30th of Lone Moon, Imperial Year 1184

Castle Ylisstol, Ylisse

The tension is high in the war room. They had taken to sea with the largest naval force seen in a century, and they had lost all of it to four ships. Walhart was dead, Gangrel was missing, as were the rest of his generals. Most crushing of all was the death of Duke Virion, an archer who had been by Robin's side since the beginning of the war. He had been heading the Roseanne fleet capital ship when it had been dashed to pieces in the second volley. His body had barely been able to be recovered. The funeral was tomorrow, the very last day of the year.

Maribelle was inconsolable at the loss of her husband. Brady, as to be expected, was enraged beyond imagining at the death of his father. Everyone else was shocked to silence. Flavia couldn't even look at the group. Say'ri had left to defend Chon'sin. Cherche was now the highest noble in Roseanne, and was unlikely to be available…

Robin leaves the room, unable to think of a way to best those black powder weapons directly. Lyn follows after him quickly, leaving Roy, Lucina, Flavia, Idunn and Tiki in the war room alone.

Lucina takes a deep breath before speaking, "First thing's first… Lord Roy, please tell me everything you know."

Roy does so, explaining the madness disease infecting Elibe, the dark magic burst summoning a new continent in the Sea of Ghosts, how that continent was at war with itself, and how they'd come to Ylisstol for the guidance of the master tactician, Robin, once Lyn knew where to find him, "And that's everything we know… Nothing of who this dread pirate is, what unholy magic makes his crew move, and how they tie into King Gangrel's seeming madness."

Lucina sighs heavily, "Great, an unknown force at our doorstep with technology and power unlike any we've seen. Has the world gone mad?"

Tiki steps to the side, standing next to Idunn, "I did not think I'd ever see a Mage Dragon again… What's your name, young one?"

Idunn pauses before speaking, "I am Idunn, Hierophant of Bern."

Tiki turns more towards Idunn, "Hm, most see our people as gods, not mere leaders of religion."

"My case is… Unique. I was cursed, and brought a terrible war to Elibe. I do not seek to be seen in such high esteem after causing such pain," Idunn replies.

Tiki nods and pats the younger manakete's head, "I sense a noble heart in you, young Idunn. Regardless of past misdeeds, I think you'll make our people proud."

Idunn blushes from the praise and turns away, "To hear such words from a member of the Divine Dragon tribe… I am deeply honored, Lady Tiki."

Lucina speaks up during this, "Okay, so here's a question, how is your ally wielding the Wolf Berg? Last I checked, only members of the Valmese dynasty can even lift the axe."

Roy shakes his head, "Melady is a wyvern rider from Bern, how she can wield a weapon of royalty is beyond me. And, if I may, not exactly relevant, given the circumstances."

Lucina nods, "Right, you're right. More pressing matters… We need information as to what's going on in Valm. However, our spies can't seem to get past the Plegian border. Either Gangrel's back and has locked it tight, or his absence has the country in anarchy."

Roy crosses his arms, "What's this 'Dark Council' you mentioned earlier doing then?"

Lucina places her hands on the table, "Tharja, Henry, Libra, Aversa, Lissa and Priam are back in Ylisstol, specifically in hiding, given the recent events. We do have a man on the inside of Gangrel's court, but he's gone dark."

Roy looks down at the map on the table, "That's not good… So we've got no idea what's going on or how to stop it."

"Sadly, no. And with our naval force completely decimated, we can barely field a land army," Lucina says, disheartened.

Outside the war room, Robin was leaning on a balcony overlooking Ylisstol. Lyn soon joins him, "Robin…"

Robin turns, taking Lyn's hands, "I'm so sorry our reunion had to be like this… And that I can't go back to Elibe to help…"

Lyn shakes her head, "I wouldn't ask you to do so under these circumstances. The situation here is far more dire."

Robin nods quietly, "There's… Someone I think you should meet."

Lyn raises an eyebrow as Robin takes her back inside the castle and leads her to a room next to his. Robin knocks lightly on the door before turning to Lyn, "Before you freak out, you should know that recent events led to an… Interesting revelation about myself and my origins. Origins I didn't know about when we met."

Lyn is about to ask what he means when the door opens, "Hey Dad, what's going… On..?"

Morgan, his daughter from the future. Lost due to unknown reasons in this time period. No one knew who her mother was, what with her unique shade of… Green hair.

Lyn and Morgan look at one another, and Lyn, stunned by the resemblance, offers the Sol Katti to Morgan. The Sol Katti, a blade Lyn had used during the war with Nergal, a blade that would only respond to her and her bloodline. Morgan sheepishly accepts the blade, but instead of it becoming too heavy to wield, she holds it with ease, giving it a few experimental swings.

Morgan hands it back, "Father… What's going on?"

Robin smiles, "Morgan, this is Lyndis of Sacae. She's your mother."

Lyn shoots at Robin, "Robin, I would remember if we had a child who went missing."

"Well, allow me to explain in full…"

Robin tells Lyn about his origins, how his father was leader of a cult that worshiped a draconic creation named Grima. How his mother, whoever she was, had stolen away with Robin as a baby to prevent him from becoming host to the dragon homunculus. How Lucina had traveled back in time to prevent Grima from being reborn, and brought future versions of all the children of the Shepherds to fight Grima. How the future version of himself, lost to Grima's madness, had the same idea and attempted to merge with Robin early, resulting in the complete wiping of his memory, while also gaining a few moments of future events, such as his friendship with Chrom. Morgan on the other hand, had only appeared recently, when Robin went on an expedition to locate Naga's Tear.

Lyn is utterly shocked by this story, it beggars belief, but the proof of it was right in front of her. Morgan had her hair, and could wield the Sol Katti, "So… We haven't… Had her yet?"

Robin goes red, "Oh, uh… Heh, I guess… Not-"

Morgan looks at her parents, "This is getting awkward so I'm gonna…"

Robin nods, "Oh, right, absolutely."

Lyn smiles a bit, "Morgan, was it? Let's talk later, okay?"

Morgan smiles a bit, "I… I would like that a lot, actually."

The three smile at one another, a family bond being established after decades of mystery and confusion.

And that's when Roy runs in, "Robin, someone is here with information we badly need."

It takes a couple minutes for Robin and Lyn to reorganize, but when they return to the war room, they are met by a man in black fur and black colored leather. His hair was white with a blue tinge, and on his left eye was an enchanted eyepatch of sorts that glowed with power. He speaks with an accent that none of them could place, "Pardon my sudden interruption. My name is Groh, and I am a member of the Aval Organization under the service of Queen Hildegarde von Krone of Wolfkrone. And I have the answers you want."

Once they have everyone back, Groh begins, "The opponent you faced was Cervantes de Leon. A pirate captain from another world. The world I, and my queen, and a monstrous evil all come from."

Robin blinks, "Monstrous evil?"

Groh nods, "The Soul Edge. Its origins are a mystery, but it's been in the shadows of history for as long as anyone can remember. It is an evil blade that consumes the souls of those who wield and are killed or injured by the blade."

Idunn and Roy give each other a nervous look, remembering what Idunn had seen in the souls of those men gone mad in Elibe.

Lucina shakes her head, "That can't be. If the blade is as twisted as you say, why hasn't anyone destroyed it?"

Groh sighs, "It's been destroyed multiple times, but Soul Edge is smart. It can rebuild itself and frequently twists the minds of those that come into contact with it. The only blade that has historically been able to put Soul Edge down is Soul Calibur… And it may not even be in our world anymore."

Heath, sitting in the corner, speaks up, "So I assume you're from this new continent that showed up, and that this Soul Edge is on the continent as well?"

Groh nods, "Correct. It is currently in the hands of King Strife Astlar of the former nation of Grandall. A nation destroyed a few decades ago in the Mantis War. A three-way conflict between the Grandall Empire, the Kingdom of Dalkia and the Halteese Republic. Strife was reportedly killed at the climax of the war, but as you've seen with Cervantes, former wielders of Soul Edge are not so easily slain."

Lyn raises her hand to pause Groh, "So are these nations also part of the new continent?"

Groh nods once more, "Yes. Dalkia, Halteese, Wolfkrone and Grandall, now known as Ostrheinsburg for its capital, are the only countries existing on the landmass. We believe it was Soul Edge itself that forced us to come to your world."

Robin crosses his arms, "Why now? What does this demon sword and Strife have to gain by coming to our world now?"

Groh sighs and crosses his arms in return, "We aren't sure, but it may be due to a lack of viable hosts. A few years ago, Soul Edge was shattered for the first time by a weapon that wasn't Soul Calibur. In response, it had its former host, Cervantes, revived. It also formed a council of malfested around another former host, but when that host broke free of Soul Edge's grip, it was about to be pierced by Soul Calibur. We think that Soul Edge has formed a sense of self-preservation, retreating to Strife and moving to a new world for new conquests."

Tiki looks grimly at Groh, "Anything with enough power to tear through reality like that is going to be a problem. But what are these, 'malfested' you speak of?"

Idunn speaks up, "Could it be those people going insane in Elibe? The ones infected with evil so strong they shrugged off fatal injuries?"

Groh turns, "That's exactly what they are. The Aval Organization used to call them outsiders, but malfested is the official term. Soul Edge's energy is so powerful it begins to infect those predisposed to violence, turning them mad and giving them inhuman strength. If a malfested survives long enough, it can mutate and become strong enough to destroy entire cities like a living disaster."

Robin gets a bit upset, "So what? There's no way to stop it? All who are infected are doomed?"

Lucina's heart drops, "No… That would mean… Father…"

Groh pauses, "I am… Aware of Exalt Chrom's condition. And there is yet hope for him. If the manifestation has been kept sealed, a strong enough will can resist the influence of Soul Edge. As a matter of fact, I have brought such a seal to be placed on him. This situation… Is not new to me."

Lucina immediately grabs Groh's arm, "Then we need to see him, now!"

Lucina, Tiki, Robin and Groh go to Chrom's side. His bedroom is dark, and he lays on his bed under light blankets. A cold cloth is on his head, as his fever practically burns through it. His sister, Lissa, was by his side, healing him with a warding staff.

Groh gets by Chrom's side and puts his arm in a cast of thin iron, then draws an alchemical inscription in Nordic runes, before dunking the arm in a cask of blessed water, repeating the process that had his own arm bound. Robin notices this and realizes that Groh likely suffers from the same affliction.

Lissa's eyes widen as Chrom's fever begins to die down, "Chrom? Bro..?"

Exalt Chrom, who had been kept in a near unconscious state since being afflicted, began to wake, "Ugh… Robin? Lucina? Lissa? What… What happened?"

Lucina and Lissa begin to cry tears of joy as Lissa hugs her older brother. Robin explains what happened while Chrom was out.

"So it's come to war once again… I'm sorry you've had to take up the mantle while I was gone Lucy…"

Lucina wipes her tears away, "I'm just glad you're okay, father."

Groh coughs to get attention, "As touching as this is… Exalt Chrom isn't fully cured yet."

Tiki turns, "What remains to be done?"

Groh pauses before explaining, "Chrom may be safe from the physical effects of malfestation, but his mind and soul are still in danger. He needs to undergo extensive mental and spiritual training to further guard himself against such effects, or this ward I've placed will diminish and become unusable."

Chrom goes quiet for a moment, "So I'm still a burden…"

Tiki raises her hand, "I will take him to the Mila Tree and guide him."

Groh nods, "A place of strong spirituality may be best. Though even then, the process can take years."

Chrom nods solemnly, "I understand. Lucina, I'm sorry, but I must ask you to continue to guide our people as I make my recovery."

Lucina bows to Chrom, "I won't let you down father. With the Falchion in my hands, I will see the malfested stopped and Soul Edge destroyed."

Chrom smiles at his daughter's bravery, "I know you'll do me proud. Robin, keep her safe."

Robin nods, "You have my word."

And with that, Chrom and Tiki leave for the Mila Tree. Leaving the others to return to the war room and draft their plans to stop Cervantes and his hoards. Now, with a sense of purpose and renewed confidence.

But the true battle has yet to come…

Cursed Capital, Ostrheinsburg

The walls of the chapel have long since broken down. Stained glass depictions of the Azure Knight, slaughtering across Europe remain in some of the non-shattered windows as light pours in from gaps in the clouds.

Though the ruins have long since been abandoned, it is said that the chapel bell rings itself in honor of chosen warriors. Today, the bell chimes again.

In the center of the cathedral is a man with a heavily tattooed face, dressed in black robes, with wild hair and bulging green eyes. High Priest Kunpaetku of the Fygul Cestemus cult, a cult that worships the Greek god of war, Aries, as Palgaea, bringer of ruin and despair. Now though? Fygul Cestemus has abandoned Palgaea in favor of a new god, Soul Edge itself.

Kunpaetku begins the ceremony as numerous corpses in various states of decay lay in front of him, "Oh mighty Inferno! We gather offerings for you today! Those who hold such hatred for this world in their hearts and souls, those unfairly slain on the fields of battle by lesser men. Today, we pray and ask you for aid! Give your blessing to these corpses, and let them serve you as we serve you! Serve and burn, burn all to ruin! Listen, listen to their quickening to darkness!" He plants fragments of Soul Edge within each husk as other members of the cult surround them, each holding the weapons once wielded by these corpses as life begins to drain from them into the shards.

Kunpaeku begins to chant, as do the others as, over time, they drop dead. The life from their souls being sapped and converted into new flesh. The first to rise is the most recently deceased, a man with an eyepatch and long blonde hair. A blue cloak wrapped around black armor as he begins to stand, grasping the bone-like spear in his hands.

Kunpaetku looks on, "Marvelous! This one must hold great hatred in his heart, to be revived so suddenly! Tell me, young man, who is the object of your hate? Who must you kill in the name of the Inferno that gives you life once more?"

The man, Dimitri Alexander Blaidyyd, turns, "Only one… Just one… Hated enemy… Edelgard… Edelgard… Edelgard!" He roars with fury as Soul Edge begins to give rise to the others.

Ashnard, the mad king of ancient Tellius. Nuibaba, twisted witch of old Valentia. Eremiya, cleric of despair from Archenaea's past. Valter, moonstone general of Magvel. And Raydrik, duke of Loptyr of the era of the crusaders. All of them want blood. All of them will have it… In time…

To Be Continued…