Chapter 9: World against World Government
The group rushed back to the palace as quickly as they could, as the minute Siege saw the people holding Seforia hostage, his gaze hardened greatly.
"Son of a…" Siege growled lowly. "I knew we had been in a dry spell too long… against Cipher Pol…" He stated, the sight showing many well armed CP8 personnel.
Richard turned his face towards the one who was holding Seforia hostage, as it was a man holding a saber in his hands, with the edge of it pointed towards Seforia's throat.
"You have us right exactly where you want us." Richard remarked with a foul tone. "What do you hope to achieve with this, and how did you learn of the Divine Dragons? You definitely did not learn that information alone."
"An anonymous informant gave us the information we needed." The hostage-taker declared with a low voice. "It is inferred that they are what counts as the supreme authority here."
"Let her go!" Timerra shouted.
"I'm afraid that will not be allowed." The leader remarked, before the Cipher Pol agents drew their weapons, as those nearby tapped the edges and barrels of their weapons on the heads of the captured royal guard members. "If there is so much as a single chant, or any motion from you, it means that you consider the lives of everyone here forfeit."
"I'm sorry, Fogado… Timerra…" Seforia lamented. "They were cunning to a degree that I have to respect them and their foreign weaponry."
"Fine… what the hell do you want?" Siege growled.
"It's simple!" A voice rang out, as a leading officer of the squad, who looked exactly like Stryker from Mortal Kombat, approached with a smile on his face. "CP8's lookin' to finally get you two exactly what you deserve: A loss on the record. The World Government's losing respect you see, all because of you bastards and your so called judgment. So here's the deal. On behalf of CP8, we propose a prisoner's trade. Richard, Siege, and the Divine Dragons all present… in exchange for Queen Seforia." The officer said with a cunning smile.
"I'm afraid not." A voice suddenly rang out, as magic tore through multiple CP8 soldiers, and knocked the leader away from Seforia, as the voice belonged to Dark Veyle, the Four Hounds behind her. "I don't know who you all are. But you're impeding us from getting Emblem Rings. Get out of our way, or you'll all be torn to shreds." Dark Veyle spat.
"Never thought I'd see the day I'd need to thank an enemy…" Siege remarked.
"Well, it's a three-way battle…" Richard remarked.
"How ironic, you are as much in our way as we are to you." The CP8 leader remarked. "So you are in Sombron's employ? Then I know that you cannot be allowed to walk away. If I allow you to walk away, then you will threaten our very mission. I do not care what powers you have, if you are mortal, then you can bleed and perish, and that is enough to incentivise me. Even if I fall, there will be more of us."
"Tch, more pests. How annoying." Dark Veyle stated, before she then raised her hand, as several groups of Corrupted rose from the ground in hallowed cracks. "Kill them all, Corrupted. Make sure that none of them leave alive."
"Sir, if I may, let me lead this battle, I'll ensure CP8 gets the win!" The officer from before exclaimed to the leader. "Plus, you need to be able to make further preparations, do you not, sir?"
"Hm. I do have other matters I must attend to. Very well, Stryker. Lead the forces. For CP8 and the World Government." The leader spoke, before leaving as Stryker smirked, multiple CP8 agents mobilizing as Seforia had taken the moment to slip behind Siege and Alear's army.
"Threatening a high ranking officer is a high class violation. Deadly force is authorized, men!" Stryker stated with a wide smirk, as the CP8 soldiers brought out either guns, high voltage stun batons, or high powered modernized guns, Stryker himself pulling out his pistol for combat.
Victory: Defeat Stryker and Dark Veyle, or Siege, Richard, Alear, or Seforia escape
Defeat: Siege, Alear, Richard, or Seforia fall
Special Condition: Reach Mauvier with Veyle
Special Condition II: Reach Marni with Veyle
Turns in this battle will be divided as:
PLAYER PHASE
ENEMY PHASE
THIRD FORCE PHASE
PLAYER PHASE
"This is an absolute mess… the palace is gonna be in ruins in a matter of moments from this fight…" Siege clicked his tongue in concern.
Richard then examined the battlefield, as he noticed that they are smack dab in the fighting, as there were enemies from both forces ahead and behind them, with exits behind both forces.
"We could make a fighting retreat…" Richard remarked, looking towards the exits. "...But even though I believe it is a safer option that will not endanger Seforia… If we do not fight here, then Solm will likely be torn apart in the escalation at hand. We need to stem the battle at the root, before it grows more chaotic."
"So take down the leaders from both sides, right?" Alear asked, before Ricahrd nodded. "Right, I think that this 'World Government' force has a lot more men, who seem to be more trained than the Corrupted themselves, if only slightly, but that one lieutenant leading them seems to be the only notable one who would be able to stand against the Four Hounds, and Dark Veyle."
"Dark Veyle. Is that what we're calling her now?" Siege quipped.
"Hey, I thought of it on the spot, cut me some slack!" Alear exclaimed.
"The Four Hounds…" Veyle remarked, before looking towards them. "...I do not remember much about them, but I believe that I could at least convince them to listen. Zephia recruited them as a foster family to serve me, and I believe that I can convince most of them, if not all of them to consider my view. After all, they respect me greatly."
"How conflicting…" Zephia sighed as she saw Veyle. "We serve the Veyle Lord Sombron wishes to use… and yet we are fighting the Veyle that has been there from the beginning."
"Yeah, it's one big mess…" Marni whimpered.
"C'mon! As long as she hurts me, I couldn't give a damn! I'll bleed and hurt if it means I get a good fight!" Griss cackled.
"Lady Veyle… to which Veyle should I serve…" Mauvier warred with himself.
"Hounds, you will get rid of that imposter." Dark Veyle declared. "If she tries to speak to you with words, then do not allow them to poison your mind. She is a threat to Lord Sombron's conquest. She opposes your very livelihoods. If you cannot defeat her, because you believe that you cannot strike her down with my visage, then weaken her, and let me send her to where she belongs: Oblivion."
Zephia looked at Dark Veyle for a moment, before her lips then twisted slightly into a scowl. "As you wish, your Highness." She declared.
"Leave the good Queen to me and my sons!" Morion declared, as they immediately covered Seforia from all angles. "With the three of us, no enemy, suited or Corrupted, will touch a single hair on her!"
"King Morion…" Seforia remarked with awe.
"We cannot allow you to perish in this conflict! Solm needs you, Queen Seforia!" Alcryst exclaimed.
"Do not fear, we can handle it!" Diamant declared.
"Right, with the Queen secure, we can start making an offense. But be careful, remember they both are gunning for our heads." Richard warned the group. "It is extremely likely that given no other nearby options, they will go for our heads foremost, especially the Emblem bearers. So thin the numbers, and make sure that the enemies are more focused on each other than against us."
"I understand." Ivy stated, before her entire retinue, consisting of both her and Hortensia, and their retainers, headed for the eastern side of the palace, as they began to attack the nearby enemies in that direction.
"Come, we must clear a path forward!" Louis declared, as the Firene part of the party began to head westwards, in order to engage the enemies there, as the armored knight cut down a CP8 agent who couldn't fire his rifle in time to even hit Louis.
"Mokou! Hitomi! Nihilister! We're going south!" Geina declared. "We shall cover Queen Seforia's retreat with our royals serving as her last line of defence!"
"I was waiting for this!" Hitomi declared with bloodlust in her eyes, as they moved with Seforia and Brodia.
"The rest of us should spread out across the north." Zendara suggested. "Can't take us out as easy if we're not bunched up."
"Right. I'll escort Veyle to the Hounds on a wide berth. Try to hold them off of us!" Siege told his allies as he and Veyle began to take a wide berthing path along the northwest to wrap around the forces and get to the Hounds.
"Take Pandreo with you, I had him prepared with Micaiah's Emblem Ring for the sake of being able to perform mass-warping." Richard told Siege. "And he can be there to heal you all in case things get dicey."
"Do not worry, we will handle the battle here." Alear stated, before the main group began to head north, engaging the large bulk of the enemy forces, as Richard Engaged early in order to use Brynhildr Forest to take out a large clustering of both CP8 and Corrupted with one fell swoop, as the others began to pick off the stragglers in the vicinity.
ENEMY PHASE
All around the temple, the Corrupted began to fight against the CP8 forces, as some of them got lucky criticals that killed off their opponent, while others ended up getting injured from the counterattacks, as Dark Veyle watched all of this from afar, as her Hounds began to move forward to act as a barrier between her and the rest of the CP8 forces outside, especially Stryker himself.
THIRD FORCE PHASE
The CP8 agents didn't waste time mounting a counter-attack, as they managed to deal considerable damage to the Corrupted forces, returning back their losses against the Corrupted several-fold over, and leaving the rest injured.
Stryker himself moved in, and would take aim right for Nihilister.
"You're all hereby sentenced to death by the World Government! I bet you'll all fetch a nice penny for bounties!" Stryker smirked.
"Tch… I can't counter him from here!" Nihilister growled as he was out of her counter range, before he fired his pistol four times, hitting twice out of four times as Nihilister was hit in both legs. "GAAAAGH! Son of a… bitch…!" Nihilister growled.
"Don't worry, we'll get him for this!" Mokou declared.
PLAYER PHASE
The separated forces began to move forward in their directions, as they began to carefully clear out the enemy forces, targeting the weakened enemies first to guarantee more kills.
"It's tea time!" Celine exclaimed, before she then fired a Meteor spell that smashed a Corrupted into the ground.
"Your highness, I don't think that is a proper statement to say at this time…" Boucheron sweat-dropped.
"Oh, sorry!" Celine remarked with an embarrassed blush on her face, as Alfred laughed lightly at his own sister's fumbled war-cry.
Meanwhile, Siege and Veyle easily made it to Mauvier, considering he and the Hounds moved to form a wall, making their approach easier.
"Don't listen to her words, Mauvier, steel your mind!" Dark Veyle exclaimed.
"Please, Mauvier!" Veyle pleaded. "I know that you wished that I was more like this. I can tell that out of all of the Hounds, you are the most just-hearted of them all. You know that fighting for Sombron only brings sadness and ruin to others."
"...Even so, I cannot lay down my arms, Lady Veyle." Mauvier stated, as there was a graveness to his tone that indicated that he believed in Veyle's words. "If you truly wish to earn victory here, then you must defeat me."
"Mauvier…" Veyle remarked, before she then summoned her throwing knife, as she used it to strike Mauvier, as it managed to do slight damage to him, before she was forced to dodge the incoming ax swing that was aimed at her.
"Yes! Yes Mauvier! Excellent mental fortitude!" Dark Veyle exclaimed at seeing Mauvier's resolve. "Crush her! Smash her! Obliterate her to bits!"
"...Lady Veyle…" Mauvier said, as Dark Veyle's words were harsh and unkind, as his conviction to serve her was wavering.
"Don't tell me you dare defy Lord Sombron's wishes! You did well to fend her off! Strike her! Slay her!" Dark Veyle commanded.
ENEMY PHASE
Mauvier looked back at Dark Veyle, before he then closed his eyes and re-engaged with Veyle, only for his hand to waver, as it made his blow easy to predict, as Veyle dodged it.
"Mauvier…" Veyle remarked, as she tossed her knife into the air, before catching it and throwing it right through Mauvier's ax-wielding shoulder, as it forced him to be disarmed from his own weapon.
"Insolent fool! Stop letting her words get to your head!" Dark Veyle yelled. "You swore that you would be a Knight to Veyle. The Veyle you swore that to-"
"...Was not to an unkind, unremorseful soul like you." Mauvier suddenly stated.
"What!?" Dark Veyle exclaimed.
"After seeing the Veyle before me, I have lost the will to fight anymore." Mauvier declared. "Detest me if you may, but I will not strike down the epitome of the Lady Veyle that I have promised to serve. I cannot bring myself to turn my blade against you… but I fight for you no longer."
Mauvier then began to beat a retreat, as Marni was shocked at what she was seeing, while Griss was actually stunned by what he saw, and Zephia's frown deepened.
"Hey, wait, Mauvier!" Marni exclaimed. "You can't just go like this! You'll end up-"
"...There's no point in calling his name out." Zephia muttered. "From the moment he spoke those words, he knew that there was no salvation for him. He has left before the Lady Veyle we serve would demand his hand as payment for those words."
"It matters not. He defied me, so his life will be payment soon." Dark Veyle remarked with a click of her tongue.
"Wow, he just walked away." Griss remarked. "I'm surprised that he actually did that only because there was another Lady Veyle before him. Well, can't blame him, he was soft in heart compared to the rest of us."
"Soft in heart…" Zephia spoke in a conflicted tone as she looked between both Veyles.
Marni could only remain silent, as she looked at Veyle for a second, before her eyes began steely, as she rushed towards Veyle with her great-axe drawn.
"Marni! Stop!" Veyle exclaimed. "We don't have to fight! You don't have to fight against me-"
"Stop… I don't want to hear any more…" Marni declared, as her voice was torn. "I don't know if you're a hallucination or truly someone real, I cannot let everything that I have gone through be for waste. You have to die…. It's a mercy at this point! Just die, and stay a pure memory to me!"
"Yes, YES! Take your fury out upon her, KILL HER!" Dark Veyle cackled menacingly.
Marni then managed to land a hit on Veyle, as the ax dug into her, and sending her back slightly, while Veyle managed to throw her knife forward, in a magic trail, which hurt Marni slightly.
"Don't you get it!?" Siege yelled, entering the picture. "This is the same Veyle you all grew up to know! That kind, fragile soul that Sombron wanted dead! Dark Veyle is just a copy wanting to make you all tear apart Veyle, the Veyle you all love!"
"SILENCE! Don't you dare speak as if you know her story, Radiant Savior! You know NOTHING!" Dark Veyle yelled. "Well done, Marni. Soon, you shall be able to KILL HER!" Dark Veyle cackled. "She'll die as the defect she was always meant to be!"
Zephia then flew over to attack Siege himself, rather than the injured Veyle, as Siege noticed it.
"So, here we are, Radiant Saviour." Zephia stated, as her tone was stoic. "It seems that this time, I truly intend to fight you."
"You could have attacked Veyle. You could have finished her for good." Siege stated.
"Indeed, Zephia, the Radiant Savior could have waited! Why waste your time with this fool!?" Dark Veyle exclaimed.
"The Radiant Saviour is a greater threat." Zephia declared. "I intend to crush that man, before he can have the chance to force the other Hounds into retreat. You have seen that Marni would waver if the Radiant Saviour were to strike her down. His words will affect her greater than that copy's will."
"I see…" Dark Veyle growled. "Fine, she lives a little longer. Only long enough to watch her 'hero' perish before her eyes!"
"You… You wavered." Siege remarked to Zephia. "When you said copy… Why did you waver…?"
Zephia did not respond back, as she began to fire a double Thoron, as the first missed, before the second landed, as Siege took moderate damage from the attack, as he grunted.
"Siege!" Veyle exclaimed.
"I'm fine…!" Siege exclaimed, as he would activate Aether, striking Zephia for a chunk of damage, before he recovered all lost HP with the second blow, which almost took out Zephia. "Zephia, I see that look in your eyes… you're just as conflicted as your other Hounds. Don't let Dark Veyle control you! Why should you serve Sombron for his desires when he denies you of your own?" Siege asked.
"Zephia, don't you dare allow his words to sink in! Sombron seeks your desires for helping him to achieve his own!" Dark Veyle shouted at Zephia.
"And you underestimate my loyalty to Lord Sombron." Zephia remarked, glaring at Dark Veyle. "I have served him long before you were born. I do not intend to forsake myself for some vague atonement."
She then turned back to Siege. "And if I told you what I truly felt about Veyle… not just this overly idealistic copy of her, you would laugh at the sheer cruel irony of it all." She declared.
"I don't give a damn." Siege suddenly spat as he saw Zephia's eyes. "I only see what I see… and right now, you're wavering because in all your years you served Sombron, I see it now, you begged and you pleaded for Sombron to give you one thing you desired to be whole. Something everyone else had that you had nothing of. Your selfish goals are the only thing tying you to Sombron. Face it Zephia, I know exactly what you want, those eyes tell me it all, you're a mother in search of a child!" Siege yelled.
"How dare you!?" Zephia yelled, as her voice became truly livid.
"Oh, so quick to snap! Did I touch a nerve, or did I hit the nail right on the goddamn face with the hammer, Zephia!?" Siege yelled in anger. "Your one desire, and Sombron couldn't care LESS! I know he doesn't care! HE'S DENIED YOU FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS!"
"You insolent…! Silence!" Zephia yelled again.
"Why, when I speak the truth I see deep in your eyes and your soul. I've been told I have a spirit of discernment, after all." Siege responded firmly.
"Zephia! Stop conversing with this fool and destroy him!" Dark Veyle exclaimed.
"Oh, I shall. Oh, I shall." Zephia remarked, as her voice was oozing with hostility.
While the entire encounter was playing out, the Corrupted began to try and fight against the CP8 forces with what remained of them, as they were slightly more leaning towards the brink of utter defeat than the CP8 forces, as they managed one last futile attack, before they would meet their demise.
THIRD FORCE TURN
The remaining CP8 agents cleared out the rest of the Corrupted, eliminating them from the battle, as those that were free tried attacking the group, as some of them were killed by a counter-attack, although they managed to get some damage onto the group.
Meanwhile, Stryker decided to get a bit dangerous, as he went for King Morion himself, as his pistol rounds managed to hit King Morion all times, and it was only thanks to his own sturdy build that he was able to come out of the fight with mere injuries.
"Heh, that's a good weapon you got there." Morion smirked. "Shame that it couldn't finish the job."
"Father!" Diamant exclaimed.
PLAYER PHASE
Richard then signaled for Jean to warp him in before the Hounds, as he was right before Griss, as the two magic-users stared each other down.
"Oh, you look like someone who could do a lot of damage." Griss smirked. "Now then, show me what you got."
"Believe me, you'll eat those words soon enough." Richard responded, with a smirk of his own.
The two of them exchanged spells, as Richard threw a Rexbolt that summoned a storm of thunderbolts that singed Griss over, which got him pumped up, with his return being a explosion of gathering magic that managed to overcome Richard's magical defenses from sheer power, as the first blast cracked his defenses, while the follow-up hit him directly.
Veyle then decided to finish her battle against Marni, as she threw her knife right through Marni's leg, immobilizing her with a cry of pain.
"Marni, it's over." Veyle stated softly. "You can still come with us and-"
"No! I'm not going to throw away everything that I have fought for, especially not for you!" Marni declared, even though it was not out of spite that she shouted that, but instead out of desperation. "Griss, get me out! Get me away from them!"
"Sure, I'm in just the mood for it!" Griss declared, before Marni was warped away from the battle.
"Marni… I know that you hate me because you had to earn your place in the Hounds, while I was blessed as Sombron's child…" Veyle stated. "...I promise you that I will get through to you, one day…"
"And then… there were two." Siege stated, looking up at Zephia. "Stop being in denial, Zephia. I know what I said was not untruthful about what you truly want."
"So what? Does it change anything?" Zephia answered back, as she readied her tome. "You are the enemy of Lord Sombron, and no matter what you say, I will not change my mind, especially after what you dared to say to me. The truth won't stop me from ending your life here and now!"
"Then let me be the one to stop you. Time to wake up, Zephia. Let me show you… WHY YOU'RE ON THE WRONG SIDE!" Siege yelled as he erupted with great power, before leaping high into the air and striking Zephia down in one swing of Ragnell-Yato.
"Tch… to think that this would force me to retreat…" Zephia growled. "We'll meet again, Radiant Saviour."
Zephia then immediately warped herself out in a dark circle of light, as Alear and the rest of the main group began to move towards where Griss and Dark Veyle was.
At the same time, Mokou decided to punch Stryker's lights out, as she missed her first two blows, before the last two managed to land on Stryker's body, dealing considerable damage to him.
"Hrgh! Damn you! You're not walking away from that one scot-free!" Stryker yelled.
"I wouldn't count on it!" Mokou remarked, before she evaded Stryker's shots, but only barely to the last one.
ENEMY PHASE
Griss then immediately went for Richard again, as another trade-off occurred between the both of them, as Richard initiated a crit, as he was barely standing.
"I'll end you!" Richard exclaimed, before he then charged up his Rexbolt, as it shocked Griss to an inch of his life, as the defeated mage let out a sigh of relief.
"Ah, now that's the real stuff right there! Sorry, Lady Veyle, but I think that I had enough." Griss remarked, before he then warped out.
"Rrrrghhh!" Dark Veyle remarked, before she then raised her hand, as she summoned Byleth as a Dark Emblem. "Byleth, we shall destroy them!"
"Oh boy, she pulled the big guns for this one." Richard remarked. "Hope you're ready, Siege."
"I'm more than ready. Besides, She forgot about our one key player." Siege smirked, as suddenly, Byleth disappeared.
"What!?" Dark Veyle exclaimed before Quency had the Emblem Ring in her hands.
"Looking for this~?" She quipped, having stolen it while Dark Veyle wasn't looking.
"Damn you!" Dark Veyle growled.
"Yeaaaah, you need to work on your social skills. Here, Divine One! Awaken us another Emblem!" Quency exclaimed, throwing the ring as it traveled in violet lights into Alear's hand.
"Teach us, Emblem of the Academy!" Alear declared, as soon as she caught the ring, as Byleth manifested himself in his original Emblem form.
"I am Emblem Byleth. It feels as though I've just awoken from a very long dream. I'm glad to be where I belong, at your side. Use my power to guide everyone." Byleth declared.
"I will." Alear remarked.
THIRD FORCE PHASE
"Things ain't lookin' too good… looks like I better strike hard while I can!" Stryker exclaimed, as he took aim at Queen Seforia, as combat engaged. "Not a step further, Your Majesty! This is the end of the line for you!" Stryker exclaimed.
"Well now, seems that I'm forced to fight regardless." Seforia remarked, before she then drew out a short round-headed ax out of her robe. "But you won't find a helpless damsel in distress here, I'm afraid!"
Stryker then began to shoot at Queen Seforia, only for her to be far more nimble than he expected, as she dodged the bullets with grace, before she then threw her axe forward, as it turned into a sharp returning projectile that cut into Stryker's arms, as they bled, while Seforia caught the ax on the return trajectory.
"Damn! Didn't expect that…" Stryker chuckled as he was hurt good.
"Sir! Please retreat! As long as you survive, CP8 can fully function as a unit, under our leader and you!" A CP8 Agent exclaimed.
"Fine. This isn't the last time we will meet! Mark my words, you will see someone die! And it will be soon!" Stryker yelled as he suddenly retreated.
"Their leader has retreated!" Mirai exclaimed. "That just leaves the other Veyle for us to deal with!"
PLAYER PHASE
Alear managed to close the distance towards Dark Veyle, using a Warp to achieve it, as the two of them stood off against each other.
"Oh, I cannot believe that you are so foolish to send yourself right before me." Dark Veyle grinned maliciously. "I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart."
"And I have no reservations in destroying you either." Alear remarked, as she Engaged. "I will free Veyle from your influence, so that she will be able to achieve her own wish!"
Dark Veyle then cast the same spell at Alear, who dodged the spell, before hitting Dark Veyle for considerable damage, as it knocked her back slightly, as Siege then rushed up to follow up on the attack.
"You're not going to plague Veyle anymore. I won't allow it!" Siege yelled as he engaged Dark Veyle. "For her sake, I will destroy you where you stand!"
"You can try!" Dark Veyle retorted back.
"Try I shall! Steel yourself!" Siege yelled as he activated his critical, as he struck Dark Veyle heavily enough she couldn't continue the fight.
"Damn you, I will return again!" Dark Veyle growled, before she then disappeared in a spread of purple particles.
"Solm castle is ours!" Siege proclaimed victory.
STAGE CLEAR
MVP: Veyle
Siege surveyed the damage done by the fight, as the palace was structurally still sound, but damaged in a lot of places.
"This could have ended a lot worse…" Siege remarked. "I'm glad the palace is still standing."
"So, how is everyone?" Seforia asked. "I couldn't bear the fact if anyone was deeply wounded in the fighting."
"Hah hah hah, it'll take more than foreign weapons to bring down this king!" Morion boasted with a hearty laugh.
"I'll heal." Nihilister remarked, as Jean decided to do exactly that.
"Nothing serious." Richard answered back.
"And the rest of us only got minor scrapes in the fighting, it seems." Alear remarked.
"Well, it seems that we're all safe and sound." Fogado remarked. "I'm really impressed! All those enemies, and we managed to handle them all in time!"
"By the way, now I can see why you're Lumera's child." Seforia told Alear. "Such courage, and such generosity, it makes you a splitting image of her."
"You flatter me." Alear humbly stated. "I have a long way to go before I can-"
"No, you've already become stronger than me in a sense, my child." Lumera confessed. "The fact that you were able to connect to the Emblems so well, and bring them so easily, and utilize them to their fullest potential with their respective wielders, is a feat that I could only replicate in my prime. I'm proud of what you have become, Alear."
"Mother…" Alear remarked, as there was a gentle blush on her cheeks upon hearing her own mother's compliments.
"Now then, I suppose that leaves me with the Elusian lot." Seforia remarked, as she glanced at Ivy, Hortensia and their retainers, before she then smiled. "I suppose that in this case, I can't exactly call them a part of the nation that caused this trouble to begin with, can I? Who would protect a foreign queen that goes against their god?"
"I assure you, Queen Seforia, our loyalties lie only to our nation, not to Sombron." Ivy declared with a hand to her chest. "We intend to atone for our attack on Brodia by aiding the Divine Dragons and the Radiant Saviour in their quest to slay the Fell Dragon."
"And I'm glad for that." Seforia declared. "When cooler and more reasonable heads return to Elusia, Solm can only benefit. So let's pretend that everything that Elusia did up to now did not apply to both of you. After all, you're part of the Divine One's company right now, are you not?"
"Thank you, Queen Seforia. I promise I won't betray your trust." Hortensia declared, with a deep bow.
"Your show of compassion will not be forgotten. We will restore Elusia to what it was before. I swear it." Ivy stated firmly.
"Anyways, you go on and take care of the Fell Dragon. I don't intend to let another invasion like this happen again, even if I have to hire a body double to drive the heat away from the palace." Seforia stated. "As for my son and daughter, they will come with you, since this alliance will have to span through all of the kingdoms."
"And we got the time to go looking for the other Emblem Ring, it's at the Northern Fortress." Timerra stated. "Hope you're prepared for a spooky encounter."
"Oh, believe us, we don't scare that easily." Richard smirked back.
After the aftermath of combat, Zephia and Griss could be seen retreating from Solm.
"Damn that Radiant Savior… I must take a breather, Griss, he almost actually killed me…" Zephia huffed as Griss looked at her.
"You kiddin'? I always thought you were invincible. But I digress. Sure, we can rest for a bit." Griss remarked. "...But I gotta ask ya somethin', not out of disrespect but… as a concerned family member."
"Go on." Zephia stated.
"You ever realize that while working under Sombron, you've always gotten the short end of the stick?" Griss asked. "I mean, c'mon, look at what the others of us are gettin'. Everything we ever wanted. Mauvie got a chance to be the knight he always wanted, Marni got praise, something she always wanted. Me, I just want a good dealing of pain every now and then. The three of us Hounds other than you have gotten exactly what we desired from serving Sombron… all except you." Griss stated to Zephia.
"That…" Zephia remarked, before her expression tensed. "...I have spent a thousand years waiting for my efforts to bear fruit, I can wait a few more years."
"But it's not a matter of a few more years." Griss sighed. "You do know that things won't get much better like this. Just look at that Radiant Saviour and his troupe. They're really pulling out miracle after miracle against us. At this point, we are likely not going to be together for long in the running. You might as well beg Sombron for-"
"He will not grant it." Zephia bitterly declared. "After all, what use is a Mage Dragon who cannot achieve her side of the bargain. I envy every single of Sombron's children. Especially-"
"EYAAAAIGH!" The frightened scream of Marni exclaimed from afar, catching the attention of Griss and Zephia as they soon saw Dark Veyle approaching, but with a new group behind her… consisting of Goku Black, Zamasu, Evil Android 21, and a man wearing blue clothing over his green skin, having an orange beard and hair, being by name, Boujack.
"Hmph. I thought I might find you two here." Dark Veyle remarked harshly as she came into view. "I'm afraid Lord Sombron… no longer has any use for the Four Hounds."
"What!?" Zephia exclaimed.
"You heard her right, scum." Black cackled with folded arms. "There's a NEW group of four in town. Something much more ferocious than just measly Hounds."
"Call us, if you will, the Four Dragons." Boujack remarked with a wicked smirk. "And Sombron's already given us one mission we will not fail: Dispatching you useless Hounds. One by one."
"You what…!?" Zephia growled.
"But it wouldn't be any fun just to do you all in, in one go." Zamasu laughed, before the injured Marni was thrusted at the two, as she fell just before Zephia.
"They're… the real deal… they got me… good in just… a manner of moments…" Marni groaned.
Zephia rose her head towards Dark Veyle, as there was a true expression of anger on it.
"...You went to Lord Sombron yourself, and persuaded him to take your side." Zephia remarked. "...You wretched child, I should have known from the beginning that there was no peace between us! Even that traitor of a child had something to hold, but to think that you would tread on me to solely claim Lord Sombron for yourself… as if you are the sole being that he needs…!"
"I AM THE SOLE BEING HE NEEDS! You Hounds don't get it! There was nothing of value to you in his eyes! All you were, were tools! Tools he could use to get the rings! And what do you do when tools become faulty?" Dark Veyle spat.
"Simple. You throw them out like garbage, and replace them with new, juicy tools~!" Android 21 giggled.
"You Hounds meant nothing to me. But I bet the traitor me has something of value for you all. You raised her, after all. But you didn't raise me." Dark Veyle spoke with venom. "So let's play this little game of mine. Run along, find your precious little Veyle… and we'll see how much you can hold on to her… while I force you to watch as I break her apart piece by piece. Or perhaps I should do it vice versa? It would be more excruciating. And Griss… you'll be first, and it will be painless." Dark Veyle sneered.
"Well now, that's just not fair!" Griss exclaimed. "Guess losing that other you really knocked some sense out of you. But if you're not going to punish me right, then I may as well bounce!"
Griss then raised his Emblem Ring, before Celica in her Dark Emblem form appeared, before Griss then launched a powerful attack, creating a massive twin explosion of red and blue, which kicked up a massive sand-storm, strong enough to make Dark Veyle and her new subordinate flinch from the force.
Zephia could only growl. "...That day, I should have smothered you in that damnable crib…" She remarked, before she then pulled out a corrupted Warp staff, before she used it at full power to transport her, Griss and the injured Marni far across Elyos itself.
"Tch. So they warped to the other side of the world…" Black growled.
"No matter. It's more pests out of the way of total and utter chaos for this world, which is exactly what Cataclysm and Lord Sombron want." Zamasu remarked. "Though I must ask you, perhaps its best you find a different name, oh noble leader. So you don't share it with that miserable traitor."
"Fine then, I suppose that there is a far more fitting name I could have, now that I have been shedded from this insufferable persona." Dark Veyle stated. "I shall take after my own father, and name myself Umbris."
"A very fitting name. Much more so than Veyle… ugh…" Boujack said in approval.
"So, Lady Umbris. What are our orders? What will Lord Sombron will us to do?" Goku Black asked.
"Your objective to eliminate the Hounds remains unchanged. They will see they must seek the help of the Radiant Savior sooner as opposed to later." Umbris stated. "As for your goals now. Collect the Emblem Rings."
"That was easy peasy. One of the rings got carelessly left in the palace right under someone's nose. She probably won't realize it until it's too late." Boujack laughed… as he procured the ring of the Hero-King, knocked off during Alear's attack against Umbris.
"Excellent findings. Already, you are proving yourselves." Umbris smiled wickedly.