Third-Person POV
"Please welcome your new classmate, Marianne von Edmund." Byleth addressed the class as they all clapped for the blue-haired maiden.
"Thank you for making such a decision, we are all honored to have you in our class Marianne." Dimitri bows and she hesitantly does the same.
"We'll be sure to assist you with adjusting to this new class. I hope we can manage to please you Lady Edmund." Yugiri bowed as well as Marianne sat in the seat next to her.
"Now then, The Battle of the Eagle and Lion is approaching at the end of this month. So do your best to train hard for the occasion. Let the lesson begin!" Byleth opened up a book as the students listened to his seminar.
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After the class ended...
"Flame Emperor…" Sakura kept repeating to herself over and over again.
"Sakura, pull up!" Ingrid called out to her, snapping the egghead back to reality.
"AHHHHH!" She screamed before doing what her classmate told her to do, pulling up before she and her pegasus made a crash landing.
"T-thanks, sorry about that." A bead of sweat rolls down her face as she sighed.
"Are you sure that you're up to this? It's not easy learning how to be a Pegasus Knight, maybe something more simple could be better?" Ingrid suggested, but the redheaded idol shook her head.
"I am, and I think I can do it. Just need more practice before the big battle at the end of the month." Sakura slapped her cheeks to psych herself up to continue.
Ingrid smiled as she flew right next to her, "I like your spirit. But let's try flying, without daydreaming, okay?"
"Ha ha…" Sakura embarrassingly laughs as the two of them trained in the skies.
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"Ai, there you are. I wanted to apologize for my behavior some time ago." Sylvain greeted her as she walked into his room.
"You're talking about what happened in the dining hall, correct? That was some time ago, you don't need to apologize. In fact I should be the one apologizing." She placed her hand to her chest and sighed.
His eyes widened after hearing that, "Wait, what? Is it about that baguette bludgeoning thing you said? It's all water under the bridge now."
"Still, I was wrong to assume you were just a philanderer or a flirt, especially after what happened with your brother."
"It's not uncommon for people to think that of me, so no harm done for doing the same. And Miklan, even if I mourned for him, deserved his fate. Nothing more to say about it."
"Well, I hope the two of us can manage to get along much better, despite getting off on the wrong foot."
"Same here. Come to me if there's someone flirting with you, who's not me. Or… if you need anything else."
"I'll keep that in mind for the near future, thank you Sylvain."
AI AND SYLVAIN HAVE ATTAINED SUPPORT LEVEL B
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"Oh! That's Junko, it looks like she's struggling, I'll go help her out!" Ashe ran over to help his classmate.
"A-Ashe! Um, thank you." The shy Showa idol told him, while holding up groceries.
"No need for thanks. I saw that you were in need of assistance and I gave it to you!" He smiles back at her.
"You really are too kind. That's a great quality to have." Junko said as the two of them walked back to the Monastery.
"I agree, that's why I want to become a knight, so I can continue to help people like this all the time."
"I'm sure you'll be a wonderful knight one day, Ashe."
"Aw, thanks Junko. Oh! If you'd like, I could show you some of the chivalrous stories that inspired me! They really are that interesting." Ashe's eyes lit up with excitement.
"That sounds lovely, if I have free time, I'll be sure to let you know. Ah, we're at the dining hall, I can handle it from here. Once again thanks for your help!" She smiles and waves to him who waves back, happy to have saved her the trouble.
ASHE AND JUNKO HAVE ATTAINED SUPPORT LEVEL C
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While everyone else was cleaning up after the fishing tournament, Saki was at the training grounds, with Byleth (already caught the fish Flayn desired) looking on, though an unexpected visitor showed up with some news.
"Hey! Teach!"
Claude von Riegan arrived, smiling as usual, as he greeted the Blue Lions Professor.
"Hey, uh Claude, right?" Saki stopped and looked over to greet him.
"That's right. Listen, I just got word that since the Blue Lions have the most students, some of you either have to sit out, or temporarily join the other classes during the battle."
"Wait, what?!" Saki's jaw dropped after hearing this.
"I see. That is understandable, but I need to ask some of my students if any of them are willing to do either. Hm…" Byleth pondered for a minute as Claude looked over at the former's student.
"Hey Saki, the Golden Deer could use another powerhouse to make up for the loss of our healer. You up to fight on our side this time?"
"I dunno. Feels kinda wrong to be fighting against my friends, y'know?" Saki turned her attention back to the training dummy and began hitting it again.
"Well, the offer's open until next week. This would be a good opportunity to finally beat Felix though, I have seen you sparring against him a lot."
Saki stopped for a moment and turned to him "Good point, but I'll think about it. Next week is plenty of time."
"Great, I'll be waiting for ya! And I'll be waiting for you at Gronder Field, Teach." Claude put his arms behind his head and walked off as Byleth nodded to him.
"Golden Deer, huh?" Saki said to herself as she kicked the dummy.
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Byleth approached Sakura, Ai, & Tae about this decision and like Saki, they were quite surprised.
"This change could lead to a much different battle that we anticipated…" Ai said, her fingers to her chin.
"Hm, and what do you think, Sakura? Do you wish to be on another side for just one battle?" Byleth asked her.
"That sounds like a good learning experience, and it's fair to the other classes, but fighting you guys? I need more time on this..." As she thought about it, Edelgard and Hubert happened to pass by.
"Professor, have you asked your students if they wanted to temporarily join the Black Eagles?" Edelgard asked Byleth.
"It seems Lady Edelgard has already got her eye on someone." Hubert gazed at Sakura who was spooked.
Ai lowered her eyebrows at him, "Sakura needs more time to think it over. We'll let you know when she comes to a decision."
"Very well. I wish you luck, with whatever choice you make. Though we will manage to defeat you all swiftly. Hm?" Edelgard began to walk off, but then spotted Tae scarfing down food from the dining hall, "Perhaps she could benefit from a temporary allegiance change as well. Farewell."
"Tae as well?" Ai thought to herself as she watched Edelgard and Hubert go their own way.
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"The Battle of the Eagle and Lion? You want us to participate in that thing?" Hapi asked, eating a pastry.
"I did participate while on the Blue Lions in the one I was in, sure I'll lend a hand this year." Yuri smirked.
"Count me out, that stuff isn't really that interesting to me." Hapi bluntly stated.
"I would have gladly offered to assist, though I have some magical research to attend to on that day…" Constance frowned.
"You're just saying that because you don't want to be out in the sun, do you? Oh well, the King of Grappling shall join the fight instead! I can't wait to brawl against these new students!" Balthus guffawed as Byleth thanked both him and Yuri for their help.
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"Hmmm..."
Junko manages to successfully uses Physic and heals a student's cut from quite a distance.
"I did it?" She opens her mouth in surprise when she find out it works.
"Y-you did well!" Marianne nervously congratulates her.
"Indeed, didn't take me that long, but you are still learning. Tell me, did the world you girls come from have any magic of some kind?" Linhardt approached his white-haired classmate.
"W-wait what?" Marianne is taken aback by that last sentence.
"Oh my, nobody's told her yet, well you see…" Linhardt goes on to explain everything to Marianne who gets more confused by the second, while Junko tries to reassure her.
"Cutting Gale?" Yugiri asks Annette.
"Yes! That's the next one after Wind. Reasoning magic can really help you hit long range targets that your sword can't reach!" Annette pumped her fists.
"Truly? Well then Lady Dominic, may you show me?" Yugiri grins.
"Big sis Yugiri! Annie's really great at this, so you're gonna learn lots from her!" Lily cheered.
"Aww, Lily. You're making me blush ha ha ha!" Annette plays with her hair in embarrassment.
"Felix? Are you ready?" Ai asked, wooden blade in her hand.
"I'm pretty sure he's ready for something else." Sylvain, taking a break, smirked as he saw Felix glancing over at Annette.
"It's nothing, Professor!" He turns to look at Ai and prepares to spar.
"Begin!" Byleth yells, causing Felix and Ai to clash.
Felix was obviously the more experienced when it came to swords, but Ai was trying her hardest to keep up with the young noble. Neither of them left any big openings for the other to strike and the training swords did not falter.
"Haaaa!" Ai uses one final jab and finds success after such a stalemate.
"Impressive. But you need to work on finding weak spots quicker, if you want to use a sword more often." Felix sheathed his training blade.
"I appreciate the advice. Do you want to go again?" Ai asked as she sheathed hers.
"Sure, we need all the practice we can possibly get." Felix responded as he stretched.
"Professor! We've come to a decision!" Sakura, Saki, and Tae enter the training ground.
"So I decided to go ride with the Golden Deer, while Egghead & Tae go with the Black Eagles." Saki explained as the others walked forward.
"Sorry, but I don't want to overpower the other two houses. But I'm sure you guys can still pull through this!" Sakura gripped her fists and Tae mimicked her.
"I see. Well, just know that we won't hold back out there. This is what our training has led up to, so there's no way we're failing." Dimitri says and the others agreed.
"The fact that we have a powerful tactician like the Professor is sure to be trouble for you, yet we know how far all of us have come. We shouldn't underestimate what you three can do without us." Ai made a thinking pose.
"Well then, Blue Lions, stay focused. No matter who we face, we need to keep our heads held high and fight on!"
Everyone raised their fist into the air and afterwards, continued to train, until that fateful day. The 27th of the Wyvern Moon. The Battle of the Eagle and Lion.
END OF CHAPTER 23
"I am Ferdinand von Aegir" count x3 (no change)
The time has come. Three Houses duke it out at Gronder Field next time… also after the battle is over War for the Weak will be the battle before the Remire Village revisit.