Lie and Seek

by draconichero21

On Planet Earth, there are multiple superpowers that oversee the global populace, most prominently are those that follow the Church of Seiros: Adrestia, Faerghus, Leicester, and Britannia. A chance meeting interlocks the fate of Lelouch and Edelgard, unknowingly putting the fate of mankind in their very ambitious hands.

37. Coastline Chaos

(A/N: It's always a wonder how sometimes I have great ideas and then I have to change them because previous chapters contradict those ideas. Y'all would never know the difference. Yes, that happened this chapter. I'll explain at the end lol)

---

15th Day of the Wyvern Moon

Shirley Fennette was passing through the entrance hall from the cafeteria when she happened to spot Seteth passing through. She thought to call out to him, but the man seemed like he was moving hastily, though Shirley did not know where to.

"Brother!" An out of breath Flayn called out to him. "Please wait!"

Seteth stopped and turned to talk to her. "For the last time, Flayn, the answer is no."

Although the pair were having an altercation in the middle of a public venue, Shirley still concealed her presence behind a pillar. She didn't want to make her interest in the conversation overt.

"You are departing for the Rhodos Coast, are you not?" Flayn asked. "I must come!"

"You will do no such thing," Seteth berated. "I am not going there to pay respects at the cemetery, but to do battle. With you there, I will be besides myself with worry. It will be easier for me to fight if I know you are safe."

"But…I must!"

If it meant protecting Flayn, that, Shirley thought, was a job she felt qualified for. "If it means protecting Flayn, whatever this is, I can come along!"

"Miss Fennette…" Seteth's tone suggested he was somewhere between considering it, and telling Shirley to drag Flayn kicking and screaming to the fish pond if need be.

"Shirley, you have come at just the right time!" Flayn exclaimed, beaming. "My dear brother is about to set forth on a most dangerous mission."

"Oh? What sort of mission? Must be important if you're going out to handle it yourself, Director," Shirley responded, making eye contact with Seteth.

Seteth sighed, folding his arms. "Quite important," he stated. "In case you've forgotten about the headache caused to us by the Western Church, I will remind you."

"No need, I remember what they've done," Shirley said with a look of vicious disdain on her face.

"That makes my explanation then all the simpler," Seteth stated. "Ever since Lady Rhea had the heretics responsible for the attack during the Rite of Rebirth executed, we believed that this would be the end of the Western Church's antics. Unfortunately, we miscalculated. Like, the head of a Hydra, cut it off, and more sprout. The Western Church has only become more radicalized since that incident, and now they've pushed straight into sacred ground where Rome once stood. Are you familiar with The Bay of Old Rome?"

"Oh! I've always wanted to go there!" Shirley exclaimed, beaming.

Seteth smiled. "I'm sure you have." It faded immediately after speaking that sentence. "There is part of the bay that is quite sacred to the Church. It's along the sea side where land-based vehicles have difficulty traversing, but the scenery is gorgeous, sandwiched between the bay and the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is known as the Rhodos Coast. It is part of Empire territory. Flayn was actually born on that very beach and raised in Enbarr shortly after."

"And the Western Church is trying to claim it?! How?! Why?! I thought they were Faerghusian based!" Shirley exclaimed.

"We believe members of their kind infiltrated the Southern Church by crossing through the countries under the banner of the church so that no one would ask questions. Given the current political climate in Adrestia, such security breeches are to be expected from time to time. Unfortunately, little can be done to correct them. In the interest of autonomy, that is, of course, the Empire's problem to deal with, though my heart does bleed for the afflicted citizenry. Still, from what my scouts have told me, no hostages have been taken. It is my belief that the Western Church plans to make a base of operations of sorts on those very grounds," Seteth stated.

"So why are you going?" Shirley asked. "It's on Empire soil. Can't the Empire's army handle it?"

The look on Seteth's face said it all. They could, but he wanted to take care of the matter personally. Given Rhodos was Flayn's birthplace, a sister he doted on and cherished, Shirley could surely understand the sentiment.

"Brother, if Shirley comes along, she can protect me. Then your fears would be allayed, correct?" she asked him.

"Flayn, while I do have faith in Miss Fennette's skills to protect you, I cannot be held responsible for her safety, given how densely populated opposing forces will be. Miss Fennette, you needn't risk your life for this. I am perfectly capable of wiping out such a force all on my own."

Shirley shook her head. "No, I want to come. Flayn's my friend. I want to help both of you in any way I can."

Seteth smiled. "I see. Then, I suppose I can hardly refuse your help."

"If you're worried about me, why doesn't my class come along? It would be a great experience for us, and it's on Empire soil anyway," Shirley proposed.

"Hmm, sound logic," Seteth replied, impressed. "I approve. If her highness agrees to this, I can put off my departure to amass a larger force. You have thirty minutes to assemble in front of the hangar, as I would like to leave here within an hour. I'm not sure what Professor Byleth does with her time. She's a bit…unpredictable on her days off, to put it mildly."

"Thank you, Director! I'll be right back!" Shirley exclaimed, taking off into a sprint. "Meet you at the hangar!"

Seteth smiled, watching her run off.

"Brother, you're smiling so proudly, why so?"

"Ah, pardon me," Seteth stated, unable to wipe the smile off his face. "I haven't seen such an earnest young knight in quite some time." His smile finally did fade. "Catherine has her undying loyalty to Lady Rhea, but I liken young Miss Fennette's enthusiasm to our timely served Alois. Someone eager to do the right thing, regardless of the harm that comes to them, showing sharp logic and a will to fight, with a smile, despite their worries or fears, or what harm could come to them. It's a reminder, to me, that hope still exists within the human heart, even in this day and age. Despite the chaos unfolding all around us, such small reminders are comforting."

Flayn smiled widely. "Do you think when Shirley becomes a Knight of Seiros, you could assign her as my personal bodyguard. I really like hanging out with her, brother."

Seteth smiled. "If all goes well today, I could see myself arranging that."

Flayn's smile grew even wider. "Thank you, brother. That means a lot to me."

---

Out of breath, Shirley eventually found Byleth in the library on the same side of a table as Princess Cornelia. The two appeared to be comparing notes of some kind. It was likely they were teaching each other how to tighten up their own weaknesses. Cornelia noticed Shirley first, then tapped Byleth on the shoulder to get her to notice the same.

"Oh, hello Shirley," Byleth said. "Is there a problem?"

"Problem? Er, no, not exactly," Shirley stated and began to explain the whole situation.

"Sure, let's grab Edelgard and the others and head out," Byleth stated. She got up and strode a few paces towards Shirley.

"Hold a moment. You're going just like that?" Cornelia asked her.

"Yes," Byleth responded.

Cornelia stood up. "I see, then I hope you don't mind if we make this a cross-house mission."

"No, but why?" Byleth asked.

"I haven't yet had a chance to field the Violet Tigers in live combat since I took over. This will be a good chance for them to get used to my leadership first hand," Cornelia stated. "I also am curious to see you in action outside of Saitama. For this assault, you won't be an additional unit under my command, but a field commander of the same rank and importance as myself."

Shirley beamed. "Awwww, are you two friends? That's so nice!"

Cornelia couldn't help but chuckle. "Miss Eisner and I have reached a mutually intellectual—"

"We're friends," Byleth stated in her usual deadpan, and blunt way of speaking.

Cornelia, caught entirely flatfooted by Byleth's casual admission, needed a moment to gain her composure. After a particularly strenuous clearing of her throat, she stated, "I'll meet you at the hangar then. Rally your students."

Byleth nodded, watching Cornelia march out. "You fetch Edelgard," she told Shirley. "I'll start with Lelouch."

"Wait, why do you want to start with Lelouch? Shouldn't you get Edelgard?" Shirley asked.

"I have a funny feeling he won't go on this mission unless I tell him to," Byleth stated. She was masking the truth with a half truth.

"Well, if you say so. See you soon, Professor," Shirley said and ran off.

---

When Byleth broke the news to Lelouch, he was, understandably, a little freaked out.

"If you wanted to sit this out, I'd understand, but…"

"No, Hubert or Monica would grow suspicious of my withdrawal. Thank you for being the one to tell me," Lelouch said.

"What are you going to do?" Byleth asked him. "You could always recon—"

"No," Lelouch answered before the thought had fully exited her mouth. "No need to worry about me, I already have a plan. I'll just need you to cover for me when you see it."

"I can do that," Byleth said honestly with a nod.

"Good, then I'll meet you at the hangar."

Byleth was rather surprised to see that Lelouch's idea of a plan was a pair of sunglasses.

"Lelouch? Are you okay?" Monica asked him. "It's not that sunny, is it?"

Lelouch took out a piece of paper from his pocket and held it up for Monica to read. It was a notification signed off by Manuela that stated that she'd diagnosed Lelouch with temporary light sensitivity.

"Sunglasses will cut down on the issue tremendously, but unless I'm throwing up, I want to be there to help."

"You're sure?" Edelgard asked.

"I'll not be a hinderance," Lelouch told her.

"Do you know what caused it?" Ferdinand asked.

"Stress causing an aneurysm brought upon by Caspar's stupidity, perhaps?" Lelouch asked with a shrug and a joke. "I don't know. I woke up like this."

"Hey! No need to throw me under the bus over it!" Caspar shouted in annoyance.

"To be fair, you are really stupid," Linhardt spoke up. "Just talking to you is exhausting."

Attempting to act more personal and putting his back to Cornelia's current position, Lelouch addressed Linhardt, "Rare to see you in fine form Linhardt."

"It will be a long flight from here to the Rhodos Coast, yes?" Linhardt asked. "I can get a long nap and no one will bother me until we arrive. A small concession to make for being awake for the next thirty minutes."

"I see even broken clocks can work twice a day," Lelouch chuckled.

"I mean, I get a long, uninterrupted nap. What's not to be excited about?" Linhardt asked.

Of course it's the nap that's got him more excited than the actual performing the task set upon him, Lelouch thought. Linhardt, you truly are how you come across.

"I'd think most of us here are more excited about the mission than the long trip, Lin," Dorothea told him.

"I must thank you for bringing this incident to my attention, Shirley," Edelgard said to her. "Having the opportunity to run heathens out of my own territory is a welcome chance."

"Oh! Uh…thank you, Edelgard. I just…I mean I just wanted to help Flayn out. I didn't even consider that…"

Edelgard chuckled. "No need to be humble. You may take the compliment at face value."

Lelouch heard footsteps and, attempting to appear casual, turned his head to see Oldrin and Marrybell approach. The latter spoke. "You all seem to be in good spirits."

"You know us, always ready for action," Edelgard boasted with a smile.

"Something wrong with your eyes, Lelouch?" Oldrin asked.

"Light sensitivity," he said, showing her the paper with Manuela's signature. "Nothing serious." He recalled how he'd forced Manuela's cooperation with the use of his Geass power.

"The HUD of an HLKMF won't bother you, will it?" Marrybell asked.

"It shouldn't. I'm good to go," he said.

She nodded. "Well, we should be ready to depart within fifteen minutes. We're cleared for boarding though. Cornelia works fast when she's motivated."

"Then this will be interesting," Edelgard stated, putting one hand on her hip whilst puffing out her chest, "I look forward to seeing your half-sister's skill firsthand." Not that I already didn't at Saitama, but it will be nice to see it through friendly eyes.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Clara asked. "Let's go!"

---

Gathering the Violet Tigers had taken little time. And, in the interest of time, Cornelia wrangled Shez last and personally escorted her to the hangar. Once all assembled, the group took off on Seteth's own gargantuan transport ship, typically used if the Church's highest-level militia had to go into battle outside of Rome. But today, it would be used to transport the Violet Tigers.

"I must say," Cornelia said, as she stood on the bridge with Seteth, "This is a fine transport vessel. The church really does put some of their non-profit gains to good use, it would seem."

"The benefit of being a neutral power is receiving the aid of the faithful from all walks of life," Seteth responded. "Many architects, engineers, and inventors have come to the aid and in service of the church throughout its lifespan."

"Who built this one?" Cornelia asked.

"Many hands were tasked, but I came up with the blueprints myself, actually," Seteth stated.

"Intriguing," Cornelia stated. "Would this be purely Roman architecture then?" she asked.

"My family roots trace back to the Empire, but yes, as far as citizenry goes, Flayn and I are both Roman," Seteth responded.

"Hmmm…" Cornelia responded, folding her arms.

"Something on your mind, Princess Cornelia?" Seteth questioned.

"It has bugged me for the past seven years. The development of the Knightmare Frame was a well-kept secret among Britannian engineering, yet when it came time to seize control of Japan, the church already had not only Knightmares of their own, but ones that could fly. Public record describes the assault as "machines in white descending like angels of death."" She turned to look at Seteth, scowling slightly. "I could never quite puzzle out how you managed that, but now I have you right in front of me and with nowhere for you to escape to, so answer me. How did you copy Britannia's cutting edge technology?"

"It's not so surprising," Seteth stated. "The second generation Knightmare Frame, the Ganymede, was debuted by former Knight of Two, Marianne the Flash. I happened to be in Pendragon when its model was shown off as a tech demo. A few talks here and there and I brought the concept back to Rhea and we got to work."

Cornelia could barely believe what she was hearing, caught somewhere between angry and shocked. None of that anger directed at Seteth, of course, but at her own countrymen for divulging secrets.

"Is it really such a shock? The church has long held authority in matters such as these. And if Britannia suddenly decided Rome was an eyesore, I didn't want to risk us being blasted out of the sky. Granted, Rome was floating over the ocean back then, and flight capabilities had yet to be developed. However, some engineers from the Alliance helped on that front," Seteth explained.

"Being such a small nation, I suppose it would make sense for you to shore up your defenses as best as possible. And all this time, I thought we had spies on the inside," Cornelia responded, staring out the front window.

"The truth is often more peaceful than one might believe. I wish I could say the same about the Empress's assassination. I understand that you two were quite close. I know I've had the opportunity to say it before, but I will say it again, my sincere condolences," Seteth stated.

"Your words won't bring her back, Seteth," Cornelia responded. "Nor will it bring back her children, a half-brother and sister I cherished almost to the same level as Euphemia."

"Speaking of your sister, did you think it wise to bring her along? Speaking as an older sibling myself, I can only imagine the worry you must feel about—"

"Our objective is the annihilation of the enemy force down to the last man. In pursuit of that, my role is to command the troops and I can do so from the middle of the pack once the fighting begins to intensify. As long as I keep Euphemia close to me, I can keep an eye on her. This battle will determine one of two things: show that she's not cut out for warfare, or make me even prouder to call her my sister," Cornelia responded.

"I see we have widely different approaches to how we treat family," Seteth stated.

"Euphemia's in that rebellious phase where she often doesn't want to listen to me and thinks she knows everything," Cornelia countered. "The best way to prove the truth to her, is first hand experience."

"A reckless strategy, if my opinion is permitted," Seteth spoke gravely.

"You're allowed to speak it, but Euphie is my sister and I will decide how I educate her. Certainly mother is incapable," Cornelia stated. "I know it greatly upset her when I wanted to be a soldier, rather than indulge in extravagance like her."

"Perhaps she was concerned for your safety. Losing a child when you're not there to protect them cannot be easy on the mind. The late Prince Clovis's mother is evidence of that," Seteth remarked.

"…" Cornelia exhaled audibly and turned her head towards the bridge floor.

"Apologies, I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine. I don't blame the church for what happened. I've had time to process my brother's death and the actions that led up to it. Schneizel was right to cut the thread that bound us. Even so, he was still my brother. I just wish I could have done more for him. Perhaps then, I wouldn't have lost him," Cornelia stated.

Seteth's eyes widened a little. "It is rare to see such a strong value of family within Britannia. I was under the impression, given there is only one throne, and just how many of you there are vying for it, that it was a court of chaos and backstabbing."

"That certainly exists," Cornelia conceded. "However, not all of us are cut from the same cloth. A small group of us have coalesced together, almost in a non-aggressive way. It's unknown what brought us together, but we treat each other like family. My eldest sister and both my elder brothers sit within that coalition."

"Princess Guinevere, Prince Odysseus and Prince Schneizel, is it? One would think the Crown and Second prince and princesses would not get along. That certainly wasn't the case of your father's court, or so history states," Seteth stated.

"Hard as it might be to believe, despite pitting us against each other and promoting that all men are not created equal, our family moves against the grain a little. Mostly, it's Schniezel's cunning and Odysseus being too nice for his own good. But both see the value of teamwork and peace among our family. The way Schneizel sees it, making allies now helps him stand to gain greater security later."

Seteth smiled. "I honestly have not had a chance to gain insight to the family politics of the Britannian Royal Family. Many think it just as I mistook it, a den of chaos and misconduct, but you paint a sunnier picture, one that paints a bright future for whomever inherits the throne."

Cornelia nodded. "I feel as if everything just sort of…worked out. Among the four of us most likely to inherit the throne, each of us diverged in our interests. I became a soldier. Schneizel became a politician. Guinevere threw herself at the family treasury. And Odysseus, while not taking any high-end pursuit, is first in line. If the three of us rallied behind him, he would make a fantastic Emperor. That's what I believe anyway."

"Odysseus will make a fine Emperor," Seteth beamed. His smile quickly faded. "For now though, we should focus on the task at hand."

"Agreed," Cornelia stated. "I'll be taking time in a private suite to rest and be ready. It wouldn't do to have the field commander exhausted before the battle has even begun." She then waltzed out of the room.

The Goddess of the Battlefield will dance today, it would seem. And I am grateful that she is on my side, Seteth thought.

---

As Cornelia took a moment to take a long rest, Shirley was in the training hall, practicing with a training spear. The lance was the preferred energy weapon of choice when using the Aquamarine 5000. And, on foot, Shirley preferred the lance to any other weapon. As a swimmer, her peers might have thought she'd take to energy gauntlets, and while that was true, Shirley felt she lacked the upper body strength to truly be effective with them. She was quick, sure, a great trait to have when using gauntlets, but as an athlete, the lance felt right in her hands. Axes were far too heavy and Shirley didn't have the footwork an expert swordswoman. She'd tried. She wasn't bad, but the lance was definitely her calling. Far reach, the muscles strengthened by her swimming offered great additional lower body balance, and she had great precision with javelin mode.

On the subject of said mode, she was pulling back on the chain to reel the weapon back in after hitting a holographic target when Milly walked into the room.

"Woooooow, Shirley, quite the arm to hit a bullseye from that distance," Milly stated.

Shirley grumbled under her breath. "Prez, if you're just here to perv on me, you can leave," Shirley told her. Milly might not have been a student council president anymore, but she would always be Prez to Nina, Rivalz and Lelouch.

"Heyyyyy, come on now, that's not fair," Milly complained. "I just wanted to see how you were doing, honest. This was your idea after all."

Shirley stood upright, balancing the end of her lance on the floor, keeping one hand on it. "Flayn's a good friend. I wanted to do right by her."

"Shirley, there's wanting to do right by someone and then there's putting your life on the line for them," Milly told her. "I mean, you don't have to hide it from me, Shirley, I know you. You came here to follow Lelouch. And just…well…look at you now. No one would have guessed you have no military background. You're a natural."

"Uh…thanks?" Normally Shirley would have just taken the compliment, but this was Milly Ashford. She was concerned Milly wanted something. She didn't shower people with compliments if she wasn't buttering them up.

"Gonna be honest, didn't realize you were so chummy with Director Seteth. I totally get it though. Him and his Big Dad Energy are hard to ignore!"

"Wh-what are you talking about you perv?!" Shirley shouted. "I don't…that's so out of context!"

Milly laughed so hard, she snorted. "Oh come on. He can't be that old if someone as young as Flayn is only his sister," Milly said.

"Would you knock it off?" Shirley shrieked.

"You say that, but you're blushing," Milly teased.

"If I'm blushing, it's because you're putting weird thoughts in my head I don't want to even entertain!" Shirley shouted.

Milly continued to laugh at Shirley's expense.

"Oh yeah?! You wanna talk romantic gossip? What about you and Sylvain, huh? I didn't know your prerogative for finding a boyfriend was to literally screw around and find out!" Shirley shouted at her.

"It's not like that!" Milly shouted and stormed out. If the door wasn't automatic, Shirley knew she would've slammed it behind her. Feeling a pang of guilt, the redhead put her practice weapon away and went to go check up on the blonde. She found Milly in one of the two-person bedrooms, for quartering soldiers. Milly was sitting facing the window, sniffling, arms wrapped around her shins, knees up by her face.

"Hey, you okay?" Shirley asked, walking in. When she received no response, she added. "Mills?" When still no answer came, she added, "Prez?"

Without any further response from Milly other than sniffing, Shirley sat down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, come on. No need to cry. Do you wanna talk about it?" Shirley asked.

Milly turned her head away.

Shirley wasn't sure what to do or to say. Had she really upset Milly that badly? That'd be a first.

However, Milly spoke up. "I have a fiancé," she said.

"You what?!" Shirley exclaimed. Milly never talked about it at school. And if so…what?!

"My dad arranged it shortly before we left for Ashford. He wants me to marry Lloyd Asplund. You know, the super eccentric genius that developed the basis for the Hard Light Knightmare Frame?"

"Wait! Slow down! If you're in an arranged marriage, then why…?"

Milly put her head in her arms. "I just…I don't want to get married, Shirley. I want to be me…but…the Ashford family isn't what it used to be. I put on a smile and act like everything's okay, but the truth is…" she let out a sob, "You're not the only one that came here because of Lelouch."

"Milly…" Shirley was surprised to hear that.

"He made the decision on his own. And…and I didn't want to be apart from him so I…"

"That's why you conscripted the student council and dragged us all along," Shirley said. "I thought it was kind of weird, but hey Garreg Mach, right? That was how I approached it, at least."

Milly picked her head up, resting it on her wrists, looking miserable. "I knew you would go. You like Lelouch so much," she sniffed, "It was a given. He and Rivalz are thick as thieves, so that wasn't a hard sell. I wasn't sure I could get Nina to go, but she didn't have a problem with it. …I feel terrible though, selfish even."

"Okay, but what's all that got to do with Sylvain?" she asked.

"I just wanted to be a teenage girl, you know? And…Sylvain let me, cause…we said it wasn't gonna matter. We just both wanted the right to make our own decisions without our parents or family mattering, you know?" She wiped her eye, mascara starting to run. "But like…oh Shirley, you don't know what it's like. It felt so…powerful," Milly stated, clenching her fingers and toes. She could still remember the sensations, every caress, every thrust. Yet, right now, the memory was making her sick to her stomach.

"You want him to take you seriously, huh?" Shirley asked.

"He's in the same boat as me," Milly said. "Family obligations. An arranged marriage. The only difference is his dad hasn't arranged his wife yet. And Sylvain doesn't take anything seriously. He's always off on some date or another. I know I said we shouldn't get attached." She reached up over her head to grab her hair and hugged herself with the other arm. "But I'm the one who got attached."

"Milly, come on, you can do better than that guy," Shirley stated.

Milly cried. "But…he's the only one who's ever taken me seriously, you know? I know I flirt and I know I make jokes, but Sylvain sees past all that. He sees…what's hurting, because he sees that pain."

"Never really thought the guy was that deep," Shirley stated. "…Then again, I didn't know you were suffering this much either."

Milly wiped a tear with the back of her hand as she sat up, forcing a laugh and a smile. "Haha, I hide it well, don't I?" She sniffed, tears running down her cheeks. She went back to looking depressed, facing the window. "I just wish Sylvain understood. But…he won't. I don't have what he needs. I'm…not good enough for him."

"That's a damned lie and you know it!" Shirley shouted.

Milly picked her head up, staring at her friend.

"Sure, maybe you don't have a crest and maybe you don't have a lot of political pull anymore, but who cares? Love is love! If Sylvain's who your heart pulls you toward, then go after him! Instead of acting like a lovestruck idiot, do what you always do and be aggressive! I can't believe I have to tell you that!"

"It's not that simple!"

"Yes, it is! You're making it complicated! A lack of forethought in the consequences got you in this mess and so worrying about the consequences now sure as heck isn't going to get you out of it! And if Sylvain decides he's going to be a shallow jerk, you tell me and I'll rough him up for you!"

"You'd do that for me?" Milly questioned, shocked.

"Of course! You might be a weird, control freak level perv, Milly, but you're still my friend! The least I owe you is smacking a guy that toys with your heart!" Shirley declared.

"Ha…ahahahahahahahaha," Milly laughed, putting her hand in front of her mouth.

"Stop laughing! I'm being serious!" Shirley shouted.

"No, I'm not laughing at what you said. I believe you, Shirley," Milly said, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's just…it's amazing how much you've grown, and I don't mean your body." She put her legs down on the floor, put her palms on the mattress and smiled at Shirley. "Back at Ashford, I'd never seen you have this much of a spine and conviction before. I think it's a good thing. Whatever Garreg Mach's done for you, it's working. You're going places, Shirley. I'm happy for you."

Shirley smiled, touched. "Thank you, Milly."

"Hey, maybe you can drag Flayn near Lelouch and try to impress him. They say love blossoms the fastest on the battlefield."

"Ugh, nooooooo! I am not going to treat the most important battle of my life, like it's chick flic crossed with an action movie!" Shirley whined, burying her face in her hands, blushing.

"Those blushing cheeks tell a different tale!"

Shirley made funny screaming noises, whacked Milly with a pillow, and ran out of the room.

---

Lelouch was busy calibrating the finishing touches on the current specs of his Skull Beetle when Marrybell walked into the private quarters he'd chosen to do this in.

"I'm surprised you decided to come along," she said, his back faced to her. However, he had the full body mirror in the room positioned perfectly to see anyone that walked in.

"I had little choice in the matter," Lelouch told her.

"How did you get Professor Manuela to agree to writing a bogus doctor's note?" she asked.

"Professor Manuela has the same level of interest in me as many other women at the academy. It wasn't hard to convince her," Lelouch stated. "Her favorite pretty boy asks her for a favor with a bit of honeyed words and she was practically putty in my hand."

"Oh yeah? What'd it cost you?" Marrybell asked.

"Dinner, probably," Lelouch answered. A lie, sure, but one that was convincing enough.

"I don't like covering for you, like this. You should tell our sister the truth," Marrybell told him. "When we met back during the Great Tree Moon, I never imagined she would come here, nor set herself up as a Professor. I don't think you did either. She loves you, Lelouch. Always has, always will. The least you owe her is your tru—"

"I owe none of you anything," Lelouch snapped. "And to be completely honest, if I had a lack of witnesses, you'd be dead where you stand."

Marrybell was taken aback by this. "How can you hate us so much? We never did anything wrong!" she shouted. "Sure, maybe we couldn't find you, but that was because we were told you were dead! If you want to hate anyone, maybe take a little self-responsibility for your own actions that led to your exile!"

Lelouch curled his lip in disgust, hissing under his breath.

Marrybell heard it. "Instead of blaming Britannia for your lot in life, how about you take a hard look in that mirror for once?"

Lelouch looked over his shoulder at his half-sister. "So I can become like you and fan the flames of the fascist, elitist regime our nation has become?"

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard me." Lelouch stood up and turned to face her. "You can stand there and lecture me that maybe I have the wrong people to blame for my helplessness and current circumstances, but being cast aside was probably a blessing in disguise, because it gave me the clarity to see the truth. It showed me the kind of nation Britannia truly is, a nation led by the strong devouring the weak. We may have similar approaches to strategy, Marrybell, but our morality couldn't be more opposed. You lead the Glinda Knights, crushing anyone that dares question the glory that is Britannia, while I sit here cursing it. You and Cornelia both fail to see what exact type of nation you're serving. The swamp that many hope to drain is only turning into a mire under Britannia's current regime. Counterterrorism? You're only serving your own self-interest to protect your livelihood. How many charities have you donated to? How many people's lives have you actually helped other than your own? How many children come up to you and say "thank you, Miss.""

"I don't want to hear that from someone running away to the church!" Marrybell shouted.

"At least the church is transparent about its interests. Britannia is a nation full of hypocrisy," Lelouch told her.

Marrybell fumed.

"You're only getting angry because you know I'm right. Perhaps the one who ought to look in the mirror is you, Marrybell," Lelouch told her. He activated his Geass. "In fact, why don't you—"

He was cut off and deactivated his power when Marrybell's cell phone rang. She answered it. Judging from the fact that she didn't answer with "Princess Marrybell speaking", she clearly recognized the caller ID. Additionally, whoever called her was already speaking, judging from the princess's silence upon answering the phone.

"Yeah, I am," Marrybell answered. Lelouch could only presume she was asked if she was with him. "Understood, Oldrin. Thank you." She hung up.

Ah, makes sense it would be her.

"Euphemia's looking for me. This conversation isn't over, and I'm not spiteful enough to see you two meet face to face. If anything, I almost consider it a punishment."

Lelouch, understanding the subtext of what she meant by that, stated, "I don't need Britannia's protection. You and I are siblings in blood, only. Naught else."

"You should be careful how you burn bridges, Lelouch," Marrybell said to him. "Because one day, the flames you generate may burn you alive." She then walked out of the room. The automatic door closed behind her.

Lelouch turned to look at himself in the mirror. He brushed his hair back slightly. She might be right about that. But…I'm confident in the path I've chosen… He was correctly imagining Marrybell's pained expression as she stormed off to meet Euphemia, in stark contrast to his steeled look into the mirror. You may have as powerful a mind as my own, Marrybell, but your conviction is lacking, and as long as you are blind to the truth of your own sense of justice, you will never become my true equal.

---

It was hours later when the transport ship reached the Rhodos Coast, and immediately started getting fired upon by magic blasts from enemies on the ground.

"Looks like they won't wait for us to land," Seteth said. "Professor, can you carve a landing zone with me?"

Byleth nodded.

"All others stand by," Seteth stated. "This won't take long." He then activated his own HLKMF crystal. Seteth's frame resembled an anthropomorphic silver dragon with emerald streaks around the eyes, around the arms and down the knees towards the feet. The frame also carried a mighty looking trident in its mechanical claws. Codename: Hammer of Judgment.

Byleth activated The Forgotten Saint and jumped out of the ship and into freefall, keeping pace with Seteth.

Using the wings to weave between attacks, Seteth was not even remotely bothered by the shots that had horrible accuracy as they flew past him and Byleth. The attacks would bounce harmlessly on the Blaze Luminous of the transport above them. Instead, he spoke to the young professor.

"I can't help but notice that as your frame continues to evolve, it begins to resemble the sacred icon of the church: the dragon."

Byleth slashed a blast that came too close to her with the Sword of the Creator. "Is that a problem?" she asked.

"Not a problem, no," Seteth stated. "Just an observation. Jeralt raised you with no influence from the church to my understanding. I simply find it odd that the more you continue to evolve, the more you continue to show affinity for the church. A Hard Light Knightmare Frame is designed to reflect the person who wields it, after all."

"I don't think about it too much," Byleth answered honestly.

"Hmmmmmm," Seteth could only hum in response. "We're about to hit terminal velocity. Ready yourself."

"Understood."

Seteth propelled himself to the ground first, slamming his trident into the sand. Despite the dirt not being a great conductor for electricity, bolts of lightning trailed forward from the impact and then burst into a cataclysm of multiple upward strokes of lightning, followed by a shockwave resembling a thunderclap. It was like a cloudless thunderstorm in reverse. The blast scattered the enemy as Byleth readied the Sword of the Creator.

"That frame has the Sword of the Creator!" Someone shouted.

"It must be the Ashen Demon! Leg it!" Another member of the western church shouted.

Seteth attempted to put his arm in front of Byleth to suggest she shouldn't pursue. However, by the time he raised his arm, the young woman was in front of him, and already on the hunt. Screams of members of the Western Church being slaughtered followed. Seteth was concerned she'd go charging off on her own, but she doubled back, zooming past him to take on members of the Western Church clearly trying to flee and circle around the long way to rejoin their allies.

Jeralt has taught her way. She takes to battle like a finely honed instinct, both the bloodshed, and the comprehension of war tactics. He watched Byleth dance about the battlefield in a manner not dissimilar to a woman that resembled Rhea. She had slightly lighter hair and wore a gilded headband with dragon wings instead of horns. She bore no machine for armor, but rather a white robe and carried only a sword and shield, glistening with sacred power. The overlay of his memory faded as the Forgotten Saint came back into view. Heh, but I should not be getting lost in nostalgia. We have a job to do.

Charging headlong alongside Byleth, Seteth impaled a member of the western church with his trident, electrocuting the body and then nearly rubbing elbows with Byleth.

Jokingly, Seteth quipped, "May I have this dance?"

He only got a nod from Byleth as the two set to work clearing out the entire area of enemies. While many members of the Western Church did try to flee at the sight of Byleth, many others had every intent to face their fears if it meant taking Seteth down.

"You have a remarkable control of the battlefield," Seteth complimented.

"It's all I know," Byleth answered as she and Seteth fought back-to-back, side by side, and even completely separated.

For all her faults, she knows the battlefield well, Seteth thought. I needn't have any worry about the outcome of this mission whilst she is here. He looked across the horizon. Hundreds of war machines scattered the coast. How the Western Church had amassed such an armada in a short time was beyond him, but they would eradicate all of it. Not alone though, Seteth stated. One woman cannot fell an army, even one as mighty as the Ashen Demon. He looked around. The enemy's forces seemed clear enough from an immediate landing zone.

"All clear," Seteth radioed.

The transport ship swung in, coming down low, circling around the battlefield. Cornelia in the Scathach landed next, followed by the Saintly Witch, the Lancelot Avalon and the other Glinda Knights.

Edelgard and the rest of the Black Eagles took to the field. Some in their Hard Light Knightmare Frames, others not.

"GET BACK!" Bernadetta shouted with her Grizzly Fortress, clearly not being one of the ones outside their frame.

Chaos quickly swept through the battlefield as Cornelia and Byleth began shouting out orders, though Marrybell and Edelgard had their own sub-set of orders to instruct as the force Seteth had brought fractured into smaller and smaller groups, never once getting separated though.

"Checkers formation initiated," Marrybell coordinated.

"Excellent," Lelouch radioed back. "Then we need only set a token force behind us and keep moving forward towards our goal."

"All in groups Alpha, Bravo and Charlies, towards the site marked on your maps," Cornelia commented.

She hadn't any idea the Lelouch she was cooperating with was, in fact, her long lost brother. Lelouch was a common enough Britannian name. Byleth had covered for him well enough during their strategy meet. And his voice had dropped enough octaves due to puberty that, over radio, she'd have never known it was him. For Lelouch, this was enough.

"Ohhhh, man. That's my group," Bernadetta complained. "Can't I be the force that stays behind?"

"We're sorely lacking in expert long-range fighters," Edelgard told her. "You'll have to deal."

Bernadetta whimpered.

"What's there to complain about?" Gino asked. "You're among some of the strongest allies." His hard light frame was designed blue, white and gold with very sharp horns sticking straight up. Codename: Tristan.

"Enemies spotted," Anya stated and transformed her frame's left arm into an absolutely massive gatling gun three times the size of the frame's head. Small in stature and colored maroon, it was far more agile with its shoulder and feet jets than its bulky frame would suggest. Codename: Mordred. "Opening fire." Anya then just started blasting, breaking the ranks of the enemy.

Monica stood there in her black, green and white frame that vaguely resembled the cross between a rogue on the streets and a court jester. Codename: Florence.

"Join in Monica," Gino told her, wielding twin Maser Vibration swords as he cut apart enemies, careful to avoid Anya's reckless fire. "Are you a Knight of the Round or aren't you?"

"I'm conserving power," Monica told him. "Hard Light Knightmare Frames waste more battery in the thick of combat, and the thin armor on the Florence makes it impractical in chaotic warfare when you already have it covered."

"Suit yourself," Gino commented and closed comms.

I also don't have a death wish, Monica thought, finding Gino's behavior reckless.

Edelgard then powered up her Immovable Duchess and took to the field. Although slower moving than the quicker Tristan, and lacking the utterly insane firepower of the Mordred, the hefty battle axe it wielded was much better suited against heavily armored weapons, like anti-KMF tanks. Such war machines were overly plated to cause Slash Harkens to bounce off the hull and ate bullets like breath mints. However, they were powerless against the almighty force behind the swing of a heavy energy weapon. Moreover, Edelgard's heavy plating meant she could also square up on these weapons quite easily with her energy shield and shrug off their fire.

Petra's Hard Light Huntress also provided much needed cover to Edelgard's flanks as it skated around the battlefield. A fast-moving frame coupled with a tank like Edelgard's made for a deadly combination.

In effect, the forces that had come from Garreg Mach were cleanly eating through the Western Church's force.

"There's a lot of them, but they're only putting up token resistance," Cornelia commented. "Keep pushing."

"I almost feel sorry for them," Sokkia said, rubbing a finger under her nose.

"Don't get complacent," Lelouch criticized. "It's moments like that when the enemy pulls out something unexpected."

And Lelouch was right to be concerned. As the combined forces of the Tigers and the Eagles pushed forward, the bay began to bubble.

"Please tell me that's normal and there's geyser activity in the area," Bernadetta whined, only for a bunch of "RED ALERT" flags to pop up all over her map. She whimpered loudly.

"Everyone, hold your position!" Cornelia ordered.

And indeed, things were about to get a whole lot worse. All of a sudden, black submarines the size of aircraft carries surfaced, dozens of them.

How did they get a force that large under the ocean?! Seteth wondered, wide-eyed.

"Get away from the inside coast!" Lelouch urged.

Both too late and not. While some of his allies had time to get out of the way, others were still caught off guard. On each submarine, a dozen watertight holes opened and launched out not hard light, but standard KMF units onto the battlefield. Some painted white, others painted black. They were based on both Britannian Sutherland and Gloucester models alike. Nearly five hundred new enemy units joined the battle. The heft and size of the Knightmare Frames, especially equipped with lances, guns and slash harkens, meant trouble for the smaller and less sturdy hard light frames, especially this many. Worse, several frames were now behind the token force used to defend the initial position.

"They're attacking our rear guard!" Nina shouted in outcry.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Dorothea declared and began to activate her own Hard Light Frame. The frame had a helmet like a mask of intersected bandages, though much grayer in color. A long, flowing "dress" scarlet red in color cascaded down to knee level as black paint covered the hands, made to resemble gloves. Red lightning sparked all around Dorothea's frame as the legs ended in sharp, almost heel-like feet. Codename: Scarlet Songstress.

"This is your last dance!" Dorothea declared and began calling down blasts of energy from the sky out in front of her, raining down strikes onto the enemy frames with big bolts of red lightning.

However, she was quickly surrounded, gasping. Fortunately, Shez's Shadow Slip helped her make it to the rear guard quickly. The long reach of the blade carried by the Leviathan of Destiny helped at giving Dorothea some breathing room.

"My hero!" Dorothea swooned and then made a meowing noise. "Shez, I could kiss you!"

"Save it for when we have time to get drunk and act stupid!" Shez shouted, all business. "Right now we need to fight!"

Things weren't any sunnier at the front of the line, especially with Shez falling to the rear guard. "We're going to get overwhelmed at this rate!" Seteth shouted.

"All forces slowly fall back and regroup!" Byleth shouted over the noise. "I want only key personnel staying in front! Princess Cornelia! Director Seteth! On me! Anya! Bernadetta! Give us covering fire! Edelgard, provide cover for our long-range suppression!"

A remarkably solid strategy under pressure, Cornelia thought. "You heard the Professor! All others not just named now fall BACK!" she echoed.

"OOH!" Bernadetta shouted. "I hate this! I hate this! I hate thiiiiiis!"

"Dammit! This sucks!" Caspar shouted.

"Don't argue, just do!" Marrybell criticized.

"Mary! You and Lelouch work out a counterstrategy while we by time!" Byleth shouted.

"No need. Already have one. I'm sending the data to all of you now," Lelouch stated.

So fast! Marrybell exclaimed.

You may think like me, sister, but I think faster, Lelouch thought.

"Any complaints, Marrybell?" Lelouch asked her.

Marrybell shook her head. "None," she replied and then ordered. "Follow Lelouch's plan!"

A tactician after your own heart, Mary? Cornelia thought. She pierced a bunch of frames with her spear, giving Anya holes to pierce with her bullets, weaving between the enemies, using cords of the slash harkens as rails to slide on. Heh, hahahaha, I can't believe what I just thought. But no…that's not possible. She cut the head off one of the KMFs and then smashed the cockpit of another. My younger brother is dead. She decapitated another. And the dead are best laid to rest.

As the battle intensified, following Lelouch's scheme, Shez, Oldrin, Marika and both Monicas began targeting the oversized, surfaced submarines. Meanwhile, Hubert and Tink provided covering fire from shore. Unfortunately, the group was slowly running into a problem, and Lelouch knew it well.

We don't have enough firepower to do everything. Even with superior individual forces, the enemy has numbers and we're out in the open on a beach with no cover, Lelouch thought. We need something more, some kind of trump card to turn the tide.

Sighing, Linhardt uttered, "Guess I have no choice. Beats dying at least," and activated his HLKMF. The frame was pure white, sans a green, horned helmet and green metal that lined the boots. It was pretty basic and the basic design was reflected in Linhardt's refusal to name it. It still had its unaltered codename: Model C-100WG.

"All units, turn on your HLKMFs," Marrybell ordered. "We need all the firepower we can get!"

"Copy that," Clara said and activated her crystal. Hers defied the box standard form of most frames, choosing to resemble the head of a cartoony, bright pink bunny rabbit, with large, black dots for eyes. However, rather than buck teeth, it had jaws about as unfriendly as a great white shark and all the crunching power of a snake. Codename: Scheherazade. Those around her watched it bounce across the battlefield, mangling anything it could get caught in its jaws like a bear trap on steroids, both metal and foot soldier alike.

Rolo's frame took the exact opposite approach. His was far more practical looking with sturdy armor, almost like a police officer or a sci-fi astronaut in a mech suit. It was faded gold, almost pyrite in color and Rolo carried a series of hard light hand guns at the belt line. Codename: Zephyr of Dusk.

Rolo then began to seemingly blink out of existence to his enemies as he began getting behind the bigger frames and blasting the back of the cockpit, killing the pilot inside.

Flayn transformed next. "Here I go!" Similarly to her brother, Flayn's frame resembled a dragon. However, hers was far friendlier looking. In fact, it was more like a bird had gotten its DNA crossed with a dragon rather than a dinosaur, with a little bit of deer thrown in for good measure, judging from the horns. With a fluffy body like an ostrich, face like a dragon, beak like a bird of prey, tongue like a snake, two deer horns, and two bug-like antenna, combined with thick, mechanical legs like a cassowary…and the tail of a trout. If not for the mechanical ways the eyes were darting around, and the obvious metal plating on the legs, the form could have been confused more for a full body metamorphosis than an HLKMF's power. Codename: Benevolent Cockatrice.

Shirley took one look at the frame and noticed it didn't have arms. "…Flaaaaayn. Where are your weapons?"

Shirley then watched as Flayn's frame opened its mouth, firing a beam of green energy that sheared through a nearby enemy ship and left a hole in it big enough to drive a truck through.

"…Never mind."

Finally, it was Euphemia's turn to transform. Her first taste of real warfare. Up until now, she'd been a passive passenger on this battlefield, ready to aid with healing, but no more. "Hard Light Knightmare Frame Crystal, shine!" Euphemia declared.

Euphemia's HLKMF was white near the top, flowing down in an opulent "dress" that became pinker and pinker the closer it got to her feet. The helmet had feathery shape language with a single astronaut-like visor running across the eye area. She carried a staff like a shepherd on a farm that needed to be wielded with both hands. Raising it, she gave off a light that healed fatigue of her nearby allies. Codename: Cybele was now online.

I won't be helpless, Euphemia thought. Sister, I'll show you that I have the stomach for a battlefield.

Her staff transformed into a standard bearing the Britannia coat of arms on one side and the Church of Seiros on the other. "Goddess, grant us your blessing!"

A blue light washed over the battlefield, invigorating those currently fighting.

Lelouch suddenly noticed the specs of his Skull Beetle rapidly increasing and hitting a ceiling, but slowly decreasing back to normal levels.

An HLKMF infused with support magic? Lelouch questioned. That could prove useful. "Princess Euphemia! This is Lelouch Eisner, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear!" Euphemia declared. "I want you to localize that status buff you just cast with the Cybele towards the frontline. Can you supercharge The Forgotten Saint and the Hammer of Judgment?"

"What about the Scathach?" Euphemia asked.

"No need to worry about the Scathach for now. Princess Cornelia, can you fall back to Edelgard?" Lelouch requested.

Cornelia nodded. "I dislike taking orders from others, but I'm willing to trust that you have this army's best interest."

"He does," Byleth and Shez said at the same time, both smiling, though Shez's was much wider and cockier. "He's my brother."

Shez then felt a burst of Adrenaline and borrowed a portion of Arval's power, supercharging the Leviathan of Destiny as it floated over the water. Spinning 180 degrees, Shez let loose a massive shockwave with a single slash from her sword. She cleaved two whole subs in half and caused them to explode. Many Knightmare Frames emerged from nearby subs and proceeded to try and attack her.

"That's cute, boys. You think you can handle a lady like me," Shez commented with a smug grin. She proceeded to weave through the air, her smaller hitbox a problem for the much larger Knightmare Frames. Ordinarily, the bigger and heavier standard KMFs had an advantage over HLKMFs due to their greater battery life, more physical weaponry, and larger stature, but that was under normal circumstances, when specs were even. Shez was far and above a standard KMF. Watching her cleave them in half was like watching a pair of scissors cut a rock in half.

"Goddess of Seiros, grant us your blessing!" Euphemia declared, localizing her buff to Byleth and Seteth only, increasing their power. The two began to make short work of the enemy, even managing to make forward progress, especially as the next phase of Lelouch's plan came into fruition. Caspar's Inferno of Justice, Tink's Tin Giant, and Leonhardt's Venerable Lion came in to provide cover with the Scarecrow King and the Hard Light Huntress providing additional support.

All the while, Shirley kept up her job of protecting Flayn. However, Shirley continually found guarding Flayn to be difficult. Not just because of the constant barrage of enemies, but because there was something in her trying to push her own survival instincts over Flayn's well-being. Continuous close shaves with death were coming as a result. Either that, or Shirley would blank out for half a second as she mowed down enemy frames one by one.

To everyone else, Shirley looked as if she had everything under control. Only Shirley herself knew that something was wrong. And, now, she was out of breath. "Milly, cover me. I can barely breathe," Shirley requested.

"I got you!" Milly shouted. "Gimme a hand, Rivalz!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Rivalz declared, more than happy to give Milly a hand. The two formed a barricade in front of Shirley as she was suddenly bathed in warm, green light spewed from the mouth of the Benevolent Cockatrice.

"You're doing great, Shirley, thank you."

"Yeah, but I feel like I could be doing better," Shirley mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"It's nothing," Shirley said.

---

As the battlefield raged, near the sacred site that Seteth was looking to reclaim from the Western Church, mages garbed in black gathered. In particular, a man garbed in jet black, heavy armor stood in front of a massive, magically sealed vault, overseeing two dark magic bishops attempting to undo the seals. His name was Chilon. He was a general within the Agarthan Empire.

At this, a young man, skin like pale grapes, came up to him. "Lord Chilon, the enemy is battering down our forces, but the trap in the bay has already been deployed."

"Excellent," the booming voice of Chilon echoed.

"Unfortunately, the enemy force is resilient. That heretic, the Ashen Demon, and the archbishop's highest-ranking lapdog both are marshalling forces against us. Britannia's witch also stands on the battlefield."

"Irritating," Chilon responded. "Dolofonos, ready your frame and cut them down. Those fools rely too much on their goddess's precious power. Let's show them what real human ingenuity can do."

"And our allies with the Western Church?"

"Let them go see their precious Goddess. We need those weapons in that vault," Chilon stated.

"Yes, sir,"

The young man donned a helmet and went out onto the battlefield. Lady Kronya, please watch over me. Everything I know about being an assassin, I learned from you.

Using a teleport crystal, Dolofonos vanished from the area.

---

Marrybell suddenly got a blinking alert on her map. "Incoming from above!"

Coming in from the horizon, an airship pushed into the skies above, armed to the teeth with turret guns. "Foolish heretics! I am Dolofonos, the Jagged Blade! You want to worship your precious goddess so badly? You can go and meet her! All forces! Fire upon the land!"

"Dolofonos?" Seteth questioned, recognizing the name. He suddenly became very apprehensive "Nina! Flayn! Euphemia! Linhardt! We need barriers!" Seteth was suddenly never more thankful he hadn't come here alone.

Bombs rained down from the sky, and were launched from the submarines, covering the battlefield in sandy dust. Visibility was totaled. It was as bad as traversing a sandstorm. Worse, the shockwaves scrambled comms. Seteth could only hope the four support units on the team had heard his call in time.

He then had to contend with a powerful, heavily armored Knightmare Frame coming straight for him in the dust. It was jet black and carrying a Maser Vibration Axe and shield. The latter of which smashed into the Hammer of Judgment and nearly shattered the frame from the impact, bouncing Seteth across the gigantic beach.

"How long has it been Seteth? Twenty years? One hundred?"

Seteth righted himself with his trident. "I know that voice. Chilon. So, you still draw breath."

A swing of Chilon's frame's axe showed off some visibility as he stood there in an absolutely massive KMF. Model? Titanus.

"I have long wished to crush you with my own two hands since our last clash," Chilon stated.

"I believe you'll find me too stubborn to die," Seteth responded.

"We'll see about that," Chilon said and then began releasing missiles from his frame at Seteth in an attempt to blow him up. Seteth began weaving around the area, undeterred by the incoming attacks.

If only I had the Spear of Assal and not my backup weapon, Seteth thought. But, that wouldn't be very peaceful, would it? A shockwave rocked his frame as he was blown off course, sand cutting visibility as he used the trident to skid to a halt and stop his backwards momentum. Professor. Lelouch. I pray we can make it through this. Rhea, I promise to make it back to you. Flayn…please be safe.

Flying down from above, multiple Knightmare Frames with four arms, each armed with a massive Maser Vibration Sword, zoomed towards the ground. If the numbers disadvantage wasn't bad enough, seven of these models squared off against specific targets on the ground: Cornelia, Oldrin, Byleth, Gino, Anya, Edelgard, and, lastly, a special one was caught in midair by Shez. This one differentiated itself from the more generic models by having an all red, horned helmet. Model name? Vishnu.

"Well, well, well," Dolofonos said, as his special Vishnu model clashed with the Leviathan of Destiny, the size contrast never more apparent. "Look what I found."

"Yeah, a death wish!" Shez shouted as she began to cut with her one blade against the Vishnu's four, but she was struggling to make an impact. "What?!"

"The Leviathan of Destiny, pilot name Shez. Oh, we've taken a special interest in you, young lady."

"That's nice, don't care," Shez said and continued to fight, but with four arms and equal speed, Dolofonos was able to keep up.

"Wait, don't be so hasty in this man's destruction."

Arval?

"There's something at play here. I feel…nostalgia in some way, almost as if…hmmm, it is hard to place. But…if you can take this man alive, that would be for the best. I believe I can learn more about myself if so."

No promises, but I'll try, Shez responded as she fully utilized Arval's power, taking the second sword he often offered her. After all, war is war!

"That weapon!" Dolofonos said with glee as Shez's weapons locked with his. Behind blast screens of their respective UIs, his glee met Shez's disgust and snarl. "Kronya was right! It's exactly like ours!"

"Shut up! What would you know about me?" Shez snapped.

"Not sure! How about we take you back to the lab and let Solon take a look at you? I imagine we'll learn a lot from dissecting you!"

Shez flew back and imbued her bigger blade with dark magic. "I'm not some experiment, you freak! Now move! I got a bunch more others like you to kill!"

Dolofonos laughed as Shez's weapons clanged against his. "Since you seem to be unaware, allow me to introduce myself, not that you deserve it. I am Dolofonos, the engineered, endless warrior! I am the second greatest bladesman of Earth's true human race."

"True human race?" Shez questioned, only for her head to throb.

She had to quickly shake it off, less Dolofonos turn her into shredded meat.

"Lelouch, please tell me you have a plan to deal with these guys!" Shez radioed, but got static for feedback. "Lelouch?!"

"Pretty sure I knocked up so much dust your precious comms are down," Dolofonos responded as he began beating Shez backwards across the air. "No matter how much a beast tries to be a human, it will always be inferior to a beast! Lucky for us, our radio equipment isn't so fragile!"

Down on the ground, Shirley was doing her best with the Aquamarine 5000 to face another Vishnu model and steadily losing ground, repeatedly having to make a new energy lance every time the Vishnu slashed it into pieces.

"And we aren't as fragile as you humans either!" Dolofonos boasted.

Even if I had my Gloucester, this enemy frame is something else! Cornelia grumbled, doing her best to get out of the way of its attacks. It then opened fire on her while she was off-balance. She thought she was going to take a beating, only for a black, diamond shaped shield to protect her. The Skull Beetle came into view.

"Eisner?"

"Comms are down. We're going to have to figure out a way out of this and regroup quickly before we're overwhelmed. I'm trying my best to establish at least one connection to Marrybell to get everything back on line, but it's time consuming. You fight. I'll provide support."

"Your sister still loves you. Always has, always will."

In truth, Lelouch didn't believe Marrybell, but he absolutely needed Cornelia alive. He had too much to ask her.

"I don't suppose you have an emergency plan for a situation like this?" Cornelia asked as she formed up next to the Skull Beetle, weapon in hand.

"If you're asking did I predict the enemy would have an airship bomber, kill our comms and then come at us with advanced Knightmare Frames? The answer is no, that wasn't on my bingo sheet today," Lelouch answered her. "But, I'm working on getting us out of here alive. I can only hope our support units heard Seteth's shout in time that we didn't suffer casualties."

"Barbarians. Their own allies were probably caught in that."

The Vishnu unit then attacked with homing missiles.

Lelouch and Cornelia broke away from each other, the former using magic to blast the missiles out of the sky.

"Doesn't seem like our foe is going to let us bide our time and finish this conversation," Cornelia commented. "Get the comms back online. I'm putting my rear guard in your hands, soldier."

A foolish move under any other circumstance, but now is hardly the time, Lelouch thought. He envisioned Nunnally. I have a reason to go back home…and I need you alive in order to do it. "Yes, your highness!"

---

As Lelouch and Cornelia fought together, Shirley continued to try her best and hold her ground against one of the Vishnu units. Meanwhile, the battlefield began to get plagued more and more with enemy Knightmares. With the majority of ally melee units caught up fighting other Vishnu's, Shirley couldn't really rely on a bail out. She had to put her own foot forward and protect Flayn.

Fortunately, she was being given help in the form of Dorothea watching her back. She was firing blasts of red lightning to keep Shirley out of sticky situations that would have meant death. Meanwhile, caught between her mission and, unknowingly, Lelouch's Geass command, Shirley's moves were both janky, while also being optimal and sudden for her continued survival. Shirley started sweated, her pulse racing.

Although comms were still down, the dust was slowly starting to lift, courtesy of Linhardt putting some effort in wind magic to blow the sand out into the sea. Shirley was slowly getting a better awareness of her surroundings. She could see the Scheherazade bite through nearby enemies while soaking up bullets like a gelatinous cube. She could see the battle going on over the bay as Oldrin, Shez and both Monicas were clearing out the last of the subs. Unfortunately, the battlefield was a chaotic mess and her map was still on the fritz. She couldn't get everyone's exact positioning and any attempt to radio Lelouch for help ended in failure.

More jank. Another close shave with death. Shirley brought up her leg and kicked the Vishnu's lower left wrist away from her. She ducked under the unit and tackled the leg, performing maneuvers that she hadn't even practiced, but that her body's own survival instincts seemed to be pushing her into. One of Flayn's barriers protected her from an overhead attack that would've pierced her straight through.

Milly, who was nearby, firing shots at incoming enemies with the Yellow Panther's wrist mounted small caliber guns, called out to Shirley. "Keep it up, Shirley! Just keep hanging on! I'm getting blips of clarity on my radar every so often! I think we can count on Lelouch and Marrybell to get us out of this!"

"Okay!" Shirley shouted. However, she'd been so focused on staying alive and so focused on doing her job, that she'd neglected other aspects of combat. One of which, was what little information her HLKMF's UI could still provide her…like the battery level. It was below ten percent.

Fortunately, at that exact moment, the comms came online, "Can anyone hear me?" It was Lelouch.

"Lulu!" Shirley shouted, excited.

"Oh thank the goddess, they're finally working again," Oldrin's voice echoed.

"Maps are still down though," Marrybell said, "Don't get complacent. I need everyone who can to focus on these new KMF units. If you're not pinned down, spread out and take on a four-armed Knightmare."

"I already junked the one fighting me," Byleth said.

"Of course you did," Marrybell stated, much to the collective chuckle of a few other listeners.

"Professor! I could use the help the most! I'm really struggling!" Shirley shouted.

"I'm on my way!" Byleth told her.

"I think I'm right in your path, but I'll be fine. Don't stop to help," Edelgard told Byleth seriously. "I have Hubert watching my six."

"Euphie, where are you?" Cornelia demanded to know.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine! I'm with Ferdinand, Petra and Caspar!"

"And you, Flayn?"

"Right here with Shirley and Milly. I haven't gotten a scratch," Flayn said. "Are you all right, brother?"

"I'm not in any danger I can't handle."

"One objective at a time, people!" Lelouch shouted. "We have our priority! Let's get it done!"

A collective shout of, "RIGHT!" Came over the comms.

The warfare continued as the Forgotten Saint zoomed across the battlefield to give Shirley a hand. 800 meters. 600 meters. 400 meters. 200…

As Byleth neared she was met with a scene that would forever be etched into her mind. Shirley, a student of hers that had been under her tutelage since day one, suddenly had her HLKMF disperse at the worst possible time. She was mid-strike against her foe…and a sword slash caught her right in the chest, slicing her ribs, but thankfully no deeper as the wind pressure from the strike knocked her into the sand.

"SHIRLEY!" Milly shouted.

No amount of turning back the hands of time was going to fix this, Byleth realized. She'd sped towards Shirley as soon as she knew she needed help. Winding back time to when the Vishnus first appeared wouldn't do anything since there were a lot of them. She stared straight on at the scene, wide-eyed.

Flayn then disengaged her Benevolent Cockatrice.

"Flayn!" Dorothea shouted.

"What's going on? What happened to my sister?" Seteth shouted, having heard that over comms.

Chilon then knocked the Hammer of Judgment for a loop.

"You should worry more about yourself," he told the old hand of the church.

"Grrrr!"

Byleth immediately took the Vishnu unit in front of her to task, her fury in her blows and not in her face.

Meanwhile, Flayn began casting healing spells on Shirley, but they weren't working. "Heal! HEAL! MEND! RECOVER!"

"Flayn? …Is that you?" Shirley asked. Her body was jolting, trying to live, but failing.

"Shirley! I'm trying to heal you! Even if a person is a step from death, healing magic should work! Please don't die!"

Despite not being in their frames, Lelouch could hear this over the ear pieces Flayn and Shirley had been equipped with before deployment. He remembered what the Death Knight said about Athame. Were the Vishnus equipped with similar weapons.

"All units, avoid taking damage from the enemy Knightmares. They're equipped with special weapons that nullify healing magic! Don't ask me how I know! No time to explain! But be careful!"

"Copy that!" Oldrin shouted as Marrybell continued to assist her against one such unit.

But, while the battlefield raged, Flayn's focus was on the dying Shirley. "Shirley…Shirley, no! Please don't…"

"Hey…Flayn…are you safe? Did I do…good?" Shirley asked. An explosion rocked the bay as both Monicas destroyed the last of the submarines.

"You did very good!" Flayn shouted. "Please don't die! I need you! You're…you're my best friend!" She collapsed and sobbed over Shirley's bleeding body.

Shirley rubbed Flayn's back. "Don't be sad. After all…I'm…a Knight of…" Shirley found her jaw too heavy to move from all the blood running out of her body.

"No…Nonononono…It can't end like this!" Flayn shouted.

More explosions, death and bullets resounded through the battlefield.

In tears, Flayn put her forehead to Shirley's bleeding chest. "IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS!"

Seteth could feel the mystic power flowing from Flayn through his own comprehension of magic sensory. "Flayn…that's risky! What are you doing?!"

But Flayn knew exactly what she was doing. With the fangs of her jaw alone, she bit open an injury on her left hand near her thumb. Blood now dripped freely from it. Shirley was still breathing, but she wouldn't be for much longer. Her eyes were still working. She could see Flayn's open wound dripping.

"No time to explain, but…my blood will heal you," Flayn said. Her Major Crest of Cethleann was glowing bright enough under her clothes to be seen. "You'll be okay, Shirley," Flayn said as she dripped her blood directly into Shirley's mouth. She then pressed the girl's jaw shut after enough blood had fallen in, forcing the girl to swallow. She then swung her head down forcefully, "LIVE!"

Live. Such a simple word, yet here it carried with it much meaning. Whereas before Lelouch's Geass command had been a distraction, it would now become a blessing, a force burning deep inside Shirley's heart to propel her to keep fighting. No. Matter. What!

Light gave off from Shirley as her dominant, right had began to glow and the emblem of Cethleann seared into the flesh of the back of her right hand. Shirley's eyes seized up as her wound slowly began to close up.

Flayn smiled.

In the name of Cethleann, I give you some of my blood, child of the light, to keep fighting.

Rise now…and become my knight!

Although these were Flayn's thoughts, Shirley could hear them as though they were inside her own head. This was more than a simple command, this felt like the ties of a blood oath. She had a vision of her own body curling into a fetal position, aging backwards, turning into an egg, only to be rebirthed anew into a mighty dragon, roaring proudly.

Shirley's whole body began to glow as she firmly grasped hold of her infantry energy lance laying at her side. Shirley got up. Like others before her, the transfusion of blood had been a success. The mark on the back of her hand faded, but she took her lance in her other hand and stood strongly upon the battlefield, clothes ruined, bloodstains coating them, but now completely uninjured. From Flayn, Shirley Fennette had inherited a level 1 minor crest of Cethleann. And she wasn't about to let her friend's kindness go to waste.

"Sh-Shirley?" Flayn asked. Shirley hadn't said anything yet, but a pat to the top of her head, and a smile from Shirley was all the reassurance Flayn needed to know to know that Shirley had come back as herself.

"I'm all right," she said with a smile. "Thank you." She then turned her attention to the Vishnu unit Byleth was dealing with. "HEY! YOU!" She shouted. "I'm not done with you yet!"

Birthed from her new energy source of her crest, Shirley's HLKMF crystal now glowed from its otherwise used up state. But this wasn't her old Aquamarine 5000, not by a long shot. Shirley's armor was more distinct, more elegant. Slim, periwinkle, scale-like armor like fish scales ran up her body. Fin-like protrusions adorned her ankles, wrists and hips and a magnificently extravagant spear was gripped in her hands. Shirley's "Helmet" was an eyepatch that looked like a bubble and additional padding that was vaguely bubble shaped protected her chest, shoulders and stomach. Codename: Immortal Mermaid.

By the time Shirley got a chance to take a strike at the Vishhnu, Byleth had already mangled it, but a single launch of her spear, the Atlantean Promenade, skewered it and caused the Vishnu to explode in a cyclone of water.

Lelouch took one look at the words Immortal Mermaid on the map as it came into view, not seeing the Aquamarine 5000 anywhere on the map, and smirked, laughing almost. Honestly, that girl. "Princess Cornelia! Hold the enemy steady." He prepared to cast Banshee Theta. "I'm going to seal its movements. Then, go for the kill!"

"Right!"

All around the battlefield, the forces of the Church of Seiros, and its allies, were gaining the upper hand against the combined forces of the Agarthans and their allies in the Western Church.

"Ridiculous! She's just one beast! Why all of a sudden—" Dolofonos was cut off by the blade of the Leviathan of Destiny piercing straight through his chest from the front. He hacked up blood up onto the controls.

"It's got nothing to do with how special Shirley is, but when miracles happen, people get motivated!" Shez shouted. "You can call us beasts all you want, but the truth is that we're more human than you creeps! Cause from where I'm standing, you're nothing!" Shez's whole body burst with energy. Her sync-up with Arval was at a fever pitch. "Here it comes!"

Shez flew up and into the legs of the Vishu Custom as she tore of the legs, the momentum of her strike causing the mech to spin and get launched up into the air. She then pivoted and flew back into it. Each strike taking off another chunk of the Vishnu Custom and knocking it higher into the air until Shez just declared, "You're finished!" And with a cross of her weapons sent a shockwave of dark energy in an X pattern slamming into what was left of the Vishnu and Dolofonos's life. With systems critical and the ejection function jammed, he was on a crash course with the water, Yggdrasil energy filler about to burst.

"Master…Kronya…" he coughed, choking on his own blood. "Help…me…"

The Vishnu then collided into the water and exploded, causing a rising surge of water.

"Dolofonos!" Chilon shouted, only for his Titanus to have its shield damaged by Seteth's spear, the man now using his Major Crest of Cichol.

"You will remove yourself from my former home, you godless heathens!" he shouted.

"Godless heathens nothing! You people took our home from us with your worthless goddess! There's no hope for this world as long as your kind plagues it!" Chilon shouted.

"I don't want to hear that when it was your people that killed my mother!" Seteth shouted. "This time, I will not show you mercy, Chilon. You will die by my hand!"

"Dolofonos may have fallen, but we still outnumber your forces at least ten to one," Chilon stated.

"Numbers are hardly a matter in warfare. You of all people should know that," Seteth told him. "Besides, we are blessed with the strongest at our side."

"What are you…?"

The sound of a weapon whistling through the air before it snagged around the Titanus's midsection, caught him off guard. The Forgotten Saint leapt upon the back of Chilon's frame, roaring in an unholy, angry manner.

"You hurt my student," Byleth spoke as her frame crunched the head of Chilon's KMF, ruining the fact sphere and shutting down all visual input. To anyone else, a line delivered with all of the stiltedness of a person reading off a teleprompter. To everyone that knew Byleth, the tranquility by which the line was delivered was the candle tip flame of the boiling inferno that lay within. In fact, Seteth believed the only reason Byleth hadn't finished the job was because she believed Seteth wanted the honor.

"I appreciate the save, and the courtesy, Professor, but I needn't waste my time with such an insignificant stain upon this Earth," Seteth turned his back to Chilon, facing the still yet to be dealt with force. "Ensure his demise, Professor."

The Forgotten Saint howled fiercely as its right hand crunched the already broken Titanus head until it was just sparks and metal chunks in its grip. And, for the first time in his long life, the buff, gruff, Chilon felt a fear that would not fade. …Was the Forgotten Saint…laughing? Not Byleth, its pilot, it was almost as if the frame itself was alive, sentient, as if it knew what sort of horrific death its prey was in for.

Seteth did not even bother facing Chilon as his screams of agony were heard, the power of the Forgotten Saint reducing the man and his mecha to little more than unrecognizable chunks of flesh and metal. Seteth recalled a man of similar build to himself, dying in a grassy field, previously unravaged by war, clinging to Seteth's robes, begging for help, only to die before Flayn could make it to him.

Such a horrific death is the least of what you people deserve, Seteth stated. He then looked onward at the members of the Western Church. "And as for all of you, when you meet the Goddess, no amount of begging of forgiveness will wash away the sin you have accumulated!" He then fueled the Hammer of Judgment with a brief overclock of energy. "JUDGMENT IS PASSED!"

---

As Seteth began making progress across the frontline, Cornelia and Lelouch were on the cusp of their own victory. After Cornelia kept her opposing Vishnu unit busy for long enough, Lelouch cast Banshee Theta on it, ripping into its defenses and sealing off its movement via magic. This allowed the much faster Scathach unit to rip into it from all angles and widen the small chips of damage she'd already done to it, eventually throwing her red lance straight through the cockpit on a direct hit which exploded out the back of the ejection pod and blew up the entire top half of the mech.

"Enemy down," Lelouch stated not to Cornelia, but to others on his side.

"Just about wrapped up here too," Marrybell radioed.

"Search and destroy. We were instructed to perform total eradication," Cornelia told the others. "If your HLKMF battery runs out, we have plenty of standard KMFs on the ship. For those of you that are mages, feel free to keep fighting with magic if it suits you."

Screams that were not Byleth were heard over comms, unsettling everyone before it was silenced and Byleth spoke. "Sorry about that."

She slung the Sword of the Creator over her shoulder as she strode forward, dressed only in infantry armor. She'd dismissed the Forgotten Saint. "I took out the enemy commander. The Forgotten Saint is low on battery so I'll be forging on ahead on foot. Edelgard, can you provide me cover. My sword and magic should be enough to support you."

"I'm on my way," Edelgard said. "Just give me a…" Sounds of loud crashing and crunching noises were heard before Edelgard followed up with a, "There we go."

"Aren't you worried about wandering around a battlefield like this on foot?" Cornelia asked.

"Not particularly," Byleth responded calmly.

"That's our old professor for you," Sokkia laughed.

Talk about built different, Leonhardt thought, especially unnerved.

"All's clear over the water, Lady Edelgard," Monica radioed.

"Thank you, Monica."

"Lots of enemies still," Anya commented.

"But they're all basically rank and file at this point," Cornelia stated. "Hopefully they won't be much trouble."

"No worries, Princess Cornelia! With our combined might, we can handle it!" Shirley declared.

Cornelia smiled. "Yes, I suppose we can. All units! Forward!"

---

The ranks of the Western Church after the loss of their Agarthan allies were easily broken after that turning point. Between Euphemia's buffs and Seteth and Cornelia's HLKMFs still performing with plenty of operational stamina, the fight went off well. Monica's plan to allow her Florence unit to conserve power also came in handy particularly near the end when it came to picking off stragglers.

When all was said and done, Shez sat down on a rock. "That was so intense. Ugh, my back."

"Gonna make some quip about carrying the team," Oldrin joked as she approached, offering Shez a glass bottle of soda.

"Shut up," Shez said with a chuckle, laughing as she ripped off the bottle cap. She chugged the caffeinated beverage as Oldrin sat down next to her.

"I feel you though, quite the intense battle," Oldrin said.

"We're going to have to step up. Those shady mage folk keep getting the upper hand on us when we least expect it. We could have died today."

"Yeah, no kidding," Oldrin said. "Glad we got a win today though, despite the close call with Shirley."

"Man, I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw the Aquamarine 5000 get totaled. Then she got up with the Immortal Mermaid and was like WHAM!" Shez cheered as she pumped her fist into the air.

Oldrin laughed. "I think we were all happy about that. Still…"

"Lelouch?"

"Yeah, I want to know where he learned that stuff about the weapons," Oldrin said. "I think Mary said she was going to ask him."

Shez summoned the sword Arval often gave her. "I wonder if this sword does that."

"Why would it?" Oldrin asked.

"Uh…you know…because…"

"You suck at lying. May as well share what's on your mind after that blunder," Arval recommended.

Shez sighed. "My…frame is really similar to those pale guys in the black robes and frames. Like…I don't know…I'm worried I could be one of them and not know it."

Oldrin suddenly pinched her cheek.

"Ow."

"Skin looks fine to me," Oldrin stated. "Quit worrying so much."

"Oz," Shez said and then lost her cool and started cackling.

Oldrin took a swig of her own soda. "Got half a month until the big day now. A little less than, actually."

"Nervous?"

"No way," Oldrin said. "We've got you and Princess Cornelia on our side, plus Shirley's upgrade now too. We've totally got this. Still, we should definitely prepare."

"What about the Ashen Demon?" Shez asked.

"Mary's working on a plan for that," Oldrin said. "Winning the Battle of the Eagle and Lion isn't about being the last house standing. It's about scoring the most KOs. Sure, the battle can't be called until the last house is standing, and there is an award given to the last house on the battlefield, but the real winner is the house the gets the most KOs. And the neat part is, from what Mary's heard, they don't show a leaderboard for that metric on the scoreboard."

"So you really don't know if the battle's already decided until it's completely over," Shez said. "That's kinda cool actually, keeps everyone motivated."

"Just don't get lost."

Quiet you! I don't get lost during battle. You know that better than anyone.

"I am only saying," Arval advised.

Oldrin got up and stretched. "Welp. I'm gonna rest up until we get back. Maybe see if the showers have enough hot water left."

"Think I'll join you. Easier than wandering back on my own later and getting lost."

Oldrin nodded, smiling. "Sure, follow me."

---

Seteth was relieved to find that the vault containing the Spear of Assal and the Caduceus Staff were both right where he left them. He grabbed the Spear of Assal whilst wrapping up the Caduceus Staff to give to Flayn later. He slung the wrapped-up weapon onto his back.

The sun had already long past crested as he headed out back onto the beach to a large monument surrounded by flowers, especially forget-me-nots. Flayn was already there, placing more onto the monument. Said monument was signified by one tall stone pillar, written in an archaic prototype to what was now modern day Roman. Four additional pillars surrounded the big one with an arched pillar laid atop the four smaller ones. A headstone written in the same language with a gilded plaque lay at the bottom of the monument. Flayn was already there, putting more flowers on the memorial.

Seteth noticed Byleth walk up. "Oh, Professor. Something you need?" he asked.

"Who's buried here?"

"My wife," Seteth stated.

"Never even knew you were married," Byleth stated.

"Most don't," Seteth replied.

Neither he nor Byleth noticed Shirley's approach, the girl too nervous to interrupt the conversation.

Flayn prayed at the monument. "Mother…you're safe now. You may rest in peace once again."

"Flayn's mother is buried here too?" Byleth questioned.

"That…ahhhhhh…" Seteth uttered and then sighed. "Well, I suppose I could explain, but this is a secret."

He then noticed Shirley in his peripheral vision. "Uh…Miss…Fennette…I was just…" he coughed into his fist. "Something you need?"

"I…was checking up on Flayn. But…I'd like to know more…if that's okay."

Seteth smiled with fatherly pride. "I suppose you of all people have earned the right to know. Flayn is actually my daughter. My wife…and Flayn's mother…are the same person."

"…You know, in hindsight that makes a little too much sense," Shirley stated.

"Due to certain…circumstances," Seteth explained, pausing unnaturally, "It is more convenient for us to masquerade as siblings for the time being. There are many who would seek to harm Flayn due to the unique blood she bears. Falsifying her identity is necessary to conceal her from such individuals. Mercifully, I happen to look quite young for my age. We make rather convincing siblings, do we not?"

"I'll say, I had no idea!" Shirley exclaimed.

"If you say so," Byleth commented with her usual deadpan expression.

"Professor!" Shirley's shrieked shrilly.

"Now, now, her reaction is understandable given her own cover as someone else's sibling. I suppose she may have seen through the ruse given her unique circumstances," Seteth stated.

"Maybe," Byleth responded, owning up to nothing.

Flayn smiled at Byleth and Flayn. "Mother loved the coast so much. She and I came here together often. Fishing was her favorite pastime. I used to sit and watch while she cast her line."

Seteth smiled. "I remember it fondly. You did so love to eat the fish she caught, as well."

"Fish is my favorite food, it is true. Due in no small part to Mother."

Seteth's smile lessened in intensity, but didn't fade. "I still come here to fish, from time to time, using the skills my wife taught me. It reminds me how deeply I appreciate those years... and how I wish I could return to them."

Flayn looked at Seteth with the utmost seriousness. "We cannot turn back the clock, Father. We must live our lives fully, in the present moment."

"You're right. That is what she always said, isn't it? Dwell too much on the past, and you may be unable to move forward. Come, then. Let us return home."

Flayn turned back towards the grave. "Good-bye, Mother. I love you. I shall bring flowers again for you next time."

Byleth watched the father and daughter stroll past her back to the ship, eyes following Seteth's shoulder. "…"

Shirley stretched. "What's say we do the same, Professor. We've had a long day."

Byleth nodded, agreeing silently.

---

As the sun got lower and lower on the horizon, due in no small part to the changing time zones, Byleth found Lelouch sleeping in one of the private rooms and took it upon herself to keep watch on him. The boy woke up with a start, for some reason subconsciously feeling like he was being watched. He flicked on a bedside light.

"I don't remember assigning you as my guardian angel," he said, grumpy.

"You didn't. I assigned myself," Byleth returned.

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Did you want something? If not, I'm going back to sleep. My mind and my body are both exhausted."

"How was it? …Fighting alongside your sister, I mean," Byleth inquired.

"It was necessary. Why do you care?" Lelouch asked.

Byleth looked hurt. "Am I not allowed to?"

"What's really going on?" Lelouch asked her.

"What do you mean?" Byleth asked.

"You usually don't watch me sleep like this. You check up on me, but you never watch me," Lelouch stated.

Byleth turned her head down and away, averting eye contact and doing her best not to look guilty.

"Is it because, since we almost lost Shirley today, you're afraid I'll disappear?" Lelouch questioned. "Are you worried?"

Byleth's expression was shocked at first, but her response showed the truth on her face. "A little," she answered.

"Odd for you. I've known you for seven years, and you never so much as showed anything resembling human emotion until we reunited at Garreg Mach," Lelouch told her.

"You've changed too," Byleth said.

"Not as much as you have," Lelouch told her.

"Are you still going after Britannia?" Byleth asked him.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I am," Lelouch responded.

"Isn't it bad to dwell on the past?" Byleth inquired.

"Hmm?"

"You don't have to do all of this. You could, I don't know…when the school year is over, come with Jeralt and me out on the road again, like old times. We could bring Shez along. We could just…be a family."

"Sorry, but that's not the destiny I have in mind for myself," Lelouch said.

Byleth frowned. "You could die without me knowing at all."

"And? What would that matter? Our bond as siblings is convenient. It's not something binding."

Byleth now sounded hurt. "Don't say that."

Lelouch tilted his head down, averting looking at Byleth's sad puppy look.

He suddenly found Byleth sitting on the same bed he'd been sleeping in. She'd now pulled him into a gentle hug.

"To me…you're my brother. That's my reality," Byleth told him, pushing his head over her shoulder.

Lelouch pat the back of her head gently, stroking it a little. "I'm not going anywhere soon, Byleth. At least, I'm not planning to."

Byleth pulled away from him and stared at him with a sorrowful look. "I missed you when you went to Ashford."

"…"

"You never thought about me at all, did you?" Byleth asked, now more hurt than ever.

"…"

"People around you have feelings, Lelouch. Don't take them for granted," Byleth told him, trying to reach him.

"If something happens to me…if my ambitions fail…who would take care of Nunnally for me?" Lelouch asked.

"Play me in chess," Byleth said suddenly.

"Huh?" Lelouch questioned.

"Play me in chess. Right now. You have your tablet, right?"

"Uh…yeah." Lelouch remembered playing Byleth in chess when he traveled with her and Jeralt. She was always terrible. Basic mistakes. Basic strategies. Freezing up when she experienced something she didn't know. Today, he expected basically more of the same.

Not this time. This match was different. Byleth opened strong and she kept him on the backfoot throughout the entire early game. The game was making Lelouch sweat. For a moment…he felt like he might actually lose.

But no. Byleth dropped the ball near the end. The game came down to only a handful of pawns per player, but she'd failed to make the right moves to get her pawns passed first, resulting in a speedy checkmate in Lelouch's favor. Still, a game with her had never come that close before. Lelouch was out of breath.

Byleth put a hand on his. She smiled.

Lelouch suddenly understood. Byleth was awful at expressing herself when it really mattered. That was why she often used gestures and body language to get her point across. The purpose of the game wasn't because Byleth suddenly thought she could win. It was to show him something. Lelouch knew. The game they played wasn't a fluke. It wasn't Byleth getting lucky with her choices. Every move she made had been deliberate. She'd improved. Greatly.

"Chess is your favorite game, isn't it?" Byleth asked. "It always upset you when you beat me too easily and Jeralt was rarely any better, even when he was sober."

"So how did you improve?"

"Clients," Byleth answered.

Lelouch shook his head, confused.

"Since we were apart, I asked some of our clients to face me, promising to give back some of my pay if they won. Sometimes it was one game. Sometimes it was multiple. But, like with battle, I got better. I play at the Monastery too, but I guess you didn't notice."

"You did all that…because…"

Byleth squeezed Lelouch's hand gently, wrapping her fingers against his palm. "I'll say it again. You're my brother. That means something to me." Lelouch then saw her smile, shocking him to the point of letting out a small gasp. "I can't speak for Cornelia, or Marrybell, or Schneizel, or Euphemia, or any of the Britannian royal family. But…no matter how much you try to push me away, I'll always think of you as my brother. And just as much as you're my brother, Nunnally is my sister. So…when you're ready to stop hiding your emotions and let me in, I'll be here. Okay?"

Lelouch wiped away a tear that, if Byleth probed, he'd have denied its existence. "Yeah," he said, averting eye contact. "Okay. Could…if you're done…"

Byleth kissed his temple. "Rest well, Lelouch. I'll expect you bright and early at class tomorrow." She then left the room, the automatic door, closing behind her.

Lelouch slumped back onto the bed. "Honestly, that woman," he scowled. "Who does she think she is?" However, he couldn't keep up the scowl for long. "Well, my sister, I guess," he thought aloud, smiling a little. He could suddenly recall the tiny smirk on her face as she'd left the room just now. He rolled over and flicked off the light. "So annoying, but…I guess that's…all part of…" he yawned and found talking too exhausting. …Being a family.

Lelouch didn't know it, but Byleth hadn't gone far, she'd gone to the immediate next room over and rearranged the furniture so that her head rested against the same wall as his. If the wall wasn't there, the two would have been sleeping with their heads touching. Byleth smiled as she fell asleep.

"Truly, will wonders never cease," Sothis spoke, even though Byleth couldn't hear her, being asleep and all that. "It's important to protect those you care about, but you need someone watching over yourself as well. I pray that your devotion to your family doesn't cause you to meet with some horrible, unspeakable fate. Still, I don't believe reaching out to that know nothing know it all is meritless. One day, he will have to face reality that people care about a callous man such as himself. And when he does, you'll be right there to be his sword and shield. I know not what fate has in store for either of you, but I don't imagine it will be peaceful. But…" the small girl smiled as she floated above Byleth's bed in the darkness, "I do know that whatever it is, you'll face it head on…together."

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(A/N: So I promised I would explain what needed to be changed. So, I got a few pages into this chapter before I flipping forgot I had Shirley transfer out to the Black Eagles, and by that point I had already written the scene with Cornelia and Seteth with plans to write the scene with Shirley and Milly. So there was me running around like a nut case trying to figure out how to get Lelouch on this mission without arousing suspicion. It was hilarious when I realized just how effective a simple pair of sunglasses would be.

Anyway, that's all for now. Next time, we are far from done with dealing with the Agarthans as we put Lelouch back on center stage into a team up with the Golden Deer. Next time on Lie & Seek: more of those who slither getting what's coming to them. And, until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)