A/N: How's it going everybody!

Welcome to Part 3 of the night raid!

Blue Sea Moon, 1186
Garreg Mach Monastery

"Any sign of anyone yet?" Marianne asked worriedly. Normally, at the dead of night, everyone would have been asleep by now, but due to the raid at Ebarr Castle, not one of the students could force themselves to sleep, for fear that they would wake up, only to learn that their fellow classmates and friends have died in the raid.

"Sorry, Marianne." McCarley sighed in sadness. "Nothing to report…"

"I don't recognize anyone either.." Ignatz replied, his arrow ready to strike at anyone who would invade at night.

"Ignatz, I can't sleep…" Marianne spoke.

"Neither can I…"

"Perhaps this would help…" A calm voice began. The two turned to see Mercedes and Annette, both holding a tray with teacups each. Mercedes had three cups, while Annette had two cups. The pleasant aroma wafting the surrounding area.

The two Blue Lion girls each handed the two Golden Deer, and McCarley their respective cup, before they all took a gentle sip from their respective cup. While the relaxing drink helped ease their nervousness, the feeling of dread did not.

"Thank you very much." McCarley bowed. "You are too kind.", to which Mercedes simply smiled in response.

"As calming as this tea is," Marianne began. "I just can't get it out of my head that the worst is coming."

"Maybe they're all on their home as we speak…" Annette tried to perk up everyone's mood, though it didn't really help much.

As the four continued to take a sip of their tea, while McCarley continued to keep a close eye, the sound of a wyvern's growl reached their ears, before Ignatz quickly readied his bow, only to lower it when he noticed the familiar figure of Ashe, with Constance not far behind.

Lonis landed on the steps, with Nuva just behind, and their riders quickly dismount, to help Rhea out, and carry her to the Infirmary. The others quickly helped the two riders as well.

"Lady Rhea!" McCarely recognized.

"Wh-Wha? Ma-McCarleey?... Where… are we… now?" Lady Rhea could only reply, still weak.

"What about the others?" Annette asked worriedly.

"They're still there." Ashe informed. "All though it seems like things have taken a different turn."

"Different how?" Marianne questioned.

"The castle now knows of their presence, and is retaliating as we speak." Constance answered. "No, we do not know what happened after. Niya demanded that we leave the area immediately."

"I can see why." Ignatz realized. "So, they're engaging them as we speak? Surely, Niya is smarter than that."

"Hard to tell." Ashe spoke. "Last thing I remember was that she was still willing to push through with it."

"She wouldn't really do that, would she?" Mercedes began.

No one said a word, as they continued to move onwards, and get Lady Rhea the help that she needed.

Later

Despite Reaver's death, the student army continued to fight on the Adrestian forces. Niya looked to where Reaver had fallen from, and noticed Edelgard simply looking on, along with Hubert and Jeritza. Likewise, Edelgard noticed her former professor as well.

"So, she is here as well." Hunter noted. "Are you not going to engage her?"

"I will not." Edelgard calmly replied. "There is a time, and place for all, and now is not it. What about Hubert though? He's finally come back after all these years. It's a shame that he's fighting for them though."

"Shall I take care of him for you?" Hunter offered.

"No." Edelgard replied. "Trust me, you will have your chance. Just not now."

"Very well…"

"You have something planned, don't you?" Hunter asked, but Edelgard simply kept quiet, as the battle continued on.

Meanwhile

Dedue used his shield to temporarily stun a fortress knight, before swinging an axe right at his face. Hubert managed to launch a few Miasma spells, killing a Warlock, and a Great Knight at the same time.

Free from having to fight someone for a while, Leonie looked up, and noticed a platoon of Adrestian Snipers rushing out of the doors of a higher level, and heading to their positions among the ramparts, before readying their bows. The only thing that stopped them from firing, was the signal that they had to wait for. Leonie's observation ended, when she noticed a Paladin coming towards her, to which she immediately drew out a lance to counter.

While Leonie was distracted, Dorothea was just above the Sniper formation, and it just so happens that the Sniper directly above her was getting too greedy, and was already nocking an arrow to her bow, ready to strike Niya, whom she eyed greedily, as she licked her lips like a wild cat.

Without even thinking, Dorothea jumped of, and slid down the castle shingles, before her legs connected hard towards the Sniper, pushing her off the embrasures, screaming as she fell to her death. The screaming stopped, when her body finally connected to the ground.

While Dorothea was still there, Niya heard the scream, and noticed that the Snipers in that particular row were ready to fire their arrows at whoever caused the death of one of their own, and Niya noticed that it was Dorothea.

"Dorothea!" She shouted out loud, hoping that her scream reached the songstress in time.

Thankfully, while Dorothea was busy admiring her work, she heard Niya's scream just in time, and looked quickly, realizing what was to happen next. She quickly casted a barrier, just as the arrows homed towards her, before the arrows slammed into the barrier, causing them to fall of harmlessly.

The barrier was only effective for so long, so Dorothea had to escape through where the Snipers came from, slamming the door shut, before sealing it shut with a small flame.

Drawbridge Control Room

"Open up!" An Adrestian soldier shouted, as he and a few of his men slammed on the door hard.

"Looks like they've finally made it up here now." Yuri noted. "I think it's time that we make our escape, don't you think?"

"But what about the bridge?" Petra asked. "They might try to lowering it."

"It's either that or our lives, now go! I'll take care of them." Yuri insisted, before Petra sighed, before she leaped off from one of the open windows, joining the battle.

With Petra gone, Yuri casted a few magic traps, and let out a chain of magic, just as the doors slammed open. One of the guards yelled out a "You!" before charging, only to step on one of the traps, which slammed him straight into the ceiling, before the guard fell to the ground.

"Sorry folks," Yuri smirked, "Looks like you'll need to practice your footing." He then backflipped of the room's open windows, as a few more traps activated. He didn't lay out enough traps however, as one more extra guard showed up, and rushed towards the counterweight, and began severing it with his axe, something that Senyold noticed.

Meanwhile

"You know, the Snipers are waiting, right?" Jeritza reminded. "Should we fire?"

"Not yet." Edelgard spoke. "We still have men down there."

Upon hearing this, Hunter grumbled in response.

Elsewhere

As Dorothea continued to rush onwards, a small group of guards chased her as she went through hallway, after hallway. After climbing a flight of stairs, she quickly pushed it open, before she quickly slammed it shut, searing it with small flame. She turned, expecting to see a pathway, only to see that she was trapped on a high tower. If the guards break the door down, she had nowhere else to go.

Later

The guard finally severed the counterweight from its chains, which fell, and landed on a few of the Seiros Knights, killing them, before landing with a metallic clang.

With the counterweight gone, the castle gate began rushing quickly to close itself. Though Niya had jammed the wheel with a sword, the loss of the counterweight wedged the sword out, and the gate quickly rushed down. Thankfully, Senyold noticed this, as was quick to position himself under the gate, and roared in pain, as the gates met his hands, as he struggled with it to keep it open, before finally lifting the gates as high as he could. While Senyold was admired throughout the Knights, as well as the young late Reaver for his strength that could rival even the former crown-prince of Faerghus, Dimitri, even he knew that he couldn't hold it up forever.

Niya heard Senyold's roar of pain, and saw that even with brute strength alone, Senyold still struggled to keep it open. Everyone else was too distracted with the battle to aid the elderly soldier. As much as Niya hated what was happening now, she knew she had no choice, and with a regretful expression, she shouted out loud: "RETREAT! FALL BACK!"

As Niya fought her way out, she repeated herself. "Everyone, fall back now! We need to retreat." Niya then noticed Everon, and Everon noticed her back. Niya gestured towards Flayn, and Everon understood, as he charged forward, and quickly grabbed Flayn, shocking the petite girl for a while, before he positioned her behind him him, and continued his escape, while urging others to escape, along with a few others who have managed to hear the command.

"What about you?" Leonie, the student who was closest to Niya questioned.

"I'll try to get everyone out, now go!" Niya commanded, as Leonie nodded, and rode out of the bailey.

Meanwhile

As Niya was busy trying to get everyone out, Hunter's patience was already dwindling at that point.

"They're already trying to make their escape." Hunter angrily spoke. "Give the order now!"

"We still have men down there." Edelgard fiercely defended. "We're already low on men as it is. We can't afford to lose any more."

Hunter hated hearing this, and before anyone could even breathe, Hunter quickly grabbed Jeritza's Mini Bow, and fired an arrow, as he shouted out "NOW!" his shot hitting a Seiros Warrior in the back.

Seeing the arrow shot, the Snipers took it as a signal, and began firing their arrows, hitting both enemies, and allies alike.

Meanwhile

Dorothea panicked as the door she had sealed shut finally broke open, and the guards appeared, swords drawn. They inched forward, backing Dorothea further before she was practically inches from the embrasures.

Dorothea looked below her, before looking back at them. Before the guards could react, Dorothea loosened her grip from the parapets, and allowed herself to fall off.

The guards, shocked on the songstress' decision, quickly rushed to see if a body was in the midst of falling to its death, before a white blur zips pass them, with a lance striking their swords from their grip, and over the walls. It was Ingrid, who had managed to grab Dorothea as she fell, before the two flew off.

"Please don't ever do that again." Ingrid scolded to the songstress, as she maneuvered Galtel from the towers.

Later

"GAH!" Felix screamed in pain, as an arrow struck his arm. He keeled over, but thankfully, his childhood friend, and fellow Blue Lion, Sylvain, quickly grabbed him, hoisting him up behind him.

"I got you buddy!" Sylvain said, as they rode of out of the castle.

"Thanks…" Felix grumbled, as he clutched his arm in pain.

From one of the fallen Paladins, unsure if it was a Seiros', or an Adrestian's, Niya quickly got up on one of the horses, kicking off a chasing War Monk in the process. By now, majority of the Student Army had gotten the message, and were already rushing out. However, some were still killed by either arrows, or an Adrestian troop. Some were even shot as they were practically inches out of the gate. Caspar was one of the few who was shot outside the gate, but he managed to pull it out, before he continued to hobble out, only to be helped, when Dedue, who was just behind him, helped carry him out safetly.

Despite getting shot at his right hip, and by the side of his body Senyold continued to hold strong, as he forced himself to fight back the pain, to allow more of his fellow soldiers to escape. Unfortunately, whether it was due to the internal pains he had suffered thanks to the arrows, the sheer weight of the gate, or even his elderly age, Senyold eventually succumbed to the pain, and falls to the ground, weakly uttering out a "Sorry… everyone…", before dying as the gates fell on him, his armor saving him from just barely crushing his body.

While Niya, Flayn, Everon, all students who joined the battle, and a half of the Seiros Knights have managed to escape, the other half were locked inside, as indicated by their screams of dread, and terror.

"No!"

"Please! I don't want to die!"

"Save me!"

Another group, refused to accept their fate, and tried to climb the fallen gates, only to be easy targets, as the arrows pierced their backs, causing them to fall off, while others tried to continue onward.

Others however, accepted their fate, and only raised their voice, to encourage those who escaped, to continue onwards.

"Run for your lives!"

"Save yourselves!"

Niya was one of the very last to escape, and hesitated to look back, before she finally did, only to see that half the army that she had spent months gathering, were trapped inside, just mere milliseconds from death, as arrows continued to rain down on them.

The trapped soldiers saw that the former professor still stood there, and they knew that out of all of them, she was the one who needed to escape, persuading her to escape.

"Go professor!"

"Do not die here!"

"Lead them to victory!"

Niya turned back, only to see Everon simply lowered his head, regretful that he would survive, while his fellow soldiers would not. Flayn on the other hand, turned away, refusing to even take a quick glance. Everyone else only looked on, as they continued their escape.

After a while, Ferdinand called out "Niya, the bridge!"

Niya looked, to see that the bridge was already being raised. Now with no other choice, Niya only looked back in regret, with a few nodding, as if to reassure her, before she rode of, just barely clearing the jump, before everyone else continued their escape out of Enbarr.

As the drawbridge was being raised higher and higher, more yelps of pain were heard, as the trapped soldiers were pelted with more arrows.

"For the glory, of Lady Rhea!"

"In the name of Seiros!"

Finally, the gates closed.

Ingrid and Dorothea, were still escaping, having to make a few changes in their escape route, as a few soldiers spotted them, and were trying to shoot them down. They finally find a route, that leads directly over to where the battle took place, and could only look down in regret, as the courtyard was littered with bodies, especially by the gates, where a small congregation of corpses were, with the final one, a Seiros Warrior, keeling over, the final casualty of the battle.

"No…" Dorothea spoke softly, seeing the scenario.

Ingrid could only look on, closing her eyes for a brief moment, before opening them again, as she dived down out the gate, joining Niya, who still hesitantly stayed, only to look back seeing the two girls just behind her, as they rode onward, the flapping of Pegasus wings, and the gallop of horse hooves filled the night.

A/N: And we're clear!

And that finishes up the Night Raid. I know it might come off as cartoony, or cliché to some, but oh well.

I'll be honest, this was in the works for quite a while, and had a few revisions. Originally, Gilbert and Rodrigue would've joined the raid, and die here instead, but because I couldn't fit them in the story at all, I had to change it, which is why they die in Gronder Field. That wasn't just for accuracy's sake.

I added McCarley in the beginning, just so I can confirm him as a survivor, rather than confirm it in the next chapter. There was no way I was gonna kill off the one. The only, Gatekeeper!

As for the mechanic I was talking about, it's a simple raid mechanic, but after a while, there's an escape mechanic, and you have to escape. The catch is, that anyone trapped inside, permanently dies, no matter what. I know Casual Mode exists now, but remember, even in Classic Mode, the Gronder battle pre-timeskip, has a casual mode setting regardless, so it could definitely work.

Anyways, next chapter is the aftermath of the raid.

Until the next chapter, BYE!