After the group had rejoined with each other, they headed into the Kingswood.
"This is the only place they could have gone." Takumi said.
"Wait, I see them up ahead." Lianna said.
"Hold on...something doesn't feel right." Camilla said.
As they approached, they could immediately tell something wasn't right with the two of them.
"Xander? What's wrong big brother? Say something." Elise said.
"Look out!" Rowan said pulling her back as he blocked a sword attack from Xander.
"What the?!" Hinoka said.
"That look in his eyes… He's being controlled!" Takumi said.
"By who? Note?" Hope asked.
"Doubt it. For now we better run to a nearby fort. We don't stand a chance against them." Mayumi said before feeling a sensation as something came at her. She quickly blocked as a figure joined between Ryoma and Xander. A girl with silver hair and a strange sword.
Fateful Princess
Nohr Princess
Corrin
"That...that's Corrin!" Leo said.
"Now Corrin's attacking us? It makes no sense." Takumi said.
"No way this is Note. A sorcerer could possibly...wait...ugh...why didn't this come to me sooner. Iago." Hope said.
"Who?" Lissa said.
"He's King Garon's right hand man. He's a sorcerer with specialty in illusion and mind control spells. Pain in the ass if you face him directly." Hope said.
"You know everything about Nohr's military. Us, the soldiers… even our father and Iago. How do you have all of this info?" Leo asked.
"Uh… Research! Yeah! He's been doing some very extensive research on the royal family." David said.
"Nice save, David. They wouldn't believe me otherwise if i told them what happened to me…" Hope thought.
"We need to find Iago and take him down. If he's the mastermind, then taking him down means Corrin, Xander and Ryoma are free of his control." Kirumi said.
"The problem is that he's an illusion master, so even finding the guy is gonna be a dice roll." Scott said.
"Not really. If we take out his mages, he'll lack the support needed to hold his mind control together." Himiko said.
"Great idea, Himiko." Chrom said. "But where did you get that idea?"
"Classic RPG tactic. High-level spells that need a lot of MP sometimes are cast in groups, such as this situation or summoning illusions." Himiko said.
"In that case...we'll need to eliminate every dark mage." Mitsunari said.
"Dark Mages are weak when it comes to potency. Because their magic is powerful, their mana supply tends to run out very quickly." Himiko said.
"Then strike when they're weak. Very effective." Mitsunari said.
"Let's get to it." Leo said as the group split off to attack the dark mages while avoiding Corrin, Ryoma and Xander.
"That is right. Strike and allow their control to crumble." Mitsunari said as the heroes went and attacked the dark mages.
As the heroes defeated the dark mages one by one, Iago watched this and laughed.
"Fools. Too bad for them it is not the mages controlling the spell. Attack my little puppets." Iago said as the three sword wielders moved in on them.
"What the? I thought that'd do it, but… was it all a ruse?" Takumi said.
"Iago's magic power is immense indeed." Mitsunari said.
"In that case, we gotta take down Iago and cut him down a peg." Akane said.
"Impossible, there's no way you can physically drain a person's own magic power." Mitsunari said.
"We don't need to drain him….we force him into a retreat." Elise said. "And Leo has it covered."
"Yes...attack my puppets. Go and...Ah!" Iago said being attacked from behind before seeing Leo there.
"Iago...you will pay for this treachery." Leo said blasting him with magic.
"Grr...damn little brat!" Iago said running as his hold weakened, releasing the three.
"What? What has happened?" Ryoma said.
"I don't know… wh...Ryoma? Xander?" Corrin asked.
"Corrin, you're here? But I thought for certain that Hoshido had you as their prisoner." Xander said.
"I as well, but it was Nohr who was in my thoughts." Ryoma said.
"That's what Iago wanted you guys to think. He captured Corrin so that you two would destroy each other." Mayumi said.
"But the coward has fled." Takumi said.
"Do not worry...he will not get far." Leo said.
Iago ran through the woods as fast he could.
"No good. I've lost my hold on those three. No matter. I'll simply try again with those other three. The so called heroes." Iago said to himself.
"Don't move!" a voice said as Himiko stood in his way.
"Please. A young girl weak in magic has no chance against a Sorcerer of my caliber." Iago said.
"Arrogance has always been the downfall of people like you." Himiko said. "I may be small, but I'm a real mage now! You won't get away after what you've done!"
"Hahaha! Words of the foolish. I think I'll see about ripping you limb from limb. Thoron!" Iago shouted as he casted.
Himiko rolled out of the way and fired back. "Nosferatu!" she shouted hitting Iago with a black cloud of darkness, healing herself too.
"How dare you. Die, you miserable child!" Iago said firing a large beam of dark magic.
"I wont die." Himiko said bluntly. "Angie… Tenko… This is for you!" Himiko said as she casted darkness underneath Iago, causing him to rise up as Himiko ascends on a cyclone, and casts a cascade of fireballs at Iago. "I'll show you my skills aren't just for parlor tricks!" Himiko declared as she struck a lightning bolt down on Iago. "Thor!" she shouted as the lightning struck Iago.
"How...how dare…" Iago said before falling over as he vanished into darkness.
"Your schemes have ended, Iago." Himiko said before spotting a golden seal. "Nyeh? Is that… That Master Seal that they mentioned?" Himiko picked it up and a light started to emit from it. When it fades, she sees that she's wearing actual mage robes and that her mana supply has gone up.
Class Change!
"Holy cow!" Rainbow said.
"Himiko… you look amazing!" Tails said.
"Nyeeeeh...what just happened to me?" Himiko asked, confused.
"The Master Seal has done a class change. Your abilities have gotten a lot stronger now!" Robin said.
"Judging from the looks of your robes, you're a sorcerer now." David said.
"Yes. And a powerful one at that." Leo said.
"So uh… i guess this means you leveled up?" Hope said.
"What are you saying?" Zelos asked.
"She plays RPGs and does a lot of board ones, so I'm guessing she has some lingo learned. She says MP a lot." Hope said.
"This is actually really cool!" Himiko said. "By the way, how was everything on your end?"
"We managed to defeat whatever forces Iago left behind. We won't be worrying about him anytime soon." David said.
"Yeah but…." Levy said referring to Ryoma and Xander. The two elder princes looked at each other before sheathing their swords.
"Let us put away our swords for now in the pursuit of a joined goal." Ryoma said.
"Indeed. Let us word together to protect our siblings and return safely to our homelands." Xander said.
"Ryoma! Xander! I am so glad. I'm sure with the two of you, we will be unstoppable." Corrin said.
"Indeed." Xander said.
"Right." Ryoma said.
After that moment, the three of them glowed as three stones flew from them and entered the shield of flames, filling three of the slots.
"Three gleamstones at once!" Zinia said.
"That means there's only one left. But who would have it?" Pedro asked.
"You guys haven't figured it out yet?" Edna asked. "Heroes were summoned from three different worlds. Four, if you count Celica."
"Hey, now!" Celica said.
"Wait a minute, if Edna's right… then that means there's only one man i know that would have the final gleamstone." Hope said. "Its him."
"The Hero King of Legend…" Lucina said.
"Although, considering the circumstances, he may be from a time before he was the Hero-King." Sectonia said.
"Yes. Before he was Hero King, he was just the cast out Prince of Altea...Marth." Sonia said.
"I knew it was him. Everything that's royal has to come back to him." Hipe said.
"Who's this Marth guy?" Rowan asked.
"He's only one of the greatest heroes of the first generation of all time. Try reading a book sometime." Rainbow said.
"Lucina knows Marth very well, considering she used his standing and accolades, along with his name." Hope said.
"Uh...not really. Marth was gone before I was born. I only know of him through legend." Lucina said.
"But it's pretty obvious what we need to do. We find Marth, right?" Sora asked.
"Later. For now, scouts have found an old fortress occupied by Gristonne forces. This is our chance to cripple their forces." Darios said.
"Ironic, coming from the prince of Gristonne." Petra said.
"We don't want to pry, but you seem very determined to take down Gristonne for some reason." Ross said.
"They attacked instead of sending help. I am still loyal to Gristonne. It is my father I have turned against." Darios said.
"Hmm...David, Hope...you two find this sketchy too right?" Jexi whispered.
"Yeah, kinda. This feels weird." Hope said.
"Agreed… Something feels a little off." David said. "Something tells me there's more to this than he's telling us… Something related to the Chaos Dragon, maybe."
"Either way...we need to keep close tabs on Darios." Jexi said.
