Edelgard punched Lucas in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. His lips collided with the gray flooring of the manor's training hall, filling his mouth with the unpleasant taste of stone.

Iron and blood - omnipresent within his mouth. He spat it out, creating a small pool of red liquid on the ground. Lucas peered up at his sparring partner and glared, an expression of determination on his face.

The former professor arose. Seiros Shield and a temporary Steel Sword in hand. Flames crackled and danced around his fingertips, the ones that weren't gripping tightly to his borrowed blade. Edelgard grinned.

"Your response doesn't surprise me," she said. "Let's keep going. I don't think either of us are finished quite yet."

"Yeah. Let's get back to it. I wanna see what I can do…" Lucas pulled out a grin as well. "...now that I've finally remembered to change my class."

The two of them were fully equipped, seemingly ready for battle at a moment's notice. Edelgard was wearing her gargantuan, red-highlighted Fortress Knight armor. She was also making use of a spare Steel Sword, much like her sparring partner.

Lucas, on the other hand, was wearing something new. A faded light brown leather vest was upon his chest, along with a dark undershirt. Gray armor covered both his arms and legs.

"Of course. You were a Myrmidon for far too long. Now you are a Mercenary. I know your current skills don't allow you to attain a class on a level such as mine, but you truly should have been able to get a new one sooner."

"That's…my mistake. Just another reason why I'm a terrible fighter. Why I haven't been able to protect people as well as I should have."

Edelgard frowned at him. "You know it's not your fault. We've been over this."

"We have. But it still doesn't take away from this…pain that I'm feeling. This emptiness - is this what true guilt feels like?"

She closed her eyes.

"Yes."

"All we can do is keep fighting and moving forward. Like you always say, right? It's the only way we can ignore the weight in our hearts."

"Cutting a path to a future of peace. A world where suffering need not exist." She reopened her eyes, focusing her gaze on her professor. "It is all that can be done by those still standing."

Edelgard aimed her Steel Sword in his direction.

"Let us cut that path, my teacher. For those we've left behind."

Lucas sighed. His arm shook, but he steadied it. He used that sudden energy to grip his Steel Sword and copy Edelgard's motion.

"Yeah, sure. L-let's keep going. Like you said."

Their training continued. Lucas and Edelgard's blades clashed against one another for quite some time. Even as the world outside started to change to evening, the pair fought with only short intervening breaks.

Lucas got the worst of the punishment. His face became more bruised as the training session went on. Still, he always got back up. He wiped his face, spat out any blood, and got back to fighting.

Despite the shaking.

They fought, not stopping for anything. Not until Hilda approached them.

"I thought you two would be here."

The pink-haired woman headed through the average-sized training hall. She ignored everyone else that was training and cut straight through the hall to greet her two friends.

"Hilda? Is something wrong?" Edelgard turned her head to meet the girl, as did Lucas.

"No, there's nothing like that. Claude just wanted me to update you two on something." Hilda smiled. "We finally got a response back from Rodrigue."

"Oh, we did? What has he said?"

"He's accepted our plan. We're free to put it into action whenever we want. As long as we get it done by the end of next month, the Lone Moon."

Hilda's pupils went to the corner of her sclera as she entered a state of recollection.

"Which, if I'm remembering correctly, starts in like a day or two."

"Ah. I see." Edelgard nodded. "Because of that, I assume Claude wants us to move as soon as possible."

"You bet! I think he'd rather get Rodrigue and the others on our side sooner rather than later. I don't blame him. I wanna check up on the Blue Lions."

"Assuming they're all there," said Lucas.

Edelgard looked over at Lucas with a neutral expression. Hilda, meanwhile, frowned.

"I hope they are. I think Ingrid said they're all fine, but I might be misremembering. I'll have to ask her later. If I feel like it at the time, that is."

Hilda shrugged.

"Well, that's about all Claude wanted me to do here. I'm gonna go take a nap. Walking all the way over here from the other side of the manor was so boring and tiring. Might as well turn in for the night." She yawned. "Goodnight, you two. Try not to rough yourselves up too much!"

"We won't. We know our limits," Edelgard said. "Goodnight, Hilda."

Hilda waved it all off. She made her way back through the training hall and left the way she came.

Edelgard faced Lucas once more.

"I don't believe it's night quite yet, but it may be wise to stop here for the day. We can pick it up from where we left off tomorrow."

"Right. That sounds fair." Lucas clutched his stomach. "I could do with some dinner."

"Me too."

The two of them sheathed their temporary swords. They ended their lengthy, day-long training session - for there was no need to continue.

No longer did they hunger for strength that day. They hungered for food. For peace.

A short-lived peace, one that lasted only until the day in which they all departed for Arianrhod. The day in which Claude's plan was to be enacted.

The Resistance spent several days preparing for the battle. Weapons sharpened and repaired, combat skills improved, and specific battle plans were drawn. Claude and Jeralt ensured that all of their soldiers were ready for the next battle, their first fight in the Kingdom.

Once they were all good to go, the Resistance set out from the village of Galatea. Ingrid came along with them. She took to the skies with her pegasus, becoming one of the group's main aerial scouts. A useful aid in determining the layout of the road ahead.

Their journey began from the western gates of the village. Seeing as their destination - Arianrhod - was to the west of Kingdom territory, there were only two paths that could be taken.

One was to go north from Galatea, head over a bridge, and pass by Conand Tower. Then, the Resistance could start heading south. They would have to cross two more bridges after that point. After that, Arianrhod would be in reach.

Only trouble is, such a path takes them near enemy territory. Dominic was just to the north of Arianrhod. That, and the path was a bit longer than the alternative.

The southern route was projected to be quicker. It involved passing relatively close by to Charon, but after that, it was a straight shot west. There weren't as many bridges to cross, and the Resistance wouldn't have been going in the opposite direction at any point.

Their path was clear.

Along their route, the Resistance decided to set up camp at the edge of Magdred Way. They were but a mere stone's throw away from the Fortress City. There was no fog to concern themselves with. Tents and campfires were prepared rather easily. Scouts and guards were all given their stations. Same with the designated chefs.

At night, following the campsite's completion, some of the Resistance's generals and commanders were huddled together around a desk. They were within the camp's largest tent - the one designed for war meetings. The desk itself was primarily made up of empty crates the Resistance had lying around.

Upon it was a map of the nearby region. Claude was pointing at it.

"Alright. I've got a battle plan that should work out okay," he said to his listeners.

Ingrid allowed her head to partially rest on her hand. "Are you sure? Arianrhod is known as the Silver Maiden for a reason. Its…lovely white walls can't be easily overcome."

"Oh, I know. Trust me, I'm aware of all that. Arianrhod hasn't fallen once since its completion."

Claude grinned.

"But that doesn't mean it can't fall."

"Why don't you cut the crap and tell us your plan, kid? Enough dancing around. Get to the point," said Jeralt.

"I agree." Edelgard nodded, her purple eyes focusing on Claude. "You really do like the sound of your voice."

"Hey, I was getting to it. No need to attack me like this, wow." The Alliance leader sighed. "Alright, fine. If you insist…"

Claude pointed to two different sides of a large, black mark that was on the left side of the map.

"Arianrhod's got two entry points, according to what I've heard from Ingrid and the Count himself. The fortress' main defenses are designed to protect the front. Comparatively speaking, nothing is protecting the side entrance."

"Don't be stupid. They're obviously gonna defend that point with some of their troops." Jeralt frowned.

"Of course. I wouldn't be so naive as to expect them to let us in like that. My point still stands, though. They'll be so occupied from defending the front gate that there'll probably be less of them guarding the east gate. It's a perfect infiltration point."

Edelgard raised a hand to her chin.

"I'm uncertain," she said. "There is something about this plan that makes it feel…too easy to me. If this eastern gate truly exists, then why hasn't the Fortress City fallen until now? You would think that Claude is not the only person in its history to have thought to infiltrate that gate."

"Take it from me, kid. The Kingdom's army is probably the most well-trained one out of all three nations. It makes sense that they'd be able to hold onto their fortress for so long." Jeralt kept his head tilted toward the map. "What I'm wondering is if the gate will even be open. It is a notable weak point, after all.

Claude looked up. "If I was the guy in charge of this fortress, I think I'd try to use that gate to perform a pincer attack on my enemies. Not everyone's gonna know about it. For that reason alone, I think it'll be open for this fight."

"And if not?" Ingrid stared at him.

"We've got pegasi. And wyverns. We can just fly over the wall, take out the nearby soldiers and then open the gate. We have ways around this."

Ingrid blinked. Her eyes and mouth widened for a moment.

"Hmm. Fair enough, then. I trust that your troops are capable wyvern riders."

"It's pretty much one of our specialties. We can handle a single wall."

The blonde knight's expression returned to normal. She exhaled, releasing some of the tension she built up inside of herself.

"What about…" Lucas hesitated. "Our exit strategy?"

Claude smirked. "Not to worry, Teach. Once we get the commander, or whoever it is that's guarding the place, we'll get moving right away."

"Oh, thank fuck…" Lucas placed a hand on his chest, sighing in relief.

Ingrid frowned. "Wait, what? What's this all about? Is there something I'm not aware of?"

"Something like that. You see, Ingrid, we've got reason to suspect the Empire might try some underhanded tactic if we were to take Arianrhod. We'll need to get our troops out of there as soon as we win. Or else they'll all be crushed by the power of that weapon they've got."

"A weapon? From the Empire?" Ingrid raised a brow. She looked over to Edelgard, who nodded. The knight returned to facing Claude. "You probably got this information from her, considering she is…or, was, with the Empire. Alright, I'll help with the evacuation efforts. Assuming we win, of course."

"We will. No doubt about that."

There wasn't much left of the meeting. The five of them soon ran out of topics to discuss, meaning that their overall conversation had to end. Which was fine with them. It was nighttime.

A perfect opportunity to get some rest before the big day.

Only a day later, still within the beginning of the Lone Moon, the Resistance closed in on Arianrhod. The outer limits of the city were reached by noon. No soldiers made to attack them - not just yet.

It seemed to everyone that the battle would only begin once the Silver Maiden itself came into play. The streets were empty, silent like a library. Only small, insignificant noises could be heard. Split-second peeping from civilians hiding within their homes, and the call of the wind.

Echoes of a blood-soaked future rang in the ears of the Resistance. Lucas wavered in the wind. The magical heat of his Levin Sword provided him with some manner of resilience. Yet, it was not enough.

He gripped the hilt of his blade with fervent intensity. All while his mind was wrought with images of countless bodies strewn across the ground, discarded like piles of garbage.

Lucas looked to his allies. They were all fine. Alive, and ready to fight.

"We better all make it…please. I want no one else to die."

The Resistance pushed on, making their way through Arianrhod's outskirts. The walls of the Silver Maiden weren't hard to find. They reached up high into the sky, further up than any building around the city.

Jeralt, Claude, Edelgard, Ingrid, Lucas, and everyone else, all approached the front gate to the fortress. At one point, Claude and Ingrid departed from the main group, alongside some additional soldiers. Jeralt and Edelgard were left to command the remaining troops.

The gate slowly opened. It revealed a path to the innards of the fortress, bridging the gap over the moat.

A crowd of Dukedom soldiers came charging at the Resistance.

"Alright, everyone, you know what to do! So - get to it!" Jeralt said to all of his troops.

The Alliance/Resistance fighters cheered and roared in agreement. Everyone charged ahead, greeting the surprise offensive they were met with.

Paladins, soldiers that fought with lances atop horses, led the enemy's forward push. The Resistance countered them with swift blades and well-nocked arrows. Their counter was enough to disturb the Paladins in some manner. Either they were blown off their steeds, or they were stunned just long enough for someone else to intercept their mounts.

This isn't to say that all of the Paladins were taken out in such a manner. They were all still ready to fight, despite the loss of their mounts or the minor distractions the arrows provided. The Resistance engaged them, their weapons clashing against one another in a fierce group battle.

Spells flung around and over the heads of those not using them. Fires, Winds, Miasmas - all sorts. All manners of spells flew around the battlefield. They dissipated upon collision with their targets. As a result, the targets were blown back in recoil. Some stumbled over and fell to the ground.

This made them prime candidates for the process known as death.

Edelgard and Jeralt were the Resistance's main frontal attackers. With her Killer Axe and his Silver Lance, their opposition was but mere momentary obstacles.

Their differing fighting styles juxtaposed one another as well, despite their similarities. Her slow, but powerful strikes allowed her to cleave her enemies with a single blow. Jeralt's style made more use of momentum gained from the speed of his horse. The exact swiftness of his lunges wasn't much faster than Edelgard's, though his steed granted him more general mobility.

He was able to carve his way through the opposition. Waves of soldiers were stunned in the Blade Breaker's wake. The Adrestian Empire's Fallen Princess then finished off those who survived Jeralt's initial assault.

Lucas was right behind Edelgard. He took his time with his opponents. Not because he wanted to savour the thrill of battle - far from it. His arms were shaking with each fight he got himself into. Whenever he swung, he felt the urge to close his eyes.

He never did. Blood would always splash onto him, his Levin Sword, or his Seiros Shield. At Byleth and Sothis' insistence, he kept going. He followed the trail that Edelgard and Jeralt created. They ventured into the fortress.

Mostly everyone else followed behind. Some stayed around the gate to finish off the dwindling numbers of the initial Dukedom forces.

As soon as the Resistance entered the fortress, there was a choice to be made. Enemies flooded both the left and right paths. There was only one thing to do in such a situation.

They split up. One half led by Edelgard that went to the left, and another half led by Jeralt that went to the right. More of the Resistance's troops followed Edelgard's side, as it seemed as if more enemies lay in that direction.

As such, Edelgard and Jeralt stormed ahead in their respective paths. They both came across several tiles on the ground that sprouted sharp spikes. Navigating them proved to be a slow and tedious task.

Until Leonie, who'd followed Jeralt, found a lever that retracted all the spikes. The tiles then proved to be a non-issue.

With the irritating spikes removed, both halves were able to progress as normal. They stuck to their chosen sides and fought off the waves of Faerghus Dukedom soldiers that approached.

There was one corner for each team to traverse. Then, there was a straight path forwards. Edelgard decided to have her squad follow the outermost path, while Jeralt took the innermost route. Although his way was shorter, it did bring his soldiers back into action sooner.

Those on Edelgard's team were at least able to catch their breaths. Until they arrived at a wide-open area between some buildings, where a whole host of Kingdom soldiers attacked.

No matter which side they were on, the Resistance soldiers were always fighting, and always meeting death.

Meanwhile, Claude and Ingrid were busy dealing with the Kingdom troops that were near the eastern gate. They decided to target said gate before the beginning of the battle. It was closed.

Claude suspected this. He'd brought along many of the Resistance's Wyvern Riders and Wyvern Lords (including Ingrid), meaning his squad was mostly all able to bypass the gate entirely.

However, there were some enemy Archers and Snipers on the ground of the fortress primed to counter such a move. But in turn, Claude was ready with a counter to their counter.

Atop the wyverns, behind the backs of many of their riders, were the Resistance's own bow users. The winged steeds swerved and evaded around the onslaught of opposing projectiles. The Resistance's Archers - including the likes of Ignatz - fired back.

This exchange of arrows transpired for just over a couple of minutes. Claude and Ingrid's squad succeeded over the Dukedom's troops, though not without losses of their own. Regardless, they survived their encounter. The squad landed within the fortress and quickly found the mechanism to lower the gate.

Then, Claude and Ingrid's grounded soldiers were able to get inside. Once together, the squad pushed forward, heading north within the easternmost section of the fortress. It was a completely straight path. A corner was the end.

Around the corner were some more Kingdom soldiers. They were hiding out behind a set of spiked tiles. Claude's aerial fighters were about to use their advantage to fly over the hazard, but then, they disappeared. Entirely out of nowhere.

The Kingdom soldiers looked at one another as if they didn't even expect that to happen. Even so, their foes were right in front of them. They still needed to fight.

Claude and Ingrid's squad weren't deterred by such meager determination. They cut down their enemies, all in the name of resisting the Emperor's corrupted reign.

Their fight with the Kingdom soldiers didn't last much longer. Once those people were dealt with, Claude led his troops around the double corner, bypassing the now-useless tiles. They found themselves arriving at a wide-open section of the fortress. On the opposite side of the area was a familiar, friendly group, caught up in a fight with their enemies.

"Heh," Claude smirked. "Looks like we caught up. Let's give Jeralt a hand, Ingrid!"

"Understood!"

At their command, the Resistance soldiers pushed forward. They struck at the blindspot of the squadron of Kingdom fighters.

Jeralt looked over to see the arrival of some allied backup. He grinned, then returned to break the blades and fighting spirits of those who dared to challenge him.

As this was going on, Edelgard's side was finishing up the remainder of the enemies they had encountered within their open space. Lucas was right by the princess' side. He panted heavily after blasting away an opposing soldier with his newly learnt spell - Bolganone.

The British man checked his left palm, the one that fired the magical attack. Phantom flames danced around his fingertips. He clenched his hand, dissipating whatever he'd seen.

"I'm hearing sounds of battle in the near-distance, somewhere beyond these buildings," Edelgard said to him, as they stood by three stone buildings that had short alleyways between them. "Jeralt's likely in the middle of it. We should support him since we are finished here."

"Yeah, good idea. I don't think there's much left to this fight. We should be reaching the commander real soon."

"Of course. Let us-"

Behind them came an aggressive shout. Edelgard and Lucas spun around on the spot to find the source of such an intense noise.

More Kingdom soldiers. Fortress Knights and Warriors aplenty. Edelgard switched to her Sword of the Creator, while Lucas did the same with his Killing Edge.

"Never mind," Edelgard said, shaking her head.

The two of them rushed right in, engaging the new group of foes with the soldiers the princess commanded. Lucas was with her. He didn't have quite the same level of authority she did, but that didn't matter much to him.

He carried on fighting. Cutting, slicing, and killing, all to survive and protect his friends. To protect those he cared for. With his Killing Edge in hand, and with a few Fires thrown in for good measure, Lucas ended the lives of those who tried to get close.

But then, another, smaller group of Dukedom troops arrived around a corner. Lucas narrowly avoided a swing from an opposing Warrior and then took them down with a well-aimed slash. After he did so, a nasal voice called out.

"Professor? Is that you?"

Lucas stopped. Thousands of sweat rolled down his face. He slowly turned to the minuscule staircase to his left. Atop it was a gray-haired man that wore the thin, leather armor of an Archer. Once Lucas' eyes locked with those of the familiar voice, they burst open, expanding as far as possible.

"A-Ashe…"

The battle raged on around them. Kingdom soldiers ignored Lucas, and Resistance troops did not go after Ashe. Both sides were too busy clashing with one another. It was like the two generals had been given a stage. Space with which to talk.

They made use of it.

"Ashe…" Lucas continued. "Why?"

"I'm sorry, Professor. But I have a duty, and I have to fulfill it."

Lucas frowned. "Your duty?"

"Yes. I'm Lonato's son. He raised his rebellion against the Church of Seiros because he saw through their deception. The Archbishop's deceit, and her true nature." Ashe scowled as he spoke. "Archbishop Rhea ordered Lonato's execution. All because he happened to see the truth."

He tightened his grip on his Silver Bow.

"The church is built on a foundation of lies and manipulation! Rhea herself has deceived her followers for many years! She orders the execution of those who say that, because if the truth gets out, then it'll tarnish her reputation!"

Ashe aimed for Lucas' skull.

"You would defend someone like that, Professor?!"

Lucas inhaled, then exhaled. His expression relaxed. Although, he then became downcast.

"I don't entirely disagree with you, Ashe. Rhea…hasn't been handling things the right way." He raised his head to stare straight at the former Blue Lion. "But siding with Arundel, the source of the Empire's corruption? Is that the right thing to do?"

"I agree with him, the Emperor. The church is wrought with infidelity and evil. It's better to bring it all down."

Lucas tightened the grip of his free hand.

"Ashe…your friends, I'm sure they miss you. The Blue Lions - don't you care for them? Don't you want to be with them? Do they mean nothing to you?!"

The Archer hesitated. He shook his head. "I've made my decision, Professor. I care more for the future of Fódlan than I do for my old friends. There's no turning back for me. I have my duty…for Lord Lonato."

"You won't back down, then. I…"

Lucas' eyes widened once more, but not in the same way as before. His subconsciousness brought him back in time. He recalled something. An emotion he felt long ago.

He clutched his chest.

"Lonato…back then, I-" Lucas looked at Ashe. His voice became softer and heavier. "I'm s-sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"What for? You didn't do anything."

"N-no. I did."

Lucas' countenance faltered and weakened.

"Ashe, I knew about Lonato's death…b-before it even happened. I didn't even try to stop it…"

"What? What are you talking about?" Ashe's eyelids lowered and his mouth remained open. His grip on his bow loosened somewhat.

Lucas took a deep breath.

"I can see the future. I-I knew about a lot of things before they happened. Lonato's death, the infiltration of the Holy Mausoleum, Flayn's capture, this w-war…I knew about it all," he said slowly. "I told Rhea, Edelgard, Claude, and Dimitri, but I had to prove it to them. To do that, I had to tell them about a future event before it could happen, then let it play out just as I knew it should."

His whole body shivered.

"I first told them about Lonato's rebellion. Just so I could prove my ability to see the future to those four…I l-let Lonato die. I did nothing to stop Catherine." Lucas sniffled. "I'm sorry. I'm…so sorry."

Ashe raised a brow. He paused, considering Lucas' words. A moment later, his eyes widened for a split second as he came to a realization.

"You…" he said.

Ashe nocked an arrow and pulled the bowstrings back as far as he could.

"If that's true…then you're the reason for his death. You had him killed, just to prove a point?!"

Lucas slowly nodded. Ashe glared at him, his hatred and rage pouring through his expression.

"I'll make you suffer the same way he did."

"Ashe, I'm sorry. I-I feel bad for what I did. Really. But it doesn't have to be this way. I'm fighting on the same side as your friends, the people that still care about you. Don't throw it all away like this!" Lucas' brows furrowed. "Please!"

"Don't you talk about the people who care for me! I know myself better than anyone else does! I have to repay Lord Lonato for all he's done for me…" Ashe spoke with a torrent of venom in his voice. "It will start with you, 'Professor'."

"Ashe, no!"

Lucas reached out his hand, hoping to hold on to the former Blue Lion.

But an arrow was fired. Instinctively, Lucas tried to evade it, but it still struck him in the chest, piercing through his light Mercenary armor.

"Ashe…" Lucas said as he held the area of his chest where the arrow made its impact. "Please. D-don't do this. I don't want you to be like Bernie, or Lorenz…don't do this!"

"I've made my decision." Ashe readied another arrow. "It makes sense that a killer like you would side with the Church of Seiros. You're all heartless beings…I can't call you human any more."

"Ashe, please! P-please don't make me kill you, too…"

"Then stand still. Allow me to take revenge for Lord Lonato. For all the suffering you've caused him, and myself! I'll end it all…now!"

Another arrow was fired. This time, Lucas blocked with his Seiros Shield. The projectile harmlessly bounced off the shield.

"No…" Lucas said between breaths. "Not another one…please, I don't wanna - I don't wanna kill another…"

"You must."

As he held his shield up against himself in the physical world, Lucas found himself nearly face-to-face with Byleth inside his mind.

The British man blinked. His eyes threatened to water.

"I can't. I don't want to kill him. I've already killed Lorenz, and I couldn't help Bernie. Ashe is right. I've caused him and Lonato so much grief, I…" A cold wave fell through Lucas' mind.

"It's either him, or you," said Sothis, who appeared beside Byleth through the use of teleportation. "Rather, it's him, or your closest allies."

Byleth nodded. "Edelgard, father, Claude, and everyone else. They will be sad if you were to die. You will have to kill Ashe so you can live."

"Your path to the future is clear, Lucas. Will you continue to fight? Or will you bring sadness to those you love? Remember. It is one person against many others."

Lucas covered his face with his hands. He sniffled, and held back his tears with all the force he could muster.

He lowered his hands. His sclera was full of redness.

"You must do whatever is necessary to survive," the goddess continued.

Lucas nodded. He sniffled once more, then turned around to face away from the two that shared his mind.

"Thank you."

A moment later, he was no longer in the mental world. He was back to staring down Ashe with a misty sadness covering his eyes.

The black-haired man gripped his Killing Edge. His right hand bulged as his clutch of the blade strengthened and strengthened. A fire burned within his soul.

It appeared within his left palm.

"I'm sorry, Ashe."

He hurled the burning flame of his soul directly at Ashe. The Dukedom commander dodged, but that gave Lucas enough time to close in. An arrow was hastily fired in his direction. The Seiros Shield blocked it. Its wielder kept rushing ahead.

More arrows came his way. Either Lucas blocked or avoided them, or he didn't. Whenever he did get hit, he didn't allow his new injuries to slow him down. Sometimes, he activated a Divine Pulse to get by without taking too much damage.

As Ashe readied another arrow, Lucas took the opportunity to unleash his Bolganone spell. Flames circled his opponent's location and closed in on him. Ashe was too preoccupied with his bow to notice. As a result, the fires reached him.

They exploded on contact. Ashe was sent stumbling backwards, his grip on the bowstrings loosening. He even let go of his next arrow. Before he could sort himself out, Lucas was already there.

The professor pulled back his arm. With only a single thrust, his Killing Edge pierced Ashe's armor and came out through his back.

"I'm very, very sorry…"

Lucas pulled out his now blood-soaked blade. He unloaded a Fire and then a Thunder upon Ashe, forcing the gray-haired Archer to the ground.

He coughed up blood.

"N-no…I'm the one w-who's sorry." Ashe groaned in severe pain. "Lonato, I…I wasn't able to avenge you…"

There was an emptiness in his heart. Ashe cried. Tears of tremendous sorrow streamed down his face. The blood on his chest and the ground grew darker with time.

"I c-couldn't do the right thing…"

Ashe coughed up more blood. Some of it spilled onto Lucas' boots, but he didn't mind. The professor watched as the life in his enemy's eyes faded. He closed his own.

Behind him, Edelgard approached.

"My teacher, are you…" She noticed the body. "Ashe?"

Lucas turned around, ignoring Edelgard's attempts to see his face.

"Go. Get out of here," he said to her. Faint droplets of water were flung away while his eyes reopened. "There's still more fighting to be done. Get moving."

"Will you be coming with me?"

"No." Lucas partially turned back towards the body. "I n-need time to think."

"I see. We have already cleared out the soldiers in this area, so I will lead our group to where Jeralt and the others are."

Edelgard walked away from the staircase, reapproaching her troops, who were all taking a break. Corpses surrounded them at their feet.

The princess stopped.

"I trust you will be fine on your own."

"Yeah."

She nodded. Edelgard remained silent, then resumed her walk. She returned to her soldiers and directed them to move on from the area.

Lucas remained with the body.

"Ashe…" He sat down next to him. "This war. It's forced me to witness the death of so many people. People I cared for, like Lorenz and Bernie…now you."

He trembled.

"I…"

The battle continued without him.

Once Claude and Ingrid's squad joined up with Jeralt's team, their opposition didn't last much longer. They were surrounded by Resistance soldiers - there was no escape. Any attempt to flee or regroup had been met with a piercing blow from a lance or a precise arrow shot from Failnaught.

The two groups were then able to properly merge. From there, they proceeded through the alleyways between the buildings near them.

Beyond the narrow pathways was another bunch of Dukedom troops. Mainly Warlocks and Warriors, though there were a couple of Archers. At this point in the overall battle, Ingrid switched to her Hero's Relic: Lúin. Her offensive prowess skyrocketed after doing so.

Nothing stood in her way.

Claude's Relic, Failnaught, was also putting in a lot of work. The arrows he fired from it were capable of piercing through his opponents, largely ignoring whatever defenses they had and causing immense pain for them. Thin, narrow holes were created within the chests of those struck by Failnaught.

Though, he did have to be conservative about his uses of the Relic. It wasn't being used all of the time. Whereas something like Lysithea's Thyrsus had no such limitations. Its power was being constantly siphoned into the white-haired Dark Mage's attacks, improving their might considerably.

She was truly a danger to her opponents.

Marriane's recently obtained Blutgang was another useful Relic. An unusual sword. It was, through some divine power, able to deal magical damage as opposed to the typical physical prowess of a blade. Since it was compatible with her Crest, Marianne could use the full breadth of Blutgang's power.

She did what she needed.

Partway into their battle with the additional Dukedom forces, after a sizable chunk of them had been taken out, some more approached from a large stone staircase. Ingrid gasped.

"It's Sir Gwendal! He must be the one leading all these soldiers," she said. She looked over to Claude, who wasn't that far away from her. "I'll take care of the enemy commander. I need to make him see the error of his ways."

"Go right ahead. Just don't take too long, alright?"

"Of course."

Ingrid flew away. She approached the enemy reinforcements alongside a group of Resistance soldiers. They engaged the opposing troops, allowing the blonde knight to focus on her target.

Gwendel noticed her and grinned.

"Count Galatea's daughter. Do you really expect to kill me, a knight chosen by Count Rowe?"

Ingrid twirled around her Hero's Relic. "I do. You've betrayed the Kingdom and His Highness. I will fight you for their sake!"

"Heh. Do your worst, whelp!"

The two of them clashed. Gwendal fought atop a horse, which gave him a greater vertical range compared to an unmounted fighter. It meant that his Brave Axe was capable of reaching even Ingrid's pegasus, though it never dealt any fatal damage.

Her speed was far too good. She dived in and out of Gwendal's range, lunging at him with Lúin time and time again. He was never able to get any clean hits on her.

Until he decided to switch to a Tomahawk. He threw the throwing axe with all his might and at just the right time. It smashed into the underside of Ingrid's pegasus, creating a huge gash that forced the knight to dismount.

Now both were grounded. Even so, Ingrid didn't falter. She kept up her side of the fight, ducking and weaving around Gwendal's swings of his axe. The woman was able to at least get a single jab of Lúin in before needing to evade.

Then, Ingrid found an opportunity. As Gwendal swung again, she performed an upwards slash with Lúin. This managed to disarm the elderly knight. With his Tomahawk already thrown, the man was out of weapons.

Ingrid took the chance. Lúin glowed with a brilliant, orange light. A light blue visage of her Minor Crest of Daphnel appeared at the tip of her Relic, empowering her next attack. She thrust forward.

Lúin tore through Gwendal's armor. It reduced his hefty, Great Knight defenses to nothing. A massive hole remained in the old knight's torso. Ingrid retracted her lance.

"I see now…may Count Rowe live to see a brighter Kingdom."

Gwendal fell from his horse. He collapsed to the ground, unable to continue fighting. A pool of blood formed around his body.

Ingrid scowled at the corpse.

"You deserved this," she said. "For betraying the Kingdom the way you did. May the goddess bring mercy upon you."

"Hey, Ingrid!"

She turned around. Claude was waving her down. To her, it seemed as if most of the Dukedom soldiers were either dead, or surrendering. What caused her to crease her brows was the sudden appearance of Edelgard's squad - she shrugged it off.

"What is it, Claude?"

"We should probably start getting out of here. Now that their commander is dead, I don't think these Dukedom guys will be fighting much longer. There's no need to stay here, right?"

"Right." Ingrid nodded. "Let's go. We're finished here."

At that point, the Resistance was finished. They turned around and immediately began leaving the Silver Maiden, as well as the rest of Arianrhod itself.

For the Dukedom soldiers that surrendered, they were invited to join the escape. Some refused, some didn't. Claude and everyone else respected their choices. The same applied to the citizens of the city. Some simply didn't want to leave their homes, or to listen to an enemy.

The Resistance tried to save whoever they could.

Edelgard also made sure to fetch Lucas before the Resistance departed from the fortress. He was weak emotionally, but still able to walk.

However, as the princess noticed, there was something in his expression. A blankness. Some vague sense of detachment. An eternal scowl upon his face. Edelgard made sure to remain by his side.

Author Notes: Sorry for the delay on this one! Just had some scheduling issues, is all. But hey, at least we're now done with the Arianrhod attack. The Resistance can finally start focusing on working with Rodrigue. Let's see how that plays out, shall we?

As always, thanks to Frost for beta reading.

review responses:

Lord-Azrael3: Thanks again! I also hope Ferdie learns how to relax. As for the Ashen Wolves? Well, I hope they're fine, too.

Thanks to everyone else for reading, following, and favouriting! I'll see you for the next one, the big 5-0!

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