The Galaxy King sped back to Altea as fast as it could.
"I hope we make it in time. There's no way we're gonna let Marth die." Hope said.
They made it back to Altea as a number of soldiers lied dead as they hurried inside as Kingdom forces were tearing the castle apart.
"This cannot continue." Princess Minerva said.
In the distance, an arrow was fired as it moved towards the princess. However, Edelgard quickly beat it away with her axe before seeing their attacker was a woman in green with purple hair.
"Missed." the woman said as she ran along the rooftops.
"Shamir…" Hubert said.
"That was way too close. Thanks, Edelgard." Glimmer said.
"If I had not noticed, this girl would have been dead." Edelgard said. "Seems the Church is involved with this attempt on Marth's life."
"Does that mean Shez got to the Church after all?" Ichiro asked.
"Looks like it." Undyne nodded. "We're just gonna have to beat his influence outta them!" she said as they heard noise up ahead.
"Hurry." Jexi said as they hurried into the throne room where Marth was being bested by a woman with a strange sword.
"Catherine." Dimitri said. "She's one of the Knights of Seiros. Maybe the best out of all of them."
"That sword she has looks a lot like Nanatsusayanotachi." Natyal said.
"That's way too much of a mouthful to remember." David said.
"That's Thunderbrand…one of the Hero's Relics." Rodrigue said.
"No wonder she's the best Knight of Seiros." Hope said. "But no time to think on it."
The group quickly came to Marth's side and prevented Catherine from landing a fatal blow.
"Once again, I find myself being saved by others." Marth said.
"No need to worry. You got us by your…" Hope said as Marth was hit by light magic. "Marth!"
"Sorry…but the prince needs to go." a voice said as standing there was a young man with light purple hair.
"Yuri…" Balthus said.
"Of all the nerve! How dare you betray us again!" Constance said. "The first time it was an act, but you really mean it this time don't you?"
"Sorry, but orders are orders." Yuri said.
"Yuri hmm?" Ren said, surprisingly in a trance as his cheeks flushed.
"Now…let's finish things off." Yuri said going for the kill only to be blocked off.
"No way that will happen." Ren said.
"Hmm…such a strange guy. A half naked man dressing up like a panda." Yuri said.
"You're just as strange. Is that lipstick on your beautiful face?" Ren asked.
"Fine…let's go for it." Yuri said as he and Ren clashed away from the prince.
"Well…guess it's on me to settle things." Catherine said as Shamir jumped down along with a young boy with grey hair.
"I think you mean us." Shamir said.
"Ashe… I figured he would be here." Dimitri said.
"I'm sorry, your highness. But I need to do this." Ashe said as both he and Shamir armed their bows.
"You're not killing Marth." Adora said.
"You say that like you can stop us." Catherine said as the three attacked.
"I shall handle Shamir." Y'shtola said.
"I hope you all don't mind that I tangle with Ashe." Jesmon said. "Impressionable knight to…Well, impressionable knight."
"Then that leaves Catherine to the rest of us." Kaibara said as the targets were picked out and the battles ensued.
For Shamir and Ashe, the two of them kept their distance as they fired arrows at their oncoming enemies as Catherine went for the direct approach with her sword as she was keeping them back.
"Blizzara!" Y'shtola called, summoning pillars of ice in front of her that blocked the incoming arrows.
"Hmm…" Shamir said as she jumped onto one of the pillars and fired from there.
"Aetherial Pulse!" Y'shtola called, forming a barrier around herself and deflecting the arrows. "Fire!" she called, unleashing a rapid stream of fiery projectiles.
Shamir moved past the projectiles as she got in close to the mage and got in a few hits on her.
"You've been doing this for a while…" Y'shtola said.
"I'm only doing what I've been hired to do." Shamir said.
"So, you are a mercenary yourself." Y'shtola said.
"Yeah. I was hired to do this. I have no attachments to the church or any side." Shamir said.
"Then perhaps we could persuade you to our side. Although, if it were that simple it could happen if it were not for your current job." Y'shtola said.
"If you manage to beat Catherine…I might consider it." Shamir said.
"In that case, I suppose we cannot let you down, then." Y'shtola said.
Meanwhile, Ashe and Jesmon were engaged in a close fight.
"There's no point in regretting what I've done. I wasn't manipulated to come here. I chose to join this fight." Ashe said.
"I can understand that. You have a very kind soul." Jesmon said.
"Even so, I can't back down. I have to do this. Don't hold anything against me, but Marth has to die. If I fail here, then…" Ashe said.
"I see…then we'll just have to make sure that whoever is behind this falls." Jesmon said. "But before then…" he said, moving swiftly towards Ashe before taking him down. "You need to rest for a while."
With Ashe down, and both Shamir and Yuri still occupied, the rest of the forces kept up their battle against Catherine.
"You're all pretty stubborn, to be taking me on and trying to defend that prince. You'd have it easier if you'd ignore him." Catherine said.
"If we did that, then we wouldn't exactly be good friends with each other, would we?" Gemini said.
Catherine went on the attack as she swung Thunderbrand to strike anyone she could as those closest to her dodged her electrified strikes.
"That'll be a nasty shock if it hits." ZS said.
"Not to all of us." CP remarked. "In fact…there's something I've wanted to try for a while. Here goes nothing!"
The hero charged Catherine head-on as she prepared to strike him down.
"(Almost there, and…)" CP mused as he kept his eyes on the blade before reaching his hands out and clutching the sides of the sword, the electricity having no effect. "Ha-ha! The Blade Catch technique! Strike now, fellow heroes!"
"That works! Eat Ki, Thunderstrike!" Mark called out, firing a Ki Blast at the Knight of Seiros.
"Hmm…not bad." Catherine said as she was hit by the blast and taken down.
"Well now. The almighty Thunder Knight is defeated by unknown warriors. Quite the turnaround." Yuri said.
"Don't worry, she's still alive. But you're probably gonna end up worse off by Ren if you don't lay down your weapon and hear us out." Hope said. "You are the Ashen Wolves leader, and I know you don't really want to die right now."
"Well, when you put it that way…. I guess I would prefer not to get butchered." Yuri said, staying his sword.
"Besides, I wouldn't risk killing and losing this beautiful man's face anyway." Ren said.
"Maybe you'll get a better look when all this is over." Yuri said as they headed out of the castle.
"Did Ren just score a date?" Scarlet asked.
"That's what it looked like to me." Moltar answered.
"He needed this, after we helped him cut ties with his clan." Ace said. "Maybe Yuri's the 'one'." he smiled.
"Let's not push it too far." Hope said. "I'm just glad you're safe, Marth. But why would anybody want you dead?"
"I do not know. Perhaps this Shez is trying to prove their merit." Marth said.d.
"Shamir…the others in the Church. Where are they right now?" Dimitri asked.
"Seteth has taken Flayn and Annette to somewhere called Valentia. He's also hired mercenaries." Shamir said.
"Alm and Celica are in trouble." Ace said.
"Mercenaries…would they happen to be…" Claude said.
"Jeralt's Mercenaries." Shamir said.
"So it seems he is gathering everyone he has left in one place." Alphamon said.
"They're pulling out all the stops this time." Mari said.
"Then we'd better get going to Valentia and make sure nothing happens to Alm and Celica." Hope said. "Princess Minerva, Linde… I think it's a good idea for you both to stay with Marth and make sure he's safe in case any more attacks hit Altea."
"But…" Linde said.
"He's not wrong. Marth's taken a beating." Jexi said. "He'll need some protection until we can stop whatever Shez is doing."
"Very well, leave it to us. On my honor as the Red Dragoon." Princess Minerva said.
"Just promise you'll come back for us when things are settled." Linde smiled.
"Hey, we aren't planning to go to Wano without everybody with us." Hope said. "It's not like we're parting ways now."
"Valentia…, wow time sure has flown by since then." Ace said.
"Yeah…now we go to save it again." Jexi said.
"Be careful. They have a powerful woman on their side, those mercenaries. They call her…the Ashen Demon." Yuri said.