The sound of the Blade of the Creator, screeching as it fails to block the swat of a demonic beast, echoes through my ears. I've been poisoned, stabbed, bludgeoned, thrown from wyverns, and experienced most every form of pain, yet… seeing Teach perform yet another miracle save, knowing when to react when it should have been inhumanly possible, hurt me more than any blade has.
Entering the infirmary, her dark blue hair, still covered in blood, and eye, permanently scarred, gives me pause. The claw crushed her collarbone, and raked from her right eye, down to her waist, almost ripping her in half. My injury, she took. She, for a half-breed, nearly gave her life without hesitation, and has done so more times than anyone else. For everyone else, too. For Edelgard, she was facing the wrong way with Kostas, and suddenly whipped to parry the blade, with a hint of confusion in her eyes. For Ignatz, when the Death Knight nearly ran him through with that scythe, before she threw him back, being pierced by the dark blade in his stead. For Lysithea, when her stamina ran low and a bandit reached for her throat with a dagger, she stole my bow and made a miracle shot, at 300 metres without aiming, and put it between his eyes. For Sylvain, during the first demonic beast encounter, when its paw went to slam down on him, stuck in shock, and she used the blade's whip to wrap around his armor and pull him back.
The Ashen Demon, a woman of legend, my teacher, and my friend, has only shown pain in those moments. The immutable woman, who has proven herself time and time again to resist feeling injuries that would outright drop anyone else, hurt seeing her students in danger. Her eyes, the still sea that they are, were stormy and cold when saving them, and she cried out while saving me.
Byleth Eisner, daughter of Jeralt Eisner, you'll never tell me, but I learned. I thought hard, and I researched every book in Abyss, and I learned. Your fear, your anxiety when we end a battle and someone had a close call. Your eye tic when you hear us joke about death. Your secret is safe with me.
You will never see us die again. I will not permit it.