—Opening Narration
Beyond the Darkness is Chapter 25 and the Final Chapter of Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. This chapter takes place on top of the Dragon Sanctuary.
Script[]
See Main Article: Beyond the Darkness/Script.
Overview[]
Idunn and two manaketes are on screen at the start of the battle, and a powerful Manakete arrives as reinforcements at the start of each turn.
The chapter ends when Idunn is defeated.
If Roy strikes the final blow using the Binding Blade while Fae is alive, a different, happier ending will be shown in which Idunn breaks free of the spell she was under and returns to Arcadia with Fae and Sophia.
This chapter is unlocked by defeating the King of Bern and having all of the divine weapons intact.
Note: When you begin this chapter, you will not be able to change your party and restock. So do not be careless in your items and party members in Chapter 24.
Note: Some unmarked tiles on this map will give a +10 point boost to a unit's resistance stat.
Story[]
Roy comes face to face with Idunn, the Demon Dragon. He attempts to convince Idunn the two do not need to fight. His words ring familiar to her, like a warm breeze, yet she fights in Zephiel's name anyway. She transforms into her dragon form, and the battle commences. All of Roy's allies voice their support, and, if Fae is alive, Roy asks them to let him deal the final blow. If Fae is dead, he still swears to prove humanity's worth.
When Idunn is defeated, the Dragon Temple begins to collapse. If Roy did not deal the final blow, the entire group rushes outside. But if Roy used the Binding Blade on Idunn, he runs toward her after the others leave, and carries her out. Merlinus questions who the woman Roy has brought with him is, and Roy asks for a favor from him.
With the Demon Dragon defeated one way or another, the war now called the Disturbance of Bern finds an end. Bern surrenders, and its government is reestablished as the New Kingdom of Bern thanks to Etrurian help with Guinivere at the helm. Roy attends her ascension ceremony as new queen of Bern.
In case Roy and Lilina reached an A support, the two chat before the ceremony begins. The two muse on the many struggles Guinivere will still have to face, since, according to Roy, some may say she allied with the Etrurian Army in order to overthrow Zephiel and seize the throne for herself. Even so, Lilina believes Bern will prosper under Guinivere's rule. Then, the two discuss their plans once the ceremony is over. Roy intends to return to Pherae out of concern for his father's health, and asks if Lilina will stay in Ostia. She is confused at the question, and Roy elaborates that if she stays in Ostia, he can visit her anytime. At that, Lilina struggles to confess her affections for him. She musters up the courage, yet before she can tell him, the ceremony begins and Roy leaves to see it.
Regardless of Roy and Lilina's bond, Roy visits Guinivere before the ceremony properly begins. She reiterates what Roy and Lilina talked about before, lamenting that some may consider her a traitor when she only has Bern's best interest at heart. Then, she asks Roy if he intends to stay in the Etrurian Army, since one of his ability could easily find a place in the Etrurian court. Roy reacts bashfully, and says again that he wishes to return home to his father.
A soldier arrives and tells Guinivere that the ceremony will soon begin. Together, Guinivere and Roy take a step forward to a new future for Bern, and to a new era. If Roy rescued Idunn, he visits Arcadia. He meets with the Elder to see how Idunn is doing. The Elder reports that her soul has been restored, yet her recovery is slow. He hopes for Idunn to show emotion, for example by laughing. Nonetheless, Roy thanks the Elder for his effort.
Outside, Fae is playing, Idunn trailing behind her. The two walk up to a tree, and Fae shows Idunn the fruit growing on it. In her excitement, Fae knocks one of the fruits loose, and it hits her on the head. At Fae's whining, Idunn laughs. Fae becomes incredibly excited by Idunn's chuckle, and sprints off toward Arcadia's temple to tell Roy of this development. Idunn is left alone. As she walks toward Arcadia, the wind picks up. She reminisces on the warm breeze.
Strategy[]
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Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
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This is a fairly easy chapter, especially if you've either trained Roy or given him stat boosters. If the player desires to get the true ending, Roy must deal the final blow to Idunn with the Binding Blade. Idunn is not a particularly scary boss as she is locked to 1-range attacks. You can safely attack her at a distance. Keep in mind that the Binding Blade and the Divinestone are the only weapons that are effective against her (wyrmslayers and legendary weapons are not). The reinforcements are not too strong and can be dealt with fairly easily if the player possesses effective weaponry, but because they spawn up to 255 turns, it is not a good idea to take too long, as the player will eventually run out. If Roy is not strong enough to deal with Idunn on his own, it is best to use other units to weaken her, then finish her off with Roy.
At base, with only his promotion gains and the Binding Blade, Roy can 3-hit KO Idunn with 64 displayed hit. Once he reaches 15 strength (16 in hard mode) through any combination of stat gains, stat-boosters, and supports, he will gain the ability to 2-hit KO Idunn. At 20 speed, he doubles Idunn, potentially one-round KO-ing if he also reached the strength benchmark.