On the 16th of the Garland Moon, the Resistance deployed once more, using the eastmost path out of Garreg Mach, partially going through the Leicester Alliance and crossing into Empire territory via the Great Bridge of Myrddin.
Ultimately, they ended up using the same path they took to get to Fort Merceus the month prior, though it diverged once they arrived at the scorched land where the Stubborn Old General used to be. The flames had all died out but left behind an ash-covered field.
Pushing past any darker thoughts any of them may have had, the Resistance moved on through Fort Merceus' crater. The road to Enbarr from that point onward was rather short, in comparison to the rest of the journey they'd been through. A brisk march south and they were within reach of the Imperial capital, on the very edge of the continent.
Before the siege could begin, however, they needed to stop and set up camp for the night. Everyone worked together to prepare all the tents that had to be prepared. Considering the immensely vast numbers of the Resistance, numbers that included the militaries of at least two different nations - there were a lot of tents.
Once the massive siege campsite had been fully set up, food was distributed to the troops. There was enough to go around for every single soldier in the army, but the meals themselves weren't especially grand. Enough to keep bellies filled, certainly, though there were the odd complaints about quality.
After dinner was concluded, everyone split for either some last minute training or called it a night to attempt to get some rest before the battle.
Lucas did the latter. His tent was a short walk away from the main campfire, though, with the sheer number of them in use, he still had to walk past at least fifty of them. When he eventually found his tent, the black-haired man went inside and closed the flap behind him, granting him relative peace from the cold air of the night time world outside.
He slipped into bed after removing the cape and hat from his uniform, as well as his boots and the straps that kept his swords sheathed by his sides. He also carefully placed his Seiros Shield next to his weapon strap. Only then was he able to attempt rest.
His eyes closed as he slowly drifted off.
But then he didn't.
"Oh goddess, Thales is planning something, isn't he?" Lucas wondered, his eyes shooting open as his thoughts refused to let him sleep. "He's got something up his sleeve. I just know it."
"What makes you so certain of this? Should you not already know?" Sothis asked.
"That's the thing - I don't know. Normally, this is when Edelgard would activate her Hegemon form. Does Thales have one of those? He shouldn't, considering the fact he never uses it, even when he's about to die. Fuck, I can't stop thinking about this…my mind's wandering all over the damn place."
"Stop thinking about it. You need to get some rest. It doesn't matter what tomorrow is to bring - you need to be well-rested regardless," said Byleth.
"Alright…" Lucas sighed. "I'll try again."
Doing his absolute best to put his wildly speculative thoughts at bay, Lucas closed his eyes once more, attempting to gently float away into the realm of dreams.
It all seemed silent. All he could hear was the wave of air blowing around outside, partially into his tent, but that had soon become white noise to him. His mind was at ease. Sleep was within reach.
Until he started hearing voices. Faintly familiar ones, at that.
"Professor…" Said a deep, masculine voice with a dark tone to it.
"Professor." A slightly higher pitched voice of a confident male.
"Professor!" An even higher pitched, feminine voice exclaimed at him.
"Professor?" A nasally, masculine voice seemed to question him.
The four voices all merged into one, saying the same thing in unison with one another.
"You let us die…"
Lucas' eyes flew wide open. He raised his head from his bedroll, ensuring nobody was in his tent with him.
He was all alone. In the physical realm, at least. Shivering, Lucas lowered himself back down onto his pillow and sighed.
"It's happening again," he said within his mind. "I'm hearing them."
"Hmm…that simply will not do. You need sleep. You cannot allow echoes of the past to worsen your present. I suppose there is only one option for it." Sothis furrowed her brows while seated on her throne.
"What's that?"
"A night-time walk. It has helped you in the past - it may help you once more."
Lucas blinked, looking up at the ceiling of his tent as he lay down in his bedroll. "Might as well, I guess. Can't hurt to try."
The man shoved the bedroll away from him and stood up. He put his boots back on, also equipping the Seiros Shield for the sake of safety. Its relaxing aura eased some of the pain within him, but it was clear he needed something more.
Because of this, he departed from the comfort of his tent, heading out into the world lit up by stars. A full moon cast its silvery, bright glow over those down below. Lucas looked all around him, past all the tents that surrounded his own. His gaze focused itself on the narrow, empty path made out of grass that was straight ahead of him, one that was lined with various tents. Carefully stepping between all the tents around him, he made his way to the path.
His legs carried him through the campsite. Guards acknowledged his presence, allowing him to walk in peace. Lucas kept on moving, heading in any direction he so pleased, trying to stave off those voices that appeared in his head.
"Professor…" They all spoke at once.
Lucas almost closed his eyes to try and shut them out of his mind but paused before doing so. He decided to keep them open, hoping to find something, anything, to distract himself from those voices.
With a steady stream of breaths, Lucas approached the edge of the campsite. His head was down, facing the grass below, which meant that he was unable to see directly in front of him.
Thus, he was surprised to hear humming. He looked up, soon discovering the partially obscured back of Dorothea. She sat upon the grass, her head pointed up towards the night sky.
"Hmmmmhmmmhmmhmm," she hummed quietly. "Hmmhmmhmmhmmm…"
"Um, Dorothea?"
She stopped humming and turned around. A smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh, Lucas. I'm guessing you can't sleep either."
Lucas shook his head. "Not at all." He raised his head, staring straight at Dorothea as his brows furrowed. "Wait, you can't sleep? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Her smile began to curve downwards. "No, it's fine," she said, losing some of the positivity in her tone. "It's nothing important."
Lucas frowned, a hint of irritation in his expression.
"I don't think so. It's important, isn't it? If you can't get to sleep, it's gotta be something big."
Dorothea's eyes briefly widened before she looked away and faced the grass. "Is that the case with you?"
Lucas did much the same as her. "W-we were talking about you. Not me."
She smirked, turning her head to give Lucas a sidelong glance.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to turn things around on you." Returning to face the fields of green ahead, Dorothea patted the grass on her left. "Sit with me. Let's talk it out. Seems like we both could use some of that."
"Uh…" Lucas folded his arms and looked away, tension building up within his body. He then breathed in and out, releasing the tension. "A-alright."
Despite there being a faint urge within him to leave, his desire to sit by Dorothea's side was stronger than anything else he was feeling at that moment. He lowered himself onto the patch of grass she patted, stretching his legs out directly in front of him.
Dorothea glanced at him, observing him as he sat down. She turned back to the sea of stars above.
"So, I guess I'll go first," she said after a short-lived silence. "I don't think you would be willing to share before me."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked with a raised brow and slightly narrowed eyes.
"Just that you're not the type to talk about yourself so readily. It's fine, though." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reopening her eyes after doing so. "I understand why."
Lucas opened his mouth to reply but soon closed it, having come to a realization. He cast his head towards the ground.
"What's stopping you from sleeping, then? Nightmares?" He spoke with a low tone of voice.
"Something like that. Though, it's more like…" Dorothea's brows furrowed. "I'm afraid."
He partially turned his head towards her. "Afraid of what?"
"I'm…" Dorothea hesitated. "I'm afraid of dying. Dying alone, that is. So many people have died because of this war, including old friends of ours. I'm worried I might be next. And if that happened, I would have died without ever fulfilling my life goal…"
"Life goal?" Lucas raised his head. "Oh, wait…" He placed a hand on his chin, stopping to peruse his thoughts. "I think I know what you're talking about."
"You do? Am I that much of an open book? Alright then, if you think you already know what my life goal is, then go ahead and tell me what it is. I'll see if you're right or not."
"You…you want someone to love you, right? Someone to stay by your side and care for you until the day you die? If you were to die before ever meeting that someone, then you wouldn't feel fulfilled." Lucas' eyes slightly widened. "That's why you're afraid of dying."
Dorothea's mouth became agape.
"How did you…that's absolutely right. Way to completely unravel a girl's mysteries, Lucas."
"S-sorry. I didn't mean to."
Dorothea giggled. "It's okay. I'm not mad. Just…amazed. Never expected you to understand me so well. Goodness, I think you might understand me more than I understand myself. I want to find someone to care for me for the rest of my life but I also feel like I don't deserve that. It's weird. It's so contradictory."
"I think you deserve it."
She suddenly stared at him with an incredulous expression. "What?"
"I think you deserve it," Lucas repeated. "You deserve all the best things that happen to you. You're an amazing person, Dorothea. You're such a kind and caring person. Strong, too…you deserve all the love you get."
"Ah, w-well, I-" Her cheeks became red. "You're just saying that. That can't all be true."
"It is, though. It's true. Have you forgotten all the things you've done for me in the past? You helped me out whenever I was feeling down, you made me an egg sandwich even though you don't like cooking, and you invited me to go to the sauna with you. You're one of the only people I feel truly comfortable with. You're amazing, Dorothea. You are amazing."
"Wow…I don't think I've ever heard such genuine praise before. I got complimented a lot back when I was a songstress, but those were all from disgusting men who didn't have the purest of intentions. But you and your words, they're…"
Dorothea smiled.
"Thank you so much."
Staring at her delighted face, adorned with the purest of smiles, Lucas felt the rising temperature of his cheeks. "Y-you're welcome."
"It's the least I can do for you right now. That said, there is something more I can do. I've just told you about why I can't sleep, so now it's your turn. Tell me what's bothering you. Maybe I can help as you did for me."
His eyes widened.
"I…" He sighed. "Yeah, sure, why not…?"
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Lucas paused, gathering the strength to speak.
"I'm worried about something similar to you. So many people have died, yet…y-yet I live. People like Hubert, Lorenz, Bernie, and Ashe - they're all dead. I could have saved them. Instead, they're all gone, and I'm still here. Why them? Why not…me?"
He wiped his eyes, turning away in hopes of hiding his outward sorrow. Dorothea furrowed her brows.
"You're still struggling with that, huh? I remember when you talked about it during our time in the sauna. I guess things like that don't go away so easily. I understand where you're coming from, though. I've had those kinds of thoughts as well."
"It's…it's not pleasant. Makes me feel weak. I feel like the world itself is tormenting me, punishing me for surviving longer than I deserve to. I should have died a while ago…why am I still here?"
"That's just how war is, I'm afraid. Some people die and others live on. It's unfortunate, but that's how it is. All we can do is live on and keep reaching for the world of peace we're all fighting for."
"But I don't deserve to keep on living. Not after all I've done."
Dorothea frowned.
"That's not true at all," she said, facing Lucas. "You're one of the kindest people I've ever met. You put everyone else's needs before your own…perhaps to your detriment sometimes. You do everything in your power to make sure those around you survive. If we didn't have someone like you around, I'm sure we'd all be in a much worse position."
"That's…" Lucas paused. "Debatable."
Dorothea grinned. "So you don't think I'm wrong. Not completely, anyway. If you think it's debatable, that must mean you think my point has some merit to it."
Lucas' eyes briefly widened. He turned away with a small huff. Dorothea giggled in response.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to embarrass you like that, but it's true. You need to survive, weather the storm of war and make it through to the other side. You might be feeling bad now, but if you can push through it, it'll all be okay. Actually, I just thought of a good idea…"
Lucas turned back, expression full of curiosity.
"Remember how good our time in the sauna was? How it felt like our worries were slowly fading away?" Dorothea continued. "Why don't we do that again?"
"How? With what sauna?"
"We don't need a sauna, silly. We've got each other. Come on, look up at the sky. We can watch the moon together."
"I…" Lucas hesitated, frowning slightly in response to Dorothea's idea. However, he soon relaxed. "Yeah…we can do that. I'd love to."
"Great! If you could come closer…"
Lucas shuffled to the right, narrowing the already small gap between himself and Dorothea. Once the distance was minimal, Dorothea lowered her head onto his right shoulder. Some deep, inner part of him yearned to scream out as a result of her touch, but that desire was easily suppressed once he began to feel a familiar warmth.
Despite the coolness of the night time breeze, the flames deep within his soul were burning brighter than ever before. They intensified, flaring up when Dorothea spoke.
"Put your arm around me," she said.
"W-what?!"
"Just do it. I think you'll like it."
"I, um-"
"Oh my. You truly are averse to touching women, aren't you? Hmm, no, that cannot possibly be the case…can it?" Sothis wondered with a smug grin on her face.
"Not now!" Lucas exclaimed, his face full of redness.
Dorothea looked up at him with a curious expression. "Are you okay?"
"Uh, um…I'm okay. Sorry. I'll explain it another time. My arm, r-right? I'll do that…"
Although his right arm was shaking, Lucas still managed to put it around Dorothea's neck, leaning it on her shoulder. Silent, and with only the faint whistling of the wind sounding around them, Lucas and Dorothea gazed up at the moon.
As they did so, their minds became clear. Their worries slowly ebbed away. The nervous shaking of Lucas' arm ceased, as did the jittery feeling that had infested him. The two of them were at ease.
All they could feel was the warmth of the other person by their side.
"Hey, Lucas?" Dorothea asked as she continued staring at the stars above.
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember, five years ago, when you said you feel like you owe me a big favor? And that I would let you know whenever I'd think of something?"
"Yeah…?"
"Well, I've thought of something. A favor you can do for me."
"What's that?"
Dorothea took a moment to respond.
"I want you to survive. Even if you don't feel like you deserve it - I want you to live. Live until the end of this war. Live, no matter what happens. Please…promise me that you'll survive."
She gazed into his eyes as she spoke. His cheeks reddened further.
"Y-yeah. I promise. I'll survive…f-for you."
A smile appeared on her face.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
Lucas and Dorothea shared no further words. Instead, they continued to gaze at the moon together for a while longer. At least, until they were able to attain the rest they had been searching for.
Tomorrow would be the start of a new battle. They both knew that. Still, Lucas and Dorothea basked in their togetherness for as long as they could.
A new day dawned. Following the long night that came after they set up their siege camp, the Resistance packed everything away into their carts and prepared for battle. As soon as preparations were complete, the army marched on, getting ever closer to the Imperial capital.
Enbarr was a true metropolis. It spanned from the coast and stretched all the way to a dense forest further inland. Adrestia's capital dwarfed both Derdriu and Fhirdiad in size. The city was protected by a giant city wall, with a narrow river that ran through the city, splitting up about a quarter of all the buildings away from the rest. There was a small mountain range on the edge of the city, one that overlooked the vast ocean ahead.
"This is it. Enbarr is within our sights," Seteth declared, raising his voice so that everybody could hear. "This will not be an easy battle. Enbarr is the home of the enemy, therefore, they are likely to defend it with their lives. We must bring down all those who wish to stop us. We must reclaim the throne, and rescue Archbishop Rhea! Let us fight and win! For all those who yearn for peace! Emperor Arundel's tyranny shall end…today!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd of Resistance members. Not everyone joined in, but emotions were high. Everyone was ready to fight.
"Remember your assigned groups and follow your designated leader! They will be the ones to guide you through the battle. Listen to them, and victory shall be within our grasp," Seteth continued. "Now…!"
He turned back around to face Enbarr, raising his Spear of Assal.
"Let us fight! For the future of Fódlan!"
A chorus of war cries arose from the Resistance members. They all either raised their weapons, mounted their steeds, nocked their arrows, or readied their inner supply of mana for an endless stream of spells.
As per the orders they'd already been given, the army split up. They divided themselves into three groups. A flock of wyvern and pegasus riders, led by Seteth, Claude, and Ingrid, took point, intending to lead the charge. Just behind them was a smaller force of infantry units, including Jeralt, Dimitri, Edelgard, as well as some Bishops. A third, much larger group, remained at the back, waiting for the ones assaulting the city's front gate to do what they needed.
Upon Seteth's command, his group charged straight towards the city, Edelgard and Dimitri's group following in beneath them. Seteth, Claude, Ingrid, and the rest of all the wyvern and pegasus riders took to the skies, leading the push towards Enbarr's colossal front gate.
In time, the fliers reached the city's outer walls. A volley of arrows soon came their way, grounding an unprepared Resistance Pegasus Knight. The unopened gate proved to be an issue for the grounded forces, and the fliers weren't able to get in close enough to help.
But then, the Bishops stepped in. Pooling their mana together, they performed a large group cast of Warp, teleporting several infantry units directly past the gate, including the likes of Dimitri, Edelgard, and Jeralt.
The unfortunate Imperial soldiers that stood in their way didn't last for very long.
When the immediate enemy forces were all wiped out, including the Archers and Snipers atop the city walls, the warped Resistance members scrambled to locate the lever that controlled the gate. After searching around within the battlements, the lever was soon discovered, allowing the rest of the Resistance to enter. They left their carts behind, guarded by only a few soldiers - ensuring their escape.
Once everyone was inside the empty streets of Enbarr, they all reconfigured their groups. Claude took most of the fliers as well as the more mobile ground troops, heading further into the eastern side of the city. Jeralt also led a team to the eastern side, but they didn't go in quite as deep as Claude did.
Everyone else was with Seteth, Edelgard, and Dimitri. The three took command of their group, leading them straight through the middle of the city and approaching the palace. In the process, they entered the area that Edelgard and Claude sectioned off on their map. As expected, the remainder of the Imperial soldiers were all waiting for them there, mostly all stationed around the lifeless plaza and the stronghold that was in the middle of it all.
Immediately after charging in, they were met with a large group of Imperial Paladins and Warriors. Silver Lances and Axes came swinging at the Resistance, breaking up their tightly grouped formation. The Imperial soldiers didn't get much of a chance to follow-up on this, however, since the Resistance Archers and Snipers - including Shamir - had sniped through the narrow slots on the armor of the Imperial steeds, sending them into a frenzy. While the Adrestians struggled to regain control of their animals, they were blasted off by the interception of Resistance Warlocks, who cast strong enough spells to sufficiently loosen the grips they had on their reins.
On the other hand, the opposing Warriors were certainly strong. Some of the less fortunate Resistance members were caught by the wide swing of their axes, which had formed considerable dents in their armor. The Imperial axe wielders then attempted a follow up attack, yet the Resistance soldiers were backed up by their fellow Fortress Knight comrades, including Gilbert, Dedue, and Edelgard. The Fortress Knights blocked the follow-up attacks with their hefty armor and sturdy shields, allowing the Warriors to be swiftly defeated with a counteroffensive by Catherine and Raphael.
When the immediate horde of enemies were routed, the Resistance's frontal group pushed on, heading into the wide-open plaza. After doing so, they were met with two large obstacles that were heading straight for them.
Winged Demonic Beasts. Two of them, at that. Some of the less confident Resistance soldiers trembled under the gaze of the violently approaching creatures, but their overall resolve to fight remained firm.
They already fought countless Demonic Beasts previously. Two more weren't going to be an issue.
The frontal group split themselves up, ensuring the beasts wouldn't attack together. Due to the flight-based nature of the Demonic Beasts, arrows were quite effective against them. As such, Shamir, with her Silver Bow, and Catherine, with Thunderbrand, were an especially powerful counter to the beasts. In conjunction with Seteth, they led the fight against one of the artificial creatures.
Dimitri and Edelgard fought together, using the might of Areadbhar and the Sword of the Creator alongside their respective Crests to deal considerable damage to the other Winged Demonic Beasts. Dimitri's mighty lunges and curved swings, combined with Edelgard's elongated stabs and slashes, provided an endless onslaught of attacks that hit the beast from all ranges.
Even though some of the lower-ranked soldiers were being taken out by the winged beasts' wild thrashing and the power of their artificial Crest Stones, it seemed as though the fight against them was going in the Resistance's favor.
However, the Winged Demonic Beast that Dimitri and Edelgard had been fighting suddenly decided to aim a blast of fire at one of its most irritating opponents.
Edelgard was its target. Due to her heavy armor slowing her down as well as the sheer size of the fireball heading her way, it appeared as if she was to be struck.
Fortunately, something happened. A friendly Paladin quickly rode their horse towards Edelgard. Their steed wasn't picking up enough speed, so he decided to do something drastic. He let go of his horse's reins and stood up on its back. Crouching down to conjure as much strength as he could, the orange-haired soldier leapt forward, closing the gap between him and the person he wished to protect.
Ferdinand got in the way of the fireball, much to Edelgard's surprise. Before the flames could reach her, Ferdinand blocked the attack with his body, sending him crashing down to the ground. His heavily wounded and scorched body skidded across the city's stone paving, eventually stopping just a little bit in front of Edelgard.
Her eyes widened and her mouth was agape.
"Ferdinand! Are you-?" Edelgard called out to him.
"I am f-fine," he replied, cutting her off. "Do not worry about me. You must fight, Edelgard. Fight…and live."
She nodded.
"Understood. Thank you for protecting me."
Edelgard tightly gripped the hilt of the Sword of the Creator and rushed in, getting back to the fight with the Winged Demonic Beast. As she readied another long-ranged stab, the expression on her face intensified.
She scowled at the artificial creature.
As the frontmost group engaged with their enemies, the two groups that snuck around and began to approach the palace from the east were dealing with their obstacles. Jeralt's team was dealing with a whole host of Imperial soldiers in the corner of the area, on the other side of the river. Lots of Grapplers, Warriors, Great Knights, and Snipers stood in their way.
Yet, the Resistance continued to fight through their accumulating injuries.
The area that Jeralt's team was fighting in was rather cramped. Narrow streets, surrounded by large houses and covered by a stone path that sharply turned around every corner. The river was very close, not giving anyone enough space with which to comfortably fight.
War was never meant to be comfortable. The Resistance and the Imperial soldiers dealt with the unusual terrain they were forced to fight in.
Jeralt's team pushed ahead, clashing with the Imperial Grapplers, Warriors, and Great Knights, while the enemy Snipers shot their arrows from a safe distance. Due to the amount of space that simply wasn't available to them as well as the sheer amount of enemies in their way, the Resistance was not able to push past and deal with the Snipers up close. Their bow wielders and spellcasters had to engage the opposing Snipers in a long-ranged bout.
All while the melee fighters fought each other close-up. Alois, Petra, Leonie, and Felix clashed with some Warriors and Grapplers, taking them out after a few particularly powerful swings of their respective weapons. Alois' Axe of Ukonvasara and Felix' Sword of Moralta saw plentiful use.
Lucas was also right with them, using his forged Levin Sword and Killing Edge a great deal. The Levin Sword in particular was useful in getting past the heavy armor belonging to the Imperial Great Knights, while the Killing Edge was especially effective in cutting deep into the unprotected arms of the Grapplers. Although, he did struggle whenever he got into clashes with skilled Imperial soldiers. He even had to use Divine Pulse to avoid a potentially lethal injury and had to use it another time to protect Caspar, who had become too zealous for his own good at that moment. Fortunately, Linhardt was there as well, safeguarding Caspar's wellbeing with a well-timed Physic cast.
With two Divine Pulse uses down, Lucas proceeded carefully. Thankfully, Dorothea was by his side, reinvigorating him with her dances and also providing offensive support with her command over Reason magic. Her Faith magic capabilities were quite useful in a defensive manner, though they weren't quite as effective as anything Linhardt could come up with. However, they were still sufficient enough for the general purpose of healing.
Jeralt's team continued to force their way through the area, eventually breaking free of the narrow streets and heading into a slightly more open location, though there still wasn't too much space to move around in. There was a Sniper making use of a ballista within the area, but they were promptly removed from existence before they could deal any significant damage.
At this time, Jeralt's team had reached the largest bridge that pointed towards the central plaza, where most of the Resistance's forces were battling most of the Imperial army. Though they were tempted to go in and assist their allies, Jeralt's group waited roughly where they were, expecting the arrival of the squadron led by Claude.
Who had all been dealing with their own problem.
Claude and the brigade he commanded entered the battlefield from the south-eastern corner, on the same side of the river as Jeralt. However, their placement put them into an unfortunate encounter almost immediately.
A Winged Demonic Beast was right there, hovering near the river, alongside some Imperial infantry. It turned around, having noticed the arrival of its prey. Swooping in, the winged beast set upon its targets in the Resistance.
Fortunately, Claude's Failnaught was rather potent against the Winged Demonic Beast. The raw power of a Relic, combined with the very anti aerial nature of a bow - the advantage lay with the Resistance. Not only that, but Hilda was there too, with her Freikugel providing another means with which to solidly counter the Demonic Beast. Ingrid was also with them, able to use Lúin's power to assist in these efforts as well.
With all the opposition it faced, the Winged Demonic Beast didn't last for very long. It collapsed to the ground, slowly transforming into a lifeless pile of black ash. The surrounding Imperial soldiers witnessed the defeat of the artificial creature that had been spearheading their offense. As it was no more, their morale lowered, leading them to either surrender or become easy targets.
Once all the immediate enemies were taken care of, Claude's brigade moved up through the area, traversing past the unusually positioned buildings and following the jagged stone paths. They discovered a small bridge that would have allowed them to cross over the river but they chose not to use it. After all, they still needed to meet up with Jeralt.
Claude and his soldiers continued to move on through the area, bringing down the hammer of death on all the Imperials they happened to find. As they kept on moving around the many oddly placed buildings, they ended up coming across a slightly open area that led onto one of the widest bridges within the city.
Taking a short break in this area was the group they were supposed to meet. Jeralt, Lucas, and everyone else that had been fighting alongside them. As Claude's team entered the area, Jeralt turned his head while on his horse, his gaze meeting Claude's.
The two men nodded at one another. Without sharing any words, the two groups combined, heading into the plaza to support the rest of their allies.
Back within the plaza that was central to the battlefield, the group led by Seteth, Edelgard, and Dimitri had been faring well against their opponents. Several Imperial Warlocks and Warriors joined in with the two Demonic Beasts the group was already facing, adding another source of pain they needed to worry about.
At one point, even a third Winged Demonic Beast appeared. It was then that Seteth, Edelgard, and Dimitri decided to focus their efforts on eliminating the artificial beasts they were already fighting before doing anything else.
Which proved to be just the strategy they needed. The two initial Winged Demonic Beasts were already heavily damaged from all the attacks they weathered up to that point, which meant that finishing them off was a relatively simple matter. Once that was done, they all combined their efforts into facing the third Winged Demonic Beast. Some of the Resistance soldiers had to keep the Imperial army away from the ones attacking the beast, but a good push was being made regardless.
The fight had generally progressed closer to the central stronghold. Even though Seteth, Edelgard, and Dimitri's squad hadn't been able to make much of an advance, they were still ahead enough to allow for some soldiers to approach the stronghold.
Mercedes and Annette were two such soldiers. They were flinging spells out in conjunction with one another, effortlessly merging their mana together to unleash powerful spells to blow away the opposition. Together, they were nearly impossible to approach.
Until one of the Imperial commanders decided to make an appearance. A knight covered in black armor, whose steed was also protected in the very same way.
The girls turned to face the Death Knight.
"You again? I won't let you hurt Mercie!" Annette exclaimed, aiming her Relic in the Death Knight's direction.
"Annie, please…let me handle this."
Annette looked at her friend with a raised brow before giving her a nod. She retracted Crusher, no longer pointing it at the Death Knight. However, she kept her grip tight on the Relic as she scowled at the masked individual.
"Emile, please…" Mercedes spoke with a sorrowful tone. "Stop this fighting. You don't have to live with this thirst of yours! There are other ways to receive satisfaction in life!"
"They do not speak to me. I only hear the voice that drives me to kill. As I have said, the boy you once knew is dead. Do not waste your breath," the Death Knight replied, coldly.
"I…I don't want to believe that's true. And I don't think you do either."
"Today is the day you will die. I will feast on the blood of your loved ones. This desire of mine…it will not fade. Mere words will not set me free."
"Is that so? Oh…I hoped it wouldn't come to this. It seems you have been cursed by the existence of the Death Knight. As long as he exists, you will continue to hunt for death."
"It is as you say." The Death Knight aimed his Scythe of Sariel in Mercedes' direction. "We are beyond the need for words. Let our actions decide our fate."
"I'm sorry, Emile…"
Flames sparked around her fingertips as she stretched out her palms towards the man who was once her brother.
"But I must do this. I must set you free!"
"Not alone, you won't!" Annette got into a battle-ready stance with Crusher, firmly grasping the Relic tight with both hands. "I'm right with you, Mercie! We'll do this together!"
"Annie…" Mercedes let out a smile. "Thank you."
The Death Knight said nothing, merely staring at the two girls who were appreciating each other's presence.
Mercedes and Annette returned the Death Knight's stare with determined expressions. Both sides were ready to fight and decide their fates.
At that moment, Mercedes flung a few Fire spells at the Death Knight, who effortlessly parried them with his scythe. This allowed Annette the time to charge in and take a swing with Crusher, one that was aimed for the nearest leg of the Death Knight's horse. He had just enough time to attempt a wide slash, but Mercedes intercepted with a Thunder cast. The electric spell was released onto the knight of darkness, mostly bouncing harmlessly off his armor.
Yet, by the indication of his grunt, it did something to him. At the very least, it was enough of a distraction for Annette to complete her swing. Crusher collided with the horse's leg, causing a loud clang to resound across the immediate area. A loud whinny soon followed. The Death Knight struggled to keep his steed in check, which was perfect for the two girls.
Mercedes took the opportunity to release the strongest spell in her arsenal: Ragnarok. After warning Annette, the spell was unleashed, causing a massive fiery explosion to form from underneath the Death Knight. The force behind the spell was strong enough to even blow around Mercedes and Annette's hair, despite them not being particularly close to the epicenter of the blast.
As the flames subsided, it was revealed to the girls that the Death Knight had been forcibly dismounted, as his horse fell on its side. He took one good look at his fallen steed before raising his scythe.
With a single slice, the horse was beheaded. Mercedes and Annette gasped, but the Death Knight silently looked straight at them after performing the deed.
"You are strong," he eventually said.
"I'm only using this strength to protect my friends," replied Mercedes. She glanced at Annette, who smiled at her. "As well as to protect the one person that's more important to me than anything else in the world."
Annette's mouth flew open in surprise. "Mercie…"
The Death Knight briefly turned to Annette, seemingly noting the faint blush that was appearing on her face.
"This girl…she is important to you?"
"Very." Mercedes nodded. "We've been through so much together…I can't imagine a life without her. I will not allow you to bring harm to Annie!"
The Death Knight's response was silence. He continued scrutinizing the expressions of the two girls, his mask tilting slightly to indicate who he was looking at.
He raised the arm that was holding the Scythe of Sariel. Mercedes and Annette braced themselves for an aggressive attack.
But it never came. Instead, the Death Knight dropped the scythe. He raised his other arm, spreading them out towards the sky.
"Kill me," he said.
"What?! I c-can't do that!" Mercedes released the tension in her body, only to furrow her brows. "Why would you even ask that? I thought you wanted a satisfying end!"
"I see now that continuing on my path would only bring you further sorrow. Kill me, so that your beloved one may live, as well as the rest of your allies."
"But I…I can't just kill my younger brother!"
"Your brother is dead. The man, no…the demon that stands before you is the Death Knight. Kill him for the sake of your future. Kill me so that you may live in peace…with your friend."
"I-I can't, I…"
Mercedes suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She swirled her head to the side, finding Annette staring back at her.
"Mercie," said Annette. "You're not alone."
"Annie…I d-don't want Emile to die. But I want him to be free, to finally experience happiness. He can't experience it if he's d-dead." Mercedes sniffled, her vision starting to become blurry. "I don't know what to do!"
"You know what we have to do, Mercie. Emile's been in pain for so long. The least you can do for him is be the one that finally gives him peace. You've got to end this, Mercie. For him. For Emile."
"But I can't!"
"Maybe not. However…" Annette smiled. "You're not alone. You don't have to do this on your own. I'm with you, Mercie. Maybe you can't do it, but we can."
Mercedes was speechless. She wiped at her eyes, doing her best to restrain her emotions. Despite her tears threatening to show themselves, Mercedes was able to smile.
"Annie…y-you're right. We can do this. Together…"
She reached out for Annette's hand. The orange-haired girl was initially surprised, but she gladly accepted the gesture. With both of their palms together, the two women stared directly at the Death Knight.
"Emile…we're setting you free!" Mercedes exclaimed.
Magical energy pulsed between the girls. They pooled together their mana, aiming their combined palms at the Death Knight.
"Whatever you need, Mercie…I'll give it to you!"
"Of course, Annie! Give me all that you can spare! I want to show Emile the strength of the path he could've chosen!"
"Got it!"
Annette began to pool as much of her mana as she could into Mercedes, who then began to prepare a cast of the strongest spell she could muster.
The Death Knight stood in silence, accepting his fate. The ground shook beneath his feet. Flames started to erupt, just as they had before.
"Forgive me, Emile!" Mercedes called out to his brother.
"There is no need for forgiveness," he responded. "All I have done was for your sake…"
Mercedes' cast of Ragnarok, empowered by the mana given to her by Annette, was ready. An explosion of flames, one much larger than the prior cast of the spell, roared out from underneath the Death Knight. He was engulfed in its wake.
The Death Knight did not scream or cry out in pain. He allowed it all to wash over him, eating away at the essence of his life. From the force of the spell, he was sent crashing to the ground. His mask cracked when he made contact with the earth, soon sliding off his face.
Mercedes and Annette relaxed after the intense cast they had just performed. Yet, they still had enough strength to witness the Death Knight's unmasking.
The girls stood there in silence, their gazes locked onto the visage of one Jeritza von Hrym.
"Mercedes…" He was barely able to speak.
"I'm sorry, Emile. I shouldn't have left you behind in House Bartels. I'm sorry I was a terrible sister to you."
Jeritza tried to say something, but couldn't find the strength to do so. Instead, he reached deep into his armor and pulled out a specific item. He presented it to Mercedes.
"F-for you…"
Mercedes got closer to Jeritza's body and held up his arm, inspecting the item that was inside his grasp. It was a blue and brown collar that contained many gems within and around it. A Crest Stone with the symbol of the Crest of Lamine was in its center. Mercedes' eyes widened.
"This must be…a Hero's Relic?" Mercedes asked. Jeritza nodded, unable to say anything further. "A Hero's Relic that is connected to the Crest of Lamine…this has to be the Rafail Gem. You want me to have this?"
"It is…a m-memory of the boy you once knew. Of Emile…" Jeritza struggled to say. He coughed, spewing blood as he did so. "I f-feel at peace…"
Mercedes nodded. A tear fell from her eye. "I will treasure it always. Thank you."
Jeritza's mouth twitched. It seemed to curve slightly as if to form a smile, but it never came. His arms fell to the ground and any semblance of life in his eyes slowly faded.
"Goodbye, Emile…"
A stream of tears emerged from Mercedes. Annette walked over with a frown on her face. She put a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Come on, Mercie. There's still a battle left to fight. The war's not over yet."
"You're right," Mercedes said through countless sniffles. "It's not. The world doesn't stop for the death of one person. We must keep going."
"And I'll go with you, Mercie. I'll be right by your side, because after all…" Annette smiled. "I'm your girl."
Annette offered her hand. Mercedes stared at it through her blurry, tear-filled vision. She smiled in return and accepted the hand.
"Thank you, Annie. Let's go…together."
Annette nodded and pulled her friend back to her feet. Together, the two re-entered the battle, supporting the rest of their allies in the Resistance once Mercedes' tears dried and her resolve returned.
The battle within the streets of Enbarr was going in favor of the Resistance. All the Winged Demonic Beasts dissolved into ash and most of the Imperial soldiers had either surrendered or perished. Some kept up their valiant efforts to defend their home, though their numbers were thin. Especially in comparison to the Resistance, whose troops were largely still determined to end the fight with the Empire.
Shortly after the Death Knight's defeat, the two teams from the other side of the river merged back together with the group that was fighting in the plaza. This made defending Enbarr even more difficult for the remaining Imperial forces. Though, they did the best they could.
A considerable cluster of Imperial soldiers came from across a thin stretch of river to the south, approaching from the general direction of the palace. The Resistance engaged them, with the likes of Catherine and Dimitri powering through the opposition with the rage they possessed. Fortunately, Shamir and Marianne were nearby, ensuring their respective partners wouldn't lose themselves in their anger.
Due to the sheer numbers advantage the Resistance had over the remainder of the enemy forces, there was a portion of them that weren't involved in the main push. With how few enemies there were left, there wasn't a need to get everyone in the Resistance involved. As such, a handful of their troops remained as backups, ready to get involved whenever needed.
Lucas and Dorothea were included with the backup forces. They sat by the stronghold in the center of the plaza, catching their breath alongside some of the Resistance's other generals and lower-ranking soldiers.
"Seems like it's almost over," Dorothea remarked. "It's only a matter of time before the fighting here stops."
Lucas shook his head. "No…there's still gonna be more. We haven't seen Arundel yet, and there's no way we've fought through all of the Imperial army already."
"Maybe, but where would the rest of them even be? In the palace?"
Lucas glanced at Dorothea and nodded.
"Oh. I guess that makes sense," she said. "Are they really gonna let us in?"
"I'm sure they have something planned, and because of that, they want us somewhere where they can easily constrain us and control our movements. The palace would be a good place for that. All I know for sure is that Arundel definitely has something up his sleeve, but I don't know what."
"What could the emperor possibly do against us at this point? We've got so many strong people on our side, and he doesn't have much left. With the Death Knight now gone, I don't know if he even has any generals or commanders remaining. The odds are certainly not in his favor."
"No, but we've gotta be careful. We could suffer some huge losses if we walk into a trap or something. Just imagine if Edelgard or Dimitri died because of some magical trap he'd set up before the battle."
"Hmm…" Dorothea's brows furrowed. "I see what you mean. It would be terrible if that happened. Not just for the army, but we'd also be losing a close friend."
"Yeah. Let's just hope nothing like that happens." Lucas leaned back against the pillar the two of them were sitting next to. "At least we seem to be doing alright so far. The Death Knight's out of the way and so are the Demonic Beasts. This part of the battle's probably about to be over soon."
"The sooner it ends, the sooner we find peace…"
Dorothea clasped her hands together, looking at the cloudy blue sky above. Lucas nodded, his brows closing together before he decided to follow Dorothea's gaze. The two stared up at the sky, refusing to allow the nearby sounds of fighting and death to deter them from their moment of relative peace.
But then something shattered it.
"Monster!"
A friendly soldier had screamed, the sheer volume of his fear allowing his emotions to be felt across the battlefield. Lucas and Dorothea returned their gazes to the earth, quickly discovering the source of the disturbance.
Lucas' eyes widened. He grit his teeth, bearing an angered expression with the intensity of a raging beast.
A man with dark blue, short length and straight hair stood in the corner of the plaza. Blood was splattered on the ground around him, as well as on the tip of his Hero's Relic. Two halves of a Resistance soldier lay on the ground in front of him. Another soldier of the Resistance army stood frozen in fear of the man, whose facial expression radiated an aura of absolute confidence.
"It's him…" Lucas growled, immediately standing up and unsheathing his Killing Edge. "I should've known he'd be here!"
Dorothea had a raised brow and a tilted head. "Do you know that guy, Lucas?"
"I do. His name is Adrian…he's the Flame Emperor. He's also the bastard that killed Bernie!"
Before Dorothea could react, Lucas darted across the plaza, heading straight for the Flame Emperor. She reached out for him, but it was useless.
Lucas was far too focused on his target.
Meanwhile, Adrian had his bloodied Aymr raised, poised to effortlessly take another life with its might. The lower-ranked Resistance soldier that was frozen in fear had yet to make a move to preserve his life.
"Monster?" Adrian chuckled menacingly. "No…I'm much worse than that. Feel the power of Fódlan's strongest!"
He reeled his arm back, preparing for yet another fatal swing. The Resistance soldier already accepted his fate.
But before the kill could be made, a Fire spell slammed into Adrian, causing him to lose his balance and nearly fall over.
"Who did…" Adrian wondered, looking in the direction of his attacker.
He grinned when he saw Lucas rushing at him.
"Oh, it's you. Lucas, was it? Nice to see you again. It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" Adrian turned around to no longer face the frozen soldier, lowering his axe. Lucas stopped in place, his Killing Edge drawn.
"Shut the hell up!" Lucas pointed his blade at his foe. "You killed Bernie. She just wanted to live, but you didn't let her! I'll kill you!"
"Bernie? Oh, you mean that girl. That ever-so annoying child. She was weak, you see. There wasn't any need for her to continue living. I did her a favor. After all, she didn't look like she wanted to be anywhere anymore."
"You heartless piece of shit!" Lucas barked. "You don't know a damn thing about her! You don't have any regard for life, do you? Do you just see everyone else as lesser than you?!"
Adrian smirked. "I'm the strongest person in the world, you know. Why should I treat anyone else as above, or even equal, to me?"
"So you've got a superiority complex, then. Great. That means you'll never get down from that damn high horse of yours!"
"A…what? I'm not sure what you just said I have, but it sounds right. Nobody in this entire world has quite the power I have."
He raised Aymr.
"How about I show you that power? Maybe then you'll see why nobody could ever compare to me."
Within less than a second, Adrian was already in front of Lucas. He swung his Relic in a horizontal arc, at a speed Lucas was barely able to avoid with a quick duck. The glowing, orange edges of the axe tickled Lucas' unkempt hair. Once the swoosh of the swing had finished, Lucas leapt back, gaining distance from his opponent.
But Adrian was already there, having closed the distance as quickly as before. Lucas was able to block the next oncoming strike with his Seiros Shield, though his ears despised him for doing so as a loud ringing noise emerged from the clash. The Sacred Weapon was undamaged, but Lucas felt the muscles in his left, shield arm twitch and convulse, forcing him to wince in pain.
A glimmer of delight shone in Adrian's eyes.
"Do you see now? The power I possess…it's far beyond your wildest dreams, isn't it?!" He yelled in Lucas' face, trying to break through the Seiros Shield's defenses with his Aymr.
"D-damn!" Lucas grunted, struggling under the pressure. "How the hell are you this strong?! Who even ARE you? You're not supposed to be relevant…where did you come from?!"
"How rich! Coming from the person who came out of nowhere and took my fucking job!"
"That was your fault, you worthless cunt! I happened to be in the right place at the right time, meanwhile, you ran away as soon as things got a little too dicey for you! If you had this sort of strength back then, why would you ever fucking run?!"
"Don't you DARE bring that up, you insignificant fool! I was a weak man back then, but now I have grown past every limitation I once had! There's not a single person out there who could fight me on equal footing! If I ever met those bandits again, I would kill them all in an instant! Just like I'll do to you…!"
"It's been more than an instant, dickhead!"
"You-!"
Adrian raised his axe and slammed it down. Lucas blocked the attack again with the Seiros Shield, though he felt a sharp pang surge through his shield arm. Enraged, Adrian tried, again and again, continually attempting to break the Sacred Weapon but failing each time. Lucas' entire body threatened to buckle with each swing, yet he managed to persevere.
"What's with this fucking shield?! Why can't I break it?!" Adrian howled, forcing the tip of Aymr onto the Sacred Weapon, straining his arms as he did so.
"Y-you're not dealing with the average shield, arsehole! You're not gonna be breaking through it!" Lucas yelled in return as his arm shook.
"Oh? Then I suppose I'll have to stop attacking it, won't I?"
Adrian ceased the useless struggle, giving Lucas' arm some breathing room. However, that didn't mean the Brit's body was completely without injury. Adrian was fast, too fast.
He landed a solid punch with his free arm onto Lucas' chest. As a result of the sheer force of the blow, Lucas was sent into the air, but only briefly. He stumbled back onto his feet after landing, clutching his chest and bending over in pain.
As he was breathing heavily and struggling to deal with the pain, he felt something prickle at his neck. He looked down.
Aymr was poised to behead him. Adrian grinned.
"Although your shield seems unbreakable, it doesn't seem like you are. Such a shame."
"W-who…who are you?" Lucas asked as he was hunched over and clutching at his chest. "How did you get all this p-power?"
"Heh. I suppose I can humor you, since you're about to die. May as well let the secret out…so I can then snuff out all those who know of the truth. Sounds like a good justification for your death."
Lucas breathed out a sigh of relief, to which Adrian responded by pressing Aymr closer to his neck, drawing blood. The blue-haired man didn't bother commenting on it and instead focused on the story he was to tell.
"An eternity ago, before I became Adrian Aquila, I was once a professor. My name was…" Adrian briefly closed his eyes. "Camille Adalhard." He reopened them. "When I went by that name, I was a teacher at the Royal School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad. One of the best, I might add. I had a…sufficient life in those times. I was paid well and I lived in what some may consider to be a 'comfortable home'. But then it all changed on one fateful day."
Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but Aymr was pressed further into his deck, drawing even more blood and preventing him from saying anything.
"I'd heard that the Officers Academy, at Garreg Mach Monastery, was hiring for a new professor. To work for the most well-known academy in the whole continent, to be able to shape the minds of Fódlan's future elite…it was a perfect opportunity for me. My teachings would've had the power to shape the fate of Fódlan. So, I took the job. I was soon accepted by the Archbishop, and was set to begin teaching as soon as the academic year began. I changed my name to Adrian Aquila before applying for the position, to signify the change in my life. However…well, you know what happened next."
Lucas blinked, the orange glow of Aymr in the corner of his eye reminding him of his position. He remained quiet.
"Those bandits." Adrian scowled. "We were in the middle of a field exercise when we stumbled across those pathetic fools. Unfortunately, due to my lack of considerable power in those days, I was forced to flee for my life. I am ashamed. But remember, what happened back then is not a reflection of who I am now. Understand?"
Lucas nodded.
"Good." Adrian gradually released his scowl. "After I escaped, I was on my own for quite some time. I lacked food and did not have water. I felt as if I was going to die. That was when these strange, gray-skinned mages appeared and captured me with their unusual magic. At the time, I was afraid. I thought they were going to kill me."
He chuckled.
"I couldn't have been further from the truth. They didn't kill me. Instead, they granted me new life. They had brought me back to their home, this dark, underground realm of sorts, where they then experimented on me."
"The A-Agarthans?"
Adrian raised a brow. "Oh, you know them? That makes this far easier. Yes, the Agarthans experimented upon me. They opened up my body and gave me the immeasurable power you see before you today. They granted me a copy of the Crest of Seiros, telling me that I was to become their 'salvation'...whatever that meant. I didn't care what they wanted. All I cared about was the immense power I had begun to wield. Camille Adalhard was no more. I had truly become Adrian Aquila - the strongest person in all of Fódlan."
Lucas was speechless, primarily because of the fatal situation he was in regarding Aymr's position, though partially because of the story he had just been told.
"Satisfied, Lucas? You know the truth of Adrian Aquila…of me. Now, are you prepared to die?"
"I…" Lucas struggled to speak. "I-I don't care who you are. You killed Bernie. You're an enemy. I don't know what you were trying to achieve by telling me all that."
"I was trying to show some mercy. But it seems you can't accept even that. So uncivilized. Well, it's time for you to die, then."
Adrian reeled his arm back, preparing to end Lucas' life. The British man closed his eyes, expecting the worst.
"No!"
Lucas quickly reopened his eyes, witnessing a beam of electrical magic strike Adrian's black and red Flame Emperor armor. Black marks formed around the impact spot, which was situated near the chest.
"Who is it now…?" Adrian wondered, largely unfazed by the sudden attack.
"It's me. Let him go, or else."
Both men looked over to the side, where a woman wearing a white Dancer's uniform and very little else was standing, positioned with one of her arms pointing forward. Sparks of electricity crackled around her open palms.
"D-Dorothea…" Lucas said, massaging his bruised and bloodied neck with his free hand. "You-what are you doing?"
"Saving you, of course. What does it look like?" Dorothea replied with a confident, reassuring smile. "I'm not about to let you die. If that happened, you'd fail the promise you made to me last night. Remember?"
Lucas' eyes widened. "Yeah, I do…sorry."
Adrian, who had been watching the conversation take place, growled in annoyance.
"Hold on for just a moment, would you?!" Adrian waved around his Relic, returning it to the side of Lucas' neck. "I'm the one in control here. Do you not see the Hero's Relic I possess?" He turned to Dorothea. "That being said, do you understand who you're messing with, woman?"
"Oh, I understand." Dorothea grinned. "Got the whole idea from watching you wail uselessly against his shield. Nice moves, by the way. You really showed that thing who's in control."
Adrian glared at her. "The gall of this woman…who even are you? Wait, are you a dancer? That's interesting. You don't see that too often." His glare was replaced with a grin. "Heh. What's a dancer going to do against me? Shake your arms like you've just discovered how to use them for the first time? Oh no, I'm scared. Very very scared."
"You will be scared. Trust me. I've broken the arms of many men in my time. You won't be any different."
"Ha! Oh, you are the most entertaining woman I've ever met. Aside from Cornelia, of course. Or whatever her real name was. Either way, you are hilarious, girl. Is this person here your man? A boyfriend, perhaps? Are you defending his honor, maybe? How precious."
"No." Dorothea folded her arms, retaining her gin. "I'm just buying time." She gave Lucas a subtle nod. He returned the gesture after a short second was spent determining its purpose.
"What?!"
With his off-hand, Lucas prepared a Fire spell, but instead of casting it as a projectile, he held it in his palm and thrust it forward.
"Burning…Finger!" He shouted, releasing the fireball.
The spell shot ahead, quickly reaching Adrian's armor, giving him no time to react. As soon as the fireball made contact with the armor, a small fiery explosion formed, forcing Lucas to stumble back, freeing himself from his precarious position. Dorothea rushed over and caught him before he could fall.
"Are you okay?" She asked with a worried tone. "Here, let me do this…"
A reinvigorating light engulfed Lucas. The wounds on his neck closed up and his blood no longer dripped from the gashes Aymr had created. Instinctively, Lucas touched his neck, finding that the Heal cast had been a success.
As he tried to open his mouth to give a word of thanks, the smoke from the explosion dissipated. Adrian remained, entirely unharmed by the blast. He was forced back a short distance from where he was originally standing, but that was the only effect the attack had on him.
Aside from his immensely vexed expression.
"You…I'll kill you both," he spoke with venom in his voice. "You two will die…by my hand!"
He rushed forward, Aymr gripped tightly in his hand. Lucas and Dorothea each got into a stance, ready to defend themselves from Adrian's assault - if such a thing was possible.
However, their self-defense was unneeded. Adrian froze in place mid-rush, blood suddenly pouring out from his chest. He looked down at his body. All three of them had their eyes widened when they noticed what happened.
An orange point had pierced through his body and was poking out from his chest. Lucas and Dorothea checked behind him, discovering the timely presence of Edelgard.
"Edie! What are you-" Dorothea tried to ask, but was interrupted.
"Not now, Dorothea! Take this opportunity, and kill him!" Edelgard insisted. She was firmly holding onto the hilt of the Sword of the Creator, which had pierced through Adrian. "My teacher, take your revenge for the death of Bernadetta! Your chance to do so is now!"
Lucas nodded, tensely gripping his Killing Edge. He took one good look at Adrian, who had hunched over as a result of the surprise attack, and scowled.
"Y-you insignificant worms…how dare you do this to me?!" Adrian coughed up blood as he clutched his chest in agony. "I will not fall. I cannot die. I am the strongest-!"
"Sure, that might be the case. You might be the strongest…" Lucas interrupted him. "On your own. But you've always been alone, haven't you? You've never had a companion, never had someone by your side…it's always been you, and you alone. Isn't that right?"
"You bastard…what does it m-matter to you? I am the strongest. I am power incarnate. What difference would it make if I had a c-companion?!"
Lucas glanced at Dorothea, who merely smiled at him. He soon returned to scowling at Adrian.
"You don't understand. True power doesn't come from shutting everyone out and relying only on yourself." He pointed to Dorothea with his off-hand. "It comes from trusting and believing in those around you. Companionship, friendship - whatever you call it. That is the only way to achieve true strength. Not…whatever it is you've done."
"W-what foolishness…such stupidity and drivel. You make me sick, Lucas."
"If you're sick, then I'll be the cure."
Lucas walked forward, approaching Adrian. He raised his Killing Edge, pointing the blade downward.
"I'll rid the world of the plague that is you. This…is for Bernie."
"Fool. You c-can't kill me…"
Lucas promptly thrust his blade downward, piercing Adrian's head. When his weapon made contact, Edelgard retracted the Sword of the Creator, allowing Lucas to do as he pleased.
He pulled the Killing Edge out of the thin, deep hole it created on the back of Adrian's head. Lucas felt a familiarly strong urge to follow it up with further stabs, to unload his fury upon his target.
Before he could do so, Dorothea put a hand on his shoulder. In an instant, his urge to continue stabbing had been quelled. A nod of understanding was shared between the two. Silently, Lucas sheathed his weapon.
A single kick from Lucas confirmed Adrian's lifelessness. He didn't respond to the kick and his body fell to the ground. Blood was forming underneath him. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's over, Bernie…he's gone. The man that killed you is finally dead," he said to no-one in particular while gazing at the cloudy sky above. "It's over."
"Not quite," Edelgard interjected, approaching her two allies. "The battle is not over yet."
"Is something happening?" Dorothea asked.
"We've secured the streets of Enbarr. We have routed the soldiers outside…" Edelgard turned around, facing the imposingly tall figure of the palace. "Our true enemy remains inside."
"The Emperor, huh? We're really doing it…are we going straight in?"
Edelgard faced Dorothea, shaking her head. "No. Seteth wants us to take a short break. We suffered many injuries during the battle, so we should take the time to heal them before engaging Emperor Arundel."
"Oh, that's good then. I think we could all use a break." Dorothea glanced at Lucas, who was still staring into the sky with an empty expression. "Especially him." She waved her hand in his face, which was enough to snap him out of it. "Hey, are you gonna be okay?"
"I, uh…" Lucas blinked. "I don't know. I just…"
He looked down at Adrian's corpse with furrowed brows. The body was facing up and the armored robes of the Flame Emperor were partially burnt, torn, and messy.
Something caught Lucas' eye. His head turned slightly.
"Wait, that's-"
Lucas interrupted himself, bending down to grab the axe Adrian had been wielding. He blinked at it before looking up at Edelgard.
"You can use this," he said. "Can't you?"
Edelgard grimaced and sighed. "I can, but I would rather not. Aymr is an artificial Hero's Relic, created by the very same people that drained my hair of its pigment. It represents the path I could've taken…the path you helped me avoid, my teacher."
Dorothea raised her brows but kept quiet as she observed.
"Alright, but what should we do with it? We can't just leave it here for someone to take. You know what happens if someone tries to use a Relic they're incompatible with." Lucas instinctively held Aymr away from him.
"We should destroy it. I have no intention of using the weapon he made for me, and I also have no intention of allowing anyone to become a Demonic Beast because of it. It's best if we dispose of it." Edelgard held out her hand. "Give it to me and I shall see to its destruction."
Lucas nodded. "Okay. Here you go." He handed over the artificial Relic to Edelgard, who held the weapon as far away from her as possible.
"Even touching this disgusts me…thank you regardless, my teacher. I will inform Seteth of what has occurred here. Take as much of a break as you need. I shall see you later."
With Aymr in hand, Edelgard walked away from the scene, leaving Lucas and Dorothea together by Adrian's corpse.
The two were quiet as they stared at the body of a man that tried to kill them both.
"Thanks," Lucas said quietly.
"Huh?" Dorothea raised a brow. Her expression quickly went back to normal. "Oh, right. You're welcome. I wasn't about to let him kill you. We still need to see the end of this war together."
"Yeah. We need to survive. That almost didn't happen…I'm glad you were there."
"I'm glad I was there too. He almost-"
A glimmer of light from somewhere on Adrian's lower half caught Dorothea's attention.
"Hey, what's this?"
Dorothea knelt and lifted his surprisingly heavy robes. She gasped, then pulled out the object she saw and lifted it up for Lucas to see.
It was a gray sword with a slightly jagged blade and an ornately designed hilt. Lucas narrowed his eyes at it before coming to a realization.
"That's the Sword of Seiros. Since when did he have that?"
Dorothea shrugged. "I'm the wrong girl to ask about that. I didn't even know who this guy was until today. But if he's dead, he's not gonna be using this thing anymore. You might as well take it. You've already got the Shield of Seiros, so why not?"
"I...sure, I guess. Might as well."
Dorothea carefully handed him the Sacred Weapon, making sure he was able to grasp the hilt. As soon as he wrapped his right hand around the Sword of Seiros' hilt, a familiar, warm feeling came over him. His aches and pains generated throughout the battle had disappeared. The feeling worked in tandem with the one provided to him via the Seiros Shield, enhancing his state of comfortability.
"W-wow…this feels great. The sword and shield of Seiros…" he said.
"You don't look much like Seiros to me, but I don't think that matters. You're fighting for the peace of Fódlan, just like she did a thousand years ago. I wonder if you're secretly her offspring or something."
Lucas nervously laughed. "H-heh, that would be, uh…interesting. It's not true, but it would be interesting."
"It would, wouldn't it?" Dorothea smiled.
The former songstress looked over into the plaza, where various members of the Resistance were scattered around. She turned her head back to Lucas.
"Maybe we should get away from here. I don't know about you, but I would rather be with my friends than with a dead body."
"Uh, yeah. Good idea." Lucas nodded. "Let's go."
Leaving behind the bleeding corpse of Adrian Aquila, the second Flame Emperor, Lucas and Dorothea returned to the embrace of their friends and closest allies. They all made use of the break that was given to them, preparing for what was to come.
Enbarr's place, where Emperor Arundel resided. Nobody was sure exactly what to expect, but they all knew the severity of the upcoming battle.
For the future of Fódlan, the Resistance would have to win.
Author Notes: Oops. Didn't mean for this one to take so long. Very sorry, everyone! Turns out that writing a big chapter such as this takes a little longer than a regularly sized one. That, and my beta reader got caught up in a lot of IRL stuff. With those two things coming together, this chapter had to be delayed a bit, unfortunately. Again, sorry about that. Hopefully the next one won't take so long!
Feel free to drop a favourite, follow, and/or a review, if you're so inclined! I'll see ya next time!
Thanks again to Frost for beta-reading!
NiksCord: Thank you so much for reading! Yeah, unfortunately, Lucas does come off as kind of an arse in the beginning, but it does give him quite a bit of room for character development.
Hey, do you want a cool place to talk about fanfiction, anime, movies, games and things like that? Do you wanna be a part of an awesome group full of amazing people? If so, then why not visit the Fanfiction Treehouse Discord server? We've got all sorts of fanfic writers in there, including me! The invite code is: 9XG3U7a. See you there!