Copyright disclaimer: I only own the plot of this fic. For a full copyright disclaimer, please read chapter 1.

Emm, I tried… – Chrom

Chapter 35

Standing here, I realize…
…that cavalry inside a castle is a bad idea.

I can only watch in alarm as the edge of the Wolf Berg comes crashing down on-

*Clang*

-a bunch of Spirit blades?

Walhart and I look surprised at the ethereal weapons stopping the Conqueror from turning me into his latest victim. The cracks in the blades are unmistakable, but so is the fact that Walhart's swing was stopped. And that's when Say'ri lunges back into the fray, only for Walhart to back off. And it is only now that I notice that Walhart dismounted before he went for the kill.

I slowly get back on my feet while holding my wound. "S-Say'ri?"

"Forgive me, Jack. I needed some time to recover from that sudden strike." the Swordmaster tells me as she places herself between me and Walhart. "Rest assured, I will remain by your side in this battle, just as promised."

"Is that so?" Walhart muses as he retakes his stance. "Then you shall both perish together. Your sword is indeed an impressive one, princess of Chon'sin, but is the wielder possessed of enough strength?"

Say'ri growls as she shifts into a firmer stance. "More than enough to bring down the wrath of my people on your head, fiend!"

I wince while trying to apply some healing magic on my wound. "No, stay back, Say'ri! Neither of us are strong enough to defeat Walhart in a head-on confrontation!"

"This is no longer a matter of being strong enough, Jack." Say'ri replies. "If I run now, I will never be able to face the future."

"Your only future is death." Walhart declares as he moves to engage Say'ri-

*Brzt!*

-only to pivot and smack away a lightning spell sent his way. Moments later, the caster reveals themselves in the form of Robin – dashing in with the coldest expression of fury I have ever seen on her face, lightning dancing over her whole body, a voice that could freeze the Long Sea…

"Hands off my husband."

…and a Rasengan almost as wide as she is tall.

*Sshhr-BOOM!*

I blink at the bizarreness of it all while waiting for the resulting dust cloud to disperse. When it does, Walhart is nowhere to be seen. There's just a wide, shallow gouge in the ground where he just stood. I follow its general direction and notice an oddly wide gap among the ranks of the Imperial soldiers. And looking beyond that, there's a hole in the outer wall of Castle Valm, shaped vaguely like the Conqueror (outline of axe and cape included). And just to make it even weirder, the shape is upside down.

"Jack!"

I blink again in surprise as my wife runs up to me and pulls me into a hug.

"Oh, thank the gods you're safe!" my wife exclaims relieved.

"…Robin?"

"When I saw Walhart about to end your life I- Something within me just snapped. The only thing I could think of was that I had to protect you." Robin backs off a bit to look me over more closely. "The wound is deep. We have to get you to a healer, fast."

"Yeah, I get that, but… What just happened…?" I ask, still confused.

Fortunately, Observe gives me an answer in the form of a skill that I've never seen on Robin before:

Mama Bear mode, Lvl MAX, Active, Cost: 700 MP per minute
Few things in nature are as dangerous as a mother bear protecting her cubs. An elderly Sage proposed centuries ago that it is theoretically possible for just about any female to be able to draw on such ferocity and practically hysterical strength in the right circumstances. However, it was only recently that his hypothesis was proven to be correct. This evolved form of Female Fury has the female in question embrace her innate desire to protect everyone she holds dear from anything that may harm them and magnifies it to the point of absurdity. Rumor has it that those who are on the receiving end of such a female's affections are often in for some intimate snuggly times after the perceived danger has passed.
Damage dealt, movement speed and accuracy increase by 200 %. Additional effects may occur as well, depending on the person. Only women can learn this skill. This skill can only be activated in response to danger towards a person with whom the user shares a relationship that is at least on the level of Friends. User may enter a state of Mellow Mellow when the perceived danger has passed and the individual they wish to protect is still alive.

I- What…? What is it with women and them having some innate ability to temporarily grow ridiculously overpowered? I'm not even sure if this is even within the realms of animé anymore…

As my wife helps me up, she levels a fierce glare at the Imperial soldiers standing around us.

"Anyone else?"

That seems to shock them out of their stupor.

"Hurry back to His Excellency!"
"Protect our emperor with your lives!"
"Fall back! Fall back to the castle!"

And just like that, Walhart's entire army retreats from the battlefield. None of the mounted soldiers seem to even consider attacking any of us. If anything, the first soldiers to retreat give Robin a wide berth as they ride.

Quest alert:
Main quest: The might of the Conqueror
It was a fierce battle, with one wave of Imperial soldiers crashing down on you after another. But you have prevailed in the end, and even sent Walhart himself packing. But know that this war is far from over. You may have bested the Conqueror once, but he still draws breath. He is the kind of man who refuses to surrender, and his subjects will keep fighting with him so long as he lives.
Objectives: Defeat Walhart. Don't let Say'ri or Chrom die
All objectives completed!
Rewards: You gain 19 000 EXP! You gain 19 000 gold!

Say'ri looks at the retreating soldiers in shock. "I expected something like this could happen, and yet, to think it actually did…"

Robin shakes her head. "It's just like with Basilio. The larger the man, the bigger the void left in his wake."

"And Walhart made himself the linchpin of his whole empire. Without him, anyone under his rule becomes helpless." I remark. "Robin, you just rocked the entire empire to its foundations."

My wife nods with a scowl. "If that finally gets them off our backs, all the better. Let's get you looked at."

Even as my wife leads me back, a thought keeps poking me at the back of my mind. Even when taking the boost from her newly acquired Mama Bear mode into account, I still find it hard to believe that was all Robin needed to more or less one-shot Walhart; a warrior who handed me my ass seemingly without breaking a sweat. As hard as Robin can hit, the power gap would simply be too wide. Which means there was at least one more source of power that my wife drew from when she rushed to my aid. The question is; what would that be?

I feel my heart sink as I find my answer in the form of a faint purple glow underneath Robin's right glove. Unintentionally or not, it would seem my wife managed to use her link to the Fell Dragon to tap into his godlike power. Not only does this mean that Tiki´s ominous warning regarding Grima's return is very much an immediate issue, it also implies that Grima is recovering his strength at an alarming rate.

"Something the matter, Jack?" Robin asks, seemingly unaware of her glowing mark.

I swallow with a grim expression. "The second we return from Valm, we need to prepare everyone for a battle so fierce, it will make the last one look like a warmup."

Robin frowns. "What did you just find out? Does it…regard Validar?"

I nod. "I just hope it's me overreacting. Otherwise, Tiki might've been more on the mark than we thought."

The clock is ticking. And it's connected to a bomb far bigger than I first expected.

We finally make it to the rest of our allies. Any healers among our ranks are working double time as soldiers from every nation of our alliance are getting their wounds tended to. Some got off lightly, cursing through the pain of having the wound from an arrow or a rather simple cut sealed shut in the gentle glow of healing magic. Some are actually screaming due to having far worse wounds treated before they end up crippled or their lives are snuffed out prematurely.

"Jack! What happened to you?!" Libra shouts as he approaches us with blood staining his robes, but his condition telling us that none of it is his.

"Made good on my word to Walhart and almost paid the price." I mutter before Robin dumps me on the ground. "Oof! Hey, what gives?"

Robin thrusts a finger at my face. "This is you getting off lightly, mister! What were you thinking, challenging the Conqueror to single combat at a critical point in this war?!"

"Robin, we went over this-"

"I know we went over this! I was there!" my wife snaps. "Do you have any idea how stressful if was, commanding the army while the only reassurance on your life that I had was Say'ri's promise?! I was constantly praying under my breath to whatever god that exists that you would make it out alive from that battle. If it wasn't for Rose and Morgan staying by my side at all times, I would have been blindsided by Imperial soldiers at least a dozen times over because my worries kept distracting me!"

I wince, more from Robin's words than Libra working his literal magic on my wound.

"I suggest you hold off on whatever argument you are having at the moment." Libra chastises us. "Miriel did inform me that stress impedes recovery in all manner of ways."

"You're not wrong. Either of you." I admit. "I know I made a terrible decision, as good as it may have been at the time. It's only thanks to Say'ri and you, Robin, that I'm still alive."

Robin nods sagely. "And don't you forget it." Then my wife embraces me. "When this war is over, I will study healing magic. The gods know medicine and bandages alone can only get me so far when trying to patch you up from whatever madness you throw yourself into."

Libra clears his throat and gives us a strained smile. "While I do agree with you to some extent, Robin, I must ask you to refer to the great ones with more respect than that."

This time, my wife winces. "Ah, my bad."

Sure… Never mind the fact that I have a healing spell of my own to compliment whatever Libra is casting on me. On an unrelated note…

"I never got to thank you for saving my life, Say'ri. You intervened in the nick of time." I tell the Dynast Swordmaster with a smile.

Say'ri nods. "Think nothing of it. I merely kept my own word to you and Lady Robin."

Robin shakes her head. "Word or no word, the fact remains that you saved my husband from an untimely death and me from becoming a widow. Not to mention that our children still have their father. Say'ri, my family owes you the debt of a lifetime."

Say'ri smiles. "Think nothing of it, Robin. Your husband brought my brother back to life when I thought I had handed him a death no man deserves. If anything, I am the one who was indebted to your family before this battle. I hope we can consider the debt settled with this."

I notice Robin hold back a tear as she shuts her eyes. "We can. Thank you, Say'ri."

Right as Libra finishes up with my wound, I start walking among our soldiers to both get a better picture of how well they're holding up as well as casting some Pure Breeze around me to alleviate some of the workload for our healers. I find Lissa and her family tending to a Feroxi General during this walk. But what catches my attention is Owain staring at his right hand with a scowl.

And then a red glow appears around it. I slowly reach for Harvest Moon in case of trouble.

Owain simply clenches the hand with a firm "No."

The glow turns white before it dissipates, making it look like it was never there.

I blink surprised. "Owain? What just happened?"

The Myrmidon grins and shows me the back of his hand. "I finally did it, Sensei. My sword hand is at peace at last."

The symbol on my white-haired student's hand morphs before my eyes. The demonic wings growing out of the guard turn angelic in appearance. The black flames disappear and are replaced by a halo that circles both the sword and the wings. And the whole symbol turns pure-white. On top of that, I get a notice;

Owain has acquired a new skill! "Hand of the Sword Demon" has turned into "Hand of the Sword Saint"!

Hand of the Sword Saint, Lvl 1 [0 %], Active, Cost: 200 MP per minute
In gaining mastery of yourself, the power raging within your hand has settled peacefully at last. And with this inner peace comes an understanding of the way of the sword unlike any you have known. No longer does your hand desire the taste of blood or the agony of a life snuffed out – it wields the sword according to your will and yours alone. Let your sword sing as you swing it, and dance to its tune as you move over the battlefield.
Increases all stats by 15 %. Increases the level of Sword mastery by 30. This can temporarily exceed the level cap of Sword mastery.
The user must wield a sword or dagger in order to activate this skill.

I match Owain's grin with my own. "You finally did it. You've achieved mastery of yourself at last."

Owain inspects the new mark on his hand with a contemplative look. "You know, it's kind of weird, seeing my sword hand like this. For so long, I thought only the legendary blade Mystletainn could tame the bloodlust raging within my hand. But now that it has been put to rest, I'm starting to question how I reached that conclusion in the first place."

I shrug. "I've had some questionable ideas about how things work myself. You'd be surprised what a difference a change of perspective can make. If anything, that's exactly what happened to you just now. This might be the key for you to surpass me as a swordsman one day."

My white-haired student gives me a curious look. "You think…I can surpass you, Jack-sensei?"

I nod. "So long as we look at swordsmanship alone, certainly. Speaking of which…"

I rummage in my bag to pull out Mystletainn and toss the legendary sword to Owain. The Myrmidon fumbles a bit before he catches the sword and slowly draws it.

Owain gives me a confused look. "Wait, are you sure?"

I nod smiling. "A promise is a promise. I gave you my word that I would personally hand you Mystletainn on the day when you prove yourself worthy of the sword, and you have shown me just that. With this, I officially recognize you as a master in your own right. My duty as your teacher is complete."

"Awesome work, son!" Henry congratulates Owain as he slings an arm over his shoulder. "I heard Jack has given this kind of praise to only a handful of people before. I'm proud of you!"

Owain gives his father a smile. "Heh. Thanks, Father." Then the Myrmidon gets contemplative. "Still is this alright, Sensei? I feel like I could still learn more from you."

I nod sagely. "I'm always open to share my knowledge with you. Just because I recognize you as a master doesn't mean you've reached your full potential, Owain. It just means that I have deemed you worthy of training on your own terms. What path to mastery that you carve for yourself from here on out is up to you, whether it is without my guidance or with a few pointers thrown in here or there."

Owain grins as he slips out of his father's one-armed embrace. The Myrmidon thrusts a finger towards the sky while the sunlight reflects off his sunglasses.

"Then you'd better keep your eyes peeled on me, Jack-sensei! For this is the moment when the legend of Owain Dark truly picks up! They say that the sky's the limit, but such notions are beneath a man as awesome as myself! Limits are meant to be broken, and none shall hinder my progress as my path takes me beyond the heavens themselves! Blink and you'll miss it!"

I chuckle as I let my crazy student have his moment. I approach Owain with my hand raised for a high-five.

"Oh, I'll keep an eye on you, alright. But no longer as my student, but as a valued ally. Let's see if you keep up with me or I leave you in the dust."

Owain accepts my gesture while grinning ear to ear.

*Clap!*

Your relationship with Owain has advanced! Your relationship with Owain is now "Friends"!

The bond you've nurtured has given birth to a new ability! You can now perform the Union strike, "Hype Train", with Owain!

With whatever soldiers who can still fight healed up and those who no longer can sent back to camp, our ranks soon regroup. Say'ri sweeps her gaze over the assembled warriors and sighs upon finding that our numbers are notably lower than before the battle began.

"Not only did Walhart elude our grasp, his army covered for him as they retreated. And all we have to show for it are losses on our own side." the Swordmaster laments. "Fie, will this war ever end?!"

"But we dealt a heavy blow to the Empire in return." Chrom points out. "Walhart must still be reeling from that last clash, meaning his men will divert all their strength to protecting him. We've forced them on the defensive."

"Then this means we can finally seize the initiative and deal a decisive blow." Lucina concludes. "We will never get a chance like this again."

Say'ri nods. "Aye, right you are. Let us prepare for one final push and-"

Say'ri stops as distinctly familiar sounds reach our ears. The sound of thousands of feet stepping on the ground in unison. The sound of dozens – if not hundreds – of wyverns and pegasi letting out their distinctive cries as they fly through the sky.

The sounds of an approaching army.

We turn towards the south to find the source in a massive number of soldiers – infantry, cavalry and fliers alike. I can't count them all in an instant, but I bet they number in the hundreds of thousands. More importantly…

Robin squints at the banners held high for all to see. "Wait a minute. Is that…the banner of the Resistance?"

"It boggles the mind." Say'ri states in shock.

"Say'ri, do you recognize them?" Chrom asks.

The Dynast princess nods. "Aye, sir. They're from the southlands – states that betrayed us for the Empire. …Or so I thought. But why would they march under the banner of the Resistance? And why now?"

As the new army approaches, I spot someone marching at the forefront of their ranks. A familiar silver-haired swordsman. Say'ri also recognizes him and runs past our ranks to meet him. The moment she's close enough, Say'ri throws herself at the Swordmaster and embraces him.

BGM: Rally the Spirit, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance music

"Brother…"

Yen'fay smiles as he returns the hug. "It would seem I made it in time. I am relieved."

Say'ri backs away a bit and looks at the army behind her brother. "All these soldiers… How come they rally with the Resistance now?"

"I never held any true loyalty to the Conqueror. And neither did any of these brave warriors you see today." Yen'fay explains. "They have all been waiting for this day; the day when they could unite under the common cause to free themselves of the Imperial yoke and bring an end to Walhart's tyranny. All that was needed was for someone to deliver the message."

Say'ri's eyes widen in realization. "Your journey through the lands…"

Yen'fay nods. "Indeed. Upon my defeat – and supposed death – at your hands, the Empire's eyes would no longer be on me. You had already shown that you had gathered capable allies who could help you oppose the Conqueror's might and Excellus's schemes. News of your victory showed the warriors of the southland that the Conqueror could be conquered. All I had to do was gather them and march on Walhart's capital to assist you in this final battle."

"Wait, you're telling me no one here was loyal to the Imperial army?" Chrom asks shocked. "If I recall, that Excellus fellow kept gloating about how he had most of the Dynast warriors under his thumb."

Yen'fay smirks. "Ah, but that is where Excellus made a fatal miscalculation. We warriors of Chon'sin follow a strict code of honor. But there is no greater honor than to risk your life for your kin. And there is no easier way to gain our ire than by threatening our kin with cowardly tactics."

Oh, so that's why I can feel copious amounts of murderous intent flowing from the gathered dynasts towards Castle Valm. And here I thought Walhart was an expert in making enemies. Excellus just (further) cemented himself as the unchallenged master of pissing everyone off – including pretty much half a continent.

"Then what of Mother and Father?" Say'ri protests. "What honor could there be in their deaths and leaving them in the burning palace to serve as their funeral pyre?"

Yen'fay's expression instantly gets somber. "Many are the nights when my thoughts drift back on that day. You should know, Say'ri, that Mother and Father perished at my hand, and they let it happen willingly."

That makes the rest of us recoil in shock.

"Wh-what…? Why?! Why would you let such a thing happen?!" Say'ri shouts.

"Because they saw no other way to save our lives." Yen'fay explains with a heavy sigh. "They both knew that to oppose the Conqueror in the situation we found ourselves in meant that all in our family would perish. And so, they had me strike them down, and pledge loyalty to Walhart, all while keeping you in the dark. That way, one of us could mount a resistance force to oppose Walhart while the other could keep their sibling safe from within the Empire's innermost circles."

Say'ri looks at her brother in disbelief. "Mother and Father…did it for us…?"

Yan'fay nods. "Aye. They too staked their lives, so that we would have a chance of freeing our people from this invader. Remember what I said; in Chon'sin, there is no greater honor for a warrior than to risk their life for their kin. We stand here today, because of their sacrifice. And for that, their memory deserves the highest honor we can give them; by living long enough to see this war through and restoring our kingdom."

Say'ri shuts her eyes as tears stream down her cheeks. "Father… Mother… Words cannot express how grateful I am to you."

Yen'fay places a comforting hand on his sister's shoulder. "While I greatly desire to give our late parents the last rites they so rightly deserve, that will have to wait until we have claimed victory. What say you, sister? Will you join me in one last battle and put an end to this?"

Say'ri wipes her tears and stares Yen'fay with determination burning in her eyes. "Aye, brother. Let us free our home from this tyranny once and for all."

BGM ends

POV: General

"-had a clear shot at intercepting the enemy on the west flank, when I suddenly saw our ranks getting swatted aside like they weren't even there!" an Imperial Bow Knight recounts with a haunted look. "I could scarcely believe my eyes. An entire battalion of elite cavalry…destroyed by a single country bumpkin with a brass pot on his head!"

"Pull yourself together, man!" a Great Knight shouts exasperated. "We all knew this would be a challenging battle. Don't tell me you're about to give up just because of one man!"

"You don't understand! That was no man; that was a monster! And that's before some green dragon flew in and bombarded the stragglers with fireballs! And then another green dragon who practically turned the entire field into an azure inferno! Do you have any idea how it feels to go up against even a single enemy soldier who seemingly has the strength to match a whole battalion on their own?!"

"I know the feeling." a Dark Knight agrees with a gulp. "I saw some lunatic who wouldn't stop ranting about his sword hand. Wouldn't have paid him any mind either if he didn't tear through my unit like a man possessed. While having this strangely calm look on his face. What was that, some kind of…ashen demon?"

Walhart is sitting on his throne, with Wolf Berg resting against its side, and listens on the deliberations of his most high-ranked officers, if for no other reason than to pass the time as he prepares himself for what will inevitably be yet another decisive battle.

Just one look from anyone familiar with the hulking emperor shows a notable change in his appearance. His trusty steed is nowhere to be found, and the Conqueror himself is wearing a different suit of armor – this one far less bulky and favoring maneuverability over sturdiness. The reasons for these drastic changes are quite simple; the few soldiers that were dispatched to retrieve his steed have yet to return, and his armor was found deformed at the abdominal area when Walhart himself had crashed into his own castle with nary a warning.

Even now, Walhart contemplates that particular event. It happened in an instant. One moment he was ready to strike down both the princess of Chon'sin and the man known as the Reaper. Then, a flash of silver hair, a furious woman, and a sphere containing more mana than any mage in his court had ever managed to amass at any one point. And next he knew, he found himself lying in a heap of rubble inside his own castle, with his armor distinctly uncomfortable around the abdomen and what would reveal itself to be a wound even greater than what that bald axe wielder had dealt him some time ago.

Clearly, the Dynast princess has managed to make some powerful allies in this…Ylissean league. Though the Valmese emperor is far from surprised, given the events that have transpired since quite some time.

The vanguard sent across the Long sea to establish the first imperial settlement and base of operations never reported back, which could only mean they were wiped out. The invading fleet sent some time afterwards had not only been routed to the last ship, but sunk to the bottom of the sea in an inferno so great, the scouts claimed it was as if the sea itself was lit aflame. Fast forward another month, and a report came in that the eastern main harbor had been seized by a foreign military force.

The weeks that followed were what caught Walhart's attention the most, however. Reports of small skirmishes in various parts of his empire came in at first. But then, Cervantes had returned to the capital with a look of defeat in his eyes, a substantial amount of his mustache missing and news of an army that had both encircled his entire battalion stationed around the Mila Tree and forced the loyal General to retreat (thank goodness for Rescue Mages). And said army had Say'ri among their leaders, no less.

Putting the pieces together had been a simple task when the Conqueror considered this series of events; the people of the Archanean continent had not only repelled his vanguard force, but also launched a campaign of their own against his empire. His empire! And they were gaining ground, at that. Many of his men would attribute it to the fierce Prince Chrom of Ylisse or the reigning khan of Regna Ferox. Maybe even the rumored warrior in a purple garb who moved through the battlefield like an avatar of death itself.

But Walhart saw something else. An army who could outmaneuver his entire imperial force of a million men on their home soil clearly needed a shrewd strategist among their ranks. And there were rumors to match that description; a silver-haired woman shrouded in mystery, save for her astounding tactical prowess that she decided to lend to the Ylissean prince. A tactician who not only devises unconventional strategies, but also fights on the frontlines right alongside her allies instead of retreating behind ranks full of soldiers to spectate the battle from afar.

Just because Walhart is not one for battlefield tactics does not mean he is ignorant to their value. He does keep Excellus around for a reason, after all – besides the rotund man's constant (and mildly amusing) groveling.

"I wonder…" the Conqueror muses. "Where would I stand, had that woman become my chief tactician instead of Excellus?"

The Valmese emperor shakes his head. No point in delving into thoughts of what could have been. Always march forward, away from the shackles of gods and tradition, towards a future built on strength and wisdom. That was his vision when he founded his empire, and by that creed he shall subjugate the world. This coming battle is but a steppingstone on his quest to-

Walhart frowns and reaches for Wolf Berg. This catches the notice of his officers.

"Your Excellency? Is something amiss?" Cervantes asks, his freshly groomed facial follicles glimmering with a healthy sheen.

"Are your senses so dulled that you have not noticed?" the Conqueror reproaches his subjects. "There is a foreign presence in these halls."

That puts everyone else on high alert.

"An enemy spy, right in the throne room?!" Excellus exclaims in disbelief. "Th-that's impossible! Not even a mouse should be able to sneak past the imperial guard inside Your Excellency's own castle!"

"Well, clearly they need some stricter training, then." Cervantes remarks as his vigilant gaze sweeps the throne room.

"Do you imbeciles not understand the gravity of our situation?!" Walhart bellows as he stands up from his throne. "The enemy is preparing for battle right outside my castle, and all you do in here is wasting time on useless debating! It is only a matter of time before they storm the gate!"

Excellus, of course, understands the situation perfectly. He saw the writing on the wall the moment the supposed reinforcement in the form of the, *ahem*, carefully persuaded Dynast soldiers rode into view, only to find them riding under the banner of that wretched Resistance movement. What was supposed to result in a one-sided slaughter of Say'ri's little militia turned into a military boon for the Dynast princess instead, right at the eleventh hour. The situation only spiraled out of Excellus's control from there. It was only then that he started to realize that the one the dynasts feared was not him, but Yen'Fay.

"Put simply, the empire is finished." the imperial tactician concludes. "I have to get out of here before I get caught by the Resistance's soldiers and they put me to the sword!"

Course of action decided, Excellus clears his throat.

"Hrm! Yes, Your Excellency is correct, as always. Seeing as your grand castle will no doubt become a battleground soon, I shall personally see to it that the castle guard and what soldiers retreated in here are brought up to speed and prepare for battle."

"Meaning I will put them in a somewhat presentable formation and then excuse myself from just about everyone in the castle before I slip out from under their noses." Excellus thinks to himself. "Good thing I came into contact with this "Aversa" woman some time ago and offered some remote places in the empire for her to run her little experiments. Time to cash in on that little favor she owes me and see if I can't lay low in Plegia until this whole mess blows over. Or better yet, perhaps the Plegian court has need of the services of someone as brilliant as I."

But before the Imperial tactician even comes close to exiting the throne room, Walhart's booming voice stops him cold.

"Oh? I do not recall putting you in charge of leading my personal guard. But who am I to dismiss such bravery in the face of adversity?"

Excellus gulps as he turns back to Walhart. "Wh-what?! No, I- Ah, what I meant to say is that I-"

"That you wish to ensure my safety as we move to crush these rebels once and for all?" Walhart interrupts with a snarl that dares the Sage to disagree. Upon hearing Excellus's whimper, Walhart smirks. "Your loyalty is commendable indeed, Excellus. Congratulations, new Guard Captain. You will have the honor of leading my most loyal soldiers right in the middle of the fray. Do remember that they will carefully keep an eye on you for guidance, even as the battle rages within these halls."

Cervantes lets out a hearty laughter at that. "Pah ha ha ha ha! A stellar choice for a guard captain, Your Excellency! Now, seeing as I am effectively part of said guard now, I should do my part and prepare for the upcoming battle. By your leave, Excellency, I shall retrieve my trusty axe and put the finishing touches on my mustache."

"See to it that it is done on time." Walhart replies with a nod. Then the Valmese emperor stabs Wolf Berg into the floor with a fierce snarl on his face. "Either way, this shall be where we make our stand. It is time to end this war for good."

Even as the loyal subjects of the Conqueror draw confidence from their emperor (and the non-loyal subject struggles to keep his mounting panic in check), no one seems to recall the vanishing presence from earlier.

Kellam breaths a sigh of relief as he clears the outer walls of Castle Valm. "Phew… For a moment I thought I would get caught. I never thought I would be so happy everyone forgot I was there."

POV: Jack

As great news as it may be that we just got some massive reinforcements from Dynast lands, it also meant a good bit of time had to be spent organizing this massive group of newcomers. The plan that Robin has drawn up this time around is quite simple by her standards; have the majority of the Dynast army surround Castle Valm to ensure no one from the Empire escapes – be it a humble servant or an army officer – while laying siege on the stronghold. Meanwhile, an elite force (that means the Shepherds) will spearhead the assault into the castle interior itself and force an opening big enough for the rest of the soldiers to pour in and overwhelm what soldiers still fight for the Empire. It's all a matter of cornering the Conqueror and then take him down with brute force.

To make sure we avoid any ambushes right past the entrance, Robin sent Kellam to infiltrate the castle and try to scope the place out, both in terms of layout and what the Imperials are doing. Speaking of Kellam, where is-

"I said; I'm back, Robin!"

Everyone jumps back when we notice the Assassin stand in our midst.

"Gah! Kellam, when did you get back?!" my wife shouts alarmed.

"About a minute ago." Kellam replies. "You were all so busy with your discussions that I couldn't get a word in edgewise. And I thought my input would be important."

"No no, it is." Robin assures him. "I, uh… You just slipped my mind, is all…"

Kellam gives her a sour look as he begins his debriefing. Robin nods along until Kellam reaches the past part.

"What do you mean, Walhart might have sensed you?" Robin asks in disbelief.

"Exactly what I meant. I was spying on the throne room when Walhart reached for his axe while looking in my direction. I didn't want to risk getting spotted right in the heart of his own stronghold, so I made my escape as fast as I could." Kellam shudders. "I never thought I would see the day when someone notices me when I don't want to."

So on top of being a one man elite army, Walhart is also capable of sensing Kellam on pure instinct. Kellam. The guy who can somehow evade my Gamer senses without even trying. While in full armor. How powerful is that emperor?!

Robin bites her lip. "As if he wasn't already enough of an issue on the battlefield. That means sneak attacks are effectively out unless we can make a large enough distraction."

"Perhaps there's no need." Chrom suggests. "We already have the Conqueror's back against the wall. All that's left is to force him to surrender or to simply put an end to him."

My wife shakes her head. "Chrom, it's not that simple. Fighting Walhart head-on means that we play right into his hands. The fact that I got such a clean hit in on him earlier was a combination of Jack and Say'ri taking up so much of his attention and sheer dumb luck."

"That may be true, but it might also be the only way for him to concede defeat." Say'ri points out. "There is a time and place for subterfuge, but I believe that time has passed. It all comes down to a matter of strength in this battle."

Flavia glances at Yen'fay. "Hey, Yen'fay. How good are your troops?"

"Fine warriors, all of them." Yen'fay replies. "Every single one joined me not only out of a desire to see our home liberated at last, but also because they had the bravery to take the battle to the Conqueror, even if it meant facing him down alone."

"And what of their battle prowess?"

The Swordmaster nods. "They should at least be able to hold their own against Walhart's elite soldiers."

The reigning khan smiles. "Well, seems like Walhart's soldiers will be taken care of, at least – seeing as we have the advantage in numbers."

"Which leaves Walhart as the remaining obstacle before we can claim victory." Robin concludes with a frown. My wife rubs her temples. "*Sigh* It always comes back to this one man. If only there was a way around that."

"Robin, I think you should stop trying to think along that line." I interject. "The way I see it, Walhart won't fold to anything less than the full military might of our alliance. So let's give him what he wants so no one can question our triumph."

"That idea is exactly what nearly cost me you!" Robin protests. "I am not sending you in Walhart's direction again! You're staying with me!"

I hold up my hands placatingly. "Hey, even I know I'm not that good. I thought something more along the lines of all of us – or at least the strongest in our army – throwing everything we have at the big man when we have him isolated. As strong as Walhart is, he's trying to carry this whole empire on his shoulders alone. And we have proven these past months that we have the strength to oppose said empire. So long as we bring the whole of our combined might down on Walhart, he will collapse from the strain sooner or later. I mean, that's how we manage to drive him all the way back to his castle in the first place."

"Jack's right, Robin." Chrom interjects. "We stand here today for a number of reasons; your tactics, the ships provided by Plegia, our alliance with Regna Ferox and now the warriors of Chon'sin, our children from the future… Had any one of these parts been missing, I don't think we would have made it this far. We only made it here because we helped each other. But Walhart?" The prince shakes his head. "Walhart ultimately stands alone. And that will be the reason behind his inevitable downfall. We proved that today, and we can do it again."

Robin frowns a bit. "*Sigh* As much as I hate to admit it, I can't argue with that logic. Guess it really does come down to a contest of strength at this point…"

I'm about to pat my wife on the shoulder when she directs a glare at us all.

"…or so I would say, if I was any dumber than I am."

Flavia raises an eyebrow. "You're still trying to come up with another strategy, even now?"

"There's always time to come up with new strategies." Robin retorts. "I'm not about to have us send our soldiers in blindly where our enemy is making their last stand. If we're taking this last stronghold, we're doing it properly. Which means we need to arrange our troops so that the ones in the front can smash an opening in their first line of defense."

I tilt my head sideways. "Isn't that the usual smash-a-hole-in-their-front plan? I'd like to think we've done that a number of times already."

Robin gives me smirk that indicates that she might have a bit too much fun at her job. "Oh, but that's the thing, Jack. There's always room for some creativity in this. We can't have Nah blow the gates off their hinges like back at Fort Steiger – what with her condition – but what if we could have someone else do it?"

A grin slowly spreads on my lips. "And this is why I will never stop finding allure in the things you do."

Yen'fay regards us with a sweatdrop. "Say'ri, I did not expect your allies to be so…eccentric."

Say'ri sighs. "You get used to it."

Then Say'ri unfastens Amatsu and hands the sword to her brother.

Yen'fay gives his sister a quizzical look. "You would have me wield Amatsu in this battle? But that sword belongs to you now."

Say'ri nods. "I know, but I wish for Walhart and his men to understand exactly who they face. I do not want you to confront them as Yen'fay the wandering swordsman or the dishonored king. I want you to face them as Yen'fay of Chon'sin. Let them feel the extent of your wrath, as I intend to unleash my own."

"You have changed more than I expected. I do not recall you being so ruthless." Yen'fay remarks. Though he accepts the sword with a smile and hands Say'ri Ivory Gale in return. "Though I understand your sentiment and appreciate the boon, even if it is just for one battle."

Say'ri ties Ivory Gale to her hip with a matching smile. "What can I say? I suppose my allies have influenced me more than I noticed."

POV: General

A squad of Imperial Generals stands right in front of the front gate. Though the entrance in question has been barred and reinforced to shut any would-be invaders out while the Snipers stationed on the walls pick them off, none of the heavily armored soldiers are under the illusion that this arrangement alone will hold for long.

One of the Generals gulps. "They…are just outside by this point, right?"

"Judging from all the noise coming from outside, it would seem to be the case." his fellow soldier remarks. "Which means they should be trying to breach the gate any minute now."

The Generals get in formation, planting their feet on the ground and ready to hold the line, no matter what awaits them.

"…a…Me…"

A strange humming sound can be heard from the other side of the gate.

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" General # 1 asks.

"Ha…Me…!"

The mysterious sound grows louder, alongside a voice none of the Generals recognize.

"Almost sounds like a chant." General # 2 remarks. Then he snorts. "Joke's on them. The gate's been reinforced with wards for the express purpose of repelling any incoming spell. They're in for a nasty surpri-"

"HAAA!"

One moment, blinding light pierces through the gaps between the massive double doors. The next, the gate bulges inwards before it's torn open by a wave of highly concentrated mana that destroys everything in its path.

"What the heee-"

*FWOOOOM!*

POV: Jack

I clap my half-Taguel student on his shoulder. "Nicely done, Yarne."

Yarne lowers his hands with a grin. "Heh. Never thought blasting a gate off its hinges would be this much fun. So, where do we take it from here?"

Robin quickly assumes command. "All right, everyone! This is it! Storm that castle, defeat the Conqueror and hold nothing back!"

We raise a battle cry as one in response to Robin's orders. With morale at its peak, we charge straight in.

Quest alert:
Main quest: The sword or the knee
Everyone is here! With the Resistance in its entirety gathered at Castle Valm to cross blades with the rest of Walhart's army, Walhart himself is now driven into a corner. All that stands between you and the big man himself is his elite guard nestled within the mighty walls of his castle. But no matter how many of those soldiers fall, this war will not end until either Walhart falls, or all of you do. It all comes down to this.
Objectives: Defeat Walhart. Don't let Say'ri or Chrom die
Rewards: 20 000 EXP, 20 000 gold
Failure: Walhart doesn't just defeat the lot of you. With the entirety of the Resistance put to rout, there truly is no other force in the world left that is capable of stopping the Valmese emperor's world conquest. All will kneel before Walhart the Conqueror.

BGM: Focal Line, Hyrule Warriors music

Our troops split into three factions as we enter. I take the middle route, followed by Robin, among others. Explosions spread across the left corridor as our spellcasters unleash arcane hell on anyone standing in their way. The sound of metal getting struck or even bent rings out on our right as our melee fighters tear through their part. I myself cast a wide stream of air to act as a tailwind for any archers that accompanied me down the middle. Not only does it increase the range of our archers, it also disrupts the enemy archers trying to shoot in the opposite direction.

I swing Harvest Moon to parry a Tomahawk aimed my way. The throwing axe curves through the air and lands back in the hand of its owner; Cervantes.

"Harumph! It will take more than some paltry breeze to best me!" the Valmese General declares as his glossy mustache flaps in the wind.

"Please, that's just the greeting." I reply as I brandish Harvest Moon. "I'd blow you away with a literal hurricane, but I don't fancy huffing and puffing a house made of straw. That's too easy."

"Oho, confident, are we?! Have at you then, rebellious scum!" Cervantes challenges as he plants both feet and his shield on the floor. "Like a flimsy belt around the waist of defeat, you shall buckle here!"

I charge straight at Cervantes and bring Harvest Moon down. The General blocks the swing with his shield, only skidding back by a bit.

I smirk. "Hoh? Bulked up since last time, did you?"

Cervantes flicks me away. "Since the humiliation I suffered at the Mila Tree, I have trained relentlessly in preparation for the next battle. In the name of His Excellency Walhart the Conqueror, I shall weather any storm that turns at our empire!"

"Then let's see how you deal with a storm of slashes with a mind of its own." I reply as I hop lightly on my feet.

At the landing of the fourth hop, I let Gale step tear up the ground as I dash circles around Cervantes while changing direction at random. Cervantes frantically looks around himself in a futile attempt to keep track of me, only to give up and tightens his stance as much as he can instead.

"I said I shall weather any storm, and I stand by my word!"

I slip past him close enough to whisper.

"That word will drown in the roar of the storm."

Before Cervantes can react, my assault begins. I weave in and out of my circular dash and slash at the turtling General as I pass him. First it's one slash. Then two. Four. Eight. Twenty. Gashes appear all over Cervantes' shield and armor as my onslaught keeps battering him. Eventually, the pressure of my assault becomes so overwhelming that Cervantes' knees buckle. That's when I deliver a kick to his back and send him staggering forward. Cervantes can only watch in alarm as I appear in front of him again and deliver another kick to throw his shield sideways. By the time he tries to strike me with his Tomahawk, I'm already at his right flank and deliver a deep slash into his side. Cervantes grits his teeth through the pain as he reestablishes his footing and lashes out to his right, but I'm already on his left for another swing. This time the General does shout in pain as his stance crumbles. And that's when I appear right in front of him in a crouch.

"The wind reaches everywhere." *Shing!*

My rising swing finally sends the General crashing on his back.

"I…am finished… Nngh…" Cervantes groans as his beard turns red with his blood. "But I have no regrets. I die…in the shadow of greatness…"

"I'll at least let you die with your beard intact." I tell the dying General as I walk past him. "You've earned that much."

With Cervantes out of the way, my wide-range wind support can continue without interruptions. The difference is plain to see as imperial Bow Knights frantically try to adjust to the headwind while our own archers can loosen arrows with more ease than usual. The central halls of the castle fall under our control with ease as we advance.

That is, until the arrows flying our way are replaced by spheres of lightning and fire that can work through my wind magic without issue.

"Mages!" Robin shouts to our allies in warning.

"Libra, you're up!" I call out in response.

The War Monk steps up with a group of similarly robed allies with glowing staves in hand.

"O ye sacred guardians with benevolent gazes.
Let our spirits be placed under thine aegis
and shield us from the hands of evil.
Ward!"

A yellow dome of mana expands from the staves. As it washes over us, we're all covered in a faint yellow glow. The soldiers in our group manage to block the incoming spells with far more ease than before thanks to that. And from there, both archers and melee fighters alike have an easy time taking the Imperial opposition down, be they spellcasters or melee specialists.

But even that gets stopped as a veritable inferno washes over our troops. The Ward spell from earlier shields them from the worst, but the damage still puts them down until a healer can look at the burns. We quickly find the one responsible for that fire spell; Excellus. Well, looks like he's good for something in Walhart's army. More importantly, the rotund Sage's face looks even paler than usual.

"You think I'm afraid? Of YOU?!" Excellus shouts in a pitch that is definitely higher than last time I saw him. "Come, then. COME AT ME!"

"As much as I'd love to finally rid the world of your ugly mug, there's someone else who's far more suited for that task." I reply dryly and walk off to the side. "He's all yours!"

Excellus's face, if possible, grows even paler as he sees who's behind me; Yen'fay.

"No! That's impossible! You're supposed to be DEAD!" the Imperial tactician shrieks in horror.

"Aye, I did indeed die. But I have been given the boon of a second chance at life. That said, the dead do not take kindly to those who leave their ranks." Yen'fay replies as he brandishes Amatsu and sets himself in a stance. "I shall have you take my place, Excellus."

Cold sweat runs down Excellus's face as Yen'fay takes one step forward for every step he takes backwards.

"No… Stay back! STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

The tome in the Sage's hand snaps open as Excellus unloads dozens of massive fireballs. Though in his panic, a fair number of them don't even go in Yen'fay's direction. They hit nearby Imperial soldiers instead.

"Captain Excellus! Please, calm yourse- Augh!"

In response, Yen'fay charges right at Excellus. A blue glow envelops Amatsu as the former Dynast king swings at the incoming fire spells – and cleaves right through the spheres like a hot knife through butter. Three paces later, Yen'fay plunges Amatsu through Excellus's chest.

"Here comes judgement!"

Yen'fay rips the branching sword out and unleashes a myriad of slashes all over Excellus's front. For every slash, a Spirit blade appears over the rotund Sage. With one final slash, Yen'fay turns his back on Excellus. Yen'fay flicks some blood off of Amatsu's blade. At the same time, the Spirit blades dart in and pierce Excellus all over.

"Gu- Ghuee…"

The ethereal swords shatter as Excellus collapses on the floor in a bloody heap.

"And good riddance…" Yen'fay mutters.

With Excellus out of the picture, morale among the nearby Imperial soldiers plummets. The lack of leadership makes them easy pickings for us and our troops. As we clean up in the central parts of Castle Valm, I notice Cordelia approach from the right wing.

"Robin, our troops fighting in the right wing need aid quickly!" the Falcon Knight tells my wife. "The Imperial soldiers there have managed to put a halt in their advance and are using the narrow halls to turn our numbers against us."

Robin curses under her breath. "I should have known something like this might happen…"

I nod. "Alright, lead the way, Cordelia. I'll make some room in those halls and-"

"Oh no, you don't!" Robin objects. "I'm not about to let you wander out of my sight on your own again so soon."

"I'm going with Cordelia." I point out dryly.

"Jack, I am not about to let you go on a technicality!"

"If I may…" Yen'fay interjects. "Would it put your mind at ease if I were to accompany your husband?"

Robin purses her lips before she nods slowly. "Yes… Yes, that should do. Keep an eye on him for me, would you, Yen'fay?"

The Swordmaster nods. "As you wish."

"What are you, my babysitter?" I mutter as he and I follow Cordelia.

As we reach the right wing, I understand the issue that Cordelia told us about. A group of Imperial Generals have dug their heels in to bottleneck the whole corridor and stop any frontal assault. Behind them are Sages and Snipers who can launch spells and arrows from easy cover. And there are even more Generals blocking off most of the side exits of the larger corridor. This in and of itself wouldn't be much of a problem, if not for the strategic blunder on our part; the majority of our forces in the right wing's corridor are cavalry. Cavalry may have great mobility on the battlefield, but only if there's enough open space for the horses to run on. The relatively narrow corridor combined with the bottleneck made by the Imperial Generals means that any mounted soldiers on our side is left with barely any wiggle room, which makes them easy pickings for Imperial projectiles. Our troops are effectively trapped in the corridor.

"This is a troubling sight. Aiding our allies in this situation will be difficult." Yen'fay observes.

"I could try to fly you closer to the fray, but at least one of their archers are always watching me like a hawk." Cordelia adds. "If only we could break through."

"Well, if that's the only issue, I have an idea." I tell them. "How about I'll just slip in among their ranks and raise some mayhem?"

Yen'fay gives me a skeptic look. "And how do you intend to sneak up behind them – let alone get past all of our allies?"

"By running on the walls."

"I believe you mean "running along the walls"."

I smirk. "You clearly don't know me, Yen'fay."

With that, I burst into motion and run along the walls, above the throng of stuck cavalry. Well, more like I use Telekinesis and Gale step to make it look like I'm doing it, but what's the difference? I spare a glance at the Imperial soldiers and they, as expected, gawk at me before the Snipers try (and fail) to shoot me down. I land behind the wall of Generals and the first thing I do is swing all around me. Also, bend this way and that to dodge any incoming arrow or spell. I'm an old hand at this tactic.

But I'm forced to abandon my assault and get back up on a wall as I notice something approaching the corridor from the side; a torrent of dragonfire. One of the Imperial Generals blocking the corridor from there takes notice.

"Huh? What the heck is- AAAHH!"

*FWOOM!*

I land on the (now notably hotter) stone floor and look in the direction that the flames came from, only to stare in disbelief at who breathed those flames.

Because standing on the other side of that minor hallway is none other than Nah, with a bigger smile on her face than I've seen in a long time and with a glowing object around her neck. A very familiar-looking glowing object.

"Nah? Where in the world did you find a Dragonstone?" I ask shocked.

My niece happily shows me the glowing stone. "I could hardly believe it myself at first, Uncle Jack. I saw Gaius and Anna raid a treasure chamber on the other side of the castle when I noticed this Dragonstone lying on a pedestal. No dragon around seemed to lay claim on it, so I thought "finders keepers" and swiped it. Isn't this great? I can finally use my powers like I'm used to again."

"Knowing Walhart, he probably decided to keep that stone as some kind of trophy." I muse. A grin spreads on my face. "Well, since we're busy toppling his empire anyway, we might as well help ourselves with some stuff he couldn't use anyway."

"Stand your ground!" one of the Valmese Generals shouts as he rallies his compatriots. "Be it some wall-running lunatic or a little girl spewing fire, we will hold the line!"

I sigh. "You're just asking for it."

Union Strike: Blazblue

"Nah, get ready!"

"Let's go!"

I slam a wind-enhanced kick into a General's shield and springboard off it into the air. Nah follows my lead by sliding between the legs of another General before she takes to the air in a burst of flames. I grab her in mid-air as toss her to the edge of the formation facing our allies while I use Gale step to reach the other side. I blast the Imperial soldiers with wind-enhanced fists while Nah hammers away with strikes coated in dragon fire. And to make sure our enemies are contained, I blast a current of wind along the side of the formation. Nah catches on quick and does the same on the other side with a torrent of blue flames. Some of the Sages among the Imperial troops seem to realize what's going on, but by that point, it's too late.

"I'm coming over!" I shout and give one final push with a wide-range wind spell before I ride my flanking wind current to the same side as Nah.

As I slide to a stop, I extend the wind current to encircle the entire enemy formation, all while feeding Nah's dragon flames with more mana.

"I am so strong!" Nah declares as she begins building up more flames around her limbs.

I slap the floor and Transmute it underneath the Imperial soldiers to catapult them into the air. Then I follow up with one last wind spell.

"Blast 'em, Nah! Emera Baram!"

Nah jumps into the vortex as the flames grow bigger.

"Take this! Azure Blast Edge!"

As Nah rides the vortex, she goes with the rotation to have the flames coating her limbs form a spiral of densely packed flames that races into the sky. My wind spell once again feeds into Nah's flames to makes them even more potent than before. The azure dragon fire races along the bladed wind current and catches up to the airborne Imperial soldiers before everything is enveloped in a massive explosion.

*BOOM!*

I take two steps forward and catch Nah on my shoulder.

"We win!" Nah cheers.

I put my niece back on the floor and pat her head. "Glad to have you back, Nah."

BGM ends

"Goodness, the heat is sweltering." Cordelia remarks as she wipes some sweat off her brow.

"Never underestimate a dragon's flame." Nah replies proudly. "You have no idea how good that felt."

I look at the defeated soldiers with a sweatdrop (and not because of the residual heat). "I'm honestly surprised no part of the building was damaged in the blast wave. We went way overboard by all accounts."

The proverbial candle lights up over Cordelia's head. "And with this kind of power on our side, taking this part of the castle should be easy. You may be just what we need to seize this wing, Nah."

I give my niece a concerned glance. "You think you can do it? You just regained full control of your powers, after all."

Nah pats her biceps with a confident smile. "You bet, Uncle Jack. I feel like I could bring down the whole castle if need be."

"Please don't do that… A lot of people would be upset if this place got wrecked in the process, regardless of who emerges victorious."

"Then it seems we are free to assist our allies elsewhere within the castle." Yen'fay suggests.

I nod. "And I know exactly where to go next. Follow me. And take care, Nah."

As Nah gives us a cheerful wave, Yen'fay glances at me.

"Where exactly do you intend to fight?"

"Simple; where we can end this."

"The throne room, then?"

"Exactly."

Yen'fay and I arrive at our intended destination at the same moment as Chrom, Robin and Say'ri.

"I see you were of the same mind as us." Chrom remarks as he takes notice of us.

I nod. "What better way to put a stop to this war than by putting down the one thing holding the entire enemy army together? Walhart's army sounded a full retreat after Robin sent him flying back into his castle. His defeat should make every imperial soldier surrender the moment they hear the news."

Chrom nods and faces the doors to the throne room with a scowl. "Then there's nothing more to be said. Let's finish this."

The Ylissean prince puts his hands on the double doors and pushes them open with a grunt. Judging by the heavy groan as they swing open, they must weigh a lot.

And inside the throne room is the big man himself. Walhart stands in front of his throne, hands resting on his massive battle axe that's been stabbed into the floor, cape billowing in the same nonexistent breeze as Chrom's and…clad in a different suit of armor as the one he wore the last time I saw him. It's slimmer in design, which should afford more freedom of movement. No horse either, which means he intends to fight on foot if need be. Lovely…

Chrom strides into the throne room with Say'ri following behind him slightly to his left and Robin to his right. Yen'fay follows suit behind Say'ri while I walk behind Robin. Even with a full-blown battle happening in the middle of the castle, the throne room is remarkably quiet.

"So you have arrived at last, prince of Ylisse." Walhart remarks when Chrom stops a dozen paces in front of the Conqueror.

"And there is only one thing I will ask for, Walhart." Chrom replies as he presents an open hand. "Will you surrender?"

The Conqueror scoffs. "Don't waste my time with questions you know the answers to, boy."

Chrom shakes his head with a frustrated sigh. "It did not have to be this way… You believe in mankind's strength… So does my sister. You believe that we are masters of our destinies… So do I. You could have joined us."

"ME, JOIN YOU?!" Walhart snarls. "Does a pegasus join with the flea on its back? A dragon, with a cow it eats?! You forget your place, boy. I am the Conqueror! I will unite the world!"

"No! …We will. And not by forcing all the people to choose between the sword or the knee." Chrom retorts with a steely edge. "Peace will only come by stoking people's hearts – not their fear."

"You think that's what you've done? What your sister does?" Walhart returns. "No, all she does is spew sentimental hogwash about solving disputes with wordsand nothing else! Such weakness! And you, do you not resort to your blade the moment a threat arises? There is naught but hypocrisy in what you speak."

Chrom clenches his fists. "You're wrong – on both accounts. I draw my sword in defense of my people. And the peace Emmeryn embodies is no weakness. It holds strength beyond what you could fathom. The peace that Emmeryn will instill upon this world will live on longer than all your conquests…"

"And longer than you will…" Walhart replies as he pulls Wolf Berg from the floor with a smirk and gets in a ready stance. "Come then, flea, and die for you peace!"

Chrom sighs – this time in resignation – as he draws Falchion. "Emm, I tried…"

BGM: Crimson Dragon, Megaman Starforce 3 music

Chrom leaps at Walhart and brings Falchion down with a roar. Walhart retaliates with a back-handed swing.

*KRANG!*

A brief flash of light illuminates the space where their weapons meet as dust flies everywhere from the ensuing shockwave of the clash. Walhart puts his other hand on Wolf Berg and pushes Chrom back hard enough to send the prince back to his starting position. Robin and I are already on the move and charge in to take Chrom's place. Robin begins with a slash near Walhart's legs, followed by me aiming a slash against the Conqueror's chest. From there, we attack in tandem to constantly keep Walhart on the defensive. He takes careful steps backwards as he blocks our blows. At one end of the cycle, Walhart catches Robin off-guard with a shoulder tackle instead of a block, staggering my wife. I grab her by her coat and pull her back before Walhart can bring his axe down on her. I briefly lock eyes with Robin and we nod before we reengage. When Walhart stops the next swing from Robin, I pull her back again by her free hand. As I move in, I then swing Robin around like a flail, allowing her to come down on Walhart with both her full body weight and the force of my own swing, all concentrated on her Levin Sword. Walhart's answer is a two-handed swing that stops all of Robin's momentum in an instant, but we both anticipated that. Robin plants her feet on the floor while crouching, allowing me to vault over her back and bring my own sword down on Walhart. Walhart sidesteps the swing and grabs my arm.

Uh-oh.

*Yeet!*

"Gah!"

It's only thanks to my quick reflexes and a bit of Gale step that I manage to avoid having my spine follow the shape of a pillar. I instead shift Harvest Moon into scythe form right as I pass the pillar and hook my weapon around it, allowing me to swerve around the pillar instead. I then shift my weapon into glaive form at the right moment to slingshot my way back to Walhart. The Conqueror is caught flatfooted by my maneuver, in addition to the spiraling sphere of mana in my free hand.

"Rasengan!"

*Shhrrr-boom!*

The impact is strong enough to send Walhart skidding back a few paces with a grunt, as well as leave a small dent in his armor.

And…that's just about the extent of the damage… Part of me just wants to cry.

Walhart raises Wolf Berg to strike me down, only for Chrom to join up with me as we meet the swing with both of ours.

*KRRANG!*

Chrom and I grunt as we push back against the Conqueror's absurd strength. Glancing upwards, my eyes widen in alarm before I disengage. One second, I propel myself to the side with Gale step to tackle both me and Chrom away from Walhart. The next, dozens of Spirit blades rain down on Walhart, courtesy of Yen'fay. He manages to score are a few nicks on the Valmese emperor's armor as well as a few gashes along his cheeks. Other than that, Walhart looks more annoyed than hurt.

The Conqueror turns to Yen'fay with a growl and charges the Swordmaster with Wolf Berg ready to bisect him. Yen'fay takes a deep breath before he fully commits to dodging Walhart's deadly swings. Despite the former Dynast king's superior speed, Walhart manages to catch up and overwhelm him. Another swing is aimed at Yan'fay's mid-section-

"Hah!" *Clang!*

-only for Say'ri to slip into the gap and strike the underside of Wolf Berg with just enough force to divert its course into a position where Yen'fay himself can further divert the massive axe over his head. By the time Walhart's swing has gone completely wide, Say'ri has Ivory Gale sheathed and in an iai stance. The Dynast princess' arm blurs with motion as she draws, slashes and re-sheathes in the blink of an eye. A Twister swing appears and tears into Walhart's armored chest, though it seems to do little more than chip away a bit at his armor. The Dynast siblings quickly form a united front to fend off Walhart's retaliation, though the sheer force behind his swings and deceptively agile footwork makes it difficult to strike back.

"Hey, watch your back!" I shout as I jump in from behind and land a dive kick on the Conqueror's back.

Walhart glances back at me and growls before he tosses me off him. But that's also when he notices my triumphant smirk…

*Krrzzz-CRACK!*

…as Robin drops multiple thunderbolts on top of him.

Walhart's knees buckle under the weight of my wife's attack. But that's also when the Conqueror loses his composure for the first time since this battle started.

"RAAAAAHH!"

Eyes shining with fury, Walhart powers through the electric assault and hurls Wolf Berg straight at Robin. My wife barely has enough time to stop the thunderbolts and move her sword to block.

*Krang!* "Ghh!"

The impact of the flying axe shatters Robin's guard and has her stumbling backwards. Walhart catches Wolf Berg out of the air and gets ready to bring the axe down on my wife before she can even get both feet back on the ground. I zip into the gap between them and raise Harvest Moon in sword form into a blocking stance of my own. I'm immediately reminded of the sheer difference in strength as Walhart's swing sends me crashing to the ground on a knee, pushes Harvest Moon down and Wolf Berg bites into my shoulder.

"Ghh! Aaah!"

"Jack!"

Chrom comes to my rescue as he descends with a rolling jump slash that strikes Walhart across the chest. It's enough to push the Conqueror back a step, but the sparks flying from his chest plate indicate once again how little effect our attacks are having on him. Say'ri and Yen'fay quickly rush to his aid to keep Walhart on his toes, if only barely.

I wince as I try to move my bleeding shoulder, only to stop as the spike of pain proves too much. Robin rushes to my side.

"Jack! Forgive me. That was meant for me."

I shake my head. "Never mind that. Just help us find a way to finally put Walhart down first." I release a haggard breath in frustration. "Curses. The man just keeps shrugging off anything we throw at him. At this rate, we either find something that knocks him off his feet, or he wears us down in a war of attrition."

Robin frowns in thought as she observes the fight. "We're right on the cusp of ending this. We can't afford to back down now. If only we could get past that armor…"

Yen'fay feints to the right and delivers a slash across Walhart's chest, which is then followed up by another Twister swing from Say'ri. Inspiration flashes in Robin's eyes when she notes the tears on Walhart's chest plate.

"That might be it." Robin remarks. "We just have to hit the same part over and over again."

I give my wife a skeptical look. "You're kidding, right? The man's built like a brick wall – and he can fight back."

"Perhaps. But no wall is indestructible. Hit one enough times, and it will crumble sooner or later." Robin counters. "Walhart is not invincible. Nor is his armor unbreakable. It's time we proved that no one man can win a war all on his own."

I raise an eyebrow. "You basically want us to wail on the same spot on his armor until it breaks?"

Robin sighs. "If you have any better idea, I'm all ears."

I shrug as I stab Harvest Moon into the floor to catch Say'ri after Walhart sent her flying with a well-aimed swing. "Did you catch that, Say'ri?"

"I am afraid not." the Dynast princess replies. "I was too busy assisting Sir Chrom and my brother."

I nod as I pull Harvest Moon back up. "All right, we'll do this, then."

I dash into the fray and slam Harvest Moon down on Walhart's guard.

*Clang!*

"Keep hitting the chest plate! It'll break eventually!"

"You can't be serious!" Chrom shouts in disbelief as he moves in to cover for me as Walhart pushes me off.

"You have any better ideas, take it up with Robin." I retort while I knock Yen'fay to the floor to dodge a swing from Wolf Berg that sails right above his head a split-second later. "Isn't smashing stuff your specialty?"

"Not the point, Jack!"

"If you worms have the time to bicker…" Walhart growls as he raises Wolf Berg into the air. "…then do it in your graves!"

*BOOM!*

I managed to push all three of us just out of range of the swing with Telekinesis, but the resulting shockwave sends us tumbling end over end to the women behind us.

I grunt as I get back on my feet. "We need some coordination going here. My left arm's pretty much out, so I'm a bit limited in how I can attack."

Yen'fay swipes two fingers over Amatsu, covering it a blue glow of mana. "We shall provide an opening. The moment you see one, strike."

Robin, Chrom and Say'ri join him as he rushes in to reengage with Walhart. I sigh as I stab Harvest Moon into the floor again.

"Now's as good a time as any to pull out all the stops, I guess." I mutter as black mana swirls in my hand. "I just hope I can contain this enough so none of them get caught in the splash zone."

I swipe my hand over my face to form my Hollow mask. I glare at the ongoing clash and tense my body in preparation for that one decisive strike. Though the question remains what I'm supposed to do with that opening. Any of my bigger attacks have too much AoE. Wouldn't it be better if I made an opening instea-

The proverbial candle lights up above my head.

Wait a minute… That might be it!

I wait for the moment I need to get in there. Let's see… There! Right when Say'ri backs away from her latest attempt!

"Say'ri, switch with me!"

Say'ri glances back, pauses as she sees my Hollow mask and then nods. I slip past her as she leaps back, getting me close enough to stand right before Walhart.

"Come on, hit me!" I shout at the Conqeror.

Walhart is only too eager to please as he swings Wolf Berg to bisect me. I jump over the swing and get into the right position again.

"HIT ME!"

Walhart growls this time and raises his axe for a two-handed downward swing. Though he misses the smirk hidden behind my mask as sparks dance along my right arm.

"Trace on!"

The Hylian shield appears on my arm as the mana disperses. I ready the shield as Walhart brings his axe down. Wait for it…

*Ping!*

Wolf Berg bounces of the Hylian shield as I execute a perfect shield parry. The knockback is strong enough to even send Walhart off-balance.

"Break that chest plate! Now!" I shout as I tackle Walhart in the chest.

Yen'fay quickly responds with a trio of slashes against the Conqueror's chest and then follows that up with half a dozen Spirit blades that rapid-fire on that same spot. Say'ri and Robin jump in right as that assault ends, thus denying Walhart the chance to regain his foothold. Chrom moves in to attack, only to pause as I place a hand on his shoulder.

"Just gimme a moment."

I concentrate wind magic in my hand and swipe it over Falchion, coating the divine blade in a layer of razor-sharp wind. Then I re-call Harvest Moon and shift it into sword form.

"Come on, Chrom. Let's end this."

Chrom nods. "Let's. On my mark!"

Chrom charges at Walhart with a battle cry just as the Conqueror manages to push Say'ri and Robin back. The prince releases a devastating rising slash with enough force to finally tear a gouge in Walhart's chest plate. I come in right afterwards and send Chrom over Walhart with a gust of wind. Then I put what strength I can muster and swing hard enough for both me and Walhart to drop our weapons. But that's okay. I don't need to land the killing blow anyway. I lunge at Walhart's disarmed hand and wrap myself around the limb before I use Gale step to forcibly turn the Conqueror around – right as Chrom lands and readies Falchion.

"Your end has come!"

I let go of Walhart's arm as Chrom charges at him and plunges Falchion into the Conqueror's chest, right into the gouge he made earlier. Moments after Falchion sinks into Walhart's chest, the wind magic that I applied to the sword earlier ruptures. Gale-force winds erupt from Walhart's back and tear through his armor there as well. The pressure is strong enough to push the Conqueror out of his throne room and into the sight of most of the soldiers still fighting. And yet, Walhart's roar is loud enough to be heard over the wind.

BGM ends

Walhart catches himself before he can stumble. He takes a few deep breaths before he rears himself back up to his full height. Some blood spills from his lips. "Do you see, prince? Often the sword…is the only way… My conquest…ends here…"

Walhart stabs Wolf Berg into the floor again. His cape stops billowing, thus covering the exit wound on his back. The whole castle falls silent.

Walhart has been defeated! Nice assist! You gain 13 000 EXP! You gain 13 000 gold!

Wait a minute…

It's…over? Just like that? Am I missing something?

Say'ri drops her sword in shock.

Yen'fay glances at his sister and notes the shock on her face. "Say'ri? What is the matter?"

"Ye gods…" the Dynast princess breathes out. "He died standing."

Realization spreads all over the castle. The proclamation among the imperial soldiers follows soon after.

"He has fallen! Emperor Walhart has fallen!"

Though we should have seen it coming, it was still somewhat surprising how quickly the imperial soldiers lay down their arms after they learned of the demise of their emperor. This, more than anything, showed how much this entire war hinged on Walhart's desire to conquer the world. The imperial soldiers' will to fight died with him. Though that's not to say that they followed him out of fear or obligation. Walhart was a man of ambition and action, and that gave him the sort of charisma that could inspire just about anyone to follow in his footsteps. The army of over a million men that was under his command – not to mention the whole fleet and the vanguard who so rudely sailed into Port Ferox all those months ago – were a testament to how well he could sway the hearts of men. And that is further proven by what is happening right now.

Due to their surrender, the natural course of action would be to imprison any surviving imperialist while we figure out what to do with them (and hoping that Castle Valm has at least enough space for all of them). But before we could put the first soldiers in a cell, an Imperial officer approached Say'ri with a request that confused the Dynast princess at first; the soldiers wished to pay their respects to their fallen emperor first. Allow that, and they would willingly comply with imprisonment. I was chosen to keep an eye on the soldiers in case any of them got any funny ideas, but I find myself pleasantly surprised at what I see instead.

The imperial soldiers have formed a line so that they each can take their turn in paying their respects to Walhart, just like they asked. Some soldiers hold their helmets at their side while looking at the dead emperor with awe bordering on reverence. Others openly weep at the loss of (in their vocal opinion) the greatest man they have ever met. Some lay their arms at Walhart's feet as they kneel before him, thanking him for the honor of serving the Conqueror and bidding him one last farewell. And the crazy part is that, even though Walhart is undoubtedly dead, his still form standing tall and with a stoic expression frozen on his face makes him look remarkably lifelike. Some of our allies that are passing through the hall are even giving the still form of the Conqueror a wide berth, not out of respect for their enemies, but out of fear that Walhart – against all odds – could suddenly come back to life and continue the fight. Personally, I find the notion both silly and possible. The man wouldn't stop at literally anything to fulfill his ambition, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's in a heated argument with Death itself right now over whether he can, in fact, go back or if he can only accept his fate.

Seeing as Walhart's last rites are proceeding in an orderly fashion, I decide to cut into the line to say my own piece. The imperial soldiers behind me send me dirty looks, thinking that I intend to hurl some insult at Walhart. That is, until they hear what I say.

"It's…humbling to have met a man such as yourself. We may have stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, but even I concede that you had at least some idea of what greatness means. You had so much going for you, too. Your rule was built on a noble legacy that even dared defy the divine in order to make the world a better place. If only you could have had someone to teach you the worth in compassion to go along your strength. You could have become the greatest emperor this continent has seen since the ancient days. An emperor so great, even I would have considered bending my knee to you, out of faith that you could elevate this world to something greater than what it is today." I shake my head. "Though I suppose there's no point in thinking of what could have been. And while there are some gripes that I have against what you stand for, I will always respect you for walking the walk before you talked the talk." I beat my right fist over my heart twice as I give Walhart a smile. "Rest in peace, Walhart the Conqueror. You have earned it."

As I glance back at the waiting imperial soldier, I notice that they all look at me wide-eyed, surprised at my little speech. Some even try to hold back tears over the knowledge that even some of the enemies of their late emperor respect him.

Due to showing genuine respect in front of your enemies, your CHAR goes up by 1!

"Do you really believe that, Father?" Morgan asks me.

I nod. "The empire of Valm has a much deeper history than you may know, Morgan. And if my knowledge is accurate, Walhart didn't simply expand his territory – he revived an ancient dynasty and was on the brink of expanding its legacy to encompass the whole world. A legacy as noble as what Chrom and his family are fighting for. But know this; strength and pride may let you reach your goal, but a lack of compassion will stain your path in red by the time you arrive. Never dismiss your kindness as weakness, Morgan. It is the only force that can keep you on the straight and narrow when you get tempted to use your power for your own personal gain and nothing else. Many are the men who have fallen for this temptation and turned into monsters in the process."

AN: To my knowledge, it is strongly implied that Walhart is a descendant of Alm and Celica. The first indication is that his appearance bears similarities to Alm:s father, down to the long white hair. The second is that Walhart's stance regarding gods and worship bears some similarities to the one Alm forms as he journeys across Valentia., though Walhart's stance is clearly more extreme. This can be explained by the fact that while Alm had Celica to remind him of the importance of compassion, Walhart had no one to stand by his side as his equal. The third hint, though I'm unsure of this one, specifically comes from the Japanese versions of the respective games that Alm and Walhart are part of. In the Japanese versions, the name of both their final classes roughly translates to "Overlord", which would imply that Walhart inherited Alm's title. Though I might be wrong on this one.

Two hours later

POV: General

BGM: Prelude Moving Toward Hope, Brave Default music

Chrom is currently in the throne room with Say'ri, Flavia, and Lucina.

The Dynast princess gives Chrom a bow. "Sir Chrom, a thousand thanks from every valmese couldn't repay what you did for us. But I recovered Vert, the Gemstone that was stolen from Chon'sin as a trophy."

Say'ri claps her hands twice, prompting a soldier to approach her with a shining green jewel sitting on a red velvet cushion. The Swordmaster picks the shining object from the cushion and hands it to Chrom, much to his surprise.

"You're giving it to me?"

Say'ri nods. "Of course, sir. It seems the Fell Dragon will soon threaten us all. I would feel safer knowing the Gemstone was in your hands. Please accept it, along with my most sincere gratitude for all you have done."

Chrom nods back with a smile. "Then so be it. Thank you, Say'ri."

Chrom accepts Vert and places the green Gemstone in one of the empty slots on the Fire Emblem. A brief flash illuminates the artifact. By the time it dissipates, Vert sits secure on the Fire Emblem alongside the other three Gemstones gathered so far.

"Just one more Gemstone to go." Chrom muses as he gives the Fire Emblem a once-over. "I really owe you my thanks, Say'ri. We had to sacrifice so much to obtain this Gemstone. If only Basilio were here to witness this moment."

Flavia snorts. "Feh! Knowing the oaf, he probably would've given some snide remark over a man obsessing over jewelry, no matter how big said jewel is."

Chrom barks out a laugh at that. "Hah! I can picture him doing that right this moment. He truly was one of a kind, that man."

Flavia smiles. "You could say that again." Then her expression turns serious. "Just let this remind you of what lies ahead, Chrom. You're saddled with a heavy responsibility by accepting the Gemstones we've found so far. You're not just carrying a bunch of priceless artifacts. They all symbolize the hopes for the future held by everyone who's been with us in this war, be they alive or dead. We're with you to the end, but you're the one who has to get us there. Never forget that."

"I won't." Chrom replies resolutely as he directs his gaze at Lucina. "I'm reminded every day what I'm ultimately fighting for. And I won't rest until we have all built a future where our children can live happy, without the fear of losing their families to some ancient calamities or being left to fend for themselves in a doomed world."

Lucina wipes a tear as she gives Chrom a radiant smile. "Thank you, Father. That means more to me than I can express with words."

Quest alert:
Main quest: The sword or the knee
At long last, the war against the empire of Valm has reached its end. With Walhart's rule put to an end and Vert secured, you're finally ready to leave this whole mess behind.
…Is what would happen, if it wasn't for the inevitable cleanup that happens after every war and which you may or may not get roped into. Have fun trying your hand at diplomacy.
Objectives: Defeat Walhart. Don't let Say'ri or Chrom die
All objectives cleared!
Rewards: You gain 20 000 EXP! You gain 20 000 gold!

Battle of Valm

END

BGM ends

Omake: Deleted scenes 5 (OR: We have a very big budget)

Robin rushes at Walhart with the coldest expression of fury that Jack has ever seen on his wife…

"Hands off my husband."

…and a Rasengan that is almost as wide as she is tall.

The resulting explosion kicks up a massive dust cloud. By the time it dissipates, a shallow gouge can be seen running from Robin's position to the outer wall of Castle Valm. The wall itself has a hole vaguely shaped like Walhart (outline of axe and cape included).

Though Walhart himself stands in the exact same position, completely unfazed.

Everyone blinks in surprise.

Robin glares at the tech crew. "Laurent, what's the holdup?! You missed your cue!"

"I do not understand. I checked the mechanism yesterday, and it worked as intended." the Mage mutters as he fiddles with the controls.

A hidden trap door activates beneath Walhart's feet, causing him to fall into the resulting hole with a crash before the whole thing automatically closes itself again, thus making the whole scene look as if was blasted away by Robin's attack, had everything activated in time.

Robin pinches the bridge of her nose. "*Sigh* Could someone get Walhart while we prepare to reshoot the scene? It's going to be a pain, putting everything back the way it was."

"Hey, at least, yer not the one doin' it." Brady grumbles as he moves onto the set to rearrange everything to its pre-giant-Rasengan state.

Laurent, in turn, rubs his temples. "I will be up all night, trying to figure out what went wrong. Brilliant."

As Laurent fiddles with the controls, Jack walks up to him while rubbing his chin. "I'm amazed that we have access to all this, just to make this series. The machinery alone must cost a fortune."

Laurent nods. "Indeed. Last time I checked, we could well afford all this in addition to the various – and large-scale – set pieces that we use for the various scenes."

Jack scratches his head. "Seriously, how big is our budget?"

Walhart frowns and reaches for Wolf Berg. This catches the notice of his officers.

"Your Excellency? Is something amiss?" Cervantes asks, his freshly groomed facial follicles glimmering with a healthy sheen.

"Are your senses so dulled that you have not noticed?" the Conqueror reproaches his subjects. "There is a foreign presence in these halls."

That puts everyone else on high alert. As they look around frantically, one of the Paladins in the throne room accidentally look in Kellam's direction. Robin quickly reacts.

"Cut! Cut! Breach of Kellam, people!"

The actors gathered on the set groan.

"Again?!" a Dark Knight shouts exasperated. "Who was it this time?! It was Phil, wasn't it?"

The Paladin, Phil, scratches the back of his head. "Sorry. It's just…Kellam really stands out, you know. I know we're supposed to act like he's not there, but it's hard."

"I will have you know we all have to act like that." Excellus huffs. "Did you not attend the mandatory "do not notice Kellam" lessons like the rest of us."

"I did, but it's still super hard!" the Paladin replies defensively.

Kellam sighs. "Guys, it's okay. It's kind of my fault for standing out so much anyway. Sorry to have you go through all this for my sake."

A Great Knight waves him off. "Think nothing of it, man. We all felt for you when we first learned how the press always seems to know where to find you, no matter how well you try to hide."

Kellam nods. "Yeah. Being the guy who flies under everyone's radar has been a breath of fresh air for the duration of this contract. It has let me spend more time with Miriel piece, even if it's just acting."

"All right, that's enough banter, people." Robin reminds the actors. "Back to your positions. Once more, from the top."

As everyone gets back into position, Cervantes strokes his beard with a thoughtful frown.

"This must be the twelfth time we reshoot this scene. Granted, we do not use any special effects for this one, but it should cost a pretty penny nonetheless. Goodness, how big is our budget?"

"I don't think you can measure the size of a computer program with physical units, Cervantes." a Bow Knight points out.

"I said "budget", not "widget"!"

As the battle rages on in the halls and corridors of Castle Valm, Anna and Gaius are sneaking around in some of the quieter areas while trying to, *ahem*, help themselves with whatever shiny trinkets may be lying around the castle that won't be needed when the dust settles.

"You know, it's kind of sweet of you to tag along and help me with all this exploring and gathering." Anna remarks after they sneak behind the third General rushing to his post.

"Oh, I'm not into this for you, Moneybags. Not after our deal ran its course." Gaius replies. "I'll just do my own thing, and you do yours. No way I'm working as your pack mule again."

"Hey, I wasn't that bad. I even let you have a share of the loot." Anna replies defensively. Then she gives Gaius a suggestive smile. "Speaking of which, wanna try that competition thing again?"

"Fat chance. I learned my lesson last time." the Assassin grumbles as he fishes out another lollipop. "And that "share" you gave me was half a whopping percent. You even rounded it down every time you counted the profits."

Anna huffs. "Fine, fine. Everyone's a critic. We'll just split up at the earliest convenient spot, then?"

The two "treasure hunters" soon find an empty corridor with doors lining each side. The share a glance.

Gaius nods to the left side. "I'll take the left, you take the right."

Anna nods and approaches the first door, unlocks it with Gilthunder, and…

"Do you mind? I'm trying to relax here."

…walks in on Pheros taking a bath, complete with scented candles to the side, a goblet of wine and a book in her hands.

"Gah! Sorry!" Anna exclaims and slams the door shut.

Gaius blinks as he turns back to the merchant. "Was that-"

"Yes."

"Taking a-"

"Yes."

The Assassin blinks a few more times before he shrugs and continues down the corridor.

"Wait, you're not even fazed by that? Why do we even have a fully functional bath on the set?" Anna asks as she follows him.

"Sounds like the contractors took some liberties when building this thing. Though it's weird that I never heard anything about extra invoices for this stuff." Gaius muses. "On a different note, I doubt they'll include this scene in the final version. Might as well tell Nah."

Anna scratches her head. "Seriously, how big is our budget?"

Jack's encyclopedic corner

Dragonstone +, Stone, Base damage: 88, Very Rare
A Dragonstone that has the lifeforce of a particularly powerful Manakete sealed inside it. Due to the peaceful ways of the draconic race and the time it takes for one to mature in their power to such a degree, these stones are exceedingly rare. Some scholars speculate that forming a Dragonstone such as this is a mark of a divine Manakete. No one has been able to confirm or deny this idea, however, simply because the Manaketes who are capable of this feat are so rare and generally live far from human settlements. Though rumors among the seedier parts of society speak of a merchant who sells these remarkable stones for anyone with a heavy enough coin purse.
Passively increases STR, VIT, INT and WIS by 30 %.

Vert, Other, Divine
The Gemstone of earth and one of the five Gemstones needed to perform the Awakening ritual. The green light shining from within this Gemstone is said to pulse in tune with the pulse of the land itself. The brightness of the glow is an indication of how vibrant the surrounding nature is. It is believed that Vert symbolizes Naga's wisdom, as ancient and enduring as the earth itself.

With this, the Valm arc has finally come to an end. But the Ylissean league still has some business to attend to on the continent before they can sail home. Stay healthy until then.

VipeR out.