All seven of them soon stood ready as the Soldat soon approached them. Suddenly Rean's ARCUS II started to ring and he picked it up, revealing it was Professor Schimdt that was calling him.

"Professor?" Rean asked in shock "This isn't the best time."

"Then listen up Schwarzer because I found something out." Professor Schimdt said. "The orbment that is powering the Soldat that is standing before you is closely linked to the Sept-Terrion of Fire, which makes how the Vanguard was able to power most of it's devices all the more simple. Based on it's current composition, we believe that it is an Artifact."

Hearing that, soon got both Rean and Emma's attention.

"An Artifact?" Rean and Emma said at the same time.

Schmidt nodded as he brought up another screen, displaying a map of Erebonia. Several points were marked in red. "Based on the data you and your students found, their past targets seem to align with other places that was marked with the Artifact's power. If I had to guess, their ultimate goal is to trigger a large-scale disturbance."

"How astute of you, Professor Schimdt, but I am afraid you won't live to see the end of what we are planning to accomplish, " The pilot said to Rean and his students.

Rean soon gritted his teeth and soon put away his ARCUS as he soon attacked the Soldat with his students pitching in to help.

"Your persistence is admirable," the pilot said, their strikes swift and relentless. "But you're too late. This artifact's power will soon be unleashed, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"We'll see about that," Rean countered, tapping into his Spirit Unification. With a burst of energy, he drove her back, creating an opening for Altina and the rest of his students to land a critical blow.

"I've got it!" Altina called out. Soon, she had Claiomh Solais attack the Soldat's arms while Juna and Kurt attacked the legs.

With it's limbs soon immobilized from the attacks Ash and Musse soon attacked the body while Emma managed to use Vorpal Flare to roast the Soldat.

"Rean/Schwarzer/Instructor!" Emma and his students soon yelled out to him.

Summoning all the energy he can muster, Rean soon delivered a final attack on the Soldat to cripple it and knock it out of commission permanently.

Soon Ash tore open the hatch of the Soldat and dragged out the pilot, who thankfully was still alive. Rean soon looked around for the most part it seemed like the fighting had subsided with most of the Ghost Vanguard having retreated back.

"Restrain them and bring them back to the Branch Campus." Rean said to his students as they all soon began to head back to the Branch Campus.

Though Rean soon couldn't shake the fact that this conflict was still far from over as they soon entered the Campus.

Thankfully most of the students were still safe as many of them had suffered minor wounds in the fighting, soon Rean got a message from Aurelia instructing him and his group to come to her office.

Once they were in Aurelia's office, she soon brought out a file on Wraith that was supposedly given to her by the Intelligence Division.

"First of all, I am glad you are all safe and didn't suffer any major injuries. Second, this came in just before the Vanguard launched their attack on Leeves." Aureila said as she allowed Rean to look at the file.

Rean soon looked at the file. It seemed Wraith was from North Ambria and was a former Northern Jeager and mysteriously went missing during the Northern War. There had been rumors of him popping up here and there around both Crossbell and Calvard shortly before the Great Twilight had been enacted, but for the most part the file gave Rean all the info he needed to know about Wraith.

"So he is a former Northern Jeager, that makes sense why he want revenge against the Empire…" Rean said as flashes of the Northern War soon played in his mind, the guilt of what happened there still very much in his mind.

"I am surprised he is the only one. With how many people the Empire pissed back when the former chancellor was still with us, you think there would be more than the Vanguard attacking us." Ash said dryly.

"But why attack now?" Kurt asked. "He could have done so at any point, including during the Great Twilight and during the Elysium incident last year." He pointed out.

"Maybe he thought he wouldn't have enough firepower to launch a serious attack." Juna pointed out. "And where did he even get that mysterious Artifact?"

"It does appear to be rather odd." Musse said while also lost in deep thought.

Emma soon wondered if he had threatened the Hexen Clan at any point over the last three year as she asked if Rean was ok.

Rean was taken out of his stupor and smiled at Emma.

"Yeah I am fine, I just… thought this was a lot less complicated. But knowing what I did during the Northern War. I am not surprised he targeted us. And… I am sorry." Rean said looking down as the guilt was evidently there.

But before anyone could say anything else, Altina soon bearhugged Rean catching him by surprise.

"Instructor… you were the one who guided us to the point of where we are… we wouldn't be the people we were if it wasn't for you." Altina said as she still hugged him "Please rest assured, you have nothing to apologize for."

The rest of his students soon echoed the same sentiment as they joined in on the hug.

Emma and Aurelia soon smiled at them knowing they shouldn't disrupt this moment.

"Aww.. what a heartwarming moment, it almost makes me want to puke."

The sudden voice soon caught everyone off guard as outside they saw Wraith suddenly standing outside the Branch Campus by himself.

"But I think it is time we ended this little feud of ours, wouldn't you say Ashen Chevalier?"