Fort Merceus was silent, the fortress city locked down with its denizens confined to their homes. The usually bustling streets were empty, save for the patrols of the garrison.
The only sounds that could be heard around the city were the distant chirping of birds, the call of the wind, and a host of soldiers on the march.
Inside the inner fortress, meanwhile, the soldiers were having lively conversations, trying to keep calm in the face of potential attack.
Such chatter was also commonplace with the soldiers that guarded Fort Merceus' outer walls. Although, less talking generally occurred there due to the nature of their job requiring an undistracted level of focus. This didn't stop them from conversing with one another or playing small card games to pass the time, however.
As the hours slowly drifted toward the afternoon, one of the Imperial soldiers spotted something coming from the horizon. He put a hand over his brows to shield his eyes from the light of the sun, hoping to get a clearer look at what he saw.
He quickly ceased his looking and turned to his allies.
"Reinforcements!" He called, pointing to a small group of friendlies that was approaching the city.
"Reinforcements? They've gotta be the ones from the capital, just like that letter said!" Another Imperial soldier said. "Open the gate! Let them in!"
They got to work. Those that were nearby the large, wood and steel gate operated the lever, holding it forwards to allow the gate to slowly fall and become open. Two soldiers went through the gate once it was open and then waited for the arrival of their supposed reinforcements.
After some time, the reinforcements approached the gate. All of their faces were covered by their helmets and their Imperial armor hid most of their skin. They came in with only a small handful of carts, which were all loaded with what appeared to be sacks full of standard supplies.
One member of the reinforcements stepped forward and bowed.
"Hey there," he said after finishing his bow. "You know why we're here, right? You guys got the letter?"
"Yeah, we got the letter. You're here from the capital?" An Imperial soldier native to Fort Merceus replied.
"Well, not the capital exactly, but you get the idea. We just came here from Count Varley's place, but on our way here, we got attacked by an enemy army. I'm pretty sure they're right behind us, so you should probably let us in, or we're all gonna die - including you."
The guard nodded. "R-right." He turned around. "Let them in! We've got enemies incoming, we need all the help we can get! Someone inform the commander!"
"I'll do it!" Someone called from somewhere.
As the Imperial soldiers hurried around to prepare for the oncoming attack, the fortress city's newest arrivals were allowed inside. They were then led through the city, towards the fort that was in the middle of it all. Some of the reinforcements remained at the gate while the others went over to the fort.
The Imperial soldier that seemingly led the reinforcements kept his smirk hidden underneath his helmet.
Before long, the reinforcements were guided into the fort. Some broke off to put the horses into the stables - the leader made sure to go with them. The rest went further into the fort alongside the garrison.
When the group that was going to the stables arrived there, they immediately got to work putting all their horses into a nice and comfortable position. The carts were pushed to the side of the stables, waiting to be used.
One of the Fort Merceus guards turned to the fort's visitors, who were all standing together.
"Will you need any help getting around this place? Please say no. I've got my own preparations to do."
The captain of the reinforcements chuckled. "No, we'll be fine. Thanks, though. We can figure it out from here."
"Alright, good. You know what to do, so…never mind, I'm getting out of here."
The guard began to leave the area, heading down a nearby corridor. His allies mostly went with him, though some chose to venture through a different hallway.
Once they were alone, the Imperial reinforcements gathered between their two carts. The leader of the group smirked, then removed his helmet - much to the shock of everyone else.
"C-Claude!" A feminine voice exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
"Relax, Hilda. I just needed some air. Well, as much air as you can get near a place where horses do their business. Anyway, I recommend you guys follow my example. This might be the only chance we get to remove these stuffy helmets until the fighting starts."
The disguised Imperial soldiers glanced at each other, then shrugged. As per Claude's recommendation, they all removed their helmets, taking the chance to breathe and adjust their eyes to their new environment.
"Heh, I'm glad you told us to do this, Claude. I feel way better without the dark in my eyes," said Sylvain.
"Don't get too comfortable. You'll have to put it back on soon." Felix folded his arms and frowned.
"Aww, but then I won't be able to gaze longingly into your beautiful face, Felix."
Felix huffed. "Hmph…incorrigible fool."
"Hey, careful, you two! We're on an infiltration mission! We can't be saying each other's names so recklessly like that." Leonie glared at Felix and Sylvain. "Especially not Claude's. You know how famous his status makes him."
"Uh, didn't you just say his name, Leonie?" Raphael wondered.
Leonie paused, her eyes temporarily widening. "Huh. I guess I did. Either way, my point still stands. We need to be as quiet as possible."
"For now, anyway. When the battle starts, I don't think we'll be able to keep quiet." Claude looked to the cart on his right, then to the one on his left. "Hopefully, nobody thinks to look in any of these."
"When is the battle gonna start?" Hilda asked as she brushed her hair with her hands.
"No idea." Claude shrugged. "I imagine we'll find out once we start hearing war cries coming from the city gate. Shamir's group better get that thing open…we'd be in a difficult situation if they don't."
"Shamir's competent. Probably the most competent of us all. She'll do it," Felix said with a tone of confidence.
"Yeah, she sure has moves, that girl. Almost like a ninja from those old stories…" Sylvain laughed to himself.
"Shut up, Sylvain." Felix sighed. He turned to Claude. "What's our next move?"
Claude stopped for a moment, allowing himself to think. He returned Felix's gaze when he was ready to speak.
"We've gotta find whatever it is that opens these gates. Ideally, we should get both the front and the back gates open so the rest of our allies can attack from both sides. But to do that, we'd need to split up."
Claude looked over at Hilda and Raphael.
"You two, come with me. We'll try to get that north gate open. Meanwhile…" He then switched his gaze to Felix, Sylvain, and Leonie. "You three can go after the south gate, the one we just went through. Remember to get it open only when it looks like our allies in the city have gotten close to the fort. Open it too early and the Imperial soldiers will have lots of time to stop us. Got it?"
"Understood. We have to get that gate open at just the right time. We can handle that." Felix nodded.
Claude grinned. "Great. Now…" He checked the area around the stables, and then put his helmet back on once everything was clear. "Let's get moving."
Hilda, Raphael, Leonie, Felix, Sylvain, and the rest of the disguised Resistance soldiers all either nodded or grunted in acceptance of Claude's instructions. They put their helmets back on and began to split up from one another, both groups heading towards the fort's two main gates.
As expected, sounds of battle started to resound through the city, which originated in the distance where the outer-southernmost gate was. This pressured those involved in the infiltration to hurry themselves up.
Due to the outbreak of battle within the outskirts of the fortress city, many Imperial soldiers were running around the place in a mass panic. This provided the disguised Resistance members with an effective means of getting around unnoticed, as the Adrestians only seemed to care about defending their fort.
Claude, Hilda, Raphael, and the few lower-ranking soldiers they commanded made it to the northern gate, which was largely unguarded. Only a few Imperial soldiers were stationed there, namely some Dark Mages and Archers. They didn't pay much attention and allowed Claude's disguised squad to support them. The lever that controlled the gate was nearby. As a result, it was only a matter of time before the plan could be enacted.
Felix, Sylvain, and Leonie were having similar success. The panic of battle also allowed them to approach the southern gate without any problems. As they traversed the stairs from within the fortress' walls and reached the top of the battlements, they soon witnessed the progress their allies were making in the city.
A large army of Resistance soldiers was breaking through the defenses the Adrestians prepared. Dimitri and Seteth were leading the push forwards, while others such as Ignatz, Mercedes, and Catherine fought with all their might.
Not everyone was involved in the streetfighting. The three above the battlements knew - there was another group. Where they went, however, was something the three didn't know.
Returning their gazes to the streets below, Felix, Sylvain, and Leonie realized the forward group had made it to about halfway through the city and were starting to get close to the fortress. The three rushed themselves as they searched for the lever they needed.
Minutes later, Felix, Sylvain, and Leonie stumbled across two guards that were looking after a lever somewhere near the gate. The three looked at each other and nodded. Felix unsheathed his initially obscured Sword of Moralta, while Sylvain readied his Lance of Ruin. The two silently approached the backs of their targets.
With a single swing of a blade and a single lunge of a lance, the two Imperial soldiers were killed before they were ever able to realize what was happening. Leonie ignored their lifeless bodies as she gripped the lever and pulled back.
Gradually, the southern gate creaked open, slowly falling to the ground. After opening the gate, they stood guard over the lever to prevent the garrison from closing the gate again.
As they did so, the assault on Fort Merceus continued around them.
The Imperial army's attention was spread thin amongst the various areas they had to defend. Not only was the southern gate to the fortress being attacked by the Resistance, but there was also another Resistance group heading around the side of the fort, progressing through the city. Most of their defense efforts were focused on the southern gate, which meant that their attempts to halt the progress of this side group were completely ineffective.
Jeralt, Alois, Edelgard, and Judith pushed through, breaking down any of the meager deterrents that reluctantly got in their way.
Ferdinand was there, as well. He remained by Edelgard's side, protecting her from any attackers. He slashed and lunged with his Silver Lance as much as his body would allow him to, the fierce intensity of which surprised even Edelgard.
She smiled, letting him do as he pleased. They continued fighting.
Lucas was also with them, ready to fight with his forged Killing Edge and Levin Sword. His face was clear, his eyes having very little darkness about them.
Yet, he still moved with a weight on his shoulders.
While the side group was nearing the fortress' northern gate, a small handful of Adrestian Swordmasters and Bishops warped in from behind. The soldiers at the rear of the Resistance's side group engaged the new enemies first - including Lucas.
A Swordmaster charged through and approached the black-haired Brit. Lucas' eyes widened and he yelped in surprise, only able to block the incoming blow with his Seiros Shield. The opposing blade ineffectively bounced off his Sacred Weapon, giving him the perfect chance to counter.
But he didn't. Instead, Lucas remained there, frozen completely still. His sword arm twitched, yet it didn't move. Such inaction allowed the Swordmaster to continue his assault. He tried another swing.
However, the Swordmaster was blasted away by a jolt of Thoron, blown to the ground as a result of the spell, his sword falling out of his grasp. Lucas looked to his left, finding Dorothea not far away from where he was.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"I-I…" Lucas breathed in and out. He looked at his trembling right arm, the one that held his Killing Edge. "Sorry. I thought getting back into this would be easier."
"It's fine. Just don't get yourself killed, alright?" Dorothea smiled, although her brows were furrowed. "I don't want you to go, as well…"
Lucas noticed her expression. He nodded. "I won't let that happen."
He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword as his face contorted into a determined frown.
"Nobody else will die…I won't let that happen!"
His arm and face struggled with the heat of his emotions, twitching as he tightened them with his inner strength. However, despite how tight they were, it all ceased once Dorothea placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Neither will I," she said. "We'll protect everyone…together!"
Lucas looked at her with wide eyes. He eventually smiled, then nodded. "Right. Let's do it!"
Together, Lucas and Dorothea fought off the remainder of the Swordmasters and the Bishops. Jeralt, Alois, Edelgard, Judith, and Ferdinand eventually joined in when they noticed what was happening, but by that time, the enemy numbers had thinned considerably. Once they were all gone, the Resistance members moved on, proceeding closer to the fortress' northern gate.
Which was already open by the time they got there. Claude, Hilda, Raphael, and two additional Resistance soldiers stood on the other side of the open gate, their helmets down as they waited to retrieve their allies.
"Hey! It's all clear here!" Claude called as his allies approached. "We took care of all the Imperial soldiers around this gate. If we keep moving, we can meet everyone else in the middle."
"Yeah, of course. Let's not waste any time. You know we're short on that," Jeralt replied.
"That's very true. Come on, everybody! Let's get this place cleared out!"
Claude, Hilda, Raphael, and the two other Resistance soldiers joined their allies in Jeralt's squad as they proceeded into the fortress. They traversed over the open gate that was level with the ground, quickly meeting themselves with the bright beige stone architecture of the fortress.
A wide path to their right was the only feasible way forward. After following it, they were soon engaged by several Archers and horsebound Paladins. The opposing sides clashed, exchanging blows and pain whenever possible.
The Imperial Archers kept the Resistance pinned down while the Paladins rushed in with their Silver Lances. Such an attack was effective enough to take out some of the lower-ranked Resistance members. Mostly everyone survived unscathed, but a few soldiers were struck with arrows from the near-distant Archers. An immediate counterattack wasn't possible due to how the Paladins were moving around on their horses in wide arcs, circling to come in for another wave of lunges.
Before any further damage could be done, however, the Paladins were blasted by spells flung from the Resistance's mages. Dorothea, Mercedes, and Annette led the counteroffensive, powering through the gray, steel armor of the Paladins with their spells. Claude finished off any survivors by using Failnaught, which fired arrows with such immense strength that they shot straight through their armor and embedded themselves deep into the innards of their bodies.
With the Paladins taken care of, the Archers were the Resistance's next target. Since there was nothing to distract them, the likes of Jeralt, Judith, Lucas, and Hilda weaved through the opposing projectiles and prevented any more from appearing.
Once all the immediate enemies were dealt with, the northern half of the Resistance was able to move further into the fortress. The area was quiet, apart from the near-distant sounds of fighting that rang from the opposite side of the fort. It didn't seem as if anyone else was going to approach.
But then, a dark magical cloud formed. Its shadowy intensity quickly grew, with deep purple magical energy flowing throughout it. The cloud soon dissipated.
In its place was a Demonic Beast. The Resistance prepared themselves to fight it, but another dark cloud formed to the side of the artificial creature.
Another Demonic Beast appeared, in the same way as the previous one. The arrival of two such creatures forced the Resistance to split up their focus. Despite the towering presences of the beasts, the Resistance fought on - unwaveringly.
A giant claw came slashing down at Raphael, but a timely Cutting Gale from Annette redirected the claw's trajectory ever so slightly, allowing Raphael to avoid the attack. Alois rushed in with his Axe of Ukonvasara and delivered a hefty downwards cutting blow to the Demonic Beast's side. Hilda followed after him, doing the same thing but with Freikugel. The two axe wielders scrambled to get out of the way of a sluggish tail swipe, one that swept up several Resistance soldiers.
Claude fired a shot from Failnaught, hitting the beast that tried to attack Hilda and Alois in its eye. Annette followed it up with another Cutting Gale, while Raphael made speedy strides towards the creature so he could unleash a barrage of punches with his Silver Gauntlets.
The beast was occupied, continually pinned down. However, its inherent strength was a problem. Several Resistance members fell to its might and others were severely injured by its flame breath attack.
Raphael was amongst the ranks of the latter. A Bishop from the Resistance immediately tended to the scorched wounds across his body. Every time he moved, pain seared through him, forcing him to cease his efforts.
Still, the others continued fighting, undeterred by the differing fates of their comrades.
The second Demonic Beast was being engaged by the rest of the northern squad. Jeralt's horse cantered towards the monstrous being despite its prior panicked whinnying. The Blade Breaker himself swung with his Silver Lance, cutting deep into the beast's side and staining his weapon with an artificial, black substance.
Edelgard was right behind him, using the elongated length of her Sword of the Creator to attack from a comfortable mid-range distance. She stabbed the beast multiple times in quick succession before using the power of the Crest of Flames to deliver what she partially hoped to be a decisive blow.
It wasn't. Needless to say, the beast was stunned. Somewhat. It was at least in enough recoil to allow Judith to rush in and unload several quick stabs with her Rapier, while Mercedes provided her with literal covering fire. Ferdinand joined in, performing deft lunges with his Silver Lance.
Lucas saw an opportunity to help and thus, he dashed toward the stunned Demonic Beast, just behind Judith. Dorothea fired her own Fire spell, which allowed Lucas and Judith to get in close and deliver a powerful slash. He was almost on the receiving end of a tail swipe, but Divine Pulse helped him to avoid it.
It was also useful to avoid the deaths of those around him.
Both Demonic Beasts unleashed the full breadth of their might, bringing down and/or injuring many Resistance soldiers in the process. However, the numbers and sheer combined power of the Resistance's top fighters overwhelmed both creatures.
In the end, they fell. As they died, they dissolved into blackness, leaving behind nothing but black ash. The Resistance army took a moment to catch their breaths. Many of them used their Concoctions and Vulneraries to quickly heal their minor wounds, while the Bishops and anyone else that was capable of using Faith magic assisted those in greater need of help.
As they were all taking a break, some of their heads turned in the direction that a clapping sound was originating. The source stepped out of the shadows, moving away from the pillar he was hiding behind and approaching the Resistance.
"Wow. Consider me impressed. You all took on those two Demonic Beasts without…" The green-haired man looked over at all the injured soldiers. "...much of a problem."
Lucas hadn't been paying attention initially, but when he heard the person's voice, his eyes widened. His head tilted up from the downcast position it was in, focusing on the individual.
"L-Linhardt?!" Lucas exclaimed. "You're…here? And a-alive?!"
"I should think so. If I wasn't here and if I wasn't alive, that would be rather concerning," Linhardt said with a neutral, slightly tired tone of voice.
Lucas was speechless. His mouth was agape as he stared at Linhardt with wide eyes and raised brows.
"P-please tell me you're not against us."
Linhardt scoffed. "Oh please, Professor. I wouldn't be so foolish as to try that. I might be considered a general of the Adrestian Empire's military, but I'm not about to waste my energy in a meaningless battle. After all…"
His eyes landed on Dorothea.
"I've been meaning to leave the military for quite some time," he continued.
"Lin…" Dorothea's eyes sparkled with hope. "Did you get my message after all?"
"I did. Did you not receive my message? My response, even?" Dorothea shook her head, to which Linhardt frowned. "Hmm. How curious. I thought I made sure Anna received it, but it must have gotten lost somehow." He shrugged. "Oh well. What's done is done."
"Message? What the hell's going on here?" Jeralt asked, getting closer to the scene with his horse. He looked at Linhardt with one eye, then turned to Lucas. "This is one of your brats, right? Is he an enemy?"
"Do I look like an enemy to you?" Linhardt frowned at the Blade Breaker.
Jeralt inspected Linhardt's appearance, checking the young man's dark green Bishop robes. He lingered on the dark red cape that hung around his shoulders.
"Yeah. Sort of."
Linhardt looked behind himself, sighing once he saw his cape. "Fair enough. I'm only wearing this because they wouldn't stop nagging me to do so. However, now that you are all here, I can do this…"
He undid the buttons that tied his cape down to his person, then grabbed it once it was loose and threw it into the wind.
"There. Now you know I'm not an enemy. I just disposed of the one thing that let the Imperial soldiers know I'm their ally. Are you convinced of my allegiance to your cause now?"
"It's not that easy, kid-" Jeralt was saying before being interrupted.
"Yeah," Lucas cut in, a smile on his face. "You're good, Linhardt. I…I'm glad you're joining our side."
Linhardt blinked. "Um, okay…your concern is noted, Professor." He began to turn around, partially facing a wide set of stairs in the near distance. "With that in mind, I will suggest that we stay on the move, as I believe the commander of this fort is nearby. Eliminating him will-"
"Wait a moment, Lin," said Dorothea as she walked over to him. "If you got my message, then…what about Caspar? Where is he?"
"Oh, him? He's here. I think they put him on the other side of the fortress. If you listen, you just might be able to hear him now…"
Everyone in the immediate area fell quiet as they listened. In the distance, energetic yells and war cries could be heard. Lucas and Dorothea sighed in relief.
"And there he is. I don't know who's he fighting…if he's even fighting at all. Knowing him, he's probably doing some very loud warm-ups."
"That's good, at least. I hope the others don't start fighting him." Dorothea furrowed her brows.
"Others?" Linhardt scanned over the entirety of the northern half of the Resistance, his eyes soon briefly widening in realization. "Oh, I see. You split yourselves up. I was wondering where Seteth and everyone else were. You must be rather confident in your numbers."
"Yeah, we are. Look, we need to get moving, kid. We've been sitting on our asses for too long. We need to end this battle now and get outta here."
"Too true. I need to leave and find a good place to nap."
"Not what I…never mind." Jeralt motioned his head to the stairs. "The commander's that way, yeah? Let's get him."
"Be my guest. Or guests."
Jeralt ignored Linhardt's additional comments. He and Claude rallied the rest of the Resistance soldiers, preparing them for what they hoped to be the last part of the battle.
They all went up the long and wide set of stairs. It led to a large, open platform within the middle of the fortress. Upon it was a sizable group of Imperial soldiers - including the commander.
The Death Knight turned his horse to face his new opponents.
"My soldiers have failed to keep you at bay…" He twirled around his scythe. "How fortunate. In their place, I shall be the one to slaughter you all."
With the edge of his scythe pointed forward, the Death Knight's soldiers charged ahead, engaging the Resistance members with vicious war cries. They fought back, creating a massive clash on the platform.
Soldiers fell on both sides, who were all promptly being killed before they could ever get back into the fight. Lucas was forced to use Divine Pulse to preserve the lives of the allies closer to his heart, namely an overzealous Alois and an unfortunate Annette.
His head started to throb, but he wouldn't let it distract him from the battle. After he saved Annette from her fate by intercepting an attacking Swordmaster with a blast of Bolganone, he focused on ending the battle as soon as possible by eliminating the opposition in its entirety.
As he avoided the lunge of an Imperial Paladin, he noticed Mercedes rush through the opposing army. His eyes widened in realization - she was getting closer to the Death Knight. Lucas snapped out of his stupor quickly enough for him to block a blow from the Paladin he was fighting.
While he fought, Lucas kept an eye on Mercedes.
The gray-blonde-haired woman weaved through the opposition. She evaded any attempts on her life, having to use various spells to protect herself at times. Eventually, she ended up standing in front of her target.
Mercedes stared determinedly at the Death Knight.
"Emile…" she said, sorrow in her voice. "That's you under there, isn't it? Please, take off your mask. Let me see your face."
"I have nothing to say to you. Leave now, or you will die."
"No! I can't, and I won't! I won't run away from you…" Mercedes shook her head as she frowned. "Not again!"
"You are mistaken. You do not understand anything. I am but a demon who thirsts for blood. I will not be satiated until the day my thirst is quelled. That day…is not today."
"That's not true! I know that deep down, you are still that sweet boy I once knew. The one who always used to watch out for me, to protect me…" Mercedes furrowed her brows. "I may not know how or why the Death Knight came to be, but I know that's not all of who you are. Your mask may hide your face, but I can tell - you're still Emile."
"..."
Mercedes and the Death Knight stared at each other in silence. The latter's scythe was lowered, but only slightly. Not a word between them was shared aloud, for all the talking they needed to do had already been done.
As the two shared not a single additional word, someone else called out.
"Mercie!"
Annette pushed her way through the horde of battles, keeping her Hero's Relic balanced firmly on her shoulder. She stood beside Mercedes and aimed Crusher at the Death Knight, partially facing her friend while also keeping an eye on the black-armored knight.
"Don't worry! I'm here to protect you!"
"Annie…" Mercedes' mouth flew slightly open. She eventually smiled. "Thank you. But I don't think that's necessary."
"Maybe not, but I still want to keep you safe! I know this guy," Annette motioned to the Death Knight with her Relic, "is supposed to be your brother and all - I get that. That still doesn't change the fact that he's the Death Knight. I don't see him taking off his mask any time soon."
"I...I want to believe in him. I don't think my brother is completely gone."
Annette raised a brow. "Mercie…do you really feel that way? You know how many people he's killed. He's been fighting us for so long, even before the war began. Do you still think your brother is somewhere in there?"
Mercedes nodded.
"Yes, he is. I just know it…Emile isn't truly gone."
Annette's mouth became agape. "You think he's still there, huh?" A faint smile soon appeared on her face. "Alright." She nodded. "In that case, I think so too, Mercie!"
"Annie?"
Her smile widened. "Don't worry! We'll figure this one out! If you feel that your brother isn't gone, then I'll help you find him! We'll do this together!"
"Together…" Mercedes smiled in return. "Thank you, Annie."
"You're welcome. Now, let's go and-AH!"
A bright flash of white light enveloped Annette, cutting her off. She was blown away, forced onto the ground as a result of the sudden attack. Crusher fell to her side as her grip loosened on the Hero's Relic.
"Annie!" Mercedes cried out. She knelt, carefully raising Annette's singed self.
The top of her chest and her hands were covered in bruised, dark spots. They were the only parts of her skin that her long, black Warlock robes allowed her to display. Her body was hot to the touch, yet Mercedes fought through the pain.
"M-Mercie…" Annette coughed. "I feel so-"
"Please don't talk. You need to save your energy. Here, let me…"
Mercedes began to prepare a cast of Heal. Light green magical energy pulsed from her hands.
The spell never came.
"Cease your cast," said the Death Knight.
"What? How can you-" Mercedes faced the Death Knight. She stopped when she noticed the raised scythe. "You did this to her…"
The Death Knight took a moment to respond.
"My thirst has yet to be quenched. Not enough blood was drawn from that girl. I need more. Move aside and I shall finish what I have started."
"E-Emile…"
"The boy you knew is no longer alive. Move aside, or you shall join him."
As Mercedes remained on the ground, holding an injured and scorched Annette in her arms, the Death Knight gradually approached. His Scythe of Sariel was raised, primed to take a life.
Mercedes stared straight at the Death Knight. Her expression was resolute, even if the slightest of tears began to well up in her eyes. She anticipated the swing.
But it never came. A Fire spell came from the right, slamming directly into the Death Knight, almost causing him to lose balance. Mercedes and the black-armored knight turned to face the source of the intervention.
"Mercedes!" Lucas yelled, with one hand stretched out towards the Death Knight. Desperation was clear in his tone. "Get out of there, right now!"
"P-Professor?"
"Get moving!" Lucas glared at her. "I'll keep him busy. Just get Annette and yourself away from him, now!"
"But, I-"
"Go! NOW!"
Mercedes, with raised brows, gave a slow, reluctant nod. She stood up, keeping the half-conscious Annette close to her chest.
Before doing anything else, she glanced at the Death Knight and sighed.
"I still believe in you…"
Mercedes held tightly onto Annette as she fled the area, leaving Lucas alone with the Death Knight.
The two men stared each other down.
"You are but an insignificant worm. Your death will not satisfy me."
"I don't disagree with you. On that first one, at least. But that's enough about me." Lucas unsheathed his Levin Sword. "Are you sure you still want to go through with this?"
"I seek satisfaction. I am the Death Knight, a demon that hunts for people to kill. I will not stop until I have found satisfaction."
Lucas shook his head. "That's…not what I meant." He briefly glanced in the direction Mercedes ran off in before resuming his staredown with the Death Knight. "You still care for her, don't you, Jeritza?"
"..." The Death Knight had no response.
"You want to see her be happy. That's why you protected her so long ago, back when you killed your father. You didn't want him to go after her. You wanted her to be safe. That desire…it never left you, didn't it?"
"How do you know of those events? I was the only one to have lived it, and I have never told another soul of it."
"I know some things. Y-you…you don't need to know where I got that knowledge from. But this isn't about me. You want Mercedes to be safe. That's what you really want."
The Death Knight remained silent as he returned Lucas' stare. His expression was unreadable due to his mask, thus Lucas began to sweat considerably.
"I will kill you if that is your wish."
Lucas raised a brow, then shook his head. "N-no thanks. I'd rather live. And I think Mercedes wants to, as well."
"You keep saying her name."
"I do. And, uh, I know a good way to keep her safe." Lucas looked up to the sky, which was moderately full of clouds. "You know this place is gonna get destroyed, right? Maybe we should both escape. After all, if you were to die here all of a sudden, then you wouldn't get the satisfaction you're looking for. I also don't think Mercedes would be happy if all of her friends died."
The Death Knight paused again. He lowered his Scythe of Sariel, then gazed up at the clouds.
"You know even that. Are you one of them?"
"No. Absolutely not," Lucas growled. "I just…I know things. And I don't want to see anyone else die or get upset. I've seen too much of that lately. I think you know what I'm talking about. Of course, you don't shy away from death - you embrace it. But me, I…"
Lucas breathed in and out, relieving his body of the urge to shake.
"We both should escape. We'll probably meet again soon, anyway. You probably don't wanna die before you get your satisfaction, or whatever. A mutual escape only benefits the both of us. How does that sound?"
The Death Knight gave no immediate reply. He lowered his gaze from the clouds, back to Lucas. Another silent staredown occurred between the two, causing Lucas to stew in his sweat some more.
"So be it," he said. "Leave now. It will be coming soon. You will not have much time."
"Right. Thanks."
The Death Knight said nothing in response. He teleported away, leaving Fort Merceus to its fate. Lucas sheathed his Levin Sword and took a deep breath.
All around him, the battle was starting to subside. The number of remaining Imperial soldiers was dwindling. Piles of bodies formed around the fortress, staining the ground with the blood they oozed.
"Lucas?"
Lucas snapped to his left, finding Seteth staring at him from atop his wyvern. Behind him, on the ground, was the other half of the Resistance. The likes of Dimitri, Hanneman, Manuela, Shamir, and Petra were all standing around, waiting to be healed.
But there was someone else. Someone with light blue hair and the garb of a warrior. Lucas' eyes slowly widened.
"Lucas!"
The black-haired British man snapped out of his realization and returned Seteth's stare.
"Seteth?"
"Ah, good. You have not completely lost your focus. Your time away from the frontlines has dulled your battlefield awareness, but that is fine. It will all return to you in time. Do remember to not get distracted."
"Um, right." Lucas nervously scratched the back of his head. "Was there something you needed, Seteth?"
"I was merely wondering if now would be a good time to begin our escape. It seems the Death Knight has fled and most of his soldiers have perished if not all of them. Should we begin to evacuate the populace of the city?"
Lucas thought for a moment. "No. There won't be enough time. The Death Knight said it'll be coming soon, which probably means that we only have like a few minutes left. It's not worth trying."
"I see. How unfortunate. I will instruct those that were on my team to prepare for an immediate departure. You should do the same for those on your side."
"Yeah, I will."
Seteth nodded. He began to turn around in the air so he could leave but suddenly turned back to face Lucas.
"One more thing. It appears that Caspar, one of your previous students, will be joining the Resistance. I assumed you would appreciate the information."
Lucas smiled and sighed in relief.
"Oh, so that's who that was. Thank the goddess…" He said, wiping his forehead of sweat with the sleeve of his dark Mercenary outfit. "Linhardt's joined us, too. He said Caspar was also here, so I'm glad you were able to pick him up. That makes me feel good."
"Ah, how delightful." Seteth smiled. "It is fortunate we do not have to kill our former allies. I am aware of what has transpired in the Kingdom and the Alliance-"
"Please don't bring that up."
Seteth's mouth widened in surprise. His expression then returned to one of neutrality. He nodded. "I see. I will leave you to it, then. We shall escape from the southern gate. Hurry now, Lucas. If what the Death Knight said is true, then we do not have much time."
"Yeah, we don't." Lucas sighed. "I'll make sure everyone gets out of here alive. Don't worry."
Seteth said nothing else. He took his wyvern and flew away, intending to initiate the Resistance's departure from Fort Merceus. Lucas did the same, turning around to inform his half of the decision to leave.
Once everyone was informed of the situation, they all began hurrying out of the fortress city. The infiltration team retrieved their horses and their carts, using them as a faster means of escape.
In only a few minutes, the Resistance had evacuated Fort Merceus and were on the road back to Garreg Mach.
However, before they could leave the area entirely, one of the Resistance soldiers noted an unexpected parting of the clouds above the Stubborn Old General. Everyone else paused to see what was going on, though Lucas and the commanders knew what to expect.
A giant, cylindrical Javelin of Light emerged from the clouds. In an instant, it slammed into Fort Merceus, causing a massive explosion to erupt. Another javelin appeared, landing in almost the exact same spot as the first.
The devastation the two javelins caused resulted in the near-complete annihilation of Fort Merceus. Nothing was left of the fort and only a few of the houses that were on the outer edges of the city remained, although none of them were unscathed by the bombardment.
A giant crater stood in place of the city. Anything that remained was covered in debris and flames. The Resistance took a good look at the destruction caused by the four Javelins of Light.
The sight never left their minds, even as they returned to Garreg Mach.
Author Notes: Apologies for the delay (again)! Unfortunately, my beta reader got a little sick, so it took them a while to get around to checking through this chapter. However, to make up for this, I should be able to get the next chapter out real soon. Maybe in the next couple days or so. Watch out for that!
Thanks to Frost for beta-reading!
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