is the furthest from you. This affects pretty much everything related to axe wielding, so getting used to the balance and learning how to move with it is important if you want to become a competent axe wielder."

Nah nods enthusiastically as she soaks up the information.

"Bear in mind that I'm no master of the axe, Nah." I remind my niece. "I can teach you the basics and maybe some intermediate techniques, but the advanced stuff has to come from a different mentor. You might want to speak with your father or Vaike when you come that far." I settle in a stance. "But until then, I'll make sure to train you in everything I know about axe wielding. Come at me!"

Nah grasps her practice weapon in both hands and charges me with a battle cry.

It's almost sunset by the time I return to camp. Nah got so tired from the training that I decided to give her a piggyback ride. Despite all that, the practice axe is still firmly clutched in one of her hands. She's learning well.


In order to make the trip to Castle Valm a bit smoother, Robin and Say'ri pulled some strings and had us travel by ship along the coast back to the northern half of the Valmese continent. That should allow us to move the whole army with all the supplies while reducing the risk of any big fights with any Valmese garrisons, seeing as Robin wrecked their main fleet quite some time ago. Though as we sail, the knowledge that we will have to face Walhart soon constantly pokes us in the back of our minds. What makes tensions rise even further is the fact that we have yet to hear any news from Basilio, Flavia or that suicide mission they volunteered for. I know it didn't end well for either of them, but last time I checked, the messenger should be fast enough to the point that he should have reached us mere days after our victory against Yen'fay.

It's with those thoughts circling in our minds that we stop on an island some distance from the mainland to restock. From what we've noticed, the island is inhabited, but the residents don't seem to be in any hurry to greet us. In fact, we're the ones to make first contact, seeing as Chrom figured restocking would be easier if we could reach an agreement with the locals. Only the Shepherds left the ship for this venture, since bringing an entire army to a single island sounds more like a declaration of war than an invitation to some peaceful negotiations.

To the surprise of most of the Shepherds, many of the residents who seem dressed for combat bear signs of coming from a myriad of places in the world. Just in the outskirts alone we manage to recognize a Feroxi Swordmaster doing some drills right alongside a Dynast Wyvern Lord and a Plegian Berserker. And judging from the looks of recognition Virion and Cherche are giving the Sniper who's busy with target practice, she's most likely from Rosanne territory.

"I'm surprised to see all these warriors coexisting side by side." Chrom remarks surprised as he sweeps his gaze over the fields and the inhabitants.

Say'ri has a contemplative look. "If I recall correctly, this island is the one part of Valm that Walhart did not even attempt to invade."

That garners a few raised eyebrows. Lissa eventually breaks the million-gold question.

"Really? But I thought he wanted to, you know, place everything under his rule. Why leave this island alone?"

"Rumor has it that a warrior of peerless strength and prowess resides on this island." Say'ri explains. "Though he shows no mercy to invaders, warriors from all over the world are said to flock here to test their mettle against him, and he welcomes the challenges with open arms."

I give the Dynast princess a skeptic look. ""Peerless"? I've faced a number of opponents in battle who are said to be "peerless" in their battle prowess, your brother included. And so far, he's the only one I've yet to defeat in single combat. I fail to see how much substance this rumor has."

"I believe it may indeed have plenty of substance." Say'ri replies. "After all, this warrior is said to be descended from the Radiant Hero of legend."

Cynthia is at Say'ri's side in a flash. "Did you say "Radiant Hero"? As in, Ike, the Radiant Hero?!"

Say'ri, though surprised by the Pegasus Knight's approach, manages to keep her calm. "Hrm, yes. Though I only have hearsay to go on. We might discover just how much truth there is to them."


We enter the village's square when a Feroxi soldier runs up to us.

"Prince Chrom! Lady Say'ri! Thank the gods you came here!" the soldier exclaims as he reaches us.

Chrom gives the soldier a once-over. "Huh? Wait a minute. I recognize your uniform. You were among the Feroxi ranks who sailed with us to Valm. What are you doing here?"

The soldier stiffens at Chroms question. "Well, I-" He shakes his head. "Actually, you may get a better explanation if you follow me."

Chrom dismisses the Shepherds to mingle with the townsfolk before he follows us, alongside Robin, Lucina, Say'ri and myself. We're led to a rather large house about halfway down one of the wider streets of the village. The first thing we note is the number of beds inside, which would indicate that we've stepped into an infirmary of sorts. The second thing we notice is that most of the beds are occupied by Feroxi soldiers in various states of recovering from injuries. Imagine our surprise when we find Flavia resting on one of those beds with a tense look on her face.

The reigning khan gasps when she notices us. "Chrom? I- You have no idea how relieved I am to see you alive! I take it this means you accomplished your goal in defeating Yen'fay?"

Chrom nods. "We did, though it was no easy battle. More importantly, Flavia, what are you doing here, and where did you get all those wounds? Last time we saw you, you headed off with Basilio to face the Conqueror." Chrom looks around the infirmary. "Speaking of which, where is he?"

Flavia clenches her hands on the sheets. "He's gone, Chrom. Basilio is dead."

The news hit my companions like a sack of bricks. Lucina in particular stands stiff at the news.

"D-Dead?!" Robin exclaims in shock.

Flavia nods tersely. "I saw him fall myself. I should've told him to run, not provoke him into fighting on. Gods damn me for outliving that one-eyed clod! That big, bland oaf!" For the first time I can ever remember, Flavia cries. "That…that…"

Flavia slams a fist on the bedframe as she lets out an outraged scream.

Lucina shakes her head as she takes a step back. "No. I- I failed in stopping it… I should have tried to persuade him harder. I-"

*Crack!*

Lucina jumps as Flavia backhands the wall behind her bed hard enough to crack the wood.

"I'll kill him." the khan whispers darkly before she raises her head and reveals an absolutely pissed-off scowl. "I'll cut that dastard Walhart down myself! I swear it before the gods!"

Chrom shakes his head. "No, Flavia. For now you need to rest and heal." The prince places a hand on Flavia's shoulder. "When the time comes, we will avenge Basilio. You have my word."

Flavia pants to vent her anger before she calms down. "Then know that I will hold you to it."

"But what happened in that battle?" Robin asks. "What could have put you and your soldiers in such a state? And what could have done Basilio in?"

"Walhart arrived." Flavia replies.

Robin blinks. "Wait, that's it?"

The khan shakes her head. "Robin, you don't understand. I don't care about what horrors you've faced on the battlefield before. None of them can compare to staring the Conqueror in the eye. We were just barely holding our own against the northern main force when our ranks started scattering like leaves in the wind without any sort of warning. We thought they had deployed some kind of elite cavalry at first, but…" Flavia gulps. "…there was no battalion. Our soldiers fell in droves at the hands of a single man."

Robin stiffens upon hearing the tale. "O-one man? How?!"

"Walhart is no ordinary warrior. I could scarcely believe it myself at first, but he easily possesses the strength of a whole army all on his own." Flavia explains grimly. "Nothing we threw at him could even slow him down. It was only a matter of time before he reached Basilio and I. We gave everything we had in that battle. Heck, Basilio even got a good hit in. But that was as far as we could go. Basilio fell soon afterwards."

"Basilio was defeated, just like that, even with your aid?" Chrom asks in disbelief. "Just what kind of monster are we trying to face here?"

"The kind who stands in the way of our freedom. Before he drew his last breath, Basilio told me to take the injured soldiers and retreat to somewhere safe. The one time the oaf tries to play the hero, and it's in his final moments." Flavia reaches for a satchel sitting on a bedside table. "But before I left, he entrusted this to me."

The reigning khan opens the leather and reveals a red gemstone with a glow that almost looks like a pulse.

"Is that…what I think it is?" Chrom asks as he stares at the gemstone in awe.

"It's Gules, one of the Gemstones you need." Flavia confirms. The khan shakes her head as she gives the stone to Chrom. "Don't ask me why in hell's name the oaf hid it from you. He always did love his surprises, damn him."

"Whatever his reasons, I accept his gift now, and gladly." Chrom replies with a determined scowl as he accepts Gules.

Flavia shakes her head. "It's hard to believe he's truly gone… The larger the man, the larger the void left in his wake."

"And Khan Basilio was a titan. There is no replacing him." Lucina remarks concerned. "I should have tried harder to convince him…"

I place a hand on Lucina's shoulder. "Lucina, there's no point in dwelling on that anymore. Fate or no, Basilio made his choice. To beat yourself up over the past like this would be a disservice for both you and him."

Lucina turns to me with her mouth pressed in a thin line. "But don't you see, Master Jack? History is repeating itself before our very eyes. One after the other, the events that led up to the dark future I intend to stop play out before my eyes like a stage act. How can I believe that my efforts have accomplished anything?"

"You could try considering your successes, for one." I point out. "After all, you did succeed in preventing Emmeryn's death, something that you have claimed was instrumental in allowing your doomed future to become reality."

That gives Lucina pause.

"Look, no one said your mission would be an easy one. I'd be surprised if any of you kids thought it would be." I continue. "But be honest with me; did knowing that the odds may well be stacked against you deter you from going through with the whole time travel thing?"

Lucina shakes her head. "No. Naga even warned us that changing history is no small feat before she sent us back in time. Not once have we ever spoken about our mission as being an easy one."

I nod. "Which only makes the times you succeeded all the more important. Every instance in history that you change is proof that you have what it takes to shape the future as you see fit – to some degree, at least."

"And what of the times we fail?"

I give the princess a comforting smile. "Then you know exactly how my wife feels when her strategies get disrupted by whatever the enemy pulls. You two might be alike in that regard. Try talking to her more." My smile turns amused. "If anything, it's a great opportunity to get to know your future mother-in-law better. I might need to encourage Morgan to speak more with your parents too."

Chrom smirks (for whatever reason). "Oh, we've already done that. Morgan and I have had a most enlightening conversation, from an older man to a younger."

Okay…? Whatever that means…

"But there's one thing in all this that I still don't understand, Flavia." Robin points out. "How did you know you would find aid here?"

Flavia shakes her head. "I didn't. Honestly, it was pretty much a stroke of pure luck. All we knew was that we had to find somewhere safe from Walhart as fast as we could. Knowing that their fleet is still in shambles, we figured our best chance would be out at sea. That's when we found this island. Imagine our surprise when we found some soldiers wearing Feroxi garb while scouting the land. That's how we came into contact with the locals – as well as the man who more or less became our savior."

We hear the front door open as another person walks in. Flavia smiles upon hearing the sound.

"Ah, speak of the devil. Here he is."

I turn around to give the guy my thanks when the sight of him stops me cold in my tracks.

Blue hair (with some hints of green)? Check.

Green headband? Check.

Red, tattered cape? Check – complete with random mysterious flutter in the nonexistent wind.

Gruff, yet accepting eyes? Check.

Ragnell? You better believe it.

And to top it all off;

Priam Lvl 70 Class: Hero
A warrior who is rumored to be descended from the Radiant Hero himself. Several aspects lend substance to this claim, from the uncanny resemblance in his garb, to the sword that he always carries on his back. Despite implications of this illustrious lineage, Priam is a humble man who prefers a simple lifestyle of combat and the company of his peers – another aspect that can be attributed to a relationship to Ike. Though it is rare to hear him say that he will fight for his friends. This is usually because his friends are more than capable of fighting for themselves.

"Visitors. Friends of yours?" the Hero asks Flavia.

"More like comrades-in-arms." Flavia clarifies. "These are the allies I mentioned that I fight with in this war."

"Hold a moment." Say'ri interjects. "That sword on your back. Are you…?"

"Ah, my bad." Priam apologizes. "I'm Priam. Warrior, unspoken chief of this village and descendant of Ike. Well met, friends."

The way he speaks of his lineage so casually is almost comical, as are the reactions of my companions.

"That sword… There is no doubt about it. The rumors were true." Say'ri whispers awestruck.

Priam shrugs. "Yes, that's all well and good. Now, mind telling me what business you all have here, aside from paying your friend a visit? I've noticed quite a few new faces in the village. I take it they're all with you?"

Chrom nods. "Yes. Those are not our full ranks, mind you, but they are all part of the Resistance army fighting against the Conqueror. We reached this island mostly by coincidence while trying to reach Walhart's capital as discreetly as possible. Us finding Flavia was a greater stroke of luck than we could've asked for. You have my thanks for caring for her and her soldiers."

Priam waves it off. "No need to thank me. It's only common courtesy to help someone in need – especially if they're wounded."

Say'ri rubs her chin. "Forgive me if I come off as rude, but if the rumors of your battle prowess are as true as those about your lineage, then that would make you an exceptional warrior. One whom we sorely need for our cause, especially after the loss we have learned that we have suffered."

Priam holds up a hand. "Easy there. While I'm more than happy to provide respite and rest for the weary, and while I do enjoy a good fight, war is an entirely different story. You are free to stay in this village if you wish, but I will refuse any request that I join you in this war you speak of."

Say'ri gawks at the Hero. "What?! You would stand idly by and do nothing, even when knowing what is at stake?!"

Priam shakes his head. "I've already made myself clear. I will not leave this island to fight for you in a war. The less I have to do with that crooked business, the better."

Say'ri is about to lay it onto Priam when I stop her with a hand on her shoulder. "Say'ri, I see no point in trying to persuade Priam. Take it from me, Chrom and Basilio. Once we set our mind on something, it'll take more than a grand speech about the greater good to change it."

The sagely nods from Chrom and Priam prove my point.

"And to be fair, Priam has already helped us plenty. Without the aid he provided Flavia, who knows where she would be at this point, let alone where we would stand?" I continue. "Besides, I can see where he's coming from. War is never simple, especially when politics are involved at any level. Yes, we decided to fight for the Resistance, because we share a common enemy. But then what? A military alliance that started out as the foundation of a strong bond of friendship could easily be abused by some greedy noble who wishes to expand his territory. Seriously, politics complicate everything."

"Yeah, what he said." Priam adds. "If that would be all, I'll be on my way."

"Is there no way to persuade you in joining our cause?" Say'ri asks one last time.

The Hero shakes his head. "You're welcome to try. But I warn you; I can be pretty stubborn, and you don't have all the time in the world."

Robin sighs as Priam leaves. "Well, so much for recruiting a famous warrior to our ranks."

I raise an eyebrow. "Hey. Famous warrior, right here."

"Oh hush, you. That's not the point."

"Well, Priam did say that you could try." Flavia points out. "As much as I'd like to get back in the fray and slay some imperial soldiers in the oaf's place, I'm in no condition to fight. The local priest gave me strict orders to rest until I'm completely recovered."

"And how long will that take?" Chrom asks.

Flavia grins as she slaps her bicep. "I recover pretty fast, I'll have you know. Three or four more days, and I should be good to go. And even if the priest disagrees, he could always try to stop me."

So we have at least three days of downtime before head back into the action, huh? This might be a good opportunity to temporarily up Nah's axe training, since we'll have a place to stay at instead of being on the move most of the day.

Wait a minute… We're staying in a village with skilled warriors from all over the world. And the strongest of them is of the Hero class. Which means…

Lightbulb~.

"Jack, where are you going?" Robin asks as I turn to leave.

"Finding Nah an axe instructor." I reply with a scheming grin. "And I know just the man."


I find Priam at the end of the street where the infirmary is located. Apparently, Cynthia caught wind of his lineage and is going full fangirl on the poor man.

The Pegasus Knight gushes as she clings to Priam's arm with stars in her eyes. "Omigosh, I can't believe I get to meet an actual descendant of the legendary hero Ike! This is such a great honor. Want to exchange stories of the grand heroics of our families? Maybe we could give each other's weapons a few test swings? Can I have your autograph?!"

"What the heck's an auto-whatsitcalled?" Priam asks confused as he attempts to pry Cynthia off his arm. "Also, could you try to calm down? I can't do much of anything with one arm trapped like this."

I walk up to the pair and bop Cynthia on the head. "Cynthia, manners. Give a man some privacy."

The Pegasus Knight lets go with a sheepish grin. "Whoops. Heh heh, sorry about that. Guess I got a little too excited."

"You're not the first one. Would you believe me if I said I have met even worse cases than yours?" Priam mutters. "I'm not really one for conversation, though I'm all for sharing a meal. And believe me when I say that more can be said between warriors when they cross blades instead of exchanging words."

I blink. "Wait, that's actually a thing? I thought storytellers only wrote that because they think it sounds cool (which it admittedly is)."

Priam nods. "You'd be surprised. The reason why it is talked about so seldom is because of how rare it is for two clashing warriors to try to listen to each other. Instead of reaching out, all they think about is trying to claim victory. It deafens their senses."

"Ooh…" Cynthia whispers with sparkly eyes. "Can I do that too?"

"Sure you can. The important part is trying to understand your opponent. Not just to defeat them, but to also see the world from their eyes. It's an enlightening experience."

"Might be useful in your quest to become a hero, Cynthia." I remark. "Can't talk about heroics or justice unless you're willing to see a conflict from both sides, after all."

Cynthia rubs her chin with a thoughtful frown while occasionally nodding to herself.

"She's a spirited one." Priam comments.

I nod smiling. "Yep. You'll be hard pressed to find a more cheerful member of our ranks than Cynthia. Part of the reason why I'm proud to be her instructor."

Priam raises an eyebrow. "You trained this girl?"

"Sure did. Though a lot of her prowess is also on herself. That's pretty much how it goes for all my students."

"You never told me that you're a combat instructor."

I shrug. "You never asked. Though as capable as my students consider me to be at teaching, there's a limit to how much I can pass on to them. Which brings me to why I sought you out. Am I right in assuming that you're good with axes, Priam?"

The Hero nods. "While I generally prefer to wield my sword in a fight, I'm comfortable enough with an axe too."

I grin. "Great! See, one of my students – my niece, in fact – is in need of an axe instructor. I can use an axe just fine, but my skill with that kind of weapon is decent at best. But since we'll be staying in this village until Flavia recovers, how about you help her train in wielding an axe?"

Priam holds up a hand. "Easy there. I'm fine with having guests over, but I'm no babysitter. Find someone else."

Oh, come on!

"Look, I'm serious about this." I stress. "My niece needs a better axe instructor fast, and you're probably the best around here. Don't make me beg."

Priam crosses his arms. "I'd mind my manners in front of my host if I were you. And besides, you yourself said that it takes more than a nice speech to change the mind of someone like us once it's set."

He's got a point there. All right. Plan B it is.

"How about this, then? You like fighting, right, Priam? And I mean more along the lines of a spar, rather than fighting on someone else's behalf."

Priam raises an eyebrow, but nods. "Yes."

I point at the Hero. "Then I challenge you to a battle, one-on-one. First to fall loses."

Priam hums. "And I take it that if you win, I'm to go along with your request and help train your niece a little in wielding an axe."

I smirk. "Exactly."

"And what if I win?"

"Then I give you this." I reply as I grab Harvest Moon and stab the blade into the ground.

Cynthia gasps. "But Sensei, that's Harvest Moon! Why would you bet one of your most precious belongings on a fight?"

Priam blinks in astonishment. "You would wager your own blade? What kind of warrior are you?"

"The kind who fights for my family first and foremost. And I will fight tooth and nail for their sake. That includes Nah, my niece." I declare resolutely. "That convincing enough for you?"

Priam frowns in thought as he switches between looking at Harvest Moon and me.

The Hero eventually grins. "Now this could be interesting. Show me what your resolve amounts to."

"I take it you accept my proposal?"

Priam nods and turns. "Follow me. We'll settle this outside the village."

As I follow, Cynthia sidles up to me.

"Sensei, you can't be serious! You're about to fight the descendant of a legendary hero! And you would put your own weapon on the line for that?" the Pegasus Knight exclaims concerned.

"This is for Nah's sake, Cynthia. I've made that much clear." I reply. "Family matters far more to me than a weapon ever could."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you're challenging the descendant-"

"Cynthia." I stop to look the Pegasus Knight in the eyes. "When did I ever judge a person based on their lineage?"

Judging from her wide-eyed expression, I guess I hit the nail on the head.

Cynthia grins. "Hee hee. That reminds me why I've admired you for so long, Sensei."

I raise an eyebrow amused. "Oh, really? Care to share the story?"

"Well…"


POV: General

Flashback: Doomed timeline, three years before Grima's return

"Well, looks like someone's happy to visit the palace again." Sumia noted as she looked at Cynthia's bright smile.

"Of course I'm happy, Mother!" the young girl replied while skipping ahead. "I get to play with Luci and Sevi and all the others! Oh, oh, and Luci and Sevi and I formed our own team last time I was here! But it's a secret, so don't tell anybody!"

Sumia smiled back at her daughter and caressed her hair gently. "Your secret is safe with me, sweetie. And that goes for your father as well. Isn't that right, Frederick?"

The Great Knight gave his daughter an unreadable look. Said unreadable look melted the moment Cynthia sent him a pleading one.

"Hrm! Yes, your secret is safe with me, Cynthia." the Great Knight relented.

"Yay!" Cynthia exclaimed while jumping for joy.

Frederick sighed in exasperation as he looked at his daughter run ahead of her parents into the palace courtyard.

"Gods, that girl will be the end of me." Frederick lamented.

"Oh, no need to be so dramatic, Frederick." Sumia comforted her husband. "Cynthia's still a child. Let her enjoy it."

"She may be now…" Frederick acknowledged. "…though she is fast approaching that age when she is to begin her training if she wishes to become a knight. Or, well, whatever it is she aspires to become."

The parents soon caught up to their daughter, not because Cynthia deliberately waited for them, but because she was busy witnessing what was happening on the knights' training grounds. She saw Jack spar with Severa, his newest student.

"Mother, why is Sevi fighting? Did she lose her temper again?" Cynthia asked.

Sumia shook her head amused. "Oh no, dear. That's just Severa training with one of our friends. You remember Jack, don't you?"

Cynthia nodded, not really paying attention as she was busy admiring the way Jack wielded the training sword. The movements were small and concentrated, with an emphasis on repelling Severa's attacks and punishing any openings she left. One move in particular left Severa stumbling back. Jack took the opening and tapped her on the shoulder, causing the red-haired princess to fall flat on her butt.

Severa rubbed her aching backside. "Ow! Don't you know who I am, you meanie?! I'm royalty, and I will not-" *Bonk!* "Ow!"

"Listen here, Severa! You could be the Divine dragon herself and I still wouldn't give a fig." Jack reprimanded. "I agreed to train you because you asked me yourself and your parents allowed it. If you expect me to go easy on you just because of the family you come from, you'd better forget that idea fast. I'm your teacher now, and as my student, I expect you to give it your all."

Severa held her head and glared at Jack while holding back tears. "But it hurts!"

Jack nodded. "You're right, it does. Which is a lesson you need to learn fast; No pain, no gain. You can't expect to become an expert fighter without working your pants off. That's why your sister leaves our training sessions covered in grime and bruises every time. She knows this." The Reaper smiled. "And while you complain now, I think you'll learn that soon enough too."

Severa pushed herself back on her feet.

"There has to be another way to get stronger." the princess muttered.

"Severa, look. As your teacher, I can show you the way to become stronger. How far you walk that path – or whether you find a path of your own – will be up to you. No family ties, no birthright or any amount of talent will do it for you. What matters is your own choice." Jack told the princess gently. Then he retook his stance. "So what will it be? Will you keep walking?"

Doubt flashed over Severa's face before it practically burned to ashes, if the fierce glare in her eyes were any indication. Without a word, the princess retook her own stance, albeit with arms shaking a bit.

Jack smiled. "All right, then. Come at me!"

Cynthia watched the whole exchange in awe. Not only did Jack's form look flawless in the young girl's eyes, his words sparked something deep within her very soul.

"So cool…" the young girl whispered with glittering eyes.

Which went unnoticed by her parents, since Frederick was trying to throttle Jack for hurting his liege's younger daughter, and Sumia was busy holding him back.

"Mother, Father, do you think I can become a hero?" Cynthia asked quietly.

That stopped the parents' struggling. Sumia and Frederick looked at each other confused before they turned to their daughter. What they saw shocked them. Cynthia looked at them with a kind of vulnerability that they had never seen in their little girl.

Not wanting to crush her spirits (and highly doubting she could even deter her daughter), Sumia smiled and patted Cynthia on the head. "Of course, dear. You can be whatever you want. Just make sure it's something you can look back on one day and be happy that you chose."

A blinding smile lit up on Cynthia's face. "All right! Then I will become an even greater hero than both you and Father!" Then Cynthia pointed at Jack. "And he will help me become one!"

This proclamation sent Frederick to his knees in horror. "Gods, no! Not her! Anyone but my dear daughter!"

It would take years until Cynthia even began to comprehend why her father lost his composure so suddenly.

Flashback ends


POV: Jack

A drop of sweat forms at the back of my head as Cynthia shares her tale.

"How in the world did I ever get Frederick's permission to train you?" I ask in disbelief.

"You didn't. Mother gave the okay. Though she did say something about bad things happening if I got hurt." Cynthia explains. The Pegasus Knight scratches her cheek. "Even to this day, I could've sworn I heard a bear snarling when she said that last part. But no matter where I looked, I never found any bear."

The drop of sweat grows bigger. Not only did I train Cynthia into developing her own version of One for All, I managed to do it while dodging Sumia's mama bear wrath. Go, future-me.


We've walked quite a distance away from the village by the time Priam stops and turns to face me.

"All right, this should be far enough. Ready for our fight?" the Hero asks while drawing Ragnell.

I nod and draw Harvest Moon. "Ready when you are."

I idly note that a small crowd of villagers has already formed some distance away from us.

"You okay with an audience?" I ask as we slowly start circling each other.

"Don't worry. This always happens when somebody comes to challenge me." Priam explains. "Word around here travels fast whenever I have a challenger. The people simply like to watch. But they also know to keep their distance."

I nod and pick a rock off the ground. "Alright… Ready when you are."

I toss the rock up in the air and take a stance. Priam follows suit without a word. The air between us grows tense as we watch the rock fall. The moment it reaches the ground, we blast towards each other with our swords poised to strike.

BGM: Beat of Rangetsu, Tales of Berseria music

*Krang!*

The dust around our feet is blown away the moment our blades connect. We push against each other, mainly to gauge each other's strength. To my surprise, I find myself sliding back a bit, which means that Priam's raw strength exceeds mine. And judging from his smirk, he knows this too. Too bad I can counter that. Just apply some Reinforcement, and the tables turn in an instant.

Now it's Priam's turn to be surprised. That surprise is short-lived, as he scrunches his face in concentration. And I quickly find myself getting overpowered again. Oh, so he can buff his strength too, huh? Let's see how he handles my Reinforced strength while backed up by Telekinesis.

Priam growls as he finds himself losing our contest of strength once more.

"Tough one, aren't you? No matter. I'll just push harder!" the Hero yells.

Not intending to get overwhelmed by whatever he's going to pull, I up the force of Telekinesis. Winds blow around our feet as we keep pushing harder against each other. At this point, neither of us are making any progress, which means it's time to disengage. A concentrated burst of wind magic blows open a small gap between us. Priam reacts quickly from the blow and regains his footing before he swings to meet my own swing.

*Clang! Klang, clang, woosh, krang!*

Unlike the last clash, this one is more along the lines of a traditional sword fight. Priam and I swing our swords with reckless abandon between dashes, dodging, jumps and flips. Despite how much Ragnell weighs, Priam wields the sword as easily as though Olivia was practicing a dancing routine with a much slimmer sword.

I duck low and swing upwards to force an opening in Priam's guard. Then I pivot and send a snap kick right at his mid-section…

*Krang!*

…which Priam blocks with his arm guard. Priam smirks and tenses his guarding arm before he flings me away like a baseball. I don't even have time to land before I have to block a flying energy blade. Great, he can do that too, just like Ike. Priam doesn't stop at just one either. He keeps swinging Ragnell and sends one energy blade after another at me. He probably thinks this is fun if his grin is any indication. I keep running to circle Priam, but he's got surprisingly good aim with his ranged slashes.

I mean, sure, I could always fling projectiles his way too, if only to prove a point; he can't defeat me with projectile spamming. Or I could get up close and personal again to prove the same point.

Option two it is. Gale Step, do your thing!

My sudden burst of speed allows me to slip through Priam's barrage of flying slashes and back into melee range. While I can keep up with Priam just fine, I note, to my annoyance, that he keeps to high swings. Since trying to block a direct swing from Ragnell could easily knock me off-balance, that limits me to staying low to the ground. That is, until Priam starts lashing out with his feet. Made me think he would stick to high attacks, just to sneak in one from below? Clever. Still need to watch out for those high swings, though.

I take a step back before I thrust Harvest Moon at his chest. Priam brings up his arm guard and dashes in low, causing my weapon to slide on top of his armor. From there, the Hero pivots and sweeps his leg at my shins. I'm forced to jump, but that leaves me with no footing when Priam completes his pivot and swings Ragnell full force at me.

*Clang!* "Gh!"

The blow sends me flying backwards. But where an ordinary guy would land painfully on his back after this, I instead shift Harvest Moon into scythe form and stab the blade into the ground, which both reorients me and stops my impromptu flight.

Priam eyes Harvest Moon surprised. "That sword can transform?"

I smirk. "I consider this my prized blade for a reason, Priam. Just gathering the materials for this beauty took weeks. Having it forged according to my specifications cost me an arm and a leg."

A grin spreads over Priam's lips. "Well, I'll be. Seems like I underestimated your resolve, even after that declaration. Allow me to make it up to you." The Hero reaches behind his back and pulls out a Tomahawk. "I'm finally warmed up and ready to fight for real. Think you can keep up?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Hoh? Dual wielding, is it? Can't remember the last time I fought someone capable of that." I shift Harvest Moon into a glaive as sparks dance along my free hand. "Two can play that game, though. Hope you don't mind me pulling weapons out of the air. Trace on!"

I clench my hand around the cluster of mana in my hand. The mana disperses to reveal the pitch-black form of a Royal Guard's Halberd.

Priam's blinks twice before he chuckles. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you? Let's see how you wield two spears then."

Our clash before looks tame compared to how we fight now. Twice the weapons, twice the intensity. While I weave between stabs and swipes with my two polearms, Priam uses Ragnell as more of a lead to force openings before he gets in close with his Tomahawk. That throwing axe is a real pain to deal with as a result, since polearms are meant for mid-range combat, not close-range. My best option would be to retreat a step, if Priam didn't follow me step-by-step to keep me at that awkward range. After I duck under a swing from Ragnell, I swing the Royal Guard's Halberd upwards to make the Hero back away a bit. But instead of simply pulling back, I use the motion to flip the black polearm into a reverse grip and shove the butt end at his torso. Priam blocks, but the real benefit is that it gives me the space needed to back up into my optimal range.

I grin. "My turn."

My arms nearly blur as I unleash a storm of thrusts with both polearms. Then I mix it up with swipes from differing angles. Add some flips, and I feel like I could come up with my own circus number. Or, you know, star in a generic kung fu movie with all the crazy, over-the-top acrobatics they're known for.

For his part, Priam takes it with an amused smirk. "Show-off. Here's where it gets you."

The Hero parries both polearms at once with a double swing, spins with the momentum and comes back around for an even bigger swing as he completes the revolution. Even as I put my weapons in a cross guard, the impact is strong enough to send me flying backwards again. It's only thanks to my reflexes that I manage to block the follow-up toss of Priam's Tomahawk before I'm allowed to land on the ground again.

I scowl at Priam and flip the Royal Guard's Halberd into a reverse grip again, take aim and hurl it at Priam with the force of a Hurricane Fist backing it up. Priam manages to catch his Tomahawk and moves to block with it. The halberd shatters upon impact due to the durability having reached its limit, but it also knocks the Tomahawk out of Priam's hand while also staggering him. And that's when I myself come hurtling in at maximum speed and Harvest Moon in scythe form again.

*Shing!*

BGM ends

Priam slides back from the force of my slash. He manages to stay standing, but the bleeding wound across his chest means I got the first clean hit in our battle. The Hero pants a bit before he chuckles. The chuckles turn into laughter. The kind that shows you're having fun, mind you.

"You sure are something else, Jack." Priam remarks while grinning from ear to ear. "I can't remember the last time I fought someone as strong as you. In fact, I think I can afford to pull out all stops against you."

Priam stabs Ragnell into the ground as his whole body tenses. The Hero starts glowing as white whisps leave his body. What kind of skill is that?

God Mode, Lvl 10 [48 %], Active, Cost: 1 500 MP per minute
The union between a human and a deity is an event that is believed to only occur in the realm of myths and legend. But your very existence proves that such a coupling is not only realistically possible, but that it actually happened. And no matter how much said deity in the coupling tries to keep things lowkey, their offspring will always possess some measure of divine power as well. Through an understanding of your origins and grueling training, you have learned to tap into this inherited power. The worthy shall stand in awe and the wicked cower in fear in the presence of your true splendor. Just bear in mind that you might get a following, complete with rituals and everything
Increases all stats by 110 %. User is impervious to all damage while this skill is active.
This skill has a cooldown period of 24 hours. Duration of cooldown is doubled if user depletes their MP before they deactivate this skill manually.

I do a fish impression upon reading the skill. Screw the MP cost, screw the cooldown, that skill is straight up busted! And how would Priam even be related to any deity?

Wait a minute. Those streaks of green in his hair. It can't be.

"No way…" I whisper in disbelief. "Ike and Palutena boned?"


AN: When you complete Classic mode with a character in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo Wii U, a sequence of clips is played along with the victory fanfare. In Ike's case, one of the clips shows him crouching in front of Palutena while holding a Lip's Stick. The moment I saw this clip, I had a thought along the lines of "Now that could be an interesting story."


Priam sends me a hungry glare as the glow settles. "Can't remember the last time I had to use this. I hope you can keep up at least a little bit. Sorry to say this, but no one's ever harmed me when I enter this state."

Priam's words snap me out of my gawking. Right, time to pull out the big guns. Winds whip up around me as I build up my own mana.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Priam? To think you had something like this up your sleeve. Good thing I have my own trump card to play." I remark smirking as the winds turn black. Black mana swirls in my hand as I bring it to my face. "Let me show you why I am known as the for the record, I don't need to harm you to win."

The black winds lash out as I swipe my hand over my face. The inky air disperses to reveal me donning my Hollow mask, eyes glowing yellow and Harvest Moon ready to cleave.

"I just need you to fall."

BGM: Galacta Knight, Kirby's Return to Dreamland music

Priam and I simultaneously unleash our battle cries as we charge each other head-on.

*BOOM!*

A crater forms underneath the point of our clash. We exchange grins before we disengage and start sprinting. I shift Harvest Moon back into sword form right before we clash again.

*Boom! Boom, boom, krang!*

The shockwaves made from our continuous clashes fill the air with a cacophony of noise as we zip all over our battlefield. Despite how cool it may sound, it gets old really fast. So when we're about to clash again, I build up wind magic behind my elbow. Right as we reach striking distance, I duck under Ragnell and knock the sword upwards with Harvest Moon. And that's where my fist comes in for the follow-up.

"Hurricane Fist!"

My punch sends Priam spiraling into the air. I use a burst of Gale Step to catch the winds of my Hurricane Fist and ride them up to Priam. Then I shift Harvest Moon into a scythe and bounce along the inner walls of the vortex, all while slicing Priam as I pass. He may be good on the ground, but when he's on the receiving end of a barrage in mid-air? He'd better be grateful he's invulnerable in his current state!

Priam smirks through it all. "Is that the best you can do?"

In response, I ride the vortex to its top and gather the residual wind magic in my hand. The magic compresses into a sphere that grows larger as I feed more mana into it. Then come the blades and the screeching sound.

Priam blinks. "Oh."

"Rasenshuriken!"

Priam puts Ragnell in front of himself as my attack sends him hurtling back down. The Hero manages to put his feet underneath him before he reaches the ground. The impact forms craters under his feet as he pushes back against my Rasenshuriken. With a roar, Priam cleaves the whole thing in two, which ruptures the volatile inside and sends the wind blades every which way. Right as his line of sight clears up, he sees me descending with Harvest Moon poised to stab.

*Shink!*

Priam managed to get out of the way of the blade and swings at my neck before I can pull my weapon out of the ground. With me now unarmed, Priam presses his advantage with a relentless pursuit. Curses! I can't just try to catch his blade – not when every missed swing that hits the ground instead forms a small trench! Need to try something else, with careful timing.

I lean away from a diagonal swing and send a sweep kick at Priam's feet. The Hero jumps over my leg, only to gets pushed back when he blocks my follow-up kick. I'm right on top of him again with another Gale Step and start hammering his guard with my fists. Wait for it… Wait for the sword… There!

*Clang!*

Priam's eyes are wide in disbelief as he looks at Ragnell caught between my knee and elbow. I smirk behind my mask. Just because I can't catch a swing at full power doesn't mean I can't catch Ragnell before Priam's swing catches momentum. And before he can retaliate, I shove a Rasengan in his face.

*Boom!*

Due to Ragnell still being caught between my limbs, Priam gets sent sliding back without his trusty sword, which is now in my possession instead. Priam looks around before he notices Harvest Moon still stuck in the ground. The Hero pulls my weapon out with ease and gives it a few test swings before he nods and settles in a stance. I give Ragnell a few test swings of my own. It's a bit heavier than Harvest Moon, which only makes it more impressive that Priam could keep up with my speed up until this point.

"This will be interesting." I muse as I settle into a defensive stance of my own.

Due to Priam wielding the lighter weapon, his swings come out faster now. The good thing for me is that he's not used to Harvest Moon's weight, which means he can't swing optimally. The same can be said for me, of course, but I settle for a more defensive approach to get a better feel for my new impromptu weapon. Block, block, dodge, lean back, swing, jump, catch the surprise punch, knee to the stomach, step back. As Priam steps in for an overhead swing, I zip in, deliver a roundhouse kick and then add to the momentum to swing Ragnell on the end of the pivot.

"You're doing it wrong, Priam. Try mixing in some reverse grips every once in a while." I chastise the Hero as I flip Ragnell into that position. "Like this!"

*Whoosh!*

Priam is sent sliding back from the force of the energy blade that I fired when I swung. I blink and look at Ragnell.

"Huh. So that's how it works. Reminds me of how I did it with my Windcleaver."

With a new ranged option firmly in hand, I turn the tables on Priam by sending energy blades his way. But instead of dodging, Priam puts up his arm guard and charges straight through my onslaught. I find myself on the defensive as Priam quickly gets used to Harvest Moon's weight and swings with deadly precision. And right as I manage to leap backwards, the Hero manages to shift my weapon into glaive form and thrusts right at my chest.

*Clang!*

Ragnell flies out of my grip due to a hasty block. Before I can even think of retrieving the sword, Priam changes Harvest Moon back into a sword and resumes his relentless slashing.

So I'm unarmed, my opponent has my weapon, and the only weapon available is beyond my reach. Alright, time for plan Y. As in "YOLO"!

"There is no plan Y." Sparrow points out.

"Shut up and let me concentrate!"

I use a combination of wind magic and Telekinesis to make dodging Priam easier. What I want is for him to attack form a specific angle. Specifically, another thrust. There!

As Priam thrusts Harvest Moon forward, I rush in to meet him, unlike every other time. The brief moment of surprise in Priam's features is just the cue I needed to know I made the right call. I lean to the side while I push Harvest Moon to the other with Telekinesis.

*Shing!*

Pain flares up as the white blade tears into my side. Nothing too deep as I angled the sword away, but good Naga, does it hurt! More importantly, I'm in a position where I can grab his sword arm without much risk of retaliation.

"Huh? Hey, what are you doing?" Priam asks while trying to shake my hand off his arm.

I collect some blood in my free hand and point it at Priam's face. "Call it a crazy man's last-ditch effort." Mana builds up with an ominous hum as a green sphere forms in my hand. "Good thing you're invulnerable, or I'd regret this. Gran Rey Cero!"

*VRRRMM!*

My strongest attack hits Priam at point-blank range and engulfs him. Though I notice resistance from the receiving end. Priam is indeed tanking the attack. More importantly, his field of vision is obscured. Just the opening I need.

Steeling myself, I power through the pain and build up wind magic behind my elbows before I propel myself forward. By the time Priam has weathered the beam of mana, I have already flanked him. I go through the motions for a Hurricane fist, but instead of punching Priam, I stretch my arm outward for a clothesline.

"You're going DOWN!"

*WHAM!*

BGM ends

Godlike powers or no, not even Priam can remain standing when he gets slammed in the neck with my full power while I move with wind magic backing me up. The Hero hits the ground hard enough to form a small crater before the residual wind magic obscures us from view in a giant cloud of dust.

I pant with one hand on my knee as my Hollow mask dissolves and my eyes return to normal.

"Finally!" I yell. "Fighting you is just plain ridiculous, Priam."

Priam chuckles. "Hah! That's rich, coming from you. Half the time, I didn't even know what was going on. You just kept pulling one trick out of your hat after another."

I sit down with a huff. "Says the guy with literal godlike power. It was practically an unstoppable force and an immovable object in one. At least we know your immunity to harm does live up to your boasting."

Priam looks at me amused. "You do realize quite a lot of what you did would've killed me if that were not the case, right?"

"Shut it! I won, fair and square, and that's what matters!"


I sit on my knees with a throbbing bump on my head. Robin stands in front of me with a displeased scowl on her face and a clenched, still-smoking fist.

"See if I understand this correctly." my wife begins slowly in a tone that just dares me to interrupt her. "You challenged the descendant of the Radiant Hero in a one-on-one fight."

I nod meekly. "…Yes…"

"And bet your own weapon as your wager. With a very real possibility that you could lose it."

"…Yes…"

"Just so you could find Nah a better instructor in axe wielding."

"Who else would fit the bill? Vaike?"

*WHAM!*

My throbbing bump now has another bump throbbing on top of it.

"Why would you do something so reckless, Jack?! You could have just asked Donnel! He's Nah's father, for crying out loud!" Robin shouts exasperated.

"I did consider that, but I figured Priam could teach her more." I defend. "We're pressed for time as is, and Nah needs all the help she can get if she's to keep up with the rest of us in battle."

Robin sighs. "You do realize we could just have her sit those battles out, don't you?"

I give my wife a dry look and point at Nah. "Tell that to her."

"I'm fighting, Auntie Robin, and you can't stop me." the half-manakete declares defiantly.

"And I outrank you, young manakete." my wife counters. "Don't make me pull rank."

Nah blinks surprised before she turns away and scowls. "Drat! Forgot she can do that!"

"Look, the important part is that I pulled off a win in the end." I interject. "I trust Priam to be a man of his word, so all I need to do is make good on our agreement."

Robin scowls at me. "Jack, it's bad enough that I have to account for our enemies making unexpected moves. You pulling all these shenanigans only make my duty as tactician harder for me."

"But they all work out in the end, don't they?"

"*Sigh* Yes, they do. But can't you try to tone it down a bit? You risk ruining the strategies that I put so much effort into crafting for our battles – contingencies included."

"I'll…try." I relent. "I'm all for sticking to the plan, but we both know how poorly that can go."

"Hey, my strategies are flexible!" Robin points out defensively.

I put up my hands. "Yes, yes. It's just… Mind letting me in a bit more on them next time?"

My wife shakes her head. "Considering your current rank, I'm limited in how much I can divulge. Safety protocol and all that. Just…trust me, will you?"

"Just like I ask that you trust me." I return.

"*Sigh* Fine." Robin grumbles. "Now, off with you two. Nah's training won't complete itself."

She empathizes her point by smacking me in the side where Priam got a hit in.

I hiss in pain as I turn to leave. "Ow! Way to hit a man where it hurts!"

*Krrz-Crack!*

A crater forms under Robin's foot from the lightning magic that she channeled through her stomp.

"Pull something like that again, and I might hit you where it really hurts."

The chill that goes up my spine causes me to walk with my back ramrod straight.

"Auntie Robin's one scary woman, Uncle Jack." Nah remarks with a slight tremble.

I nod shakily. "Who do you think keeps me in line whenever I attempt something too crazy?"


"Well, here she is." I tell Priam as I introduce Nah to him.

Priam puts his tankard down with a sigh. "All right let's get this over with. Let's start with-"

Priam stops cold in his tracks as he looks at Nah. My niece raises an eyebrow.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

Priam turns to me with a deadpan stare. "Your niece is a dragon."

I nod. "Well, half-dragon if you want to get technical."

Priam blinks and starts to look Nah all over. A tic mark soon appears on Nah's forehead before she shoves the Hero off. "Hey, hands off, you creep!"

"Where's your brand?" Priam asks confused.

Nah stares at him confused. "Brand? What brand?"

"You're half-dragon. You said so yourself. That must mean you carry a brand of sorts on your body." Priam points out.

"Priam, this is not Telluis, and Nah is not Laguz." I explain. "She's fully capable of transforming into a real dragon, despite her mixed heritage. Or, at least she was."

Priam rubs his chin for a bit before he nods. "Right, that makes things easier. If she can transform into a dragon, she doesn't need to know how to swing an axe."

"Don't you get it?" Nah asks annoyed. "It's because I can no longer draw on my draconic powers that I need to learn how to wield an axe."

Priam shakes his head. "That's impossible. Your ability to use those powers is something you were born with, isn't it? That means you can still draw on that power, especially if not even being part human can stop that."

"I can't!" Nah stresses. "Not since I overused them!"

Priam sighs. "Look, if you insist on taking me up on that offer on training you, I'll do it. But even if you can't see it, you can still use those powers you thought you had lost, and they work far better than anything I could teach you. I can even prove it to you – indirectly, that is."

Nah and I raise eyebrows in sync. "How?"

"About a day's travel to the east from here, there's a shrine with a sacred pool within." Priam explains. "It's a proving grounds of sorts. Anyone who stares into that pool will be pitted against a reflection of themselves. Fight your own reflection, and I'm certain you will get all the confirmation you need that you can still fight as a dragon."


Quest alert:
Side quest: Mirror, mirror on the…floor?
After securing a victory against Priam in single combat, the descendant of the Radiant hero reveals the location of a unique spring where you can challenge a reflection of yourself. While it's an interesting prospect in general, Priam claims that it can show Nah that she is still capable of drawing on her draconic power, even after all that has happened. You may find something hidden deep within, should you accept this challenge. But know this; to face yourself is to confront everything about you – especially your worst sides.
Objectives: Follow Priam's directions to the Wellspring of Truth, ?
Rewards: 10 000 EXP, 10 000 gold, ?, ?


Wait a minute… Isn't that where you fight a replica of every unit you bring into the fight? Interesting.

"It's worth a shot." I tell Priam.

Nah looks at me in shock. "What?! Uncle Jack, you went through all that trouble to get me a better axe instructor, and now you're just throwing it away because he wants to bail out on his responsibility?"

A vein pulses on Priam's forehead. "Hey, I might offer solutions that others don't expect, but I never go back on my word! I'm just offering something else if you're interested. If you don't want to take up on that offer, I'm fine with that."

I shake my head. "Nah, at this point, you're the only one who believes your powers are gone. I think this could be a valuable learning experience for both of us."

"Still, considering how far it is to that spring, you might be pressed for time." Priam points out. "I overheard your friend in the infirmary. If her hunch is correct, you only have four days at the most before you have to move on. Can you make it?"

I smirk. "Watch this."

*Poof!*

The smoke cloud disperses to reveal that I transformed into Minerva.

"I'll fly Nah to that location in record time. If everything goes according to plan, we'll be back within the day."

Priam gawks at me. "You can shapeshift?! Since when? And why didn't you do that in our fight?"

I do the wyvern equivalent of a shrug. "Never crossed my mind. Too busy trying smack you around to think of what I could turn into during the battle. Though now that you mention it, turning into a fly might've made things easier for me."

Nah climbs on my back as Priam shakes his head in disbelief.

"A fly, you say? Your mind truly is a mystery."

"Shows what you know about utility." I reply mockingly. "Anyway, tell my wife and Nah's mother that I'm taking her on a short training trip for me, will you? All right, Nah. Hold on tight. We're going fast."

"Fast? Uncle Jack, how fast are we talk-*Whoosh!*IIIING!?"

I take off the ground in a massive gust of wind as I propel myself forward with wind magic. Nah and I disappear in the distance within a minute.


Between my mini-map and mana-assisted flight, I manage to arrive at the location of the side quest in record time. A gust of wind slows my descent as I go in for the landing.

*Bonk!*

Nah slides off my back with an angry glare after she bopped me on the head. "What the heck, Uncle Jack! Warn me next time you decide to go that fast!"

I dispel my transformation and rub the back of my head. "I wasn't going that fast, to be honest. I could crank up the speed a little bit more if I wanted to."

"Don't you dare. I refuse to be caught riding you again."

"Says the girl who tried to name me her personal portable lodgings just a few weeks ago."

"I was in sick bed! That doesn't count!" Nah shouts. "And do you really think looking at my own reflection will help me with my powers? That's a load of bull dung if I ever heard any. I might as well get myself a mirror and start staring."

I shrug. "Despite how little time I've spent with him, I trust Priam. And I doubt he would lead us on a wild goose chase on purpose. If nothing else, this could serve as a break before we get back to training."

Nah huffs. "Fine. So, is this the place?"

I nod. "If I got the directions right, this should be it."

We walk along a path and find a cave. A stone slab with some writing sits outside the cave opening. Let's see…

I am thou.
Thou art I.
To face me is to face your everything.
You at your best – and your worst.
If you desire true mastery of yourself,
then enter and peer into all that you are.
But be warned;
Failure to accept the truth will only lead to regret.
Thus is the trial I present.

That's…kinda creepy. Deep philosophy woven into some kind of riddled speech rarely bodes well. Then again, if I remember this part of the game correctly, you can make it as easy or as hard as you want, depending on what characters you bring along.

"Who's the weirdo who wrote this thing?" Nah asks perplexed as she examines the inscription.

"Either the one who discovered the place, or made it this way. Really hope it's the former." I reply. "Well, are you ready?"

Nah nods. "Let's get this over with."


The inside is about the same as the outside. Rough, rocky floor, walls and ceiling that form a singular path deeper into the mountain that the cave is part of. And yet there is one oddity in this pathway that sticks out like a sore thumb.

"Hey, Uncle Jack? How can there be lit torches here?" Nah asks as we walk through the passage.

My gaze narrows. "So you noticed it too. We've yet to see any signs of anyone living here. For all intents and purposes, this place is abandoned."

Nah nods. "And yet the torches are lit. With seemingly no one to maintain them."

The cave walls are lined with torches, and they all provide ample lighting with their burning glow. But the more I think about it, the less sense it makes. Unless…

A peek with Mind's Eye gives me the answer I seek.

"It would seem this cave is at least partially manmade." I conclude after a quick scan. "Every torch in this cave so far is connected to a rune circle. And those rune circles in turn connect to what I can only assume to be some kind of central power source. It's not wood or oil that fuel these flames. It's all mana."

Nah looks at the torches in a new light (pun not intended). "Really? Who would make something like this?"

"Either an entire legion of mages, or one supremely powerful and skilled one that would make every single arcane researcher in our army combined look like a bunch of novices."

Nah gives me a questioning gaze. "How would you know?"

"I've had an occasional look at Miriel's work. And while Tharja is notably secretive about her research, Henry practically treats his like a public event."

Nah blanches. "You've watched Henry experiment with magic?"

"From a very safe distance." I add.


The cave-like passageway soon ends and turns into something that is undeniably crafted by human hands. Nah and I step into a massive, circular chamber made of smooth masonry. Pillars dot the interior, most likely to improve the chamber's structural integrity. More torches line both the wall and the pillars. And in the center of the chamber is a raised platform where a light of a different color from that of the torches radiates from the surface.

Nah and I take in the size of the structure as we walk towards the platform. That's where we find a pool of clear water giving off a strange glow.

"So, this is that wellspring Priam told us about, right?" I muse.

Nah frowns. "Wait, that's it? Just some pool of water in an abandoned cave? Ugh, I knew he tried to pull something!"

Despite my niece's complaint, her curiosity shines through as she steps closer to peer into the spring better.

"Still, it's kind of strange how the water in this pool can glow. And is it just me, or is this water more still than water is supposed to be?"

I follow suit on Nah's curiosity and peer into the water myself. "Huh. You have a point there. The slightest motion could cause ripples on the surface, but all our moving and walking doesn't seem to faze this pool at all."

The only thing that happens as we peer into the pool is that the water glows a bit brighter for a moment before it returns to the same level. Well, that was anticlimactic.

!

Nah looks at me confused as I reach for Harvest Moon. "Uncle Jack?"

"Nah, get ready. We've got company." I warn as I scan the chamber.

Nah readies her Steel Axe and sidles up to me. "But where? I don't see anyone."

Good question. Besides our breathing, the only thing that sticks out is the faint sound of running water.

Wait a minute. The only water source in here should be that pool, and that water is completely still. Where is that water flow coming from?

I turn my gaze to the floor and notice something strange. Water slowly wells up from the gaps in the masonry.

"What the heck? What is up with this cave?" I ask bewildered as more water pours out of the ground.

At first, it's just two puddles of water forming on the floor. But then the puddles start moving – and flow upwards as if the water has a will of its own.

Nah gulps. "Uncle Jack… What's happening?"

I slowly place myself in front of Nah, all while staying wary of our surroundings in case more of those water puddles form elsewhere in the chamber.

The mysterious water masses form human-sized lumps. Then the masses shift and start branching out into more defined shapes. First, a pair of stumps stick out from the sides. Those stumps, in turn, branch out into five smaller lumps on their respective ends. The bottom halves of the masses spilt in two, elongate and thin. A fifth lump forms at the top of each mass before each one narrows at the base while the top retains a bulbous shape. At this point, one mass is notably taller than the other. Thin veils of water sprout from the backs of the water masses and wrap themselves around them. The parts that grew on the sides grow slimmer and take the shape of arms. The bottom halves shift and take the form of legs. And lastly, the top parts of the water masses start with subtle shifts that result in more distinctive features. A pair of tendrils emerge from the top of the shorter one, while the taller one simply has a myriad of strands growing out from the top. What quickly reveal themselves to be heads develop facial features. And the thin water veils reveal themselves to resemble clothes.

As the shaping draws to a close, the once transparent water masses mysteriously gain color. The shapes standing before us could pass of as people, for all we know. But it's who each shape resembles that catches our attention.

"Is that…me?" Nah asks surprised as she looks at the shorter one.

The water mass that shaped into Nah raises its head and opens its eyes at us. Yep, this moving water mass looks just like Nah, down to the smallest strand of hair. But there is one big difference between my niece and her copy; the copy's eyes are empty – like it's just some autonomous doll made in Nah's image, but with none of Nah's personality.

The second one, however, doesn't exactly resemble me. Oh, sure, the shape is a perfect match. But the coloring is notably different. I narrow my gaze at my own version of a water copy.

"Sparrow."

The water mass that was supposed to resemble me took the form of my Hollow spirit instead. And unlike Nah's copy, this one seems to have every bit of that entity's cocky personality that I've come to know and despise.

The embodiment of my inner Hollow grins at me.

"Aw, is that how you greet me into the physical world, Jack? That's rude."

"Uncle Jack, who is that?" Nah asks even more confused.

"Nah, meet Sparrow; my other self." I explain curtly while subtly concentrating my mana in case he tries anything.

Sparrows grin widens. "Yep. That's me, alright. Every bit like your dear uncle, only better. No pesky inhibitions holding me back. I go for what I want, simple as that. You could say I'm his fun side."

"Your lack of inhibitions is the very reason why I constantly keep you under wraps." I huff. "And how the heck did you manage to manifest in physical form anyway? You're supposed to be tied to my soul."

Sparrow waggles a mocking finger at me. "Heh. For someone as well-travelled as you, you sure are slow on the uptake, Jack. Tell me, what's the best way to describe that pool of water you and the little dragon girl took a peek into? And I'm not looking for obvious answers like "a body of water" or kindergarten stuff like that. What exactly can you associate it with?"

Realization lights up on Nah. "A mirror… The surface was so still that I could see my own reflection in it with ease."

Sparrow points at Nah. "Bingo! The pool's a mirror! And whoever discovered or made that pool must've been a real superstitious one, 'cause that pool works according to the old belief that what you see in one is a reflection of your own soul. Add a little magic on top of that, and that reflection becomes as real as the original."

I put the pieces together in my head. "But it's different for me. My own soul already has a reflection; you."

Sparrows chuckles. "Right-a-mundo. And with the little enchantment working its literal magic on you, I finally have a body of my own to use."

"It all makes sense now." I remark. "What Priam told us about this place and the riddle at the mouth of the cave were the same thing. Peer into the pool here, and you face a literal copy of yourself in every sense of the word."

"But…wouldn't fighting these things just end in a stalemate?" Nah asks while staying wary.

"Hah! Shows what you know, little girl! Exactly how honest are you with yourself? Would you dare to reveal even your most guarded secrets to the world if you were forced to? Would you even admit to having them? Or are you so scared that you deny them with every fiber of your being?" Sparrow fires back. "See, this is the difference between me and Jack. He tries to put a lid on his deepest desires. He holds back on what he wants the most. And for what reason? Because he's afraid of "hurting his loved ones" or some sappy excuse like that. But me? I embrace every little thing my heart longs for! Nothing can hold me back, because I never allow anything to do that. And I'm all the better for it."

I smirk. "Big talk for the one who got forced into submission. Last time I checked, I'm still top dog of our shared being."

Any mirth that covered Sparrow's features give way to cold contempt. "Oh… So we're going in that direction now, are we? Sure, I can poke on raw nerves too." Water flows from Sparrow's form and coalesces into a sphere in his hand as his expression turns chilling. "And I'll do it by cutting you and your little partner apart, one slice at a time. Enjoy."

The water disperses to reveal the elegant form of a scythe I had hoped I would never have to match up against; Marluxia's Graceful Dahlia. I shift Harvest Moon into scythe form, almost on reflex. In that instant, it's as though our respective expressions switched faces.

"You have a lot of nerve, bringing that weapon into our fight. I'll make you regret manifesting on the physical plane, Hollow." I declare.

Sparrow, if anything, looks amused. "Please. You're so predictable whenever someone you care for is involved that it's laughable. The girl signed up for this the moment she set foot in this cave. You can't coddle a child forever, Jack. You know that just as well as I do."

"He's right, Uncle Jack." Nah confirms as she steps up, wary expression replaced with determination. "This is my fight just as much as it is yours. And I have no intention of running away or hiding behind you. So what if I'm facing a magical copy of myself? I'm not scared of my own reflection, and I'm not scared of some weird look-a-like of you, weird scythe or no."

Sparrow's smile turns predatory as he crouches into a sprinting stance. "Oh, you think you're being cute."

Nah narrows her gaze. "Buddy, I'm adorable."

BGM: I'll Face Myself, Persona 4 music

I cross the gap between me and my Hollow spirit and lock weapons with him in the blink of an eye.

*Clang!*

"Aw, so eager to steal little Nah's thunder?" Sparrow taunts while pushing back.

"We both know exactly what that scythe does. I'll let her fight – when I know that blade stays far away from her." I reply as I put Reinforcement to work.

Sparrow grins. "Shows what you know. You still haven't figured out what this whole thing is about. And that's gonna cost ya."

What does he- Whoa!

Mirror Nah (is what I call her) descends on us with her leg covered in flames. Sparrow disengages and zips away with ease, while I'm left rolling away awkwardly. By the time I get back on my feet, the copy of my nephew is in a combat stance. …And Sparrow is nowhere to be seen.

Wait, no!

I turn back to Nah. "Nah, he's coming!"

"Too late." Sparrow declares as he lands behind Nah and leans over her shoulder. "Your heart shall be judged."

Sparrow places his free hand on Nah's back. My niece is enveloped in a black shroud before it disperses, revealing the number 48 floating in front of her forehead and pulsing red.

I zip past Nah and kick Sparrow away before I stand back-to-back with her.

"Uncle Jack, what's with the number floating in front of my face?" Nah asks.

"It's a curse." I growl. "Any time Sparrow hits you with that scythe, that number goes down. And if it reaches zero, you will turn into an empty husk."

Nah tenses up. "Wait, am I in danger of becoming a vegetable?!"

"Not if I handle him first. Think you can handle your copy on your own?"

Sparrow laughs. "Seriously, how dense can you two be? Me and the kid over here are having a blast, and you two can't even play by the rules!"

"Says the one who couldn't follow a rule to save his life." I reply as I shift Harvest Moon into glaive form. "I'll stick to you like gum and I'll stay that way until I beat you down again. Nah, watch my back."

"Uncle Jack, shouldn't we-"

*Whoosh!*

I charge ahead, only to zip to the side to dodge a fireball from Mirror Nah. From there, I bounce among the pillars before I go for a flanking strike. Sparrow pushes Mirror Nah down to have her duck under my swing while he himself jumps over it. As I pass, I notice the blade of Graceful Dahlia linger where my neck is headed. I tilt myself to hit the ground, only for Mirror Nah to catch me and toss me into the air.

*Krang!*

A brief screech echoes out from where I block a fist covered in flames. From there, Mirror Nah grabs hold of Harvest Moon with her free hand and closes in for another punch to my face.

"No, you don't!"

I slap the fist away and let out a war cry as I twirl Harvest Moon as fast as I can – with Mirror Nah still holding on to the shaft. Then I shift into grabbing the butt end of my weapon and swing hard! The sudden shift in motion causes the grip of Mirror Nah to slip and for her to crash to the ground. That gives me a brief moment to check on how the real Nah is doing.

Not good! Sparrow is running circles around her, all while shaving her soul down one hit at a time. Nah can't keep up with his speed. I have to get between the two of them again-

*Fwoom!*

-while avoiding being burnt to a crisp by Mirror Nah. The replica manakete takes a deep breath before she lets out another stream of azure flames at me. I zip down and go for a low approach. I thrust Harvest Moon forward, only for her jump onto the shaft and send a blazing kick at my face.

*Bam!*

Ow, that smarts! Replica it may be, but the power behind that kick is the real deal. I backflip away to dodge the follow-up and take a moment to center myself in preparation for her next attack. As Mirror Nah dashes back in, I switch between leaning away from her blazing limbs or, failing that, slap them away with Harvest Moon. Just like with Nah's battle against Sparrow, the mirror image of my niece can't out-speed me. And that's something I can exploit. I manage to parry a punch and step back just enough to dodge the follow-up kick. Before Mirror Nah can retract her leg, I grab hold and pivot.

"Nah, quack!"

Catching the hidden meaning, Nah crouches low just as I hurl her mirror copy right over her and into Sparrow.

Get it? The animal that quacks is a duck, which can also be interpreted as- Ahem! Anyway, Rasengan!

As I descend on our opponents, Sparrow flips Mirror Nah behind him and charges up wind magic around his fist and behind his elbow.

"Hurricane Fist!"

Sparrow and I grit our teeth as we struggle for dominance. I manage to push back by feeding more mana into the Rasengan. That's when Sparrow smirks.

"Rasengan? Bad move. Now fly!"

Sparrow spikes his power output, causing our clashing attacks to rupture. The shockwave of my Rasengan gets overpowered by the vortex that follows a Hurricane Fist. Thinking fast, I channel some wind magic through Harvest Moon and slice the winds apart. As I land, Sparrow zips behind me. I pivot to slash him, only for my Hollow spirit to crouch low and slap the ground. My eyes widen in realization in sync with his grin widening.

Sparks race along the ground at my feet before the masonry shoots up around me in the shape of poles, effectively trapping me in a prison of stone.

"Dodge this!" Sparrow shouts as he winds up for a big swing.

Not one to be outdone by my own tricks, I perform a Transmutation of my own by grabbing one of the stone poles. But it's not the poles themselves that I Transmute – it's the ground that they're still connected to.

"Ah ha ha h-yueh?!"

The ground under Sparrow's feet slides away from him, thus robbing him of his footing and putting him in an awkward front-and-back split. One more Transmutation breaks me out of my prison. I shift Harvest Moon into sword form and bring it down.

*Clang!*

Sparrow holds my swing off while trying to stay up in his awkward position. A tic mark pulses on the Hollow spirit's brow.

"You're crushing my balls to the floor, you jerk!"

I grin. "Hey, it's not like you ever use them. Unlike me."

Sparrow growls. "When I finally claim dominion of your being, I will find every single woman you've considered boning and- Yeow!"

I use Telekinesis to push just a little bit harder.

"Finish that sentence and I will turn your crown jewels into mush. Preferably Dio style." I warn him in a dry tone.

*Krang!* "Gah!"

I get interrupted as Nah gets sent flying my way. I'm forced to abandon my weapon lock to catch my niece, lest we end up as a tangled mess on the floor. Sparrow takes that moment to jump away and regroup with Mirror Nah, whom he proceeds to pat on the head. Despite the lack of expression, the cartoony flowers floating around her indicate happiness.

"I don't get it, Uncle Jack." Nah remarks as she gets back on her feet. "I can't use my powers. So why can my own reflection do it?"

"The answer should be obvious." I reply. "You only think you can't, because they no longer work the way you're used to. Or you just didn't understand the fundamentals to begin with. Regardless, the fact that your reflection can channel dragon fire is proof that you can too. You just have to figure out how."

"You're telling me…there is a way?" Nah asks hopefully.

I smile. "You're the only one who knows the answer to that question. So, ready to find out?"

Nah tightens the hold on her axe. "I- I'll give it a try. And this time, we'll win."

I grin. "That's the spirit."

"But if I really can use my powers, I'll need some time to draw them out." Nah adds. "Can you cover me?"

Winds whip around my feet. "Say no more!"

Mirror Nah meets my charge halfway, only to miss as I slip past her, grab her leg and toss her back at Sparrow. But unlike last time, Sparrow just lets her fly past him and rushes to engage me instead.

Thrust, twirl, jump, axe kick, pivot and swing, backstep, poke a few times, crouch, Rasengan!

Sparrow stabs Graceful Dahlia's blade into the floor to stop his backwards momentum. But he seems unusually at ease, despite me holding them both off for Nah. Speaking of which, what of her mirror double?

What the- Is she eating the flames on the torches?!

"No need to look surprised. You noticed it yourself, remember? These flames are mana-powered. So what happens if a fire dragon slayer eats them?" Sparrow asks. "As for you, let's see how good you are at hide and seek."

A bloodred pool appears beneath the Hollow spirit's feet before he sinks into it and the floor. Oh, great. He's using that ability.

"Come on… Come on! Burn already!" Nah urges as she tries to make her flames manifest.

And that's when Mirror Nah charges at her, fully charged after that blazing meal.

"Nah, incoming!" I warn while trying to scope out where Sparrow tries to attack from.

He sank into the floor, which obviously means he will strike from below. Thing is, I have no reliable means of hitting him while he's underground, short of sniping him with some creative Alchemic Transmutation. Actually, that might be a good idea. Now, where could that pale-faced scoundrel be hiding?

Oh, trying to sneak up on Nah from behind, are we? Really, you should know seeing you is well within my abilities, Sparrow. Just need to prepare a Transmutation, wait a bit…and slap the ground!

A massive square pillar erupts from the floor a few paces behind Nah. Sparrow flies out of the top moments later, shocked that he missed by such a wide margin. I'm onto him right after with Harvest Moon once again in scythe form.

*Clang!*

"Freakin'- Is this a fight or an earth bending showdown?!" my Hollow spirit asks half exasperated as we trade blows in mid-air.

We land between the two manaketes. Specifically, we land with the manakete on the opposing side behind our respective backs. Sparrow pivots to slash Nah's mid-section. I shove Harvest Moon against Mirror Nah's torso. Mirror Nah jumps onto the shaft again. Nah slides underneath Graceful Dahlia. I kick Harvest Moon's shaft from below to get Mirror Nah off my weapon before she can kick me in the face again. Sparrow reaches down to grab Nah by the collar. I channel wind magic through my still-outstretched leg and release a burst of Gale Step to send my knee rocketing at Sparrow's back. Sparrow manages to block with his palm, but gets sent sliding from the momentum. Nah is about to follow up when her reflection descends with a burning fist. I grab Nah by the arm and zip backwards.

*Boom!*

"Nah, any progress?" I ask while keeping an eye on our opponents.

"Almost had it." Nah pants. "I almost felt it. Just a little more."

"Hey, I don't know if it'll help, but can you still eat fire?"

Nah blinks. "Uh, I haven't tried it since that time we helped Tiki. Why?"

"Eating fire replenishes your strength, right? That might give you the boost you need to draw your flames out again." I suggest with a grin. I grab Nah by the arm again. "That said…"

"Uncle Jack? What are you doing?" Nah asks with a little trepidation.

"Happy flying!" *Yeet!*

Right after Nah hits the wall near some torches, I Transmute the masonry and make a cage around her. That should give her some protection from incoming attacks and let her eat fire in peace.

"As for you two…" I say as I bring my free hand to my face, concentrate mana in the palm and-

-nothing happens.

Wait, why won't my Hollow mask work? Whoa!

I backflip over a slash from Sparrow, only to make a hasty block against Mirror Nah's flaming axe kick and get sent back to the ground hard. Sparrow raises Graceful Dahlia with a grin and brings the scythe down. A quick Gale Step brings me out of harm's way, but only long enough for me to get back on my feet before Mirror Nah is on top of me again with her blazing limbs.

"Did you honestly think it would be that easy?" Sparrow taunts while I try to stave off Mirror Nah's assault. "That's my mask you're trying to summon, you moron. You could only do that while I was part of you. But now that we're separated, you no longer have any source of Hollow powers to draw on."

It's a good thing I made those makeshift cage bars around Nah. Because while her reflection is busy trying to smack me around and char me at the same time, Sparrow sets his sights on my niece. And that's when I realize we'll need more than a cage made of mere stone to stop him. The one saving grace is that Sparrow has to chop through the stone bars first, and that gives Nah just enough time to gulp down another flame before she hits the ground, right underneath Sparrow's swing.

"Come on, work!" Nah urges as she scrunches up her face in concentration.

A faint hissing sound emanates from the blade of her axe before it is enveloped in azure flames. It looks more like Nah's carrying a giant torch on a metal stick than an axe on fire.

Nah learned Spell Blade!

I grin upon seeing Nah finally pull it off. And the first thing my niece does with her new skill is trying to slam her burning axe into whatever part of Sparrow she can reach. In fact, Nah's renewed vigor seems to make for an interesting counter against Sparrow's hectic form. Any time he slips in too close, Nah increases the power output and causes the flame – and its temperature – to swell. It's not a winning tactic by any stretch, but it keeps Sparrow at bay. Which means…

*Boom!*

"…I should focus on putting you down." I tell Mirror Nah after I zip away from another blazing fist.

Mirror Nah sets her feet ablaze before she jumps between some pillars in a zig-zag pattern. Alright, trying to feint before attempting to slug me, are you? Let's see… Right, left, right, swerve around a pillar, and jump for a hit from above.

…Is what she was planning, except I have an instant counter for this. By the time she reaches the apex of her jump, I have already prepared another Transmutation. And in a similar vein to how I just countered Sparrow, I bring a giant square pillar down from the ceiling.

*Bam!*

Mirror Nah gets flattened under the massive stone construct, unable to so much as pull herself out from underneath. To make sure she stays there, I add Telekinesis on top of that to push down even harder. Mirror Nah's response is to build up fire in her mouth for a breath attack.

That's where phase 2 of my plan comes in. See, one of the key components for achieving combustion is the availability of oxygen. No oxygen, no fire. So I make one last Transmutation; this time on the air itself. But unlike the first time I attempted this, where I adjusted the air pressure, I instead make a chemical reaction in a pocket of air with Mirror Nah inside it and keep that pocket airtight. What kind of reaction, you ask? I simply merge all the oxygen with the nitrogen in the atmosphere. Not only does this rob Mirror Nah of oxygen to use, the end product is nitrogen oxide.

The effects are immediate. First, Mirror Nah's flames die in a brief sputter. Then Mirror Nah herself shows emotion for the first time since she formed. The more she tries to breathe, the more panicked her expression gets as she realizes that none of the air she's breathing contains oxygen. Her attempts to crawl out from underneath the stone pillar become more desperate as well, which in itself becomes an exercise in futility due to all the stone and telekinetic force weighing her down. Her breathing is reduced to a choking sound as she reaches for me with a trembling hand. And then, she goes still. The hand, and her head, fall limp on the floor. Mirror Nah's lifeless form turns into a glass-like substance before it shatters into countless pieces. The shards seemingly melt into the same water they were originally made from before every last drop seeps back into the floor.

BGM ends

I stand and watch the spot where Nah's reflection "died". I thought at first that it was just some emotionless doll moving according to some highly advanced magic setup. But the emotion she showed right before her end, the fear and panic, the sheer desperation as she reached for me… It was almost as if that was the real Nah reaching out in a silent plea for help. It felt like I actually did that to my own niece. The very idea feels like someone is twisting a dagger into my heart. I watch my trembling hands in mounting horror.

What did I even- I didn't mean to make it so brutal! I just-

"Uncle Jack!"

I get tackled to the floor moments before a blade of wind flies over me, slices clean through every pillar on the way and makes a deep gouge into the nearest wall.

I look down to see the concerned face of Nah. The real Nah.

Right, she's still alive. I may have choked her reflection, but that's exactly it; a reflection. Nothing more. Deep breaths. It's cool.

"See what I'm talking about, little girl? Jack may talk big, but he can't walk three steps without fussing like a mother over someone he cares for. And the moment something were to happen to said person he cares for, he just shuts down and becomes the easiest target ever to hit." Sparrow points out as he walks towards us with Graceful Dahlia resting over his shoulder. "While it's kinda nice how you keep saving each other's hides, this is getting old fast. I'm done playing around, and since you went through all that trouble of getting rid of the mirror kid, that means there's no friendly fire for me."

As I get up, I notice that the d'Doom counter over Nah's head has dropped down to 5. No, it's okay. It's still at 5, meaning she's still in this. Now to take care of Sparrow.

Why is that grin splitting his face?

A tornado forms around Sparrow's feet and briefly fills the whole room before it shrinks and concentrates around his form, almost like it's trying to meld with him. Even so, residual winds blow all around my Hollow spirit, making it feel like we're fighting an incoming storm.

Nah stands her ground as she turns up the heat around her axe. The half-manakete lunges at Sparrow's wind-swept form, only to be pushed away by the sheer pressure and even get another scythe slash across her abdomen for her troubles. The number drops to 4.

"See this? This is what I'm talking about, little girl." Sparrow's voice echoes through the wind. "Jack can make something like this any time he wants. He's the kind of fighter who can go up against a whole army all on his own and be the only one to leave the battlefield alive. And even then, this is just a taste of Jack's true potential. So why hasn't he tapped into any of that over the course of the war?" The winds howl stronger. "Because of you weaklings! He knows that going full blast could kill any one of you, and since you hang around him like flies all the time, he keeps holding back until he can go one-on-one with some enemy commander with everyone a safe distance away. Without you in his life, he could display power unlike this world has ever seen. But that's what I'm here for."

To my surprise, Sparrow's words cut deeper than I expected. I mean, the idea of using every resource I have to maximize my power has crossed my mind more than once. But have I held off on that for the reason he just stated?

BGM: Stop Them With Full Power (Version 2), My Hero Academia OST

"You're wrong!" Nah shouts back.

My face snaps over to my niece.

"You claim to be a part of Uncle Jack, but you don't know the first thing about him!"

"Oh, really? Care to enlighten me?"

"Uncle Jack doesn't hold back because of the people in his life. We're the reason why he got so strong in the first place; so he could protect us and teach us to be strong on our own. Without someone in your life to love, you'll never find a good reason to grow strong!"

Huh. Never thought I'd see the day when my own niece lectures me in front of my sort-of inner demon and pulls it off flawlessly.

"Hah! That's a neat little sentiment if I've ever heard one. Too bad none of that will save either of you from what's coming NEXT!" Sparrow counters as the winds surrounding him grow so strong that both Nah and I have to brace ourselves.

I might be able to match Sparrow in raw power, but where do I go from there? Much as I hate to admit it, I have no solid plan on how to put him down without endangering Nah.

"Uncle Jack! I have an idea!" my niece shouts over the winds.

I form a soundproof bubble around us, which also shields us from the winds.

"That means you've already come farther than me in this situation, Nah. What's the plan?" I ask.

"I might be able to hit him with my flames, but I need your help. Can you align your wind magic with his, so it flows with it?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, I might be able to do something like that, but how will that hel-" I pause as the pieces fall into place. "Oh… Oooh!"

I build up some wind magic in my palm. "We probably only have one shot at this. Make it count, Nah."

Nah glares in Sparrow's general direction as her power spikes. "Don't worry. That's all I need."

We brace ourselves as I let the air bubble down and Sparrow's winds hit us full force again.

"Show's just about over, people! Gimme your best shot!"

"As you wish!" I shout as I let my wind spell loose.

A concentrated air current goes high before I steer it downwards as it approaches Sparrow's position. From there, I let it flow alongside Sparrow's own wind magic and coil it around the air currents closest to him.

"Nah, now!" I signal.

Nah winds up a golf swing as she sidles up to where my wind spell starts.

"Manakete's hotline!"

Due to the sheer amount of mana I put into that air current, alongside the natural amount of oxygen, Nah's dragon fire ignites it and causes it to spread with literal blistering speed. Sparrow doesn't even have time to figure out what's going on before it's too late.

"Aw, how cute. She named it- Oh SH-T!"

*Fa-BOOM!*

The stream of azure flames wrapped around Sparrow's windswept form before everything exploded – with Sparrow in the center. As the smoke clears, Sparrow is left panting and seared while standing in the middle of a giant scorch mark.

My Hollow spirit directs a murderous snarl at Nah. "Alright, I've had it up to here with you, you little runt! Prepare to- Whuh?!"

Sparrow freezes up as Harvest Moon's blade circles his neck. He slowly turns to find me standing right behind him.

"H-how?"

"We both made the mistake of underestimating Nah, when she was the key to my victory all along. I only realized that moments ago. Unlike you, I have the sense to acknowledge my errors and learn from them." I tell him.

*Shing!*

"That's why you will never defeat me, Sparrow." I conclude.

BGM ends

Sparrow's beheaded form falls to the floor and shatters into thousands of clear shards. Just like with Nah's reflection, the shards turn into water and seep into the floor. At the same time, the Doom counter above Nah disappears, showing that the curse is broken.

"Is- Is it over?" Nah asks tentatively.

I let out a relieved sigh. "Yeah. We won. We pulled through in the end, Nah."

"Oh, thank goodness…" my niece groans as she falls backwards in exhaustion.

I catch her and help her back on her feet. "Thank you."

Nah raises an eyebrow. "For what?"

I press my lips into a line. "It's just… For a moment, Sparrow got to me about the whole thing about me holding back. If you hadn't been there to set me straight, I might have accepted his words as truth. Thanks to you, I remembered why I fight. Goes to show how different I am from him."

"Actually, you two might be more alike than you both admit." Nah points out as she steadies herself on my shoulder.

"Me and Sparrow? Alike how?"

"Well… For all his talk about having no problem going all out, he held back a lot on his own during the fight. He could have summoned that storm whenever he wanted, but he only did that after you destroyed my reflection."

I blink as I realize that Nah is right. It doesn't add up. Unless…

"Maybe he cared for her just as much as you care for me. Replica or not, I think my reflection mattered a lot to him, and he didn't want to hurt her too much, just like you never want to hurt me." my niece concludes.

"I deny everything that girl just said. Just slipped my mind is all. She knows nothing." Sparrow protests.

*Anvil*

"Motherfu-" *Anvil*

"Let her have her moment. Also, language." I chastise my Hollow spirit.

"…Shutting up now…"

I give my niece a bemused smile. "Well, look who grew up and became the adult in the room."

Nah blushes. "I have to become reliable at some point, Uncle Jack."

My smile turns amused. "That's the thing, Nah. You have been for as long as I have known you." I indicate her axe. "You even rediscovered your own powers and learned a new way to channel them. No one can say that you're dead weight anymore – not even yourself."

"Does that mean…you'll let me fight?"

"Hey, you fought beside me just now, and you did just fine. You have proven both to yourself and to me how reliable you can be. Both if we're in a fight, or when I doubt myself." I bring Nah into a hug. "I am so proud of you, Nah."

Nah drops her axe and returns the hug. I notice a few tears leaving her eyes.

I pat my niece on the head. "Come on. Let's go back to the others and share the good news."

My niece nods with her face still planted against my chest.

Your relationship with Nah has advanced! Your relationship with Nah is now "Friends"!

The bond you've nurtured has given birth to a new ability! You can now perform the Union Strike "BlazBlue" with Nah!


Quest alert:
Side quest: Mirror, mirror on the…floor?
To face yourself is never an easy task, be it metaphorically or literally. With this trial cleared, you have not only grown stronger in a way. You have also gained a deeper understanding of yourself that you can embrace. But remember; whenever your heart is clouded by doubt, it is only a matter of time before you must face yourself once more, whether you feel ready or not.
Objectives: Follow Priam's directions to the Wellspring of Truth, Clear the trial of the Mirror Wellspring
All objectives cleared!
Rewards: You gain 10 000 EXP! You gain 10 000 gold! You obtained Blazing Heartbreak! A new path has been opened for you!

To be continued


Omake: Before the smashing (yes, that kind of smashing)

Jack and Priam sit down at a local tavern to enjoy a drink together after their battle. The orders are served, the two men pick up their tankards, bump them together in a show of camaraderie and take a deep swig each.

Priam sighs in satisfaction. "Ah, nothing like a cold drink after a hard fight. I've missed this feeling."

Jack breathes a sigh of relief. "You're telling me. I've lost count on how many times you nearly had me back there."

"By the way, what was the deal with that white mask you donned? I've never seen anything like it."

Jack presses his lips into a thin line. "Met some crazy scientist with sandals and a goofy hat during my travels. It started with a cup of tea, and before I knew it, I found myself strapped to a metal table and the crazy hat guy saying that it wouldn't hurt one bit while he checked his medical tools." The Outrealmer huffs. "Won't hurt, my foot. I literally had to fight for dominion of my own soul against a manifestation of my desires. If I ever run into that moron again, I'll show him exactly what he created. Still worth it in the end, though."

Priam nods. "Huh. The Outrealms sure house some strange things."

"You know it." Jack points his tankard at Priam. "So how about you? What's the story behind your divine heritage?"

Priam scratches the back of his head. "Well, I'm not entirely sure myself. I only have second-hand records to go on at most. But according to what I managed to find, it seems my great grandfather met a goddess during a fighting tournament, of all places. Supposedly, it took place in a different world as well."


Flashback

The Ultimate Smash tournament had hit off with a bang. Fighters both old and new had gathered for the opening ceremony, eager to participate in the promotional tournament and show the audience from around the multiverse what they were capable of. Rumor had it that the great Sakurai himself sat among the audience, carefully monitoring the numerous fighters who had been selected to participate in this inter-world fighting competition. But that wasn't what had occupied Palutena's mind.

Make no mistake, she was fully aware of the significance of that event, seeing as she participated in the last Smash tournament as well. No, what occupied her thoughts was a certain swordsman who joined the ranks of Smash before her.

By all accounts, Ike was a remarkable man. He began his life as a humble mercenary, was thrust into a war that spanned an entire continent, took up leadership of his father's mercenary band in their hour of need and ended up defeating a goddess (with the help of another goddess). Not only that, but the accepting, if humbling, demeanor that he addressed both Beorc and Laguz with was the same that he addressed the goddesses of Tellius with as well.

Bottom line; Ike simply did not address others based on their origins. The way he treated someone was based on their character and little else. While some individuals of high social standing or even existentially higher standing – such as Palutena herself – might take offense to that, what she had learned about the Radiant Hero only increased her intrigue. True, she already knew his entire life due to the wealth of knowledge that her place in her own pantheon granted her, but there was a difference between knowing about a person and personally knowing them.

And as much as it surprised even herself, Palutena found herself wanting to explore the latter regarding Ike.

Which brought the goddess of light into her current position. The current Smash tournament was the perfect opportunity for fighters across the multiverse to not only test their mettle, but also to simply interact. And Palutena had every intention to get to know about the Radiant Hero more personally – if only to sate her curiosity.

But previous interactions, however brief, with Ike had revealed an issue that Palutena had not expected – all her life, the goddess had been addressed as simply that; a goddess. And that typically came with lots of fanfare and reverence (mainly from Pit).

Ike, on the other hand? During the brief conversations that the goddess had shared with the swordsman, he had shown none of it. He had addressed Palutena like any other person. Sure, she was already aware of it, but after experiencing it firsthand, Palutena found herself strangely out of her depth.

Things hadn't exactly gone smoothly during her debut in Smash, but Palutena had reflected and learned. And she came to the conclusion that the best way to speak to Ike was the same as he himself spoke to others; with simplicity and an open mind. Easy, right?

It was with those thoughts that Palutena walked through the main lounge of the Smash mansion and out to the pool area for a morning stroll. Right as she opened the door, she was met with the strange sound of grunting and something immensely heavy being swung. The green-haired goddess rounded a corner and found the man who had occupied her thoughts for quite some time – naked from the waist up and with sweat running along his back. His very chiseled and muscular back.

The sight left the goddess frozen in shock. Because, deity or no, at the end of the day, Palutena was a female entity. And like with (almost) all other female entities came the usual inherent attraction towards male entities, such as Ike.

Ike, for his part, swung his heavily modified training sword with weights fastened along its length (an idea that Boyd had originally come up with as a gag) with gusto. Just because he had finally surpassed the Black Knight didn't mean he could afford to slack off in his training. Heck, he had seen Mac train, and the little guy's daily training easily put the Crimean knights' standards to shame. Judging from the position of the sun, he was just about done with his morning regimen. Just needed to wrap it up.

Ike let loose the widest swings in his routine yet, all while shouting to keep himself focused. The last swing left him turned around, which also meant that he showed Palutena, who had remained unmoving through it all, his front.

Palutena felt her face heat up as her eyes took in every detail of Ike's sweaty torso.

"By my divinity, you could grind meat on that!" the goddess thought right before her mind borderline overloaded.

Flashback ends


"And that's how the awkward romance between my great grandparents started." Priam finishes.

Jack raises an eyebrow. "Seriously? You're telling me Ike unintentionally seduced a goddess because said goddess accidently ran into him during his morning training?"

Priam shrugs. "Human or deity, she's still a woman. Some women like character, some like muscle. Great grandpa Ike had both."

Jack's mind goes to his sister figure and her tendency to drape herself all over her husband's pecs with literally no shame at all.

The Outrealmer nods. "True that."


Jack's encyclopedic corner

Gules, Other, Divine
The gemstone of fire and one of the five sacred artifacts that are to be mounted on the Fire Emblem to perform the Awakening. It is said that anyone who lays eyes on this gemstone has their fighting spirit stoked, almost as though their very soul is set ablaze. Historians have traced this legend back to the founding of Regna Ferox, when it was mainly a means to explain the feroxis' unyielding resilience towards the cold in a humorous way.

Royal Guard's Halberd, Polearm, Base damage: 80, Very rare
A polearm that was forged using ancient Sheikah technology and intended for only the most elite members of the royal knights of Hyrule. While highly effective in combat, the forging method was developed under a tight schedule, which resulted in a structural integrity that is questionable at best. Regular and sophisticated maintenance is required to prolong use of this weapon for as long as possible. For real though, rushed jobs are sloppy jobs. Quality work takes time, people!

Graceful Dahlia, Polearm, Base damage: 4, Unique
The elegant scythe wielded by Marluxia, the Graceful Assassin. Every part, from the shaft to the blades, are shaped to resemble a plucked flower in bloom. But like a flower in the passage of time, it is inevitable for anyone struck by this weapon's sharp blade to avoid wilting until nothing more than an empty husk of a once living being remains. Only by defying its soul-cutting power can the victim escape their own demise. Mock the pink all you want. In the end, the pink will mock your corpse.
Ignores all physical defense.
Skills available when wielded: Doom, Travel Root

Ragnell, Sword, Base damage: 120, Divine
One of the twin blades that were blessed by the goddess of order, Ashera, and wielded by Altena, the first apostle of the empire of Bengion. With Ragnell and its twin Alondite in hand, Altena tore through the battlefield as she battled against the goddess of chaos, Yune, alongside two mighty Laguz who had received similar blessings. Though the goddess who originally bestowed her blessing on this sword no longer maintains it, traces of the divine power still remain within the blade.
Decreases physical damage taken by 10 % while equipped.
Skill available while equipped: Flying blade
Requirement to wield: 70 STR


So, uh… This chapter happened.

I originally didn't plan to write this chapter. some parts could have been weaved into other chapters instead. If anything, this chapter as a whole is the closest I have come to write something in the spur of the moment. Part of the reason why it took so long to write it. More ideas on how I could expand the story popped up, and many of them took root here.

That, and I recently found a new time sink; Bravely Default 2. I've been a fan of the series ever since I played the first game, so my expectations were high when I first started playing the latest entry. Now that I've cleared it, optional content and all, my opinion on the game is mixed. There are some good points, the biggest one being that the music slaps. On the other hand, the game has some glaring weaknesses. My biggest criticism is the fluctuating quality of the characters' writing. Dag and Selene take the top spot in my book, mainly because they show genuine character development if you explore enough off the beaten path. And then there's characters like Adam, whose personality is so cliché that even Gloria calls him out on the matter. And Seth is just…meh. In the previous entries, the games didn't ask for much digging for you to discover interesting stuff about each and every asterisk holder and their relationships with each other. But in BD2, you often have to pay close attention to everything they say to find anything that can nuance them beyond a bunch of tropes. Heck, BD2 is the first entry where the characters don't have last names! Clearly the devs put effort into other things.

All in all, I find Bravely Default 2 to be a decent game on its own, but the overall worst game in its series. Not an assessment I'm happy with, but that's my opinion of the game.

That will be all. Until next time.

VipeR out.