Prince Nayoko of Hoshido

I struck at King Garon, but he seemed able to think quicker than humans. He blocked my attack almost before I'd raised my sword, then spun his axe and blocked a strike from Xander. It was like fighting the monster in the Sevenfold Sanctuary all over again, but this time, there was no great strategy to power it down.

Kaze threw shurikens, but Garon dodged, then turned and swung at Jakob as he tried to advance. His axe skimmed across my butler's arm.

Jakob fell back, and I edged towards him. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, my lord." He clenched his jaw. "Just a shallow... Look out!"

I spun to the side and saw Garon's axe flying towards me.

Xander shoved me away and took the brunt of the blow to his breastplate. The force sent him stumbling back -- straight into Kass as she joined our formation. She grabbed hold of his shoulders to steady him.

Garon rounded my flank and swung towards her. Xander lunged, his eyes flashing. His sword sank into the gloop where the demon's stomach should have been.

It staggered back. "What is the meaning of this? I thought that you would never dare to hurt me, Crown Prince!"

"Silence!" Xander snapped. "Do not speak as though you know me, foul beast! You are no longer the father I once looked up to. When I was a young boy, my father was strong and brave, stern but fair. For all his power, he would never have used his strength against his own children!"

"Fool!" the demon growled. "You know nothing."

"It is you who knows nothing. All this time, I have strived to be a good son and a worthy heir. I have faithfully followed your orders, even when doing so tortured my soul. I fought in your name, hoping one day you would reawaken as the man you once were. But that man is dead!"

He lunged forwards again. The demon swatted him away.

Ryoma grabbed his shoulder. "Do not fight with blind rage, Prince Xander."

Xander glowered and shrugged him off, but he stayed with us. He turned to me. "What would you have us do, Norton?"

"The Crown Prince, taking orders from an orphan boy?" Garon scoffed.

"He's our chosen saviour!" Kass said. "He's destined to put an end to you!"

I sighed. "I wish Yato had some effect on him."

"Perhaps you could unlock the rest of its powers, Nayoko?" Semyaza suggested. "The other three legendary weapons are finally all together in the same room."

"But it was the Rainbow Sage who unlocked its power with Raijinto."

"Do you know how he did it?" Takumi asked.

"He said some kind of spell. I don't think it would work without him."

"We might as well try it. What have we got to lose?"

"Takumi's right," Ryoma said. "Can you remember the words?"

"Er...I, who forged the sacred blade, I, who committed...the great sin, I..."

"Who wove the divine colours," Ryoma supplied.

"Thank you. And the last bit?"

My Hoshidan family and I stared at each other for a moment.

Hinoka clicked her fingers. "I call on you now, Fire Emblem!"

"All right, let's try that again," I said. "Takumi, Leo, Xander...could you hold your weapons up and look at me, please?"

"I feel like I'm rehearsing for a play," Leo grumbled.

They lifted Fujin Yumi, Brynhildr, and Siegfried. I lifted Yato. "I, who forged the sacred blade, I, who committed the great sin, I, who wove the divine colours...I call on you now, Fire Emblem!"

The sword flashed, and I shielded my eyes. As the light faded, I saw what Yato had become. The blade was serrated, and it was surrounded by a burning glow as if it was on fire.

Elise gasped and came closer. "Wow! It worked!"

"Is this it?" I asked. "Is this the Fire Emblem?"

"I think so," Kass said. "But I suppose there's only one way to find out."

We looked towards the demon, who was nursing his wound at the bottom of the steps. He growled. "I will kill you all!"

"Attack at will!" I said.

We charged.

Ryoma reached King Garon first, and he swung Raijinto with new resolve. Garon blocked with his battle axe, his gloopy face widening into a sneer. Quick as a wyvern, he parried, almost catching Ryoma's flank.

"Brother!" Hinoka thrust her naginata forwards, and it joined with Raijinto like a shield to block Garon's attack. But he shoved them with a growl, and Hinoka stumbled away. He turned, cutting her off from the rest of us.

I tried to strike him, but he lunged out of reach, catching Hinoka's shoulder. His axe ripped through the skin, and she keeled over with a yelp. Garon raised his blade.

"Father!"

The demon turned suddenly, just in time to stop a different battle axe from cleaving through his head. The blades crashed together, and Camilla glared at him between the steel. There was no sign of the despairing sister she had been when he'd sat on the throne -- only seething hatred. She was the fiercest warrior in Nohr, and perhaps the demon was aware of it, because it was a moment before he pulled away.

They exchanged blows, Camilla handling him with ruthlessness and skill in equal measure. Hinoka staggered out of the way, cradling her shoulder, and Ryoma gathered her against him. I turned and swung at the demon.

Garon spun away from Camilla, dodging her blow and blocking mine. He roared a laugh. "Did you really think you could surprise --"

He broke off with a howl as Kass plunged her sword into his side. If Camilla's expression had been filled with hatred, Kass' was a burning fire. She twisted the blade. "This is for my father, my mother, and both of my families!"

Blood mixed with the grey gloop of the demon. He swayed, slithering back. "You! Of all the people in this room...I never thought it would be you who'd try to kill me."

She raised her chin, her eyes glinting. "You made me into the woman who wants to kill you most of all. But I'll save that honour for my brother."

She glanced at me, creeping around behind the King. I swung.

The Fire Emblem plunged through his back, piercing the red light in his chest and slicing between his ribs. Steam rose from the blade.

"No!" he roared. "No..."

He fell forwards, and his body burst into blue flames.

Elise screamed and covered her face. Camilla dropped her axe and went to her, turning them both away. But the rest of us watched with pale faces, the flames a cruel closure.

King Garon had gone.

He had, in fact, gone long ago, at a point in the past we would never determine. The only thing that seemed certain was that it had been before Kass had ever met him -- before the entire war had spun out of control.

When there was nothing left of the demonic imposter, Xander clenched his fists. "At last...Father can rest in peace."

"We did the right thing." Kass put her hand on his arm. "I just wish I could have known the real Garon."

He turned to her, and the look they exchanged made it clear that the rest of the world had fallen away. It was a gaze of shared apologies; shared sacrifices; shared pain.

"I wish that, too," he murmured.