"So you wanna have tea now?" Claude inquires, slightly confused by Richard's sudden politeness.

"Why yes I want to discuss your latest mission!" Richard exclaims.

"How so?" Claude inquires sipping his tea.

"You encountered Purity I heard?" Richard inquires.

"Yeah I did," Claude replies, "He was a real rough one not gonna lie."

"And what do you think of him?" Richard inquires.

"I think he's a good fighter," Claude admits, "But..."

"He didn't kill that nobel did he?" Richard chuckles, "No. I heard he had help."

"Richard are you implying-" Claude inquires.

"I am merely stating if I happen to get a lead on other dealers that maybe they'll be purified," Richard elaborates, "I'm sure..."

Richard shows his mask to Claude, "It's coincidence but if you know any impures..."

"Richard I can't..." Claude sighs, "It could really increase in fighting."

"But you leave it be at what cost?" Richard inquires.

"I'll have a list by Monday," Claude replies getting up, "It was nice having tea."

As Claude leaves he replies, "If you ever wanna hangout, lemme know."

Richard sips his tea with a smile, "Well I told you he was pure."

"Richard," a voice replies, "You're a moron."

"Oh shut up," Richard replies, "You're me after all."

A man, who looks like Richard with red eyes sighs, "Richard listen to me. Listen to Purity. If you continue down this path, you will get caught. He will betray you."

"Will you fuck off?" Richard sighs, "You're not real! Purity, you are not real! You're a hallucination! A symptom of my schizophrenia! By God I hate you! I hate the part of me that you are! My God man! You keep running your mouth when I'm with people! We're gonna get caught! Shit the only reason we haven't got caught is because you and the mask I wear have the same name so everyone assumes I'm talking about the masked man when we talk!"

"Oh relax," Purity, the hallucination, chuckles, "You're not gonna get caught it you listen to me."

Richard gets up and heads to his room, "I guess. Well, let's go. We have an attack to prepare for..."

Byleth examines the papers on his wall, thinking about recent events..

"Yeah this Purity guy could be an issue," Sothis comments, "He came from nowhere and is causing chaos for what appears to be no reason. We should do something in case our enemies seduce him with promises of power or something. He could make a great ally, or a horrid enemy. Either way, it seems based on chance if he appears at all. We have to-"

"Oh," a voice speaks, "Professor. You're up late."

Edelgard approaches and inquires, "What's all this?"

"Trying to figure out who Purity is and nip it at the bud," Byleth explains, "He escaped from Claude so I'm hoping to do him a solid by capturing the guy."

"I think he's doing good for the world," Edelgard replies, "I heard he's targeting drug dealers."

"Then why here?" Byleth demands pointing at a spot on a map marked with a red x, "He attacked here one hear ago, and killed many people. It's not related to some drug trade."

"I..." Edelgard stops to think. Could Richard be more mad than she thought? She only wanted to help him and be helped in return but could he be truly evil?

"I may look into that," Edelgard shrugs, "Has me curious."

"He also has a latent crest," Byleth replies, "A minor one so it probably has some really niche ability that would only work under specific circumstances."

"Odd," Edelgard shrugs, "Well let's hope if he is dangerous he never gets to use it."

Edelgard walks off to tend to other matters as Sothis adds, "Ugh. Look Byleth, I get where you're coming from but we've done this same song and dance so many times. Sooner or later that thing is going to find us. The Divine Pulse can't erase everything and every time we use it we feed that-"

"Sothis," Byleth sighs, "Every time after the war ends, I've used the Devine Pulse to return to the start. I've done this, we've done this, eight times now! I'm well aware of that thing but, I know I can so it this time. I know I can save everyone..."

Byleth smirks, stabbing a dagger into a photo of Richard on his wall, "And his crest might be the key..."

What creature is Byleth referring to? Well...

Mr. Travels informs the Solon, "You intend to tell me Sothis, the goddess, has been causing time to repeat itself?"

"Well," Solon smiles, "Yes, and I know you have an item of great value to stop it."

Mr. Travels sighs, "I'm just an opium dealer I want nothing to do with your blood experiments."

"Then tell me," Solon inquires, "The one who killed Bleach, do you not wish to return the favor to him?"

"You didn't-" Mr. Travels demands shocked.

Solon smiles and proceeds, "Yes, see, in one timeline, the stone that was Sothis was destroyed, but when Byleth tried to go back the essence of Sothis rejected her death, and since then this twisted version of Sothis has grown with each loop. Feeding off the magical energy, existing in limbo until she appeared to us and told us what we really happening. Sothis is the beginning but..."

Richard sits, watching the stars, unaware as a man with crimson red hair grips a twisted and malformed version of the Sword of the Creator, preparing to strike.

"That thing, Sihtso, is the end!" Solon laughs.

Suddenly, by the fishing lake in the dead of night, Byleth attacks Richard! This Byleth however, isb not the Byleth Richard knows. For this Byleth's hair is a crimson red, and his cloak as black as the abyss. This is not Byleth. This is...

Sihtos.

Sihtos impales Richard, laughing madly, which prompts Richard to stand up, clutching his wound. "Byleth what are you-" he begins to demand before Sihtos attacks once more, extending the blade to cut Richard's arm.

"Your crest can counter my power," Sihtos inquires, "Can't it? Funny. I expected more of a fight."

"I thought we were friends!" Richard hisses, "You impure bastard!"

"I hear something!" Ferdinand yells in the distance, "Come on Claude sounds like trouble!"

"We will meet again," Sihtos chuckles, using a Devine Pulse to freeze time and escape before anyone can reach Richard.

"Bro!" Ferdinand exclaims rushing to his brother's side, "Talk to me man! What happened?"

"That bastard..." Richard growls.

"I'll get a priest!" Claude exclaims rushing to get help, "Byleth can heal you!"

"Wait!" Richard calls out, but Claude is already gone.

"Who did this?" Ferdinand demands.

Richard growls with a deep bitterness in his voice, "Byleth must be purified..."