Update #

Update 114: The Lime Knife

♪ Three Crowns ♪

When Claude steps down as its leader, the Leicester Alliance disbands and its lords swear fealty to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. The chaos in the Kingdom begins to dissipate as the people unite under Dimitri's rule.

Riding this momentum, the Kingdom army prepares to march south for a decisive battle against Imperial forces.

It's really just Two Crowns now.

♪ No music ♪

♪ King of Lions ♪

The eastern lords are in the process of consolidating all of the troops within the entire Kingdom. In addition, ever since Arianrhod's liberation, the western lords have been declaring their fealty one after another.

Affairs within the Kingdom have calmed down considerably, and we even managed to win over the Alliance.

Although it was a rough go at first, I'm starting to feel like we could actually win this!

That's true! Thinking back on it now, we've really come a long way.

We even have a lead as to where Rhea is located. It is as we predicted all along. If we are to rescue Rhea, then we must defeat the emperor...

Um, if we're going to march from the monastery to Enbarr, then we'll have to cross the Great Bridge of Myrddin again, right?

Yes, I believe so. As we have gained the Alliance's support, we should not have any trouble this time. After the bridge, we can cross Gronder Field and head south. And then we'll take Merceus, the so-called impregnable fortress that towers on the other side.

An impregnable fortress?

Fort Merceus... I know of it. They say it rivals even Arianrhod.

Count Bergliez, the Empire's Minister of Military Affairs, once had troops stationed there. But according to our spies, a large-scale military force has entered the stronghold. Perhaps they are gathering soldiers from various regions to compensate for their losses.

Should we try to avoid it?

If we try to avoid it, those troops will follow us and attack from the rear. It is best for us to handle the situation head-on.

Once we take Fort Merceus, Enbarr will be within reach. This is the Empire's last chance to stop us from arriving at our goal.

In other words, if we take this fort, then our blades will be at the emperor's throat in no time.

If this is the last fort between us and them, then the emperor will likely do everything she can to strengthen its defenses.

I just received a report on that very subject. The one commanding the troops stationed at Fort Merceus is someone we have crossed blades with many times. It is the Death Knight who awaits us there.

Oh... So that's who we'll be battling... Emile...

A couple of paralogue-based variants in that scene. If you haven't done Dimitri's paralogue, Gilbert's line about the westenr lords is different.

There are still some lords in the west who side with the Empire, but I believe it is only a matter of time before they surrender.

Additionally, Mercedes's lines at the end are only present if you've done her and Caspar's paralogue.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

We built up a support or two during the last battle.

Dimitri/Annette A.

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪

Is this about Gustave again? I have plenty more stories about him, but perhaps it is time for you to speak with him yourself...

Um, it's not about Father this time. This time, I wanted to ask about you.

About me?

I mean, I heard all about Father last time. But I didn't ask about you.

Ah, well... I am afraid there is not much of interest for me to tell you.

Oh, it doesn't have to be funny or interesting! That's not why I'm asking.

It's just that I thought I already knew you, but I'm not sure I really do...

That day when we were reunited at the monastery... I didn't know what to say to you. So I wanted to prepare some of your favorite food. I thought maybe if you ate something that you liked, you'd cheer up a little.

But when I got to the kitchen, I realized I didn't even know what you like to eat.

I see... Well, it's a little hard to say what my favorite is. I just don't really have any strong feelings about food. That said... You're pretty keen on sweet things, right, Annette?

Yes, that's right. I'm at my happiest when I'm digging into a sweet treat. Oh! Did you know there's a famous sweets shop in the capital?

Yes... It often had long lines outside, didn't it? The castle guards often spoke of it.

The sweets were so good... They cost a fortune, but I loved them.

When Father was still around, we all lived as a family in the capital.

Since then, I've had them only a few times. Ahh... How I'd love to taste them again.

Say, Annette... When this war is over, where will you go? I heard that you were close to Baron Dominic back in the academy days.

That's right... But that's not where I think I'd like to go when all of this is over. That's right... But five years ago, my uncle betrayed the Kingdom and went over to the Empire's side. I reconnected with Father. So I'd like to live with my family again, in the capital.

Also, if I'm in the capital, I'll be able to see you from time to time... Right?

Ah, that settles it, then! We'll have to get your father working twice as hard!

Father's at a ripe old age now. I'd appreciate it if you didn't work him too hard!

Oh, of course. I will keep that in mind.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Another soft hint towards Dimitri's ageusia, though his A rank with Flayn remains the only definite mention.

Dimitri/Hapi A.

♪ Recollection and Regret ♪

Oh. Yeah. Good on you for figuring it out. You're a little late though, considering she's dead. How are you feeling about what she said, by the way? You seemed pretty upset at the time. It couldn't have been easy to hear all that stuff about your stepmother and the Tragedy of Duscur.

Whether Cornelia's words prove true or false, any lead is worth following.

Hm. This might not be related, but I remembered something else about your stepmother. She had a daughter. Her daughter was staying in the Kingdom at one point, but Anselma couldn't see her.

Her daughter... Neither my father nor I knew that the Imperial princess was in Fhirdiad at the time.

Oh, that's not what I heard. I heard the king wanted to keep the child away from Anselma.

So he hid the fact that their daughter was nearby.

She believed that Father hid it from her? What could he have gained from such a thing?

No clue. Sorry, but I'm the wrong person to ask.

As she was seeking asylum from the Empire in the Kingdom, Lord Arundel was obligated to hide the Imperial princess's whereabouts. If her location had gone public, the Empire would have demanded her return. She would undoubtedly have become a political pawn in the Kingdom as well. The decision to hide her was not my father's.

I did not realize until much later that the girl I'd met under such strange circumstances was my stepsister.

So then...why did Anselma think that it was all your father's doing?

I can only speculate, but it seems there was a misunderstanding between her and my father. Although she was the queen consort, in truth, my father and stepmother were not even allowed the dignity of being alone together. And the one who persistently inserted herself between them was their intermediary...your captor. It was Cornelia herself.

She hid it from Anselma.

I believe so. Meanwhile, she may have hidden my stepmother's presence from Lord Arundel as well. If Cornelia caused my stepmother to miss out on seeing them, exhorted her, used her, and then also caused the Tragedy... Hmm.

I'm surprised she pulled one over on both of them. She was pretty reckless. But in a way, it makes sense. She loved causing pain. That's why she used me and discarded me without a second thought.

I fully agree. Countless people have been subjected to undue suffering as a result of her behavior. That is why I would like your help with something, if that's agreeable to you. You are my only hope.

If you put it like that, I can't exactly say no, can I?

I wish to learn all that you know about Cornelia. If I follow the traces she left behind, perhaps I can finally learn the truth of the tragedy. And perhaps I'll also be able to find a way to lift the curse she placed upon you...

Oh. That would be...nice.

The people from the church couldn't figure out a solution, so I won't get my hopes up.

That is perhaps for the best. That said, I am a stubborn man who is not often inclined to give up.

I will not allow history to repeat itself. Neither the tragedy, nor your own personal torments.

If you're going to be so intense about this, I can't help but get my hopes up.

But it's not always easy having me by your side. You always need to be on guard.

You have my word. Should a thousand beasts raise their claws at me, I will happily send them running.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Didi.

Heh. Though it might be kinda fun watching you tear those monsters to shreds.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

That support...took me a few re-reads to actually get what was happening. I think it's mostly to backfill some lingering questions, such as "did Edelgard and her mother ever interact during the time Edelgard was in Faerghus," and "was Cornelia fully responsible for the Tragedy of Duscur."

This one's impregnable too, isn't it? Perfect! As soon as we take it, I'll set up a special spot for Bernie!

It's too big to make a good hiding place.

Now that you mention it, I guess it is pretty huge...

Recently he's been doing nothing but work himself to the bone. Even when he's taking breaks from training and errands, he's apparently listening to reports. Day in and day out. He's getting on in years, you know? I just want him to take care of himself...

The same one who was linked to Monica and to Flayn's abduction five years ago. Anyway, he's one of the monsters responsible for Captain Jeralt's death. We have to defeat him!

Wish I'd known that five years ago, but there's nothing we can do about it now. What we can do though is topple the Empire! Will you seize victory with us, Professor? For the sake of the late captain!

You'll be fine if you prepare yourself.

You're right. I'll have to face him eventually.

We must get to the capital as quickly as possible. So many people are worried sick about her...

I do wonder when Claude managed to learn Lady Rhea's whereabouts. He's pretty shrewd. I can't help but admire him.

He was strangely gallant about the whole thing. Even left his Relic behind. Elusive and mysterious to the end, isn't he?

If we can keep up that fervor, perhaps we'll capture Fort Merceus, and move on to the Imperial capital. We must not be overconfident though.

Let's proceed with caution.

Yes, I concur. Humans and beasts are ultimately the same. When they're cornered, they lash out however they can. They fight for their lives. Who knows how the emperor will lash out? We have to be careful.

Edelgard does seem to be getting a bit more unstable as the war draws out. Remember, on the routes we did previously, she was already dead by this point.

Not that I've ever heard anything good about him. Have you ever heard of the Hrym family?

From the Empire?

Correct. Their lands are due south of the Ordelia territory. Since Edelgard's rule, Lord Arundel had been governing the territory. It seems like his reign was particularly cruel. The people there suffered greatly under him. He seemed to be a good and just person at one point. It simply doesn't make sense.

Lysithea said much the same stuff back in the ending to Ferdinand and her's paralogue.

Are you worried?

No, my adoptive father knows how to get by. I'm sure he'll do well for himself in the Kingdom. All of Fódlan is going to change... I suppose I'll have to change with it.

Me? I always knew those two to be like brother and sister. To think that we would come to see this world, where they are at war with one another... I live it, and can still barely imagine such a truth.

Of course.

I am still working through the trauma from back then, all these years later.

If we meet him, I swear I will have my revenge.

The lords of the western Kingdom are beginning to declare fealty to us in greater numbers also.

The Empire is our only remaining enemy.

Are you?

I have already steeled myself as best I can. First we capture Fort Merceus. The fighting will undoubtedly be brutal, but...we must prevail. As far as this army and I are concerned, you're our last ray of hope. We are relying on you.

♪ The Forgotten ♪

I have a pretty good idea of where he went. Where anyone would go in his situation. Somewhere he belongs.

Where did he go?

Heh, good question. Here's a hint... He's probably not in Fódlan anymore. He may be gone, but he left his troubles behind. Now it's on us to clean up his mess.

It is sort of weird that Claude just left us to deal with the remaining business of the Leicester Alliance, huh?

And he just...ran off. The hell?

My family lives in Faerghus. As do my people. I want to avoid exposing them to danger.

Your people?

That's right. Those who work for me and with me. They've entrusted their lives to me. They trust me. So for them, more than anything, I hope we can end this swiftly and give everyone the lives they deserve.

Personally, I find it difficult to get excited about killing people, no matter what side they're on.

I'm on yours. It's that simple. If you fought alongside the Imperial army, so would I.

A very Linhardt way of looking at things.

♪ Scales of the Goddess ♪

Nothing else happened this month, surprisingly! Time for Fort Merceus.

♪ Three Crowns ♪

♪ No music ♪

♪ Anxiety ♪

Perhaps a head-on siege was a foolish plan, after all.

No, you're right that it's the only way. I don't think the Death Knight would have fallen for any tricks. Even if they are denied supplies, they could hold a fortress like this for months. And we cannot discount the possibility that they will receive more reinforcements if our siege is delayed.

Yes, my thoughts exactly. Then we have no option but to do the best we can. Say, Professor... In the past, it seemed like the Death Knight took some strange satisfaction from his fights with you. He's an unpredictable opponent. A dangerous one. Please proceed with caution.

Will you save me if I'm in trouble?

Of course. You were the heart of the Blue Lions, and the same holds true for the Kingdom army.

♪ Calm Winds Over Gentle Waters ♪

I want you to know that no one is forcing you to battle with us at the front lines. I support whatever you decide.

Please, stop. We can't have you saying that.

You and I are the same, after all. We both have to fight our family for the good of the world...

And since that's the way it is, I couldn't live with myself if I was the only one running away from this battle.

I will bring Emile back to his senses. I must. I'm his big sister, after all.

Understood. Stay safe out there, Mercedes.

♪ The Leader's Path ♪

You are finally here... Will death's scythe claim you... Or will I fall to that sword of yours... And Mercedes... Here you are as well...

♪ As Fierce as Fire ♪

...Ah, shit, Linhardt's here.

Some significant new enemies on Maddening, the first in a long while!

Those new lance users near the center, blocking part of the upper area? Those are falcon knights.

Just in general, this map is a complete cluster-fuck. Approaching any part of it is super difficult, there's a whopping four siege weapons—two ballista and two fire orbs—and there are reinforcements that loop until you manage to reach the opposite end of the map.

If you're curious, this run of the map took me over an hour of real-time to complete.

I'm at the point where I have no qualms about exclusively using my best units. Out of everyone I deployed for this map, Dorothea is the only unit I didn't take into the last battle of Azure Moon.

No qualms about using my best weapons, either. You excited to see Bernadetta make use of Failnaught? Me too.

♪ No music ♪

This is going to be a long, drawn-out affair. Just how I like my lategame.

♪ The Leader's Path ♪

Trample them. All save...that man...

Even though we smashed the main gate, Fort Merceus is still an ironclad fortress.

And the enemy commander is the Death Knight. We must not falter in our assault!

I now see why they call this keep impregnable. Everywhere you turn is defensive weaponry. We must capture all of those locations as we push forward. If even one of them takes a shot at you, we will be in trouble.

♪ The Long Road ♪

The deployment positions are very amenable to Stride. Dimitri's the only unit that gets left out of the fun.

Not going to let the fire orb guy get even one attack off. With Stride, Ingrid is just barely able to pull back to where everyone else is, out of the danger zone.

AM Fort Merceus features the return of great knights, who are otherwise very rarely used as enemies.

Dorothea may not be able to one-shot people with Meteor, but the splash damage is quite helpful. She dealt a total of 95 damage there.

Adan's gotten more use out of these aura knuckles than I initially thought he would.

With Stride, Annette can literally reach the horizontal edges of the map from her starting position.

See?

No crits means Ashe burned through four total uses of the brave bow+, but, well, a kill's a kill.

Be really careful with the fire orb users, by the way, they're not to be trifled with. That's not chip damage.

Oh, Dorothea, how I wish you'd get Mag more often...

Dimitri baits out the eastern units. He will be spending a lot of time dealing with the consequences of this.

If you're wondering why I'm playing things cautiously, well, you can see the combined area of the ballista users in yellow on the map.

They've got 35 Str—which, with all of their bonuses and ballista Mt, adds up to 49 Atk when using the ballista. I've got a lot of units who can maybe survive a round with normal enemies, but who would get finished off by ballista hits. I need to go around the ballista users until I can take out at least one of them.

Oh, and don't forget, Poison Strike applies on ballista attacks.

The attack hits, and Dimitri loses a total of 22 HP. Are you seeing why the ballista users are a problem yet?

The attack hits, leaving Ashe at 2 HP.

Oh, and much like Poison Strike applies on ballista hits, Seal Strength still applies with fire orb hits, so Ashe is stuck with -6 Str this turn.

There, that makes going up the left side less dangerous.

Damn.

I have Adan position himself to bait out three magic users. I have him pull out the Chalice of Beginnings so he can at least get some counterattacks in.

I also use the Sothis Shield, for good measure. +7 Res is really good.

...And of course, they all opt for gambits instead.

I don't often show mistakes that aren't deaths but still necessitate using Divine Pulse. This is a good chance to remind you that enemies will not hesitate to use gambits on you if you'd be too good at tanking them.

Leaving units at full HP within the range of the ballista user should be fine, as long as no-one else can attack them.

The attack, of course, hits.

Hits.

This group of magic users moves up, thankfully.

Hell yeah, Ashe.

In the name of justice!

Pure grit!

A disappointing level.

Mercedes hits the all-important level 30.

The monsters on this map are serious business, by the way.

Barrier: Armor tiles reduce damage taken by 50%, but break after two rounds of combat.

Vital Defense: Makes critical hits against this unit's armor tiles impossible.

Defiant Spd: Grants Spd +8 when HP is ≤ 25%.

Defiant Def: Grants Def +8 when HP is ≤ 25%.

Renewal: Unit recovers up to 20% of max HP at the start of each turn.

Armored Blow: If unit initiates combat, grants Def +6 during combat.

Death Blow: If unit initiates combat, grants Str +6 during combat.

Dimitri does not care, and moves forward to bait them out.

Lysithea, unfortunately, cannot heal him to full.

I've got you figured out!

The crit is nice, but Ingrid took a really unlucky hit.

This brings me no joy.

Catnap: If unit takes no action except Wait, recovers up to 10% of max HP.

White Magic Uses x2: Doubles the number of uses for white magic.

White Magic Heal +10: Heal 10 extra HP when using white magic.

White Magic Avo +20: Grants Avo +20 when using white magic.

Defiant Res: Grants Res +8 when HP is ≤ 25%.

Linhardt is not a threat at all. He only has Nosferatu for offensive magic, and doesn't even have Physic.

♪ Paths That Will Never Cross ♪

Ugh...

Me too, Lin.

♪ No music ♪

♪ The Dream is Over ♪

...I'll do my best to make that happen, bud.

Killing Linhardt leaves a foul taste in my mouth, even more than having to kill other former students and faculty. Even if he sided with Edelgard, he clearly wanted no part in the actual fighting.

Besides Adan, Linhardt also has battle dialogue for Caspar.

Looks like we ended up on opposing sides, Linhardt!

Certainly seems that way. I could almost weep over how things turned out.

Do you realize, Caspar, that this is the first time we've ever fought?

Yeah, I think you're right. The first and probably the last!

I glossed over it in Verdant Wind because, well, I glossed over the battle in general, but if you didn't recruit Caspar, he'd show up here too.

Here's all of his battle dialogue, minus his one with Linhardt. That one is identical to the bit I just posted.

It's way over my head, and I don't really get what's going on between you and Edelgard. I thought for sure you two would come to an understanding, but I guess I was wrong.

His battle dialogue for Adan/Abby makes a lot more sense for if you're playing Silver Snow. On Verdant Wind and Azure Moon, like a lot of references to Edelgard and Adan/Abby's relationship, it really doesn't make much sense.

Did you have to kill a lot of your friends to get here? Cause I'm gonna give this fight everything I've got!

♪ The Long Road ♪

Cannot overstate how much more difficult killing the ballista users is with these falcon knights around.

If we find and strike down that person, we can prevent further interruptions.

Starting from the turn 3 enemy phase, and repeating every other turn, a dark bishop and a paladin will spawn at the south ordinal corners of the map. We can stop them by killing the enemies just above the spawn points.

I don't really need to say if these hit or not if Poison Strike activates, do I?

Dimitri, Ingrid, and Lysithea all pull back, though Dimitri remains in the danger zone.

Both Ingrid and Dimitri need healing, so I decided to burn a use of Fortify.

Sorry, but this is war!

Bernadetta may not be able to get out of the danger zone on her own...

But that's nothing a dance can't fix.

With that, a major impediment is removed.

Adan moves in to act as new bait.

A miss.

The funny thing about the paladin moving up like this is that the monster can't get within range of Dimitri, because the paladin is occupying the tile the monster needs to move into.

This asshole uses Fortify.

And this asshole comboes with that to heal the paladin to full.

wait

♪ The Dream is Over ♪

Alright, guess +30 Avo on top of Adan's base wasn't enough.

♪ The Long Road ♪

Fine then, no bait.

For...some reason...the paladin here does not move one tile to the right this time.

Which means that Dimitri gets hit by the monster. Thanks, asshole.

Lysithea kills the paladin, greatly reducing the danger zone.

That's the spirit!

Well, that's a load off my mind.

I will destroy you!

The first shot missed, so no kill.

Listen, maybe it'll work this time.

...Dimitri missed a 97 displayed Hit...

Well, that wasn't that bad.

Man, what the hell do I do about this?

Hurts to burn Wave Attack on just two units, but that'll keep these two paladins from getting any cloesr to the rest of the group.

A good turn, but...

I've still got so much to deal with.

Healing Focus is so busted.

I'll make you proud, Jeralt!

Things aren't looking so hot for Dimitri.

Okay, that's some really good positioning for Wave Attack, at least.

Going for another armor break on this thing.

Maybe not the best use of Annette's turn.

Lysithea warps Ashe up near where the enemies are.

Hey, I wonder if using Hunter's Volley is goinog to result in me burning five uses on an attack that gets a crit on the first hit anyways.

In the name of justice!

Oh well, not like repairing killer bows is hard.

Feels like it's been weirdly long since Dimitri got Str.

Okay, at this point, that guy's gotta be out of Fortify uses.

Alright, that mess near Dimitri has mostly been handled.

That's the spirit!

I will destroy you!

How can you not like Leonie's monster-killing prowess?

Man, the spear of Assal's seen a lot of really heavy use the past few maps.

I can't lose!

I've got you!

A rare instance of a double crit not getting a kill.

Somewhat surprisingly to me, Lysithea can actually survive a ballista hit, though it will leave her at 1 HP.

Sorry, but this is war!

Guess I've got to!

I call it rare, and then that happens.

There, that's a major headache dealt with.

Ingrid has no business being this good.

No hesitation!

I've got some enemies I want dead, and fast. Giving Ingrid and Annette some Stride is a good way to accomplish that.

Ingrid only moves halfway to where I want to go, so Annette can get out of the danger zone after dancing for her.

And that's the last siege weapon user.

That's not good.

hoooooooooo that was lucky

Oh, someone else has Bolting too? Sick.

I used the brave lance so Dimitri would get a second shot at killing the falcon knight if his first hit whiffed.

A lot of units are suffering a lot of hurt, so this absolutely calls for Fortify.

Sorry, but this is war!

That's for all the annoyance you caused earlier.

I can do no less!

Hell yeah, saving one use of Gradivus.

This is the only enemy unit targeting Ingrid. I think she'll be fine.

It's over!

No hesitation!

Adan will be fine.

The dark bishop down here is immobile.

Decided to look at this mortal savant down here. He's got a wo dao, and a...horseslayer. Sure, dude.

Well, that sucks.

Leonie had to eat some damage for that, but hey, she got the kill.

That's a hell of a close shave.

Gonna take a chance and hope Adan doesn't get hit by the mobile dark bishop during the enemy phase.

Spd and +1 Crit isn't bad.

Oh, for fuckin'—

♪ The Dream is Over ♪

I spent so long mocking enemy Vantage, then just calling it an annoyance, and now it has claimed the life of one of my units twice.

I finally understand why enemy Vantage exists. It's not for any really major tactical purpose, it's just to catch players (like me, at this point in Fort Merceus, because man this battle took a lot longer than previous ones) who start coasting on just numbers unaware.

♪ The Long Road ♪

For avoiding death by standing one tile back, Leonie is rewarded with Str and +1 Crit. Lovely.

I'll make you proud, Jeralt!

If they call in more reinforcements, we'll be in great danger. We must take down the other commander as well and fast.

No more paladin reinforcements, thank the gods.

The Maddening-only gremories are immobile, for whatever reason, so bow users can just easily whack them from outside their attack range.

Oh, and both of the Maddening-only gremories also have non-standard abilities, trading Reason Lv5 for Reason Lv4, and Defiant Mag for Hit +20.

Well, that worked out in my favor.

Oh, shit, somehow I didn't notice that Ashe hit level 30 earlier. You all know what that means, I'm sure.

Rather than play any more games with Adan's life, I'm gonna have him back up to the heal tile+ and use Healing Focus.

Unfortunate.

Sorry, but this is war!

Thank you, Bernie-bear.

I know that's not a nickname she herself came up with, but listen, given the giant stuffed bear in her room, I think it's cute as a term of affection.

A term of affection for a fictional woman in a video game.

...Gonna move on before I start calling myself a loser.

Dimitri's going to bait out the giant monster there.

It just occurred to me that no-one was using axes on this run.

...Uh-oh.

I can't lose!

Escaping from that is easy, at least.

I'll end this quickly!

Alright, that crit helps a lot.

No crit, but I couldn't reasonably have expected one.

Just means that Adan has to come in and clean up.

Time to attempt an armor break.

Ugh...

Came down to the last available action, but I managed to inflict an armor break.

No action on the enemy phase.

I've got you!

My boy...

Three uses for four damage.

This monster can't attack us or reach us, so I might as well get some free rounds of combat in.

This battle is over!

Dimitri managed to miss a 91% crit chance on the first hit.

Stay alive, Bernie!

Guess I've got to!

It's always satisfying.

I'll make you proud, Jeralt!

nice

Took a hell of a long time, but the end is in sight.

I will destroy you!

Not a kill, but it's a lot of damage.

Ah. Attacking that fortress knight provoked the enemies near him—including the Death Knight.

For once, Lysithea is actually quite a bit short of being able to one-shot the Death Knight.

Thankfully, even without Adjutant Guard, Dimitri would be more than capable of taking hits from the Death Knight. Lacking the Scythe of Sariel significantly decreases his player phase threat, since you no longer have to contend with a crit chance.

♪ The Verge of Death ♪

Yes. I dare stand against you, Death Knight.

Death is all that remains...

Even just attacking the Death Knight gives Dimitri some significant EXP.

Might as well get a round of combat or two in before we finish.

Here is something to believe in!

How could it end, but like this?

♪ No music ♪

Farewell, Death Knight. A worthy adversary the first time we saw you, and then immediately reduced to a running joke, thanks to Dark Spikes Τ.

Since this is the last time we'll be fighting the Death Knight, here's his battle dialogue with other units.

You will not escape, Death Knight. Today you will be unmasked!

My true identity has no value...

I will be the judge of that, once I've seen your face.

So it's you, Death Knight! Remember me?!

You again. Here to lose more blood?

Never! You will not lay a hand on me ever again!

I came here to get you. Let's return together...Emile.

Leave. The place of your death is not here...

Victory is ours! Raise the banner of the knights. May it soar proudly over the impregnable fortress!

What a brutal battle. 16 turns may not sound like a lot, but again, this map took me over an hour of real-time to finish.

♪ A Lonely Figure ♪

I'm so sorry... This is all my fault for leaving you behind when I left House Bartels. I should have gone back for you sooner...

Argh...

I'm sorry for not being a better sister to you.

Mer...cedes...

Please forgive me, Emile...

Mercie, we need to go. Now.

Good-bye...

That scene, much like the dialogue before, is only viewable if you finished Caspar and Mercedes's paralogue.

Speaks for itself, really. I wonder if we'll get any more insight into these siblings' history in Crimson Flower.

♪ Beneath the Banner ♪

Now the path to the Imperial capital has finally opened to us. Once we have finished cleaning up after the battle, let's have another meeting to discuss our next move.

Aren't you overworking yourself?

Naturally. But it matters not. Consider this... Once this war is over, the mountain of official business on my plate will be even taller. If I can't handle at least this much, how will I—