Ike:
“Are we going the right way?”

Yune:
“Yes. Ashera is at the top. We’re going up. This is definitely the right way.”

Ike:
“I’m a little disoriented because this is much bigger than it looks from outside. And there’s something really strange about these stairs. It’s not my imagination, is it?”

Yune:
“To be honest, you probably shouldn’t look around too carefully.”

Ike:
“Why?”

Yune:
“If you stare at the stairs, they will overwhelm and terrify your mortal minds. If you dwell on what you see here, you might stop climbing.”

Ike:
“Really?”

Yune:
“Yes, really! Well, for most people, anyway. You’re all the exceptions. You are all focused on your one goal, and you can’t die until you achieve it. That’s what you think, right?”

Ike:
“Yes.”

Yune:
“Desire propels people forward. That’s how it’s been since the beginning of your kind.”

Yune:
“Although as your desires increase, it becomes harder to satisfy them. There are strong-willed humans who realise their ambitions, those who are weak and give up halfway through, some who relentlessly pursue a goal but ultimately fail, those who care not about betraying others to achieve their goal and even humans who pass on their uncompleted mission to another. You hope, take, give, kill, struggle… Out of all those needs and desires, hate and strife are born.”

Ike:
“…”

Yune:
“And that’s all right. You should want. You should strive to fill that want. Since it’s something that you want no matter what, then besides trying to obtain it, there’s no other option. Even though before you are endless choices and endless outcomes, there will only ever be one path that you can cross. As long as you live, you should challenge your fates and keep challenging them. When all else fails, you can still die fighting.”

Ike:
“Your philosophy is pretty extreme, too. Ashera doesn’t forgive people for their imperfections. She’s using the destruction of life as a means of punishing us. But you embrace both the good and evil natures of people. You seem to enjoy our internal struggles. Good or evil doesn’t matter to you.”

Yune:
“A straight road is boring. Defeat and destruction are far more interesting than stasis.”

Ike:
“Huh. Is there a goddess who takes a middle-of-the-road approach?”

Yune:
“Well, long ago… Wait. Stop, everyone!”

Ike:
“Ah!”

Yune:
“Can’t you feel it? A strong presence… The next one who stands in our way is someone deeply tied to you.”

Ike:
“…Let’s go.”

A little later

Black Knight:
“You’ve come. Welcome, son of Gawain. Welcome all, courageous warriors.”

Ike:
“…”

(Movie of Ike fighting the Black Knight plays)

Ike:
“I wonder how I didn’t notice? Your composure, bearing, voice… It seems obvious in retrospect.”

Black Knight:
“…”

Ike:
“I wish I’d had the chance to fight you… or see you fight. Then I would’ve known a lot sooner.”

Black Knight:
“Unfortunately for both of us, that opportunity never came.”

Ike:
“So, it really is you. The Black Knight… No, General Zelgius!”

Black Knight:
“…”

(The Black Knight takes off his helmet)

Zelgius:
“Ike. I have long looked forward to the day we would fight again. Now that it is here, let us not delay any longer. Raise your sword and begin!”

Ike:
“Let’s finish this!”

Tibarn:
“Stop right there.”

(Tibarn comes between the two)

Tibarn:
“I’ve got a debt to settle with this scum.”

Zelgius:
“King Tibarn. True, your revenge against me remains incomplete. However, may I ask you to step aside for now? Ike and I both learned the way of the sword from the same master. Three years ago, I caught up to my master. I challenged him to a duel, and was victorious.”

(Image of Greil fighting the Black Knight in the past)

Zelgius:
“But, something was wrong… The fight had been too simple. My master… He had had severed all the tendons in his right hand, and swore never again to draw a blade. Can you imagine my joy when I found out this news? I knew that a swordsman of his stature couldn’t have been so easy to defeat!”

(Image returns to normal)

Zelgius:
“My master’s skills were passed down to his son, Ike. I will defeat him and finally surpass my master! I trust that you understand. Once our fight is finished, I will allow you to settle your quarrel, Hawk King.”

Tibarn:
“Well… I see where you’re coming from.”

Ike:
“Please, Tibarn.”

Tibarn:
“…Fine.”

Ike:
“Sorry.”

Tibarn:
“If you’re taking my place, you’d better win. Got that?”

Ike:
“Of course. This time, he won’t walk away.”

(Tibarn leaves)

Zelgius:
“Let us begin.”

Mist:
“Ike! Be careful!”

(Mist comes up to Ike)

Ike:
“Trust me, all right?”

Mist:
“…Fine.”

(Zelgius creates a barrier separating himself and Ike from the others)

Zelgius:
“I won’t allow anyone to interfere with our fight.”

Ike:
“Agreed. It’s better this way. I can focus on you!”

Zelgius:
“No draw. No escape. One wins. One loses. We shall end this. One of us will live… And one of us will die.”

Ike:
“I’m ready. Good-bye, General Zelgius.”

After battle

Ike:
“Ugh! Hahh!”

Zelgius:
“You are stronger. Much stronger than before…”

Ike:
“I have you to thank for that. I grew stronger through our previous fight.”

Zelgius:
“Ha… So you stole my swordsmanship?”

Ike:
“To be honest… I was overjoyed when I heard that the Black Knight was still alive. That surprised me… I felt neither sadness nor hate. Just joy. My hands were shaking with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to fight my most formidable enemy again!”

Ike:
“Your swordsmanship was fearsome. Fiercer and more powerful than any I’ve ever seen. After our last duel, I trained hard, trying to remember all of your skills and techniques.”

Zelgius:
“That’s not surprising…”

(Image of Gawain facing backwards)

Zelgius:
“General Gawain was invincible at the time he trained me. To surpass him was my ultimate goal as a swordsman.”

Ike:
“Was I as skillful as you remember my father in his prime years? Did you see his shadow in my sword?”

(Image returns to normal)

Zelgius:
“I certainly did, Ike. Thanks to you, I was able to fight my master at the height of his glory days.”

Ike:
“Black Knight Zelgius. You were my father’s killer. And my last teacher.”

Zelgius:
“Ha… I spent most of my life shrouded in darkness… But my life had meaning. Now I’m certain of it…”

Zelgius:
“…phiran, I will wait for you in the afterlife…”

(Zelgius dies)

Ike:
“…”

Yune:
“…Ike, we’re finished on our side.”

Ike:
“…Let’s move on. We don’t have much time left.”

Yune:
“Ike, how do you feel? Are you happy or are you sad?”

Ike:
“… I can’t say for sure. Perhaps… a bit of both.”

Yune:
“Is that so?”

(As Ike turns to leave, Alondite starts glowing next to Zelgius’s body)

Yune:
“The swords are calling to each other…”

Yune:
“The holy sword Alondite… It’s the counterpart to your sword, Ragnell. I think it wants you to take it up.”

Ike:
“Alondite… The sword that took my father’s life.”

(Ike picks up Alondite)

[Note: Only if certain criteria were fulfilled, does the following flashback scene occur – see the Hints and Secret page]

Ike’s Memory Scene

(Flashback in a village)

Sephiran:
“What happened here?”

Zelgius:
“We have arrived too late. General Gawain!”

(Image of Gawain impaling a woman appears briefly)

Zelgius:
“General! Oh, thank the goddess… He’s still alive. But…oh, no… What has he done? Elena… Did he kill her?”

Sephiran:
“It must have been the medallion. He touched it, and the chaos bound within sent him into a rage beyond reason. Tragic…”

(Further away, a young boy is standing still, and a young girl runs up to him)

Mist:
“Ike, wait for me! Ahh! Father! Mother!”

Zelgius:
“The general’s children…”

Mist:
“What’s wrong with them? Are they asleep? …Father? Mother?”

Sephiran:
“They’re very tired, child. Let’s not disturb them.”

Mist:
“We can’t leave them sleeping here! It’s cold out! We have to take them home! Ike, you have to help me!”

Ike:
“…”

Mist:
“…Ike?”

Zelgius:
“I’ll take them home. Will you show me the way?”

Mist:
“Yeah! Come with me!”

(Sephiran moves closer to Elena’s body and casts his staff on her)

Sephiran:
“May your final slumber be a peaceful one. It appears the medallion was too much for Lord Ashnard. It would be unwise to allow him access to it again.”

Mist:
“Ah! Hey! That’s my mother’s medallion! No one’s supposed to see it!”

Sephiran:
“No, child! You mustn’t touch it!”

(Mist picks up the medallion)

Mist:
“We can’t let it get lost. I’ll keep it.”

Sephiran:
“You… You are unchanged?”

Mist:
“You said you’d take my mother home, too.”

Zelgius:
“Yes, of course.”

Mist:
“Ike? What’s wrong? Why are you just standing there? Are you hurt?”

Sephiran:
“You saw everything, didn’t you? Poor child.”

(Sephiran casts his staff at Ike)

Mist:
“Ike?”

(An image of Greil impaling Elena appears for less than a second)

Ike:
“AH! AAAH! AAAAAAAH! AAAAAAAH!”

Mist:
“Ike?! What’s wrong?”

Ike:
“AHHH!”

Mist:
“Ouch! Ike, that hurts. Let go!”

Ike:
“Nnng! Aaagh! Aaaanngghh!”

Zelgius:
“What happened?”

Sephiran:
“Give me a moment.”

(Sephiran casts his staff at Ike once more)

Ike:
“……”

Sephiran:
“Sweet children… Sleep now. Rest.”

Zelgius:
“What did you do to him?”

Sephiran:
“Merely helped him to forget. I shouldn’t be doing something like this, but I could not leave this memory to haunt him. It is too heavy a burden for one so young.”

Zelgius:
“What will you do with the medallion?”

Sephiran:
“The girl seems safe from its influence. We will leave it with her, for the time being.”

Zelgius:
“Mm.”

(End of flashback)

Yune:
“What… What was that? You saw it too, didn’t you, Ike? That memory… Could that have been–“

Ike:
“I…I…was there… In that…place… My mother, she tried to stop my father, and…he killed her… I saw it all…”

Yune:
“Is that what happened? I was contained inside at that time. I had no idea.”

Ike:
“Zelgius… …”

Yune:
“Can you still fight?”

Ike:
“Yes. I will keep fighting. I won’t stop until I die.”

(End of Ike’s Memory Scene)

Yune:
“What’s happening? Ah! What…?”

(Flashback)

[Note: This flashback scene is slightly different in the English version]

Zelgius:
“This brand…do you know of a way to remove it?”

Unknown:
“So that’s your secret, is it? The blood of the laguz runs through your veins.”

Zelgius:
“Yes. There was someone on my father’s side who…who was with a laguz.”

Unknown:
“So… your ancestors’ mistake left this incriminating mark on your body… How pitiful.”

Zelgius:
“I…I am an outcast from my family. I joined the military to escape the shame and hatred in their eyes… I live in fear of discovery. When I think that I might see that same shame and hatred in another’s eyes, I… I come close to despair… I have lived my life alone, unable to trust or become close to anyone. My lord…if you had the power to remove this brand, then my life would definitely change for the better.”

Unknown:
“You poor child… It pains me to tell you that I know of no way to remove your brand. In truth, nobody even knows why they appear in the first place.”

Zelgius:
“I…I understand… It was a foolish question. I apologize. However… I still cannot give up my dream.”

Unknown:
“Ever since you introduced yourself to me, you have not removed your armor even though we’re indoors. Is there a reason for this?”

Zelgius:
“I– I don’t like people seeing my face. Around 5 years ago… I realized that I was aging more slowly than others do. I am afraid that people will notice and question me… But this ruse will not last indefinitely. In a few years, I will be forced to leave this army’s service. I don’t care that I will be alone… that is my fate. So long as I am alive, I will be unable to escape this destiny. My only hesitation, is that…I will miss studying the sword under my commander.”

Unknown:
“When the time comes for you to leave, will you come to me, perhaps?”

Zelgius:
“My lord?”

Unknown:
“We share a…similar condition. I am far older than I might appear.”

Zelgius:
“Then, are you one as well…?”

Unknown:
“No… but my situation is similar. I can… understand your pain and isolation better than other people.”

Zelgius:
“But why me?”

Unknown:
“I have a task that I must accomplish. With you at my side, I would feel more confident of my success.”

Zelgius:
“A task that you must accomplish?”

Unknown:
“Yes.”

Zelgius:
“If I join you, will I be redeemed?”

Unknown:
“I cannot say. At the very least, however, you will no longer be alone. And neither will I.”

Zelgius:
“That is enough, then. You have made my decision simple. When I leave here I will find you.”

Unknown:
“I will be waiting for you.”

Zelgius:
“I am a soldier in the Daein army. I serve under the command of General Gawain. My name is Zelgius. May I ask your name, my lord sage?”

Unknown:
“My name? Of course…”

(End of flashback)

Yune:
“Whose… Whose memory was that? It’s just one of many… They’re swirling everywhere… The tower resonates with their strength. But…who is it? Who do they belong to? …There is such sadness… Zelgius met someone. One lonely soul calling out to another…”

Yune:
“Micaiah. You’re sad, too, aren’t you? That knight treated you warmly. You wished that he could have stayed by your side.”

Yune:
“But he’s no longer with us. Zelgius is gone… And now the soul that remains is once more alone…”