The Dragon Fort, like always, was rather peaceful, even with the new arrivals. When one walked through the center of the fort, it would be utterly silent, and uneventful. However, if one were to go more towards the edges of the fort, they would hear a very specific sound.

The sound of metal clashing against metal.

"Corrin, stay focused!" Ragna yelled, swinging his sword downwards, nearly catching Corrin, even when she rolled away, quickly getting back to her feet. However, unlike normal, where Ragna's sword would get stuck for a bit in the ground, the two were dealing with normal dirt, allowing Ragna to pull his sword out easily and swing it again at Corrin, forcing her to jump back.

A good dozen feet away, Sakura, Azura, and Jakob all stood together, watching the two go at it.

"S-So do they always d-do this?" Sakura asked, looking at both Azura and Jakob, the latter of which merely nodded in response,

"Every day, except on occasions where Lady Corrin is either too sick or recovering from the previous spar" Jakob replied casually, watching as Corrin nearly landed a solid kick to Ragna's face, only to find her leg blocked by Ragna's arm, causing her leg to fall as she bent back to dodge his retaliatory slash.

After a few seconds, Sakura sighed, "So j-just like Hinoka..." she stated, watching as Corrin and Ragna kept going at it, "... Th-This l-looks really dangerous though" Sakura added, watching as Jakob merely shrugged,

"It's Ragna's training style. We've never really persuaded him to try something else" he commented, then spoke up again after a short pause, "... Or tried to, really" he added with a fold of his arms.

At that point, Sakura heard some footsteps behind her, causing her to turn around and see both Subaki and Hana walking up, "Oh, Hana, Subaki, how are you-" she began, only to pause when she noticed the small bit of dried blood on Hana's nose, very faint, as if it had been cleaned up, "W-Wait, Hana, are you okay? What happened?" she asked.

For a second, Hana blinked in confusion, then sighed, rubbing her nose furiously with her sleeve, "Nothing, perfectly fine"

Instantly, Subaki spoke up, "Hana tried to take on Corrin's trainer in a 1-on-1 spar, and got taken out in one punch. I saw the entire thing, it was rather-" Subaki explained, only to be cut off when Hana shouldered his stomach to get him to shut up, causing him to grin at Hana, who folded her arms in anger.

At that point, the spar between Ragna and Corrin came to a close… In a slightly different way than normal. Specifically, with Corrin's hand suddenly transforming into a long needle, jabbing at Ragna at an extreme speed, only to have him dodge, placing his sword on his back and grabbing the newly lengthened arm, and then pull it, causing Corrin to be yanked forward, her face quickly being met by the same hand Ragna used to pull her forward, the sheer force of the blow throwing her feet into the air and, soon afterwards, causing her entire body to fall to the ground, rather roughly.

Like in Nohr, the sound of the blow was heard, rather loudly, causing Sakura to take a quick step back with a light gasp, with Hana and Subaki taken aback by the forcefulness of the blow. Jakob and Azura, on the other hand, watched completely passively. Mostly because they already knew the outcome.

Then, Ragna stepped back, bending down to offer a hand, which Corrin took… With her stil transformed hand. It only took a quizzical rise of Ragna's eyebrows for Corrin to realize her mistake, causing her to focus on her arm and shift it back to normal with a torrent of water, followed up by Ragna actually putting in the effort to pull her to her feet, "Gotta say, you've been getting a bit better" he stated, shaking his hand a bit, causing water to fly off, "Which is good, was worried you'd start to dull after the last day. Not only that but you're learning how to use that little transforming skill of yours" he added quickly, turning his head to look at the others as they stood around, noting Sakura sighing heavily in relief.

Corrin, on the other hand, brought her hand to her nose again, fixing it on her own while sheathing Yato, "I don't think I'd really lose my touch if I spent a day without sparing, Ragna" she replied, bringing her hand back down, "... Not that I want to fight anyway, I'd much prefer we solve our problems without violence" she added with a sigh.

At that, Ragna looked back at Corrin, "I'd prefer that as well Corrin, but unfortunately, that's not how the world works" he replied, folding his arms, "Sakura was a lucky break. If she hadn't interjected, we would've had a fight on our hands. I doubt your brother Ryoma is going to be as understanding, or anyone back at Nohr, except Elise" he pointed out, pausing for a split second as he remembered Terumi. The mere act of remembering that snake made him clench his fist, but otherwise, his voice remained calm, "Besides, I don't think Garon or that King is going to be willing to back down from a fight" he finished with a shrug, turning away from Corrin to head back to the others as the Princess stood in thought.

What hurt Corrin the most was that Ragna was right. Leo and Camilla were possibilities, but Xander was loyal to Garon, and Garon… She knew he was willing to kill her as soon as she stepped out of line. Which she had, so that option was out. If only there WAS a way…

Nevertheless, Corrin finally sighed to herself, before following Ragna to the rest of the group. They had to keep moving.

Not an hour later, long enough so that everyone could prepare, the group had set out again. Mozu and Gunther had opted to remain at the Fort, for differing reasons, leaving Jakob, Ragna, Azura, Corrin, Sakura, and her two retainers Hana and Subaki to continue on.

"So, Azura, what would you suggest our next step be?" Corrin asked once water in front of the group fell down. They were back where they left off, as expected.

Azura herself thought about the question for a few seconds, before turning to Corrin and the others, "Currently, Izumo may be a good place to stop. It is a rather peaceful place, whose ruler may be able to assist us in our task. The only problem is, the path to Izumo will lead us to the Eternal Stairway, and the Wind Tribe" she stated, looking around to area to get her bearings to get moving in the right direction.

Corrin, however, was drawing a complete blank. She recognized the name 'Izumo', since she had read a bit of the worlds history in her spare time… Which, unfortunately, was her only real spare time. But the Wind Tribe? Eternal Stairway? She had never heard of it.

Thankfully, as soon as she began to open her mouth to ask about it, Jakob was already answering her question, "The Wind Tribe is one of the two Tribes situated in Hoshido, along with the Flame Tribe. Led by… Chieftain Fuga, I believe, who is on good terms with Hoshido in general" Jakob explained, before turning to Azura, "And we're unable to go around?"

"We are, but it would take too long. We're pressed on time as it is" Azura immediately replied, "If we can avoid dealing with Fuga, we should be fine moving through his lands" she added, "Sakura and I are long friends of the Tribe, so the regular troops and people shouldn't bother us."

At that explanation, Ragna couldn't help but grunt in slight disapproval, "Hopefully we don't have to beat the shit out of everyone there just to get through them. I'd prefer one party not initially treating us with hostility for a change" he stated, tilting his head to point towards Sakura, "At this point only Sakura and Mozu haven't tried killing us at first sight" he added.

In response, Corrin nodded in agreement, "I hope that too" she replied, before turning to Sakura and Azura, "You two probably know the way better than we do… So please," she stated, gesturing with her hands to the road to her side as she stepped out of their way, "Lead on" she asked.

With a quick nod from both of the other princesses, Azura and Sakura took lead of the group, beginning their travel to the Eternal Stairway.

Krakenburg

The throne room of Nohr was, as it normally was, filled only with Garon himself, who was currently sitting in his throne, staring up at the large dragonic carving above him, frowning all the while.

"So...Corrin still lives… And she knows about you, my Master…" he muttered, narrowing his eyes. The princess even had Yato… Even if it was currently sealed. The fact that Yato was still sealed made Garon smile a bit. That sword was the only threat to their plans, and that was only the case if it had its power released, which currently, it didn't, "... It does not matter either way…" he muttered again, before a larger grin crept into his face, "We shall crush her in the end… Our plans will make sure of that. This world is already ours… It just doesn't know it yet…" he added, snickering in the emptiness of the room.

… Though, there was one listener just outside of the room, pressing her ear to the throne room door.

Elise.

The youngest Nohrian princess was currently frowning at what she was hearing. Who was he talking to? What was he meaning by 'the world is already ours'... Well, that one was actually rather obvious what he was meaning, but it didn't really make any sense…

"Elise? What are you doing here?"

Suddenly, the voice of Leo right behind her caused Elise to jump, the young princess turning around, clasping her hands behind her back, "Nothing much Leo, just… Uh… Taking a quick rest over here" she lied, doing her best to make it sound convincing… And failing. Horribly.

At Elise's glass lie, Leo merely sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead, "Father would be incredibly angered if he knew you were eavesdropping him" he pointed out with a shake of his head.

In response, Elise nodded, "Yeah… I was just-" she began, only to be quickly interrupted by Leo when he brought his hand back down,

"Don't explain yourself Elise. Right now I could care less" he stated, "I'm heading off to Izumo. Father wanted to make sure it was still neutral in the war, and wanted me to check up on his agent there" he quickly added.

At that Elise raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Wait, Izumo? I thought you were going to go with Xander" she replied, watching as Leo shook his head again,

"Not yet. After I finish my business in Izumo I'll regroup with Xander" Leo stated, "I trust that you'll keep yourself behaved while I'm gone?" he asked, his eyes glancing at the doors behind Elise, who noticed the look and quickly nodded,

"I'll do my best" she stated, causing Leo's eyes to narrow for a full 5 seconds before Elise sheepishly added, "Alright Leo"

With her 'promise' now made, Leo smiled and nodded, "Xander and I should be back in about a week's time. Take care Elise" he said, beginning to walk again.

"You too Leo" she replied, waiting until Leo was out of sight before turning back to the doors to the throne room. For a second, she wondered if she should've gone back to trying to listen to her Father, figure out what he was planning to do. But, with a quick memory of her promise to Leo not 10 seconds ago, she sighed, stepping away from the door and walking away herself.

Eternal Stairway

Honestly, after the hours of travel the group endured just getting to the Eternal Stairway, Corrin wasn't sure how the trip could get worse. Already, her feet were sore and blistered, and she had endured Ragna offhandedly mentioning that she should start wearing actual shoes. Of course, Azura, who also didn't wear shoes and walked barefoot, didn't get the same statements from Ragna… Though that could be explained by the fact that unlike Corrin, Azura didn't vocally complain about it.

But, after beginning their ascension of the Stairway, Corrin realized how exhausting going up could be.

"Gods… How many steps are there?" Corrin asked between pants, seeming to be the only person in the group that was having any sort of difficulty with the climb.

At her question, Azura turned her head to look at Corrin, "I'm unsure, I do not believe anyone has gone through the trouble of counting these steps. We are nearing the halfway point, however" she replied bluntly, turning back around as Corrin groaned, before picking herself back up and pressing forward.

At least they haven't been stopped on their journey.

… Or rather, that was what she was thankful for, until a figure far ahead of them, crouched on a rock, began to yell at them.

"In the shadows of darkness, a light shines from the fires that reside in my heart!" the figured yelled, their form shadowed by the lighting, only allowing the group to make out that they were, indeed, male, "Those that walk the infinite steps to this land walk a perilous journey, for I stand as its guardian. Unwelcome trespassers, prepare yourselves!" they added, suddenly jumping into the air, flipping multiple times in the air as he practically flew down the stairs, landing on the ground only a few feet away. At this distance, the group could actually make out how they looked… Mainly, an extremely muscular man in what could loosely be described as a green ninja outfit.

The man had landed in a crouch, but he was now rising, clenching his hands into fists as he moved into a fighting stance, "For you face the ninja of love, peace, and justice, BANG SHISHI-" he yelled, fire practically flaring to life around his body… Only to freeze once he saw two familiar faces at the front of the group he had prepared to face. Specifically, the unamused expression of Azura, and the barely suppressed laughter of Sakura.

Upon seeing this, Bang quickly did a double take, clearing his throat as his hands fell to his sides, "Oh, uh… Lady Azura, Lady Sakura, I did not realize you were there" he stated, trying his hardest to regain his composure from his mixup.

Sakura, in a rather surprising amount of time, managed to regain her own faster than Bang then, quieting her laughter, "How? We kind of stand out of a crowd" she replied, before pausing, looking back at the ground in question, "... Actually… This might be an exception…" she corrected.

At that, Bang hung his head in shame, "I apologize Lady Sakura, truly I do. It has just been too long since I last saw you" he replied, before lifting his head up, grinning widely, fire bursting to life around him again as he lifted his fist into the air, "However, I shall never make this mistake again, both to you and your family!"

"That's what you said last time" Azura interrupted bluntly.

Just like that, all of Bang's fire quickly extinguished itself as the man physically recoiled from that, "I-I did?!" he exclaimed in shock, before hunching forward, looking like he was actually in pain, "Damn… How could I be so careless..?!" he asked, more to himself.

At long last, Corrin couldn't help but lean forward, whispering to both Azura and Sakura as Ragna and the others looked in shock, "So… Um… Who is he?" she asked. Not a second afterwards, Azura turned her head to look at Corrin,

"Bang Shishigami, part of the Flame Tribe who took up residence with the Wind Tribe. He's generally the 'gatekeeper' of the Eternal Steps" she replied, "... And yes, he does always act like this" Azura added after a slight pause, watching as Corrin took in the information, nodding in response.

After that, Azura snapped her fingers, causing Bang to pause before looking up at her, "Bang, we'd like to request passage through the stairway and the tribe. We are trying to get to Izumo, and we do not have time to go any other route" she stated.

Bang, in response, cleared his throat, straightening and nodding, "Of course, these paths are always open to you, Princess Azura, Princess Sakura… And… Uh…" he trailed off, raising an eyebrow at Corrin, drawing a blank on who she was.

In response, before anyone could reply, Corrin stepped forward, "Princess Corrin, pleased to meet you Bang, and the others here are my retainers" she introduced, respectfully bowing to the ninja, "... Aside from Sakura's, of course" she added as she straightened.

Ragna, who had spent most of the stage staring at Bang in silence, his memories recognizing the face a bit, turned to Corrin, at first appalled by the fact that she, probably one of the most wanted people in Hoshido, introduced herself to someone else with her actual name, before bringing a hand to his head and sighing loudly. Likewise, the rest of the group turned their heads towards Corrin, save for Sakura, who was still watching Bang.

Bang himself thought about the name for a few seconds, scrunching his face up in thought, before figuring out its origins, "THE Princess Corrin?" he asked, watching Corrin nod, still oblivious towards the entire issue. Thankfully, as it quickly turned out, there wasn't much of an issue, as Bang merely turned to Sakura, "Princess Sakura, why did you not send Fuga word that Princess Corrin had returned? I'm sure he would've enjoyed the news" he stated.

At that, Sakura looked back at Corrin, then back at Bang, "She only returned a few days ago, just before the Festival. There wasn't a time where we could send official news. I mean Mo- I mean, Queen Mikoto tried to announce it before she was…" Sakura explained, slowly trailing off and shrinking at the memories of the Festival.

Instantly, Bang's face managed to appear softer as he stepped forward, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder, "I already know what happened that day, Lady Sakura, I was just not informed that Corrin had returned" he replied, then straightened, "Anyways, yes, I will gladly lead you through the tribe. I'm sure Fuga would be delighted to see you two again, as well as Corr-"

"No, we do not need to see Fuga, Bang, we're quite busy as it is" Azura quickly interrupted.

Bang stayed silent for about a second, then shrugged, "Alright then. Follow me Princess Azura, and Princess Sakura" Bang stated, turning around and leading the group.

As he did so, Corrin couldn't help but lean to Azura, "So… Um… Can I ask why you don't want to see Fuga? Couldn't he give us help?" she whispered, watching as Azura merely shifted her gaze to look at her from the side,

"Chieftain Fuga has a friendship with Ryoma. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew about our status in Hoshido, and while he's generally friendly, he could equally be hostile to us being enemies of Hoshido" Azura whispered back, "... Besides, I'm unsure if Fuga would be capable of helping us in our mission."

At that, Corrin raised an eyebrow, "What makes you say that?"

"The Wind and Flame tribe are both independent, and can be seclusive towards problems if they don't directly involve themselves. Fuga wouldn't be able to assist us without bringing problems in his tribe, so the problems we'd face if we met him would outweigh the benefits. In which case, those would be none" Azura explained in a matter of fact tone, causing Corrin to frown, moving her head away from Azura and back towards the stairs ahead of her, going back to her head to think.

Shirasagi Throne Room

It was clear that in the throne room, tension was high in the air of Hoshido's Throne Room. The source of this tension was coming from Ryoma, who stood to the side of the throne, staring at Yukimura with barely contained frustration, forcing himself to remain calm after the advisor told him the news.

After a minute of silence between the two, Ryoma eventually simply sighed in anger, "Thank you, Yukimura… You can go" he said, watching Yukimura as he simply bowed, then turned and walked out, leaving the four other souls in the room, Tekeshi, Hakumen, Hinoka, and Tsubaki to stare at the eldest Prince in silence.

Eventually, Hakumen unfolded his arms, his metallic voice filling the dead silence in the room, "So Sakura has deserted as well…" he stated, "It would seem Corrin is choosing to involve herself in this war and not simply hide" he added.

At that, Hinoka sighed, stepping towards Ryoma, "Brother, I'm going to track down Corrin, Azura, and Sakura" Hinoka stated, taking a controlled breath to keep herself from getting angered from the news. Corrin leaving Hoshido not a few days after she was found, not even long after Mother had died, had been an angering topic for Hinoka, as was the fact that Azura had gone with her.

Now, Sakura was gone as well, getting involved with a war that Ryoma specifically wanted her not to join.

Ryoma himself was silent for a few seconds after Hinoka stated she was going to go, and just before Hinoka opened her mouth again to give her reasonings, he nodded, "Go ahead Hinoka. Tekeshi, go with her" he ordered, watching as Tekeshi nodded, while Hinoka and Tsubaki gave him a thankful bow, before those three began to walk out of the Throne Room, "And try not to wound them. I don't wish harm against any of them" Ryoma quickly added, causing Hinoka to turn around with a small smile,

"I wasn't planning to" she stated, before turning and heading out of the Throne Room with the two others.

For about a minute afterwards, the room was silent. At least, until Hakumen finally turned his head to face Ryoma again, "I assume you have something else for me?" he asked, refolding his arms.

At his question Ryoma nodded, "We'll be moving out shortly with the main army… My scouts in Nohr have reported that they're moving towards Cyrkensia to establish a foothold to easily send their armies here" he explained, "I would've sent you to bring Corrin here, but I need someone of your caliber with me when Nohr's main force comes around" he stated.

While it was unsaid, Hakumen got what Ryoma was meaning. Jin Kisaragi had been in the battle, fighting for one of the Princes of Nohr. Ironic that the both of them would end up on opposite sides. But, the main fact was that for Hakumen, the stench of the Snake was clear on Nohr's army, even if they had no idea what hid among them.

"I see. Then I shall prepare for the road ahead" Hakumen replied, unfolding his arms as he turned and walked out of the Throne Room.

Wind Tribe

After another solid 15 minutes of Bang leading the group through the Stairway, the group finally found their exit, immediately being met by a gust of wind, nearly throwing a few in the group back down the stairs from the sudden force. The others, namely Ragna, Azura, Sakura, and Bang, barely seemed fazed by the sudden wind, continuing to walk forward without hesitation, forcing the others to quickly catch up.

The general look of the Wind Tribe was more or less large and expansive, with plenty of strongly built huts scattering the rocky ground. There didn't seem to be much people around… Only a few warriors and merchants standing out in the open. No one bothered them, thankfully, mostly because of Bang's presence.

It was enough to at least convince Corrin that they could get through the place

As they continued forward though, Azura suddenly froze, shortly causing everyone aside from Bang to stop and look at her, before following her gaze to see a lone man beginning to approach him. Specifically, an extremely tall, bald, and muscular man who carried a stance and air of power and authority.

Corrin didn't even have to be told who this man was. Considering both Azura and Sakura's frozen reactions to him, it was quite obviously Fuga, the leader of the Wind Tribe. And considering his current dark glare towards them, it was quite obvious that he knew exactly who they were.

Fuga.

"Ah, Chieftain Fuga, hello there!" Bang greeted the second he saw them, causing a mutual silent groan that was shared by everyone in the group. Bang was completely unaware of it though, as he simply turned and walked towards the Chief, "I was just escorting Princess Azura and Princess Sakura through here. Unfortunately they are busy and won't be able to stick around and chat as you normally do" he said, almost remorsefully.

At that, Corrin forced herself to take a deep breath. Maybe Fuga didn't actually know the recent news about them and just didn't like seeing new outsiders. That could be why he was glaring-

"Azura. You have a lot of guts showing up around here, especially with this fugitive of Hoshido" Fuga stated, walking past Bang, completely ignoring him as the Ninja's eyes widened at the mention of 'fugitive', "And I would not have guessed that you would be with them to, Sakura" he added with a sigh, folding his arms as he continued to glare at the group.

Instantly, Azura stepped forward, calmly staring Fuga in the eyes, taking a deep breath as she prepared to smooth things over. Fuga was a stubborn individual, who barely changed his mind. But there had to be some strings around that she could-

"Wait, Fuga!" Corrin suddenly shouted, stepping in front of Azura the before anyone could react, "We haven't come here to cause any problems, we just want to pass without violence" she stated, trying to ignore the fact that Ragna still had his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

At this, Fuga merely frowned, staring at Corrin, "If that's the case, then you should not have come here at all. If I allow a fugitive of Hoshido to pass through my lands without challenge, then I.." he began, only to pause when he laid eyes on the hilt of Corrin's sword, eyes widening in slight surprise. Corrin herself followed his gaze, resting her hand upon its hilt as Fuga's face grew serious again, "That sword. Show it to me"

Without hesitation, Corrin pulled out Yato, flipping it around so it was a bit more comfortable in her hand, the sword itself glinting in the sunlight.

Fuga, upon seeing the full blade, closed his eyes, going deep into thought for a few seconds, before reopening them with a nod, "I see. You wield the Yato… If that is the case…" he began, before unfolding his arms and grabbing the large club at his side, "I must test your will, and your heart, in a duel" he stated, pulling the club out as Corrin's eyes widened in surprise, the princess lowering Yato and stepping back,

"W-Wait, test?! I didn't- I don't-" Corrin quickly stammered out, waving her hand in front of her to try and dissuade Fuga,"I don't WANT to fight! We just want to pass through without-"

"Save your words. Should you prove yourself worthy of Yato, I shall let you pass. If you do not, then I will bring you back to Hoshido in chains" Fuga interrupted bluntly, causing Corrin to quickly diffuse, turning to the rest of the group… Or more specifically, at Ragna.

Ragna himself looked carefully at Fuga, noting his stance, build… Practically everything, comparing it to Corrin, who's style Ragna practically knew in and out by now. It was obvious that Fuga relied more on strength than speed, and knew how to use it to his advantage, just like how Corrin used her flexibility and lighter build to hers. In the end, putting everything together… He couldn't help but smirk, finally letting go of Bloodscythe and folding his arms, giving Corrin a quick nod, watching his student sink in despair before taking a deep breath, turning and spinning Yato a few times before entering her own battle stance.

For a few seconds, the two sides stayed still, gauging each other while everyone took a few steps back to make some room. Then, after those seconds, both Fuga and Corrin dashed forward, their respective weapons clashing for the first time.

Meanwhile

If Rinkah was completely honest, the trip getting to the Wind Tribe was probably the most hellish thing she's ever had to endure due to that damned stairway. Granted it was probably the best way to actually make an entrance to the Tribe, but still, it was hell. But, the trip SHOULD be worth it, if she could convince Fuga not to try and kill the…

… Group of travellers that were standing not too far from the entrance of the Eternal Stairway, watching Corrin face off against Fuga himself.

Needless to say, the sight caused Rinkah to pause in surprise, mostly from the fact that they were already here. However, her surprise quickly wore of, causing Rinkah to frown and quickly move around the group, heading to a familiar face, Bang.

"Bang, the hell's going on here?" Rinkah asked, walking up to the Ninja, who looked to the side and smiled at the sight of her,

"Ah, Rinkah, a pleasure to see you again. Chieftain Fuga is currently testing the long lost Princess Corrin in order to test her spirit, especially with her apparent status as a traitor to the Kingdom of Hoshido" Bang quickly explained before sighing, "If I had known about that I would've stopped her before even coming here… But alas, I did not…" he added, looking a bit defeated.

In response, Rinkah frowned, before looking at the duel breaking out in front of her.

Alright, if Corrin was thankful about anything, it was that the way Ragna fought was awfully similar to Fuga's. They were both defensive and used pure strength to get the upper hand of their opponent, a vast opposite from Corrin's speed approach.

Unfortunately for her, Fuga seemed just as good, as she couldn't find a good opening in any of his strikes, such as when she narrowly ducked under one of his swings, and by the time she rose for an upwards slash, he had already stepped away and intercepted Yato with his club.

In all honesty it appeared more as a dance of death, with Fuga narrowly avoiding/blocking each and every one of Corrin's swings, while Corrin merely weaved around his own. As their duel continued, more of the Wind Tribe began to converge to see the commotion, even if they continued to have to spread out in order to give Corrin and Fuga more space as they continued their duel.

Suddenly though, Fuga changed his approach as Corrin once more dodged his downward strike. As Corrin stepped to the side, Fuga shifted to the side heavily, slamming his shoulder into her, causing the princess to stumble back as the chieftain used both of his hands for a large, heavy side swing, which Corrin could only raise Yato up to block in response… The club itself clanging against the divine sword and managing to send Corrin flying through the air. Thankfully, this was something Corrin was familiar with thanks to Ragna, allowing her to twist herself midair and land on her hand, quickly followed by her feet hitting the ground a moment later.

Ragna himself kept analyzing the fight, his eyes narrowing when Corrin left her defense open for Fuga's shoulder bash. He wasn't worried, not by a long shot, Corrin had years of experience dealing with him, and he kicked her ass harder than Fuga was daily. It was just a surprise that she didn't see it coming, as even Ragna could see that it was going to happen. Then again, with the fact that he regularly beat her by using his fist and not his sword, he'd say expecting attacks not from opponent's primary weapon was her main flaw. But, in the end, he knew she had this. There probably wasn't going to be much of a downside if she lost anyway… He was fine with taking on the entire tribe if he had to.

Corrin, in contrast, was trying very hard not to panic. She had faced Ragna plenty of times before, but while he always fought seriously with her, she always knew killing was never going to happen. This wasn't the case with Fuga, who was going straight for it… Or at least knocking her out, much less than Ragna just hitting her hard. That, and she was trying REALLY hard not to actually hurt Fuga, despite the fact that this was a test. It just didn't feel right for her to do so, but the consequences were starting to show with the fact that Fuga barely seemed fazed by the fighting, while Corrin was starting to breath a bit heavier from her acrobatic movements. She needed to find a way past his defenses to at least get her own hit in, otherwise-

Suddenly, an idea came to Corrin as she remembered the sparring session she had with Ragna earlier. Her transformed arm, THAT was what she needed. And thankfully, Fuga was prepared to give her the opening she needed.

The opening itself came with another sideways swing from Fuga, aimed straight for Corrin's torso. Like she normally did, Corrin instinctively bent backwards, letting the club miss her face by a hair. However, unlike before, she continued the movement, placing a hand on the ground and throwing her feet into the air, doing a split second handstand before pushing herself off the ground, pulling her hand back again as water began to form around it.

Immediately, both Azura and Ragna narrowed their eyes, almost simultaneously. They both recognized the water, and knew what Corrin was going to attempt. A direct jab at Fuga, like she tried to Ragna. And if Fuga was any bit as skilled as he was letting on, the end result was going to be the same. In fact, he was already reacting to the water, narrowing his eyes and pulling himself back for what Corrin was going to do, even if he didn't entirely know what. Hell, Ragna was already bringing his hand back to the hilt of Blood Scythe to get Corrin's ass out of the fire.

… At least, that's what he was going to, until Corrin did something he didn't expect her to do.

Sure enough, Corrin created the large, needle-like arm from before. Unlike last time, she didn't jab it straight towards Fuga… Instead, she jabbed it straight into the ground, stopping her body midair before twisting on it, using her jump's momentum combined with her arm to redirect herself back towards Fuga, feet first to kick him right in the face as her arm detached from the ground.

Instinctively, Fuga took a step back, raising his club to block the kick, surprised by the amount of force put behind it… Enough to cause him to stagger back, arms flying to the side as he did so. However, a second later, he had gotten his balance back, stepping forward…

And completely freezing at the sight of Yato not an inch from his face, being held by a tired but confidently smiling Corrin.

"Checkmate"

For a few seconds, everyone was silent aside from the sound of blowing wind, with Fuga analyzing Corrin's face, long enough for her to go from confident to confused, before going straight to worry.

Not a second after that, Fuga merely dropped his club, letting it land with a loud thud, "You've passed, Princess Corrin. Your skill and control of your blade surprises me" he complimented, causing Corrin to step back herself, flipping her sword around so she could return it to her sheath while rubbing the back of her head, giving a slightly shy smile… Until she noticed, once again, that her arm was still transformed, forcing her to shift it back.

Then, Fuga noticed the crowd that had gathered, his face hardening as he turned to them, "All of you except Bang-" he began, noticing Rinkah standing next to the highly visible ninja, "-and Rinkah, leave now" he shouted, watching as the crowd hesitated for a moment, before begrudgingly beginning to disperse.

With that, Fuga turned back to Corrin and the others, folding his arms, "I will admit, I did not expect a wanted woman to be a suitable candidate for Yato. How did you come to acquire this blade?" he asked.

In response, Corrin began to open her mouth to respond, only to be cut off early when Azura stepped forward, "Back in Hoshido, when Queen Mikoto was assassinated. The sword had appeared in the middle of the destroyed statue in Shirasagi's square" she explained, before pausing, "... Wait, Fuga, how do you know of Yato? Only the royal family knew of it" she quickly asked.

Immediately, Fuga couldn't help but smirk a little bit, "Sumeragi told me of it, just as he told me about Corrin once upon a time. I'm sure he'd be astounded by the level of skill you've shown" he commented, nodding to Corrin again before looking back at Corrin, "I know of its legends. The Yato is the 'Key of Peace'… But more importantly, it is the key to the Seal of Flames, an object that contains limitless power, enough to overthrow even the gods that created it" he explained before shaking his head, "At least, that's what the legend says" he added, causing Corrin to look down at Yato thoughtfully.

Ragna, however, merely sighed, "Sounds like a lot of bullshit to me. Just get to the point" he demanded, folding his arms.

Sakura herself jumped a bit at Ragna's sudden voice, but quickly nodded herself, "Please Fuga, we're still in a bit of a hurry" she added, watching as Fuga closed his eyes for a second before nodding, unfolding his arms as he spoke again,

"My apologies, but yes, I've determined that Corrin's heart is just. I do not know what goal she is working towards, but I know that it is a good one. Which is why I am sending Bang along to assist you" he stated, causing a second of silence before Bang jumped back in surprise,

"W-What?! Chieftain Fuga I urge you to reconsider! While I would love to continue escorting Princess Azura and Princess Sakura, I do not believe it is a good idea to send me off when there's the war going on" Bang replied.

Ragna himself nodded in agreement… Except, for a different reason, "You don't need to worry yourself with helping us anyway. We can handle ourselves" he stated, ignoring Corrin's shocked look that she gave him. He wasn't sure that having Bang along was a good idea… Specifically to the likelihood of its effect on his sanity.

Unfortunately, judging by his sigh, Fuga didn't agree, "Bang is by far one of the best that the Wind Tribe can offer" Fuga explained, folding his arms as he did so, "I would go myself, but that is beyond my current duties, and we will need our prodigy of Divinity magic in case Nohr comes to this place. Which is why Bang will be going along" he finished, causing Bang to sigh in defeat. Then, the chieftain turned to Rinkah, who was standing with her own arms crossed, "I'm taking it that is why you're here as well?" he asked, watching as Rinkah merely nodded,

"I originally came here after hearing about what happened back in Hoshido. News travels fast, especially to the Flame Tribe, and considering what I know of her, the rumors that she's planning to destroy both Nohr and Hoshido seem completely far fetched. I doubt a woman who saved the lives of not one, but four prisoners of war and helped them escape death would be planning to destroy both kingdoms" she explained with a shrug, "Which is why I'm here. Whatever THE wielder of the fabled Yato is doing, it is better helping them than sitting home doing nothing" she added, nodding towards Corrin, who nodded back, hesitantly.

Bang himself hunched over, staring into a quivering palm, trying to decide on going with his feelings or his duty at this instant, before taking a deep breath, clenching his hand into a fist and standing up again, once again proud and tall, "Very well, Chieftain Fuga! If it is your command to go with the Princesses, then I shall make it my duty to protect them with my life, if need be!" Bang announced, causing Azura to sigh and shake her head, while Sakura merely made a small smile as he took a dramatic pose, flames once more flaring to life around him, "Princess Corrin, from henceforth until you finish your task, my fists and skills shall be yours to command! That is the word of BANG SHISHI-"

"OKAY WE GET IT!" Ragna shouted, interrupting Bang and causing him to pause mid shout, before straightening again and coughing.

After a few seconds of silence, Corrin cleared her throat, "I appreciate the assistance Fuga… And to both of you, Rinkah and Bang. But we don't really have time to-" she began, only to be interrupted when Fuga nodded,

"Right, you have little time to waste here. Bang, continue guiding them out of the tribe and to Izumo" he ordered, watching Bang nod and the party as a whole pause,

"Wait, how did you-" Corrin began, only to get interrupted once again as Fuga turned back to her,

"You wouldn't have come here if you were not seeking shelter, which in your case would only be at Izumo. It was merely guesswork" he stated, before pausing, "... Speaking of which… What IS your goal, Corrin?" he asked.

What followed was an uncomfortable silence as Corrin, Azura, and Ragna tried to think of a way to respond, before Corrin simply sighed, "It's… Hard to explain. We can't talk about it, otherwise… Well, we'll die just by speaking of the place we're dealing with and WHO we're dealing with due to a curse put upon those names. The rumors that I'm planning to destroy Hoshido and Nohr are… Well, partially true, but I'Mnot the one who's going to try to do so. It's someone else, someone behind King Garon and manipulating him" Corrin explained, doing her best to keep eye contact with Fuga as she did so, "That's what my goal is. To stop them, and prevent more people from getting hurt in this pointless war" she finished. At least, for a second, "I never wanted to be the cause of this, but I am partially responsible through forces that were beyond my control. But it's something I-" Corrin suddenly paused, then looked back at the group, before turning back to Fuga, "-We need to do" she finished.

In response, Fuga nodded, "I see…" he muttered. A curse that kills the speaker when they mention one's name? It was absurd… But, since the actual Yato was standing in front of him, it wasn't too far fetched, "... I wish you the best of luck on your mission, if that is the case" he stated. The hidden message was clear to Corrin: She was free to go now.

And so, with a nod, Corrin nodded, turning back to the group, cueing them to begin continuing on their path.

For a while, Fuga simply stood where he was, watching the group walk through the remainder of the village, before vanishing into the exit. There was something off about… Everything, even though he had a rough explanation from Corrin. A hidden enemy… One who would kill her if she spoke of its name.

"I don't really see why you didn't send me to go with them, Chief" a young voice stated, coming from Fuga's side, causing the Chieftain to turn and look down at the young Hayato, who was frowning as he stared at the direction the group had left in, "I'm the tribe's most powerful Diviner. They have enough warriors already."

At his statement, Fuga merely closed his eyes, "As I said, we need you in case Nohr comes around. And besides, I believe you'll get your chance to join in their quest soon enough" he replied, ignoring the look of confusion Hayato gave him, before walking back to the center of the village, "Come, there's work that we must do."

Hoshido

For the most part, the nights of Hoshido were rather quiet, and uneventful. Or at least, they appeared that way.

Saizo himself knew that Hoshido's nights were anything BUT uneventful. The ninjas working directly for Ryoma were always moving, making sure that there were no Faceless prowling about… Or, more recently, assassins. But, tonight was different, because Saizo was leaving his post for the night. And for several days afterwards, unfortunately.

He had already left a note to Lord Ryoma about his absence, and how an urgent matter came up that he needed to look into. What he didn't explain at all in the note was the matter itself… Which was, specifically, the disappearance of Kagero. She had gone out to scout a day before, and he had already gotten news of what had happened. Which was exactly why he needed to take care of the mess before consequences started to arise.

So, that was why he had begun to slip out of Shirasagi, keeping to the rooftops, footsteps and landings utterly silent as he moved. Orochi had agreed to meet him outside of the city before hand. She was one of Ryoma's retainers, and was very set on helping another out. Fairly annoying, but not anything he couldn't deal-

"Saizo, where are you going?"

The sudden voice caused Saizo to stop himself from his next jump, turning to see Kaze, standing on the edge of the roof. He must've been too focused with his thoughts to have noticed him. A mistake he had no intention on ever repeating.

"Scouting. Nohr's forces could be lying in wait anywhere" Saizo stated, staring at Kaze with his one good eye.

Kaze merely shook his head in response, "No you're not. You left a note for Lord Ryoma noting that you would be gone for several days for an 'urgent matter'" he replied.

At that, Saizo narrowed his eye, before sighing, "I'd say you shouldn't read into my business, but as a fellow Ninja, I must applaud you. But nonetheless Kaze, this is something I must do without you. It is better for you to not-"

"And why is that?" Kaze interrupted, stepping closer to Saizo, a look of determination placed onto his face. When Saizo didn't respond, Kaze closed his eyes, "Look, whatever it is you want to protect me from… I do not care. You've taken great pains to keep this as secret as possible, so I can see it is important to you. Therefor, I wish to help you, brother" he stated, continuing to stare into Saizo's eye.

After a few seconds of silence, Saizo grunted, "Fine. I can tell trying to convince you otherwise now would be fruitless" he replied, before jumping to the next roof to continue his journey, causing Kaze to smile to himself as he quickly followed.

A victory over Saizo was always to be appreciated.

Author's Note: Well, it's been more than a year. Ow. I do feel bad for you guys who actually look forward to an update due to my horrible schedule and writing habits. But, I guess this is just something that happens. In the end, I WAS going to post this much sooner and give you guys something... However, I missed the chance to post this on Fire Emblem Fates: Calamity One-Year anniversary.

Honestly this is actually the longest "running" story I've ever made so far, and I'm very glad that it's gotten as far as it has so far, especially when it hasn't reached its halfway point. There's still a good portion of the story left to go before this is done. Granted, by the time we've gotten to that point that FEF:C ends, it'll be alive for 4 years. Probably. We'll see.

Essentially, thank you all for bearing through my terrible posting habits. I'll take this time to say that I'm still opened for ship requests, as we're still not far enough to really be getting deep into that sort of thing.

Anyways, I leave now with another character profile, as Bang Shishigami has now joined the party.

Bang Shishigami: A dramatic ninja hailing from the Wind Tribe.

Class: Ninja

Personal skill: Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan: After four critical strikes/skill activations, Bang gets a +5 to both speed and strength for the remainder of the map

Logbook A warrior from the Wind Tribe who is loud, brash, and overly dramatic. Despite all this, he's one of the Wind Tribe's best warriors, and has a good relationship with the chieftain, Fuga, and often travels to the Flame Tribe as well.

Most likely to monologue.

Critical quotes:

"I put my soul into this fist!"

"There's nowhere to run!"

"All or nothing!"

"Justice will prevail!"

In addition, I have responses to people's reviews! Yay, I guess?

Forest1395101: Technically speaking, I don't have to do Character Supports or the Character Profiles at all. They're more side things that I'm doing along with the main story, since I wanted to do them. Also, yes, Rachel is more or less fucking around with Ragna, it's what she does.

Aeso3: Thank you for the review! I knew the first chapter was going to be the rockiest, but it's nice to know that there's something here that people enjoy.

Kalakauai: I plan on Kaze joining the group still, just in a different way now.

Moki0316: I fully plan to have more BB x FE action. I just, unfortunately, haven't gotten to the extremely big parts of the story yet for that to happen.

So, this is the ending of Chapter 10 of Fire Emblem Fates: Calamity. Thank you all for at least bearing with my posting habits. I hope to see you guys again.