ASHEN WOLVES

Part I: White Clouds
Chapter 4: Mock Battle (Skirmish)

The mock battle's battlefield was held in a wide-open plain. For the most part it was otherwise flat with few hills or steep inclines. The road leading into the line of trees split into two paths, the left protected by wooden posts and rocks. The right path was virtually open, but the forest provided excellent cover for anyone willing to stage an ambush. Past the line of trees and lush greenery were two strongholds, albeit dilapidated but otherwise fell fortified. Anyone who situated themselves inside could prepare accordingly for enemy invasion, though they would most likely have to worry about bringing down the roof on their heads if they were not careful.

Byleth and the Ashen Wolves stood atop a hill, surveying the field. Overall, it seemed like the perfect place for the houses to combat each other, but for Byleth, he saw a rock and a hard place as the houses and their professors would be scattered about the field. Two would be out in the open, and the other two would be hold up in the strongholds.

"Huh." Hapi looked around the open plain with a hint of a smile. "This place really is open. You think it would be okay to 'sigh' here?"

The mercenary raised a brow. "Sigh?"

"Long story," Balthus said sheepishly. "And as much as I'd appreciate it, might be best to keep a lid on the sighing for now. Can't have you getting into trouble with the Knights or the Church because of a misunderstanding."

Constance bobbed her head in agreement. "Indeed. Besides, we will be fine on our own. Plus, this is a great way for us to see whether or not our Professor is as skilled as our dear Yuri says!"

"Wow, I'm feeling the love here." Yuri rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what do you think, Prof?"

His eyes fell on Byleth expectantly. The latter knew he was being gauged and tested. Yuri wanted to see if he could get a good grasp on what they could expect if they fought in a place with very little cover. Besides the posts and rocks providing a defensive line and the strongholds an excellent place to hold up, the wide-open area in front of the forest line virtually left them open. Anyone with eyes could see them coming half-a-mile away regardless of where they were.

Ideally, the best course of action would be to either occupy the strongholds or find a way past the defensive line on the right path. The downside was that they would be left open to an attack from behind. There was also the possibility they could be intercepted by one of the other houses. Ideally, traversing the left path to sneak around seemed the safest course of action, but the enemy could easily hide in the forest and ambush them, leaving them open to attack.

"…the other houses will be occupying the corners of the field, isn't that correct?" Byleth asked. Yuri nodded. "Do you know which house is occupying which corner?"

Yuri shook his head. "Afraid not, though I'd wager a guess and say that Claude will probably take cover on the right side. Not only would he have a wall between him and everybody else, but he'd be able to sneak around and attack his neighbors."

Byleth rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And what of Edelgard and Dimitri? How would you expect them to approach this situation?"

"Dimitri's kind of like a knight," Hapi chimed in. "But that's kind of to be expected from someone who's from Faerghus, much less its next king. He'd probably go at this with honor and attack his foes head on, no strings or trickery involved."

Constance bobbed her head in agreement. "Indeed. As for Lady Edelgard, she would attack with full force and use whatever means available to her. If obtaining victory meant she would have to burn down the forest or bring down the enemy stronghold, she would do so without a second thought."

"Burn down the forest…" Byleth looked at Yuri, the house leader muttering to himself. His eyes danced with delight and mischief. "You know, that just might work after all. Thanks for the idea, Constance."

"I…beg your pardon?" Constance seemed confused by Yuri's gratitude, much less what he was thanking her for.

Byleth was equally as confused, but he assumed Yuri must have thought of something. Before he could question Yuri what his plan was, he caught his father walking up to them.

"Are you kids ready?" he asked them. "It's just about time for the mock battle to begin."

Byleth looked at his house. The four gathered in front of him flashed smiles of confidence, though whether it was for themselves or in him he didn't know. Seeing this, Byleth made his decision. There was no longer any time to debate or think of what to do. From here on, this would be a battle between him and the houses. They weren't students, but soldiers he would have to defeat.

The only difference here, though, was that the allies under his command were not the mercenaries he fought and bled with. These were strangers, each with their own abilities and skills. Even his enemies were different.

Children, all of them, but skilled enough to handle themselves in combat.

It was going to be quite the interesting experience, that was for sure.

Bernadetta was incredibly nervous. Actually, scratch that. She was absolutely terrified.

"Are you okay, Bernie?" Dorothea asked gently. She had almost forgotten that the songstress was here in the midst of her breakdown. "You look like you're about to faint."

"I'm more amazed she came out at all," the devil standing beside Lady Edelgard said. "When we were told of the mock battle, she hurried to her room quicker than usual."

"Can you blame me?!" Bernadetta whined. "We're fighting! I'm out in the open! I'll be like a fish in a barrel! Easy prey! It's bad enough we have to fight Claude and Dimitri, but the Ashen Wolves are here too!"

Lady Edelgard frowned slightly. "Bernadetta, I believe I've told you-"

"N-no no no, I didn't mean it like that!" She didn't have anything against the house. In fact, she actually admired them. They took all the abuse hurled at them and practically shrugged it off like it was nothing. Four students in the house in particular were the most noteworthy, though only one of them stood out to her in her mind. "I mean, have you seen how beefy Balthus is?! He could pop off my head just by wrapping his arm around my neck!"

Hubert rolled his eyes. "If you have the time to be concerned of whether or not you'll lose your head, you have time to concentrate on the matter at hand," he said coldly, making her shudder. She hated Hubert's eyes; they were cold, pools of darkness that threatened to swallow her whole if she wasn't careful. His hands, so pale and thin, were so long she thought they would reach out and grab her by the neck. "We've occupied the stronghold, but I suspect we will deal with the others soon."

"Hubert is correct," the Professor of the Black Eagles and the Academy's Sword Instructor, Jeritza, said. Bernadetta wasn't really sure how to feel about him. On the one hand, he was just as intimidating as Hubert (if not more so than the devil), and she knew how strict of a taskmaster he had been. Her body was still sore after the hell he forced upon them in preparation for this day. "The enemy will not wait. Edelgard, take Bernadetta with you and head outside. See if the enemy is approaching. Dorothea, Hubert. Scout the western area and see if we have any visitors."

Bernadetta let out a whimper. So they were going out into the open? Forget being a fish in a barrel, she was going to be a helpless bunny rabbit before a hungry wolf! Even if she was with Lady Edelgard, how was she supposed to feel safe? She hoped that none of the houses were on the move yet. She wasn't prepared for this.

And she was definitely prepared to face Yuri yet.

Out in the open fields, standing at the far corner of the battlefield and open to any attack, Dimitri kept his gaze leveled as he stared for signs of his fellow students' approach. The spear in his hand felt heavier than normal.

"Your Highness?" Dedue, ever the observant attendant, noticed this and stared at him in concern.

He shook his head. "I am fine," he assured him. "Simply nervous is all."

Professor Hanneman patted him on the shoulder, smiling kindly. "You needn't fret, Young Dimitri. It's only natural you would feel nervous. After all, you're battling your fellow students this time, not mere bandits or rogues and the like."

That was precisely why he was troubled.

Before, he would have no trouble attacking the enemy. They were men who satiated their lust for violence and greed, troubling the less fortunate for little reason other than that they could. Some had excuses, like doing so for the sake of survival and whatnot, but for the most part, they were all brutes who deserved what was coming to them. His classmates, however, were different. They were of different houses, yes, but they all came from prominent backgrounds, regardless of social standing. Beacons of hope for a brighter future for this continent.

Dimitri had no qualms about killing those who sought coin by any means necessary, but people he knew, some he thought of as friends, were different. Against common thieves and bandits, he could go all out. But against them? He had no idea what would seriously injure them and what wouldn't.

"Hey, Boar," Felix called from the front. "That mercenary you couldn't shut up about. Are his skills for real?"

Dimitri sighed at his childhood friend's nickname for him. At this point, it may as well have been his name with how often Felix called him by it. Very rarely did he ever call him by name these days. "While I'm uncertain whether or not he would meet your standards, Professor Eisner is quite capable out on the battlefield. Enough to give you a run for your money."

"I wonder who he chose to bring with him?" Felix wondered aloud. "We know Yuri is with him, but who else do you suppose is with them?"

"I, for one, am sincerely hoping those lovely ladies Hapi and Constance are taking part in this," Sylvain chuckled. Dimitri resisted rolling his eyes, having grown used to the redhead's antics. "One as cold as ice and the other as fickle as flames… I wouldn't mind getting pummeled by a spell or two by those girls~"

Hanneman chuckled. "Be careful what you wish for, Young Sylvain. Constance is virtually unparalleled in the magical arts." He paused for a brief moment and muttered something under his breath. "Though I dearly hope Young Hapi doesn't sigh. That poor girl has enough trouble going for her already."

"Your Highness," Dedue called out. "I see movement up ahead."

Dimitri strained his eyes. With the exception of the defensive barrier made of wooden posts and rocks protecting one house and the line of forest trees hiding away the other, the open plains left little to no cover at all. As a result, it was easy for them to see if someone was approaching them. Part of Professor Hanneman's plan had been to play the waiting game; wait for the enemy to come to them and deal with them appropriately, and if they only sent out a few of their number, wait and see what their next move would be.

Three figures were quickly approaching them. The mercenary he had met only a few weeks ago was at the head, sword in hand. Trailing behind him was Balthus and Yuri.

Dimitri blinked. "Only three of them?"

"Where are the other two?" Sylvain asked.

Professor Hanneman frowned slightly. "Curious. I've not known my new colleague for long, but from what little I do know, he wasn't the arrogant sort. Some sort of ploy, perhaps?" The man shook his head. "No, that can wait for later. Blue Lions, to arms! Ashe, take up the rear with me. Your Highness, Sylvain, Felix! Please take the vanguard!"

Felix smirked, drawing his sword from its sheathe. Dimitri readied his spear. As he watched Professor Byleth draw closer, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement swell deep in his chest.

Ever since he witnessed Byleth cut down those mercenaries back in Remire Village, he would admit, he felt a sense of deep admiration. The motion and skill he displayed in his movements, the swift strike of his blade as he cut down one bandit after another, all without a shred of emotion. He was like the ocean; calm, but ready to swell into chaotic disaster at any moment.

To face against this man now, he could think of nothing else.

I'm starting to sound like Felix.

Dimitri chuckled to himself. The Ashen Wolves drew closer. The Blue Lions answered their charge.

Steel met steel.

Claude observed the clash from his position atop the tree branch. While it wasn't as close as he would have liked, he more or less had a front row seat to the whole thing.

And he more or less understood what Yuri was planning.

"Divide and conquer, eh old friend?" Claude smiled wryly, applauding his fellow vagabond and outsider before making his way down the tree. "A classic strategy. Unfortunately, it won't work on me."

He landed at the foot of the tree on both feet, dusting off the dirt and leaves from his clothes. "So?" Hilda asked as she and Lysithea approached. "What'd you see?"

"Teach, Yuri and Balthus are fighting His Highness and the rest of the Lions, but I saw neither hide nor hair of whoever else they brought with them," he told them. "They've most likely split up and intend to attack two houses at once."

Lysithea raised a brow at that. "Assuming Professor Eisner is as good as you say, I suppose he, Yuri and Balthus could stand a chance against the Blue Lions, but I don't see them coming out unscathed," she pointed out. "And I don't see two students being able to do much by themselves against a whole house."

Claude agreed with her, which was the main reason why he was nervous. What plan had that handsome devil concocted that would require them to split apart? The way he saw it, no matter how effective the divide and conquer plan was, it wouldn't do much if one group bit off more than they could chew. Plus, with them having to fight on three fronts, there was a risk of them being blindsided. One group was likely to be sandwiched between two opposing forces, or in this case, either their prey and a hungry Eagle or Deer would corner a group of unlucky wolves.

He knew Yuri was smart, maybe just as clever as himself. So why would he perform such a risky maneuver? Was he missing something?

"Hang on…" Realization dawned on Claude. "If Balthus is with them, then are those two here as well?"

Hilda caught on to what he was saying. "You mean Hapi and Constance? Now that I think about it, Balty and those three are pretty close."

"It would make sense if they were here as well," Lysithea offered her own two cents. "Whereas Yuri and Balthus are skilled fighters and know a little healing magic, Constance and Hapi are proficient in magic. But if they are here, and if they did separate, what's the point? They can't exactly defend themselves if we catch them off guard and hit them before they can cast a spell."

Claude nodded. "Bingo. It doesn't add up." The future Duke furrowed his brow. "Yuri, Balthus and Teach are attacking Dimitri, and Hapi and Constance are most likely gearing up to attack us… What's their angle? If it's divide and conquer, it'll definitely fail. What's their real goal?"

He tried to visualize the possibilities in his head; the battlefield the chessboard and they the pieces. A vary haphazard chess board and the chess pieces with wills of their own. A wall protected him from two foes, but one could sneak around and attack him from behind. The enemy could break down the wall and challenge them head-on, albeit risking injury. They could go around and take down two foes and then strike from behind in a weakened state. Alternatively, they could take down their foes, then split into two groups and attack him from both sides, putting them between a rock and a hard place.

The other option, unlikely as it was, was to somehow force one enemy into attacking him while they focused on their own foe. With Dimitri, it might have worked through subterfuge and false leads, but Edelgard and Jeritza weren't so easily fooled. Just like the birds that adorned their banners, they were sharp. They would easily what Yuri was trying to do.

"It's unlikely…but it is still possible."

Lysithea narrowed her eyes. "If you thought of an answer, spill it! Don't keep us in the dark."

"Yeah. Come on, Claude, fill us in on whatever's going around in your head. Don't leave us out of it."

Claude sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't think Yuri would do it because it's too risky, and because it's Edelgard sitting next door to us, but…" He stopped when a curious smell entered his nostrils. "Hey, is something burning?"

Edelgard couldn't believe what was happening right in front of her.

"F-f-f-f-fire! The forest! It's on fiiiiiiire!"

"I see that, Bernadetta…!"

I can't believe Yuri would actually employ a tactic such as this, the princess of Adrestia thought.

The path leading out into the open fields of the plain was surrounded by fire. On either side, trees were set ablaze and were rapidly being turned to smoldering ash by the minute. Smoke was filling the air, making it hard to breathe. Worse yet, Edelgard saw the fire was still spreading further and further in.

Bernadetta trembled. "D-did Yuri set this whole place on fire? Is he trying to lure us out?"

"Most likely," Edelgard grimaced. She held a hand to her mouth. "Try not to breathe in too much smoke, Bernadetta. Let's rush back to Professor Jeritza and the others. We'll have no choice but to leave and attack them as they wish."

"O-okay!" Just as Bernadetta turned to rush back to the stronghold, she stopped and stared ahead of them. "W-wait! Lady Edelgard, look!"

Edelgard followed the introvert girl's gaze. Instantly, her eyes narrowed in on the likely culprit behind the fire. Standing in the middle of the path, uncaring of the flames with cloth wrapped around their face, was a familiar woman with red hair and mocha-colored skin, wearing a silver-white version of the Officer's Academy uniform.

"Hapi…!"

Hapi raised her hands together, crackling black electricity dancing at her fingertips and correlating into her palms. The energy she was gathering expanded in her grasp, forming into a small black sphere surrounded by hazy black flames. Having seen such witchcraft performed before at the hands of her faithful retainer, Edelgard knew what magic the girl was casting, though she noted it the sphere was much bigger than what Hubert could cast. Potentially even stronger, perhaps showing Edelgard just how serious she was in fighting her.

Attacking us in the middle of a burning forest, all by herself? Edelgard mused. I never realized the Ashen Wolf House was so daring.

She braced herself for an attack. Beside her, Bernadetta scrambled to pull out an arrow from her quiver. But to their surprise, Hapi's target was not them. Instead of the two targets a few feet away from her, Hapi sent her magic ball hurdling towards one of the nearby trees. The spell struck the tree's trunk, and to Edelgard's shock and Bernadetta's horror, the trunk was obliterated entirely. The tree groaned as it lurched and fell to the ground with a deafening thud.

"Eek!" the reclusive girl cried out fearfully. "D-did you see that?!"

Edelgard wasn't focused on the destructive power of Hapi's spell, but rather on what she was doing. Already she casted another spell and sent it flying, destroy the trunk of another tree and sending it crashing down. It was by the third consecutive spell and tree falling that the princess realized what Hapi—and by extension Yuri's plan was.

"Of all the dirty tricks…!" she cursed the Ashen Wolf House Leader and ran forward, attempting to maneuver around the fallen trees.

Sadly she figured out the plan too late and came to a startling halt as a particularly large tree came falling down almost in front of her. An intense wave of heat overwhelmed her, forcing her away from the pile of burning lumber gathered in the middle of the road.

"She blocked the road?! W-why? What for?!"

"Because they want us to attack whoever has occupied the stronghold to the west," Edelgard answered with gritted teeth, ashamed that she had been so blind to their plan. If only she had attacked Hapi when she saw her instead of waiting for her to make the first move…!

In the distance, an orange glow permeated the azure horizon. Smoke rose into the air, climbing upwards as if to touch the clouds above them.

It would seem Yuri's plan worked.

Byleth had to admit, he was greatly impressed by Yuri's plan. Constance's innocent remark of burning down the forest had sparked a truly nefarious plot in the man's mind. Both he and Byleth knew attacking the Blue Lions and expecting no one to intervene was foolish, but they had no actual way of preventing either of them from doing just that. At least not until Yuri concocted a plan to force the Golden Deer and Black Eagles into a direct confrontation.

By having Constance set the forest separating the plains from the strongholds ablaze, but containing it so that it only affected the eastern side, they could force whoever was occupying the eastern stronghold out of hiding and out into the open. This would not stop them from escaping, of course. They couldn't flee into the forest and risk getting lost amid the flames or be caught underneath burning foliage from above such as tree branches or a tree collapsing on top of them. But, by having Hapi obliterate some of the trees near the main road and block off the exit, they would have little choice but to go through the other route.

It was still easy enough for whoever occupied the western stronghold, hiding safely behind wooden posts and rocks to escape, but the fact remained that they would be forced into conflict with the other opposing house. With any luck, they would battle it out and take each out each other, or at the very least be winded enough for the Ashen Wolves to wipe out with little effort. That being said, there was always the possibility that both enemy forces would pour out into the open plains and turn the whole affair into one messy battle royal. There was even a chance that the two houses would combine forces to defeat the Ashen Wolves, then settle the mock battle by fighting each other.

When Byleth brought this up to Yuri, the effeminate man only shrugged and replied with, "We'll deal with it."

It was a shame he hadn't met Yuri earlier in life. He would have made an incredible addition to the Sword Bearers.

The sound of metal grating against metal brought Byleth back to reality. Felix struck at him with incredible ferocity that he left little room for him to counterattack. Each slash was poised to either cut off his arm or sever his leg, or at least he would have if they were using bladed weaponry. As this was a mock battle, all weapons were blunted.

It was also precisely why this was a mock battle that Byleth felt he would win against his opponents.

Felix twirled on his foot, spinning a full 360 degrees and aiming for Byleth's neck. He ducked beneath the swing and countered by kicking the swordsman in the knee. The blow had more impact on account of Byleth wearing steel greaves, forcing Felix on his knees. He followed up with a knee-strike to his face and pinned him to the ground with his foot. A quick tap to the head with the butt of his sword knocked Felix out shortly after.

In a battle, you had to take everything into account; the enemy's weapons and tactics, the numbers on their side, the terrain of the battlefield, the weather, your own forces and equipment, etc. If you battled an opponent who was heavily armored and you were underequipped for the job, chances were you would be cut down unless you used the terrain and your head. There were always small gaps in the armor to slide your sword in and pierce their bodies easily, but finding those gaps was a challenge in of itself.

But this wasn't a battle. This was a mockery of one. A mere simulation, albeit a very poor one. The students knew what combat was like and had the knowledge for battle, but they didn't understand what it meant what a battle really was. The blunt weaponry and their lack of armor was proof of that.

Byleth was never one to waste an opportunity like this, no matter how dirty the tactic.

"Got you now!"

Sylvain's bellow reached his ears well after he saw the lance heading his way. He pulled his head back and rolled off the unconscious Felix and up on his feet, parrying the second strike. The redhead twirled his spear for an overhead strike, bringing it straight down on him. He side-stepped and let the lance hit the ground, then put his foot on the spear, keeping it pinned down.

Sylvain's face was almost comical. "W-wait, what?" Byleth thrusted his sword into his gut. Though it was blunted, that didn't stop the sword from sinking into his flesh and knocking the wind from his sails or cause him great pain. Sylvain let go of his weapon; a fatal mistake that would cost him as Byleth grabbed his face and slammed him straight into the ground as hard as he could. A quick look told him the Blue Lions' resident flirt was unconscious, his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

He stood up and glanced over his shoulder.

Yuri was locked in combat against Dimitri, the crown prince of Faerghus swinging his lance with great force and kicking up dirt and grass in the process. Yuri was faster than he was, but even he knew better than to allow himself to be struck by Dimitri's swings. Both he and Byleth had witnessed him send several bandit thugs flying back in Remire Village. In terms of physical strength, Dimitri was almost superhuman. Fighting him in a battle of strength was pointless, but to their luck it seemed as though he was holding back. Likely struggling with the fact that he was no fighting bandits this time, but his fellow students.

Balthus, on the other hand, was apparently enjoying his fight with Dedue. The man of Duscur had long since discarded his ax after it had been thrown out of his hand when Balthus disarmed him and instead settled for old-fashioned fisticuffs. Balthus' hits were fast and heavy, each blow making Dedue shudder. By contrast, Dedue was tanking the blows as if his body was made of steel. Even a solid hit to the solar plexus, which should have left him stunned for a few moments, did little to nothing to stop him. It was like watching a behemoth struggle to break a boulder made of iron.

As Byleth looked at his students combating the enemy, he paused and stopped.

…where's Hanneman?

"Where do you think you're looking, child?" a familiar voice echoed in his mind in exasperation. "Behind you!"

Byleth blinked and turned around just in time to see a fireball heading his way. He quickly jumped out of its path, letting it sail past him and explode onto the ground. Small patches of flame burned away at the ground before eventually fading into embers and sparks. He looked at the burnt ground, then at the one who sent the fireball his way. Hanneman, who had been conspicuously absent until this point, stood not far away from him with his hand outstretched. Light danced at his fingertips, embers and sparks dancing in the center of his palm.

"I'll admit, I was none too confidant in facing you," Hanneman grimaced. "And now I'm truly certain of it. The difference between one with actual battle experience and one who doesn't is truly-gah?!"

Trying to talk in the middle of a battle was likely to get you killed.

Byleth threw his sword at Hanneman as he ran at him. Throwing a weapon away, even as a distraction, was dangerous and would likely get you killed. However, Byleth wasn't a one-trick pony. He was not useless without his sword. He had hands and feet, didn't he?

Besides, who said he wasn't armed?

Embers circled in his palm, gathering and focusing into a single point. The flames were nowhere near as powerful as the flames Hanneman conjured just now. The fireball was the size of his fist. Just as Hanneman recovered and launched a second fireball, Byleth released his own. The two flames met and battled each other for dominance. Hanneman's flames were stronger, but overpowering the spell wasn't Byleth's objective. As far as he was concerned, the flames were merely a distraction. He was well out of the fireball's path when it overpowered and consumed his spell.

"What?!"

Hanneman seemed surprised by the fact that Byleth could cast magic when he shouldn't have. What was he supposed to do if he didn't have a sword and an enemy rushed him? He needed every possible advantage he could get. Granted, his capability in magic was lacking compared to others, but if it could give him any kind of edge over his opponent, he would take it. Plus, it made an excellent distraction.

The older man recovered quickly enough and was already conjuring his next spell. The smell of thunderclouds filled the air as electricity began to crackle in Hanneman's hands. Byleth narrowed his eyes and quickened his sprint. He was within range, but by then Hanneman was ready to unleash his spell upon him. Thankfully, however, he received aid at that exact moment when a ball of shadows struck Hanneman's leg, causing his concentration to waver and his aim to wander off. A bolt of thunder was sent flying off into the sky.

Byleth clenched his fist and rammed it straight into Hanneman's face, breaking the old man's nose in the process before following up with a kick to the chest that laid him flat on the ground. "Oof!" the professor grunted and attempted to pull himself up. Byleth pressed his boot against his chest and raised his hand at the professor, flames lapping in his grasp.

"Yield," Byleth demanded.

Hanneman stared at him for a moment before he sighed. "I yield." The flames dispersed immediately. Byleth removed his foot from his chest and offered his hand. Hanneman gratefully accepted it, grabbing his hand and pulling himself up off the ground with a groan. "Ooh…! I think I'm starting to feel my age. I must admit, you truly are vicious in battle, Byleth."

The two turned their gazes back to their students in time to see the skirmish between them come to an end.

A boar my ass, this guy's like a goddamn Demonic Beast! Yuri howled in his mind as he evaded another swing from Dimitri's lance.

Normally there would be a pause or gap in between attacks, allowing Yuri or someone else with half a brain to take advantage of that and mount a counterattack. With the prince, that wasn't possible. The swings, while powerful, were controlled and precise and came in swift succession. It was becoming impossible for Yuri to find a gap in the blonde's defenses. If it wasn't his impressive form, it was that goddamn strength of his. Seriously, what kind of human is allowed to be so thin but have the physical prowess of a dozen men?! Yuri wanted to cry foul, but that wouldn't do him much good in a fight.

"Perhaps you should give up," Dimitri taunted as he stepped forward, going in for a gauged thrust. Yuri parried it with a twirl of his blade and sidestepped, going in for a stab at his side. Dimitri was faster, moving the shaft of his lance to divert the stab and then followed up with a twirl. The bladeless end of his lance smacked him square in the jaw and knocked him back. His cheek swelled red. "You seem to be having trouble keeping up, Yuri. There's no shame in surrender."

Yuri stared at the prince for a moment, rubbing his cheek before he sighed. "Maybe you're right." Dimitri's eyes widened slightly. The look of surprise faded when he saw Yuri smirk. "But I've never been one to lay down and show my belly. Sorry to say, Your Boar-ness, but I'm not in the mood to give up just yet. Haven't had my fill."

"Damn that Felix," Yuri heard Dimitri mutter under his breath in exasperation.

The Ashen Wolf House Leader was about to return to battle, but stopped when he saw the object of his latest interest soundly defeat Professor Hanneman. Hapi was standing off to the side, her hands smoking black wisps. The two shared a look with each other, the latter smiling as she pointed her thumb at the glowing mix of orange-and-blue behind her.

He grinned. Perfect job. Alright, time for Stage 2.

It was time to end this.

"Hey, Balthus!" Yuri called out. "Time for the second act!"

"Wait, what? Already?!" Balthus exclaimed in shock, diverting his attention from Dedue for only a moment. He paid for his moment of hesitation when the man of Duscur threw a right hook into his jaw that made him stumble. "Why you-! C'mere, you sonuvabitch!"

Yuri cackled at his pal's antics before moving to defeat Dimitri. The prince met his charge with a swing to sweep him off his feet, but Yuri saw it coming a mile away and jumped over it, closing the distance. He smiled sweetly at the prince before he proceeded to slam the heel of his foot down on Dimitri's foot, elicting a cry of pain from him.

The wonders of stiletto heels, ladies and gents!

Never one to play for or give an inch, Yuri proceeded to play the dirtiest move he could in a fight and kick Dimitri in his nether regions. The blonde's face fell into one of pure, agonizing pain as the color drained from his face. It was surprising how he managed to keep a grip on his lance with the amount of pain he was in, though his grip was rather slack. Yuri didn't let up for a moment and threw a punch at Dimitri's throat. The prince gurgled and choked, his grip finally gone from his lance as his hands flew to his throat.

Yuri kicked him down to the ground, slamming his knee down on his chest and aiming the tip of his sword in between his eyes.

"It may be blunt, but I'd imagine that if I shoved it with enough force, I might be able to pierce that pretty face of yours, Your Highness," Yuri leered down at Dimitri, the prince staring up at him agape in disbelief. "Don't look so surprised! This isn't one of those spars back at the academy. This is a fight. And I play to win. So, what'll it be?"

"…I yield."

"Pleasure doing business with you!" Yuri grinned and pushed himself off the prince, turning to see how Balthus was doing.

Dedue threw a straight punch that flew right past Balthus' face, the latter practically diving underneath the man's arm before he threw a heavy punch to his chin, disorientating him long enough for him to grab Dedue's head with both hands, then slam his head into Dedue's own. Even from where they stood, Yuri clearly heard the brutal sound of skull clashing against skull. The two went deathly still. For a moment, he wondered if it was a tie before he watched Dedue slump to the ground in a motionless heap, eyes blank.

"Whew… Okay, all done here!" Balthus announced after a moment, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Man, I knew Dedue was as tough as bricks, but he's built to last."

"Yes, he certainly is, isn't he…?" Dimitri groaned, slowly rising on to wobbly feet. "It would seem the Blue Lions have lost. Utterly, I might add. I pity whoever crosses you, Yuri. You're brutal."

"I prefer to think of what I did as a love tap," Yuri replied cheekily before addressing Hapi. "So, how'd it go? Any problems?"

The redhead shook her head. "Nope. No problems on my end." She looked at the defeated forms of the Blue Lion House, then at Byleth who retrieved his sword and returned to his students. "Wow. You guys cleaned house, huh?"

"Where is Constance?" their Professor asked, his voice remarkably calm and level in spite of the fact that they just took down the Blue Lions with only the three of them, Hapi's assistance at the last moment aside.

"Present and accounted for, Professor!" Balthus yelped and jumped back, the aforementioned blonde noble appearing behind him and smiling cheerfully. "What did you think of my performance? The Black Eagles are scurrying about and aiming for the Golden Deer as we speak! I imagine they must have already engaged one another in combat."

Hanneman's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean you started a forest fire to force Jeritza's class into confronting Manuela's?"

"Pretty much," Yuri confirmed. "And if all goes well, they'll either be too tired to fight back or whoever's left standing will be easy prey."

"I would not be so confident, Yuri," Dimitri advised his fellow house leader. "Don't forget that Professor Jeritza is our Sword Instructor. His skills with a blade are second to none, and Edelgard is no slouch in combat herself."

Yuri smiled nonetheless. "Oh, believe me, I'm quite aware of that. And that just makes this whole thing all the more fun, don't you think?"

Manuela yelped when her body was forced up against the tree harshly, the cold edge of a blade, blunted as it was, pressed up against her throat. The eyes of her predator glared down at her, ready to deliver her to death at the slightest movement.

"You would be wise to surrender," Jeritza said coldly.

Manuela felt a cold run down her spine. She knew the man to be aloof and had a cold shoulder equal to frigid tundra, but the tone in his voice was different. It was devoid of emotion with an edge, almost as though he were waiting to draw blood. Part of her thought if he had a sword with an actual blade to it, he would not hesitate to slit her throat the moment she acted out in defiance.

She glanced at her house. The Golden Deer were strewn about, utterly drained and defeated. Lorenz was lying up against a tree, forehead busted open and bleeding with his eyes rolled behind his head. Lysithea was glaring up at Hubert, the man's arm dangling at his side with a growing red stain on his sleeve while his other hand was holding a sphere of black magic, ready to attack her at a moment's notice. Hilda was lying on the ground beside Claude's feet, the trickster of Garreg Mach's hands in the air while Edelgard's ax was pressed up against his throat. Bernadetta was not far away, her expression equivalent to a frightened child but her grip on her bow that of a vice, ready to spring an arrow forth at any moment.

All of Claude's scheming, Lysithea's magical talents, Hilda's strength and her healing capabilities, and yet all they managed to do was knock out Dorothea and wound Hubert. Aside from those two casualties, that was all the damage they could do.

What kind of training have you been giving these kids, Jeritza? Manuela thought with a grimace and sighed. "I give. The Golden Deer bows out." Jeritza withdrew his sword from her neck, allowing her to breathe. She groaned and rubbed her sore neck. "I'm all for men who love to play rough, but don't you think you were a little…"

She trailed off, seeing Jeritza and the Black Eagles leaving her and her students behind. Rude! She huffed, shaking her head and moving over to Lorenz, and began to apply her healing magic. "That's a nasty cut you have. Hold still…"

"Ungh…" Lorenz made an unintelligible noise, still unconscious.

Claude let out a groan as he hanged his head low. "Man, we got steam-rolled hard. Sheesh, did those guys know how to hold back at all?" He glanced down at the fallen Hilda. "You can stop playing dead, Hilda."

"Who said I'm playing dead?" Hilda groaned. "My everything hurts… Couldn't they be a little more gentle?"

"After seeing you one-shot poor Dorothea with a flying dropkick? You were anything but delicate," Claude rolled his eyes. "Hope Teach and the rest of the wolves are ready. Jeritza and her highness mean business."

After Hanneman and the Blue Lion House was escorted away from the battlefield, Byleth and his students convened for one last meeting.

"Okay, so the Blue Lions are dealt with. All that's left is whoever's left," Balthus laughed boisterously. "Damn we're on fire! I don't remember last year's mock battle ever going this smoothly."

Yuri scoffed. "Because we didn't have a competent teacher. Lucky for us, we hit the jackpot with Prof over here," he patted Byleth on the shoulder. "But, as much as I would love to celebrate, it's still early for that. Hapi, you said you ran into Edelgard when you blocked the main road, right? Was anybody with her?"

"Yeah. That girl who keeps hiding every time she sees you," Hapi answered and furrowed her brows. "What'd you do to her, anyway? I know you can be scary, Yuri-bird, and I know Bernie can be skittish, but whenever you're around, she's way worse."

Byleth raised a brow hearing that. Based on his first meeting with Bernadetta and the few times he spoke with her whenever he caught her, she did seem like the sort of person who'd run and hide at the first sign of danger. And from what little he knew about Yuri based on hearsay and others, the effeminate man could be quite vindictive when he wanted to. Perhaps Bernadetta had accidentally wronged him and he punished her severely that left her scarred?

Yuri sighed while dragging a hand down his face. "It's a long story, believe me. And for once, it wasn't because I scared the daylights out of her. I leave that to Claude when he's in his joyous, devilish moods for pranks."

"Must be quite the story," Constance hummed. "At any rate, how shall we deal with Lady Edelard and the Black Eagles? Bernadetta would be rather easy to deal with, but Professor Jeritza and Lady Edelgard are another matter."

"Don't forget the Bert," Hapi chimed. "He's vicious when it comes to magic and protecting the boss lady."

The mercenary stared at Hapi. "The…Bert?"

"Hapi's nickname for Hubert," Yuri explained. "She has nicknames for everyone whose names she can't remember. And she's not kidding. Guy hangs around Edelgard like a shadow. Wherever she is, she won't be far behind."

Byleth nodded in understanding. He had figured as much. The few times he saw Edelgard wandering about, the shady-looking man had always been right beside her as though he were the future emperor's shadow.

Whatever time they had left to strategize went out the window. Byleth spotted a group of individuals approaching them, three with weapons in hand and another already beckoning the malignant shadows to his side.

"Looks like it's the Black Eagles," Yuri noted. "And not a Deer in sight, isn't that wonderful?"

"Save that for later, Yuri," Balthus told him while grinning. "C'mon, let's wrap this up!"

Byleth nodded. Once more, the Ashen Wolves readied themselves for battle and met the Black Eagles' charge head on.

Seconds later, the sounds of battle resurged across the open plains as the wolves dug their fangs into the wings of the eagles.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow. I think this might be the first time I decided to be an utter bastard and end the chapter on a cliffhanger like this.

Initially, I planned on having this chapter be a little longer and include the battle against the Black Eagles, but I decided to instead end the chapter here as the two houses battle one another. Seems fitting if you ask me.

I should say this, but I will not be showing off the whole fight. The next chapter will show the Ashen Wolves winning the mock battle (and reprimanded for burning down the forest), though that's not to say we'll see a glimpse of what went down. I know, it's a dickish move, but bear with me.

Also, what the blood hell is this? Almost a hundred favorites, over a hundred follows, and this story has 6,700 views?

…I will admit. I did not expect this story to be very popular.

Special thanks go to Starlight's Poet for his great contribution to this chapter. You were a big help. Friendly reminder that "Ashen Wolves" now has a TV Tropes page that has been steadily expanding, so maybe you all could check it out and add to it? Speaking of, a special thank you goes out to a user by the name of Leobracer, who was the one who made the TV Tropes page in the first place.

Thank you both so much. You're incredible people.

REVIEWS:

Salazar1537: Yes, it has been answered, and to answer it again, the events that will not be featured in this fic are Kostas' death at Zanado, Lonato's Rebellion, and some other events that will be revealed later down the line.

romeoraiden: Thank you for the high praise. If you ask me, Aelfric was a fantastic villain and a great departure from people like Miklan or Those Who Slither In The Dark. He had sympathetic motives, though my only gripe was that we didn't get to see him interact with Jeralt at all. It's just a pet peeve of mine is all. And while it is a shame, I sincerely hope the author considers posting it again if they ever return to fanfiction. It really was a beautiful read.