As the month of the Guardian Moon began, Claude found himself wandering around the monastery. His mind raced through the countless memories he made before the war, but his train of thought was derailed when he came across the dormitory. He noticed they were still intact and would prove to be the perfect sleeping quarters for his friends and allies.

Wandering a little ways down the dormitory, Claude pauses in front of Presea's room. He stared at the door, debating whether to go inside or walk away. In the end, he entered the room. The first thing he saw was the plush deer he gave her for her 17th birthday sitting on the bed. It was still intact with only a thin layer of dust on it. Picking it up, he brushed away the dust before peering into the plushie's bead eyes. "You wouldn't happen to have seen Presea, would you?" Claude continued to stare into the stuffed animal's eyes before laughing at himself. "Now I'm talking to a plushie."

Claude places the plush deer back on the bed before meandering over to the desk. On top, he discovered the portrait of himself and remembered how Presea mentioned her time with Ignatz. It wasn't the best painting, but he could see and feel the love and hard work she put into creating it. A gentle smile found its way onto his face as he returns the painting to where he found it.

When Claude turned around to leave, he caught a glimpse of someone as they hid themselves outside the room. Wondering who it was, he walked outside and searched for the person. When he saw no one, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Am I losing it?"

"I don't think you ever had it," Hilda snickered as she walked up the stairwell located by the dorms. She recognized where they were and smirked. "I know you miss Pressy, but looking through her things is totally uncalled for, Claude."

"I wasn't snooping," he muttered. He then paused for a brief second before saying, "Okay, maybe I was snooping a little bit."

"I won't tell her when we find her. My lips are sealed," she replied. "But pushing the jokes aside... Why were you in her room?"

"I guess I was hoping something in her room would tell me where she went," he confessed. "The only thing I did find were a couple of things she left behind and they aren't going to be any help."

Hilda could see the toll Presea's absence had on Claude and felt her heart shatter. "Don't worry, Claude. I know we'll find Pressy! There's no way she'd give up on us!"

"I hope you're right..." He sighed. "Because I've been holding on to this hope for five years and I'm not sure how much longer I can keep it from disappearing."

The fuchsia-haired girl frowned. "Hey now... Turn that frown upside-down! I do have some good news that might cheer you up just a bit."

"And what's that?"

"Follow me!"

Claude followed Hilda to the cathedral. When they arrived, his eyes widen in shock when he saw the Knights of Seiros working on restoring the monastery. A smile manifested on his face as he addressed her. "Good work, Hilda! You didn't do much manual labor, but you managed to rope the knights into helping us restore the monastery."

"Thanks, Claude, but all I did was piggyback on your scheme. I saw your eyes telling me to make some magic happen!" She responded enthusiastically.

Byleth, Alois, and Catherine enter the cathedral and join the duo.

"Thank you so much for your help with the restoration," Alois said, glancing at Hilda.

"Oh please, it was nothing! We're just doing our part as former students," she replied.

"I'm told you even routed the bandits. That job should have fallen to us. I'm sorry for the trouble," Catherine apologized.

"Hey, don't think twice about it. We're all allies in the resistance against the Empire, right?" Claude asked.

"The church is at war with the Empire, but let's be realistic. Wouldn't it be better for the Alliance to eventually submit?"

"The way I see it, the emperor wants to take over all of Fódlan and destroy the existing order of the world. I can't see her allowing the Alliance to continue to exist. We're in this just as deeply as you are. Actually... We were hoping to use this place as a base. The Empire begs to be meddled with, and we're first in line."

Alois gasped in shock. "What? Why would you want to make your base here of all places?"

"Garreg Mach is situated in the center of Fódlan, both geographically and spiritually. We want to secure this location while the Empire is still overlooking it," Claude explained.

"I see. The Empire doesn't see this place as important at the moment because it's far from the front lines," Catherine remarked.

"But if we simply decide that it's ours to occupy, that does nothing to inspire the hearts and minds of the people of Fódlan. Luckily, good ol' Teach has finally returned to us. If the Professor Rhea entrusted with the Sword of the Creator fights at our side... Well now. That's a just cause anyone could get behind. What's more, here we are, working alongside the legendary Knights of Seiros. It smacks of divine providence, doesn't it? Can you feel it?"

Then, the group was joined by Seteth. "I have heard what you have to say, Claude. And you, Professor? Where do you stand?"

"I will fight the Empire," Byleth proclaimed.

"Hm. On our own, we lack sufficient military strength. But with the help of the Alliance... The archbishop said if anything should happen to her, that we should entrust the affairs of the church to you. If you intend to fight alongside the Alliance, then I will follow you as well. Is that acceptable, Claude?"

Said boy nodded. "Of course. I can't think of anything more reassuring than having both Teach and the knights on our side. Together, we'll stop the emperor and her reckless ambitions!"

Going their separate ways, the group returned to their duties. Claude decided to go check on Albus at the stables to see how he was faring. When he arrived, his eyes widen in shock when he saw his wyvern snuggling up to Presea. Seeing as he had yet to seen through her disguise, he couldn't understand why Albus was showing such affection to a stranger. "How is this even possible...?"

Presea, hearing his voice, peered over her shoulder at him. Her hood covered most of her face, blocking her own flabbergasted expression. She had to come up with a plausible excuse right here and now. "I-I am sorry for tending to your wyvern without your permission, Claude. It's just...my father used to raise wyverns and sell them all across Fòdlan before he passed away ten years ago."

"No, I'm grateful you took care of him. I'm just shocked that he likes you. He's kinda picky when it comes to people. The only other person I've ever seen him allow to pet him is Presea." Claude closes the distance between him and girl. He felt his heart race a mile a minute as he tried to see the face hidden under the hood. "Are you-?"

"Excuse me," Presea quickly backed away from Claude and Albus. "I promised Byleth I'd help with repairs." She made a quick escape, leaving behind a wide-eyed Claude and puzzled Albus.

The wyvern tried to follow the girl, but Claude stopped. "Whoa, buddy. Where do you think you're going?" He placed a hand on Albus' muzzle and stroked his white scales. "By the way you were acting around Zuri, my suspicions might be right..."

<------------<<<<<

After having lied to Claude, Presea left the stables and headed to the greenhouse. When she woke up this morning, she remembered her precious dahlias and star gazer lilies. She was eager to see if the lilies had sprouted or failed to grow without proper care.

Once arriving at the greenhouse, the snowy-haired girl made a beeline for her flowers. Squatting down, she sighed in relief when seeing the dahlias were in full bloom alongside the lilies. A smile appeared on her face when seeing the beauty of the lilies. "I really wish I could've been here to see them blossom. I wonder if Marianne still has some seeds left over. I'd love to grow more."

"Why don't you go and ask her?"

Presea's head snapped toward the entrance of the greenhouse and gasped when seeing Claude. "What are you...?" She couldn't read his expression as he watched her intently. "Did you follow me?"

"Maybe," he shrugged his shoulder. "You've been sneaking around the monastery, haven't you? Why's that?"

"To have some time to myself," she promptly answered. "Is it wrong to seek peace?"

"Not at all, but...you and Teach spend a lot of time together. Are you two an item?"

"What?" She gaped in shock at his question. "Of course not! Byleth just woke up yesterday and there's no way we'd have time to start a relationship. He is kind, but my heart already belongs to another."

Claude's eyes widen as he took a step towards her, reaching out to grab her hood. "I knew it..."

Presea hastily backed away from Claude, only for her to trip in the process. She fell on her behind and the hood concealing her face fell off. Glancing up at Claude, she saw his eyes widen further. That's when she realized what happened. Quickly, she tugged the hood back over her head and stood up. She brushed past him and broke into a sprint. She could hear Claude pursuing her and ran as fast as she could.

However, Presea didn't make it past the dormitory before Claude caught her. He latched on to her wrist and pulled her into his arms and embraced her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his warm breath caressing her skin. "Five long years..."

Presea's body stiffened when she felt his warm breath graze the side of her neck. A shudder courses through her body from the sensation, causing her mind to go blank. She didn't reciprocate the hug as she felt one of his hands cup the back of her head and held her tighter. Her hands twitched slightly when she felt the unconscious urge to touch him, but she stopped herself before she could move. She tried to find the right words, wondering where she should start. "Claude, I..." She managed to sort through her scrambled thoughts and tried to explain herself. "I'm sorry for hiding from you. I was afraid you'd either forgot about me or moved on, but when you said you were looking for me...I felt guilty for hiding and couldn't bring myself to reveal the truth."

"I'm not mad, if that's what you're wondering. All I care about is that you're alive and well. What's even better is we're reunited," he replied.

Presea, after hearing his words, felt her heart flutter. She wrapped her arms around him and reciprocated the hug. "Back in the greenhouse, you said you knew it... What gave me away?"

"I wasn't positive of my suspicions until I saw you with Albus. You're the only other person he lets touch him."

"When did you start to become suspicious?" She pried.

"Teach's strange behavior around you. He only woke up yesterday, right? He's not one to trust someone so easily regardless if they saved his life, especially in only a few hours. You have to earn his trust, but he had no issues with you. I figured the person under the hood had to be someone he knew personally and trusted wholeheartedly. I became even more suspicious with how trusting and willing you were with strangers. Making dinner, serving, the constant apologizing... It all reminded me of you."

"Guess I didn't do so well hiding my identity," Presea weakly laughed.

"You did pretty good until you decided to give Albus attention. That was your downfall," he chuckled.

"I was shocked to see how big he's gotten in the past five years and couldn't help but pay him a visit. The last time I saw him was before we left for the Officer's Academy. I missed him." She realized what she said and added, "And you, of course."

"He missed you, too," he chortled. "And me. I missed you way more than Albus did, though. You've no idea how difficult it was to get by these past five years without you. It felt like an eternity. You know, the others are going to be thrilled once they see you."

"I-I don't think I'm ready to face them..."

"Nonsense. They'll understand. Let's go see them." Claude unwound his arms from around her and moved his hands to her cheeks, cupping them gently. "But first..." He leaned forward and placed his lips over hers, kissing her deeply and passionately.

The kiss lasted for a few seconds before both individuals pulled away. Claude smiled at Presea, caressing her cheekbones with his thumbs. "As much as I would love to do this longer, we should meet up with the others. There's tons of work to do around the monastery and we shouldn't slack off."

Presea's eyes widen in pure shock. "Wow, Claude. These past five years have changed you. Normally, you'd want to sneak away while everyone else did the backbreaking work."

"Hey, don't make me sound like a slacker. I never was one to slack off," He retorts.

"You kind of did. Every now and then, you'd wander off to test your latest scheme."

"Whoa, hold it! Those schemes were amazing and saved us tons of time in battle."

"You still let your schemes overshadow your school work. How many certifications did you fail exactly? I think it was around 4 or 5."

He pouted. "Don't remind me..."

She giggled. "Sorry. It's just...you're now the leader of the Alliance and have really stepped up. You've changed for the better and I'm proud of you, Claude."

"I still have a lot to learn," he sighed. "And accomplish."

"Don't worry," she reassured him, taking his hand in her own. "I'll be by your side the entire way. I'll do my best to support you and do whatever I can to help."

Claude smiled gently at her, entwining their fingers. "I wouldn't want it to be any other way."

<------------<<<<<

Arriving at the cathedral, Presea got cold feet. She refused to enter the building, the fear of what her friends would think of her resurfacing in her mind. "Okay, I'm definitely not ready for this."

Claude grabbed both of her hands with a smirk. "Too late to back down. We're seeing the others."

"C-Claude!" Presea cried out as he dragged her into the cathedral. She stumbled forward as they walked past the pews and towards their friends and professor who were helping the Knights of Seiros with repairs.

Taking a closer look at the scene, Presea's eyes widen in horror when she saw one of the Knights pinned under some debris. She freed herself from Claude's grasp and transformed into her wolf form. Carefully, she made her way over to the knight and her friends. She howled, grabbing their attentions. They all gasped in shock and backed away to let the wolf closer to the knight.

Lowering her head, Presea took the chunk of debris in her mouth and lifted it off the knight's body. She placed it down before removing the smaller pieces of rubble and adding them to the pile. Once the knight was free, she nodded in gratitude. "Thank you."

Presea bows her head politely in response to the knight's gratitude. Turning around, she maneuvered her large form so she could face her friends and professor. She eyed them curiously before snorting in surprise when Hilda was the first to dash forward. The fuchsia-haired girl wailed with tears in her eyes as she tried to hug one of the wolf's front legs. "I've missed you so much, Pressy!" That's when she noticed the Pterolykos' size. "You're a little bigger than I remember."

Seeing the smiles on her friends' faces, Presea decided to revert to her human form. When she did, she was immediately pulled into a group hug by all the members of the Golden Deer. Even Byleth was dragged along into the group hug.

"Now we're all back together," Lysithea said.

"I knew we'd all be reunited," Ignatz stated.

"Thank goodness you're all right, Presea," Marianne sighed in relief.

"I'll say!" Leonie giggled. "I thought I was going to have to go out and search for you myself."

"Now we can kick some imperial butt together!" Raphael cheered.

"I must confess, your ruse was almost flawless," Lorenz commented.

Presea pulled away after hearing him. "What do you mean?"

"For someone who supposedly grew up inside a hut in the woods with no parents, you have quite a serene aura surrounding you as if you were well-disciplined. The details simply weren't adding up and I was growing suspicious of your true identity."

"Oh..." Presea looked back on her fabled origin story and realized just how terrible it way. "I really did not think it through very well."

Byleth, having noticed Claude's silence, glanced over at him. When seeing his eyes were wide and focused on Presea's back, he wondered if he was feeling fine. "Claude, are you feeling all right?"

Said boy blinked profusely once hearing his name. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm going to need to borrow you for a little while."

"Aw, you really missed her so much!" Hilda squealed.

Claude walked over and grabbed Presea's hand with a smirk. "You've no idea." He dragged her out of the cathedral and to her room.

A confused Presea wondered why they were in her room. "Is something wrong, Claude?"

He released her hand with a grave expression on his face. "Your back... What happened?"

Her brows furrowed in puzzlement until realizing what he was referring to. "Oh, you mean the scar?" She turned her back to him and slowly peeled away her outfit to reveal the large scar on her back. "I got it from protecting the professor during the battle five years ago. It's ugly and hurts from time to time, but it serves as a reminder that I'm alive."

Hesitantly, Claude reached out to touch the scar. His fingers gently caress the outline of the scar before gravitating toward the center. Unlike the skin around the edge, the center of the scar was a pale crimson.

Presea's shoulders tensed when she felt Claude touch the scar. She was soon able to relax as his fingers continued to caress her back. She held her outfit tightly against her chest and nearly ripped the material with her fingernails when she was taken aback at the sudden feeling of his lips on her back. She gasped in shock at the out-of-the-blue sensation. "C-Claude..."

"Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

She shook her head. "No. I was shocked, is all." She glances over her shoulder to see his expression. "It's horrendous, isn't it?"

Claude denied her claims. "No way. You protected Teach and I'm grateful for that, but I rather it wouldn't have left you with a scar. Of course, it doesn't change the way I think of you. To be honest, I think it makes you even more beautiful."

Presea blushes at his words. She looked away from him and stared down at the floor. She couldn't believe how easy it was for him to say that without stuttering or stumbling over his own words. He said it with such confidence that caused her heart to flutter. Stepping away from him, she redressed herself. "A-Anyway, we should-"

Claude grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door. "Oh, no. You're not going anywhere. Besides, it's getting late and I can tell you haven't been sleeping well. You can help with repairs tomorrow."

With her cheeks still bright red, Presea glances out the window and saw the sun had set. "Oh, wow. I didn't realize how late it was." She kept her back turned to him as she continued. "At least the dormitory is still intact. It'll give everyone a place to sleep."

"About that..." Claude's voice trailed off.

Presea, curious as to his strange behavior, turned around. "What's wrong?"

"There are some rooms where the ceilings have caved in. And among them is my room which means I'm going to have to find a new place to sleep until repairs are finished." Claude, with a smirk on his face, gazed into her cerulean eyes. "You wouldn't happen to know a good replacement for the time being, would you?"

Press knew exactly what Claude wanted and decided to mess with him. She sat on the edge of her bed, tapping her finger against her chin as she pretended to think. "Hmm... I can't think of anything. Sorry, Claude." She crosses her legs with a satisfied grin when seeing Claude's baffled expression. She laughed as she freed her long, snowy locks from her side ponytail. "I'm just messing with you. You can stay with me until the repairs are done. It's not like we haven't slept with each other before." She adjusted her position so she now laid on her back. Pushing herself to the right side of the bed, she made just enough room for Claude.

As Presea waited for Claude to join her in bed, she stared up at the ceiling. When feeling the bed dip, she knew he had finally climbed into bed beside her. After he finished adjusting, she turned over on her right side and glanced at him. "I really wish I was there when Duke Oswald passed away. I owe him a lot. He did so much for me when we arrived in Derdriu for the first time. To be honest, I was surprised how welcoming he was when he realized I was with you."

"Before he died, my grandfather told me why he let you stay in Derdriu. He mentioned one of the high priests visited him a month before I was to arrive in Derdriu and told him about a mythical being accompanying his grandson. He knew who you were the moment we docked at the port, but he kept everything a secret. A part of me is frustrated because he didn't tell you the truth after he learned how desperate you were to learn who you were and where you came from." Claude turned over and laid on his left side, meeting her gaze.

"I do understand why he kept it a secret, though," she sighed. "I was young and desperate to find information about my people. I probably would've run off on my own without a second thought and wound up getting myself killed."

"I would've gone with you," Claude said. "I wasn't going to lose my best friend. But now, you're so much more than that."

Presea smiles gently. "I'm glad I met you, Claude."

He reached out and caressed his knuckles across her cheek. "Me too, Presea."

<------------<<<<<

Days passed by in a flurry as everyone dedicated their time to restoring the monastery. By the time the end of the Guardian Moon month rolled around, most of the repairs were done. During the month, they had also managed to bolster their forces.

Presea was helping with the final touches on the ramparts late into the afternoon. She was in her wolf form, helping the knights with the heavy rubble and patching up the holes in the wall. She held the stones in place while the knights secured the stones with cement.

When the repairs were done, she felt someone touch her front right leg. Her ears twitched as she glanced down at who touched her. She spotted Claude and lowered her head. She nudged her nose against his chest while he placed his hand on it. Now that she was much larger than him, she would have to be the one to adjust to the height difference.

Claude's hand moved from her nose to the side of her muzzle. He stroked her velvety fur with a smile. "Think you could come with me to the reception hall? I've got an announcement to make."

She nodded her head and reverted to her human form. Combing a hand through her ivory locks, she smiled at him. "Let's get going."

Once in the reception hall, Claude and Presea waited for the others to arrive. When they did, he didn't hesitate to state what he had to say. "Everyone, listen up! I have a proposal. We are now building our forces in order to rise up against the Imperial army. But it wouldn't be smart for us to fight under the banner of the Alliance. That would only incite the lords who support the Empire. We've also combined forces with the Knights of Seiros. Therefore, I suggest that we operate under a new symbol. That's why I've prepared this..." He reveals the Crest of Flames banner to his allies. "You may recognize it as the Crest of Flames, which resides in Teach. The phantom Crest that has reappeared after more than 1,000 years. We're attempting our own miracle, so it seems like a suitable symbol for us. So... Until we welcome the dawn of a new age in Fódlan... Let's fight to the very end, as one, under the symbol of the Crest of Flames!"

"Impressive, Claude. Forget restoring the monastery. You've somehow roped everyone into fighting back against the Empire!" Hilda chanted.

"If you recall, I never asked anyone to join us. If anything, we have Teach's achievements to thank. Now that you mention it, I guess I should express my gratitude."

After the brief chat, Claude left Presea with Hilda and Marianne as he searched for the one person missing from the meeting-Byleth. He wondered where the professor went and decided to search the Goddess Tower. Walking up the spiral stairwell, he found the person he'd been seeking. "Hey, friend. So this is where you've been. Without you, the knights never would have joined our cause. I could never pay you back for that."

Byleth turned around at the sound of Claude's voice and replied with a simple, "Let's do our best."

"Just leave it to me, Teach. When this fight is over, I plan to see all of my dreams come to fruition, and yours as well."

Curious, Byleth asked, "What are you dreams, Claude?"

Claude glances out the window as he answered the question. "Well, for example...to bust open Fódlan's Throat. There's a massive fortress there, which is responsible for protecting the eastern border of the Alliance. I like to think of it as a lid on a bottle. The people of Fódlan only know a small part of the world. Their prejudices are born because they don't know what lies beyond their borders. And the opposite is true too. Those outside of Fódlan don't know about this place. Ignorance breeds discrimination. Whether you look inside the bottle or outside of it... If you really look, all you find are people who you can get along with, if you only try. That's why I wanna bust open that lid, which is keeping us locked inside. Or destroy the bottle entirely."

"Are you going to tell our allies about this?"

"I'll find the right time to bring it up. Even if I talked about it now, it doesn't seem realistic, does it?" Then, Claude pulls out a silver ring with gold and blue diamonds in the shape of a flower. "There's also one more important thing I want to do."

Byleth glances at the beautiful ring, his eyes widening when recognizing what it was. "Is that...?"

He nodded with a smile. "You know it. It's an engagement ring. My grandfather gave it to me before he passed away. When the time's right, I want to propose to Presea. But first, we need to defeat the Empire and restore peace to..." Claude's voice trailed off when he heard someone running up the stairs. He hummed in confusion at the resounding echo of footsteps. "Huh?"

Leonie appears from the stairwell and shouts out to the two. "Professor! Claude! We're under attack!"

Claude promptly slid the ring back into his pocket. "I guess we'll have to cut our conversation short. What's going on, Leonie?"

"It's a small group, but some Imperial troops are headed this way. It looks like they were stationed nearby," she informed.

"I got to hand it to Edelgard. Nothing gets past that woman."

"Let's take them down," Byleth proclaimed.

Leonie nodded with a smirk. "All right! I'll show you how much I've improved, Professor!"

"This will be our first battle alongside the Knights of Seiros. Let's kick off our new partnership with a magnificent victory!" Claude declared.

The trio left the Goddess Tower and rendezvoused with the other Golden Deer and the Knights of Seiros on the outskirts of Garreg Mach. From their vantage point, they could see the imperial vanguard approaching. Among them was their leader, General Randolph.

"Edelgard's connections must reach rather far if she knows we're here already," Presea commented as the vanguard closed in on Garreg Mach. "And her forces have significantly increased in the past five years."

"We can handle them," Claude confidently replied while glancing in her direction. "I do have one question for you, though."

"And what's that?" She arched a brow in curiosity.

"How rusty's your magic?"

She smirked. "Not even a little. I've learned a few new tricks in the past five years."

"Oh, really?" His eyes gleamed with excitement. "Care to demonstrate any new schemes you have hidden up your sleeve?"

"With pleasure. But first, I'm going to need you and the others to lure them a little closer. Make them believe they're pushing us back. I'll be able to cut down their numbers significantly."

"I think we can handle that." Claude turned his gaze from her to the others. "You heard her. Let's lure them in with some amazing acting."

Presea watched as her friends departed with their weapons at the ready. She couldn't tear her eyes away from them as the imperial vanguard took the bait and soon were closing in on her current position. Her fingers twitched in anticipation while continuing to spectate the battle from her perch. When seeing the enemy falling for her friends' tactics, she prepped her spell to wipe out the gullible ones among the ranks of the vanguard.

Once the Golden Deer lured a third of the imperial vanguard to where she instructed, Presea held out her hands as they illuminated with a golden brilliance. Golden spikes formed around her body, focusing their sharp and deadly tips toward the assailants. Once her aim was perfect, she waved her hands and sent the spikes flying through the air. They impaled their intended targets, killing them instantly.

When the large portion of the vanguard was wiped out, Claude rose the Crest of Flames banner as reinforcements entered the battle to prepare the next phase of the plan. "Now's when we fight fire against well...actual fire." He then shouted to his allies, "Allied soldiers are making preparations for the plan. Protect them!"

Presea hopped down from the safety of her perch and joined the fray. The moment she set her sights on a small group of imperial soldiers targeting the church's reinforcements, she transformed and stood in their way. She dragged her sharp claws through the dirt and lowered her body to the ground in order to intimidate the enemy. Her tactic was successful when the soldiers turned their attention towards her and raised their weapons as they charged forward. Using her multiple tails, she snatched them up and threw them across the way and into another group of soldiers. She watched in satisfaction as the adversaries started falling like dominos.

Lorenz, Raphael, Lysithea, and Ignatz took advantage of the downed soldiers and attacked. They were able to wipe the soldiers out before focusing their efforts on protecting the reinforcements.

Claude, Byleth, Leonie, Marianne, and Hilda focused their efforts on keeping the vanguard away from the reinforcements by killing any soldiers that came too close to their allies. Presea used a combination of spells to heal her friends and protect them during battle.

After struggling against the large number of imperial soldiers, the reinforcements reached their destination safely and immediately began prepping the counter attack. Claude checked in on the Knights of Seiros' progress on priming the fire attack and happily announced to his friends, "We're prepared for the fire attack. Now we just need to draw the enemy's attention." He then flew toward General Randolph and began taunting him. "You can't defeat us with that many soldiers? The Imperial army is doomed without a capable general!"

"Quiet! Don't think you'll get away with mocking me!" The general hissed. He looked to his forces and issued a command. "Attack! Make sure they never speak again!"

The imperial vanguard charged forward with their weapons raised high and a mighty battlecry. Claude quickly escapes their range thanks to Albus and watched the soldiers closely. Once they entered the fire's range, he shouted, "Now!"

Fire erupts from underneath the troops' feet, burning all of them and killing off another large section of the vanguard. Their burnt bodies toppled to the ground before vanishing.

Seeing his loyal soldiers had been burnt to a crisp and realizing how many of them were dead, General Randolph gaped at the gruesome sight before announcing his next command. "Argh, a fire attack... The damage is too great. We can't fight anymore! All units, retreat! I'll take on our pursuers! Carry away the injured soldiers!"

Claude, after killing another soldier, noticed the vanguard was trying to make a quick retreat. "If we let them escape, they'll come back to attack later. We have to take them out!"

Without hesitation, Presea used an ice spell to create ice walls between the soldiers and their exit points. Lorenz was impressed by the Pterolykos' quick thinking and expressed his astonishment. "Well done, Presea."

The imperial vanguard, after seeing their escape routes blocked off by ice, searched for another exit. Their desperation to find a way out caused their defenses to lower and their attacks to become sloppy. This made it easy for the Knights of Seiros and the Golden Deer to cut the enemy down and reduce their numbers significantly.

When seeing most of his soldiers were dead, General Randolph gathered his remaining troops and decided to face their adversaries. "A total loss... But we can't just return home like this..." He set his sight on Byleth and headed straight for him with his soldiers on his heels.

Claude's eyes widen when seeing who was the general's target. "Teach, look out! They're after your head!"

Byleth maneuvered around the battlefield skillfully in order for his students to take out the soldiers one by one. By the time General Randolph reaches the professor, he was the only imperial trooper remaining. Though he was all alone, that didn't deter him from attacking. "For my house! For justice! I will not be defeated!"

Wielding the Sword of the Creator, Byleth clashes blades with the general. The professor was clearly more skilled than Randolph as he easily pushed him back. The general was quickly losing ground and knew he stood no chance against Byleth, but he continued to fight with all his might.

However, General Randolph was soon defeated by Byleth. He cried out as the Sword of the Creator impales his abdomen. The professor yanked the blade out of his body and watched him crumple to the ground. The general stared up at the sky as he muttered weakly, "Mother... Fleche... I'm so..." Before he could finish his thought, his world turned dark and his heart ceased to beat.

Seeing the imperial vanguard was wiped out, Claude sighed, "Those Imperial troops are really something. Looks like we'll face a lot of resistance in the future."

Presea reverted back to her human self and joined the others as they discussed their recent victory. She stood next to Claude as he huffed out an exhausted sigh. "Phew! Nice work. We won without much incident, thanks to all of you."

"I don't think the Empire will leave us alone now. What do you plan to do?" A knight questioned.

"I intend to ask the Alliance lords to share some troops with us to bolster our forces."

"I will speak plainly. No matter whom we beseech for reinforcements, our envoys will inevitably pass through Gloucester territory. My father is being cautious not to give the Empire a pretext to intervene. Therefore, he is unlikely to allow even envoys to pass through," Lorenz explains.

"Why not request reinforcements from the Kingdom?" Byleth proposed.

A grave expression manifested on Claude's face. "Ah... I guess I haven't told you yet, Teach. The Kingdom isn't in a position to be sending any reinforcements. After losing King Lambert during the Tragedy of Duscur, a Regent had been handling its politics. But then... There was a bloody coup. The Regent and Prince Dimitri both... Apparently the whole family was killed. All Blaiddyd territory, including the Kingdom capital, is being ruled by those who are cooperating with the Empire. The Kingdom is no more. It's not called the Faerghus Dukedom. The vast majority of the former Kingdom lords bent a knee to the overwhelming power of the Empire and the Dukedom, and now fall under their jurisdiction."

Presea's eyes widen in bewilderment. "The Kingdom of Faerghus has fallen...?"

Claude nodded. "Morosely, yes. But there are some who formerly held power who are continuing to resist, but it would be difficult for them to regain it."

She casted her melancholic expression toward the ground. "I see..."

Hilda suddenly perked up as she shouted, "Oh, hey! I can think of one person who we can ask for reinforcements. Someone whose territory is really close, and who's on good terms with Claude..."

"Ah! The Hero of Daphnel, I presume?" Lysithea asked.

"I've seen her before, and she does seem to be reliable," Leonie commented.

"You're talking about Judith, right? I bet she would lend us a hand..." Marianne chimed in.

"She seems strong," Byleth stated.

Claude smiled, "That's right, you've met her once before, Teach. She's a fearsome one-woman army. She did a lot for me and Presea, even before I was recognized as the heir to House Riegan. I don't like the idea of owing her more than I already do, but given the situation, sacrifices must be made. I'll reach out to her. As for the rest of you, prepare for our next battle."

<---------------<<<<<

A few hours ticked by and Presea headed to the Knights' Hall once catching a glimpse of Claude and Byleth enter. Wondering what the two were doing, she quietly followed them and hid once she overheard them talking to each other.

"Heya, Teach. How are you feeling? Does anything feel, um...strange at all?" Claude inquired.

"To be honest, I feel a bit sluggish," Byleth confessed.

"Well, you were asleep for five whole years, after all. And thanks to Presea, you didn't have to worry about being robbed or killed while you were unconscious. It'll probably take time to get you back to top form.
Though I'm relieved to see you haven't lost a step as far as combat goes. Your command and her spells bring my schemes to life... That's just how we fight best."

"Any word from Judith?" The professor asked.

He shook his head. "Not yet, but there's no need to worry. That woman adores me and don't get me started on how much she loves Presea. Once we've bolstered our forces, it'll finally be time to start taking decisive action. But I wonder... Do you really think Rhea is still alive?"

"She's alive," Byleth responded confidently.

"I think so too. It's hard to imagine the death of someone as important as her staying a secret. I wonder where she is and what she's doing..."

"Do you hope she's dead?"

"That's a dangerous question, Teach. To be honest, I've given it a lot of thought. All I know is that I still have a lot of questions I need to ask her. We know about the true history of the Crest Stones and Heroes' Relics. We even know the existence of Acheron. But we still don't know the truth behind the legend of Seiros and Nemesis. Rhea has secrets. Too many of them for my comfort. Considering the state of the world...it's suspicious. You must be curious about what was done to you and what her plans were for you when she placed the Crest of Flames within you, right? And you never did learn about your mother, did you? None of our doubts will ever be clear unless we hear these answers from Rhea herself. In that sense, I absolutely hope Rhea is still alive. But as far as Fódlan goes, I do wonder what a world without Rhea would look like."

Byleth's brows scrunched up in confusion. "A world without Rhea?"

"The majority of people in Fódlan believe in the Seiros faith that Rhea preaches. That's why they accept the noble system as if it were the only option, and refuse to associate with those who believe in anything else. That closed-minded philosophy is the reason why Fódlan's Throat is locked tight. But if you remove the archbishop who strictly advocates that doctrine, that world view is no longer absolute. There's room for free thought. The leadership of the church would undoubtedly fall to you, and you would hold the power to change the shape of the faith. Of the world. Then, for the first time, people would truly be free to think for themselves. To decide what's right, and what's wrong. Honestly, I believe Edelgard is probably hoping to achieve something very similar. But her methods require too much bloodshed. That's not something the world can get behind. Anyway... The best thing we can do is find Rhea and hear what she has to say." Claude fell silent for a few seconds when realizing how long he'd been talking. "Heh, oops... I guess I've been going on for a while now. Sorry about that. You should get some rest."

Presea remained hidden as Claude left. She bit down on the tip of her thumbnail as she recalled all the information Rhea had shared with her. That's when she noticed how she failed to tell Byleth and Claude everything she knew. She had only told the Crest of Flames was housed within the professor and that it gave him life. She failed to mention why Lady Rhea did such an act and how his mother was involved. Deciding to remain silent for the time being, she left the Knights' Hall and decided to rest.