#fire emblem 15

[rainbowdonkee]

Full art for Ferdinand - Highborn Sipper

Artist: Sainosuke

[bomb0some0dodongos]

Because Alm's birthmark is depicted on his hand in Echoes, at first, I instinctively translated the novel to match. ...However, Ozaki-sensei very clearly uses the word "arm" when describing its location on his body. And it didn't click that I was doing something wrong until I got to book 2, and there's a whole piece of art that was made to show exactly where it is on his arm.

One of the tricky parts of translation is to not let your brain turn on auto-fill!! You're never too good or experienced not to do it.

(I'm mostly making this post so I can remember later to go back and fix book 1's translation.)

...I also just learned that the localization translates aza to "Brand." That might be something I go back and change, too. I really should have read the localized Echoes script and taken detailed notes before I started translating the novel, lol.

[manaketechar]

※ Permission to upload this work was granted by the artist.

外・・・伝・・・！！by てちとに

[cosmicnovaflare]

Mila from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

[four-loose-screws]

FE2 Novelization Translation - Cover and Book Intro Pages

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

New year, time for another new FE novelization translation!

2024's novel of focus is that of FE2, the original game Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia was a remake of. Enjoy reading this take on the same exact plot, ~25 years prior!

Cover

Fire Emblem Gaiden

The Zofian Liberation War

Book 1

STORY

The continent of Valentia is divided between the north and the south, as well as their beliefs in War Father Duma and Earth Mother Mila. While the Kingdom of Zofia is ruled with kindness and compassion, the Rigelian Empire believes in raising its citizens to be prepared for war. Their hostility towards each other has finally pulled them into a vicious war. Units from both sides spill each other’s blood, fighting for their god and loyalty to their homeland each and every day, with no end in sight…

The protagonists of this tale are Alm, Celica, and countless other young units. They all wish for Valentia to be unified, but differ in how they want that outcome to be reached. And so, a grand tale of love and hate is about to unfold!

-

Written by Katsuyuki Ozaki

Cover Illustration by Ichiro ?*

Cover Design by Kazuo Hiroi (WIDE)**

*T/N: I cannot find the Kanji character in this person’s last name anywhere to confirm its reading.

**T/N: First name could also be ‘Ichio’ or ‘Itsuo.’ I cannot find any record of this person online, so I cannot confirm the correct reading of their name. Their nickname is ‘WIDE’ because their last name, ‘hiroi,’ is the Japanese word for wide.

Published by Futabasha

Author’s Profile

Katsuyuki Ozaki

An up-and-coming author also working as a copywriter. His major works include “Valkyrie no Densetsu,” “F-Zero,” “Zelda II: The Adventure of Link,” and many more, all published by Futabasha. He has also written for other strategy guide series. His hobbies include golf, cars, and computer games. He is of course also passionate about Fire Emblem, and has completed all of the games so far. He poured all of his love for the series into writing these two books without rest!

Front:

Alm and Celica each set out on their own journey to forge!

This is the epic adventure of this young man and woman!!

The stage unfolds on a Valentia in chaos in this epic tale of love, blood, and war!

-

Back:

Ad for Book 2.

Ad for a Shin Megami Tensei novelization.

Color Art

A necrodragon was here. In Zofia. When she realized exactly what that meant, Celica was petrified in horror. Earth Mother Mila had lost all power over Zofia.

Title Page

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Deliverance

The Six Resurrection Pills

Alm’s Awakening

The Mysterious Girl Silque

Chapter 2: Mila’s Restoration Army

Celica Embarks on Her Journey

The Ruffian Saber

The Necrodragon’s Trial

Chapter 3: To Zofia Castle

Rescuing Clair

The Night Before Storming Zofia Castle

Cliff’s Gambit

Chapter 4: The Red Haired Woman

The Port Town Tavern

Differing Paths

Chapter 5: To Mila’s Shrine

The Sisters from Archanea

Blake, Wielder of the Shadow Sword

Royal Bloodline

Desert Army

Princess Anthiese

Chapter 6: The Newly Reborn Kingdom of Zofia

His name is Zeke

Cross-Shaped Birthmark

Collapse and Liberation

The Throne Bathed in Light

Epilogue

-

Illustrations: Ichiro ?* & Kazuo Hiroi (WIDE)**

*T/N: I cannot find the Kanji character in this person’s last name anywhere to confirm its reading.

**T/N: First name could also be ‘Ichio’ or ‘Itsuo.’ I cannot find any record of this person online, so I cannot confirm the correct reading of their name. Their nickname is ‘WIDE’ because their last name, ‘hiroi,’ is the Japanese word for wide.

Book design: Yusuke Matsuoka (NEXT)

Editing & printing: Rekkasha

Character Introductions

Alm’s Army

Robin: A Villager who grew up with Alm in Ram Village. He later transcends to become an Archer.

Silque / Shilk: A Cleric in service to the goddess Mila. She specializes in healing magic.

Cliff / Klihs: A Villager from Ram Village. He later transcends to become a Mage, specializing in long range combat magic.

Delthea: A female Mage who has fallen into Rigel’s hands by Tatarrah’s magic. She wields the Aura tome.

Luthier: He decides to join forces with Alm to lead his younger sister Delthea’s fate down a righteous path. A mage with a tragic past.

Mycen: A former unit of the Knights of Zofia, transcended to one of the highest level classes, Gold Knight.

Python: An Archer prodigy whose short-temper is as great as his skills with a bow.

Clair: A Pegasus Knight who was granted the ability to fly a pegasus by the two gods. Clive’s younger sister.

Forsyth: A soldier who’s greatest skill is his ability to calmly make decisions in the heat of battle.

Mathilda: An exceptionally talented female Cavalier. She possesses both a brave soul and bewitching beauty.

Tatiana: A Saint captured by Nuibaba. Zeke’s beloved.

Clive: A Cavalier and the leader of the young surviving units of the Knights of Zofia.

Zeke: A mysterious Gold Knight who has lost his memory. He serves Alm under Emperor Rudolf’s orders.

Lukas: A hot-blooded soldier who wields his lance like lightning.

Alm: A fighter raised by Zofia’s hero Mycen, and the protagonist of this story. He is a boy with a grand fate!

Gray: A Villager from Ram Village. He later transcends into a Cavalier.

[nowis-scales]

Was poking around the Instagram page I have where I talk about games and stuff, and realized I made this little collection that could be fun to cross post here. So without further a do…

This is a “supports I would have liked to see in Echoes” list!

TEXT ON IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

Clair & Tobin

While I love the hilarity of Gray and Tobin competing for Clair’s attention as it becomes increasingly clear that Tobin… probably isn’t as into girls as he thinks he is, it does kind of seem odd that this relationship between the two of them is established without him having any real interaction with Clair. I mean, he even scolds Gray for the way he’s thinking about Clair before they even rescue her. So why not give Clair and Tobin an opportunity to interact? It would make more sense for their proposed relationship, and I think even if they don’t end up with any sort of romantic ending, it would be nice to see them forming some sort of meaningful relationship to supplement the canon Gray/Clair endings or the fan-beloved Gray/Tobin endings.

TEXT ON IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

Faye & Celica

If you don’t recruit Faye and Kliff as Alm, you can actually return to Ram Village and recruit them as Celica. What’s especially sweet about it is that, in spite of Faye’s affection for Alm and apparent jealousy at the beginning of the game when everyone is young, Faye is actually delighted to see Celica again after all these years. Since so many of Faye’s existing supports are Alm-centric, I would love to see a support conversation where she deals with her conflicting emotions surrounding Alm and Celica. She still clearly cares about Celica as her friend, but as Celica also loves Alm, she would be forced to confront what matters most to her. Can she have both? If so, how? I feel as if it would humanize Faye a lot more, and give her something a little bit more to work with as a character.

TEXT ON IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

Genny & Mae, Celica, and Boey

Not just Mae — Celica or Boey will do, too! It hurts me that Genny is the one character from this little foursome that has no additional support conversations with them. Why should she be left out?! She’s so sweet, too! I hope that she never felt left out when all of them were hanging out together over the years… So I’d really have loved for her to have a support or two where we got to see the nuances of her connection with everyone, how things came to be for her and them, and what she was doing when she found them. I’d love to see her gentle side match up alongside Celica’s, or maybe her shyness paired against Mae’s bounce, or maybe how she admires Boey’s steadfastness. Any of these would add a lot more power to the relationship between the group, and would be really strong!

TEXT ON IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

Valbar & Kamui

So we know why Leon hangs around Valbar, right? I may not have gotten to that point in their supports yet, but I can’t help but wonder why we don’t really get to hear why Kamui follows Valbar. What’s their relationship like? Why have they decided to travel together? They should be an important part of each other’s lives in some way, and even if their dynamic does include Leon, it’s nice to see how the two of them are informed of it otherwise. Even if the two aren’t particularly close, I would love to see them taking the time to learn new things about each other, and starting to recognize the other more for the man that he is. I just think it’d be really interesting to have the whole trio in on things, you know?

TEXT ON IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

Clair & Mathilda

That’s her sister-in-law!! How are they going to be canonically in-laws and have no supports? The fact that this is even a thing upsets me greatly. Considering the age gap between Clair and Clive, and the fact that they can’t support either, you could argue that the two of them just aren’t close. As a result, Clair and Mathilda don’t really know each other that well or haven’t had the opportunity… but at the same time, why wouldn’t they want to? They’re both family now, and according to Silque’s words in her support with Faye, there aren’t too many women fighting in the Deliverance. Wouldn’t Mathilda be a strong figure for Clair to look up to, especially with the way Clive talks about her? And wouldn’t Clair be someone that Mathilda would want to look out for, as another young woman in the war? I just feel like not giving these two a support is SUCH a missed opportunity.

TEXT ON IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

The Pegasus Sisters & Literally Anyone Other Than Each Other

Don’t get me wrong. The Pegasus Sisters all have supports with each other is really important — nothing bothers me more than when clear family supports are missed — but I’d have liked to see how the Pegasus sisters have their personalities measured up against any of the other characters in Celica’s army. Do Est and Mae connect over their cheerful demeanour? Celica and Catria over their feelings of love and longing? Palla and Conrad over the protective role they share over their younger sisters? Again, I feel like it would just be something that really enriches their characters, and so I’d have really liked to see one between them and some of the other units.

TEXT ON IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

Genny & Saber

I often hear and see it joked about that if Lukas is the babysitter to Alm and friends, then Saber is that to Celica and friends. And I agree, but I would love to see that in so much more of its entirety, because you can tell that he progressively grows to give a damn about what happens to these crazy kids. He’s always got Celica’s back when she needs it, and all she’s done initially is pay him. That’s why I think it would be really funny for him to have a support with Genny, because she’s one of the crew and she has a really sweet demeanour. She’s not afraid of a fight, and I think Saber would like that about her, and I could see the two of them having a sort of playful, uncle-niece relationship where he teaches her the right way to get in trouble. It would just be really silly and cute, and that’s why I’d like to see it. Pretty simple for this one!

TEXT ON IMAGE DESCRIPTION:

Alm & Lukas

Alm’s a very impulsive person, and Lukas seems much more chill in comparison. However, Lukas can and does express a more cut throat attitude, and I think it’s quite interesting to think about how it would be measured up against someone like Alm. He mentions seeing himself as sort of a teacher to Alm and friends, so it would be intriguing for the game to consider what kind of an influence Lukas has on them. How does his calm nature influence things, and how does his willingness to fight back do the same? What does this teach Alm? And in the reverse, is he learning anything from Alm? It could be an interesting confrontation of each man’s morality, which can always be fun to explore in a Fire Emblem game. That’s why I think it’d be really great to see what these two could have to say to one another.

[hapigairu]

Temporary character tier list for Fire Emblem Echoes

I'll probably change my mind in a few days, then change my mind again later, so...

[midgardianqueenreturns]

Does anyone know Takumi and Oboro’s ship name?

[urfavisproship]

Gray from Fire Emblem is Proship!

Antis DNI

[vibrantpuppeteer]

So...

We did a thing.

Before you roast us alive, let us explain "S T I N K Y" tier.

It consists of, in order:

An asshole

A sassy, lost child Promoted to Very Cool tier after reading the wiki.

Worst dad

Her only support is bro-con/sis-con, ew

A womanizer

And you might ask "If Virion goes there, why not Sylvain?". Our answer: Sylvain just wants someone who loves him for who he is.

[omgkalyppso]

Inspired by this dragon age version.

Hubert's window is closed and he goes to the wc any time Edelgard wants to look outside. Claude (bothering everyone), Holst (bothering Hilda) and Dorothea (talking to Petra, checking in on Bernie) are never in their seats.

[jagalart]

Hue 15

I feel I don't say this enough, but I absolutely love to draw fanart related commissions - especially when it's a franchise I really like too :D I was lucky to work on a few pieces like these this year, including this one - so thank you soooo much again for this, @havranil :D It was a wonderful gift both for your friend and me as well! XD

Hanneman is the best design in all of FE:3H, period.

[bomb0some0dodongos]

I never bothered to buy a North American copy of Echoes back upon release, because I was living in Japan at the time, and knew Japanese plenty well enough by that point. I didn't need the assistance of an English playthrough to understand everything going on.

But now I'm translating the FE2 novel, and as much as I could read the game script online to learn all of the localized names and terms, it's pretty boring to read a game script totally detached from its game, so I couldn't bring myself to do it. Plus the scripts posted online won't include every little menu detail, and things like that.

Then one day a few months ago, I saw that copies of Echoes still go for a reasonable price, and picked one up. And now I've dusted off my trusty old Awakening-themed NA-region 3DS and started a playthrough!

I'm taking notes on localized terms and names as I go, and will revise the FE2 novel at some point where needed.

Impressions of returning to the 3DS in general: Thanks to the Switch and its vast library, and my investing in a Steam Deck, I haven't touched my 3DS in years. It took some getting used to tiny screens and lower resolution again, but once I did, I realized... I miss REAL handheld systems so much!! T~T The 3DS fits in most small bags and pockets... and isn't too heavy or awkward to hold for extended periods of time... I miss this feeling so much. The Switch and Steam Deck are amazing in their own right, but are really just a console and a PC masquerading as handhelds, in the opinion of my tiny little hands. Definitely going to find myself returning to the 3DS and my older handhelds more often.

Impressions of the localization: Currently, I am just playing the game through and ignoring the Japanese script. I wanted to see what the localization is like in its own vacuum. The script is so much fun! It feels like a lot of effort went into each and every line of dialogue and word choice, to give everyone a distinct personality no matter how brief their time on screen is. It really enhances the overall experience and fun of playing the game.

[chiisanajimi]

baby chrobin feh banner got me thinking about this arranged marriage au i made years ago and never wrote

(if it's not clear, f!chrobin are publicly betrothed and they are good friends but m!chrobin is the endgame ship)

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

.

[four-loose-screws]

FE2 Novelization Translation - Book 2 Chapter 2 Part 3

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

FE Game Script Translations - FE Novel Translations - Original FE Support Conversations

If you are interested in donating to support my work, please check out my Ko-fi here. Thank you!

———————————

Chapter 2: Battle at the Border

Part 3: Zeke, The Golden General

Upon receiving the news of Tatarrah’s defeat, Rigel’s border guard was forced to pull their main force roughly half a day’s distance away from the gorge, and into the Rigel Plains. Now that Alm’s army, understood to lack any spellcasting Units, had defeated Tatarrah’s Witch army and captured the sluice, the only conclusion the border guard could reach was that the Newly Reborn Knights of Zofia were far stronger than their current intel and analyses had led them to believe.

The general of the border guard, Gold Knight Jerome, set up a new camp on the plains. Alm had finally crossed the border into Rigel, so to intercept Zofia’s march, he deployed two of the border guard’s divisions on the front line. The first group was a combination of Witches and swordfighters led by a Gold Knight named Seazas, and the second was a group of spellcasters led by a Dread Fighter named Xaizor.

If they could keep the Knights at bay, that would be a huge boon, but Jerome really did not have such high hopes for them. They were meant to be pawns sacrificed to gauge the strength of Alm’s army. If Jerome could analyze just how powerful they were, then it would make the rest of the border guard’s job much easier.

Jerome was so strong because of this cruelty. He used people as sacrifices without even batting an eye. That was why he was so high in Rudolf’s favor, and chosen to be general of the border guard. However, the one thing Rudolf misjudged was the true reason why he was so cruel. It was not at all for his country, but because he was seeking a promotion. The second reason why he deployed Seazas and Xaizor was for them to lay down the foundation for his army to claim all the glory.

Jerome was currently in the central area of the border guard’s camp, warming his battle scarred face and earless head by the fire, its glow making him look like a red demon. The report he was expecting was late, and so he started tapping his foot, as he always did when he became impatient. As he glanced up from the fire, he saw a face that made him sick just at the mere sight of it, that of the Golden General Zeke.

He was a Gold Knight, and the second in command of the border guard. His luscious golden hair fell in waves from his head, and his pale, smooth cheeks had not a scar on them, despite his decorated combat history. His deep, black eyes were more befitting of a goddess than a man, contrasting his otherwise masculine beauty. 

Though Jerome had insisted it was unnecessary for him to have a second-in-command to support him, Rudolf personally picked Zeke for the role, as one of his strongest and most reliable knights. Jerome thought of him as nothing more than an obstacle in the way of his chances at a promotion.

The two generals sat on opposing ends of the fire, speaking not a word to each other, until a third figure approached them. He was the messenger soldier Jerome was waiting for, coming to tell them that Seazas and Xaizor had fallen.

“A mage has joined Zofia’s ranks. She can cast Aura.” The messenger whispered in Jerome’s ear.

“So Delthea has betrayed us, as expected. Looks like Tatarrah’s possession magic was not that strong after all.” Jerome muttered as he stood up, and motioned to the messenger that he could leave. “Only a fool among fools would believe that a person can be controlled through magic. The only true way to do so is through fear. Don’t you think so too, Zeke?” Jerome asked.

But Zeke did not look up, instead continuing to stare into the fire.

“You scared with your tail between your legs again, just like you were when you shamelessly withdrew from Desaix’s stronghold? I was shocked to hear that the Golden General was afraid of someone the likes of Alm.”

Zeke had already fought Alm once. When Chancellor Desaix of Zofia, who had plotted an insurrection and killed his king, was about to fall to Alm’s army on the shores near his stronghold, Zeke and his forces were deployed as his reinforcements. While Zeke had the upper hand, he was unable to land the final blow.

And that was all because he had seen the cross-shaped Brand on Alm’s right arm. It was the symbol that reminded him of Emperor Rudolf’s absolute order.

The person with the Brand was his true lord he must serve. He could never forget the exact words Rudolf spoke to him. “From the moment you meet them, you must not hesitate to devote yourself to them.” And it turned out that person was none other than Alm himself, the newly crowned king of Zofia, and general of its Knights.

Zeke was deeply loyal to the emperor, but this was the one order he could not immediately decide to follow. Rudolf told him he mustn't hesitate, but this person was the enemy general. Following this order meant he would utterly betray his lord. But to not obey would be disloyal to his lord.

Unable to determine his emperor’s true intentions, Zeke ordered his army to retreat. While he did so at first because he failed to save Desaix and win the battle against Zofia, though no one else knew it, it was more so because he did not know what other option there was for him to choose.

“I’m going to give you one last chance.” Jerome said as he pursed his lips. “I won’t tell you to kill Alm. Your army did not defeat him then, and I have no expectation that you will do so this time either.” His voice was filled with utter contempt. 

Zeke bit his lip, but still uttered a growl because he was so angry, he could not hold it back.

Jerome did not seem to notice, as he continued, “Listen up. You will focus only on Delthea. Do not get greedy and try to take out two or three of their other little vermin. Not until you and your knights have done everything you can to take her out first, at least. Even if it costs you your life!” He paused for a moment to cackle loudly. “Once they no longer have Aura, the rest will be easy. My knights will fulfill your dying wish. They will kill Alm, take all the glory, and I will rise to the top! Oh, but don’t worry. Once you’ve died in battle, I will personally ask Emperor Rudolf to posthumously grant you a promotion to the highest rank in honor of your great sacrifice!”

Zeke had never before witnessed such absurdity and inhumanity in all his life. The border defense force already no longer served Rigel, instead, it did not hesitate to support Jerome’s personal interests. While he was their sub-commander, all he could do was bite his lip and withstand Jerome’s violent words.

Jerome then said, “And I promise that when you sacrifice yourself to be my pawn, I will set Tatiana free. In lieu of placing flowers on your grave, I will undo her ropes!”

To force Zeke to follow his every order, Jerome had taken Zeke’s beloved hostage, a Saint named Tatiana. But his ultimate goal was to see Zeke dead.

-

“Trust me with your lives. We will deploy immediately.” Zeke said, and his Paladin army followed him without hesitation. First they had to fight as Desaix’s reinforcements, and now, they had to intercept the Knights of Zofia’s march through Rigel. And there was no sign of Jerome’s army either time, which did not feel right at all. And though they tried not to eavesdrop into Jerome’s matters, everything they heard him say was unbefitting of a knight. Yet because Zeke was their general, they still accepted every single command he gave them the moment he spoke the words from his mouth, proving time and time again that they were truly first-rate knights of Valentia.

Still, when Zeke turned around, he could feel the heat of their exceptionally angry stares on his back, each of them pleading with him.

‘Why do you let someone like Jerome get away with saying whatever he wants?’

‘If you wish for us to kill him, then we are more than ready to do so.’

It was obvious that his soldiers were waiting for him to announce that he was going to revolt against Jerome. Not that it was ever necessary at all for him to pick up on how they felt. Deep down, no one wanted to kill Jerome more than Zeke himself.

But he could never say those words aloud. He could not order his knights to turn against Jerome.

Was he worried about Tatiania? It was clear that he was still deeply in love with her. But those were his personal feelings. And if his reason was his worry for sending out his army alone to a dangerous battlefield where an Aura spellcaster awaited them, then he would be nothing more than an overly-sentimental person.

Tatiana’s safety was not on his mind at all at that moment. If his love for her ever got in the way of his duty, he was fully prepared to throw it all away. He was a knight and a commanding officer above all else.

Zeke’s true worry was the future of his knights. He had already decided that when the time came, he should be prepared to fully prove his loyalty to Rudolf by serving Alm. That was the final conclusion he came to after spending countless nights lying awake thinking about Alm’s Brand.

‘To serve Alm would be to betray Rigel. But to not serve Alm would be to betray Rudolf. To Jerome, Rigel is nothing more than a tool, and Rudolf is the member of the government who confers upon him his promotions. But what about me? What is Rigel to me? What is Emperor Rudolf to me?’

The night he had his realization, Zeke awoke from his sleep and shouted, “I understand everything now! To me, Rigel is Emperor Rudolf. It is foolish to compare betraying Rigel to betraying Emperor Rudolf. I must serve the person with the Brand!”

Following that logic, he could not get his knights involved in his betrayal. They thought of him as a general of Rigel, and had sworn their knightly vows because of their love for their country. 

They were all exemplary knights whose passion to protect Rigel burned brightly. He saw no other option than to return them to Rigel without a single injury, neither to mind nor body. The thought of hostility possibly arising between fellow knights of Rigel solely because of his trifling quarrel with Jerome was cruel beyond words.

As Zeke rocked gently atop the back of his sacred horse, his hand was hidden inside the breast pocket of his uniform, collar securely fastened all the way up to just below his chin, as always. When he opened his clenched fist, it revealed a small, black, perfectly round pill.

The pill was known as a Resurrection Seed. When he swallowed it, he would immediately experience a fake death. Four hours later, he would be reborn, but during that time, he would appear to be truly dead. Flies would even be attracted to his body.

“This is the best path for me to take. Today is the day that Zeke of Rigel will die.” Zeke whispered to himself, and returned the Seed to his pocket. To him alone, the sound of the horses’ hooves echoed in his ears as the footsteps of his funeral procession.

-

The two armies met atop a rocky mountain overlooking the Rigel Plains, creating a scene that could only be described as a composition so beautiful it must have been painted by the heavens themselves. Behind them stretched a deep blue sky without a cloud to be seen, making the outline of every single Unit in each army stand out clearly from their background.

Alm mistook the sand that danced through the air every so often as the scent wafting from Zeke’s hair. 

Zeke interpreted the wind blowing across the mountain’s peak as a chant summoning the gods’ to grant him the fortunes of war.

Until now the Knights had marched as planned, but when Delthea stepped forward and started to draw Aura’s sigil, Alm stopped her and said, “That Gold Knight is mine!”

When they’d fought the first time, Alm learned that Zeke was so strong, it was nearly a miracle. He sensed when they were enemies, but even more so now that he was to be their ally, that this man was his greatest rival. ‘He won that time. His lance pierced my throat. I was sure of it then, and I am even more sure of it now.’ He felt in his gut that he had to decide things between them here and now.

“So we meet again!” Alm said and took a step forward. 

Zeke reacted by tightening his grip around his lance and dismounting his horse. However, he did not take his own step forward. Instead, he called over the Paladin standing next to him, and whispered a few words in his ears.

It was clear to the Knights that Alm’s fight with Zeke would be a one-on-one duel, so they stood at attention far behind him. They watched the Paladin’s eyes widen as Zeke whispered to him, before his face sank in sadness, then finally saying, “Yes, Sir,” before retreating the rest of Zeke’s army to far off in the distance.

The Paladin couldn’t believe the order Zeke had given him. But it was his general’s direct order, so he had to obey it.

Zeke had said to him, “Whatever happens, you must not interfere. This battle will decide, and only decide, whether I defeat them all myself, or they defeat me. If you see me die, then you are to withdraw immediately, return to Rigel Castle, and inform the emperor of my death. He will then assign you to a new general, one even greater than I.”

Zeke fully intended to die here. Due to the paradox of serving the person with the Brand, simultaneously showing both loyalty and disloyalty to Emperor Rudolf, the only possible path for him to take required him to die by Alm’s hand.

And however this fight played out, the Resurrection Seed in his pocket was nothing more than a huge gamble. The moment he died, Zeke would disappear from Rigel. Zeke’s life would come to its end. If he won the gamble, he would be reborn, return to his body, and immediately follow Alm. He would abandon the name Zeke of Rigel, and adopt a new self to vow his loyalty to Alm.

That was the answer he had chosen. It was the only answer that could keep him from betraying Emperor Rudolf, allow his army to return to Rigel, and save Tatiana’s life.

But though that answer appeared to solve all of his current angsts, it did not come without him making a huge sacrifice. In the end, he would still be unable to escape his grief.

Whether he truly died, or even more so if he survived, he was already Alm’s knight. Whether he lived or died, he could never see Tatiana ever again. No matter how much he loved her, she was a citizen of Rigel. It was meaningless for him to wish that he could further reciprocate her love, allow his love to grow, and live together with her. Here and now, he cast her out of his life for good.

The two generals stared at each other for only a moment before Alm leapt into the air. Zeke held his ground, gauging Alm’s attack.

The battle was decided in an instant.

“Why?!” Alm looked down at Zeke’s corpse in utter shock. “Why didn’t you give it your all?!”

Zeke’s corpse was at Alm’s feet. Alm’s sword had sliced open his abdomen, now gushing blood in every direction, as if it did not know where to go, soaking into the boots of everyone around him.