Lucas and Lucina stared at each other as the former of the two furrowed his brows. On the other hand, the latter of the two was resolved to do the things she needed to do. Her mask hid her visage, though her intentions were clear to see from the tension built up around her body.
All around them, life in Arena Ferox proceeded as normal. Yet the Feroxi people were unaware of the conversation taking place within one of their secluded alleyways.
"Your name, Lucina…" Lucas said, a slight mumble to his speech. "I know you. You're important."
"So I've heard. Regardless, I don't know what you mean. In what way am I important, exactly?" Lucina asked. She stepped forward, clutching her fists and straining the curvature of her mouth. "Please, Sir Lucas. I must ask that you tell me all you know."
"You are…asking me for my knowledge." Lucas turned away. "I have no such thing. Leave me be."
"That I cannot do. I'll ask again. I know you're aware of the future, of the events that are to transpire - I won't allow you to hide that from me. I need that information so I can change the future, so I can save everyone from the fate that will befall them if I'm unable to intervene."
The masked Lucina grit her teeth in a passionate display of emotion while further tightening her clenched fists.
"Tell me, Sir Lucas. Tell me why I am so important. For the sake of the world, I must know. I can't have you hide this from me!"
"It's useless." Lucas shook his head. "I have long since forgotten many of the things I once knew. It has been…many years since I've thought about that."
He rapidly blinked.
"Wait. Knowledge of the future, this world, Lucina…I know them from before. Does that mean-?" His eyes widened. "This world was once fictional, too?!"
"Fictional?" Lucina's mouth lingered open slightly, the tension in her fists releasing. "What do you mean by that?"
"Ah-! F-forget what I said." Lucas blushed slightly in embarrassment, turning away once again. "You shouldn't know."
"Hmm…very well. I suppose it's not relevant to the subject at hand. Speaking of which, you have yet to tell me why I'm important. You've refused to elaborate, which frustrates me to no end. Why say such a thing if you were never going to explain it? You may as well have remained quiet."
Lucas' gaze fell to the snow. His continued silence elicited a growl from Lucina.
"Your refusal to share information will doom this world." Lucina glared at Lucas from behind her mask. "Are you truly satisfied with that?"
Mindlessly, Lucas began stroking his Seiros Shield as he formulated a response. "I…don't care what happens to this world. All I care for is Dorothea and nothing else."
"You don't care what happens to the world? Countless people leading peaceful lives with their loved ones and you don't care if it's all destroyed!?"
"I-I…"
Lucas struggled to speak.
"I d-don't," he replied, with hesitation to his voice. "Long ago, I learned to let go of such feelings. It didn't matter to me then and it will not matter now." Lucas faced the gray, cloudy sky. "The only thing that gives me life…is Dorothea."
"But you won't be able to be with her if the world is destroyed! Do you not understand that?!"
"We will simply return h-home. The conflicts of this world do n-not concern us."
"Have you no compassion?!" Lucina raised the tone of her angered voice. "The weight of all life in this world…does that mean nothing to you?! What if this was your world? What then?!"
Lucas hesitated again.
"My world…" His head slumped backward as he gazed at the sky. "Which one is that?"
Lucina cocked a brow. "I can't tell if you're treating this seriously or not. It seems as if you've truly never changed. The only thing that matters to you is your wife…"
The blue-haired swordswoman sighed, relaxing her expression behind her mask.
"I suppose I should have seen this coming."
"Hmm?" Lucas' head slumped forward again.
"Fine. I won't need you to do what I must. Still, allow me to ask another question of you."
Instead of responding with words, Lucas fully turned toward her, which gave Lucina the indication she needed.
"As of this moment, you are still working with Khan Basilio, are you not?" She asked.
"I am," Lucas answered. "Why do you ask?"
"I must ask that you allow me on his team. Either as the West-Khan's champion in your stead, or as a simple soldier in your command. Either outcome would be preferable for me. As long as I am able to face him…"
"Him…?"
Lucas paused for a moment, having noticed a slight change in Lucina's demeanor. She tensed up, her hand twitching above the hilt of her sheathed sword.
Something inside of Lucas' chest stirred. He turned to Lucina.
"The decision is not up to me, but I will speak to the Khan on your behalf."
Lucina's mouth widened, her muscles loosening. "You…" She faintly smiled. "Thank you."
Without responding to her, Lucas rose from his seated position against the wall.
"Let's return to the arena. We will talk to Basilio there."
"Understood. After you…" Her smile extended slightly. "Sir Lucas."
Without acknowledging what she said, Lucas began to walk past her, toward the edge of the alleyway they had both been in. Lucina followed after him, but then she suddenly stopped and called out.
"Wait. Just one moment, please."
Lucas stopped and lazily turned his head over his shoulder. "What is it?"
"There is one other thing I would like to tell you. Something I think you'll be interested to know."
He remained silent, and after a moment, Lucina continued.
"I know where your wife is."
Lucas' eyes widened and he quickly spun around, mouth open in surprise.
"Where is she?!"
"I-In Plegia," she responded, overwhelmed by Lucas' sudden vigor. "The southwestern neighbor of Regna Ferox. I don't know her exact location, but I'm certain if you begin your search there, you will eventually find her."
"Plegia…I see. I will go there once I have fulfilled my obligations to Khan Basilio." Lucas calmed down, although a determined frown remained on his face. He turned around, facing away from Lucina. "I…thank-"
He cut himself off before he could finish. Lucina kept up her smile, retaining it as she and Lucas departed from the alleyway together and moved through the city. They soon approached their destination - the giant, stone arena.
Only one thing was at the forefront of Lucas' mind.
Upon entering Arena Ferox, they began their search for the Khan, eventually learning that he was in his office on one of the upper floors. They promptly found themselves in front of an unassuming stone door.
Lucas reached for the door, but Lucina stopped him.
"Before we enter, there is something else I must ask of you," she said in a hushed whisper.
Lowering his hand, Lucas partially turned his head in her direction. "What is it?" He lowered his volume to match hers.
"Please do not reveal my true identity. As I'm wearing this mask, my name is Marth. I don't want the truth to be so readily revealed, lest the future is changed for the worse."
"The future…hmph. Very well. I will keep your secret safe."
"Thank you."
Lucas silently faced the door, intending to raise his hand and knock. However, he didn't end up doing that, simply staring at the door until he whispered again.
"Why…" He paused. "Why would you tell me these things?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
Lucas sighed. "Telling me of your intentions to save the future, revealing you're a time traveller…why share them with me and not keep them to yourself?"
"Ah-" Lucina hesitated. "W-well, that's because you already knew who I was. Keeping up this facade and obscuring the full truth would not have worked with you."
"But I don't remember you. All I know is that you're important to the future of this world. I'm also now remembering you had a mask…I would not have remembered that you were a time traveller."
"Is that so?" She frowned. "Perhaps he was wrong, then…"
Although Lucas raised an eyebrow upon hearing that, he did not question it. Instead, he ignored it and focused on what he was doing before. He knocked on the door to Khan Basilio's office. A grunt came from inside, as did the sound of a chair being dragged along the floor.
Seconds later, the door opened.
"Oh, it's just you, Lucas. Thought it might have been one of those guards asking me for a spar. I usually don't mind, I've just got a lot of paperwork to do right now. Don't have the time to be poundin' people into the ground. Haha!" Basilio smiled. "Anyway, what can I do for you? Do you want to spar? Wait-"
The Khan looked behind Lucas, squinting at the presence of the masked swordsman.
"Who's this? A friend of yours?" Basilio arched a brow at Lucas. "I didn't think you had any, I'll be honest."
"My name is Marth, Khan Basilio. It is a pleasure to meet you." 'Marth' answered in Lucas' stead. Her voice somehow sounded deeper and more generically masculine than before. Lucas chose not to comment on it. "I'm a friend of Lucas', yes. I ran into him in the city and he informed me you selected him as your champion for the upcoming Khan Tournament. Is that not correct?"
"Yeah, that's right. What about it?"
"I have a simple request for you. Put me on the team."
"Huh? You want to be on the team, but you don't want to be the champion?"
"No." Marth shook his head, briefly glancing at Lucas. "I get the idea that would be impossible. It doesn't matter much to me, anyway. All I wish is to be on your team, fighting against Flavia's chosen warriors. Will that be acceptable?"
"Depends on how strong you are. I'd have to remove another one of my warriors from the team, which wouldn't be a good idea if you ended up being weaker than them. Mind proving your strength?"
Marth grinned.
"Very well. I think this will suffice…"
He reached for the hilt of his sheathed sword. Basilio immediately sensed the potential danger such a move had, so he grabbed his Silver Axe which was dangling around the right side of his hip and got into a battle-ready stance. Lucas just stood there, unfazed by what was going on.
Though, 'Marth' never attacked. All he did was unsheathe his sword. It was a sleek weapon that had a circular beginning section, which was followed by a thin, metal blade that had a thick orange-beige line running through the middle.
He wielded the Parallel Falchion with deft precision.
"Does it not?" Marth asked.
"Huh. That looks like a good sword. A unique one, at that. You don't see many blades like that everyday. I'm gonna guess, by the nature of its unique appearance, it's something special. Am I wrong?"
"Far from it, sir. This sword…is by no means average."
Basilio grinned. "Interesting. Now I just have to see what this thing can do. Tell you what, Marth. We'll have you fight one of the warriors I'm planning to include in my team. If that sword is as special as you say it is, you should have no problems. Let's see if your strength can match up to it."
"I will take on whomever you throw at me."
"Heh, alright. Let's get to it, then. You coming with, Lucas?"
Lucas nodded, remaining silent.
"That's good to hear. Now, how about we get moving? I'm sure at least one of my warriors will be at the training grounds around this time…"
Basilio walked fully out of his room, sheathing his axe and locking the door in the process. He walked ahead of Lucas and Marth, the latter of the two having sheathed his unique sword. The three of them left the general area in which the Khan's office was located and began their slightly lengthy journey to the very bottom floor.
They soon arrived at the training grounds.
Fortunately, upon entering the massively spacious training area, Basilio almost immediately spotted someone he needed. He, 'Marth', and Lucas walked through the grounds, circling all the various pieces of training equipment until they reached a lone Feroxi practicing his sword swings against a straw dummy.
"Hey, you. Got a little request for you," Basilio said to the Feroxi swordsman.
The Feroxi warrior ceased his next swing, and then sharply turned toward Basilio. "What is it, my Khan? This have something to do with the tournament?"
"Something like that. I'm thinking about restructuring the team." The Khan pointed at Marth. "See that guy over there? I want you to fight him. If you lose, you're out of the team and this guy will take your place. Got it?"
"Oh, okay. Alright then. If you say so, my Khan."
"I do say so. Now get to it."
Scrambling to follow the demands of his leader, the Feroxi warrior turned to Marth and nodded, who reciprocated with the same. Basilio pointed toward an open section of the training grounds that was to become the location of their spar, prompting Marth and his opponent to head over there.
Basilio and Lucas watched as the two brandished their blades. They stared at each other, sizing up their opponent. Marth's stance was far more refined and loose, indicative of his unforeseen adaptability as well as his agility. The Feroxi swordsman's stance was rough-looking, an intimidation tactic - this didn't work. Remaining composed, Marth took a deep breath.
"Go!" Basilio announced.
Then, Marth shot ahead with blinding speeds. He quickly closed the gap between himself and his opponent, immediately going in for a diagonal slash with his unique blade. The Feroxi warrior had just enough time to block the attack, but not enough to parry it or do anything else. Still having momentum and speed on his side, Marth swung his sword at the hilt of his opponent's axe, the force of which caused the Feroxi swordsman to stagger backward.
This gave Marth just the opportunity he required. Leaping back, he crouched slightly, leaning his legs forward. He then lunged forward while jumping, performing an aerial spinning slash that was simply too fast for the Feroxi warrior to block. As a result, he was hit with the full brunt of the attack, thus being sent to the floor, bruised and injured.
The result of the fight was obvious. Marth sheathed the Parallel Falchion as he looked toward Basilio and Lucas, away from the person she fought.
"Is that sufficient enough for you, Khan Basilio?" Marth wondered.
"Of course. After seeing moves like that, it'd be ridiculous of me to not let you on the team." Basilio looked down at the injured Feroxi warrior, who was still on the floor. "Sorry, but you're out. You'd better not raise a fuss about that, 'cause this decision is final."
The Feroxi warrior raised a thumbs-up while catching his breath.
"Good. Anyway," Basilio turned back to Marth, "I'm glad you showed up when you did. It's just under two weeks until the tournament. Any later and there might have been some problems."
"Same here. I too am glad I made it here in time…" Marth closed his eyes behind the mask.
"Yeah, I bet. With you, Lucas, Lon'qu, and the other three soldiers I've got on the team, there's no way Flavia's gonna win. You three alone could probably take on her entire squad. She'd have to come up with her selection of super-powerful fighters for her to even stand a chance. Ha!" Basilio laughed. "We've practically won already."
Marth flinched. Lucas, who hadn't been paying much attention to proceedings, noticed a minor shift to his left - the direction Marth was standing in. He frowned, though he said nothing and took no action.
"Heh heh…who needs strategy when you've got the strongest people around on your side? No matter what Flavia's champion comes up with, it won't mean anything against you guys!"
"R-right." Marth nodded. "We'll fight, and…we'll w-win."
"You're damn right about that." Basilio smiled widely. "Heh, I can see it now. Flavia's pretty little face, eyes all widened, completely stunned as she watches you three take down the strongest people she could find. She'll never see it coming. Now that's something worth waiting for! Hahaha!"
The Khan's laughter continued even as he started to walk away.
"I'll leave you two to get prepared in any way you want. Flavia's failure is all but guaranteed now, so it doesn't matter to me what you guys want to do. Just as long as you don't start causing any trouble, you hear?"
Although he hesitated, Marth nodded.
"Good. I'll be seeing you two later, then. Stay in shape!"
Basilio headed over to the door, giving Lucas and Marth one final smile before leaving them be. Once they were alone with each other, ignoring the heavy breathing of the Feroxi warrior that had yet to get up, they stood still, enveloped in awkward silence.
Marth turned to Lucas, whose gaze was distant. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped when someone else did instead.
"You seem troubled," said Lucas with his usual tone of exhaustion.
Behind the mask, Lucina blinked. "I…do?"
"Yes. You-" Lucas paused, his eyes widening slightly for a moment. "Ah…forget what I said."
"What?"
With a faint, hurried nature to his step, Lucas fast walked his way to the door and proceeded to open it. As he stepped through to the main corridor of the arena building, a vague blush appeared on his cheeks.
He said nothing as he departed. Now completely alone, Lucina gazed ahead with a confused expression, again obscured by her butterfly mask.
"What?" She repeated.
Time passed all around the world. Within Arena Ferox, further preparations were made by Khan Basilio and his six chosen fighters. Lucas, Lucina, and Lon'qu trained individually, enacting their practice drills and generally not interacting much with the others. On occasion, Lon'qu would approach Marth and ask him for a spar, yet was refused every time. Marth ended up keeping his distance from Lon'qu, the Valmese swordsman not understanding why.
Lucas was almost entirely on his own. He didn't speak to anyone aside from Basilio, Lucina, and rarely Lon'qu. The ensuing conversations weren't particularly long, however, and it would usually end with him going back to his training.
Multiple incidents occurred during the passing days where Lucas would accidentally break something in a sudden trauma-induced episode of rage and desperation. Nobody was there to soothe him back to normal. Everyone around him either left him alone or was caught up in his violence. Lucas never intended to hurt anyone, but he had been forced to knock a few people unconscious and leave them with injuries.
Such occurrences only drove him further away from everyone else.
As all of this was happening, the day of the Khan Tournament gradually approached. The citizens of Arena Ferox were generally excited about the event. Large, melodic chants occurred in the city, rising from supporters of the West-Khan. However, not everyone was a fan of Basilio. Some people preferred Flavia. They felt the need to defend the honor of the East-Khan and decided to counter the chants of the West-Khan supporters with ones of their own. Brawls even broke out within the city, which caused the guards to intervene every time they happened.
Yet, despite this rowdiness, everything was quiet on the day of the tournament. The city streets were lined with guards and the citizens were silent, ensuring there was enough space in the streets for the city's new visitors.
East-Khan Flavia had arrived, as did her chosen team of warriors. While standing atop one of the balconies on the outside of the arena, Basilio watched as the visitors made their way through the city, a grin on his face. However, he frowned when he leaned forward to take a slightly closer look at the fighters she chose. Not only were there more than six of them, but their appearances were notable too.
The one that caught the West-Khan's eye the most was a blue-haired man whose silver and blue light armor gave off an innate aura of royalty, which was clear to see even from the vast distance between him and Basilio. His muscles were also distinct. They weren't massive, and the royal man wasn't a hulking beast, but Basilio could tell - he was strong.
Most of his allies had a similar kind of appearance to them. They were all evidently weaker than the man that got Basilio's attention, especially the white-haired guy who wore a dark purple cloak. His muscles were…practically non-existent. Basilio could see it as plain as day; even the young girl who was wearing a frilly dress had more strength than him.
The other warriors were not as disappointing as the white-haired one. The knight wearing light blue, heavy armor who was riding a horse, a red-haired female knight that was doing the same, as was a dark green-haired man. Along with them was a woman wearing the black robes of a witch, complete with a pointed hat, a light blue-haired archer, a wild-looking man who was wearing very little, and a silver-haired pegasus knight.
"Heh…you've certainly found yourself some good ones, haven't ya, Flavia?" Basilio remarked out loud to himself. "This'll be interesting."
Flavia and her warriors approached the arena. As they did so, the blonde-haired East-Khan looked upward, noticing the West-Khan staring down at them.
They smiled at one another. Then, they both entered the arena building, intending to prepare their chosen six for the battle to come.
After departing from the balcony, Basilio power-walked his way through the insides of the arena. He took the shortest and quickest route possible to get to his destination, avoiding Flavia and her team in the process. Eventually, he arrived at a small room toward the middle of the first floor. Nothing populated the room aside from two thin wooden benches on the left and rightmost walls. On the left bench were the three Feroxi warriors on the West-Khan's team, who were all inspecting their axes and swords, while Lon'qu sat quietly on the right bench with plenty of space around him - nobody was sitting next to him. Marth was leaning his back against the wall next to the door Basilio entered from and Lucas was standing next to a wide set of stairs that was opposite the door.
Everyone, except for Lucas, turned toward Basilio when he entered the room.
"So, you're all here, just like I asked you to be. Good. I wouldn't have tolerated tardiness for this. You all know how important this tournament is. Not just to me, but to Regna Ferox as a whole. If any of you dared to compromise this kingdom's future by being late, then, well…" The Khan frowned, gaining a serious expression. "Let's just say I wouldn't be very happy."
"Of course, my Khan!" One of the Feroxi warriors nodded fervently. "We would never be late for you!"
"Yeah! You're way stronger than Flavia, so you deserve to be the Khan Regnant, not her!" Another Feroxi team member added.
"Heh, thanks," Basilio replied. "But still, even though I'm clearly stronger than her, we can't deny that she has some strength. We can't afford to let down our guard. I got a good look at what I assume to be some of the people she's chosen to represent her - they seem pretty tough. I don't think this tournament's gonna be all that easy."
Marth hesitated, redirecting his gaze to a random corner of the room. Nobody noticed this change in her demeanor.
"So what? No matter who they are, we'll crush them!" The third Feroxi warrior exclaimed, raising her fist to the air.
Basilio smiled. "You're right about that. Never forget! I'm the one that chose you six, which means I see a lot of strength in you. I want all of you to bring that strength out to bear, for all to see! Let Khan Flavia and her representatives know - they're nothing compared to us!"
The three Feroxi fighters cheered in unison. Lucas, Lon'qu, and Marth remained quiet.
"I don't know what kind of effort she put into finding and recruiting her warriors, but it's not gonna matter! We'll beat 'em all, no matter who they are! Her effort will be wasted! Most importantly, I'm gonna be able to laugh in her face after we win! We'll be dangling victory right in front of her face and then snatching it away from her before she can ever get close to it! With you six being as strong as you are, our victory…is guaranteed!"
The Feroxi team members cheered again, as didn't the other three. Basilio, after calming his voice from the shouting he had been doing, glanced at Lucas.
"You ready to lead us all to victory, Champion?"
"Yes." Lucas unsheathed Labraunda from his back. "I will do what I must."
"I'm sure you will. Now…"
Basilio walked over to the stairs and briefly peered through the dark corridor that led upward. He grinned..
"I think it's time we get started." He turned back to Lucas. "Lead the way, Champion."
Silently and slowly, Lucas nodded. The four members of the team that were sitting all rose from their seats and approached Lucas. Marth did the same, pushing himself away from the wall she was leaning on. Her mask hid the true nature of her emotions, but it was clear, much like the others - she too was determined.
"Go get me a victory, you six," said Basilio.
Everyone aside from Lucas nodded at the Khan. They then looked at the leader of the team they were fighting on, who was staring up at the steep set of stairs ahead of him.
Basilio's team of representatives took their first step toward the arena.
Arena Ferox's true namesake was packed with spectators. All of them were seated on the benches that circled the battleground in the middle of the spacious, spherical-shaped hall. Mostly everyone was cheering and chanting for the fight to begin, creating a cacophony of heated calls that resounded through the souls of everybody present - with no exception.
First, coming up from the western exit, were Basilio's representatives. Lucas, 'Marth', Lon'qu, and three Feroxi fighters reached the top of the stairs and spread themselves out slightly in their side of the arena. Marth's grip on the hilt of his sword tightened to an immense degree, as did Lucas', though for wildly varying reasons. Lon'qu paid close attention to the eastern exit, quietly expecting the arrival of the opposing team.
And so they arrived. The blue-haired royal, the young girl who carried a staff, the heavily armored Great Knight, the handsome bow-wielder, the silver-haired pegasus knight, and the scrawny white-haired one - they all entered the arena.
"Whoa…" The young, blonde-haired girl said as she spun around, looking at all the spectators above. "There's so many people here! I know Khan Flavia said this was supposed to be a big thing, but I didn't realize it was supposed to be this big!"
"Indeed." the brown-haired Great Knight nodded. "Considering how the Feroxi people are greatly attuned to the art of combat, it makes sense that an event of this calbre has such a vast audience."
"The Feroxi have always enjoyed their fighting…" The Archer sighed. "Such brutish people. If only they could be more dignified."
"Well, fighting is their culture. You can't simply take that away from them. It would be like if you took our faith in Naga away from us - it's part of our identity. It would be wrong to change that," the pegasus knight said to the Archer.
"I'm aware. Still, I do believe there are better ways to convey the essence of one's culture. We wouldn't need to throw ourselves into combat today if the Feroxi people realized that."
"Isn't that the fun of it, though?" The white-haired one asked, a tome in hand. "Getting to experience new cultures like this, to do things you would never otherwise do…isn't that what makes this world so beautiful?"
"You say that, but don't you remember very little about the world? Are you not experiencing a severe case of amnesia?" The Archer countered.
"Yes, I am. Regardless, from what little I can remember and from what I have seen by traveling with everyone, I can tell that variety in life is something worth keeping. You shouldn't restrict others from being who they wish to be."
"Except for those who don't deserve that kind of luxury," the blue-haired member of royalty added. "Villains should not be permitted to wander the face of this world."
"Oh, absolutely. I couldn't agree with you more."
Surprising the group and thereby cutting the conversation short, the young girl gasped. Her eyes widened as she pointed to someone on the opposing team.
"Chrom, look!" The girl exclaimed. "It's that guy we met when the Risen first attacked! He's here!"
"What?!" The blue-haired prince, Chrom, followed his sister's gaze. His eyes also widened. "You're right, Lissa! Marth…what is he doing here?"
"Fighting for the West-Khan, it seems. Obviously, he must have some sort of goal. Perhaps he wishes to stop us," the Great Knight suggested.
"I'm not so sure, Frederick. Marth doesn't seem like a bad person. I don't see any reason why he would stop us from getting Khan Flavia's help, especially when he helped us before. Why save us then, only to hinder us now?" The white-haired man wondered.
"We know very little of this 'Marth' character, Robin. We do not know what he desires. It would be prudent for us all to remain on guard with him," said Frederick.
"There's also two other people there that seem rather strong…can we win this?" The pegasus knight furrowed her brows.
"Have no fear, lovely Sumia. We are the Shepherds. We will not lose." The Archer nocked an arrow. "Not when we require Khan Flavia's assistance against the Risen."
"Such confidence…I wish I could be as optimistic as you, Virion." Sumia brushed her steed's fur with her free hand, the one that wasn't holding a lance.
Chrom, meanwhile, was fixated on Marth.
"There are so many things I wish to ask you, Marth…"
A chant merely consisting of the word 'fight' emerged from the crowd. It grew louder over a few short seconds. As it rose in volume, all 12 fighters got into a stance.
"But it seems we must let our blades do the talking."
The voices of the two Khans rose from the crowd, silencing the chants with both of their booming, authoritative presences.
"Let the Khan Tournament…" Basilio and Flavia spoke at the same time. "Begin!"
"Don't forget Robin's strategy, everyone! We'll make full use of the advantages we have!" Chrom said to his allies. "Let's show them the full might of the Shepherds! Now, attack!"
Chrom and the other five members of the Shepherds went their separate ways, approaching the fight as per Robin's plans. On the other side, Lucas, Marth, and Lon'qu simply charged ahead with very little regard for strategy.
Lucas' gaze lingered on Chrom and Robin.
"I know them…" He said to himself.
"Lucas." Marth whispered as he ran beside the wielder of Labraunda. He pointed his blade at Chrom. "Allow me to fight him."
"Him…" Lucas arched a brow - for a split second. "So be it. Do as you please."
"Thank you."
Marth sprinted ahead, bolting directly toward Chrom, who was approaching from the front alongside Robin, Virion, and Lissa. Frederick and Sumia were coming around from the north and south sides of the arena, respectively, intending to perform a pincer maneuver. They both engaged one of the Feroxi warriors in combat.
Chrom narrowly avoided a spinning jump slash from Marth. He leapt away from his attacker, then leaned back slightly and raised his sword closer to his head while pointing it in Marth's direction.
"Marth…" The prince frowned. "I don't suppose you would be willing to answer my questions?"
"No," Marth replied. He copied Chrom's stance perfectly, the light from the torches placed around the arena reflecting off of his sword.
Chrom's frown deepened, but something caught his attention. His eyes widened slightly as he gazed at Marth's blade.
"That's…Falchion! Where did you get that?"
Choosing not to directly respond to Chrom's question, Marth instead raced forward and performed a diagonal slash with his Parallel Falchion. Chrom blocked it, though his defensive position meant that he was on the receiving end of a barrage of quick and powerful slashes from all angles. He was never hit by any of the slashes, but they were close.
"I guess it was foolish of me to think I could talk to you," Chrom remarked as he parried another attack from Marth, using his Falchion. "Fine. If you really want to fight me, then there's only one thing I can do."
As Marth's Parallel Falchion came in toward him for another swing, Chrom unleashed an unexpectedly powerful parry that stunned Marth for a short time. It was enough of an opportunity for Chrom to unload a series of quick lunges, some of which Marth could take thanks to his armor, but he ended up evading them regardless.
"I'll give you exactly what you want!"
Chrom finished his combination with a hefty upwards slash which very briefly brushed against Marth's armor. The prince's opponent leapt backward to avoid the attack, panting heavily after landing into position.
"You saved Lissa's life back then, and for that, I thank you," Chrom continued. "But you must be aware that you stand in our way now. I represent the East-Khan, as well as the people of Ylisse. To get in my way is to also get in their way."
"Save your words, sir. I have no interest in holding further conversation with you."
"Hmph, very well. In that case…let us fight until one of us concedes!"
"With pleasure!"
Chrom and Marth continued to clash with their respective Falchions as the tournament around them proceeded.
Small, one-on-one fights emerged throughout the arena. Sumia and Frederick were taking on two of the Feroxi warriors, exploiting their advantages to the best of their abilities. Being able to take flight, Sumia was practically untouchable, though whenever she swooped in from above for a lunge with her Steel Lance, she always got hit - no matter how fast she went. She never took any significant damage, but it was enough to frustrate her.
Frederick, meanwhile, was having very little trouble against his opponent. He parried, blocked, and countered with perfect precision and accuracy. The Feroxi axe-wielder wasn't able to do very much. She could barely land a hit, and whenever she did, Frederick's bulky armor made it nearly impossible for any damage to stick. Regardless of her unfavorable position, she continued to try her best.
Toward the eastern edge of the arena, Robin was hanging back, observing the battle from afar. He kept watch over his allies, ensuring that his plan was working as intended. Fortunately, he never needed to intervene or change the plan in any way. He remained where he was with a Thunder tome at the ready.
"Chrom's fighting Marth, Sumia and Frederick are taking care of the enemy's flanks, Lissa's heading in to support Sumia, and…" Robin scanned the battlefield. "Virion's fighting that tough-looking swordsman. Good. The plan seems to be working. It's all going in our favor. Now I just need to-"
"You."
Robin snapped out of his tunnel vision, quickly realizing that Lucas was slowly approaching him.
"Ah. You must be one of Khan Basilio's. I'm sorry, but we have to win."
Halting his approach, Lucas glared at Robin.
"I must win," he countered, pointing Labraunda at the white-haired man.
"Huh?"
In the blink of an eye, Lucas hurtled himself toward Robin while raising his Sacred Weapon in preparation for a forceful swing. Robin's eyes and mouth widened as the axe fell toward his head. Everything around him proceeded slowly as he perused his thoughts, scrambling for an effective stratagem. He picked the first counter maneuver that appeared in his mind.
Utilizing the power of the Thunder tome, he aimed a weak, quick blast of electrical magic at Lucas' feet, causing him to trip up and lose his focus. Labraunda narrowly missed Robin, who leaned back to dodge.
Lucas grunted as he found his footing again. "You…!"
Before Robin could react, Lucas unleashed yet another swing with Labraunda at a blistering speed - it was much faster than the previous one. Robin didn't have any time to formulate an idea for a counter, much less could he respond in any way.
He took the full force of the attack and was sent crashing straight to the floor.
"Gah!" Robin cried out in pain. His head collided with the floor of the arena, causing his mind to start throbbing as well as the aches that were originating from the sizable gash on his torso, his white undershirt having been ripped due to the slash Lucas inflicted upon him.
Lucas, with a maddened visage, walked over to Robin, who was struggling to pick himself back up.
"I must win…I must win!"
"What…?" Robin put his hand over his injury, nursing it the best he could. "Who is this guy? How can one person ruin my plans like this?"
Lucas, who was now standing over Robin, held out Labraunda above the tactician, putting both hands on the hilt. He glared furiously at him.
"You may be important, but you are my enemy. As such, I will…"
He raised Labrunda, but then he stopped, having hesitated.
"No, I c-can't. But I must win…I must survive. I need to-!"
"I'm…important?" Robin tilted his head to the side, then blinked rapidly once his mind processed everything else. "Wait, what are you doing?! I thought this was supposed to be a friendly tournament!"
Lucas paused, pondering what Robin said. He then froze.
"Dorothea…" He lowered his axe, shivering as he did so. "I'm sorry. I almost-"
As his angered visage transitioned into one of immense sorrow, Lucas turned around, facing the rest of the battles that were occurring around the arena.
"I almost forgot what I was fighting for."
He left Robin alone - without helping him. Robin remained on the ground with a confused expression, though he let out a sigh of relief when Lucas departed.
But it turned into a pained groan when he tried to move around. He touched the large gash on his torso.
"Who was he…?" He grunted in pain. "A-already, this hasn't gone our way. L-Lissa! I need your help!"
Meanwhile, the Khan Tournament was proceeding all around the arena. The various one-on-one battles were drawing closer to their finales. Two of the Feroxi warriors had been taken out by Frederick and Sumia, which meant that Basilio's team was down to four as opposed to the five that remained of Flavia's team following Robin's defeat. However, Lissa was preoccupied with tending to Robin's wounds, so she wasn't able to assist with the offense her friends were providing.
Therefore, the teams were dead even in terms of numbers. For a time.
Lon'qu was dealing with Virion's deadly aim. Arrows kept flying directly at him, which made it difficult for him to advance due to their sheer frequency and accuracy. He had been figuratively pinned down for the entire tournament. Not all of Virion's arrows struck true, but when they did, they certainly hurt. Lon'qu retained his composure despite the pain and kept up his defensive maneuvers.
"I can tell you are not exactly like your Feroxi teammates. Might I say you are even…" Virion grinned smugly, shooting several arrows at Lon'qu. "Valmese?"
"I am," Lon'qu replied as he parried and evaded Virion's projectiles. "How did you know?"
"Heh. Let's just say that I have an eye for these things."
Their stalemate carried on through the duration of the tournament. It only ended when Virion was forced to cease his firing since he was running low on arrows. This gave Lon'qu the opportunity he needed to close the gap and finish the fight.
Before he could do that, however, Virion simply raised both of his hands, which halted Lon'qu in place.
"I give up. You are far stronger than I initially thought. I assumed that by the twentieth arrow, at the very least, you would show signs of stopping," Virion said. "But it seems I was wrong. I don't have much of a chance against you up close."
Lon'qu was stunned. "What? You're…giving up?"
"Indeed! Have yourself a fine day, my Valmese friend. My talents are better used elsewhere anyway. Goodbye!"
Virion slung his bow behind his back and walked off, reducing his team's number of available fighters to three. Lon'qu shrugged and left to find other opponents.
Toward the northern edge of the arena, Frederick was making swift work of the final Feroxi warrior that was on Basilio's squad. The simple brutality of the warrior was not enough of an effective counter to the refined skills of the Great Knight, thus both teams became equal in numbers.
As all of this was going on, Chrom and Marth's fight continued in the middle of the arena. Their Falchions flew around each other, narrowly missing what could have been deadly blows. Other times, the legendary blades clashed, their wielders entering a physical struggle - which was always even. Initially, at least.
Marth usually overpowered Chrom toward the end of their struggles, yet the prince would either sidestep at the last moment or kick the masked swordsman's shins. Both had the same sort of outcome, with Marth stumbling forward as he tried to rebalance himself after exiting the struggle, which gave Chrom a good opportunity to unleash a combination.
Their fight continued while others occurred elsewhere in the arena.
Within the north side of the circular battlefield, Lucas approached Frederick. From atop his horse, the Ylissean knight stared down at his soon-to-be opponent, whose expression was filled with dulled rage and rampant sorrow.
Frederick frowned as he scrutinized the otherworldly individual.
"You do not seem like a common civilian of this kingdom," he commented. "Might you be from the Halidom of Ylisse?"
"No," replied Lucas. He spoke with a heavy, tired breath that had some level of irritation to it.
"I see. That would explain why you have no qualms with fighting the prince of Ylisse. Though I am curious, I will not inquire about your homeland any further."
He twirled his axe.
"We still have a battle to fight."
Lucas sighed. "For Dorothea's sake, I will not kill you. I will simply…d-defeat you."
"Dorothea…?"
Before Frederick could ponder his words any longer, Lucas very quickly closed the distance between the two. Much to the knight's surprise, over the next few seconds, Lucas crouched slightly and then jumped high into the air. Frederick could barely even begin looking up before the wielder of Labraunda started performing a lunging kick as he fell.
The kick struck Frederick right in the chest. His heavy armor absorbed most of the blow, but it cracked due to the sheer force behind the attack. Coughing up spit as well as a little bit of blood, Frederick reactively dropped his axe and clutched his chest, just as Lucas jumped off of him and back to the floor.
A small hole was on the front of Frederick's armor, that specific spot having been eradicated by Lucas' kick. Part of his chiseled chest was on full display, showcasing the deep, red bruises he received.
"Guh-!" Frederick's breathing became slow. "W-what was that…? It's like I was hit with the force of a thousand beasts - all at once! What is the m-meaning of this?"
"For Dorothea…for Dorothea," Lucas repeated to himself with his eyes closed, "for Dorothea."
Crouching again, Lucas performed another leap, though a more horizontal one as opposed to the verticality of the one before. Frederick was unable to respond as Lucas pulled back his left arm while charging toward him through the air, intending to land a punch to end it all.
With one powerful blow, Lucas punched Frederick off his steed, sending him straight to the floor. The momentum from Lucas' jump kept him going forward, which resulted in him landing in front of Frederick, who was struggling to move.
Lucas raised Labraunda, but hesitated.
The visage of his wife flashed in his mind.
"Dorothea…"
Slowly, and through much hesitation, Lucas lowered Labraunda and turned around. Frederick resigned himself to his fate and allowed his head to return to the floor.
As Lucas walked away, Frederick grinned to himself.
"My apologies, Prince Chrom…"
The number of available fighters on Flavia's team was reduced to two.
After walking away from Frederick's defeated self, Lucas briefly observed the final two fights. Marth and Chrom were still fighting, though they were both slowing down. Regardless, Lucas chose not to intervene in their battle.
He did, however, choose to intervene in the battle between Lon'qu and Sumia. When Lucas arrived at the southern edge of the arena, he frowned at what he saw.
Lon'qu wasn't faring very well against Sumia. Her ability, as a pegasus knight, to retreat into the air after attempting any attack, thereby avoiding all counterattacks - Lon'qu found it difficult to counter. What made the fight even more difficult for him was something else entirely.
Whenever Sumia got close to him, he found himself freezing up and unable to move in any way. This made it guaranteed that Sumia could land a hit before returning to the air. Her retreat helped to fight away those overwhelming emotions of his, but by the time she'd swing back around for another attack, it returned in full force; an endless loop of pain.
"Get away f-from me…!" He typically demanded whenever Sumia got close.
"Sorry, but I can't do that! I need to win, for Prince Chrom and Ylisse!"
Lucas sighed. After Sumia performed another stab and flew into the air, she came around, darting toward Lon'qu for yet another attack.
But it never landed. Out of nowhere, before Sumia could change course, her lance collided with the Seiros Shield. Behind it, Lucas' scornful face stared back at her.
She shuddered.
"Wh-what?!"
"This is a waste of time," Lucas said, lowering his shield. "I'll end this now."
Before anyone could react, with Labraunda in hand, Lucas sliced Sumia's lance in half. As this happened, Sumia and Lon'qu were both stunned, watching as the top half of the pegasus knight's weapon fell to the ground with a loud clang. Lucas then reached up, grabbed Sumia's arm, then forcefully pulled her from her pegasus and slammed her to the floor.
"Agh!" Sumia cried out in pain as she collided with the floor. "What-how…?"
Standing over her, Lucas glared at the woman. She shrunk underneath his gaze, trembling at the sight of his hateful visage. He didn't say anything to her for the entire time their eyes met.
Lucas, once satisfied, turned toward Lon'qu with the very same scowl. He did not shrink, instead countering with his frown, which failed to get any other kind of response from Lucas, who looked away after a few seconds.
He turned his attention to the fight between Chrom and Marth.
"This entire tournament is a waste of time…however necessary it may be."
Lucas walked away, leaving Lon'qu and Sumia alone. He headed toward the climax of the Khan Tournament.
Chrom and Marth's fight slowed to a crawl. They were both panting heavily, weary from all the attacks, blocks, counters, and parries they enacted. Despite this, neither of them was ready to give up.
"Marth…you're strong," Chrom said between breaths. "It's a shame you wish to use your strength against us."
"I have my reasons," Marth replied, also between breaths.
"That's even more of a shame. I do not doubt that with an ally of your capabilities on our side, Ylisse may find relief from its problems sooner than it would otherwise."
Marth paused. "I'm aware. But as I said, I have my reasons."
"Fair enough. At least I tried." Chrom chuckled. He got into another stance, leaning his legs backward as he pointed his Falchion forward. "How about we end this?"
"Let's."
As before, Marth mirrored Chrom's stance exactly. The wielders of the two Falchions stared at one another, anticipating what kind of move would be made next and how best to counter said move. The two were primed and ready to reignite their fight.
Yet they never did.
"That's enough."
Confused, Marth and Chrom began to turn to the side to see who it was that just spoke out of the blue. But before they could finish turning, Chrom was punched in the face. The force of the attack was enough to send him straight to the floor.
A significant red bruise appeared on his cheek where the fist landed. Chrom nursed his injury with a hand while he and Marth looked over to the perpetrator with bewildered looks.
"Lucas?! What are you doing?" Marth asked incredulously and somewhat furiously. "I told you I wanted to fight him."
"This has gone on long enough," replied Lucas, empathy lacking in his tone. "I'm putting an end to it."
"We weren't finished yet."
Lucas' eyes sharply turned toward Marth without a shift in his scornful, fatigued expression. "You were taking too long."
"But I-"
"You," Lucas said as he ignored Lucina's pleas and turned to Chrom, who was starting to pick himself up off the floor. "Give up now."
Chrom frowned, soldiering on through the searing pain on his cheek. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I fight for the people of my kingdom. To give up now would betray the hopes of my people. I simply can't do as you ask."
"You're wasting your time, and mine. Watch."
In an instant, before Chrom could even blink, Lucas punched him in the face again, in the same spot as before.
"Gah-!"
"By wasting my time, you're getting in my way. You're preventing me from reaching Dorothea." Lucas briefly gained a sorrowful look. "Get out of my way."
"D-Dorothea? Wait…" Chrom paused, massaging his bruised nose with his free hand. He looked at Lucas, closely scrutinizing his messy features. "Could it be…?"
Lucas grunted, bearing his teeth as his anger became plain to see. "Give up now and get out of my way."
While Chrom was continuing to stare at Lucas, only mildly fazed by his aggression, Marth turned to him and shrugged. Lon'qu also showed up, standing beside Lucas and with a hand on his sheathed Killing Edge.
Chrom sighed.
"Very well. I see I'm outnumbered. I have just one thing to ask of you, though."
Lucas remained silent, allowing Chrom to continue.
"Allow me to speak with Khan Basilio once this is over. I have a request for him."
"Do as you please. It doesn't concern me." Lucas' expression relaxed slightly.
"Right. Thank you, I suppose. Congratulations on your victory." Chrom bowed toward the three. He then looked over to Marth. "May we meet again someday. I won't ever forget what you've done for us."
"Just…go," Marth responded.
"So I shall. Goodbye, you three. Again, congratulations."
Chrom, having no further business with the three from Basilio's team, left them be and hurried toward his comrades in the Shepherds, ensuring their safety. Although Lissa was on hand to heal any wounds, her healing wasn't instant. It was, at least, a start.
A start to the end of the Khan Tournament. Lucas, Marth, and Lon'qu stood in the middle of the arena, their ears assaulted with a chorus of cheers from the crowd above. The three didn't look at each other, nor did they look at the crowd for very long. They each had something occupying the forefront of their minds, stealing their attention away from reality.
"Yeah! Looks like I won again, Flavia! Khan Regnant Basilio stays Khan Regnant! Hell yeah!" Basilio's joyous voice filled the arena.
If one listened closely, one could hear an audible sigh coming from somewhere in the crowd.
But even as Khan Basilio's joy reached the ears of all those in the arena, it was not enough to deter the awkwardness between Lucas, Marth, and Lon'qu. The taste of a bittersweet victory was left in their mouths.
Except for Lucas, who could faintly taste the sweetness of a thorned rose.
Author Notes: We've finally covered our first canon event from Awakening! Two Falchions, what a chapter! So good, they brought it back in Engage! Banger game, by the way. Don't know why I've yet to say that here, lol.
But anyway, with Lucas' intervention, things have certainly gone differently than in canon. How will this affect Awakening's timeline? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!
Shoutouts to Frost for beta-ing!
Review responses:
blueassassin996 - If you remember, at the end of the previous fic, Lucas went through 100 years of suffering. His memory's gone a bit hazy, so he's not gonna remember everything, even if some things feel familiar to him. This chapter should hopefully explain that a little better.
Thanks again for reading, everyone! Be sure to leave a review and/or a follow, if you so wish! I'll see ya next week!
Join the Fanfiction Treehouse Discord server here!: u89gs745fn.