This was surely going to be their final battle. It is undeniable that it will be bloody. There is a guarantee a loved one will die gloriously for the greater good. This foe is by far, the most cunning enemy that this group of three lords has ever faced. Even with the help of the blessings of past heroes, it will by no means be an easy fight to win.

The darkening atmosphere of what's to come ahead in Dragon's Gate had a different effect on every single warrior in this army. Though they've been guided well by the phenomenal tactical prowess of Mark, there is a nagging feeling that even a beautiful stratagem won't guarantee a victory.

Of course, everyone tried to reassured themselves with optimistic thoughts. One more fight. That's all it takes. They face just one more foe and if they win this fight, they will have done the impossible.

The anticipation of the battle weight most heavily upon the lords of this army. They knew that they can't have an instance of showing weakness or the morality of the entire army will be lost.

It was a quiet preparation outside of Dragon's Gate. The quiet was full of tension, anticipation, and thick air that choked those who fear.

It's normal to face fear but to one man, this fear felt so foreign to him. Kent, one of Lady Lyndis's most trusted men, for the first time, experienced fear. He wouldn't hesitate to put his lady's life before his own. He remembers the last time he was her, he told Mark to keep Lyn safe should he fall. He never feared death, as long as it was to keep his lady safe. However, being here a second time, fills Kent with the utmost sense of fear and anticipation of what's to come. Would he survive? Would Lyn survive? Is Nergal too powerful for Lord Hector, Lord Eliwood, and Lady Lyn combined? More importantly, would he have to raise his lance against him?

Kent held his own hands in front of his face. They were shaking. He tried to shake it off but since the start of the ride back to this point, Kent felt this feeling of fear. He cannot seem to get that sense of calm and surety. He never hesitated in battle. But lately, he was. People have noticed a drop in his performance and at one point, Lyn did notice. When asked by her, he merely said that these types of enemies, the morphs were greater foes than the average enemy soldier.

Kent took out from his hand, a ring. It was a ring of proposal that he bought on his own discretion while everyone was preparing in Ostia. He had originally planned to propose to Lyn after all is said and done but with how filled with power this final foe was, he feared that either one of them will fall and it would be too late by then to follow through with his plan. This kind of fear was selfish of him to have but as he said to Lyn at one point before, if he had let go of Lyn's arm in that instant, he would have regret it for the rest of his life. He found himself in this scenario once again.

He stared at the ring, wonder how Lyn would react. Bringing up holy matrimony at such a dire time where the fate of the entire world was at stake, how selfish can Kent be? But there really is no guarantee if either of them would survive. So at the very least, if he goes through with this, should one of them fall, he would have gotten his message across, already.

His thoughts were disrupted when a familiar male voice called him out while in his tent. "Kent! There you are!"

Kent yanked his head to look up at the entrance of his tent to see his old friend and partner, Sain. "Oh, Sain. What is it?"

Sain sighed, as he went into the tent, giving an uncharacteristic look of gloom, which made Kent feel more awful. If you saw Sain who is a normally hyperactive man looking down, you know the atmosphere was really grim. "So it seems like you're going while I'm staying. I would have loved to come but Lady Lyn's decision is her's alone and I must obey her will. To be honest, I'm kind of glad I'm not going in there. Something about the air coming from inside makes me afraid. I don't know how Lady Lyn is able to keep up that confident smirk, to be honest!"

Kent looked down at the ring he was holding between his fingertips on his right hand. "She has to. If she doesn't keep it up, all of us will lose our will to fight on."

Sain was puzzled at Kent. He wasn't one for pretending. "So what are you saying, Kent? Are you saying that Lyn has to pretend to not be afraid even though she's really afraid?"

Kent gritted his teeth as he lifted his head up at Sain with glaring eyes. "Hold your tongue, Sain. You take a moment and think about what you would do if you were in Lyn's position. Would you risk your troops losing their spirits and possibly them cowering away before our final battle where a lot of us could fall should we hesitate even for a moment?!"

Sain was silent. He wasn't sure how to answer that. Instead, he just took a deep breath and put his arms up signalling a surrender. "Alright, Kent. You got me. You're so uptight, as always. You're going to grow old before your time." Sain thought they should change the subject to lighten the mood between them. "So, are you going to tell her?"

"Tell her what?" Kent, pretended to not know what he was talking about.

Sain shook his head at him in disappointment. He knew his partner too well. "You know what I'm talking about. The ring. Are you going to tell her now or later? You do know that you and her are going to be giving your all in there and possibly die. But knowing you, you won't hesitate to give your life so that she lives, right? But if you don't tell her now and you end up dying, she won't ever know. Of course, time is a cruel mistress but in the end, it is your decision, my old friend."

Kent had a nagging feeling towards Sain. He had eyes on Lyn since the beginning. But...up to this point, Sain made no effort to get in the way of his relationship with Lyn. "I need to know something, Sain."

"What's that?"

Kent looked down at the ring in his hand, again. "Why do you not try to steal Lyn from me? You had eyes on her too and tried to incessantly flirt with her. If you knew my feelings for her, why did you not consider me a rival to compete for her attention?"

Sain laughed hoarsely and sheepishly at that question. "You know, old friend, I don't know why I did help you, either. But deep inside, I knew that Lady Lyn would never return my affections but I also knew she had something else for you. You and I have been partners for so long and the thought of allowing one woman to get in the way of our bond would be very terrible of me! I may be a flirt but I still have a sense of right and wrong."

Hearing Sain say that caused a smirk to form on Kent's lips. He looked down, staring at the ring again, suddenly feeling a fire light up inside of him. "You know, sometimes you're not so bad, Sain." After that, he got up and walked toward the exit of his tent, with the ring visible in between his fingertips.

Sain scratched the top of his scalp as he looked back at Kent who was walking in a certain direction. But he knew where his partner was going, with that ring in hand. "Go get her...partner..."

Lyn was in her own tent. Polishing up her Mani Katti. She stared at the reflection of her face on that blade. Lyn knew she would have to fight like she never did before. Despite the overwhelming odds in this battle, she had no fear. She had Eliwood, Hector, Mark, and most importantly, Kent. This was the battle to decide the fate of the world and even if she falls, she knew it in her heart that Eliwood and Hector will win.

"Lady Lyndis?" A gentle, male voice sounded.

Lyn gasped as she turned around, startled. "K-Kent! I..." She exhaled. "I was preparing for our battle. What do you need?"

Kent swallowed his saliva, his hands behind his back, holding the ring. "Lady Lyndis...are you absolutely sure we won't lose this fight?"

Lyn took a moment to think about her answer. But it was Kent talking to her and he helped her time and time again, whenever she told the truth. There was no point putting up a facade in front of him. He could be trusted. "I'm trying to convince myself that we will win...but every time I think about how powerful Nergal is, I'm just not sure..."

Kent slowly made his way into the tent and to the unoccupied chair next to Lyn. Lyn didn't mind. She silently invited Kent to sit down next to her. Kent did, sitting very close to her but still had the ring hidden. "Dearest Lyn, I too share the feelings of unease in the upcoming battle. There isn't a guarantee if both of us will survive. Who knows what awaits us in there?"

Lyn slowly nodded her head in agreement with Kent. "I know. It's...daunting. It's an enemy unlike any other we've faced. I try to calm myself down, but I...I..."

Kent puts his left hand on Lyn's right hand gently to calm her down. "Dear Lyn...hear me out. All of our battles, I've always been there to help you in a tight situation. This is no different. I have not and will not abandon you. If you will die, I must first. I could not bear the thought of burying you."

Lyn stared at their two hands together, Kent's hand on top of hers. "Kent...I think...that's what I'm afraid of the most. Either you or I might die. It's not how powerful our foe is, it's the thought that either one of us might die." Lyn's voice started to break, on the verge of tears which was quite uncharacteristic of her but Kent didn't sway. "Kent, I'm afraid. For the first time in years, I'm afraid... I...I..."

Kent softly tightened their hands that were clasped together. He turned his body toward Lyn's direction and softly pulled Lyn's own body in with his other hand that wasn't on Lyn's. He eyed the ring that was directly behind her. "My sweet Lyn. It is your unyielding will that gives me strength to fight on, even when I'm at my most tired. It is because of you, that I do not care who we fight. When your purpose to fight changes, so does mine. This is our function as true loyal knights. But I'm speaking to you not as a knight...but as a man in question."

That last part stood out to Lyn. She didn't fight Kent's one-handed embrace. She took it in, knowing she could trust in his touch. "What do you mean...Kent?"

With his left hand, Kent held their clasped hands in between them at the height of their chins. "Lady Lyn...if we both survive this final battle..." With his right hand that was around her, he exposes the ring, then slowly puts it out in front of Lyn's left ring finger. Lyn's face flushed red as her eyes widened and gave the look of a surprised child. Kent continued his question. "...Will you allow me to take your hand in marriage...so that we could be bounded by boundless love and live out the rest of our lives in peace until the day we die of old age?"

Lyn was at a loss for words. This man was always her go-to guardian, a man she could truly entrust her heart to. Though it was right before a battle they could die in, she did not care. Hearing those honeyed words come out of his mouth, proposing to her, almost like a healing magic, dispelled the doubt that clouded her mind and heart. She knew what to answer.

"Y-Yes, Kent. Yes, I will. There's no other man I want to spend the rest of my life with than you. Kent, thank you for everything you've done for me...I...feel better now..."

"My dearest, sweet Lyn..."

Their faces closed in. Their eyes closed. Their lips made soft, sweet, and passionate contact, sealing the oath of mutual survival for this final battle and for the future pact of marriage. While they shared the kiss, Kent slowly slipped the ring into Lyn's left ring finger.

When their lips parted, Lyn took a moment to stare at her left hand that now held the ring of promise in her ring finger. "It's a perfect fit! How were you able to get the right size?"

Kent slowly shook his head with his eyes rolling. "You don't even want to know, Lyn. I wasn't going to let anything stop me from proposing to you."

From afar and outside of the tent, a slender female figure that had pink hair, smiled at the positive result. "Nice job, Kenty! Now you owe me setting up Erky for a date with moi! Hee-hee!"