We start with a dark looking castle where a man dressed in royal looking armor. "Any news of my siblings?" he asked.
"None yet sir. But there are sketchy rumors about Lady Corrin with a Hoshidan Soldier." a soldier said.
"Corrin was taken? Double the search parties assigned to that area. As for us, I will personally lead the front against the Hoshidan Army." he said.
Back with the group…
"And you are certain this was where you sighted Xander?" Leo asked.
"Yes. We can confirm that." Darios said.
"Look! I see Xander!" Elise said.
'Looks like he's taken the lead against the Hoshidans. We've gotta go and join him." Leo said.
"Don't have to tell us twice but he's more than capable of handling himself." Hope said as they rushed to the battlefield.
"We best be careful. Note may have sent some of her Deserters to do some damage of her own." Ichiro said.
"Deserters?" Elise said.
"Wait...I see someone there now." Rose said as a man with black hair wielding two swords ran out of a thick fog in the castle as he slashed apart one of the fire orbs.
"That style...that man...That's...Musashi Miyamoto!" Daisy said.
"Even he's here, huh? The man of the dual blade style most famous for…" Hope said. "I actually don't know him that well."
"You kidding? He's only one of the greatest swordsman in Japan's history. He's famous for his duels and authoring the book The Book of Five Rings." Daisy said.
"Oh right! Oh right." Hope said realizing the situation before another figure came from the fog and slashed the other fire orb. This figure was paled skin with his black hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a kimono.
"Great… Now we've got his rival, Kojiro Sasaki." Fuyuhiko said.
"So we get two of Japan's greatest swordsmen? Oh I do not like our odds." Hope said.
Xander approached with his army as the Hoshidan army was moving in. "A paltry gambit." he said before Sky Knights flew at him before he quickly dispatched them with Siegfred. "Pathetic. Do they think me so easy to conquer?"
Crown Prince of Nohr
Paladin
Xander
"Now march! Destroy the Hoshidan Army!" Xander ordered as they marched in.
"I see Xander! He's going after the Hoshidans!" Elise said.
"Rrrgh… we don't have time for you two, out of our way! Xander needs us!" Leo said.
"Kill the Crown Prince." Musashi said.
"As requested of Lady Note." Kojiro said.
"At least the two of them aren't clashing swords at each other." Teruteru said.
"A shame. Their rivalry was one of their best highlights." Nagito said.
"They're being controlled, remember? They aren't acting of their own free will." Celica said.
"Then we just have to take 'em down. Xander's life is at stake here." Hope said.
"But how, Hope? Do we have anyone that can stand against them?" Lacy asked. "I mean...these two are high class swordsmen that don't let anyone stand in their way."
"Think of all the foes we've beaten. We deserve to stand with these men now." Hope said. "We duel them, we will have all the momentum from past battles by our side."
"You know… Hope may be clumsy and rushes into things, but you can't deny his facts." Nana said.
"Fine. I will handle Kojiro." Ciel said. "If we can avoid another Hope lesson thing." she said dashing onto the battlefield.
"And I will do my best against Musashi." Ichiro said moving in as well.
"Thanks guys, we'll go on ahead. And good luck!" Hope said as they moved away.
(Cue: The Only Thing I Know for Real - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance)
"Don't get in our way, interlopers." Musashi said as he clashed with Ichiro.
"Sorry, but you're not getting close to Lord Xander." Ichiro said.
"You're so useless...I'll do it!" Kojiro said charging after Xander as Ciel blocked him.
"You have to get through me first…" Ciel said as both parties clashed blades and parried each others' strikes.
"This is a duel, isn't it?" Musashi asked.
"Eh?" Ichiro asked.
"Duels are nothing more than mere games with swords. A true battle is the thrilling rush of battling with swords and the knowledge only one will walk away alive." he said. "A surge of adrenaline one could only have on the battlefield."
"In other words, a fight to the death is all that remains in your mind?" Ichiro asked.
"Duels are always fought to the death." Musashi said.
"Right." Ichiro said. "Well I don't fight like that." he said as both clashed their blades with one another.
Ciel fought with Kojiro, avoiding his slashes and firing back with her sniper configuration, but Kojiro seemed to block the bullets.
"They say you were Musashi's rival. You both had some of the greatest sword duels in history. Yet you throw it all away now just to fight without any honor between the both of you?" CIel asked.
"Honor is but a fleeting concept. I had always sought to kill those worthy in the most beautiful fashion. Even if I leave Lady Note's service, that will never change." Kojiro said.
"Seems we both fall on swayed ears…" Ichiro said. "Let's end this quickly." he said as lighting generated from his katanas.
"Yeah. We've got more important things to do." Ciel said as she blocked Kojiro's attacks and readied her weapon. "So we need to wrap this up fast." she said as both of them charged at their opponents.
"This...is my pride!" Ichiro said as he slashed into Musachi with both his swords in an X formation.
"This is the end." Ciel said invoking her Blood Energy and blasting through Kojiro. Both went down in a heap, alive yet unconscious.
"We should bring them back to camp. It's better to have them there than for Note to pick them back up." Ichiro said.
"Good idea. You can never tell what methods she uses to get these warriors." Ciel said.
The two dragged the warriors off the battlefield just as the Aytolis forces and the Nohrians forced the Hoshidans away, keeping their base in one piece.
"I offer you my thanks for my siblings safely returned. Now all that remains is to find Corrin." Xander said.
"She hasn't been seen by your forces. Do you think, she might be…?" Hope asked.
"I refuse to believe that Corrin has perished here." Xander said. "My soldiers have reported her captured by the Hoshidans. Camilla, Leo, Elise, I am leaving you three with these warriors. I must go and confront the Hoshidans myself. I trust to see you all again soon." Xander said riding off with his soldiers.
"And he's gone." Elise said.
"We're not sure if Hoshido really has captured Corrin. After all, she is of Hoshidan blood." Hope said.
"Then maybe that Note lady captured her, and pitted Nohr and Hoshido against each other." Nana said.
"No...I know the Hobbyists and they wouldn't resort to that. Someone else is behind this." Daisy said.
"But...who?" Hope asked.
