Well, guys, it's been a long long time, hasn't it? Many of you thought this story was dead. Hell, I'm sure many of you thought I was dead. But, neither was true! This story is very much alive and I(thankfully) am still very much alive! MAWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAH-*cough* *cough*. Ahem, sorry about that.

You guys are probably wondering where my lazy ass has been, right? Well, it's a combination of a lot of things. The main reason is I have a full-time job now and it takes up a lot of my time. It's also very draining which means that when I get home, the only thing I want to do is play games, read fics, and sleep. Another reason is I'm playing a bunch of different video games and sometimes I get so caught up in playing them, I forget to write. The final reason is I just needed a break, I needed some time to myself to get my life together and just have some me time which I think all writers are entitled too.

I have been getting many messages from you guys and I truly appreciate your kindness and concern for me and your love for this story, it really warms my heart and your messages and reviews are what drives me to keep writing.

I want to take the time to shoutout to PrinceDoebler and SSJRaditz7 for their support of the fic and for checking up on me and making sure I was ok. I also wish to shoutout to Temporal King who has been like a mentor to me since the start of my fanfiction career for their support and I would like to welcome all newcomers to the story and I hope you stay till the end.

Without further ado, here is the long-awaited 44th chapter.

The Shepherds continued to fight against Walhart's forces, Chrom and Lucina choosing to deal with Walhart themselves while the others deal with his army. Luckily Severa's strategy was enough to prevent casualties as they were able to deal with the remaining archers. However, the Emporer's forces were formidable opponents and they weren't the type to go down easily. Despite the loss of their archers, the Valmese continued to push back against their foes. Even with the pair-up strategy, at this rate, the Shepherds would be overwhelmed unless Walhart and his remaining Generals were dealt with.

Chrom and Lucina backed away after an intense battle with the Emporer of Valm. Even with their combined strength, Walhart sill managed to fight them off. He was strong, probably stronger than any opponent they've ever fought. It was like he wasn't human.

"By the gods, he's stronger than Gangrel," Chrom said, breathing heavily.

"So this is the strength of Emporer Walhart. I've heard of his power before in the future but to see it first hand." Lucina said in bewilderment.

"I never expected you and your companion to last this long against me, Prince Chrom." Walhart complimented. "However, mediocre swordplay like yours won't work on me."

"We're not finished yet," Chrom spoke with determination as he readied himself for another fight. "For my home, for the future, and for my friends, I will not lose this fight."

"Big words, but that's all they are. Words. Without conviction, they're meaningless." The Emporer huffed. "Your strategist spoke with such conviction as well. He spoke of delivering justice and most definitely had the power to back up his words. But unfortunately, it wasn't enough."

"Shut up!" Lucina gritted her teeth at the mention of Robin. While she wanted to believe that Tiki will prevail, she was beginning to lose hope as they haven't returned. "Don't say another word about him!"

"Lucina..." Chrom whispered, knowing full well that she took his death the hardest out of everyone. He was fully aware of the closeness of his future daughter and best friend and he knew how much they cared about each other. When Robin fell by Walhart's blade, he knew Lucina was crushed.

"Don't mourn for him, young lady. For you and the rest of your army will be joining him soon." Walhart threatened.

Before he could make another move against his foes, Excellus suddenly appeared before him.

"My lord. Pardon the intrusion." The Valmese tactician said.

"What is it, Excellus?" The Emporer sneered at the foolish worm for interrupting his fight.

"It appears that the Voice, along with Princess Say'ri and East-Khan Flavia, are not among their numbers." He informed his lord. "Thankfully, I managed to locate them. From what I can gather, it seems they're attempting to revive the Demon."

"Is that so?" Walhart frowned, intrigued by this new information.

"Damn it, they've caught on." Chrom cursed as the Valmese Tactician discovered what Tiki and the others are trying to do.

"Give the order and I'll send some soldiers to deal with them. Can't have the Demon coming back from the dead now can we?" He joked but no one found it funny.

"No, I won't waste men with such a trivial task," Walhart said as he handed Excellus his blade. "You go deal with them."

"M-Me?!" The tactician exclaimed.

"Are you deaf. Deal with them and make sure that strategist stays dead." The Emporer ordered. "Use Sol to make sure the deed is done."

"W-Well..." Excellus sighed. He wanted to stay out of the fighting in order to conserve his powers for his inevitable betrayal but it looked like that won't be the case. Besides, he didn't want that meddlesome Grandmaster to come back and ruin his plans. He took the blade from his lord and placed it on his hip. "It shall be done, my lord." With that, the Valmese Tactician vanished.

"No!" Lucina exclaimed. She didn't know if the Valmese strategist was strong enough to take on the likes of Say'ri, Tiki, and Flavia but now that they've caught on, the Future Princess could only worry. What if they were unsuccessful? What if Excellus' intervention interrupted the ritual and destroyed any chance of Robin coming back?

"Don't worry Lucina." Her Father offered comforting words. "That toad doesn't stand a chance against Say'ri and the others. I believe they will prevail."

"I..." Hearing her Father's belief that they will succeed made her feel better, even if there was still some lingering worries in her heart. "I hope you're right, Father."

"I've had enough of this." Walhart angrily said, pulling out his secondary weapon, Wolf Berg. "Let's finish this."

"Yes, Walhart," Chrom replied as he and Lucina readied themselves for another battle. "Lets."

The two rushed towards Walhart, ready to end this war once and for all.

The light of the sun stung his eyes, the heat hit his skin as he felt it's warmth. He looked around and saw three figuring looking down at him, each with worry and concern, but also fear. He took a deep breath and raised his hand to cover his eyes before he realized his entire arm was coated in pink fire. As he looked down, he saw that his entire body was covered in the pink flames.

Ignis. He remembered.

As if reacting to his remembrance, the flames dispersed and his form returned to normal. With Ignis gone, he was able to get a good look at the people who were looking down at him. As he looked, he saw Say'ri, Tiki, and Flavia. They each looked concerned but very relieved at the same time.

"W-Wha?" Robin looked at them, very confused. He tried to sit up but a sudden pain coursed through his chest causing him to stop his sudden movement.

"Take it easy, Robin," Tiki said softly.

"Tiki?" She helped Robin sit up, moving as slowly as possible in order to not cause further pain. Looking past his comrades, he saw that they were on the battlefield, right outside Castle Valm, the very battlefield where he killed many Valmese soldiers and met his end by Walhart's blade.

...

...

Wait, met his end?!

Suddenly, the memories came flooding back. His fight with Walhart's men, his battle with Walhart, and his subsequent death from being stabbed in the chest by the Emporer's blade. Everything that happened after, learning about his ancestor, Kris, the Hero of Shadow, and his hidden power of Ignis passed down from the Hero himself and watching his story, it all came back.

"I'm... alive?" He could scarcely believe it, but it was true. He could breathe again, he could see again, move again, and if the sourness from his chest was any indication, he could feel pain again.

"Yes, you are." Tiki nodded.

"Thank the gods!" Flavia spoke loudly, letting out a sigh of relief. "You had us all thinking you were a goner, you damn fool!"

"I don't think yelling will do him any good, Lady Flavia." Say'ri scolded before facing him with a smile. "I am so glad you're Ok, Robin. I thought..." She shook her head, dispelling the fear that he would never wake up. "I'm so glad you're alive."

"So, I really was dead." He said before looking through the torn fabric of his coat to see the wound given to him by Walhart's blade. A nasty scar tainted his chest which was all healed up. He winced as he touched it, it was still sore but soreness he could de with. "How long was I out?"

"About an hour," Flavia told him. "Lady Tiki did some ritual to bring you back."

"Really?" He could scarcely believe it. "Felt more like days to me."

"What do you mean?" Tiki wondered what he meant by that.

"It's... a long story," Robin said. "I learned a lot while I was... out. But, we can talk about that later." He said as he quickly back on his feet.

"Whoa! Hold up there Rob. You're in no condition to be walking around." Flavia exclaimed.

"Lady Flavia's right. You should rest." Say'ri insisted.

"My wound is healed. I'm a little sore but that's all." Robin walked over to collect his weapons. Placing his tome in his coat, and his blade in its sheath, he tried walking toward the tower but stopped when he felt pain course through his chest. He hit the ground, taking a knee as his friends rushed to his side.

"Now is not the time to be stubborn, Robin." Tiki scolded. "We must return to camp. There, you can get proper treatment and rest."

"But, I..." He was about to argue but the glares from the three women let him know that he was going to rest whether he liked it or not. "All right, fine."

"Glad to hear it." Tiki smiled. She the other helped the Grandmaster to his feet as they walked back to camp. "Chrom and the others will deal with the Conquerer. Everything will be fine."

"I hope so." He said. He knew that since he was technically dead, Chrom likely made Severa the head strategist until he could rejoin them. He knew this would be a big test for her, but he was confident she could do it.

"Now, now! Don't leave! The party's just getting started."

They froze at the sound of his voice. They turned around to see particles of light form into that of Excellus, the Valmese Strategist who appeared before them. He stood there with a wicked grin on his face, his tome in his right hand and Walhart's blade, the very same blade that had taken Robin's life.

"Excellus!" Say'ri sneered at the sight of the man.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Flavia glared at the toad, wondering why the man was here and not with Walhart.

"I noticed that you three were not among the Shepherds. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you were still out here." He chuckled before he saw who they were holding onto and scoffed with disgust. "Low and behold, the Demon of Ylisse, back from the dead. What a nuisance."

"Walhart sent you to deal with us? Alone?" Robin scoffed. "Guess that shows how much he relies on his Tactician."

"Tch, as always, your smart mouth hasn't changed." The Valmese Strategist clicked his tongue in annoyance before opening his tome. "Doesn't matter. I'll just finish what Emporer Walhart couldn't and make sure you stay dead."

"You'll have to get past me first." Say'ri warned him as she unhooked her arms around Robin and stepped forward, drawing Amatsu from her sheath and readying herself for combat.

"Oh, so you want to do battle, little princess? In a rush to join your dear brother?" Excellus mocked her as he stood ready for combat. "Very well, I shall grant you your wish!"

"Yen'fay, please give me strength." She prayed silently before turning to face the others. "My Lady, Khan Flavia, please protect Robin. I shall dispatch this loathsome toad."

"Be careful, Say'ri," Tiki warned her. "We don't know his true power, yet."

"Understood." The Chon'sin Princess nodded.

"Enough talking! Let's begin, Princess!" What happened next, nobody expected. Using his tome, Excellus tightened his fist as magic begin to stream through his free arm and up to his hand. The others widened their eyes at the sight at the magic the Valmese Tactician was using. With incredible speed, he charged forward for an attack. Say'ri had enough time to bring her sword up to defend herself as Excellus slammed his magic-empowered fist into her blade, the force of the attack sent her flying backward past the others. She lost her breath as she hit the ground.

The others looked toward Excellus who was reeling in the incredible strength that he held. Looking at his hand and seeing the magic pouring through it, he smirked in satisfaction as he knew with this power, he could accomplish anything.

"Come now. Was that it? I was just warming up." He chuckled, taunting the Princess and his opponents.

Say'ri got up from where she landed, dusted herself off and walked back over to the group. Even she couldn't believe the strength the Valmese Strategist had possessed. He always seemed like a measly little weakling who relied on others to do his work for him. How could he be so strong?

"What kind of strength is that?" Flavia wondered.

"That tome..." Robin looked at the tome and couldn't believe his eyes and couldn't believe that this man was in possession of it. He recognized the tome's appearance as he had seen it once before long ago, held by his most hated enemy. "How did you get that tome?"

"Oh, this?" Excellus held up the spellbook for them to see. "It was a gift, from a friend."

"No." Robin frowned. It wasn't just any Dark Magic tome. It was hers.

"Dark Magic, Excellus? Is there no limit to how low you'll sink." Say'ri scoffed at the toad's use of such magic. As soon as she got her breath back, she charged forward once more for an attack.

"This is beneath me." The Valmese Strategist yawned as Say'ri went for a stab. Excellus dodged at the last second before throwing another punch, hitting her in the face. After that, he went for an uppercut, slamming his fist under her chin before punching her straight into the stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

"Ah!" Say'ri gasped for air, the punches delivered by the loathsome toad were so painful, she had trouble defending herself. She fell to the ground in pain as her enemy stood over her.

"I do apologize, Princess," He falsely apologized, enjoying the pain he was causing her. "I'm still having trouble getting used to all this power!" He yelled out as he kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying back into the group once more.

"Say'ri!" Tiki held out her arms and caught the Princess. She was still conscious thankfully, it seemed Excellus was just toying with her, testing his power. That meant he wasn't completely serious yet.

"What kind of Dark Magic is that?" Khan Flavia wondered.

"He's not wielding your average tome." Robin told her as he got up from where he was and walked over to Say'ri and Tiki, standing in front of them to protect them. "And the power he wields isn't normal Dark Magic."

"Robin," Tiki whispered, fearful that he may hurt himself trying to protect them.

"The only person I know who used a tome like that is someone I fought a long time ago. It works just like my Book of Naga as it carries all forms of magic." He told them. "So tell me, Excellus. How is it that you have her tome?"

"So, you figured it out? Clever boy." He shook his head, his smirk never leaving his face as them learning this information wouldn't change anything. "That's right. I'm here on behalf of Lady Aversa."

The shock on their faces wasn't surprising but that didn't mean the scheming toad didn't find it amusing. Say'ri herself couldn't believe it. She had always thought Excellus was the true definition of scum, the lowest of the low. But this was absolutely irredeemable.

"You're working... with Plegia?" Flavia couldn't believe it.

"How could you betray your Kingdom like this?" Tiki scolded. "Have you no loyalty to your comrades? Your friends?"

"Comrades? Friends?! Please! As if I cared at all about that nonsense!" Excellus scoffed with disgust. "I could care less about this pathetic Kingdom and it's vermin. Walhart, Yen'fay, all pieces of my chessboard. Pieces who I will gladly sacrifice to reach my goals!"

"Pieces?" Say'ri gritted her teeth in anger over what he had said about her brother.

"Your goals, huh?" Robin thought. "What are your goals exactly? Why are you working for Aversa?"

"Hmph, I don't need to explain myself to a lowly child like you. It's beyond your understanding." The man scoffed at the idea of telling this boy his grand plans.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm a pretty smart guy. And, knowing Aversa, I think I can figure it out." The Grandmaster began his deduction. "Seeing as how you're Walhart's chief strategist, you're in a position where you are constantly by his side at all times, offering him advice. Advice... that can lead to many deaths. Deaths you used to create your Risen army." He continued, causing his teammates to look at him in confusion.

"How did you..." Excellus said in shock but Robin wasn't done

"Surprised? We had already figured out that a Plegian spy had invaded Walhart's ranks and the fact that you have that tome proves that you were the one behind that Risen ambush that tried to kill Tiki. I saw that General Pheros among them. You were turning fallen Valmese Soldiers into Risen." The Grandmaster stated, about to finish his final analysis. "And that was your plan. Kill Tiki and weaken our morale, have Walhart kill the rest of us, then use the remaining Risen to kill Walhart and his army, leaving none to stop you from taking the Fire Emblem for yourself." And with that, he finished. "Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong."

"Tch, you're too clever for your own good. It's really annoying." The man growled at his plan being uncovered so easily.

"You're absolutely repulsive, Excellus," Tiki stated. "You not only betray your homeland, but you have defiled and disrespected the deceased."

"You have no honor." Flavia threw out.

"Spare me your pointless morals. They mean nothing to me!" Excellus exclaimed. "So you found out about my plan. So what?! It doesn't matter, all I have to do is kill you all and everything will go accordingly."

"You're an idiot." Robin insulted. "You honestly think working with someone like Aversa will work in your favor. Trust me, whatever she's promised you, it's nothing but a trick."

"Shut up! What do you know?!" He was getting tired of this tactician, sick of his insolent words that really got under his skin. "You think you're better than me, boy? Nonsense! You're no different from me! You're not a hero, you're a villain who takes joy in crushing his enemies, relishing his victories! That's all you are, you can't change that!"

"I..." The Grandmaster wanted to retort. He wanted to say he wasn't that kind of person. But after everything, he went through with Kris, having come to terms with the fact that part of him did enjoy victory over his foes, he couldn't.

"Enough of your taunting. I've had it with you." Say'ri stated, readying her blade to fight once more. "In a way, I'm actually glad to know the truth about you, Excellus."

"Oh?" He raised his eye in confusion.

"Yes, because every reason for me to spare you has disappeared without a trace at this very moment!" The Chon'sin Princess glared. "If Robin is a demon, then you're the devil! A despicable fiend who has no humanity whatsoever!"

"Tch, all this back and forth insulting is starting to bore me." He rolled his eyes as opened his tome and clenched his fist, Dark Magic emitting off of his body.

"He's empowering himself with his Tome." The East-Khan stated.

"Be on your guard everyone!" Robin warned.

"Those with power make the rules! Those who don't follow them will be punished accordingly!" The Valmese Strategist exclaimed as he released his fist and his entire body was engulfed in a black flame, Dark Magic coursing through and empowering his very being. Robin and the others felt the force emitting off of his body, it wasn't like any time of Dark Magic they've ever seen before. Even the Risen paled in comparison to this level of prowess. "I will burn this Kingdom to the ground, Plegia will be mine, and you little worms will be the first of many to suffer King Excellus' wrath!"

"King? How delusional." Tiki added, pulling out a vulnerary and placing it against Say'ri's lips. The Chon'sin Princess drank the vial, restoring her vitality and healing most of the wounds dealt by the Valmese Strategist. After helping her up, she and Say'ri walked in front of Robin, knowing he was still not at full strength yet, determined to protect him and stop this madman. "A man such as yourself could never be King, nor will you ever be accepted as King. Magic and strength are not true power, something you wouldn't be able to understand."

"Oh, and what is true power then? Tell me 'Voice of Naga' since you seem to hold all the answers." Excellus dared her to answer as if she knew what true power was.

"True power..." Tiki was about to begin before she was interrupted.

"True power comes from the choices we make in life." The Grandmaster started, explaining his own belief on what power means. "The choice to serving a King that we believe in, the choice to take up arms and fight for a righteous cause, the choice..." Robin stopped and then smiled as he thought about it some more. "The choice to spend time with your friends and fall in love. To play games and have fun." And with that, he glared at Excellus. "Real power, Excellus. True power comes not from magic. Not from physical strength or talent with a sword. But from choice. The choice to create one's own destiny and decide their own fate."

When Tiki heard Robin speak with such conviction about the concept of true power, she was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It reminded her so much of Prince Marth and Kris when they fought side by side to bring peace to everyone they cared about. Honestly, it surprised her a bit. Robin didn't appear as vengeful as he was prior to his death and resurrection. While she could the anger he had towards Excellus within him, it wasn't the same as before. Had something happened while he was deceased?

"Robin..." She whispered, moved by his words. However, a burst of laughter interrupted any chance of saying more.

"Choice is power? That's adorable." Excellus finished his bout of laughter when suddenly, the black flame emitting off of his body vanished. Suddenly, everyone was put on edge. "If that's the case, then I'll give you a choice." In the blink of an eye, the Valmese Strategist vanished from his spot, sped right through Tiki and Say'ri and appeared right before the defenseless Grandmaster.

"What?!" Say'ri's eyes widened in absolute shock.

"Fast!" Tiki said in response to the Excellus' speed.

Before Robin could react, the Valmese Strategist grabbed him by the neck and then leaped into the air. Using his magic, Excellus levitated while holding Robin by the neck. The Grandmaster struggled in an attempt to be released from his hold, continuously hitting his arms to no avail.

"You can choose to die screaming or die silently!" He grinned as he then punched the Grandmaster in the face, sending him into the ground.

"Robin!" Flavia screamed as she ran over to where he hit the ground, being careful due to her leg. As she checked on him, she found that the strategist was all right but badly hurt due to the blow Excellus dealt him. Suddenly, the man in question landed right in front of them, cracking his knuckles and glaring at the two with murderous intent.

"Tell you what, Khan Flavia. Step aside and I'll let you go, while you still have one good leg." He threatened.

"Go to hell." She spat on his boots.

"How lovely." He poured Dark Magic through his Fist and prepared to kill the East-Khan. "Nevermind. Time to die!"

"That's enough!"

He turned around to the source of those words only for Tiki to leap forward, slamming her fist into the Valmese Strategist's face, sending him flying backward thanks to her own immense strength. As he hit the ground, the Voice decided not to show him any mercy as she morphed into her dragon form and took flight before sending a ball of fire his way. Excellus regained his senses suddenly when he saw the Voice's attack heading towards him. He raised his hand in his attempt to deflect the attack.

"Arcfire!" He cast the spell, pouring Dark Magic into it to enhance the attack and then sent it towards Tiki's ball of fire, successfully deflecting the attack. Getting back up, he touched his face and felt pain, noticing a bit of blood running down his mouth.

"It doesn't matter how strong you've become Excellus. You're not invincible." Say'ri told him, noticing the wound inflicted by Tiki.

"Tch, how troublesome." The Strategist wiped the blood from his mouth, wincing from the bruise inflicted on him. "So you managed to wound me. So what? Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"We're not going to get anywhere at this rate," Flavia told them. She then turned to Robin and wondered if he had a strategy that could save them. "What do we do?"

"Hmm." The Grandmaster put his brain to work, attempting to come up with a sound strategy in order to defeat the Valmese Strategist. After some thought, he came up with one that could work. "Tiki, since you can match his strength, try to corner him with your attacks. If he too busy trying to dodge and deflect your attacks, then he'll leave an opening. Say'ri, use that opening to strike."

"Very well." Tiki nodded, standing beside her partner for this battle.

"It shall be done." Say'ri readied her blade.

"Flavia, stay with me. I don't want you to strain your leg." He commanded her.

"Fine," Flavia grumbled

"Well then, I think we're all warmed up now!" Excellus cheered, dusting himself off and excited to get to the real fight. "Now, come! Test my power some more!"

"Tch, he's toying with us." The Chon'sin Princess gritted her teeth in annoyance by her enemy's mockery.

"Be calm, Say'ri. He's just trying to provoke you." The Voice warned her.

After the words were said, it was time for battle. Excellus sprinted towards his enemies, magic pouring through his body to enhance his attacks. Once he reached the two, he leaped into the air and slammed his foot down. The two moved out of the way, dodging the Strategist's attack. He immediately ran towards Tiki, wanting to take her out first as he believed her to best the strongest link of the group. Using her Dragonstone, she morphed into her Dragon form and took the skies. Sending attacks toward Excellus to keep him occupied and to keep him to leaping up to attack her, it appeared to be working as the Valmese Strategist was too busy dodging and deflecting her attacks that he wasn't focused on Say'ri who ran towards him.

"It's over Excellus!" The Chon'sin said as she went for a stab.

"Curses!" He cursed at being overwhelmed. Using a wind spell, he leaped backward to gain some distance from his enemies. He pulled out Sol, The Conquerer's blade, given to him by his lord to take ensure the Grandmaster's death. He hated swords, thought of them as nothing more than a weakling's weapon as some people were useless without them. But, desperate times call for desperate measures. "Let's see if you have some use." He said as he poured Dark Magic through his arm, he threw the blade into the direction of the Dragon Tiki. It struck one of her wings, causing her immense pain.

"My Lady!" Say'ri watched as the Voice fell toward the ground, the blade greatly wounding her. She turned her focus back to Excellus and made one final attempt to kill him, charging forward with Amatsu in hand. "I will end you!"

"I think not!" He grinned as he went for another punch. Say'ri ducked, dodging the blow and finally went for the kill. She plunged her brother's blade into Excellus' chest, causing him to gasp in pain.

"GAK!" He coughed blood, even his newfound power couldn't prevent him from feeling pain.

"Your games are over." The Chon'sin Princess whispered into her foe's ear. "This is justice for Yen-"

"SHUT UP!" He slammed his open palm into Say'ri's chest, pushing her backward and away from him. He pulled out Amatsu from his chest and tossed it aside before using his tome to try and heal the damage done to his body. He let out a piercing scream as he used the life force he drained from his previous victims to heal his wounds. It caused immense pain but it worked nonetheless. Once he managed to catch his breath, he looked and saw that he had won. Say'ri laid helpless on the ground and Tiki was heavily injured, her wing was bleeding heavily was Sol being stuck in it. Now all that's left was to kill Robin again. After that, he would deal with the rest.

Excellus walked towards the man in question, ignoring his defeated enemies. Flavia rose to fight, sword in hand. Even with her bad leg, she would defend her champion no matter what.

"Flavia, run!" Robin warned her.

"Never!" She refused. As the Valmese Strategist approached she attacked but he grabbed her blade with his Dark Magic infused hand and tossed his aside, kicking her in the stomach, sending her backward. She flew past Robin and hit the ground hard in pain.

"Please be a dear and stay down, Khan Flavia. I'll deal with you in a minute." He said before glaring down at The Grandmaster of Ylisse. He had been waiting for this moment, the day where he would prove his superiority over him, to show the world that he had bested the so-called 'tactician magician'. "Now, where were we?" He punched Robin in the face, sending him to the ground. "I can see why Lady Aversa hates you so much, you're absolutely revolting!" He then kicked the Grandmaster in the chest. "And weak! I can't stand the sight of you!" He then stomped on the fallen tactician's back, preventing him from doing anything. "You're not a hero, you're nothing. All these stories I hear about you, all the good you do, it's enough to make me want to throw up. The Tactician Magician? What a joke. I know what you really are. You're a..."

"A demon." Robin coughed up, finishing the man's sentence.

"What?" At that moment, Excellus was confused. Not because the Grandmaster knew what he was going to say, but because he actually said it.

"What you say about me, it's true. I admit it." Robin confessed. "I have killed... Gods, I've killed so many I've lost count. When I said I did it for the good of others, I wasn't lying. But... there was always that part of me, the one that enjoyed the fact that I was a winner and my enemies were the losers. I loved it. I loved winning. In my mind, victory was the only thing that mattered to me, more so than helping innocents." He continued. "On that, you're right Excellus."

"Well..." The Valmese Strategist was shocked, to say the least. "What a surprise! Some common ground!"

"However..." Robin used the remaining strength he had to push himself off the ground, even with Excellus' foot weighing down on him. "A relic from the distant past helped enlighten my idiotic brain."

"What?" He replied as he tried to keep his foe down but The Grandmaster just kept pushing. Even with his Dark Magic, he was having trouble keeping the man down.

"He helped me understand what being a Tactician is all about and why I became one in the first place. So that every man, woman, and child, no matter who they are, can be free to serve a King or Queen they believe in, to follow their own destiny, make their own choices." He clenched his fist and suddenly, a pink flame erupted around his hand.

"No!" Excellus strength was waning as Robin continued to push himself off the ground.

"The ideals that Exalt Emmeryn left behind, where everyone, no matter which nation they belong to, can work together and cooperate to create a better future, I want that too. Even if Valm is my enemy today, I will fight to make it my friend tomorrow!" He successfully pushed the Valmese Strategist off of him, causing him to fall backward.

"What the..." Excellus muttered in fear.

"This is my answer! My decision!" Looking at the fire in his hand, he slammed it into his chest, causing the flame to surround his entire body. His eyes glowed a faint red, looking down on his enemy. He smirked, symbolizing his control over the power of Ignis. "This is the path I've chosen to follow!"

The others watched in astonishment while the Valmese Strategist looked upon his mortal enemy in surprise and fear. The others had seen this fire before when he fought with Walhart, but Excellus was seeing it for the first time and he didn't know what to make of it.

Robin looked at his body, the flames of Ignis surrounding him and strengthing him. He smiled, knowing that it was his new outlook on what it meant to be a Tactician that allowed him to control this power.

"No." The man shook his head in denial, whatever this power was, he wouldn't accept defeat here. Not when he was winning. "No!" He exclaimed and immediately charged at the Grandmaster.

Robin looked up to see Excellus charging at him. The Valmese Strategist threw a punch, but the Grandmaster caught his fist. Excellus couldn't believe it so he threw another punch only for it to be blocked by the Grandmaster's forearm. He kept at it, throwing a barrage of punches but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't land one blow on his foe.

As if to add insult to injury, Robin turned away and only used one arm to block his punches, heavily mocking the Valmese Strategist.

"I won't accept this!" He kept at it. "I won't...!"

The last punch was caught by Robin who had finished showing his enemy that his attacks were useless. The Grandmaster turned to glare at his foe, ready for a counter attack.

"Here's how it's done." He said before kicking him in the chest, sending the Valmese Strategist flying backward. He hit the ground in pain, clutching his chest.

"Robin..." Flavia smiled, their Tactician was back in action.

"He's stronger now." Say'ri believed just from watching the scene play out.

Robin turned to his fallen allies. He walked over to Say'ri and held out his hand to pull her up. Once he did that, he went over to Flavia who helped her up as well. Suddenly, she felt a slight tingle in her leg as the soreness had worn off and she was back in fighting shape. After that, he went over to Tiki who could only watch in her Dragon form as Walhart's blade, Sol, had penetrated her wing, preventing her from turning back to normal safely.

"Hold still, Tiki," Robin whispered as he pulled out the blade, the Voice letting out a pained scream from the removal of the sword, placing Sol on the ground next to her. He looked at the wound, it would need proper medical attention for it to fully heal.

Time to remedy that.

"Tiki, I need you to remain calm. Take deep breaths." He told her and she complied. He placed a hand onto her wing and the flames left his body and surrounded her wound. After a few seconds, the pain Tiki felt had disappeared as if it was never there. Once Robin removed his hand, the wound had completely healed, not even leaving a scar.

"You can control that power now?" Tiki wondered as she reverted back to her Manakete form.

"That's right. They helped me." Robin told her.

"They?" The Voice questioned, raising an eyebrow at what he meant.

"Kris. Katarina." He told her which caused her eyes to widen. "I know. About the War of Heroes, Kris' part in it. Katarina's betrayal and redemption. I know everything."

"When? How did..." She had so many questions as to how Robin knew of such events but all the Grandmaster did was raise his hand to stop her.

"I'll tell you later. Right now." He turned to where Excellus was and began walked over to him. He pulled out his Book of Naga in case he tried anything.

Seeing that the Grandmaster was approaching, he saw that his precious tome was gone. It was probably knocked out of his hands when Robin kicked him. Looking around, he saw that the tome was a few feet from him. Getting back on his feet, he rushed to retrieve it but suddenly, a gust of wind blew the tome away, escaping his grasp. He looked over his shoulder to see the Grandmaster, his tome opened and hand stretched out, using wind magic to keep him from obtaining his weapon.

"What's the matter Excellus? You were so confident earlier." Robin mocked him which seemed to be working as the Valmese Strategist grew enraged. The Valmese Strategist leaped at the tome in a desperate attempt to obtain it was it was once again blown away. He fell face first into the ground from the act as he looked up to see the tome hovering above him before it flew past him and into the Grandmaster's hands. Robin looked at it in disgust, it was a perfect replica of Aversa's tome. He tossed it on the ground behind him and took a few steps forward. The only way the Valmese Strategist would be able to obtain it now would be to get past the Grandmaster. "Tell me something." He started as he placed his Book of Naga in his coat. "What are you without your precious tome?"

"You...!" Excellus growled before standing up, the Grandmaster's smart mouth was getting on his nerves and at this point, he just wanted to shut him up and prove his superiority. "...I'm going to end you!"

The Valmese Strategist ran up to the man and threw a punch, hitting the Grandmaster square in the jaw. He grinned at finally being able to shut him up, but when Robin turned his attention back to him, he saw that the Grandmaster was barely affected by his punch. Excellus soon followed up with another punch with the same result. He then delivered a few blows to his chest but upon seeing that his punches weren't affecting him in the slightest, he stepped away out of fear.

"Is that it?" Robin asked curiously before cracking his knuckles. "My turn."

"W-Wait!" The Valmese Tactician begged. "H-Have M-M-Mercy on-"

Robin threw a punch of his own against Excellus, causing him to hit the ground. The Grandmaster grabbed him by the neck to pull him back to his feet before delivering another punch. A tooth flew out of the fool's mouth along with a bit of blood. He turned back to face the Grandmaster, still unwilling to accept defeat, he angrily tried to kick him only for it to be caught. He slammed his elbow into Excellus' knee cap, causing him severe agony. Once free, the Valmese Tactician was unable to flee when Robin grabbed him by his robe and forced him to look him in the eye.

"W-What are you?" The insolent toad chocked out.

"What am I?" He closed his eyes, took a deep breath before opening his eyes with determination. "I'm The Tactician Magician." He finished, punching his opponent twice before finishing him off with a headbutt.

As Robin's forehead collided with his nose, Excellus could hear a crack as he hit the floor. Now without his tome and no way to heal the injuries inflicted upon him, all he could do now was face the Grandmaster's justice. He clutched his face in pain before looking up to see that his enemy had pulled out his Levin Sword, ready to deal the final blow.

"Do it," Excellus growled at the man. "Do it! Kill me!" He added. "Your friends are as good as dead, Walhart will kill them all. And killing me will only prove one thing. That you're a demon, a menace to the people of the world. Either way, I win!"

As if those words spurred him on, Robin raised his blade to deal the finishing blow, the end this wretched toad of a man like he promised he would. Excellus closed his eyes, waiting for his impending demise.

But, it never came.

He looked up and saw that Robin had sheathed his blade, choosing not to kill the fallen Strategist.

"You're no soldier, you're a fiend who betrayed his kingdom, his people, all for your own selfishness. You're just a petty criminal trying to play Tactician. You deserve to die." He said before turning his back on his fallen opponent. "But, I won't kill you. For the pain you have caused the people of Valm is far greater than the pain you have caused me. And for that, I don't have the right to judge you."

The fight was over and the battle against the treacherous Excellus was finished.

Upon seeing the conclusion of the battle, Tiki, Say'ri, and Flavia made their way over Robin to check on him.

"I knew he couldn't defeat you." the Chon'sin Princess added. "But I'm so glad you're safe."

"You're full of surprises my friend." The East-Khan laughed before hitting her champion's shoulder.

"Believe me, I'm surprised myself." Robin chuckled.

"It seems you've regained most of your strength." Tiki noticed.

"Looks like it." He replied. "How are you by the way?"

"I'm fine." She rubbed her shoulder a bit. "The pain has ceased, I can still fight with all of you."

"So, what are you gonna do about him?" Flavia pointed toward Excellus who tried to get up but was in too much pain and simply slumped back down.

They all walked over to him, looking down at him as the defeated Valmese Strategist was unable to escape justice.

"You want me to beg? Is that it? Me?!" The man spat blood on the ground.

"Naga may forgive you, Excellus. But we most certainly cannot. Not after all the suffering, you have brought upon my friends." Tiki told him.

"Save your judgements, they mean nothing to me." The Valmese Strategist scoffed before glaring angrily at the man who defeated him. Robin could tell that this wasn't kind of glare you'd give when intimidating your enemies. No, he could tell that Excellus despised him a great deal. He knew that look all too well. "You think by staying your hand that you're the better man? That Valm will forgive you for all the soldiers you and your Shepherds have slain in battle? Fool. Valm didn't weep when your precious Exalt died, nor did they shed a tear when the West-Khan fell. Want to know why?" He finished with one last insult. "Because people like you don't matter."

"You little..." Flavia grew angry at the mention of Basilio from this scoundrel's mouth but stayed her hand.

Robin took a kneeled down so he could be on eye level with Excellus, he wanted to show the man that his taunt didn't affect him.

"Have you already forgotten? I'm the Tactician Magician. If there's a problem, I'll fix it. If there's a will, then there is a way. If I have to fight for the rest of my life to earn Valm's forgiveness, so be it. After all, a Tactician's goal is to beat the impossible. And in my eyes, nothing is impossible." He stood back up. "Things are going to change from here on out. Not just for me, but for everyone." He looked towards Sayri and nodded. With that signal, she pulled out Amatsu and placed it near his throat.

"W-Wait!" Excellus quaked with fear. "You said you wouldn't-"

"I said I didn't have the right to judge you," Robin told him. "She does."

"Excellus!" Say'ri growled causing the fallen strategist to look back up at her. "For the crimes you have committed against Valm and it's people, I, Say'ri, Princess of Chon'sin, sentence you to death." She stated. "If you have any final words, speak them now."

With that, he spat on her brother's blade and sneered at the group.

"Go to hell! I was meant for greatness! I wa-"

He didn't finish his sentence as Say'ri swiftly decapitated him, putting an end to Excellus once and for all. His dreams of grandeur, of destroying Valm and taking the Fire Emblem, of ruling Plegia, had come to a close. Say'ri sheathed Amatsu and let out a breath of relief. She finally had justice for her brother and felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her chest.

With Excellus now dead, Robin turned to where he had thrown the dead man's tome. Upon finding it, he went over and picked it up, bringing it over to the others.

"So, this is the tome Excellus was using to empower himself," Tiki said as looked upon the book. "I have faced many dark mages in my life, but never have I seen a tome like this."

"If you ask me, you should destroy it," Flavia suggested.

Instead of complying with the East-Khan's suggestion, Robin opened the tome to have a look inside. It contained every known Fire, Thunder, and Wind spell along with all the known Dark Magic spells. It's no wonder Excellus was able to draw such power, this tome didn't just rival the Book of Naga, it surpassed it.

There were a few spells in the book that Robin couldn't understand. Odds are some of them were spells used to turn the dead into Risen. With a shake of his head, the Grandmaster closed the tome.

"Flavia's right. Something like this shouldn't be allowed to exist." He said as he threw the tome on the ground and set it ablaze, destroying the tome.

Now that Excellus was dealt with Robin turned around and looked toward the direction of the Castle where his friends were currently fighting against the Conqueror himself. He felt fear in his heart, Walhart had killed him once, and if given the chance, the man will likely try again. But this time, he won't fight him alone. He will fight alongside and rely on his teammates for support.

But, before he could march, he said...

"Someone's coming." He said.

Soon enough, they could hear the sounds of marching and cheering that were getting closer and closer by the second. The group looked upon an army of soldiers heading in their direction. The Grandmaster's eyes widened in shock as he could faintly recognize them for their armor. They weren't here to finish them off, actually, it was quite the opposite. By the sound of their cheers, it looked as if they were here to offer aid.

"More of the dynasts?" Flavia questioned.

"W-What? What's going on here?" Say'ri said in shock, she appeared to be as confused as Robin was at the moment.

"Do you recognize them?" The Grandmaster asked.

"Aye. They're from the southlands. States that betrayed us for the empire." The Chon'sin Princess answered. "Or so I thought."

"They must've heard about Yen'fay. Or rather, the truth about Yen'fay." Tiki theorized.

"Does this mean they're willing to fight for us?" The East-Khan asked.

"We shall see." Robin didn't hold out much hope, but if they were willing to fight for them, he would take it.

Once they arrived, they saluted at the sight of Say'ri, standing at the ready to heed her command. One of the soldiers stepped forward, likely their commander who approached the group.

"Milady." He said toward Say'ri as he took a knee before her. "We cannot even begin to atone for what we've done."

"I..." The Chon'sin Princess was startled, rendered speechless with no idea of what to say.

"We received a message via courier. We know the truth about Lord Yen'fay." The Commander told them.

"Chrom." The Grandmaster held back a smirk, knowing his friend had a hand in this.

The man stood back up in full salute. "We're ready to answer your call, Milady. To heed your commands and..." He stopped short at the sight of Robin, his hands shaking and his eyes widening. "Y-You're Grandmaster R-Robin."

At the mention of his name, he heard chatter amongst the dynasts' army. He could faintly hear what they were saying but none of them were good.

"That's Grandmaster Robin?"

"He's the one who slaughtered our comrades at Fort Steiger?"

"Don't look him in the eye! He'll kill you too!"

"Maybe this was a mistake."

The others could hear what they were saying as well and they didn't know how to respond as they could tell many of them were scared of Robin. The Grandmaster himself was struck silent by their chatter. His eyes closed, his face filled with regret over how their fear came to be.

He should've predicted this but now standing here, he was completely unprepared. The dynasts had finally learned the truth, had come to offer their aid and now that aid may be for naught all because of his actions. Robin couldn't say that this was entirely his fault, after all, they did betray Say'ri. But, he should've at least tried to appeal to their sense of honor and make them see reason. Even if it ended in failure, he should've tried.

Now, all he can do is try again for it is the only option he had left.

Robin stepped forward, walking past their Commander to address the dynasts. Their chatter soon ended as he approached, wondering what he was going to do.

"I..." He began. "I have something to say to all of you. After which you can make your judgements and I will accept them." He said. Robin turned to look at the others and showed them a genuine smile before turning back to the dynasts. "I know what you're all feeling. Fear, despair, maybe even hatred towards me. I know, for I had those same feelings for all of your when you betrayed us." He scolded before he continued. "I killed your comrades. I killed your comrades not for the sake of retribution, but because they stood in my way, they stood between me and my victory. That is the truth. I killed your comrades because killing them seemed to be the only choice to make in order to win. I held that same belief with all of my enemies." Robin clenched his fist, tears threatening to break through as he continued onward. "But... I..." And they did. Even with his eyes clenched shut, the tears broke through. Now everyone could see the Grandmaster of Ylisse, the so-called 'Demon of Ylisse' crying before them. "I can't accept that anymore!"

He opened his eyes, showing everyone his pained tears. Say'ri, Tiki, and Flavia could only watch as the Grandmaster poured out his heart to the dynasts.

"Robin..." The Voice whispered in shock.

"I must reject it! If with all of my victories, even though I have come so far, I must reject it because of all it's done to me! Because I am a human being!" He clutched his heart and gritted his teeth as he continued. "A human being is defined by the choices and decisions we make in our lives! From something as simple as choosing to wake in the morning to choosing to take up arms against an enemy who would threaten our families! Throughout my career as a Strategist, I never gave anyone a choice! I never gave myself a choice! Because in my mind, I only had one choice! Kill or be killed! That was the only choice I had! And because of that, I ultimately ceased to being a human and became a parasite! A Demon!" After he declared this, Robin wiped his eyes with his sleeve, trying to dry the tears. He wanted to calm down as his throat was starting to hurt from all the yelling and crying. "That is why... in order to retain my humanity, in order to cease being the Demon I have become, I will make a choice here and now. One that I am not being forced to make, but one of my own free will." He told them all, his eyes with determination as he spoke his next words with conviction. "I choose to walk down a different path. A path where there are ways to settle a fight with words instead of a blade. A path where enemies can become friends! A path where battles can end with no bloodshed!" He explained. "That's right. It's an impossible path but it's my choice! No one can take that way from me because it's mine! Because making that choice is what makes me a human being!" He stretched out his arm, holding his hand out to the dynasts. "So now, I ask all of you. What is your choice? What choice will you make today?!" The Grandmaster asked them all a question. "Will you join follow Say'ri into battle and stop Walhart's tyranny or will you refuse because you see me as the enemy. Whatever choice you make, I want you all to know that I will not think any less of you. In fact, you will have gained my respect because you made that choice for yourselves and not because someone told you to make that choice. But, if you choose to follow Say'ri simply because she is King Yen'fay's sister, if you choose to follow her simply because she is a Princess and you feel obligated to serve her, then you're all nothing but parasites! In which case, you're not worthy of calling yourselves human!" He exclaimed angrily. "I despise parasites who have no lives of their own, who refuse to make their own choices and live to do nothing but answer the beck and call of their Kings and Queens! I refuse to live like that! I won't ever become like that ever again!"

It was time to end this. Now he will see if his words reached them or if they fell on deaf ears.

"Everyone! Now is the time!" Robin finished. "Make your choice!"

With the end of his speech, the Grandmaster fell to his knees, utterly exhausted by the speech he had given. He honestly had no idea how Chrom is able to do this. Robin had given speeches before but this was incredibly taxing, both physically and emotionally.

There was no chatter, no more words, there was only silence. The others didn't even know what to say as they were left to ponder the Grandmaster's words.

...

...

...

With this silence, Robin could only believe that his words couldn't reach their hearts. But even so, he was happy.

At least I tried. In the end, that's all that matters. Right, Kris? He thought, wondering if his ancestor could hear him right now.

...

...

A clap was heard from the dynasts.

The Grandmaster raised his head and looked to see that one of them had clapped. Whoever was doing it, they didn't stop clapping. In fact, it continued. Clap after clap and soon enough, another started clapping as well. After that, another joined. And then another, and then another. Soon enough, all of the dynasts' began clapping and much to Robin's shock, cheering.

He stood up on his knees and watched as the dynasts who were initially afraid of him now began to cheer his name and pledge to fight by his side.

"I..." He didn't know what to say. He was honestly speechless.

"Your words have truth, Grandmaster." Robin turned to their Commander who smiled at the speech that his former enemy gave to the others. "Up until now, I had only done what was expected of me, to serve King Yen'fay until death because that was my duty as a soldier." He told him. "Maybe my Lord was testing us, testing our loyalty to our Kingdom. I am ashamed of myself for having failed him. No more." He then turned to Say'ri and saluted. "I choose to pledge myself to your cause Lady Say'ri and to the cause of the Ylissean League!"

The rest of the dynasts saluted as well, pledging their support to Say'ri. Robin walked back over to the others and stood by them, choosing to let the Chon'sin Princess address the troops.

"Well, go ahead." He smiled.

With a nod of thanks, Say'ri stepped forward and did her best to address the dynasts.

"Everyone, thank you for your support and thank you for hearing out Grandmaster Robin. I am blessed to have you on my side. I promise, I won't betray your trust." She told them. "The Conqueror wishes to take our land and make it his own. As long as I draw breath, I won't allow it. Please, stand with me! Lend me your strength! For Valm! For Chon'sin! For Yen'fay!"

"FOR YEN'FAY!"

With a cheer, the group turn toward Castle Valm and began the march to take the fight to the Conqueror himself. As Robin walked with the others, he could hear someone calling him.

Robin!

"Huh?"

Suddenly, in a split second, he wasn't with the others but back at the crossroads between life and death if the darkness around him was any indication.

He looked around, wondering if Kris was around before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw his forebear standing next to Katarina, both offering smiles to their descendant.

"That was amazing, Robin. You should be proud. Couldn't have done it better myself." Kris told him.

"Indeed. It was truly a sight to behold." Katarina nodded in agreement.

"You guys? W-Why am I back here again?" The Grandmaster wondered, hoping that what he accomplished wasn't a dream and that he was still dead.

"Just wanted to wish you luck. That's all." The Hero of Shadow told him.

"Oh, ok." He said before turning to Katarina. "So, you're really her? You're Katarina. Or, was it Reese?"

"Just Katarina is fine." She told him.

"Right." He nodded. "So, the entire time Kris was showing me his story, you heard everything we talked about?"

"Pretty much." She answered.

"Oh, umm. So, that means you heard me say that you deserved to die, right?" He asked her and she nodded. "Well, this is awkward."

"It's all right, Robin. There was a time when I thought that as well. But..." She said as she grabbed Kris' hand. "But, I had someone who never gave up on me and in the end, I found my redemption."

"I'm glad to hear that." The Grandmaster told them. "So, will this be the last time I ever see you two?"

"For a while, yes," Kris told him. "We have nothing left to show you, nothing left to teach you. From here on out, you make your own story Robin."

"Right." He nodded as he walked away from them. Before he left for the final time, he gave the two one last look of gratitude. "Thank you, both of you. For everything." He then turned to Katarina. "Oh, by the way. Do you mind if I borrow your catchphrase?"

"Catchphrase?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I have it stuck in my head now. Plus, it's much better than his." Robin joked which made Kris frown.

"You mean the one about his trump card?" She giggled.

"All right! That's it! Get out of here! Get back to the living! Kris shooed away his descendant as he blushed red from embarrassment.

"Right," Robin said as a light shined through the darkness, ready to take the fight to the Conquerer. "Time to go."

Chrom and Lucina were pushed back by the might of the Conqueror, even their combined strength and speed were no match for such a man as Walhart stood, Wolf Berg in hand, ready for more.

"I'm impressed that you two have managed to last this long. But, it's over." He told them.

"We're not done yet." The Future Princess stated. She watched as her Father fell to his knees, unable to continue any longer. At this rate, the Shepherds would be done for. Lucina knew she had to turn to tide somehow. "Robin, please give me strength." She said as she glared at the Conquerer. "For Ylisse!" And with that, she charged forward. With a swing of her blade, she hit the part of his armor that was damaged and managed to draw blood.

"Tch!" Walhart stepped back before swinging his axe down. She leaped backward, dodging his attack before thrusting her Falchion, going for a stab. The Conqueror brought his axe up, deflecting the stab and then kicking her in the stomach.

"Gah!" The blow sent her backward, she hit the ground hard. She reached for her blade only for her weapon to be kicked away by Walhart who then grabbed her by the neck and held her up.

"No! Lucina!" Seeing his daughter in danger, Chrom stood back up, his own Falchion in hand as he rushed to save his daughter.

"Your power is to be commended, never have I seen such speed before. Ylisse if full of capable warriors it seems." Walhart said to the Princess as he raised his axe. "Give Grandmaster Robin my regards."

"No!" Chrom reached him just in time but appeared to be too late as he swung his axe to end Lucina's life.

"ELWIND!"

Just before he could, Walhart looked up and saw two blades of wind coming right toward him. The first one struck him in the chest. He felt no pain but the wind knocked him back a bit, causing the Future Princes to escape his grasp. Before the second one could hit him, he jumped backward as it hit the ground. He took a few steps back to gain some distance from his mysterious attacker.

The Shepherds and Walhart's army stopped their fighting when they saw the Conqueror attacked by wind magic. The Valmese retreated to protect their Emporer while the Ylissean League did the same with Chrom and Lucina. It was hard to see who it was that made the attack but when the dust cleared they saw Say'ri, Flavia, and Tiki standing before them.

"Hope we're not late." The East-Khan quipped.

"Tiki? Say'ri? Flavia?" Chrom asked in surprise for showing up the way they did. "Wait, if you're here then is..."

"Does this mean... is Robin...?" Lucina starred at the three with wide eyes, a bit of fear coursing through her when the one she had hoped to see wasn't among them.

"Walhart!" Say'ri began, calling out her parents' killer.

"Hmm? The Princess of Chon'sin?" The Conquerer recognized. "It's a wonder you still live."

"I have survived your gauntlet of betrayal and death, tyrant." She sneered. "Shall I describe to you now the searing pain of it all? The torture of watching friends, family... my entire kingdom perish? The fresh hell of each new day with no respite in sight?

"Pain is a concern of men. And respite? Beg that from your gods." He scoffed. "Your concerns are not mine. I have risen to a higher plane of existence.

"Then today you come crashing down to the hell you've made of this one." She finished as she pulled out Amatsu from her sheath.

"Your reign ends today, Emporer Walhart." Tiki declared.

"Ah, the Voice of Naga herself. Was that you who attacked me earlier? Pathetic." The mere sight of her utterly disgusted him, this woman who many thought to be some sort of Oracle. In his eyes, she was just a remnant of the past that needed to die. "Was this your strategy? Did you really think an attack like that could kill me?

In response to that, Tiki shook her head as a smirk formed on her face.

"No, that attack wasn't meant to kill you no was it from me." She said. "It was just to distract you." And with that, she looked upward toward the one who had initiated that attack.

Upon seeing where the Voice was looking, everyone else did the same. They looked upward to see a man hovering above them, his identity protected by his hood. He held a tome in his left hand, the fabled Levin Sword in his right, and the Conquerer's blade Sol strapped to his hip.

"No..." Walhart recognized those weapons as well as the coat. "Impossible."

The man smirked at the Conquerer's surprised look as he closed his tome and began levitating downward. Once he reached the ground, he stood in front of Chrom and Lucina. He looked over his shoulder to address them.

"It's going to be all right." He promised before turning back to Walhart.

"Took you long enough." Chrom quipped, trying to make a joke to mask his happiness at seeing him again, alive and well.

"Y-You're..." Tears threatened to break through her eyes as she gazed upon her savior. Lucina was elated to know that he was alive.

The man took a few steps forward, past the Voice, the East-Khan, and the Princess of Chon'sin before taking off his hood to show his identity to his friends and foes.

"Now then," Robin smiled as he got into position, ready to change the tide of battle. "Time to tip the scales!"

HELLS YEAH! TACTICIAN MAGICIAN IS BACK BITCHES!

...

Sorry, got a little excited there.

But, I hope this was a good comeback chapter and I hope you all liked it.

Don't worry guys, I'll be back with more soon.

Til next time.