you learn what's coming

Aerith: more cursed civilians

Jessie: let's kill them as we did to the others

Aiden: No, they're different, the ones we met on our way here were mindless, but you can talk

Baraka: because we're fighting the curse, instead of giving in to it

Aiden: so the curse can be fought

Aerith: thank the goddess

The Tarkatans get angry when Aerith says that

Baraka: Do not thank the goddess, she has abandoned us. This curse has been spreading through this land for almost a year, and no divine intervention has happened

Tifa: we're sorry

Reiko: Save your apologies, just pray that you don't become like us

Scarlet: Reiko, is that you

Reiko: Scarlet? What are you doing here

Aiden: you know him

Scarlet: That's Reiko the second in command of the Edenian army under General Shoa

Reiko: Well, I was until I got infected, and Shoa tried to blame and kill me for the attack in the capital by Princess Mileena

Scarlet: What happened to the princess

Reiko: She was the one who got infected and went on a rampage

Byleth: So she's dead, I take it

Reiko: No, she was captured by her sister, Princess Kitana, but that's not the weird part

Aiden: what do you mean

Reiko: She has been seen by the public since then, she and Kitana now wear mouth guards to hide the infection from people

Skarlet: But that's impossible, while it starts with the teeth, her body will change too

Baraka: She found a way to halt the corruption

Aiden: how does that even work

Baraka: We would love to know, it could save so many infected from going feral

Reiko: All I know is that most likely thanks to that prisoner

Aerith: What prisoner

Reiko: the one Tanya brought it, blonde hair with a big ass sword

Aerith & Tifa: CLOUD!

Aiden: so he survived, but how can he stop the infection

Baraka: all questions we'll never get answers to

Reiko: Wait, aren't you the guys the adventurers who crossed the border illegally

Tifa: you just figured that out now

Baraka: It doesn't matter. What do we do with them? They already killed our companions

Aiden: the rats?

Baraka: You take whatever help you can when you suffer like us, the rats leave us alone as long as we feed them

Reiko: I take it the experiment failed

Scalret: It went well, until they came along, i'm now traveling with them so that they can help me get out of the country after they're done

Reiko: it's gonna be a shitshow today

Aiden: what do you mean?

Reiko: General Shoa is organizing a coup today

Skarlet: Is that why he wanted Ermac under his control

Reiko: Pretty much

Byleth: he wants to overthrow the empress and become emperor

Reiko: Pretty much, he believes that Edenia has become weak under Empress Sindel and wants to turn it back into its glory days

Skarlet: Is he insane? He'll never win, even if he gets past Li Mei and the capital guards, we won't stand a chance against the empress

Reiko: Which he knows

Baraka: Reiko, are you sure you want to tell them

Reiko: You guys are heading into the city too. I'll tell you what's really happening if you help us

Tifa: You can't be serious. Why would we

Aiden: You want our help to free Cloud

Tifa & Aerith: WHAT

Baraka: he might be our only hope for a cure

Tifa: LIKE WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU FIND THAT BASTARD

Aiden: we'll help

Aerith: Aiden you can't be serious

Aiden: We'll help you find him, getting him is your problem

Baraka: Those are acceptable terms

Aiden: Now what are you hiding? You said that Shoa knows he can't beat the empress, what's his plan

Reiko: he made a deal with the demons

The entire party besides you look terrified

Reiko: Demons will rampage through Edenia once the coup begins, until it falls

Skarlet: Is he insane? Edenia will become part of the demon queen's territory

Aiden: But Shoa will be the new emperor of Edenia, even if it is under the control of the demon queen

Reiko: Exactly, the empress is strong, but she stands no chance against a demon General from the demon queen's army

Aerith: A demon general?

Tifa: This country is fucked

Aiden: Are you sure it's a demon General

Reiko: I talked to him through a portal together with General Shoa; he was nowhere near me and yet I sensed he could kill me with just a finger

Aiden: Then we better be careful. When does the coup begin

Reiko: Soon, you'll know when it starts