Deliverer of Birthright

by romeoraiden

My First Story. Two Nations. One desperate enough to bring a terrible war, the other more concern for themselves, and at the center, a sheltered Princess is forced to make difficult choices for the good of all. In her quest to do what's right many will stand with her and many more will oppose, throwing her in a state of despair. And from the chaos a Fallen Hero will rise again.

28. Chapter 28: Death in the Family

Chapter 28: Death in the Family

"Everything's ready for the invasion." Leo assured his two older siblings as they can now commence their assault on Niflheim. "Nestra's army will be here in just an hour, maybe less hopefully, we need only stall for time and our combined might will surely put a stop to them once and for all."

"You make it sound like Corrin and the Hoshidans will take the bait." Camilla said while mounted on her ever faithful Wyvern.

"Of course they'll come to aid the Ice Tribe, this is Corrin we're talking about. She's too soft for her own good and we know Flora is here, who she'll definitely want to protect which will do us wonders since the Hoshidan Royals won't let her go alone, and besides, there is benefit to taking these lands for themselves." Leo surmised.

"You speak on how our Cancel Spell does not reach this Region, allowing them to use their Warp Scrolls yet again." Xander deduced. "Yes, coming to Niflheim will in actuality draw them closer to the Capital. Something Father must've known was a possibility."

"Of course he did, it was a heavy gamble but one that he surely surmised the Hoshidans thought of this as well, more specifically Robin who's the true adversary spearheading the march." Leo said. "Father always did find him interesting."

"It matters little since they will have to focus all their efforts on fighting off the higher numbers we've amassed, they will not risk going forward at the moment until this battle is over." Xander said.

"So we have them right where we want them then, for once." Camilla concluded.

"Most likely, that is assuming we don't fall for another of his deceptions." Xander said, becoming unnerved by the risks of challenging Robin, given his ability to outsmart them at every turn and though he'd never admit it, not having Iago to aid them lowers his already decreasing confidence in their chances of victory, even if he is glad the Sorcerer might actually be dead. He wasn't having much luck in getting any dirt on him over the last few weeks with the aid of those he can trust with espionage. Iago covered his tracks way too deep to leave anything that would jeopardize his career and place as his father's right hand man, and someone like him surely has too much dirt on his hands, but nothing that could proof Corrin's claim of his crimes against the Royal Family when she was still one of them.

Now that he thinks about it, why is he looking for such evidence to discriminate someone so important to the army? Not like that will change the fact that Corrin has abandoned them, and he sincerely doubts, unlike Camilla and Elise that there's anything that can be done to restore what's been broken, especially with his Father's ever increasing wrath and even though his Mother doesn't want Corrin dead, it's farfetched to say that she'll be willing to let her actions slide. When it comes to his stepmother, his thoughts and concerns focus solely on Azura, who too has betrayed Nohr, taken over by Hoshido's beliefs after so long with them.

Ah… that's it. That is what's been aching at him, how Azura fell to the same circumstances as Corrin and yet chose to side with her captors instead of her true family while Corrin did the complete opposite. But then again, she didn't make a decision with a sound mind so it's not completely the same circumstances but recent events say otherwise. Maybe it was all Robin's doing? No. Now he's just looking for an excuse to lash out like Camilla. Robin has no love for Nohr, that much he picked up on long ago and while there's no way to know how he felt about Hoshido prior to joining their army, something on the back of his head is convinced he doesn't really care for them either, at least not enough to fight for them but certainly defend. As a man with no past, his only concern would be no different than a duckling imprinting himself on the first thing he sees upon his first taste of life, naturally the mother but in his case Corrin. There's no denying that there is a strong chain binding them together, and how Xander wishes he didn't know how tightly Corrin wants her hold on him to be but what matters is that he had no part to play in her choice, he was merely a follower, just like Jakob and Felicia have done.

Maybe the reason he's thinking this is to prove to himself that it wasn't his fault she left, unlike before as he blames himself for Azura being taken. For not being strong enough to protect her when those ninjas came looking for Corrin and instead they found her and decided to make an example of Nohr and he was the only one who discovered the danger and could respond quick enough. He was a prodigy in swordsmanship even back then but that meant very little. All he could do was watch his stepsister be taken away as he lied on the ground bloodied and beaten, he should've died of bloodlust but one of the ninjas who clearly lacked their code of honor decided to finish the Crown Prince off himself and it was not to be an act of mercy but in the end he was saved, not by his father as he always hoped. But by him…

"Brother?" Leo called to Xander, who's been lost in thought for a while there, which is not like him, but then again, things are not how any of them would prefer, Leo too doesn't want to attack Niflheim. He always admired the Children of the Frost Dragon and he has admitted to Camilla that he does kind of like the Ice Twin Maids, at least enough to understand why Corrin tolerates Felicia's incompetence.

"It's nothing worth mentioning." Xander shrugged. "Tell me Leo, with your complete honesty, what are our chances without the aid of our Nestrian allies?"

"As things stand now, best case scenario, both armies end up killing each other with only the strongest left standing." Leo surmised. "I say that with confidence because while the Niffs can quite literally bring their lands down on us or pierce us with icicles exploding from the ground, our new state-of-the-art equipment will surely put a mockery to their Ice Magic but regardless the Hoshidans keep getting stronger as the battles prolong, especially Corrin. Her use of her sword, that I still cannot grasps is really THE Yato is improving in more ways than one. And of course there's Robin who killed Iago."

"At least he did something right, for once." Camilla hissed, feeling a semblance of gratitude for Robin.

"Shut up. Our chances of conquering our foes is still on an even field that is not to mine, nor father's liking, there's just too many scenarios where this next battle can go that I see no other with promising results than the one I've concocted for us at this moment." Leo said bemused. "If only we were strong enough, we might actually have a real chance to win if we could access Grimmafication."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Leo. There's a reason father prohibited access to such power. Absorbing the Grimm into our bodies in an effort to awaken the hidden power of our sacred bloodline and growing closer to Qliphoth puts incredible pressure on our bodies, though it won't kill us it will be incredibly difficult to function properly as human beings." Xander reminded him. "There's something the three of us lack that father has mastered, which is why he can transformed successfully but that in of itself is not without risk to his very being, hence why we all agreed that he should remain behind as our trump card if all else fails."

"And you think this fight will be the moment when he will finally make his move and show off his true power?" Camilla asked.

"I'm sure, he did not need to tell us, we still have to wait and see for ourselves." Xander said. "Now that I think about it, I remembered father and mother speaking regarding Elise's fascination and connection with the Grimm and theorized that perhaps she too has the potential to transformed successfully."

"That sounds more like them doting on her again." Leo bemused.

"One never knows. Enough of this, its time. Prepare to march." Xander declared.

"Finally." Camilla mused. "Aren't you going to give one of your famed speeches to boost morale?"

"Don't really feel like it this time to be honest." Xander declined somberly.

"How unlike you, brother." Camilla commented, rather displeased.

"Why bother filling our soldiers with more empty promises?" Leo replied. "I think it's better this way."

---

"Milady, the Nohrian army will march soon. Are you ready?" Kaze called to Corrin from the guest room in Felicia's house she stayed for the night while he waits outside.

"Give me a second and… done!" Corrin said as she finishes dressing up and exits the room, again dressed as a Hoshidan Noble. "I swear putting this thing on is such a pain."

"If there is discomfort you should've consorted with Oboro, she would've redesigned a superior version for you." Kaze advised.

"I wanted to but Takumi practically begged me not to since she would've gone overboard one way or another." Corrin joked. "Is everyone else more ready than me about this?"

"That is kind of an inappropriate question, Milady." Kaze said.

"Had to ask because I'm never gonna be at a hundred percent with these fights." Corrin sighed as they head out to meet with the others but stops upon realizing that her ninja ceased following her. "I'm noticing a lack of footsteps on your part, Kaze. Something on your mind?"

"There's always something on my mind, same as you, Milady and I'm afraid that I can't let your words slide, much less be content with letting you fight with such a poor mentality." Kaze said as he has been just as troubled as her family over how fighting Nohr has been affecting her day by day.

"Of course you have, and I can't blame you for thinking as such, after all who wants a leader that doesn't want to fight the oppressors of their home." Corrin said with neither bitterness nor sarcasm and is simply stating the facts.

"It is not my place to judge, only follow. You've been dealt a cruel hand and though you are reluctant, you've responded to the best of your abilities and stood beside us in our time of need. Even though it may mean little coming from a mere servant, I am forever grateful that you chose to stand for Hoshido, and even if we are defeated and fail to dispel the Darkness, I will still be grateful, serving your family has been mine's greatest honor." Kaze praised with his usual charm and passion. Corrin has to admit, if her romantic thoughts weren't set on Robin, Kaze might've been the one because that smile of his is breathtaking. She wonders if Saizo has a good smile as well, they're twins after all.

"I recall us having this same conversation when we began our march and I unintentionally blurted out how reluctant I felt about all this." Corrin recalled.

"I remember, you were scared that others would overhear you and become more open about their distrust but it was just you and me that time but I have not been completely open with you, have not had the courage to be more honest with you." Kaze confessed.

"You? Not honest enough? I get that Ninjas are all about secrecy among other things but what could you possibly be hiding?" Corrin wondered but while curious she gave no real command and is not worried that whatever he has to say will be as bizarre as Robin's revelation.

"You are a kind master, Lady Corrin, which is why I cannot stand to come off as deceptive in any way. There's something I haven't told you about myself. Something for which I should never be forgiven, no matter how much I wish to repent." Kaze said sadly.

'Coming from a ninja that's not really surprising.' She thought.

"I am a worthless servant. It is my fault that you were kidnapped and taken to Nohr." Kaze revealed.

"Your fault? What did you do, Kaze?" Corrin asked confused.

"We had all traveled to Cyrkensia that day, and I noticed Nohrian forces in the city. The same forces that would later kill our late King and take you away. But I was young, and I didn't know what their presence meant… so I said nothing." Kaze confessed.

"Oh… well, by your own description, it's not your fault. How could you have known what would happen?" Corrin said, not even feeling the slightest hint of hostility towards him.

"I come from a long line of ninja that have long served the Hoshidan royalty… I began my training at an early age. If anyone should have known, it was me. For such incompetence, I should have paid with my life. There's no way I can ever heal the suffering I've caused you and your family of light. I should not even be allowed to speak with you… everything you've suffered through is because of me. I am so sorry, Lady Corrin for all of your pain." Kaze said now more bitter than she has ever seen him ever.

"Oh, Kaze, you've been bottling all this up and beating yourself up about it and I've been too hung up on myself to notice. But… I believe now is the time for us to forgive and move forward. Besides, knowing you, you've obviously professed this to mother and yet she still holds you with high regard so all is forgiven. Why not forgive yourself when you've made up for part of it. After all you were the one who returned me, were you not?" Corrin reminded.

"Returned you?" Kaze repeated.

"Did you seriously forget? You were the one besides Rinkah and Orochi who brought me back to Hoshido and introduced me to my stepfamily. Even though I was ungrateful, you gave me the chance to meet them." Corrin continued.

"But…"

"Kaze, you once said that you were not a good man, and I treated that statement as the words of a liar, and yes, given your profession, you must've done questionable things for Hoshido's notion of justice or perhaps not but I know who you really are, even if you can't accept it, I know enough to know I can trust you with my life and that of our friends, and you have repaid your debt to me. So, please, let us never talk of this again. Will you promise me that?" Corrin requested but Kaze remained in silent contemplation, clearly needing to process this and it might not take long since he is a fast thinker. "Well?"

"Yes, I promise." He swore.

"Good." Corrin smiled satisfied by his response. He next then begins to chuckle. "Something funny popped into your mind?"

"Not at you per say. This is just the first time that I got a chance to see the real resemblance between you and your mother. As you said, Lady Mikoto was quick to forgive me when I revealed to her of my failure. It was a year after we lost you. She and Yukimura took notice of the quick progress of my training and started discussing on which of your siblings should I serve as a Retainer since at the time, they each only had one directly serving them. I couldn't accept their praises any longer so I told them the truth and awaited my punishment but they brushed it off as if it was no big deal, same with Lord Ryoma, Lady Hinoka and even my brother. They've all told me the same thing, that I was simply too young to notice such danger, much less that Garon would dare launch an attack on neutral territory. We were all made a fool of that night." Kaze reminisced. "I'm always left awestruck by such kindness, it helps me forget how sick and twisted humanity truly is and that hope does exist, I just haven't been looking all that well."

"You and me both." Corrin mused. "So, how about it then, shall we go and fetch us that same hope together. For what it's worth, you guys are what really keep me going forward." She offered.

"You need not ask, Milady. Like Jakob, I'll always be at your side, and you can trust that I'll be more subtle about it." Kaze bowed.

"I'm counting on it. I cherish him but good heavens am I in a constant hunt for a breath of fresh air when he acts out of proportion." Corrin joked as the two head outside where the others are waiting.

"You ready for what's coming?" Azura asked Corrin.

"No. But let's do it anyway." Corrin replied, while holding on to Yato tightly as it glows with its divine color. "How long do we have left?"

"They'll be here in a few moments. We're ready but with how unpredictable Nohrians are, we expect that they'll push through regardless." Flora advised.

"That's Nohr for you but they'll fail all the same." Robin assured.

"This is a first, it's not like you to speak with overconfidence." Jakob noted, surprised.

"I'm never overconfident when leading troops under my care, I'm just stating facts. I know Nohr will reach this village one way or another, but as things stand now, it's all or nothing and we all aim to win." Robin stated.

"Does this mean your threw holding back?" Corrin asked.

"That depends on Leo and Xander. Whatever does happen, I just hope you lots can keep up and that in spite of everything, you can still trust me to help end this war." Robin said.

"On that we'll just have to wait and see how long you can last now that Nohr is officially done holding back." Takumi replied.

'That means little for Corrin since you're not even the real deal.' Azura thought as the Robin with them is the clone made by the Multiplex while the real one left to rescue his other friends with hers and Corrin's clones.

---

Nohr begins its assault on Niflheim, sending in the Grimm first, wasting no time in roaming through the icy land, heading towards the main village that is the central power of the entire region. They take that, then the Ice Tribe falls. Not that they're expecting it to be easy as the Tribalists are anything but simple and the battle commences with massive icicles bursting out of the snow to impale the black beasts, though these Grimm are surprisingly more agile than the rest thus far with many of them able to avoid the icy blades but plenty still get caught in it. And from the back, the rest proceed onward unopposed, some able to resist the ice attacks without trouble and even smash through the ice. A massive wall of ice is then created that spans pretty wide that the smaller Grimm cannot penetrate and it falls to the bigger ones to charge in and smash their way through, such as a few Goliaths, aiding them are another type of Grimm: the Megoliaths.

Also elephant-like, they are bigger than the regular Goliaths and more resemble the extinct mammoths, possessing shaggy-looking fur, a larger mask with two pairs of eyes, and bone fragments that appear ice like in appearance. They have a primarily black body, with four giant white tusks and a spiked bone-like mask. The front tusks point forward, while the back tusks point to the sides.

Among them is a truly ferocious beast, almost twice the size of the other Megoliaths, an Alpha, has larger and sharper spikes on its back and horns atop the mask. It's front tusks is much larger and curve back toward the face before curving again to point up. It has additional armor on its lower legs and trunk. There are red markings along the sides of the trunk.

With such overwhelming numbers, the ice wall is easily broken to bits and move forward, but the moment they did so the ground behind the wall explodes with a raging inferno that engulfs the demons. Another of Rinkah's explosives.

---

"They're marching in much faster than we thought." Rinkah notes as they all see the large explosion from the village's frontline that is far enough from them. "Surprising, given that they are sending in the big boys first."

"Is there no way to keep them from getting any closer?" Hinoka asked.

"With those numbers there isn't much we can do about that but blaze ahead and aim for the neck once they're close enough." Ryoma said.

---

The explosion took out many more Grimm but the strongest like the bigger ones, resisted much better and still they persists, determine as usual to blindly carry out their orders. It is then that they meet more oppositions from their Light Counterparts who are formed in the hundreds and strike each other down with no mercy or concern for one another, while from the back, Mages from Hoshido, Cheve, Oldstrong and Niflheim prepare to cast their powerful spells and unleash a barrage at the distracted Grimm while trying to avoid harming their vanguard but that in of itself is too challenging.

The strongest creatures remain tenacious and shrug off the injuries thrown at them and will soon go crush the opposition, only to be stopped still as the Megoliath is cut in two by Robin who flew in unannounced, slaying the beast instantly with Ragnell.

"Excalibur!" The Master Tactician howled as he summons a mighty tornado and sends it after the other Goliaths and Megoliaths and rips them apart, though some are sturdy enough to still stand despite ending up with critical wounds. Nothing that Ragnell can't fix.

And thus begins Robin's latest plan. They need to buy time for the remaining tribalists who can't fight to evacuate, there's a safe passage that Nohr can't reach just yet that they can take to flee to a secure area in Niflheim that Chief Kilma guarantees will be untouched from all the chaos, once that is done, all they have to do is beat the Nohrians in their own game, once Nestra arrives to aid them, the odds of losing for the United Army against Nohr will raise significantly, the Nestrian Force is just too formidable to go against, especially in these conditions but if they can at least beat Xander, Camilla and Leo, who they know are the ones leading this assault, then they can still turn this around and there's a trump card or two that will push Nestra away from this. Robin's Replica will lead the Vanguard and try to overpower Xander's own, and focus all attention to him, the Dark Royals have a deep resentment for the Tactician, something that has become common knowledge in the West about Robin's ties with them and how he's the reason Corrin's the Scourge of Nohr in the first place, even the Niffs made a big deal about it.

With Robin acting as bait, all in the front with mainly constructs to back him up, they're hoping that at least one of them will get riled up and break formation, and everyone practically put it into a vote that candidate will be Camilla who will give them that chance. Once enough chaos has been amassed, a squadron led by Ryoma will move in to engage while Takumi, Sakura and Fuga stay behind to help Kilma lead the main defense. They'll know the signal to march when they see it. Corrin was supposed to stay with the latter unit but her being her, she's forced herself to fight alongside Ryoma and Hinoka. And since the Robin they are with is a fake, there's little cause to worry about his wellbeing but that factor hasn't sunken into all the minds of Corrin's inner circle so worries of any kind are still unavoidable.

None of them expect things to go according to plan this time, doubtless they've made it this far without some luck but more so trusting more in cunning, sharp wit and will but now is a good a time as any to feel lucky because there's no way this fight will be easy, much less go according to plan. After all, if they succeed then the next battle will be in Windmire and that fight will definitely not be easy, since they'll be going up against Garon, the much feared Demon King of Nohr and his Shadow Queen.

"Come on then, Leo. Impress me." Robin dared as he channels power from his tome to unleash another powerful spell. "Blárblade!" He calls out as multiple blue energy swords manifest around him and they number in the hundreds and sends them raining down on the foes below, with very few actually able to avoid the extremely sharp blades that easily do the job against his targets, and as the human forces are finally within view, the blades go for them as well and they are rescued by a grand wall of large vines that provide wonderful defense against the storm of swords. Leo has enter the fray.

"Alright, now what do you have for me this time?" Robin mused to himself.

He gets his challenge as multiple white metallic handheld canisters are thrown from within the plant-like wall by the soldiers behind it and as soon as they land on the snow, they all combust, releasing the dark blue liquid substance within that do something to the snow as it melts into water, surprising Robin as that shouldn't be possible in this cold temperature, melting is out of the question without a strong heat source. What's more, the water becomes black and more of the snow keeps melting too rapidly, even in the areas where the blue substance hasn't reach as the effects seem to be contagious.

Just then an unmounted Rod Knight appears standing on top Leo's wall, holding a staff unlike any he's ever seen before with an aquamarine color, and it's quite small that it could pass up for a wand instead. It glows with a more azure aura as it activates and as she raises the wand upwards, all the water below raises up like a geyser and hits Robin. This can't be good!

"REXBOLT!" Cried out the voices of Camilla and Leo in unison as an abnormally large lightning bolt falls down on Robin, conducted by all the water, triggering an electric explosion that can be seen again all the way from the Tribe.

---

"Was that the signal?" Felicia asked in awe.

"Definitely not, Nohr's finally giving it their all." Hinoka cursed as the chaos is getting closer. Speaking of…

"Hey what's that heading for us?" Hayato asked as they notice something heading their way that they can't see quite clearly yet. Nohr deliberately waiting until nightfall to strike, which won't affect them at all unlike them. It isn't until now that they see the latest problem.

"Could that be a Tsunami!" Jakob cried in horror, a little familiar with the great danger heading for them.

"A what?!" Corrin uttered, never seeing something like this before.

Ice Mages like Felicia and Flora quickly step in to stop the danger, violently extending their arms forward as they pour their power into freezing the water as fast as possible but nothing's happening.

"What?!" Felicia gasped in horror.

"We… can't freeze the water." Flora muttered.

"IMPOSSIBLE! We have the blessing of Shiva!" Kilma yelled.

"That don't mean much in the Sea of Despair!" Rinkah growled stepping forward as her whole body burns with increasing amount of heat as she intends to deal with this threat herself. "I'll show you the might of Iblis!" She roared, unleashing a massive spiraling flame blast, nowhere near as big as the black tsunami heading their way but as it collides, the fire spreads into a widening wall that hold off the black water but not very much as she is being pushed back and all the while they can see large amount of steam coming from above.

"You can't possibly hope to stop all of that on your own!" Corrin cried.

"I DON'T SEE ANY OF YOU COMING UP WITH ANY BETTER IDEAS!" Rinkah screamed her lungs out as this is far more strenuous than it looks, she'll give out eventually before all the water turns to steam.

"Every Diviner and Warlock that can share in the strain, FIRE! Lend the Scion of the Fire God your strength!" Ryoma commanded and every mage that wields a fire tome or ox spirit helps to empower the Fire Princess with more flames and that does the trick as Rinkah succeeds in stopping the black tsunami by turning it all to steam and momentarily, their entire view of the battle going on with the vanguard is completely blocked by said steam.

"Someone kill me now…" Rinkah breathed heavily, falling on the floor from exhaustion and two healers already tending to her.

"Gods, what was that horror?" Kilma uttered.

"I've only heard of water behaving with such ferocity before but that was only in rumors and they're supposed to only happen at seas." Fuga said.

"It must've been another of Nohr's new artillery from their Grimm experiments." Reina muttered. "They caused the snow of Niflheim to melt into liquid and with their dark magic made that monstrosity. It looked violent enough to destroy the whole village too."

"Damn them! What more destruction will they bring forth to ruin the peace of our lands." Kilma cursed under his breath.

"If you would allow it, it can all end right here and now but knowing you, Chieftain, that is out of the question."

"Xander…" Corrin uttered, recognizing her brother's voice coming from the steam. He's already made it this far. How is he even able to stand all this heat?

"Show yourself, Crown Prince! We shall end this here and now." Ryoma dared his rival to come and face him once and for all.

"As you wish, but you should know that I have no intention of losing and victory demands… the element of surprise shall we say." As the Dark Prince said that, a large Grimm came out of the steamed wall and lands on top of an Ice Mage and wastes no time on tearing him apart in front of everyone.

Yet another new type of Grimm, raptor-like, resembling the genus of the Dromaeosaur. Possessing large, translucent red wings with visible veins. Bone-like spines on its neck and tail, resembling feather quills. its feet has raptor-like hooked claws.

"Damn Teryx!" Takumi yelled as he blows the raptor's head off, only for more Teryxes to come out with no way to predict their movement and these things vary in size with the smallest one so far only being slightly bigger than a wyvern, which is big enough to cause them trouble. Thankfully, though, the strongest members like Corrin, Ryoma, Fuga and Kilma can make short work of these fiends enough to keep their comrades safe from the danger but the damage is too great to disperse with just the four of them.

"Dirty tactics as usual, I see." Ryoma hissed.

"Think of it what you will but you can't say you didn't see this coming." Xander said, as the Crown Prince of Nohr reveals himself from the burning steam unharmed, accompanying him are three Feilongs and a Nuckelavee. "And Demons don't like to play fair, especially a Prince of Demons like myself."

"Regret rubbing it in his face now, Ryoma?" Corrin muttered.

"I may have gotten overboard with that insult."

"No, it's fine, I see it as a compliment now, though you will all see it as a curse all the same." Xander declared as the steam finally ends, revealing dozens of Grimm and Nohrians that have managed to make it past Robin's forces but not enough that it would pose too great a challenge to defeat. At least Corrin likes to believe that.

---

"That was certainly something new, per say." Robin muttered as he managed to evade that thunder attack before it could land a direct hit. He briefly glances at the strange liquid he's in, easily deducing it to be salt water, judging by the smell of the sea but the black color gives off all the signs that it's unnatural and artificial, what's more, all the snow in his area is gone. All of it was used to make this black water but thankfully it hasn't spread across all of Niflheim, otherwise they'll be in for a climate disaster. How fascinating. He truly laments never having the chance to witness firsthand the developments Nohr's experts in magic and science who make these things by dissecting Grimm, the energy that makes them is surprisingly safe to harness unless it's used to power humans, in which case they are very harmful.

Putting all that aside for now, he returns his gaze back to his allies in the village and sees the danger. Damn, Xander made it passed him, and so fast too. Not like he expected anything less from him, and speaking of him, he isn't the only one he has to deal with. Where are…

Right from above, Robin quickly parries a mighty axe falling down on him. He didn't even notice the large Wyvern coming down upon him, though now that he sees the rider in question, he's not surprise by the sudden inadequacy of his sharp senses. The venom in her face is as perplexing as ever, Camilla did not hesitate to jump at the chance to strike at her long sought prey upon seeing him again, though that was foolish on her part, as the traitor no longer has any patience for whiny princesses, and truly, this was a long time coming.

Robin fights back with a swing of his sword that Camilla's attempt to parry was futile as both rider and dragonic beast are sent crashing down on the ground.

"Dammit…" Camilla cursed, struggling to force herself back up but Escanor has it easier than her.

"You've caught me in a bad mood, Camilla. I have no time for whatever tantrums from you that are long overdue." Robin scowled while looking down on the Princess.

"That's a real shame, because I have more than words to give to you Robin and before dawn I'll make you wish we had left you to rot in the Fields of Ahsoka!" Camilla avowed as Escanor helps her master back on her feet by using his head for her to use to lift herself.

"It's far too late for that, I'm afraid." Robin bemused.

"Really, giving up already?" Questioned Leo as he appears standing on a massive vine from his wall he created to move him to confront Robin. "How foolish of you to rush in like that, sister."

"Got anymore toys for me, Leo, because a little water isn't going to cut it with me?" Robin challenged, not willing to underestimate the Dark Crusader.

"You know me, I have a few to spare but believe me, what's covering you now is more than just manmade salt water." Leo smirked as apparently there actually is more to this black water than Robin initially thought as he now finds himself falling to the ground against his will, feeling the mana he's harnessing to fly failing him, though he is still able to land on his own two feet from the fall.

"You have got to be kidding me! Liquefied Anti-Magic?! This is farfetched, even for Divine standards!" Robin cursed himself for not noticing his magic being dampened. No wait, his raw power isn't being nullified. Worse, it's being scrambled, in this state, he will have difficulty controlling it. It could stop working all together or go berserk and tear everything around him apart at any random moment. Surely Leo knows the consequences of doing this to him.

"This is more than our favored artillery, it only works when in contact with magical flesh. Call it another test run for our Icebusters with you as our lab rat. Maybe your powers will explode on us, with you at the center, or maybe you'll become as helpless as a common villager. Who knows. But at the very least you won't have to babysit Corrin anymore." Leo said smugly.

"I thought you hated gambling from the nuisance Zero used to cause you." Robin muttered.

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures, and it's all hands on deck." Leo declared with him preparing to go all out while Robin struggles to regain control of his powers.

"Either way, this is the end for you, Robin!" Camilla shouted as the Tactician will now be facing off against the two Dark Royals.

"Take your best shots then, but mark my words, my demise won't be as satisfying as you dearly hope. I'm not in the best of states as of now." He mused over the fact that he's not even the real Robin.

"Somehow, that makes things all the more satisfying."

---

"Of all the places to look, why did we have to end up in here?" Zero muttered as he, Peri and Beruka arrive in Demon's Falls in their pursuit of their missing partners, and to the Rogue's dismay, he begrudgingly let Beruka, or ''frowny face'', as Elise prefers to call her, which got a laugh from everyone the first time except the assassin in question, lead the way, insisting she can track them down better and now they are here. "Of all the damnations of Qliphoth."

"Speak for yourself, I think the heat is leagues above the stupid cold of those ice people." Peri cheered, happy to not have to stay in Niflheim. "But are we sure we'll fine Laslow and what's their names here?"

"I'm sure, this is where they are." Beruka confirmed.

"How could you possibly know that?" Zero questioned, and Beruka responded by showing her fellow retainers a piece of paper that belongs to a book she was hiding, the page is gold-like with the writing exactly what is found in Morgenstern. "This writing, it's the same as the pages of Selena's amazing tome."

"Yes but as you can see, despite resembling the page of a tome, there are no indications that it was removed from its source, no sort of damage to it. This is actually regular paper that Selena enchanted. I found this on my Wyvern's mouth, waiting for me to take and read it and he certainly gave out indications that he was concerned. He and Selena did seem to get along when I wasn't around." Beruka explained. "The messages she enchants are powered by magic that allows them to deliver themselves on to a selected target like a trained bird, whenever she has something to tell Lady Camilla but can't do so directly she uses this unique spell."

"Fascinating, but its written in Magecraftian, and despite Dark Mages being trained to harness tomes for their magic few people really know how to speak the language, and not for lack of trying but rather because the language itself has a lot of restrictions that only a select few are able to decipher it and gain more power as a result and while Lord Leo can definitely read them, I know for a fact that Lady Camilla cannot."

"Yes, this is actually the first time Selena has ever sent a message like this, in fact this is the first time she's ever sent me a message period, and I too can read the words. She managed to write this down before she disappeared." Beruka explained.

"Well, what does it say?" Peri asked.

"Selena was kidnapped by one of our own Warlocks and brought them here but she didn't say why, nor who it was so she likely doesn't know him personally. And considering the absence of Odin and Laslow, they too must also be in the same predicament." Beruka revealed plainly to the surprise of the two.

"WE'VE BEEN BETRAYED AGAIN!" Peri roared in outraged.

"And you thought it was a wonderful idea to keep this to yourself until now because?" Zero questioned.

"We each know our masters well, if they knew the truth they wouldn't be able to proceed with their current mission with complete efficiency, especially Lady Camilla who's quite honestly the most incompetent of our King's children and even his Majesty is starting to question her usefulness in this war. I suspect that is the reason why Selena sent the message to me instead of her." Beruka explained.

"Color me impress, and here I thought you were only good for executing our enemies as colorfully as possible." Zero said pleased with her logic.

"I do what needs to be done, as should the two of you." Beruka stated firmly. "I would rather join the battle in Niflheim but if one of our own is acting afoul, it could very much jeopardize future endeavors, especially since those three are also from the Royal Guard, so by no means can we let this stand."

"Agreed. But man, I knew Odin was going to be nothing but trouble and he certainly has been a complete headache but this just might be like taking the cake." Zero sighed, just as frustrated as Leo about all this mess. "I take it you lovely ladies are in the same boat as me when it comes to irritating partners."

"What are you talking about, Laslow is the best partner ever." Peri defended.

"Who for some reason doesn't flirt with you despite being cuter than most girls he harasses." Zero mocked with a cheeky grin and Peri was going to retort only to pause, taking his words into consideration. "I swear those three are certainty the misfits despite not being Nohrians themselves."

"Wait, they're not?" Peri asked confused. "Laslow seems like he belongs in Nohr."

"Yes, but according to them, they originate from one of the western continents, Fódlan I believe, which would explain Odin and Selena's magical prowess but there lies the question and why the need for tomes when Magic Users from the three nations of Fódlan; Adrestria, Faerghus and Leicester are known for being so proficient they engage in the Tomeless Arts frequently that they rarely use magic conduits, or at all, or so the rumors claim." Zero explained.

"One of the many reasons why I find their origin farfetched and the fact they frequently dodge the questions about their homes says much about their dishonesty." Beruka added. "I suspect that their kidnapping has to do with their past."

"My thoughts as well, and perhaps Robin might somehow be involved, I've noticed that those three avoid going to the Northern Fortress whenever our Princes and Princesses went to visit Corrin as soon as he arrived and whenever they do cross paths with him, he would always ignore them and they never bothered to try talking to him." Zero continued. "It seems that we might finally get our answers as to what the fuck is going on with those three."

"But where do we begin to search? We don't know who can we trust in this place of delicious violence and this new traitor has to be strong to have been able to take all three of them?" Peri asked.

"Selena didn't write more on the matter so we'll have to figure that out ourselves." Beruka said.

"Aww, I hate hide and seek!" Peri whined. Thankfully for her, they don't have to do much searching as a loud, raging roar is heard coming from the volcano for all to hear and they even notice the volcano shaking, causing many to panic how it might erupt, making it ten times more dangerous to be here. To make matters worse, all the Grimm in the region start to go feral in response to the roar and break formation and rush straight into the volcano, leaving the human soldiers in disarray over what is happening.

"Found them!" Peri cheered, confident that they have to go up.

"This is why I don't like being partners with that moron." Zero sighed.

---

"Elise…" Corrin muttered still mortified by the darkish transformation the beloved sister she still cherishes has assumed, the power coursing through her is so surreal, nowhere near as ungodly as that of the Demons but enough to cause real calamity upon them.

"Move!" Robin shouted as he pushes the two out of the way as Elise fires a magical blast at them that Robin is forced to block, not given enough time to avoid it himself and though he holds it off and dispel it, the impact was actually harmful to him despite using far more of his own might.

"This magic power… it's Dark Aether." Robin gasped in realization as Elise is now being empowered by the Primordial Force that made him a Demigod.

"Nosferatu!" Elise commanded and entraps Robin in a sphere that threatens to sap away at his life.

"Aura!" Robin shouted as he calls Light Magic to free himself. Thanks to Morgan, he is now capable of better using Light Magic more efficiently but still not as much as he wants but will prove sufficient in this unfortunate battle since pinning dark powers against one another or using anima magic occasionally yields disappointing results.

"Elise stop this! Power like this doesn't come without a cost." Robin warned her as he understands enough about the true nature of Aether to know that there are consequences to letting it change someone like this.

"That's more your problem right now." Elise argued and from the ground below him, the earth blackens and bursts out, covering the Tactician in it and abruptly pulls him down into the magma.

"Seriously!" Robin hissed as he needs to pour more strength into breaking free of his current prison and succeeds just as he was inches away from falling into the flames and quickly flies back up, only to be wrapped in darkness and pushed right into the other side of the volcano and with a flick of her new staff, lava rises up at Elise's command and moments from reaching him.

"Elise, no!" Corrin yelled as she rams herself into Elise, reaching for her staff to destroy and this blows her concentration, stopping the lava from rising further.

"Hey! This is mine!" Elise snapped as she casts a shockwave from the staff that blows Corrin away and crashes into Azura. This distraction buys Robin time to free himself from Elise's Darkness and then fires a stream of lightning at the transformed Princess, knocking her off the air and into the ground but Elise seems to now be Robin's equal as she retaliates by flapping her black wings, which causes Robin's lightning spell's yellow color to become blacken and once it reaches Robin, the spell turns on him and electrocutes his right arm, destroying part of his armor and exposing his entire arm with the skin color pitch-dark and what's worse, Robin can no longer feel it as a part of him.

"What… it's completely numb." He uttered in horror at what she has done.

"That's not good, she's cursed his arm and severed the connection between it and his brain." Odin quickly deduced.

"At this point he might as well cut it off because he's not going to be given much of a chance to purify it." Selena muttered.

"What incredible power. This is leagues above even the Exalted Blood of Naga. I can't believe what I'm seeing." Laslow uttered as it's hard to grasps seeing what Elise has become.

"Damn, I need more time than she will allow to purge this curse." Robin groaned as he is forced to resort to just using his left arm to fight Elise, which should be an acceptable handicap since he can still take her down, he just has to be more cautious, if her touch is like a curse than he must be more counteractive, make this a stereotypical showdown between light and darkness, maybe then he can knock some sense into her.

"I didn't want it to come to this Elise. I don't want to hurt you." Robin muttered.

"You already did and then some!" Elise snapped at him,

"I mean physically!" Robin corrected.

"Mentally? Physically? What's the difference? I'm still hurt and it's all your fault and Corrin."

"It doesn't have to be this way. Please, just stop this." Corrin pleaded, getting back up along with Azura.

"Nohr is all out of Mercy!" Elise declared and upon saying so, all the Grimm in Demon's Falls arrive to the aid of their Dark Princess and quickly attack the Trio. Robin intercepts them all by summoning Blárblades that destroys a whole lot of them, allowing Corrin and Azura a chance to fight back more. Robin and Elise clash again a she fires a bigger stream of dark magic against him and he counters with an Ellight blast that cause the volcano to shake violently again and even cause a minor trigger to the magma below, though Robin ultimately beats her on this and knocks her to a wall.

"This day could not have turned out so awful." Robin muttered.

"Robin stop! There's literally no point in this fight, your friends are okay, let's just go!" Corrin pleaded with him.

"With how powerful she has become and my new disability, Elise will block us off at every turn we take." Robin regrettably deduced.

"Then turned the spell off and fly off on your own." Azura suggested.

"I left the Multiplex with Lilith for safety measures and we can't run the risk of you dying and the real versions possibly suffering as a result." Robin reminded her.

"Not one of you are going anywhere!" Elise declared as the same black substance that forms a Carnage manifest out of her wings and chase after Robin and said substance forms into an actual Carnage that falls on Robin and stumps him on the ground.

"That is so gross." He muttered as he tries to push the Grimm off him but this Carnage is too heavy for just one arm to lift.

"Don't just stand there you three, get them!" Elise ordered to the Awakening Trio to attack Corrin and Azura.

"I…" Laslow muttered, not sure if he can followed through with that order, after all Robin did actually come for them and even betrayed the Princesses to get them back by the looks of it, though considering how casually they came here and Corrin even helping him indicates otherwise but the fact remains the same.

"The thing is…" Odin uttered having the same doubts.

"Argh… fuck it!" Selena hissed as she summons Morgenstern and shoots fireballs at them that the two barely have time to dodge. "I would rather not be stuck with more moral compromises."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right on that one." Laslow said.

"Oh, you Assbutts!" Corrin protested as Selena rushes to fight Corrin, pulling out her sword from her version of Morgenstern and clashes with the Dragon Princess, the first clash of sword was very strong that she pushes Corrin several feet away but she stands her ground as they clash again. She really has to be careful, Hinoka told her about her fight with Selena and considering how she effortlessly bested her proves how deadly she is as an opponent.

"I have nothing against you personally, dragon-girl but you still hurt Lady Camilla so for that I'm bringing you in." Selena declared as she pushes Corrin to the ground and would made another strike but stops once she processes what she previously said. "Wait… Assbutt? That's Morgan's stupid-ARGH!"

Corrin shuts her up by sucker punching, or rather kicks her in the face to push her aside and when she gets back up and attempts to subdue Selena but Odin interferes and forces her to take steps back with his blade.

"BITCH!" Selena shouted enraged, getting up. "I'll make an Assbutt out of you!"

"Is it weird that I miss hearing that?" Odin mused.

"Guess that just leaves you and me, Milady." Laslow said as he contends with Azura. "It really is a shame, though, you're as beautiful as her Majesty and would be even more if you'd smile."

"You say stuff like that when in front of Xander or my father?" Azura asked, already irritated by the flirt.

"Ouch, I definitely had that coming but nice try. Garon's not up to my standards when it comes to a Demon King." Laslow mused.

"Right, because you're more used to being invaded by a Dragon God and his undead army." Azura surmised, surprising Laslow a great deal.

"Oh… so he told you, that would explain why you two seem to still be friends despite bringing you here for our sakes." Laslow muttered before grinning. "Yep. That's just like him, only ever truly turning to others for help unless his back is turned to a wall and his stubbornness is all dried up. Glad he hasn't change."

"And yet that's his most charming feature." Azura mused with a half-smile.

"There you go! Now that's a smile. Now if we can just widen it a bit this day would become less somber." Laslow chuckled.

Robin howled as he blasts the Carnage off him before the demon could deliver a more devastating strike to him, and again strikes in time to counterattack another spell from Elise who tries to electrocute him with dark lightning, covering himself in an Excalibur twister that absorbs the lightning rather well and then sends the twister towards Elise to blast her. It pains him to fight back against the sweet Elise but she's not giving him much of a choice and he's really concern about this form.

He's heard about this power, Odin calls it Grimmafication but to his understanding its actually called Dragon Force, an inner power that those of the Solheim Bloodlines all have that allows them to harness the strength and abilities of their Dragon ancestors, taking on a human-dragon hybrid form, though there isn't even so much as a theory on how this form can be achieved through his own investigation at least but it makes perfect sense that those of Qliphoth's line could access this power by using the Grimm. Though she lacks any real dragonic traits there's no denying that she is closer to the God of Darkness than anyone should in this form, and while nowhere near as powerful, the fact alone that her powers are based on the Dark Side of Aether proves how much of a threat she truly is. But she's so young and pure of heart, and he's seen what Degeneration caused by that Darkness can do to someone, he's made the most of it with his limited mastery of the amount he stole from Grima but there's no possible sense that Elise's body can take this much pressure, worst case scenario she be lucky to get off with a body as frail as an old woman's and even if she somehow doesn't suffer any physical conditions, all that negative energy is bound to corrupt her personality and make her more aggressive and closer to her father. That alone is too much for him to stomach, and he can't bring himself to imagine what that could do to Corrin beside tarnish more of the happy memories they've had together. He has to finish this quickly.

Elise easily splits the Excalibur by thrusting her new staff towards it while the Dark Lightning is absorbed into her, to then cause the ground to shake some more, while at the same time she fires more lightning at him that he is forced to block with by creating a shield.

"Elise, Enough! You have no true understanding of the power of your blood. Your impudence could very much cause the volcano to erupt with all of us in it!" Robin warned her as he is massively worried about all the quakes she is causing just by letting her dark magic go wild.

"For the last time, that's your problem!" Elise howled. Though her voice is very much the same, there are small hints of a beastly urge echoing from her, signaling that there may be more to this transformation, perhaps it is not yet complete and she may soon indeed look more akin to a dark dragon overtime. He had no more time to think as he realizes that Elise was just distracting him from the next real danger behind him as she again cause the lava to rise and will soon fall down on him like a puny tsunami but his magically enhanced speed allowed him to jump left from the magma though Elise wasn't so fortunate as the lava fell on her instead and she didn't even tried to avoid it. Just as they were all going to cry out for the danger she brought down upon herself, she didn't so much as flinch as the lava touched her skin and just brushes it off.

"Incredible. Her body truly is like the scales of a dragon." Robin gasped in amazement. The Scales of dragons are difficult to penetrate and in his experience and the dragons he was friends with, only weapons design to do the job could, even the scales of an Ice Dragon couldn't be harmed by lava despite the natural disadvantage. Those of the Blaze Dragon are said to be immune to the dangers of a volcano, it makes one wonder what could they really do if Rinkah could access Dragon Force.

"SO EXCITING!" Odin cheered with pure amazement, whatever dread and concern he felt regarding this transformation might do to her negatively were washed aside, the Dark Mage cannot help but look at the Dark Princess with awe now. "Marvelous! You are truly marvelous, Lady Elise!"

"Wait till you see what else I can do." Elise smirked as six Beringels arrive next to join the fight and she channels her magic to empower them as they glow in a magenta color and black-feathered wings sprout out from their backs.

"Well, that's neat." Selena whistled.

"Fly my new flying friends and bring him down!" Elise commanded as the Beringels begin to fly despite previously being earthbound monsters just seconds ago and can move relatively fast that Robin only has time to stop one of them by punching it in the face hard enough to send it crashing to a wall but the rest are able to fight him off and pin him to the ground. He releases an explosive burst of magic that should've destroyed them all but Elise made them shockingly resilient to even his power. He manages to kick two more off him instead but the remaining three remain to keep him down just in time for Elise to make what she hopes would be the finishing move as she stabs the top of her staff on his chest, releasing a violent amount of crimson energy that makes Robin shout in pain.

"Elise no!" Corrin cried. Even though she knows deep down that Elise won't kill them, despite the terrifying form she assume, the terror in her thoughts is too much. And it only gets worse once something truly terrifying happens to Robin as his body changes and starts to look like a Vailed Soldier.

"Huh…" Elise uttered, not sure what is happening to him.

"ROBIN!" Corrin's terror level reaches its peak, partially losing self-control with her dragonic traits coming out subconsciously and starts flying towards them and with a swing of her dragonic lance, she destroys the Grimm and knocks Elise away from Robin. "Robin?!"

Robin groans in more pain as he tries to force his body to remain human but it's too much, whatever Elise did to him is counteracting Azura's song, his odds on Iago's curse is even worse than it was before.

"Come to me…" An ominous voice then pops into his head, a sinister beast that doesn't seem similar to the Seven. Whatever it is, it's making Robin's resistance weaker as he is becoming less and less visible.

"No, no, no, no, no! What did she do? What did she do? WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Corrin screamed her lungs out over the horror that is happening to her love.

"No, it wasn't…" Robin tried to clear this up for her but cannot as the pain just got worse it silences him.

"I didn't do this! I was trying to burn him, or at least I think that's what I was doing, I don't have the hang of all my new abilities." Elise argued getting back up her feet.

"YOU REALLY WERE TRYING TO KILL HIM!" She screamed even louder. Her emotions are all over the place now. As livid as she is with him, she can't stop herself from loving Robin and as deeply as her love for Elise is, it is now being overshadowed by rage towards her and of course, no Dragonstone in hand, so she is in danger of going berserk again. This is a serious definition of falling down to hell, made more poetic by the fact that they are in a volcano with demon in its name.

"Oh, fuck me, this can only go so well." Azura swore for the first time in her life as she knows what's about to go down.

"Hearing you swear is the second worst thing to ever plague my ears. And believe me I've heard a lot of shit in my life." Laslow uttered.

The worse occurs as Corrin once again transforms into a Dragon in a feral state, or at least semi-feral and rams herself at Elise, pinning her to the wall violently, but thankfully Elise is now superhuman so she can handle this level of abuse and even pushes Corrin away as they now struggle, Corrin holding on to her staff to force her to her knees. Elise fights back, her wings glow bloody red and as she flaps them, she is given a mighty boost as she flies herself and Corrin upwards and crash into the other side of the volcano and they repeat the same thing until they end up knocking each other outside of Demon's Falls, just as more Grimm show up only to rush back outside to aid their Princess.

"So cool…" Odin whispered in awe.

"HOLY FUCKING MOTHERFUCKERS!" Selena screamed her lungs out with what they all just saw but forces herself to focus on Robin and his new situation and swoops to his side. "For Naga's Sake! What the fuck did you get yourself into this time?"

"Robin!" Azura shouted rushing to his side, mortified by what he's becoming.

"What's happening to him?" Selena demanded. "His body is surging with the most none-corrosive darkish of magics I've ever seen and felt."

"This is a demonic influence; I've only seen these flames on the minions of another enemy Hoshido was previously fighting but how could Robin had been tainted." Azura uttered, watching as his body returns into visibility but the pink flames remain.

"Gawds! It's just like you to bite off more than you can chew." Selena hissed at him. "Fighting two wars at once, that's almost as bad as going from just one war for another per year or two. You sure are in love with Hell. Huh… Maybe that's why Morgan is such a She-Devil. Or rather she was."

"Don't drag her into this, Severa." Robin growled as he tries getting back up to reach Corrin.

"YOU MUST COME TO ME!" The Voice of the Beast returned even louder and violent, causing the cursed man to growl again in pain and goes invisible for a few seconds.

"Who are you…?" He groaned as he struggles to contain this madness.

"Shit! This is getting worse." Selena cursed.

"Oh, man, I'm getting a lot of Grima vibes here, guys." Laslow mumbled as his mind explodes with fright.

"Not a chance, this is leagues above what we experienced back home." Odin declared with his excitement mixed with worry.

"Would you two shut up and get on out there, the last thing we need is two dragon bitches prolonging their fight in the middle of a…" Selena scolded them just as the volcano started to erupt again but this was different, unlike the ones Elise caused, this feels more natural. "Aww GAWDS! That's just wonderful! The power struggle has gotten this fucking mountain to get all sensitive."

"It's going to erupt!" Azura uttered in horror.

"That's not surprising considering that Dragons tend to cause natural disasters when they fight each other." Laslow bemused. "Naga help us, there's no way we can possibly stop this ourselves."

"We may not have to dirty our hands with something this massive, when we can try and recuperate him." Selena said as she focuses on Robin and try to help him. "I can't use the right spell to stop the eruption on my own."

"Then I shall-"

"Get the fuck out of here! You'll only be in the way." Selena snapped at Odin.

"But I studied magic under Uncle Robin as well." Odin mumbled.

"Look, you two just go and help Elise and make sure those two don't get themselves killed, I can help out on this if I can pour my magic with his." Selena insisted more calmly.

"Alright but be careful and if there's no helping it, just run and get yourselves out of here before the volcano erupts." Laslow pleaded.

"Yeah, moving a patient caroused with magic puke while trying to cure them never ends well." Selena said just as the two men leave to reach Corrin and Elise. "I may need your help for this."

"What can I do? I don't have any of the necessary relics to use my song." Azura asked while also trying to process how back and forward this trio is. Yes, the three of them have history with Robin and Selena seems so sure that Robin can stop Demon's Falls from erupting but they just complied to attacking them a minute ago and now they're back to being good nephews and niece? There's only so much lunacy the Songstress can stomach and she's just the copy.

"Your Precursor Blood will do." Selena said as she calls her Morgenstern.

"You're going to try Restore on me?" Robin deduced.

"Better than nothing but I can tell just by looking that I made need more power than my own, which is where you come in, blue. Even if you can't use magic traditionally, you still have plenty of it inside you that can be harness. I must siphon some of the mana your bloodline courses with to have the strength I need for my spell to work." Selena explained.

"I… I want to do all I can for him but I don't think I'm the Azura you need. I'm just-"

"A Replica? Yeah, I figured it out the moment I saw you." Selena interrupting and surprising the Fake Songstress. "Don't think you can screw with my eyes. One of the perks of being mentored with someone who was already a Magical God before he got a taste of True Aether. And fake or not, you bleed the same as the Queen's blood child so you must be compatible."

"Of course." Azura mumbled.

"Though, that begs the question with all the endless opportunities this dumb fuck keeps getting in his life, coming back from the dead yet again notwithstanding, why didn't you bother to make a copy for Corrin since it was obvious from the get-go that you were never going to betray the Hoshidans? I mean, you, a traitor? That's rich, and self-defeating." Selena mumbled as she begins to cast her spell, not yet aware of the impact of her words.

"HUH?!" Both Robin and Azura gasped in shock at the revelation that the Corrin they are with is not the clone.

---

Nohrian soldiers shout in a panic, running away from the bridge as Corrin and Elise ram themselves into it, the impact causing a portion of it to break apart, resulting in Elise falling into the burning river. Corrin goes for her to pull out of the lava only for Elise to shoot her in the face, the force from the blast knocks her to the other side of the bridge, shattering it as she too falls into the lava, and just as Robin suspected, even the scales of Corrin's Dragon Form are tough enough to have dip in magma without any issue.

"What the fuck are those two things?" A Wyvern Knight demanded.

"It's the Scourge of Nohr! She has revealed her true-self as the monster that wishes to leave us in further ruin!" Another yelled recognizing Corrin as a survivor of the Battle in Kurosaki.

"A humanoid Grimm? How is this possible?" A Paladin asked, caught off by the other fighter.

"That thing looks like Lady Elise! Is this the use of Grimmafication?"

"Heal him, Elise! NOW!" Corrin demanded with her voice more beastly.

"NO! I'm done listening to you!" Elise yelled as she again causes the magma to rise up against Corrin and entrap her in it, almost as if she is trying to drown her. Corrin manages to escape as she summons massive amounts of water from her body to clash with the magma, cooling it enough to smash her way through it.

"Magma does not cool itself into rock that fast!" A Sorcerer argued undignified by the defiance of physics.

"It's magic water, you pansy nerd. Don't try to make sense of it." A Berserker lectured.

"Everyone shut up and shoot her!" Elise demanded angrily. Recognizing the voice of everyone's favorite little princess, while caught off by what she's become, ultimately complied and open fire on Corrin, physical weapons and spells hit her hard, as well as some Grimm who willingly jump to try and penetrate her tough skin but all they do is enraged the volatile Dragon Princess.

"THIS DOESN'T CONCERN ANY OF YOU!" Corrin made her mightiest dragonic roar that she fires a shockwave so ferocious that it completely destroys the Great Bridge that allows a safe and quick access to the Nohrian Capital, the force also pushes everyone else away from the enraged Dragon Princess with Elise as the only one able to resist the brutal carnage as everything near is torn asunder.

"Everything really is going to hell." Odin muttered as he and Laslow arrived as quickly as they could only to see the battle between the two former sisters about to reach its conclusion.

"Laslow! There you are!" Peri cried as she, Zero and Beruka reach them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Laslow asked surprised.

"We're the ones that should be asking that question, and you better answer fast." Zero demanded.

"What does it look like, our dear Elise is fighting Corrin through the use of her hidden potential unlocked." Odin explained.

"I was referring to why were you two and Selena kidnapped in the first place and who did it." Zero corrected.

"Look, this isn't the best time for such things. So much dragonic power from those two will endanger everyone, we have to bring at least one of them to their knees." Laslow cursed. "And it's a no brainer who we must protect."

"That's for me to decide, boys." Another intruded about to settle this sibling dispute once and for all.

"Dammit!" Corrin growled, struggling with herself. She's more conscious about her actions than before, enough to accept that Wrath isn't causing her to behave this way against Elise but her own inner turmoil at watching Robin turn into one of those THINGS that serve the Seven and since they could deduced that the Seven at least lured her here to confront Elise, it's not too farfetched for her and her fractured state of mind to accuse Elise for causing that to him without her Dragonstone to keep herself contained. Yet another one of the biggest mistakes of her life but she did spent a good three weeks without even considering using her transformation again so she still doesn't regret lending it to Azura but now she sorely needs it back because she cannot continue to fight Elise again but her beastly urges demand she finish this fight, pushing her humanity further into the depths of her mind.

Elise doesn't make it easier to revert back to normal as she casts a very powerful spell that she was preparing while her forces were serving as a distraction and a black hole manifests behind Corrin.

"Apocalypse!" Elise enchanted as from the Black Hole a furious wave of darkness is released that begins to consume her and this definitely causes her excruciating pain. "Drown in Darkness, Corrin! Maybe then you'll come back to your senses!"

Corrin roars, pouring all her strength into breaking out of this dark spell. She's not very good with magic, not even sensing is something she excels at, or at least she used to be until she got that Morgan-mojo, she can't believe she just made that a thing, and now she knows exactly what she's up against, the danger of the magic just comes to her thoughts before it even touches her but Elise is just too quick to avoid. How unbearable this is! Not the spell but the caster herself, to be put in this situation by Elise would've been all it took to finally break her and just flat out kill herself if she were solely human. But she's only half-human, and right now the Dragon inside is done feeling bad for her.

With a more monstrous roar, Corrin's body surges with azure energy with a watery form to it that fights back against Elise's Darkness and to the Dark Princess's horror, Corrin manages to destroy Apocalypse and blow the Princess far away from Corrin and would've been in for a violent crash but a Teryx swoops in and to soften her fall and almost immediately the Nohrian army gather around her, ready to make what just might be their final stand in defense of their Princess against their Scourge.

Growling like a beast, Corrin readies to make one last charge to end this fight but hesitates, she desperately doesn't want to do this but her dragon-self has nearly gone on the loose, she's already forgotten why she became so willing to fight her in the first place, her mind has almost fallen into pieces, she can't hold it in anymore and she charges in blindly, only to bash her head into a magical wall that formed just now, packing enough of a punch to push her back to the river of fire.

"Who casted that wall?" One of the Dark Knights asked, amazed by the sheer power it has to be able to bounce back the feral dragon.

"It's the Queen!" A Paladin shouted as they all turn right to see Arete herself has arrived at Demon's Falls, no doubt looking for her missing Stepdaughter, alongside her Retainers as well as Elise's own Retainers looking very frantic.

"Lady Elise!" Effie cried out to her Princess but she and Arthur can't exactly see her from their angle but Elise can partially see all of them.

"Mother…" Elise mumbled.

"Goodness gracious. The things I do for this family." Arete hissed, gazing at what her two daughters have become. "It's time to go home, you two."

---

The carnage of battle is higher than ever before, as the streets of the Ice Tribe blaze against the onslaught of Nohr. They are so close to the final battle, they can feel it and are even now experiencing how near they are to the climax, this one has proven to be the most intense they have endured so far, already they suffer a lot of casualties but that's nothing new to them, they were all prepared for loss. After all, the ever increasing power and influence did not blind the soldiers to the consequences of their march. Few are truly willing to die for their cause, it's natural to fear death but that they managed to come this far only to fail is something they can all agree on must never happened and in spite of any personal feelings, they will hold down the line and push forward, even if they end up dying in the end.

Left alone to settle the score at last, the two eldest brothers of Corrin and future kings of the Dominant Kingdoms of Horus face each other in a one on one duel to the death, a fight that they've both been longing for. The previous one in Kurosaki was constantly interrupted, either by their respective armies, their thickheaded when under pressure little brothers or what they can both agree on as both a heartbroken meltdown and lovers spat the same sister they both love was having with her ''boyfriend'' who they both have issues with. No one ever truly understands the stress of looking after complicated younger siblings without being an elder themselves.

The Paragon Knight and Peerless Samurai clash with their Sacred Blades of Lightning and Darkness, the next strike releases a shockwave that causes all the houses of the neighborhood they thankfully have for themselves to fight for now to shake with much of them crumbling down. Xander makes two horizontal slashes that succeed in pushing Ryoma a few steps back, irritating him enough to start using the Lightning Speed Raijinto grants him, disappearing from Xander's view and reappearing behind him, about to make a vertical slash from above as he also made a short leap. Because Xander is more known for his solid defenses and brutal attacks, not many people acknowledge how agile nor perceptive he truly is, especially since he favors fighting while mounted on a horse, giving his years of training as a cavalier to a paladin, which Ryoma soon fully acknowledges as Xander easily caught on to him and violently parries the High Prince's attack, knocking him a few feet away into the air before he safely backflips back on the ground and continues with his swifter assault. Again, Ryoma rapidly moves behind the Crown Prince for a surprise attack from above that Xander again repels, this time with enough force to make Ryoma drop Raijinto as it lands behind Xander, leaving him momentarily defenseless as Xander goes in for the kill, luckily Ryoma is fast enough on his own, narrowly avoiding Siegfried with an impressive backflip that he lands next to Raijinto and picks it up and at the same time easily evades an uppercut slash from Xander and at once the two power up their swords for another mighty swing, creating an explosion that blows the two all-powerful princes away from each other and they both crash into the houses behind each of them.

With a painful groan, both Princes force themselves back on their feet with Ryoma the first one to get back up and moves in a flash towards Xander, and this time the Swordmaster tries a more deceptive strategy, moving so fast that he creates afterimages of himself that surround Xander, leaving the Commander of the Nohrian Paladins confused on who is who and quickly decides to flush Ryoma out by stabbing Siegfried on the ground that spreads a dark miasma that consumes all it touches, even the fakes, until only the real Ryoma is left who manages to sneak his way to his left and will strike him down, though Xander still has time to parry him, but he hesitates for a split second. A second is all it took! Or perhaps less than that to realize that the real danger is on his right and he was wise to trust his instincts as the real Ryoma was on his right as he parries Raijinto in time. The High Prince has to admit, he underestimated Xander's reflexes. He has repelled his lightning speed before but those felt more like close calls, but now he has improved to inhumane levels, they need to be since Xander has always doubted that his near-invulnerability can give him a real edge against Ryoma so he's been increasing his training regimen ever since their first fight to prepare himself for this final showdown. Thank Qliphoth that it actually paid off after all.

Even still, Ryoma is still faster and attempts to decapitate Xander, that the Crown Prince barely manages to dodge and angrily retaliates by slamming Siegfried down on his skull, but Ryoma still evades and escapes in time as the latest slash from the Dark Sacred Treasure releases enough power to destroy the entire building. With a mighty howl, Ryoma fires a horizontal lightning slash to blast Xander that the Dark Prince manages to power right through with great effort this time, though he fails to land a hit for his next swing, same with Ryoma who followed with a slash to his right shoulder that Xander avoided by backing away and proceed to thrust Siegfried through Ryoma's head that said rival succeeds in parrying as well as two more dark slashes, the second one repelled push Xander to his knees, although the two are also equal in stubbornness as again they charge at each other and lock their swords again but this time, neither release a single ounce of power and merely remain in a bitter standstill, both gritting their teeth, fatigue visible on their faces as they've been straining themselves more than either of them should over the last half-hour and neither are willing to submit, they're legs are begging them for a short break and yet they remain standing, refusing to call it quits until there is a victor.

Xander manages to push both swords down to give himself the advantage to kill Ryoma up close and makes a vertical slash that Ryoma forces himself to evade by using Raijinto to make a higher leap to reach the rooftop of another house next to them, though once there, he finally collapses to his feet from exhaustion with Xander finally having room to do the same and catches his breath and are both fortunate to be allowed a moments rest, in spite of all the carnage happening around them as the loud thots and cries of war occur, they focus only on each other.

"It was a mistake to come here, you know." Xander managed to say under his breath, taking the chance to talk with Ryoma. "You might've had a better chance at surviving if you had chosen to move forward. By coming here you've only ensured your demise and defeat."

"Seems that way, doesn't it?" Ryoma retorted with a hint of sarcasm while he lies down in a more comfortable position, somehow getting the feeling that he momentarily got himself a chance to rest up, also sure he's heard Xander order his forces to not interfere with this fight and he's certain his own forces will do the same. "But you've known Corrin longer than I, there's no way she could live with herself if we went through with going to Windmire while leaving these people behind like this, especially since one of her friends was also here."

"I do know her better than you, in fact, it's because of her that father came up with this wicked plan. I honestly expected more from you. Assigning someone who's been homeschooled her whole life into the position of a commanding officer? I could never have believed that anyone would be that desperate and short on leaders or is the Sword of Salvation in your arsenal really that much of a big deal for you?" Xander questioned with some level of smugness. "No one in Nohr is that faithful to the Sacred Treasures."

"A little bit of both but in spite of her self-doubt she has proven to have a gift for leadership. A slow learner to be sure but having the adrenaline of a dragon can do wonders for one's thought process." Ryoma mused. "Even as children, Corrin had a unique quality to attract others to whatever she wanted to do at the time. It was hard not to feel a little bit of jealousy on how much she could accomplish."

"I wouldn't know anything about that, I'm afraid." Xander sighed, as he's never seen Corrin displayed anything remarkable as a leader, and he has brought many soldiers to the fort to serve as her battalion when performing field tests to see her resolve. She succeeded of course but the results weren't anything outstanding that exceeded expectations.

"You say that and yet, as a woman of royalty, you surely would've had her lead soldiers in this war." Ryoma questioned.

"Of a sort. She was never meant to partake in the war all that much, just guard the borders in the Bottomless Canyon from a safe distance, not like your people would be so bold as to march such an advance force through there, even with Warp Scrolls, reaching us at seas was your best option so she was going to be pretty much bored while fulfilling her duties." Xander revealed.

"You don't say." Ryoma made a light chuckle, somehow not surprised to hear this, including having difficulty doubting his words. "Now that I have the chance, I have something I must confess. I misjudged you."

"Oh?" Xander questioned curious by his words.

"It's taken me a long time to get it through my head but I was wrong about Nohr, at least to a significant extent, you're not all bloody savages and warmongers. This entire war has allowed us to see things from many perspectives, hearing about such poverty is one thing but to see it all firsthand has helped me come to terms that the problem is not the people as a whole, nor the land itself but human nature to take and destroy without repercussion when put in a dire state." Ryoma said. "Too many mouths to feed, not enough to go around, and this is only in the Heartland."

"You came to that realization but can the same be said about your people, the men and women who have been fighting alongside you for this long?" Xander asked.

"That, I cannot answer with pure confirmation. A King may act as a guiding hand and bridge for his people to walk the right course but it's ultimately up to them if they should follow it or not. Even the most dutiful of soldiers tend to show a reluctance when they carry out orders that others would deem unwise or uncomfortable." Ryoma replied. "People are loyal so long as their leaders can prove their worth and has earned their respect, without it, then there's only anarchy waiting to happen any moment."

"Due true. Though my father has been ruling Nohr with fear, many have proven to be loyal out of respect since they still cling to the belief of his promises. I still hold on to that belief myself." Xander confessed.

"Enough so that you would follow through with this unjust attack, even though I could tell that your heart was not in it when we saw each other again?" Ryoma questioned as he has noticed a few hints of hesitation in Xander before they finally cross blades.

"A son is meant to honor thy father, and for children of royalty this commandment is absolute. The Prince must be an instrument to the Will of his King. I have seen him at his best to his worst too many times enough to know who he really is and what the Principles he stands for have pushed him through. To him, a King is benevolent only to his people and the outsider who can benefit the Kingdom he commands. To others, he's larger than life and can be seen as evil for all he cares." Xander stated. "Were we born in a more prosperous Nohr, honor and chivalry would be all that defines us and the ideals of Kingship would be something more refined than a testament to one's humanity falling to corruption or ascending to be something more."

"Indeed." Ryoma shrugged as he looks up at the night sky in contemplation to his words and thoughts on Kingship.

"I have said this before and I meant it but I am sorry about your father. I'm sure he was a more ideal king and parent, having you as his dutiful successor speaks volumes of the man he was, or at least what you believe he truly was." Xander said apologetically and Ryoma knows he is being sincere, just as he was the first time he apologized but like before Ryoma gives no response and just changes the subject.

"Tell me something, what is it that will truly befall my people and lands if Nohr were to win this war? How much will be taken and how much will be exhausted?"

"That is not an easy question to answer, and I lack the authority or experience to determine the fate of so many people." Xander replied weakly. "If it were up to me, we could try to establish a trading system that would benefit us in the long run and other things I contemplated trying out with the other nations. All we want is your food after all. But my father? He'll be merciful, I'm sure but ultimately he will focus on making sure everything is under his clutches. I'm also sure that you've been debriefed on this by Lord Yamamoto."

"He told me enough." Ryoma scoffed, feeling a bitter taste at the mention of his disowned uncle who is still at large.

"And what of Nohr, what is to become of us if Hoshido is victorious?" Xander questioned.

"For starters, we will begin with the liberation of all the nations you've conquered over the years in Garon's name and the restoration of their autonomies, cultures and lifestyles, if any were tarnished at all until only your original territories are left." Ryoma explained. "As for your famine, I believe it is wise to let Corrin make the call."

"Really?" Xander asked raising an eyebrow.

"Don't sound so suspicious. As hard as we tried, there is no denying that she still loves you all as her own. She has made her allegiance to us very clearly but it's also painfully clear how her heart still clings to this place, even after seeing so much of your repulsive side, her sole goal is for peace for everyone, friend and foe alike, with the exception of a handful of course. Her faith in the Dusk Dragon for one, is something that she refuses to let be broken, even when enough has been done to shatter it." Ryoma mused as seeing Corrin viewing the lands of Nohr with longing makes him sadder and even more remorseful for letting her be a part of this. She's his aspiration for giving Nohr a chance to engage in a possible coexistence.

"She always did held the Book of Noble Shadow with the same warmth she would show us." Xander smiled.

"That begs the dire question, doesn't it. If she really is so devout, then why did the Grimm attack her in the first place? When we first brought her home was the first time she saw them and they sought her death?" Ryoma questioned.

"I figured that would've been obvious. She is neither of Dawn nor Dusk Blood but of another Precursor Ancestry altogether." Xander stated.

"That's the best conclusion you got?"

"What else could it be? Our ancestors may have been of the same family but they still went to war with each other when they gave in to their beastly urges and even few of them were slain by familial hands. That kind of pain, rage and betrayal transcends across history for generations to come." Xander concluded. "Take Niflheim for example, the descendants of Qliphoth's Daughter, these people too are devout followers of the Righteous Darkness and Kilma's family is of the same ancestral blood, yet when the conflict between us and them started, the Grimm didn't bother to wait for a command to attack. I doubt this conclusion myself sometimes but it's the only thing that makes sense to me."

"I think that at this rate the real answer to this plight is that your mindless beasts are just a pack of walking bullshit." Ryoma scoffed.

"That could be it." Xander sighed before eventually getting back on his feet. "The Nestrian Army will be here any moment now, you know. And when they do victory is all ours. Regardless of how strong your United Army may be, the might of Nestra will turn the tide no matter how hard you try."

"I've seen the warriors of that nation for myself, I know that fighting them means a total loss for us." Ryoma said as he gets back on his feet and jumps down from the roof.

"All the more reason why your siblings should get what's coming to them for dragging them into this war in the first place." Xander noted.

"That's my problem to solve." Ryoma groaned as this is totally Takumi and Azura's fault and they will get what's coming to them. "Regardless, this will not be the end for us, we will push right through this disaster like we did with the rest."

"Your faith in Robin's tactics may be well placed but all good things come to an end, that is if letting him lead your army was ever a good thing to begin with." Xander mocked.

"I'm still contemplating that to be honest." Ryoma mumbled.

---

Robin continues to battle against Camilla and Leo, which isn't as easy as it should be, Leo's latest toy really has the Master Tactician right where they want him, he really can't use his magic at times, he's lucky that he can still use it at all. Still the effects of fluctuation seem to be diminishing little by little, Leo took notice, while he continues to fight with his typical subtle and collective choice of combat he is showing signs of desperation with his attack being more potent and focus on quick kills rather than just to restrain to give Camilla a chance. Either that or he is just becoming increasingly frustrated by how out of synch he is with said sister as they started out fighting in unison that proved a challenge for the ever weakening Robin but her hatred makes it difficult for the younger and brilliant tactician to keep the fight in their favor with his very effective attacks that the clone has trouble either powering through and swiftly avoiding, at first anyway.

With her ever increasing anger, Camilla vertically swings her axe at Robin, who manages to easily stop the weapon by grabbing her by her wrist, followed by tossing the Princess towards her younger brother who safely catches her with his magic.

"This fighting has drawn out long enough, and you two are starting to prove to be no more than a nuisance." Robin taunted as a means to push them to keep being reckless, not that Leo will ever fall for such a weak tactic but then again he's not the true target.

"I'm going to kill you!" Camilla snapped really losing her cool.

"Just means I have to kill you first." Robin shrugged sarcastically as he pours all the magic he can muster to rapidly accelerate his speed to the point that like Ryoma he moves at lightning speed to appear behind the two siblings and swings Ragnell towards Camilla that Leo is able to stop by reacting fast enough to stop him by creating a dense magic wall to successfully block the Holy Sword, however this was actually a ruse as Leo was the true target as the superior tactician appears in front of the Sorcerous Prince, quickly placing his palm on his chest, releasing a powerful shockwave that blasts Leo right towards the giant nature-base wall he initially made hard enough to seemingly knock him out for the count.

"LEO!" Camilla cried in horror just as Robin delivers another swing against her that she is able to react and block as he expected, however the magical force he intended to use to blow her away as well faded again and at best he could only push her seven feet, afterwards he briefly loses his balance as the constant fluctuation of internal magic is severely stressful to his stamina.

'Damn… it isn't fading fast enough.' He cursed under his breath as he is force to engage the volatile princess with physical strength alone, in which they seem to be evenly match with Camilla able to keep up with Robin's more defensive and precise attacks despite her being more brutal and tenacious but that will inevitably be her undoing.

"WHY! WON'T! YOU! DIE!" Camilla screamed her lungs out against him, the rage that has taken her wailing for vengeance against the man who took her sister away from her, not even close to be as accepting like Xander, Leo and Elise are to Corrin now being their enemy. This rising rage gives Robin the advantage he needs as one last mighty strike is all it took to knock the axe off her hands and knock her to the ground, already defeated as well and her faithful Escanor is again too injured to help.

"Believe me, Camilla, I've asked myself that question many times and I'm just as sick of it." Robin somberly confessed. "Not that it matters now, you've already lost, and soon so shall Xander and then your father."

---

"Crap, they've really outnumbered us now." Corrin cursed their luck whiles she, Azura, Kaze and Jakob are surrounded by a swarm of Grimm, more than she can deal with using Yato.

"There was never really a specific timeframe we could be concrete about to begin with." Jakob specified.

"It's all up to Lilith and Robin's clone on that end. Our main objective is to make sure the Villagers survive this madness." Kaze reminded.

"It won't matter much if we don't survive ourselves but I know better than to complain about something I brought upon myself." Corrin sighed.

"Must you always whine about everything we do." Azura lectured. "Cover your ears, I got this." The Songstress prepares to sing her song to dispose of the swarm.

"I do that then who else is going to cover your back when you're on your own most of the time?" Corrin questioned as she slays four Ursai about to ram themselves on them and begin to run to take cover behind a house as lightning breaths are fired at them.

"I don't need to be lectured by someone who needs sixty two retainers just to do her shores." Azura protested.

"Oh, real cute! Give yourself an actual backbone while moments away from dying." Corrin protested.

"No, I'm just reaching my limit with all this nonsense and you're not making things any better with your whining." Azura hissed, just as the head of a Feilong burst out from her left and Corrin quickly kills it by shoving her blade through its face.

"Sure, let's put all the blame on me, real mature."

"Is this really happening?" Kaze mumbled, not sure how it came down to this.

"It's all Robin's fault. Simple as that." Jakob hissed.

---

"Mo… ther… Arete." Corrin weakly uttered as she gets out of the river of fire, her gaze never leaving the woman she's treasured as her mother for so long, though as she tries to get closer, the Nohrian forces, such as the retainers, including Odin and Laslow get between them.

"My, how low you continue to sunken, Little Princess. Wish I could say I was surprised but you've always had difficulty when it came to keeping your emotions in check." Arete said, displeased by Corrin's continued defiance but there are hints of sadness on her as well. "And you are certainly out of control when you're like this but don't worry, dear child, I'll make you more cooperative in a bit." She said, holding her pendant as she means to use its power to bring Corrin low.

"And as for you, little missy, you too are also in a world of trouble when we get back home." Arete next turns to Elise who forces herself up on her feet but has difficulty with her legs shaking, likely because of how much she has been pushing herself with her new body, though she doesn't look like she is genuinely surprise to see Elise in this form like everyone else as she and Garon suspected that Elise could access the true power of her blood unlike her older siblings. "Stand down, Elise, your body is not yet used to the stress of this transformation."

"No! I can still fight! I'm not weak anymore! He'll see." Elise cried in defiance still forcing herself to get up, using her staff for support but fails and falls back to her knees, just as Effie and Arthur rush to her.

"Milady, please. Enough is enough." Effie pleaded for her Princess to stop this madness.

"Oh, dear sweet Princess of Justice. What have you done to yourself." Arthur partially sobbed, brokenhearted over the state she is in, while also silently cursing himself for not keeping a closer eye on her, something Effie feels even worse about as well.

"This is so fucked up." Charlotte cursed on how much this all has turned out.

"Dammit, Garon. When this is over we're in serious need for a family counseling." Arete too cursed to see Elise like this.

Just then, another strong tremor occurs that is felt from where they are standing, issuing a terrible warning that Demon's Falls may soon erupt.

"Wonderful…"

---

"Almost… just a little more." Selena growled as she pours her magic into her healing spell to purge Robin of this flaming curse with Azura's assistance, the two women holding hands with the red head siphoning a bluish aura from the Songstress to add into her Morgenstern that in turn strengthens the Recovery spell and for the most part it seems to be working as Robin looks like he's getting better with the pain dulling, however he is still being beset by the newly dark voice plaguing his mind.

"COME TO ME!" It made another thundering roar that is familiar to the Tactician and it caused him to turn invisible again but Selena is not having any of that and brings him back into visibility.

"We're running out of time!" Azura argued as the volcanic eruption draws near with the heat temperature rising.

"Like I said, using a spell like this with a moving patient leads to failure so be quiet and let me do my thing." Selena shouted as she's nearly done.

While she's at it, Robin goes through something else as he starts to hallucinate. He now finds himself floating above a land that's completely surreal and otherworldly to him, yet by description, familiar, a strange geography, as the land and sky itself seems to be rend in pieces, and floats about seemingly at random, old rundown buildings that look at least two decades old.

"Is this the hidden world Jakob and Felicia were trapped in?" Robin questioned perplexed by what is happening. This all seems like it's a vision as he can still feel the rising heat of Demon's Falls, his body lying down on said volcano and Selena's magic curing him but it seems real enough as he can also feel a cool breeze on his face. Like being in two places at the same time. Could this be like Lilith's Astral Projection?

Robin next gazes upon a great castle near him as it crumbles apart due to a violent burst of energy erupting from within and from the castle comes out what just might be the ugliest dragon he's ever seen, and that alone is a shock considering the eldritch abomination he previously fought that has tormented his life for so long. A dragon identical to the demonic beast of the portrait Hydra has that depicts Hoshidans and Nohrians fighting together against. The Dragon looks upon Robin with eyes of the disturbing metallic ball he has where the mouth should be and from the biggest eye it fires a white spherical blast up above them that rapidly turns into a black hole and without warning everything in this world starts getting pulled into it with Robin unable to fight the powerful current and ends up falling into one of the debris of the buildings being torn apart, along with few of the floating islands.

"Can't I ever catch a break." He cursed his luck, not sure how he's supposed to get out of this one, all the while the Dragon he believes is responsible for dragging him here flies past him as the black hole he created destroys this world, until eventually the monster gets closer, getting between Robin and the black hole, grabbing the debris that now serves as a platform for the endanger Tactician and stopping it from being sucked in.

"Dammit!" He cursed.

"YOU MUST SERVE ME!" The Mad Beast spoke to him more directly, confirming that it's the same one who's been calling him. "YOUR POWER CAN FREE ME!"

"What are you talking about?!" Robin demanded defiantly.

"PLEASE, FREE ME! AND TOGETHER WE'LL STOP THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS!" The Dragon angrily pleaded to him, sounding like he's been held hostage for too long by those demons. "I CAN HELP YOU SAVE YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"What are you saying?! Morgan has nothing to do with this!" Robin shouted enraged that this beast would dare mention her.

"IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH HER!" The Dragon shouted angrily as he destroys the platform and nabs Robin into its hand. "THE SEVEN ARE HERE BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR SPAWN! SHE IS THE KEY TO DESTROYING THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL! THEY JUST CAN'T REMEMBER YET BUT WHEN THEY DO IT WILL BE THE END FOR US ALL!"

"I don't understand!" Robin cried as his head explodes with confusion and fear over what this thing is saying, and thankfully, he won't have to deal with this nightmare anymore as he wakes up back in Demon's Falls and Selena finished with her spell.

"Finally…" Selena gave a heavy sigh as this was hard work.

"Well… you certainly went up your way when learning the white arts while I was away." Robin praised, grateful to be out of that situation, especially since his right arm is all better now and can move it again. The time for small chats is denied as Demon's Falls has its strongest quake as it will erupt any second now.

"We're too late!" Azura cried.

"Great! Not sure if this is better than a black hole or not." Robin cursed as he grabs both Selena and Azura and flies them away from the magma quickly rising up and nearly drops on them.

---

"What the Fuck is going on?!" Zero shouted in horror as they all see the infamous terror of Nohr finally begin to erupt and the lava rising up violently.

"I second that!" Charlotte shouted.

"The power clash of these two petulant children spread all across this region, causing a chain reaction that made Demon's Falls restless and start to awake." Arete explained.

"We got to get out of here! There's no way we can stop the coming disaster." A Nohrian cried.

"We don't have to go anywhere! Everyone calm down. I got this." Arete commanded as she steps forward to the volcano.

"Your Majesty!" Benny called out in objection.

"Calm now, Ben, dear. This is nothing." Arete smirked as she places both her hands between her pendant as it begins to glow with magic, far brighter than it was when in Azura's possession but mix with a dark purplish color that makes it slightly malicious but much more powerful.

"~You are the ocean's gray waves~" Arete began to sing with her beautiful voice the mythical song, already a mighty aura mix with water bursts from the Queen of Nohr and spreads across the immediate area.

"Mother…" Azura mumbled, left a gasps like everyone else as she performs the song to stop the volcano herself.

"~Destined to seek Life beyond the shore just out of reach! Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time The path is yours to climb~"

As Arete continues the dark azure wave reaches Demon's Falls and collides with the lava, the danger slowly starts to show signs of diminishing with the lava slowing down. The Song is also having an effect on Corrin and Elise with both of their transformations starting to fade.

"~Embrace the dark you call a home, Gaze upon an empty, white throne A legacy of lies, A familiar disguise! Sing with me a song of conquest and fate The black pillar cracks beneath its weight Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone. Lost in thoughts all alone~"

With those final tunes of the song, the tremors also begin to stop and the lava that's already out of the volcano cools down rapidly and becomes solid rock. And the Grimm, while not harmed like they would whenever Azura sings do appear more docile with fewer signs of aggression and are completely tamed. Corrin and Elise are back in their human form, except the younger princess is going through a side effect of her transformation as she has not reverted back to her natural size and remains looking like a seventeen year-old.

"Amazing…" Azura mumbled in awe at what her mother had accomplished.

"Damn… if the Queen had power like that it makes you wonder why she waited this long to use it." Selena wondered.

"I reckon is because of that." Robin said as something begins happening to Arete with a purple glowing spot expanding in her right arm, followed by numerous spots appearing all over her body. One of them, shaped like an arm, snakes its way to her head.

"Damn nuisance…" Arete cursed as she grabs hold of her neck and this partially causes this scourge to leave her a bit.

"Your Majesty…" Charlotte uttered with concern.

"I'm fine, my body just can't handle the strain this pendant puts on the caster when used like it used to. As I am now it can't really harm me but it's power is no longer for me to use." She shrugged as she turns her attention to her three daughters. "Corrin and Azura are two things but for even Elise to cause this sort of ruckus is one problem too many for me."

"Mother… I just…" Elise uttered, beginning to sob.

"I know, Elise, I don't blame you." She assured her. "Now Corrin, Azura, there's no getting out of this this time, it's time for all of you to come- OH… what now?!" She snapped as she senses a darker presence approaching, same with Robin and small meteors come falling from the black sky upon them that rain in carnage, killing many with a lucky few surviving this surprise attack.

"How could things get much worse than this?" Robin shouted over the latest predicament they are facing and just then a larger meteor crashes down far from them and from the raging sky flame, comes out a new demon, tall humanoid with a pair of black, bat-like wings, black horns, clawed hands, and a long, arrow-tipped tail. His pale skin is mostly covered by a black coating and black lines and wrinkles. His teeth are pointed and black, and there is a large burned scar covering the left portion of his face while the remaining good eye glows with a sinister yellow.

"Another one!" Azura gasped.

"By the good grace of Naga." Laslow uttered, caught off by the monster they are staring at and this new threat doesn't hesitate to continue its assault as multiple demonic, grotesque swords mostly made a flesh manifest around him that are sent flying towards the survivors of the first attack, that Robin is forced to counter against by summoning Blárblades that manage to repel all of them and before the Demon could make another move as he makes a small hand gesture that summons a sphere of tremendous dark magic, Robin charges forward to thrust his Levin Sword into him but the Demon is able to block the holy blade by creating a black shield that keeps Robin from him, and this resulted in the fiend cancelling his next attack.

"Sloppy. Very sloppy." The demon sinisterly taunted Robin.

"Iago…" Robin gasped, surprisingly unable to process this as quickly as he should as the Dark Tactician returns now truly falling from even the Grace of Nohr. He isn't even recognizable anymore with only his voice remaining the same.

"I told you before that it's all or nothing, and Hoshido's time of shining blissfully in the sun is over. The Fallen will have their Vengeance. Starting with her." Iago assured him.

"CORRIN!" Robin cried as Iago fires another demon sword that he did not notice in time at Corrin and at it's velocity, neither he nor anyone can stop it, except for one who leaps in the way and takes the hit instead as the blade protrudes through her, the tip narrowly reaching Corrin and a bit of blood spills on her face.

At that, time feels like its slowing down, as if the world really is about to end, especially for Corrin, Elise and Azura who cannot look away from the horror they just witnessed.

---

The real Azura who begins singing to purge the Grimm onslaught stops midway as somehow, the image of what her Replica has just witnessed is forcefully shoved into her brain, and immediately despair overtakes her, so much sorrow and anguish than she has ever felt before consume her and tears are shed for all to see.

"Azura…" Corrin's Replica gasped upon the dreadful sight she is displaying now and they all watch helplessly as the Songstress falls to her knees and screams out all her despair and as a result, a corrupted shockwave of her song spreads far and wide that not only destroys the Grimm but stops all the fighting happening in the Ice Tribe Village as her pain is also spreading for all to feel.

---

"It… cannot be…" Xander mumbled struck with the same despair as his stepsister, dropping his sword, no longer able to continue his fighting with Ryoma.

"Azura…" Ryoma uttered, a sorrow too familiar to him.

---

"Gods… how could this have happened." Robin's Replica cursed, completely understanding Azura's pain and so does Leo and Camilla as they also have been struck by this anguish and know it too well, with the young Prince left paralyze by this horrid emotion while the enraged princess loses her luster and breaks down into fragile tears.

---

"Argh!" Mikoto cried, falling to her knees, and holding her right hand, as the emblem is burning.

"Milady!" Orochi cried frantically, reaching for her and they both watch as the emblem burns bright for a few seconds before the pain finally stops.

"What's happening?" Mikoto uttered, in so much horrible pain that she cannot help but cry also.

---

In the land below the world, the Devil behind such wicked machinations grins and chuckles with delight as his final play in this war is over.

"And with that, I call checkmate, Robin. What can you do for your Princess now?"

---

Well, this one was intense especially as I wrote it. Iago becoming a demon is something I had planned from the start to further solidify his fall from grace and increase his presence as a genuine threat to the white pair which will reach its conclusion soon enough. There's really not much I can say this time, except that I hope you enjoy this one and as always leave reviews. Who doesn't love them?