A/N: This next chapter is their first war battles from the modern era as Seed's stats it was still in the last parts of game in Suikoden II which is Attack 15 and Defense 12 and he was the secret weapon towards many. Also this is how Seed continues to get to know more about Lene. Here is Chapter 4.

Chapter 4: Attack on the Offensive

At the discussion room, Lars discusses in how to stop the Silverian Army from occupying the border between Higheast and Muse and seeing that they wanted to take over the Dunan Republic and Harmonia.

"We have to attack them first and I need someone who's going to handle the ambush."

"I'll take care of this, your Majesty." Seed raises his hand and Sean complains at him.

"Are you crazy? The Silverian Army are very powerful. You can't just acting arrogant like you can do it alone."

"I'm from a different timeline, blue mockingbird." Seed remarked Sean as a mockingbird. "Besides, as a 3rd General from the Highland Army, I can take the lead with my men. But since this is your timeline, maybe I'll try handling their soldiers and I'm not act like I was too ruthful and selfish to them."

"This guy is charismatic..." Tougou smiled to see Seed's actions as he bows to Lars.

"Please, your Majesty..."

"All right, young man. I can see your passion in fighting enemies."

"Thank you very much..." Seed said thankfully.

At the armory, Lene goes to see Marik as Seed followed her and became amused to see more powerful weapons they were forged as Marik noticed them.

"Good to see you, lady heiress."

"Lady heiress?" Seed said as he looked at Lene. "Lene, why are they calling you like that? It's not formal..."

"As a princess and heiress, that's how they call me. What about you? You even call the princess a lady." Lene said telling him as Marik knows what she needs.

"I know what you need, the explosive tasers and some bullets."

"Wait... does your other double-sided tonfas can shoot bullets? Lord Riou doesn't have these kinds of things without using the gunpowder like yours." Seed was surprisingly as Lene tells him.

"The right tonfa can shoot explosive tasers which they were knock away from the explosion and the left tonfa can shoot like a shotgun. It's like an overkill to defeat enemies."

"Wow...! About the explosive tasers you were saying. It was cool..." Seed said getting amused on Lene's weapon as he begins to admire her, reminded him of his Fire Rune. "No one ever see you shoot that thing. Unless, it's like my Explosion from my Fire Rune."

"Here they are... I'm sure you can reload them as possible and for you young red headed dude. What do you need?"

"Well I'd like to sharpen my sword. I hate if my blade is rusted."

As Marik gets his sword to be sharpen, Lene begins to admire him when he was with her.

"I can't believe that you like to forge your sword, Seed."

"I always loved to stay at the blacksmithy, Lene. This is how my moniker as the Flaming General. I maybe ruthless to my enemies but this is what I am."

Arriving at the Highland-Muse Border, the Silverian Army are trying to break through the border in order to occupy the entire Muse.

"All right, we're almost reach through the border between the Higheast and Muse. Let's break things through." A man named Darius alongside Ross and Adelbert leading the Silverian Troops to occupy the border and was soon confronted by military troops led by Lars.

"Okay, it's time to stop them from taking over the border, now!"

"Your highness... you must be ready." Tougou informs Lene and her troops to dispatch them.

The war battle escalates and some of the Silverian troops are taken down.

"So the real King of Silveria is still alive. I thought you were killed by Doug." Adelbert discovers of Lars' survival.

"So it was you who were ordered by Doug to kill my daughter. I'm not letting you get away this." Lars scowls at the instigator behind the assassination.

"Hah! You won't stop us... non-highness. Let's divide and slaughter!" Adelbert gloats while disrespecting the King until Tougou gives the signal.

"Give Seed's troops the signal!"

To his surprise, Seed and the rest of the military troops cornered the trio and his armies.

"It looks like you wasted your opportunities, you giant vermin!"

"What was that!?" Adelbert becomes furious when Seed calls him a giant vermin and to his shock. Most of the military troops threw fire spears on the Silverian troops as it obliterates them on the field and Lars was surprise about his tactics in war battles.

"Are those fire spears? Yes it is... He requests Marik to forge more fire spears in order to obliterate the troops." Tougou said getting impressed on Seed's strategy.

"I totally learned that when Lord Riou was sided with the two leaders of the mercenary troops before they formed the Dunan Army. I was cautious at first that they brought these fire spears to attack us." Seed said remembering the times they were about to infiltrate the Mercenary Fortress. "I guess the old fool wants to do the same thing as Luca Blight's."

"How dare you disrespects to our new King?!" Adelbert became furious to Seed's words as Darius informs him.

"Looks like we're outnumbered, we have to retreat for now."

"We're not finished with you yet!" Adelbert said as the group retreats and they were victorious in stopping them.

"All right! We won...!"

"We drove them off easily..."

"Nice strategy you have there, Seed. Good work!" Lene complimented Seed for his job well done but for him, he feels ashamed.

Returning back to the Higheast Palace, everyone is celebrating their first victory and Lars became disappointed that Doug had finally usurp the throne as King of Silveria as Sean is having a party with Zefer, Tracy, Marik, Daimaru and Moichi. Outside of the palace, Seed was watching the stars at night, alone. He became upset by that time he made many losses in war battles in favor of Riou and his Dunan Army as he thought.

I know everyone is celebrating of their very first victory. In my case, I feel so ashamed... I had so many losses on those war battles. That's when Culgan and I had pledge allegiance to Lord Jowy who is now a commanding officer and as the King of Highland.

Flashback:

When Jowy was being commanded from Rowd and his troops. Both Seed and Culgan arrive to defend him.

"Wait, Rowd."

"We were here, too. and nobody suspicious came through." Seed came to inform Rowd that no one's suspicious making the latter surprised.

"Wh... What are you saying..."

"We'd hate to see you make a false report out of jealousy because of a former subordinate is now your commanding officer." Culgan said regarding Jowy as Rowd's commanding officer.

"That's right. We're witnesses..." Seed also replies to Rowd much to the latter's horrible shock.

"You know, there's still quite a riot going on in Greenhill. Shouldn't you get yourself down there?" Culgan orders Rowd to stop the riot.

"Damn..! All right, let's go!"

As Rowd and his troops leave back to Greenhill to stop the riot, Jowy was relieved to see them defending him.

"Why..."

"Why? We love Highland. It's a wonderful country." Seed replies on Jowy's words while Culgan does the same.

"We can't stand idly by and let it be destroyed. The only thing Luca Blight will bring about is ruin... and that is not intention."

"It wouldn't be pleasant to be left standing on scorched earth after the war's over, would it?" Seed said agrees to Culgan's word about getting free from Luca's tyranny and both went to Jowy.

"Jowy Atreides, Commander of the fourth army of the Kingdom of Highland, we pledge our loyalty to you." Culgan said decided to pledge loyalty to Jowy's side and Seed also replies.

"We know what your goal is. Please, use us to that end."

"Culgan, Seed..." Jowy was grateful to see them both pledging alliance with him as he thanked them in a friendly hug. "Your brave decision will not be in vain. Thank you..."

It was shifted back to where Jowy is now the King of Highland and most soldiers were gathered to see the sacrifice of his wife Jillia Blight for the Beast Rune while both Culgan and Seed are with them after losing the Knighdom of Matilda.

"Listen up, soldiers of Highland! We defeated the Knightdom, but we haven't won yet!"

As the soldiers made their battle cries for the sake of the kingdom as Seed tells them.

"We're still stronger than them! The outcome of the war is not yet decided!"

As soon as soldiers continued to make a battle cry. The two bishops inform Jowy to be ready and chanting about the Beast Rune which is passed down for generations within the Blight Family and swear to his oath. Jowy also tries to sacrifice his wife Jillia by stabbing her through the chest but they were unaware that it was a body double and Jowy does his best to use the Black Sword Rune to keep the power of the Beast Rune at bay. Once Jowy is done, both Culgan and Seed encourage the soldiers to fight for their victory.

"The path of victory is the only path! We pray for victory!"

"Now is the time to fight. If we lose this, we lose the Kingdom of Highland!"

It was now shifts into both facing Riou and his Dunan Army as both were fighting for the sake of their fallen kingdom. They fought valiantly and ends up being defeated by them and both were fatally wounded.

"The outcome's already decided."

"Is it really...so strange, Riou? That we should fight?" Seed said in his breath as Culgan also replies to him.

"Lord Riou... You were the hope of the Dunan Army...Just as Lord Jowy was the hope of our side... He rid us of Luca Blight...and we hoped he would lead Highland to a better future..."

"Go then... We don't...We don't have the strength left to fight..." Seed said allowing Riou and his group to pass as he looked at Culgan who is also dying from their fatal wounds sustained from them as he tells him from his last breath. "Culgan...it was fun... All the plans we made for this country...for the future..."

"Yeah... It's a good thing... that we die along with this country..." Culgan replies at his last breath and both soon died.

Flashback over:

Seed lowers his head knowing it was his current fate to be killed along with Culgan when they made a last stand against Riou and his Dunan Army as he thought.

I feel terrified at myself that it was my fate to be killed along with Culgan when we tried to fight Lord Riou and his Dunan Army. But now I ended up in the future where both of us were forgotten knowingly that we were a very long-time deceased. Maybe if I could change my fate rather than being killed. I wanted to reform Highland back to it's former glory but not in royal kingdoms like the Blight Family did.

"Seed..."

"..." Seed was surprised to see Lene's arrival as she tells him.

"So this is where you were staying. You need to enjoy the party. This isn't like you..."

"I'm not going back there, you know. I felt so ashamed to show it to them that I had many loss and defeat back in the Highland Kingdom. I can't get used it when this is the first victory." Seed said coldly to her.

"You're being so cold. I hate to barge when Sean and the others are already drinking with booze for the party." Lene said as Seed gazes at her slightly.

"I have a personal question, Lene."

"What is it?"

"Do you have a relationship with somebody?"

"I have one who is the current prince of Falena. My father had made an arrange marriage between me and the prince. I just told him that I need to make my decision whether to marry the man or not. It's simple..." Lene answered as Seed remarks.

"It's not that simple..."

"..."

"Do you like this man, do you?" Seed smiled at her which she questions him.

"Why did you asked me that, Seed?"

"It's weird if I keep looking at you everyday. What if I like you?" Seed said as he reveals his liking to her.

"Huh!? Are you serious...?" Lene was shocked to hear his words as Seed tells her.

"Of course, I'm serious... An arrange marriage is a waste of opportunity. You can't marry the guy if you don't love him that much. A princess should find a rightful man to marry and making him the King. That was traditional at my timeline."

"It's really strange... if you and I we talked like this and you keep on whining about other things. It's like you're looking for someone to talk to." Lene said smiling at him as Seed replies while closing his eyes.

"It reminds me of how Culgan and I we used to talk on things especially in war battles. I just get to know you better, Lene. "

"..."

"I really felt myself about these romantic things and this is how Lord Jowy felt for Lady Jillia and they were inseparable. I wish if I had one too..." Seed said as he feels it on his heart and Lene hugged him on his back that makes him blushed.

"I really thank you for rescuing me back there, Seed. I'll also forgive you for what happened when we first met. My father was amused when you did earlier on the war battles."

Seed then faces her with a smile on his face which she blushes at him when they have eye to eye contact with each other and he teases her.

"You know Lene, it was complicated if the two of us were like this. You still have your distant prince sticking up with you for that married arrangement."

Lene then pushes him off to the ground while Seed drags her with him. Both gazed each other while showing their romantic attraction as both stand up, blushing.

"Why did you do that, Seed?"

"I already told you that I like you, Lene. We'll do that if we're just the two of us." Seed said admitting his liking to her and he noticed that she was annoyed at his tease. "You got annoyed after I tease you."

"I'd better get back to the party."

As Lene leaves back to the party, Seed continues to smile at her, finally shows his romantic feelings for her.

The next day, Lars decided to send this letter to the Mayor of Muse, Greenhill and Two River to his daughter Lene.

"We need some alliance within the Dunan Republic. I'm sure Doug would even try to do the same after they have their first defeat. Here is the letter, my dear."

"Thank you, father..."

"We had someone gave us the intel about the Silverian Army." Lars then shows the man from Muse and he was the assistant to the mayor.

"So it was the true then, the real King of Silveria was nearly assassinated by his own flesh and blood. I heard everything about this sad news. My name is Clemont and I'm the assistant to the mayor and I will be glad to assist the Princess to meet the mayor of Muse."

"As for you, young lad. Since you nailed the Silverian Army with those fire spears. From this day, you're going to become a bodyguard to my daughter." Lars said giving Seed a job as a bodyguard for Lene much to Sean's shock.

"This is uncalled for... why him..."

"Marik told us everything. When Seed was waiting for his weapon to forge, he requested him to forge some fire spears. I know for sure that fire spears are good in handy in the war battles." Lars said as Seed retorts on Sean's complain.

"You'd better keep your mouth shut if I were you."

"You mean that Seed is going to guard me..."

"He's a powerful swordsman, Lene. When he saw both of us are about to get killed. He's the one who saved us to our deaths." Lars said as Seed tells her.

"Your father was right, Lene. You need someone to accompany you on those meetings. I want to reform myself since we tried to find some new allies to cooperate with us."

"All right, Mr. smooth talker... you can protect and guard me if you wanted to."

"That's what I want to hear from a feisty princess." Seed smiled and he finally tells Lars while facing him. "To get there in Muse you need to cross the south which is the Muse-Highland border in order to get to Muse City."

"Very well... I'm looking forward to find alliance to stop my half-brother and Lene you need lots of companions to aid you on the battlefield."

With that Lene departs Higheast City and move from the border between Higheast and Muse and Seed became the bodyguard for the modern princess and it was his new opportunity to start things with as he thought.

I think it's about time to change things. I maybe from a different timeline where I was the 3rd General from the Highland Kingdom and now I was appointed as a bodyguard for the princess from the future. Now I'm starting to enjoy this life.

The group finally arrives at the border and they pass and now they are travelling to Muse.