"So that´s what you were planning all along" Linhardt said as she looked at her. "The immaculate one and the creation of the Church of Seiros can´t be truly understood without the other so I think it is clear that Rhea is the immaculate one of the legends of old. In that case the current system has been not only tolerated but supported by the Church"

"I couldn´t explain it better. Rhea had the opportunity to change this world for the better, but she did nothing and the Church has been abusing her position of power for centuries"

"A system that throws into the mud those guilty of bearing no crest" Dorothea said in a low voice, her hands trembling a little. "Thank you for telling us everything, Edie; now I have no doubts"

"Nobility has been supporting that system as well. The fact that you are the emperor, must mean that my father…"

"He is alive, Ferdinand. He might be a corrupt noble that abused his position and crushed many in the process, but you deserve to ask him everything you want to hear from him"

"Really? I thought…I thought that maybe…. Forgive me, Edelgard. I´ve known for years that my father opposes to everything I fight for, but I was too weak to confront him directly. I´ll take this opportunity to talk with him, you have my gratitude"

"And the other nobles?" Caspar asked while scratching his head.

"Those who sided with lady Edelgard have retained their positions, those that were against her, have lost their privileges among them the powerful Count Varley"

"That means that I can´t hide at home, I don´t want to see that man again, he is too scary!"

"In that case, fight for us, you are a quite talented archer and Lady Edelgard will need every possible help"

"Hubie, are you really complimenting someone apart from Edelgard? It seems that we live in difficult times" Dorothea giggled.

"That means that my father will be leading the main forces of the Empire, right? I´m glad I´ve followed you, guys. My father is really scary when he is angry"

"Caspar, now it isn´t the time to doubt. If you doubt, you will die" Petra said before looking at Edelgard. "I´ll fight for you, Edelgard, for a friend and for a better future for Brigid"

"Your words give me the strength that I need" she smiled. She was glad to have them by her side. "The path that lies before us won´t be easy, but if we help each other we´ll change this land for the better. We´ll be making history. Now step forward those willing to follow this path with me, I won´t scorn anyone that isn´t willing to do so, though"

"What are you talking about, Edie? I´m with you, besides if the Professor is here, there is nothing to fear"

"Opposing you would be too annoying. I prefer to spend my forces studying the mysteries of this land that arguing with you, I´m in" Linhardt yawned.

"I´ll fight for you, but please don´t put me in the front lines!"

"I know that my father failed you, but I won´t do the same. It is my duty as the successor of the Prime Minister"

"Brigid and the Empire we´ll fight together, as equals"

"I can´t say no to fighting with friends, I´ll give my best"

"Thank you, it really means much to me that you are on my side. I have a proposal to make, regarding the name of our group. How about naming us the Black Eagles Strike Force?" she said as she looked at Byleth.

"I think it is a good name" he said as he started to pat her head, making her blush. "I thought about it for a long time. I´m glad to hear that it is a suitable name"

"There are things that never change, I guess" Dorothea giggled.

"Be prepared, we´ll be leaving this place shortly" she said as they nodded to her before leaving. "I thought that even if I was meant to be alone, I would continue my path, but that doesn´t mean that I want to be isolated from them"

"Whatever it happens I´ll be there for you" Byleth said as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, making her feel happy and embarrassed at the same time since Hubert was still in front of them.

"Professor, you have my deepest gratitude, but don´t abuse my trust. Lady Edelgard the manifest is ready to be sent"

"A manifest?"

"Yes, I plan to send it to all the noble houses of Fódlan, from the greatest to the smallest one. Some of them will be sent as well to cities and villages to spread the truth about the Church. The declaration of war has already been sent. Hubert, I entrust you with sending the manifests"

"It will be done, my emperor" Hubert said while bowing.

"Now there is no turning back, under my command an immense army will be moving to face the almighty Church. Many lives will be lost. Each one of them a burden I will have to carry for the rest of my life"

"Yet this is the path you seek"

"Yes, although that doesn´t mean it will be easy. To be honest, I feel like I´m dreaming, is it really ok to you to share this burden with me?"

"It´s not a dream, and I promise you I won´t leave you alone" he said as he took her hand. "No matter what happens we´ll go through this together"

"Without you, I´m sure that my heart would have turned into pure ice, a heartless emperor that would stop before nothing, but you have kept my heart warm" she said as she buried her face in his chest.

"I won´t let any of you die, but I´ll everything I can to save the rest of the students as well"

"You really care about all of us to the bitter end, that´s what I really like about you" she smiled. "Many won´t understand, some will even try to kill you, even in that case are you willing to save them?"

"I do"

"I hope that your words can avoid unnecessary bloodshed. I won´t remove a tyrant to turn into the next one. I won´t be the ruthless ruler that some will accuse me to be"

"I believe in your words. For now, let´s get ready to leave this place"

"Yes, it is about time"

….

"Dear students, this monastery has received a war declaration from the Adrestian Empire. The current Emperor is willing to destroy everything that is sacred in the search of becoming the new Goddess of this land. However, the Church will not tolerate such blasphemy. Our cause is pure and we will prevail over these apostates!

In times like this it is clear that it is the wish of the Goddess that we help each other to protect this world against such threat. All of you, from the humblest one to the heirs of your respective nations have a role to assumed in this upcoming battle. Your places of origin might be different but I beg you; forget your petty differences and protect the peace of this land. It is clear that the flames of war will only cause unnecessary suffering. It is our responsibility to keep this world at peace"

"War" he thought as he looked around. It was a word he wished he didn´t have to use anymore but there it was again.

….

"The forces of the Empire will be here in a few days. Even with the promised reinforcements from the Holy Kingdom, our possibilities of victory are slim" He said as he extended a map of Fódlan in front of Rhea. After the speech in front of all the students they had been there discussing plans against the upcoming invasion.

"I won´t let this place to fall under her claws. I´ll put and end to that treacherous wench. Losing the monastery could change the minds of those faint of heart. We need to keep it at all costs. This place won´t fall, I´ll use everything we have to defend it"

"The deployment of our ancient powers would certainly balance the outcome, but that would mean the obliteration of this region. Hundreds will die"

"Probably thousands. Even if the cost is a world of ashes, I won´t back down. It is our responsibility to keep this world under control until the return of Sothis"

"The wielder of Sothis´s will is on the other side of the battlefield"

"Taking pity of him proved to be my greatest mistake, a mistake that I am willing to solve now. He is just a thief that is using what remains of our mother for his evil deeds"

"Father, is it true that the Professor is evil?" asked a worried Flayn. He was about to respond, but he was interrupted by Rhea.

"How else could it be? He is a traitor, a usurper of the true ruler of this world" Rhea said, her voice a whip. "Humans are truly a disappointment. They are uncapable of ruling themselves and even though the heavenly rule that was established upon them granted them so many benefits they still decide to side against us!"

"But why would Edelgard choose to attack the Church?"

"She intends to change the foundations of this world and she knows that the Church is the column where this world rests. Without the Church the world would be completely different to the one we know, but how do we know that that change would be for the better? She is forcing her views upon people unwillingly to accept the change she offers to them"

"She is just a tyrant. She wants to usurp my power! She has seduced that gullible man and because of it the Sword of the Creator has fallen upon the claws of the evil. We´ll need to crush the Empire after this, they must know that there is a price to pay for this sacrilege"

"Rhea…. I understand your rage…but…"

"They have chosen their own deaths! I won´t show any mercy to them. The pain I feel…his betrayal…I won´t allow true dark to take control of this world!"

"Apologies for my comments" he said with a light bow.

"Seteth, bring to me Catherine. I´ll entrust her with the vanguard of our troops"

"Understood" he said as he prepared to leave. "Flayn, follow me"

They continued walking in silent, soldiers patrolling the once peaceful corridors.

"So, war is coming once again to us…When I thought this would be a place, I could call home"

"It really is a tragedy, but if the monastery falls, there will be nowhere to go" He had thought about it and he had finally decided to stay. Rhea was their only hope to avoid any persecutions, they didn´t have any other place to run away.

"Tell me, Flayn, what happened there?"

"The Professor sat on the throne of Sothis when suddenly imperial soldiers started to appear from the entrance. The Professor fought alongside us until her forces were defeated"

"And then, what happened?"

"Rhea ordered him to kill Edelgard"

"I see, I understand her anger, but I´m afraid that that decision was the catalyst of our current situation" He knew that Rhea used to take so drastic measures in order to neutralize every potential threat, but she should have thought about their bonds. Killing someone you know really well wasn't an easy decision and it was a responsibility that most men wouldn´t assume without a proper reason.

"The Professor was in the wrong, but I can´t say that I can´t understand his way of reasoning. However, the only thing that we can do now is to prepare for battle. Prepare to face your former classmates, Flayn. It is highly probable that they will be on the other side of the battlefield"

"Yes, father…Even if it breaks my heart, I will obey you…"

…..

"Well, the situation is worse than expected" Claude said in front of them. During the attack she had used her powers to bring Claude into safety, although she was also relieved to hear that the Professor and the rest were able to escape alive.

"War has come to us, ready for it or not" Leonie said as she checked her bow.

"It looks like that. There are many things that aren´t sure yet, but it seems that the conflict is already inevitable"

"In that case, which side will we pick?" Lorenz asked with an analytical look.

"What do you mean by that? It´s clear that we have to stay and defend the monastery. This is the place of many dear memories, I don´t want this place to fade into the flames of war!" Ignatz shouted in an unusual tone.

"Calm down, Ignatz. At times like this it is necessary to keep calm" Claude said as he extended a map of Fódlan. "If the Imperial Army wants to attack the Church, the quickest path would be the bridge of Myrddin. It is wide and strong enough to let most forces cross to the other side without any problems. They could also use ships, but that would slow them down by a lot"

"Even if we can use the bridge as a bottleneck, that would mean entering in this war, with the consequent rampage and casualties. We don´t have enough troops to face them in a total war" she said. The lands of Ordelia were also close to the borders of the Empire and she knew that an open war would lead to a catastrophe.

"I know, doing something like that would just offer the Alliance in a golden plate to the Empire"

"But Claude, if we do nothing, wouldn't the church be mad at us?" Hilda interrupted him, joining the conversation.

"The Church isn´t in a situation to make more enemies, but I don´t think that they would ever forgive us if we leave this place without helping them"

"So, you are willing to fight, even after you witnessed what happened at the throne room? We could have been killed by her fury!" Even though she felt betrayed the moment that Edelgard revealed her true Alliances, she was even more shocked with the true identity of Rhea. "Furthermore, do you think that the Professor would side with Edelgard without a proper reason?"

"Lysithea is right, Claude. I´m not the most intelligent guy here, but the Professor is a good man. I don´t think that he would side with her without a reason. As long as my sister remains safe I´m ok with whatever we do"

"There are also these papers" Lysithea said as she showed it to them. "It seems that they have been sent all around Fódlan"

"The Church of Seiros is the responsible of the stagnation of this land. They have divided all of us creating a system that only cares about the existence of Crests. They have banned any progress and they have executed those that have opposed their ideals and its leader had deceived the inhabitants of Fódlan for too long. In which world would the Goddess feel menaced by the creation of a more just society?

This war isn´t about the domination of Fódlan, but about breaking free from the chains of this tyranny. I offer a hand to everyone willing to bring change to this land. Lord or common folk, it doesn´t matter. If we cooperate, we can reach new heights. A better Fódlan is at the reach of our hands, we deserve better than this"

"Beautiful words, but many nobles would be afraid to change. I get what she is trying to do, but she is willing to do it too fast" Claude started to say as if he was talking to himself.

"A change of era would certainly bring some resistance with it. Good rulers aren´t the ones that won one battle, but the ones that win the war. The future of Fódlan won´t be decided by this simple battle. I´m sure that Dimitri and the kingdom will fight for the Church. The Alliance won´t oppose their advance through our lands, but we´ll stay here. I need to know to what extent is Edelgard willing to continue her path"

"That girl always had an intense aura around her. Perhaps that´s the Professor´s preference" Hilda sighed. "Even in that case, that doesn´t mean that we have to fight the Professor, right?"

"I don´t want to fight him and I don´t think he is willing to fight against us. There is no rational explanation about it, but it´s the way I´m feeling about it" she said as she looked around.

"Merciful Goddess, please protect us. A woman capable of following her path even if that means opposing the entire world…she is a fire that will make tremble the foundations of this world" Marianne said as she silently started to pray.

"I´ll need to ask him directly about what has happened, only then I'll choose what I´ll do" Leonie said as she stood up and prepared to leave the room.

"Me too, I have many unanswered questions, although I´m afraid that she won´t be have too much time to spare"

…

"So, she is finally coming. She seems to be willing to commit more atrocities. It is the time for retribution, retribution for those who died because of her, for the blood spilled in this land" Dimitri said as he looked through one of the windows. The sky was slightly cloudy, the army still far away, yet everyone was acting as if the battlefield was just in front of them.

"Are you blind, or your hatred against her makes you ignore the fact that Rhea turned into a monster?" He was exasperated by Dimitri´s attitude these last days, although he wasn´t surprised, it wasn´t the first time he had seen that face of his.

"That´s none of your business. Right now, imperial soldiers are approaching this place to finish what they started. If this place falls, they will continue towards the kingdom. I need to return to the kingdom to claim the throne to join forces with the church but I won´t run away from this battle. For now, we can only count with the troops that Rodrigue can send to us. I´ve already sent a letter to him, I hope it doesn´t bother you"

"You already did it, I couldn´t care less about it"

"But Dimitri, the manifest says…"

"Do you really believe the words of a liar, Sylvain? How can we trust these words?" Dimitri said as he teared apart the paper that Sylvain was holding. "She is a murderer and I won´t stop until I have her head on a pike. She is a menace to all the free nations of Fódlan. If we open our doors to the imperial army our citizens will be slaughtered and I won´t allow something like that to happen again!"

"In that case, we might have to face the Professor in the battlefield? Are you really ok with it? I´ll obey your command, but I can´t avoid feeling uneasy about it" Ingrid said with a worried look on her face.

"I have no will ill against the Professor. He might be acting against his own will. Edelgard is the only objective we must to focus on, but if we have to battle against him…don´t hesitate…He would be disappointed in all of us if we succumb to our feelings in the middle of the battlefield"

"Your majesty…I´ll follow your command, even if it means the dead of a friend"

"Dimitri, do you think that the Death Knight will be among the Imperial forces?" Mercedes asked with a worried expression.

"He might be. He was one of her lackeys after all"

"We´ve been training for a time like this all our lives yet when the time to battle comes I have fear. I don´t want to take part into this battle. I just wanted to reunite with my father" Annette said while sobbing.

"Tsk, your father has been avoiding you up to this day. His way of acting and ideas remind me somehow of my own father" He knew that Gilbert had abandoned everything, including his family after the events of the tragedy of Duscur, all of it to preserve his honor. "The honor of a knight is as worthless as the knights themselves"

"Felix, don't start with it again!"

"Fighting for the Church, how ironic" Ashe murmured, sitting on one of the corners, more talking to himself than to the rest of them.

"Be prepared for everything" Dimitri said before leaving the room accompanied by Dedue.

"Tsk, not only a boar, but a blind one" he thought, a soar taste in his mouth.

…..

"So, in the end we didn´t even have a proper dinner. What a way to ruin the mood"

"Balthus, are you really still complaining about that? I´ve heard that Rhea transformed into a monster, a little girl told me so"

"Ah, Lysithea, that little girl is too serious to joke about something like that"

"In that case, why are we still here? The Church that I hate so much isn´t even ruled by a human!"

"Well, we had to make sure that everyone in the Abyss could find a safer place, but you are right, the time to choose a side is already upon us"

"I trust the Professor and I hate the Church; I don´t have any more reasons to position myself"

"My alliances are with the Empire, not only because of my origins there and my own ambitions, but because I truly believe that our Professor would never side with someone with evil intentions. The Edelgard I know wouldn´t cause a war, if she wasn´t truly convinced that it was worth it"

"Well, a war means that the problem of my debts will be completely solved, right? According to that paper, this war is just against the Church, so the Alliance shouldn´t be affected by it. I don´t really want to face my old friend on the battlefield, but we owe one to the Professor. Without him, we all would have been killed by Aelfric in that shady ritual"

"You are right, Balthus, and I don´t think that he is just another Aelfric. A friend is a friend and I trust his good judgement. However, there are many old and weak people still around. We´ll make sure that they stay safe until this battle ends"

"For sure, Yuri" Balthus laughed as he patted his back.

….

"The end of an era approaches, my fellow comrades. Soon enough, this unending twilight will come to an end and we´ll rise again as the true heirs of this world! Prepare for battle! Our enemy will be merciless and so we´ll be. This battle will decide the future of this world for the centuries to come!" he said to his troops with an amplified voice. "The beginning of the end, the fight that we´ll decide the fate of many; the redemption or destruction of the world" he thought as he reunited with his generals.

"War is here, earlier than expected, soon enough the flames of war will engulf this land"

"Don´t fear the battle, my friend. The end of the gods is in sight, those creatures that crowned themselves as the rulers of us humans"

"Master Thales, what will we do with the Fell star?"

"The fact that has decided to side with her still shocks me, but we have to take advantage of it. We´ll destroy him for sure, but right now our focus must be put on our ancient enemy. They will certainly use all their might and we´ll do the same. Agartha will unleash its hammer upon this land once again"

"Our heavy weaponry is ready to leave this place, and our infantry is ready as well. Will we be using the pillars of light?"

"That would be foolish. Even if we have to use most of our forces, this base must be kept as an unfindable garrison. Using our ultimate weapon would reveal our position to them. We´ll make use of them as well, but only after we are sure about our victory. However, we´ll unleash upon this land the legacy of our ancestors" he said as the room started to descend into the depths of earth. "The only surviving weapon of our first great war; the great colossus, the hammer of Agartha!" he said as the platform finally stopped, an unending Abyss around them.

"Tartarus, I praise Thee and shall hymn Thy power. Release thine ire and crush the usurpers!" As he said so, the land started to tremble, a giant hand appearing from the depths.

"I have faith in your leadership, I have faith in our victory" Myson said bowing before him, a mechanical arm where there was once flesh.

"We´ll get rid of the poison that has been torturing this land for ages, and we´ll recover our birthright; the ruling of this world. The time to remain in the shadows has come to an end. The twilight of the beasts is about to begin" he said as he took a look to their greatest weapons.

"This is a battle we cannot lose. The future will be ours. I´ll finish what I started, Seiros. Agartha will return to the surface and we´ll vanish your kind from this world for good. And you, vessel of the star of doom, I´ll make sure that your light disappears from this world as well"

Ladislava and Randolph will appear next chapter, as well as Jeritza. Happy Halloween!