Ryoma (chapter): Difference between revisions

Corrin rushes into Castle Shirasagi to find [[Ryoma]] before the rest of the army can kill him, but soon finds themselves lost inside. [[Azura]] tells them of a secret space in front of the throne room, and suggests that Ryoma must be there. This worries Corrin, as the throne room is where they plan to meet the army. Corrin is soon interrupted by [[Iago]], who informs them they killed the Hoshidians with few casualties and that [[Garon]] was fighting in-person during the battle prior. Corrin tells Iago that they and their army defeated [[Hinoka]], and presents her lance as proof, though Iago is unconvinced and asks if they let her go, which Corrin takes stand against this. Garon arrives and silences Iago, accepting Hinoka's death and believes her to be no meaningful threat to them even if she were still alive. Iago agrees to drop it and as they move forward, but once out of sight, Iago once more plots to ensure Corrin's suffering by making them kill Ryoma.

Corrin and the army reach the secret space, where they find Ryoma waiting for them. Ryoma reasons from their presence that [[Hoshido]] must have already fallen. Iago relishes in telling him the fates of his siblings, [[Sakura]] is held hostage, while [[Takumi]] jump off the building to his death, and throws Hinoka's lance to the ground, which Ryoma immediately recognizes and threatens Iago, but he tells him that it was actually Corrin who killed her, which Corrin reluctantly reaffirms. Utterly enraged, Ryoma soon begins attacking Corrin, demanding a duel to the death with them. [[Xander]] objects, commanding the soldiers to defend Corrin, though Iago urges against this, claiming Corrin should need no help with them duel. Xander still objects, believing that the [[Yato]] may not stay true during such a fight between blood siblings, and attempts to force Garon into stopping the duel, but Iago tells him Garon had already approved of the duel ahead of time and they should not interfere. Xander refuses to listen and thinks if he's gonna stand down and do nothing, he's mistaken. [[Saizo]] and [[Kagero]] soon arrive with reinforcements to keep the Nohrian army from interfering. In spite of the opposition, Xander and his siblings agree to fight against them to save their sibling, and the proper battles begins between the Nohrians and Hoshidians.

In the end, be it by Corrin's hand or another's, Ryoma is defeated. Disgraced, he urges Corrin to kill him now to end the war, though they refuse, revealing the truth; that Hinoka was not killed at all, that they saw her as too precious to them to kill and that they spared her while disobeying Garon's order. They elaborate that Hinoka is in hiding, and that, if they truly did kill her, they would have been more likely to take her head rather than just her lance. Ryoma is still doubtful and asks how he can trust them after all they has done, but Corrin forces him to listen to them, saying that they don't want anyone else to die, and that they would rather die than continue to lie like this, and tells him that no matter what happens, he will always be their brother. Corrin then leaves to meet with Garon, though Ryoma briefly catches a glimpse of the Yato lighting up; a possible sign that Corrin is being truthful to him.

Corrin reports of their success in the duel to Garon, and asks that he seize the throne right away. Garon, however, commands Corrin to finish Ryoma off in front of him and refuses to allow anyone else to do the deed. Corrin argues against this; that watching the enemy king seize the country is far worse a fate for Ryoma than death, though Garon scolds them about learning nothing, citing Corrin's own words that "rebellions are like seeds; one must salt the earth before they sprout." and begins to wonder if they were lying about that. Iago begins pestering them again, insinuating that they must have been lying to them the whole time; that they were lying about killing Hinoka and that they are a traitor to Nohr. Corrin once again tells him they've been loyal to Nohr, but Iago forces them to prove it one last time. Garon commends them once more to kill Ryoma or be branded a traitor and condemn themselves and their troops to death. With Corrin forced into a dilemma, Ryoma intervenes. He tells his sibling that he understands and that he will end the war his way and they he trusts them, and proceeds to impale himself with [[Raijinto]], killing himself so that they would not have to, but not before telling Corrin, "I'm counting on you".

Corrin cries out in grief at Ryoma's death. Despite Corrin not killing him themselves, Garon accepts Ryoma's death and proclaims the war as a victory for Nohr. Still grieving, Corrin walks out of the room and contemplates their façade as Nohr's bloodthirsty prince/princess, and how they must keep it going until the very end. Despite this, Corrin breaks down and begins to cry, regretting their decisions and broken promises to their Hoshidan family. Azura comes in to comfort them reminding them of their new promise to Ryoma; to keep Hoshido's future a safe one, a promise that Ryoma himself embraced in his dying words. Corrin thus resolves to fulfill this new promise, though Azura also comes to cry with them.