Link rode through the war-torn pastures, still healing from their wounds from a hundred years ago. The cycle vibrated beneath him as it carried his weight with ease, bumping along the snowy road as he continued on. He had long since passed through the old fort separating the fields from the mountains, now headed toward the path through the dueling peaks. Soon, he came upon the stables, where the stablemaster had leaned out from his desk and window, curious as to what the strange light heading his way was.

"What in Hyrule's name is—?" he began to ask, yet Link paid him no mind. He sped past the stable and into the chasm.

He continued through the mountain, ignoring the lizards and bokoblins that screeched at his passing. Monsters popped from out the frigid waters, firing rocks from their suction mouths to bombard the strange beast, yet it was too fast. Its wheels continued to spin, blasting snow from behind as it continued forward, leaving nothing but a few lines deep in the snow.

Blasting out the other side of the mountain, Link found himself riding through the snowy grasslands of Hyrule Field. Straightening up on the cycle, he took a frosty breath of air before looking out at the gigantic ruins in the far distance, slowly coming into view the longer he rode. His eyes hardened as he found himself staring at the highest point of the derelict castle, where he knew his challenger stood waiting for him. Allowing his resolve to boil in his chest, he turned the handle on the cycle, forcing it to go faster as he turned off the road. He hurried over hills and jumped over icy rocks before speeding through the town that once stood proudly in front of the castle, heading toward the gates across the wide stone-brick bridge.

It had been months since he had seen the castle up close. The once beautiful landmark loomed over the town remains and Hyrule Field, establishing its dominance over the land even in its decrepit state. While the dark gunge that once surrounded its borders had vanished, the pillars of ancient technology that had spewed out the spider-like beasts a century ago remained silently standing, though their pink lights had dulled. They now sat around the castle, pretending to be simple, dark-colored mountains of stone, adding to the number of high points the building owned. As the new visitor pulled up, he eyed the points as he grew closer. Even from up close, the highest tower seemed distant, as if fading into the darkened snow clouds in the sky above.

Arriving at the enormous entrance gates, Link jumped off the mechanical horse and looked around. Before a swarm of flying ancient machines guarded the entrance, shooting down any who dared step foot upon their turn, yet those had long disappeared. They had been taken care of by Link himself not even a day after his lover had been freed from the castle walls. Still, Link trod carefully as he stepped toward the gate's iron bars. He eyed everywhere he could, ready to take the curved blade from his back if need be, but nothing attacked him.

"Welcoming me with open arms, huh?" Link mumbled.

Cautiously, he stepped forward and placed his hands on each side, and with a grunt, pushed them open. He paused, waiting to see if anything would happen, yet nothing did. Skeptically, he took a few steps back and carefully grabbed his divine beast by the handlebars before guiding it through the gates. The grounds were covered in snow, only tainted by small prints made by animals that decided to make their home in small cracks and crevices in the remaining walls and rubble. Before, malice had crept up all the walls and every patch of grass, yet none of that remained now. The only evidence that evil had once tainted the castle were the remaining parts of now long-defeated guardians. After walking around, inspecting the castle's exterior, Link came to a stop next to what he knew was the library.

There's nothing more I can do out here, he thought to himself. Though he was still alert, he reached for the slate on his hip, and with a few taps, the small divine beast he had been pushing vanished in a river of blue lights. Time to head in.

With a leap, he skillfully scaled the library walls before stopping at the large hole in the crippling roof. He peered down into the large hall, examining each balcony and every pillar before ensuring himself it was safe to enter. Pulling his paraglider from the slate, he jumped and soared down into the center of the room. Just as it was outside, the castle's interior was clean from the darkness that once covered it. Its air no longer was filled with glowing pink cinders and there weren't any monsters patrolling the hall. The library sat quiet, its shelves still filled with now rotting books, though snow now covered some of the floors thanks to the damage in the roof above.

Slowly Link made his way through the castle. The dining hall, the corridors– everything seemed more familiar now that the Calamity's influence was gone. There were some places he could vividly remember walking down, stopping to greet faces that remained a bit blurry, and even times he and Zelda had walked down together. Though the memories themselves were nice, even if just in passing, Link's frown only deepened. His pain only grew.

Rotting carpet turned to stone and then stone turned to dirt paths. The tallest tower was growing near. The Sanctum, the tower that was Zelda's and the Calamity's prison for so long, now held another challenge; another evil that threatened to take more away from him. Step after step, he walked up the winding path until finally, the long entrance to the tower appeared. Link paused in his tracks, taking a moment to stare up into the sanctum's snow-covered tower. Closing his eyes, he took a breath in preparation as snowflakes began to once again fall from the dark clouds above. Exhaling, he lowered his head and proceeded forward. The stone returned, allowing his steps to echo through the small tunnel before stepping into the large circular room.

While the rest of the castle's virus seemed to have disappeared, the same couldn't be said for the sanctum. Though the thick malice was gone, the remnants of the tech and filth hybrid cocoon still hung from the roof. Even though the roof was still tainted by its past, the rest of the room seemed a bit better off. The red carpets still decorated the intact floors and staircases that wrapped around themselves, while the triangular emblem of the old kingdom still hung proudly against the remains of the elongated windows. The only other difference from before—besides the gross pod above— was the large hole in the floor where he and the Calamity first laid eyes upon each other and the lanky individual that stood at its edge. Link came to a stop as the assassin slowly turned to glance back at him.

"You're finally here…" the masked man said, tilting his head back slightly. "Welcome to Hyrule Castle; the place where you took down our precious Calamity– our god."

"The Calamity was no god," Link said. "Just a pig that caused nothing but worthless destruction, just as you lot do."

The Yiga snorted.

"You know," he began, seemingly choosing to ignore the insult the hero had thrown, "I was beginning to think you were reconsidering, maybe favoring the other option after all…"

"Not a chance," Link replied coldly, his breath freezing as it escaped his lips. "We had unfinished business anyway. You got away when you challenged me on Vah Medoh's perch, but Zelda isn't here to save you this time. I can finally put an end to this."

"And end to this, you say?" the Yiga asked, beginning to walk along the edge of the circular abyss. "No. No, that's not what this is. You want to put an end to me."

"And what makes you say that?" Link asked, slowly raising his hand toward the red-strapped sword handle behind his shoulder. The Yiga chuckled.

"Your eyes," he said. "They look just. Like. Ours. You hate me, the same way I hate you."

"Those are your words," Link said darkly as he pulled the curved blade from his back. "Not mine."

"They may be my words," the assassin growled, bringing a hand to his waist, "but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. Now..."

Lifting his hand, the signature sickle blade of the sadistic clan appeared from nothing.

"You mentioned during our tussle near the divine beast that you had always treated us like a game, and that you just then were deciding to play," the Yiga said. He spun the weapon in hand before gripping it tightly. "Let's play, shall we?"

The two darted toward one another, the clang of steel echoing throughout the tower. Their blades slid against each other as they passed by, both a blur in their opponent's eyes. The moment they finished their attacks, they spun before clashing again, only to keep repeating the events. Step by step the two spun, careful not to fall into the void next to them, yet eager enough to get dangerously close.

"Yes, Champion! Yes!" the assassin cried as they swung their blades. "This is quite the balancing act, isn't it? You could say we're dancing!"

Gritting his teeth in anger, Link swung his blade toward the Yiga's mask, but with surprising speed, the assassin dodged before sinking the pommel of his sickle into the knight's stomach. Link fell to a knee as the frigid air left his lungs, only just barely able to block the attack now aimed at his own head. The force of the sickle against his raised blade pushed him, forcing the hand on his stomach to move back to the ground, protecting him from falling into the circular abyss. In a last-ditch effort, Link swiped at the Yiga's legs, who disappeared in a puff of smoke. Realizing the assassin had vanished, he lowered his sword and brought a hand to his stomach, still gasping to reclaim the air that had left him.

"Disappointing."

Though his breathing was still violent, Link's ears pricked up in alert. He rapidly looked around before his eyes fell upon the other side of the floor's hole, where the Yiga sat cockily. He was still twirling the sickle in his hands, kicking his feet back and forth over the ledge.

"If this was you a few months ago, I would've been finished already," he said before disappearing in another puff of smoke, though his voice continued to echo. "You're the disgusting hero that beat our precious calamity, are you not? Isn't that sword your wielding spoils from defeating one of our very own blademasters?"

Suddenly, Link heard another puff. After a quick glance around, he found the assassin mockingly walking down one of the room's curvy staircases. As the Yiga continued to step down, Link slowly brought his hand to the side of his hip the Sheikah Slate sat on.

"I'm nothing but a simple foot soldier," the masked man said, rolling his head around in thought, "and yet, I'm still alive. I wonder why? Are you off your game today, perhaps?"

"You wish," Link said, stealthily tapping on the slate's screen.

In a flash of blue, a bladed tri-forked boomerang appeared in his free hand. He quickly threw the weapon, allowing it to spin through the air while he pushed himself to his feet. He sprinted to the staircase and up toward the assassin as the boomerang whirled around, headed for the back of the Yiga's head. He raised the Windcleaver high, ready to strike.

"You're kinda slow, don't you think?"

The assassin swung the sickle in a blur, forcing Link to quickly block. Again, the Yiga puffed away, leaving the now stumbling backward knight on the stairs. Just as he regained his balance, Link looked up to see the boomerang coming right for him. He just barely caught it before it could dig itself into his eyes, forcing him another few steps back. With his chest boiling in anger, he looked around yet again, only to have the Yiga appear in another puff of smoke, hovering in the air him, but this time with a shapely and rugged bow in his hands.

With two arrows knocked, the assassin released the bowstring, allowing the arrows to fly. Link jumped, allowing time to slow, but (being on the staircase) he could only go back. He brought up his sword, barely deflecting one of the arrows, yet time quickly returned to normal. He felt a sharp, searing pain in his shoulder as he crashed down, losing grip on the boomerang as he rolled down the staircase until he hit the floor with a thud. He grunted in pain as he brought his hand to his shoulder. He felt something warm beginning to spill down over his hand. He looked over to see the thick red liquid spilling from his shoulder until finally focusing on the arrow that was now lodged inside of it.

Before he could do anything about the wound, the Yiga appeared again, this time over him with the sickle returned to its place in his palm. With a taunting laugh, he brought it up, ready to strike the knight down. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Link reached down and grabbed the slate from his belt, and with a speedy tap, raised it toward the Yiga as the sickle quickly came down. In a flash of yellow, chains wrapped around the assassin's lanky body, freezing him in place. Wincing in pain, Link pushed himself out from under the legs that stood over him, getting up just before the chains snapped away.

"Nice tricks," the Yiga said, cracking his now stiff body loose again. "That's just like your kind; using my ancestor's technology against me. Typical."

In another puff of smoke, the assassin vanished again, but this time he wasted no time to reappear. Link could feel his presence come from behind. He turned and swiped with the sword he still had in his grip, but the Yiga simply ducked before reaching up to grab the arrow which still had its head lodged in Link's shoulder. With a yank, he pulled the arrow clean out, receiving a yelp in pain that surely gave him nothing but delight. Link began to stumble back again, but was saved by the sudden grasp around the belts that decorated his torso.

"Remember what we talked about a few nights ago?" the Yiga asked curiously, pulling the knight a little closer. "You know, the part about how I can't get a new mask, and how it was you who cracked it in the first place? That was quite the nasty punch you gave me way back—"

Without warning, using the hand that held his weapon, he slammed his knuckles against Link's nose. The knight flew back onto the ground, now bleeding from his nostrils. He tried to bring his free hand to his now broken bridge, yet winced from the pain in his now bleeding out shoulder. He reached down for the Sheikah Slate again. He needed more time, and just another stasis would do. He just needed the Yiga to pause for a few moments. But, when he reached down, he felt nothing there. Confused, he painfully pushed himself up to see the slate— and the belt it was connected to— was gone.

"I would say that was for my mask," the Yiga said, now twirling the Sheikah Slate around from the end of the belt in his hand, "but, I guess that could be payback for that fool you punched…"

With a shrug, he pulled the swinging slate toward him, catching it by the handle before inspecting it.

"So, this is the kind of technology my ancestors made for you ungrateful people," he said, looking over it. "Look's like it won't turn on for me. We were so loyal to you— and to think, some of my kind still are. Disgraceful."

Lazily, he chucked the slate away, letting it hit against the wall opposite from Link before clanking on the ground and sliding away.

"I can't let you use that anymore," he said as Link slowly pushed himself to his feet. "That would get annoying."

Suddenly, he dashed forward, catching Link off guard as the sickle began swiping at him again. He managed to just barely protect himself, ignoring the agonizing pain in his face and shoulder as he defended.

What is going on? Link thought to himself as he continued defending as best he could. As much as he despised it, he couldn't help but agree with the assassin's words. He was just a foot soldier. He was nothing to him before. This shouldn't be happening.

"You look confused!" the Yiga cried. "Thinking about what I said before? Come on, Hero! Fight me! Do something to me!"

Allowing his anger to fuel him once more, Link managed to parry an attack. He pulled his sword back before aiming its tip toward the Yiga's abdomen, but yet again, with ease, the assassin simply blocked.

"No winds. No orange shield. No lightning…" the Yiga said as he continued to deflect Link's oncoming attacks. "No bubbles either if I had to take a good guess?"

In another fit of anger, Link swiped again. The foot soldier prepared, ready to block the oncoming attack, but he never felt the blades clash. To his surprise, the knight had dropped his sword, opting to grab the hand that held the sickle up. Slowing down time as best he could, he yanked the weapon out of the Yiga's hand and swung it at the frozen man's head, yet his breath gave out. Moving just in time, the assassin knocked his arm away just enough to avoid the sickle going through his mask, yet it did scrape his chest downward. With the last of his stamina and still holding on to the sickle, Link jumped away, gaining a bit of distance between them. The Yiga— though flinching in pain— laughed.

"Finally," he said. "Are you choosing now to start playing? I thought you were supposed to be playing this whole time, though. Welp… better late than never, I suppose."

The assassin placed a hand on his chest before pulling it away to look down at his now red-stained palm. Wiping the blood away, he crouched down and picked up the Windcleaver Link had dropped moments ago. As he pushed himself up and began swinging the sword around to adjust to its balance, Link stood watching, gasping for air as he tried to get his stamina back. It was clear to him now: something was wrong.

"Why are you still standing there looking confused?" the Yiga asked, focusing his bloody eye back on his opponent. "Have you not put it together yet?"

"What did you do?" Link heaved, preparing the sickle in his hand as best he could.

"What did I do?" the Yiga asked, throwing up his arms in question. "You did this. I only gave you a few pushes."

Before Link could properly contemplate what he said, the assassin jumped forward, raising the Windcleaver high in preparation. The knight raised his newly acquired blade, ready to block, yet the Yiga disappeared in another puff of smoke. A split second later, Link heard another puff, much closer than any of the ones that came before. He dashed forward, trying to avoid the blade he knew was now coming from behind, but the tip dug into his back. It split from his shoulder blade to the opposite side of his lower back.

Wincing in pain, Link fell onto his knee, but rolled away until quickly pushing himself up again. He had to ignore the searing pain, no matter how great it was. He had to focus. He had to ignore him. With as deep of a breath as he could take (despite how painful it was to take it), he readied the blade for the already incoming attack from the Yiga now rushing him once more. Just like the previous attack, the assassin disappeared and again the puff was close. At the puff's arrival, Link's ears pricked up, and immediately time began to slow. He only needed a second, for he knew that— for whatever reason— his stamina was low. He just needed to see how the Yiga would attack.

The assassin, while his attack was high before, was now low with his arm outstretched and ready to swipe with his sword. Allowing time to continue and his brow furrowed in focus, Link jumped the moment before his opponent's hand moved. The blade flew under his now airborne legs, something that caught the Yiga by surprise. Knowing that he couldn't prepare a full attack in time, Link spun in the air to face the assassin before slamming the pommel of the sickle into his shoulder. The force of the hit lowered the Yiga to his knee. With his shoulders far too sore to immediately swing again, Link landed before kicking the masked man in the chest. The Yiga skidded away toward the circular abyss in the center of the room, stopping just before falling in.

"Look at you starting to focus," the assassin coughed, moving to place a hand on his still-bleeding chest, but winced. He tried rolling his shoulder, only flinching from the attempt. With a dark chuckle, he turned his attention back to Link. "Maybe we should make this more fun. What do you say?"

With a painful grunt, he pushed himself up.

"How about every hit you land on me, I kill one of your precious friends?" he suggested, shrugging his good shoulder. "Considering my chest and my shoulder, you're at two right now… How about I start with that little traitor and her apprentice up there in that ugly light tower? Might as well start with them since they helped you defeat—"

The assassin jolted his head to the side, avoiding the quick slash that swiped past it. A gash appeared on the side of his neck as he maneuvered around Link's body, who was now rebalancing himself so as not to fall into the void below.

"That's a third dead body, caused by your hand!" the Yiga shouted as he swiped his blade down, aimed for Link's back. "How about that innkeeper? That clumsy princess seems to have taken a liking to her, hasn't she?"

The champion quickly spun, avoiding the void and trying his best to avoid the Yiga's Windcleaver, and though his back was missed, another deep gash appeared on his less injured arm. He swiped again, this time trying to slash the Yiga's abdomen, but again the assassin dodged, though a gash appeared on his side.

"That makes four!" he shouted, retaliating with a slash of his own. "I could end that old man working at the general store! His name was Pruce, right? Doesn't he just love making your arrows?"

Come on, Link! He gripped the handle of the sickle in fury, ready to swipe again. Finish this!

"Number five! I'll take out that colorful rat-faced fool!"

Don't listen to him!

"Six! I owe that farmer a favor, I think his name was Dantz! He gave me a helping hand getting away from you! Maybe I should finally pay him back!"

Beat him! Stop him!

"Then how about that nosey traveler? What a bold woman, choosing to wear shorts in the winter!"

Ignore him!

"That big oaf, Manny!"

Take—

"Then maybe throw the village into more chaos by killing the mayor!"

Him—

"That purple-haired alcoholic!"

Down!

"Oh! But before any of them—"

The Yiga (ignoring the now multiple gashes on his body) grabbed the now bloody sickle, stopping Link's arm mid-swing. He pulled his arm down, bringing them both down to their knees. He brought his mask close to Link's now panting face.

"— I need to take that foul princess's life."

Link's eyes grew red with anger. He fiercely made to stand, trying to pull his wrist away from the Yiga's grip, yet he barely budged. The assassin chuckled.

"You're open."

Link gasped. He felt another searing pain, worse than any before. It didn't feel as though it was going across his body— no, it felt as though it was going through it. With a pale face, he looked down to see the burned Windcleaver's handle, still gripped by the Yiga's hand, but only part of the blade was visible. The rest had vanished, covered by his own tunic and flesh. Blood spilled from his stomach as his blue tunic began to stain with red. Gasping for air, Link fell back onto his knees, dropping the sickle he had in his caught hand.

"Look at you," the Yiga spewed, knocking the sickle away, "once a respected knight. A hero amongst people past and present, now a fool, bleeding out thanks to his own actions."

He yanked the sword out of Link's body, receiving another gasp in pain. Trying to control his breathing, the knight brought his violently shaking free hand to his bleeding stomach, trying to control the bleeding, yet the blood spilled over his hand. The Yiga, however, didn't seem keen on letting him struggle peacefully.

"You know, I never really corrected you, did I?" he asked. He released Link's wrist and patted his wounded shoulder, which made Link jolt in pain once more. "I'm assuming you haven't put it together yet. You're just like I was during our last encounter. Rash. Foolish. I remember that clash like it was yesterday. I enjoyed it at first… allowing that anger to take over. That feeling of power it gave me. I still remember how it felt to have that girl's throat in my hands. I wonder if yours would feel the same?"

Suddenly, he grabbed Link by the neck. He stood, lifting Link along with him. He dragged the weak knight over to the deep pit in the floor and held him out. Link coughed and gagged, standing on his toes thanks to the Yiga's height, standing on the edge of the chasm. The masked man grunted.

"Hm. It's not the same," he said. "Something felt more satisfying holding someone more… helpless, though you're getting real close to that, aren't you?"

Link could only cough in response. He weakly clawed at the hand wrapped around his neck as blood dripped from his torso and into the chasm below.

"I know what it feels like to be helpless," the Yiga continued, ignoring the knight's attempts at freedom. "You showed me— during our fight that day— how it felt to really be helpless. You were an unstoppable force, beating me without a sweat, even with a sword through your shoulder. I thought I would die, and had it not been for that foolish girl, I would have. She didn't think I would be a threat again, and why would she? You're you. A champion."

He laughed, slightly shaking the helpless champion.

"The bird champion warned me too, as I crawled away in the snow," he said. "He told me that, during our next encounter, you wouldn't let me get away next time. He was trying to help you, to scare me away, but that only gave me an idea. See, I lost because I was too eager. I was blinded by rage; I didn't think of my odds of survival. Yes, I had a plan, but it wasn't a good plan. But, because of your princess's mercy, I lived— I survived— and I learned."

Suddenly, he pulled Link away from the hole and threw him away. Link stumbled forward before falling face-first onto the rotting red carpet. He tried to pick himself. He had to do something. His vision was starting to blur. He looked around for something— anything— he could use to defeat the Yiga, even in his state. Eventually, his eyes found the slate, still sitting on the floor near the wall it had been thrown at. The sickle sat near it, having stopped there from when the Yiga had knocked it away. Slowly and painfully, he began to drag his body toward it.

"You see," the Yiga continued, walking alongside Link at a snail's pace while twirling the Windcleaver around. "You were different that day. I could see the anger in your eyes. At me, at our savior, Calamity Ganon, and at everything else. I could use that; I could fight smarter. It was hard, getting you to see me when no one else could, but that's our specialty. And the princess! For once, I actually have to give her praise. She really helped me out. But the true culprit was you. You just couldn't let go of your rage. You couldn't stop to think for just a minute. You made it so easy."

I… knew it was you… Link thought as he squirmed. You… You were always… there…

He continued to crawl toward the slate. The assassin looked down, waiting for a response, but realizing he wouldn't get one, he shrugged.

"But to think, you did more than just get mad," the Yiga continued as Link grew closer to the sickle. "You destroyed your body in the process. Sleepless nights, training in the freezing air, and coming after collapsing from what I thought to be hypothermia! I saw that, what a treat it was to see you so weak!"

Link's squirming suddenly paused as his eyes widened in realization. That was why his stamina was so low. That was why he felt so disoriented. The Yiga was telling the truth: he hadn't done anything. Link truly did it to himself.

Noticing the pause in squirming, the Yiga grunted.

"There it is," he said in a low tone. "The face I've been wanting to see: the moment you realize just how screwed you are, with only yourself to blame."

Zelda was right. He should've rested. He should've kept better track of his body, even if the Yiga was around. He was so angry, not just at the Yiga, but at himself, and that pain had guided him toward failure. Maz Koshia's trials had taught him about the importance of living, and yet he had thrown his life away, this time from his own stupidity from wanting someone else to blame and take his anger out on. He had to fix this, he had to do something.

He reached out his hand as far as he could, able to just barely tap on the Slate's screen. The screen lit up, revealing the weapons menu. With a shaky finger, he swiped over to the sword menu and tapped on the icon most familiar to him. In a flash of blue lights, the purple-winged sword appeared in Link's hand. Again, he paused the moment the sword appeared. Something again was wrong. The blade was glowing.

"Took you long enough," the Yiga said, still standing over him. "I can't touch it, so I guess I'll just do this."

With the Windcleaver still in hand, the masked man swung down at the Master Sword, knocking it out of Link's weak grip. The hero's heart stopped. He knew what direction the Yiga had hit the sword toward. He listened as it slid against the carpet until the sound quickly vanished.

"And down the hole it goes," the Yiga said. "Doesn't look like anyone will be getting that anytime soon."

In a final attempt, Link shakily moved his hand toward the sickle that sat nearby, yet the assassin slammed his foot down on his fingers.

"Alright, I think I'm done," he said coldly. "My body's sore, but I have one more thing to take care of, and that's the princess."

He pressed down harder on Link's fingers, causing the knight to flinch in pain.

"This was fun, but there's one more thing I need to correct before I end you," he said. "I was wrong earlier. I said that every attack you hit me with would be a body on your hands, starting with one… but that's wrong, isn't it? No, you already have blood on your hands. You failed a hundred years ago, so how many people does that make? I'd only be adding to that number."

Link's fingers began to crack.

"And don't think I'll stop at that little village," he continued. "I'll find a way to kill everyone else you care about. The Rito who claims to be a warrior. That cursed child who thinks she's a leader. The cowardly Goron. And that worthless fish who acts like his royalty means anything… all of them I will kill, and anyone else I deem. Even that traitorous old elder in Kakariko. Enjoy explaining all of their deaths to the other champions above, especially that fish princess."

The Yiga raised his sword above his head, aiming for the area of Link's back he knew would lead to Link's heart.

"Goodbye, Champion," he said. "Thanks for making this easy on me—"

Suddenly, just faintly, both of them heard an echoing clank from the void. The Yiga turned and looked.

"That was quite the fall," he said. "I wonder if the sword broke from that distance—"

Before he could finish, the castle began to shake. Rubble and dust fell from the sanctum's roof as the remaining glass began to crack. The Yiga looked around, taking his foot off Link's hand.

"The Calamity…" he muttered. "So that wasn't just a one-off I saw before… He truly is still here… Is it reacting to that blasted sword?"

Suddenly, malice began to rise from the hole. Link looked back as best he could. This malice was different. It was far darker than any he had seen before. Its movements were more sporadic, its usual pink had turned into a violent red, and its presence was so strong, the atmosphere in the room had grown thick. It began to spread across the flooring and up the staircases, slowly making its way to Link and the Yiga. The assassin grunted.

"The Calamity Ganon seems to want you himself…" he said, somewhat disappointed. Despite this, he sighed. "If that is what My Lord wishes, then so be it— Ah, no you don't."

He looked down to see Link, reaching out for the slate once more, tapping on the screen to reveal the map. He was just about to tap on one of the blue icons before the Yiga kicked the slate away.

"I can't have you getting away," he said to the bleeding-out knight. "You're going to die here. I promised myself you would, and that's what's going to happen."

He turned toward the gunge like malice, giving a bow before crouching down to Link's level.

"I just want to say one last time," he said in almost a whisper. "You did this. You caused this. I am the manifestation of your anxiety and actions. Remember this, even in the afterlife, hero, and if you ever return in another body, I hope it remembers the mask that brought its previous death to it."

With that, he stood. After taking one last glance toward the malice, he slid the Windcleaver's blade under his belt and walked towards the door. The floor continued to violently shake, rattling the sickle on the floor next to Link's hand. It moved just close enough to where he could painfully reach out and take it in hand. With the last of his strength, he pushed himself up and onto his knees. Trying to keep his balance on the shaking castle floor, he raised the sickle high before throwing it as hard as he could. The sickle spun in the air before landing in the Yiga's back just as he made it to the doorway.

The assassin screamed in pain, leaning against the wall as he lost balance. After writhing in agony for a moment, he reached back and painfully pulled the sickle out from his muscles. He looked back, clearly furious at the knight's last-ditch effort, but instead of staying, or even saying anything, he turned and continued through the exiting hall, dripping blood onto the floor from his back. Link watched as he limped out of the sanctum to disappear in a puff of white smoke, before collapsing to the ground once more, allowing his blood to continue staining the red carpet beneath him.

...

She hadn't listened to him. She hadn't paid him any mind. All she did was disregard his worries, and chain him to what she believed was the right thing to do. It was just as Jules had said: she had acted just like her father.

Zelda sat on the floor with her arms folded on the bed and her head resting inside of them. She had been crying for hours, unsure of what to do. Link had left, taking the Sheikah Slate with him. There was no way she would make it in time to stop him. It had been some time since she had felt this useless— months in fact— not since she was forced to watch Link during the Champion's Ballad. It felt as though she never knew what to do, and the one time she thought she did, she ended up ruining everything. It was always her fault, and now, all she could do was sit, wait, and hope he would return.

Suddenly, her ears twitched. She heard something outside, near the front door. She raised her head, revealing her puffy red eyes. She heard a knock at the door. Hope began to rise in her chest. Maybe he had returned home; maybe there wasn't anything at the castle, or he could have possibly beaten the Yiga. Regardless, her joy consumed her as she quickly pushed herself to her feet. She hurried across the loft and down the stairs. If he hadn't opened the door by now, there was a chance he was hurt.

"Link?" she called as reached the bottom of the stairs. "Link? Are you alright?"

She hurried to the door and yanked it open.

"Link! Thank the golden goddesses you're alright! I—"

She stopped, allowing her face to fall. Link wasn't the person standing at the door.

"Sorry. I'm not him."

"C-Celessa?" Zelda asked. She averted her eyes away from her friend. "Look, I… I know. I messed up, and I… I know I was acting just like my—"

"Can I come in?' the traveler asked. Zelda looked back into Celessa's eyes. Her voice was calm, not showing any hint of disappointment in them. Instead, her eyes were full of care. "Please?"

After a brief pause, Zelda stepped aside, allowing Celessa into the house. After she stepped in, Zelda closed the door and leaned her back against it.

"So, Link's really not here, is he?" Celessa asked, looking around the small house. Zelda shook her head. "Don't blame—"

"Don't tell me not to blame myself, Celessa," Zelda said. "How am I not supposed to? I ignored everything he said. Jules was right; I did everything my father did."

"Zelda…" Celessa replied sadly. With a sigh, she looked around again before turning back to her friend. "Come on."

"Come on? Where are we going?" Zelda asked.

"We're going up the stairs," she answered. "Standing at the door isn't going to get us anywhere. I want to talk to you and we might as well get comfortable while we do."

Zelda looked Celessa in the eye, who gave an awkward smile in return. With a deep breath, she guided her up the staircase, where the two found themselves sitting on the bed.

"I don't agree with what Jules said," Celessa stated, taking a seat next to Zelda. "At least, not with a lot of it. It was wrong to bring your father into it."

"But, she's right," Zelda said. "I did act exactly like my father."

"And that's not really your fault," Celessa countered. "It's all you know, Zelda. You aren't fully used to how life is. You aren't used to this new Link, right? You've been free from the castle for what? Half a year, maybe? It's not fair to expect so much from you."

"But that doesn't change what I've caused," Zelda argued. "Look at what's happened! You can't deny it's because of me."

"It's because of all of us, Zelda," Celessa said. "You, me, Prima, Jules… even Link himself. We don't understand you two, and honestly, it doesn't look like you two understand each other either."

"We used to…" Zelda said sadly. "I don't know what happened to that."

"Time," Celesa said simply. "Time happened. He went through a lot, and even more from the trials you mentioned you both went through together. Experiences just happen to change people a bit. "

"So, what am I supposed to do?" she asked, looking at Celessa with watery eyes. "Am I supposed to accept that? Does that mean we shouldn't… That we shouldn't be…"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Celessa said. "He loves you. I'm sure that's partially why he's doing all this. You just… need to find ways of understanding him better. The him today, not from just back then."

"And how do I do that?" Zelda asked, but Celessa shrugged.

"That's for you to figure out," she answered. "Right now, we need to focus on Link's safety."

"But he's gone, Celessa," Zelda said, standing from the bed. "The horses are gone, he took the slate, and the snow is still thick! How am I supposed to stop him? For all I know, he already made it to the castle and—"

The two jerked their heads toward the stairs. They heard it: the sound of someone walking downstairs. As hope once again filled her chest, Zelda turned and hurried to the wooden railing of the loft. Celessa, however, wasn't blinded by hopeful feelings. She never heard a door open. Zelda leaned over the railing and looked down, and immediately her face turned white. Celessa raised a nervous eyebrow.

"Zelda? What is it?" she asked, slowly standing from the bed. Zelda didn't answer prompting her to step forward. "What are you—?"

She moved next to Zelda and looked down at what Zelda was looking at. Her face lost all color as well upon the sight. Standing downstairs, dripping blood onto the floor, was a tall lanky man, dressed in a dark jumpsuit with a sickle in hand and a sword on his back. With his face covered by a bloodied cracked mask, he slowly looked up at the two eyeing him from above.

"Hello," he said in a raspy voice, trying to hide the pain in his tone. "I've come to kill you."