Crimson Flower
Rain of Enmity
The bright rays of the morning sun shone through the windows, prompting Lysithea's pink eyes to flutter at the rising sun's heightening presence in the sky.
"Uhh…" Lysithea stirred on the cloth covered floor, snuggling at the warm chest of someone else, finding bliss in doing so until her eyes shot wide open at the realization of her circumstance.
Her pink eyes opened to see Byleth's scarred chest, she looked up to feel Byleth's warm breaths on her head as she caught sight of Byleth's sleeping face.
Realization dawned on her as she found herself completely naked with him with Byleth's left arm wrapped around her waist and one of his legs making contact with hers. Their clothes littered on the tables and chairs of the classroom they slept together in.
Last night felt like a dream for Lysithea which is why she was having a hard time believing that it actually happened. Her confession, his response to her, their first kiss and then, they made love for the Goddess knows how long and how many times.
Before she could formulate a way to get up from Byleth's grip on her without waking him up, her attempts to do so prompted Byleth's eyes to flutter open as well, his green eyes meeting her pink eyes as the first thing his eyes saw in the morning.
"H-Hello…" Lysithea bashfully greeted him, the very thought of her waking up naked with the man she loves felt new to her nor was the place they slept together in is a normal place to sleep for the night. Their old classroom, once a place of memories for them as teacher and student, now 'defiled' with memories of their first night together.
Byleth's sleepy eyes regarded her before he raced the hand that was holding her waist up to her body and to her face, causing Lysithea to shudder at the sensation of his touch, his warm hand touching her cheek with his thumb caressing her.
"Did you sleep well?" Byleth warmly asked, a small smile forming across his lips at his newfound lover.
Lysithea nodded meekly, something that Byleth found cute as he wasn't used to seeing her act in such a way.
"I… didn't wake you up, did I?" Lysithea asked, concerned that she disturbed her lover's sleep from her attempts to get up.
"It is no problem–"
"Actually it is." A third voice spoke which alerted the two almost immediately, the couple was quick to sit up to see a disapproving face staring them down from one of the tables and chairs of the classroom.
"E-El…?!"
"Edelgard…"
Reflexively, Lysithea reached for the cloth that they used to cover the floor they slept in, covering herself with it though it did little to cover her entire body.
The Emperor's expression didn't change, only sighing irritably that they just noticed her presence after they were having their precious pillow talk in blissful ignorance, what further irritated her was the fact that the two seemed to have forgotten what today is about.
"Happy as I am to know you two to have gotten together, you two seemed to have forgotten in turn that we're supposed to march to do in Tailtean Plains today."
Byleth and Lysithea's eyes immediately widened, both of them recalling just now what today was supposed to be. They were so wrapped up with their newfound relationship to one another that they have forgotten that today was the decisive battle against Faerghus.
As for Edelgard knowing that the couple are here, a certain someone informed her of their location last night. Having spotted them together in the classroom and witnessing some parts of the carnal act they have done together.
That certain someone being Bernadetta, who like Lysithea, was trying to also reminisce some memories of her life in Garreg Mach until she came to the classroom only to see and hear what had kept her awake at night, processing what she had unwittingly seen. The bags under her eyes had been noticed by her friends especially by Dorothea who in turn reported it to Edelgard who so happened to be looking for both Byleth and Lysithea.
"We'll march in an hour. Get dressed and get ready." Edelgard ordered them as she started to leave the classroom but both knew she wasn't done with them anytime soon.
"And Lysithea?" The Emperor called.
"Y-Yes?" Lysithea asked after her sworn sister singled her out.
"Be sure you can walk straight on the battlefield later."
It took Lysithea a few seconds before she got what Edelgard was alluding to as the Emperor resumed her walk outside of the classroom, giving her a barely concealed mischievous wink on her way out.
"E-EL!" Lysithea squeaked out as her hands instinctively touched her pelvic area, her face turning as red as Edelgard's clothes. If it hasn't been as red as it was…
If there was any indication that Edelgard wasn't done with them, especially Lysithea for this event, it was that one wink. Lysithea knew Edelgard wouldn't let this die down so soon.
Provided they survive today, that is.
Tailtean Plains, for such a historical place, it was rather unremarkable to look at as the rain from the dark clouds looming above had turned the barren field into a plain of mud with small streams of water flowing by, all caused by the cold rain.
"Our scouts have returned, Your Majesty." Hubert announced, approaching the Emperor who was overseeing her troops getting into their assigned formations for the battle that lay ahead.
"Are Dimitri's forces there as expected?" Byleth asked, approaching Edelgard from behind with Lysithea beside him.
Hubert nodded in affirmation.
"And Rhea?" Edelgard asked, noticing that Hubert had omitted their primary target in this battle from his earlier response.
"Nowhere to be seen alongside the Knights of Seiros." Hubert replied with suspicion rightfully etched all over his grim face. "Perhaps they have split up." He suggested.
"It would be folly for Dimitri to leave the city of Fhirdiad for the church to huddle in while he and his kingdom's army fights us alone." Lysithea surmised as she saw the flapping blue flag of Faerghus at the distance despite the drops of rain obscuring a bit of their vision.
Edelgard all agreed with their assessment of the situation.
"They are plotting something, clearly. Rhea must be somewhere, waiting for the chance to attack." The Emperor added in, glancing behind her to see Ferdinand rallying his troops of cavalry and Caspar was leading his own squad of infantry best suited for hand to hand combat.
Byleth's green eyes glared at where Dimitri's army were before shifting his gaze to the two sides, one of which was leading into a patch of trees near a big but narrow stream of water.
"As planned, I will draw Rhea's attention to me." Byleth said, affirming his role in their strategy. His resolve to face Rhea alone having been ironed out since last night, he plans to return to them victorious over Rhea for he has more to lose now should he perish today.
His eyes turned to Lysithea who gave him a nod of trust, her pink eyes filled with faith for him to emerge victorious on his side of the battle.
Edelgard slightly smiled. "Thank you, my teacher. I know we are asking much from you in drawing out Rhea to you but you will not be alone for the moment word has been sent to us that Rhea has emerged from where she is hiding, I have assigned a detachment to aid you should a battle between your armies should happen."
Byleth nodded in thanks before going into position with his own regiment of soldiers to accompany him.
"Wait!"
The former mercenary paused and glanced behind him after Lysithea called him. Her eyes downcast as she approached her beloved.
"Byleth… I know the plan to draw Rhea out is risky already but please…"
"I won't do anything to recklessly endanger my life, Lysithea. I'll give you my word on that." Byleth reassured her, placing his hands on her shoulder as Lysithea looked up into his eyes with concern. He knows full well how Lysithea feels about his past heroic but reckless stunts and he had promised her he will not give her cause for concern anymore than it is.
"I have you to go home with after this is all over so do me a favor as well and live through this battle." Byleth told her, giving her shoulder a short squeeze.
Lysithea nodded affirmatively, making Byleth smile at her. Both were tempted to be more affectionate with one another but the two refrained from doing so, the battlefield not being the appropriate place to do so and both knew they had showered each other with their affection from last night until this morning.
Withdrawing his hands from Lysithea's shoulders, Byleth then went into position as Lysithea watched on, Edelgard approaching her from behind and placing a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.
"Have faith in him, Lysithea."
"I know." Lysithea muttered as she witnessed Byleth disappear among his soldiers who had begun to follow him. She knew Byleth can handle anyone in battle but Rhea? She was just in another league above anyone they've fought so far.
"Now, we focus on the battle at hand. We know our roles just as the professor does, let's get to it." Edelgard told Lysithea, giving her shoulder one last pat as the rain continued to dampen them with its cold drops.
Then, the horn of the Kingdom was heard all over Tailtean Plains, signaling the bloody battle that is about to occur as the Empire's horn responded in turn to signal the Imperial army to finalize everything and be ready for a battle of a scale in which Fodlan has never seen for centuries.
The field for either vindication and revenge is now set.
Edelgard marched ahead of her army, leading the entire Imperial army, all organized and motivated to finally end this war once and for all, bolstered by their new members from the Leicester region. Their collective morale was high but all of them knew never to underestimate an enemy that is pushed back into a corner, that a wounded lion can be much more dangerous than when it isn't.
Dimitri on the other hand marched ahead of his own army, holding the Areadbhar upward to the raining sky, his azure eyes focusing solely on the red clad woman in the distance. While his army has suffered a massive setback from what happened in the failed siege of Garreg Mach, the tragedy that befell Arianrhod and the fierce counterattack that followed in retaliation, the Kingdom's army was still fiercely loyal to the notion of protecting their homeland and their king.
In fact, it is only from Dimitri's presence that the Kingdom's army has any semblance of hope considering his reputation as the Tempest King, his presence is a massive boost to their morale as they see their king as this unstoppable force that can even move an immovable object should he have to.
Thunder rumbled in the skies above them and with lightning flashing which proved to be the signal they needed, the two leaders of opposing sides raised their respective weapons above their heads and pointed them onwards.
"Victory for Faerghus!"
"For the fate of Fodlan!"
And with that, the armies of both the Empire and Kingdom charged onwards to battle, both bent on ridding Fodlan of the other to finally end this war and emerge victorious. For survival, for ideals, for glory, for profit, it was all the same, one side can only win.
Caspar's gauntlet covered left hand smashed through the helmet of a soldier of Faerghus, knocking him down whilst breaking a few teeth. He then swung the axe he was carrying to parry a strike of another axe carrying soldier before burying his fist weapon into his solar plexus, rendering him unconscious.
"There's just no end to them!" Caspar yelled out as another soldier of the Kingdom dared to challenge him, only to get their heads smashed by Caspar's fist weapon.
"More fighting and less complaining, Caspar." Linhardt scolded his friend as he used wind magic to push away groups of soldiers trying to kill him, thinking of the green haired mage as easy prey in close quarters.
"Here I thought you love fighting." Linhardt told him just as he turned to see Caspar throwing his axe to a charging knight of Faerghus, embedding it on the knight's chest, killing him in the process as he fell from the top of his horse.
This left Caspar undefended as another Kingdom knight was charging towards him with lance ready to run through his chest until he was anticipated by a counter charge by Ferdinand on horseback, his own lance penetrating through the knight's armor on his chest, dismounting him forcefully as Ferdinand pulled out his lance after killing his foe.
"Woah! Thanks for the save, Ferdinand!" Caspar thanked his friend only for Ferdinand to shoot him a look.
"Don't treat this battle so callously, Caspar!" Ferdinand scolded him as his eyes warily looked around him for any threats to their lives.
Caspar was about to protest until he found himself on the defensive when groups of Kingdom soldiers tried to gang up on him and Ferdinand, they were only pushed back by Linhardt's wind magic which gave the two the opening to slay them.
"MY LIFE FOR FAERGHUS!" The trio heard another Knight of Faerghus scream out their battle cry but what took everyone's attention to his scream was the monstrous voice as he finished his sentence, the growls that followed only cemented what was to happen next.
That horrific sound as well as the sight of someone grotesquely transforming from a human into something else, they were all too familiar with it. Miklan was the first person they saw transforming into a hideous beast, then those students that were forcibly implanted with something on the day Jeralt died…
And now this? To think that the Kingdom, the stalwart ally of the Church of Seiros would employ the same beasts when the Church themselves called such monstrosities as taboo, shocked them.
More and more soldiers of Faerghus transformed into Demonic Beasts before the Imperial Army, taking every Adrestian by surprise as the tides of battle that used to be in their favor were about to change.
That is until the one before Ferdinand was effortlessly decapitated by Byleth's arrival with a single swing of the Sword of the Creator's whip form, cleanly severing the monster's head as the former professor retracted the whip back into its sword form.
"Always on time, professor." Ferdinand said with a relieved look, though they are experienced in fighting such monsters, Ferdinand knew that the rest of the Imperial Army weren't but with Byleth fighting alongside them, the Demonic Beasts wouldn't be as difficult… or so he wished.
"Assist our soldiers who aren't experienced fighting these monsters, we cannot allow the Kingdom to use them to their advantage and potentially turn the tables–"
Just before Byleth could finish, the sound of another war horn blared over the sound of rain.
And for everyone involved in the battlefield, it only meant one thing.
That horn's sound was way too familiar for them as it was the same sound that signaled the Battle of the Eagle and Lion during the more carefree days in Garreg Mach.
"The Knights of Seiros has arrived! Lady Rhea has joined the battle!" A Kingdom soldier hailed, his morale reaching an all-time high after seeing the approaching army.
Byleth's eyes narrowed and he quickly turned to Ferdinand.
"Send word to Edelgard or Hubert, inform them of Rhea's arrival." He ordered the Duke of Aegir. "I will intercept as planned."
Byleth then turned to the soldiers under his command.
"The rest of you, on me."
Even if he couldn't see where Rhea is exactly, Byleth knew it in his gut that Rhea will appear before him, having the idea that she waited where he will be reported to be seen fighting before she makes her appearance. It is as he and Edelgard had expected but what Byleth can't expect will be the outcome of his encounter with Rhea.
Will it yield answers he seeks? More importantly, will it end in his victory?
Byleth only looked onwards with steeled determination in his eyes as he moved forward to continue fighting and finding Rhea under the rainy skies.
Edelgard embedded the Aymr deep within her opponent's chest before launching him upwards and slamming him down another soldier of the Kingdom, killing both instantaneously with her inhuman strength and powerful weapon.
Any manner of blood that has spilled on to her either washed away from the constantly pouring rain or was indistinguishable from her red clothing.
The smell of blood mixing with the rain permeated the infamous site of decisive battles in history, the scent of blood and death penetrating through everyone's nostrils as the rain continued to dampen not just the ground but also the cries and screams of battle and of those dying.
She has been in many battles, spilled blood of many foes but this battle feels so different…
There was an ominous feeling in the air despite her massive advantage and string of victories over the many moons that passed. Victory seems all but assured as long as they just take down at least one of their main targets in this battle: Dimitri or Rhea, it does not matter who is defeated for she knows that the defeat of one will most certainly break the spirits of the people of Faerghus and finally submit.
But this heavy feeling in her chest is making her tense, she never felt this way ever since that time she witnessed for herself a vision of Lysithea being killed by Hilda in Derdriu, taking the might of Freikugel for herself to shield Edelgard from death, the massive explosions she heard from where Byleth is and the last thing she saw was her falling down to her knees in defeat as everything crumbled around her.
Then, the sound of an all-so familiar horn was heard over the sound of rain and battle.
The sound of the horn that belonged to the Knights of Seiros.
"Rhea." Edelgard knowingly said as her focus briefly went to the east where Byleth and his army were.
"Looks like we are correct, she truly went for where he is." Hubert said, approaching his liege after finding her within the chaos of the battlefield.
Edelgard only looked grimly, her hold on Aymr tightened as she knew Byleth will have to be alone in fighting Rhea, something that Byleth had reassured them that he could handle by himself. Doubts still lingered within Edelgard but she knew better than to question Byleth's skill in battle, there is no other way for him to move forward but to defeat Rhea here and now.
And the Emperor knows the only way forward for her is to face the man who had just cut his way through many Imperial soldiers to stand before her now.
"Dimitri."
"Ah, here you are, Edelgard...at your eternal resting place." Dimitri said, his blue eyes attempting to pierce through Edelgard's lavender ones, to no avail as the Emperor had a steel gaze focusing against his.
"You have trampled and stolen and blinded yourself to the truth. Today, I will have vengeance for all you have done!"
Edelgard could only sigh inwardly at the lies that Dimitri has come to believe as truth, she knew he was pertaining to her purported part in the Tragedy of Duscur, a conspiracy she had no hand in yet Dimitri himself refuses to believe that for all she has done that she had admitted to being guilty of, her hands were clean off of Duscur.
"I am done trying to convince you Dimitri. All you could have done was to stop sheltering Rhea but you just couldn't do that. So many of your people's lives could have been spared."
Dimitri gritted his teeth at Edelgard's insinuation.
"Do not speak as if you had given my people a choice to live or die. You started this war with the intent to lay claim to all of Fodlan! You have taken over the Alliance but by the Goddess, you will not take my Kingdom that my forefathers have fought and held firmly together!"
Edelgard gestured to Hubert to move aside, silently telling him that this battle is hers to fight alone. Despite Hubert's reservation for this plan, he silently obeyed and moved aside.
"Your forefathers who were manipulated like pawns to break away from the Empire, just as you are being manipulated to believe a lie as truth." Edelgard countered back. "But no matter what I say now, nothing will change your mind. I will always be a monster in your eyes and you? You are merely an obstacle in my path, one I must get rid of to move forward."
Both rulers gripped their weapons tightly, both stained with the blood of the others' subjects, their eyes glaring at one another with contempt, their bodies itching to clash blades.
"Dee, come on! Hurry up!"
"Wait for me, El! You need to slow down!"
Memories of the past rang within their ears but both paid no mind to it, nothing will hold them back against each other even those carefree days when they were just Dee and El to each other.
The King of Faerghus and the Emperor of Adrestia roared at each other, charging with weapons raised and for a moment, the earth trembled when Areadbhar and Aymr clashed once again in battle. Their owners baying for the blood of another.
Lysithea could only watch with uncertainty, having arrived to back up Byleth after she had heard of Rhea's arrival with her knights. She knew Byleth would proceed as planned but she still had it in her mind the possibility that Rhea will not fall for Byleth's plan to challenge her in single combat knowing the unhinged nature of the Archbishop.
Then, she stopped as she saw for herself Byleth waiting for the Knights of Seiros, Sword of the Creator on hand as Rhea arrived with the Knights of Seiros backing her.
Their green eyes met, their glares trying to outdo the other in a form of intimidation but to no avail, both having an indomitable will in their staredown.
What were once soft and gentle eyes that looked upon Byleth favorably are now eyes brimming with burning hatred and the desire to punish him with the harshest judgment she can give. In all these five years that had passed, not even the frigid air of Faerghus could stifle the burning rage in Rhea's eyes.
Another form of fire lingered within Byleth's eyes, burning with determination and the need to know what he wants from his former superior, answers about himself and his mother, answers Rhea only has.
And he is intent in finding those answers whether Rhea willingly gives them or not.
"I see time has not changed you one bit, professor." Rhea said, putting emphasis to the last word with bitterness.
"I can say the same to you, Rhea… or should I say, Seiros?" Byleth said, making note of the eerily similar outfit Rhea now wore instead of her robes as Archbishop, she wore the garments the Saint Seiros herself is depicted wearing in murals and paintings.
But of course, Byleth already knew who Rhea truly is based on what Edelgard had revealed about her, Seteth and Flayn's true identities of being the saints of the past.
"It does not matter what you call me, child." Rhea said, silent fury barely masked by the grace she's trying to show to her knights like a mask.
"Because you won't be alive for too long." She added, drawing out her legendary blade made out of Mythril and named in honor of her true name, the Sword of Seiros, overflowing with bluish energy coursing through the blade.
Byleth in response, pointed the Sword of the Creator towards Rhea, his green eyes never leaving her for he knows how swift the Archbishop is in her movements.
"I challenge you to a duel." Byleth demanded, not one to mince words anymore with Rhea.
"And why should I accept? Is this a scheme cooked up by that blasphemer, Edelgard? To get me to forget my surroundings while fighting you? Only to be killed from behind?" Rhea spitefully asked. "If you speak of your honor to vouch for you, you have lost it the moment you turned your back on me."
Byleth's glare hardened.
"Turned my back on you? Then explain to me why my father didn't trust you ever since the day I was born?" Byleth asked which mad Rhea blinked from her glare.
Byleth continued. "I read his journal, the words he inscribed within its pages talked highly of you at first, that he owes you his life for saving him in return for saving him but at a certain point, you instantly lost all of it because of the circumstances about my mother's death and my own birth."
"Sitri…" Rhea muttered out the name.
"Jeralt told me to never trust you ever since we came to Garreg Mach and I think I know why but I want to hear it from you, what did you do to my mother and to me? What was it that you were scheming behind my father's back?!"
This only broke Rhea's graceful facade as her face contorted to showing much of the fury she had been welling up within her.
"I am in no obligation to answer questions much less questions coming from you, a thief, a murderer, heretic and a betrayer! I owe you nothing, child! Only the judgment I shall pass on to you!"
The rage she felt was beginning to burn through her calm and composed exterior, revealing the wrathful side of her as she bared her teeth, gnashing them in anger and hate over the one who had betrayed her and ruined everything for her. She will attain the anodyne she needs once she finally puts an end to Byleth and later, Edelgard.
Only their deaths will extinguish the flames of hate that burned within her.
Conversely, Byleth could feel his chest heat up as he began to channel the power that he had begun to harness in full ever since his return, the Sword of the Creator responded with this as it glowed more brightly which seemed to irk Rhea even more.
The sight of the mythical sword of the Goddess responding so well with Byleth's beck and call infuriated Rhea, refusing to believe something that Byleth knew firsthand, that Sothis had given all of what she has to him by her own volition. Something Nemesis never achieved for himself.
Rhea wordlessly gestured to her knights not to interfere just as Byleth also ordered the Imperial soldiers to stand back, both sides agreeing to the duel that is about to occur between those they serve under.
Just before anything can start, a rampaging Demonic Beast born from the willful transformation of a Faerghus Knight attempted to come for both of them, attempting to charge through only for Byleth to impale its brain with the Sword of the Creator's whip form while Rhea bombarded it with a cast of Bolganone, obliterating the monster's corpse as the two enemies refocused back to one another.
"You will kill your own ally?"
Rhea scoffed. "Monsters like those are a mockery to my brethren. Such desecrations are not ones I call as allies."
Ironically, this is something Byleth will agree with Rhea. He, like the rest of the Black Eagle Strike Force don't consider the Demonic Beasts that Edelgard's uncle uses as allies, knowing how they are made and their true nature. Had Edelgard readily used them for her own selfish gains, he might have forsaken her here and there, something that he had Lysithea to thank for in stopping Edelgard from doing so.
There was silence among the soldiers, both sides watched with bated breaths and shaky anticipation as those familiar with the stories saw this duel as a repetition of the past: Saint Seiros herself fighting the one who possesses the Sword of the Creator. For the Knights of Seiros and those of the Kingdom, they had wished that the exact events and outcome would repeat itself.
For those from the Empire and the Black Eagle Strike Force in attendance, they hoped for an entirely different outcome.
Byleth and Rhea circled each other, swords in hand and ready to swing them to each other yet both warily measured the other as a single misstep may spell doom and victory for the other.
Then, the lightning cracked the sky and thunder followed, like a signal to begin: Byleth, the commander of the Black Eagle Strike Force and Rhea, the Saint Seiros of old began to fight, blades of legendary and historical importance clashing once again.
As it was a thousand years ago…
"RAAH!" Dimitri roared as he and Edelgard exchanged blow after blow with their respective weapons, the might of each swing coming from them and their relics created small shockwaves that threatened to push anyone around them, Kingdom and Empire soldiers both.
Edelgard, despite using her shield to help defend herself, found the object a hassle in keeping up against Dimitri's pure offense. She knew by the dents on her shield that she cannot keep this up anymore, she needs both hands to properly utilize the Aymr to its fullest.
Thus, she took the opportunity to throw her shield towards, making the Faerghus King swing at it to deflect it away only to be taken by surprise when Edelgard brought down the full might of the Aymr on him, forcing him to block as Edelgard pressed on to her own counteroffensive, applying various powerful blows to pressure Dimitri back.
At this point, both are accustomed to each other's fighting style, adapting on the fly as if both had seen the other's movements vividly.
Dimitri had managed to hold his own, noticing Edelgard's slowed movements, wanting to conserve stamina with the barrage of strikes she had unleashed. Dimitri wasn't faring any better as he had also expended his own stamina, parrying and keeping his ground against Edelgard's attacks.
Edelgard then swung Aymr upwards, staggering Dimitri away as Edelgard attempted to deliver a swing of Aymr to end this duel only for Dimitri to use the pole of Areadbhar to barely guard against the attack.
Standing his ground, Dimitri pushed Edelgard away to create some distance for him to use Areadbhar effectively from a certain range, noticing that Edelgard by now knows how to stifle his offense by being close to him in melee.
Taking advantage of the Emperor's slowed movements, he went for the offense, pushing back Edelgard with a strong swipe and managing to finally draw first blood in their duel when he gave Edelgard's cheek a shallow cut from a strike Dimitri narrowly missed.
The wound, while shallow, stung for Edelgard, probably due to the energy coursing through the Areadbhar. She hissed as blood flowed from her cut, deflecting aside Dimitri's attack as they locked weapons against each other once more.
Both glared at each other with gnashed teeth, fighting for supremacy of arms.
"Yield, I will give you a quick death." Dimitri told the Emperor who expectantly spurned his offer.
"You'll have a better time convincing Rhea to confess to her falsehoods than to tell me to surrender." Edelgard spat out.
"Either way, you will die today, Edelgard. It just depends in what way." Dimitri then kneed Edelgard to the stomach, making the Emperor bend down in pain as Dimitri raised his arms and Areadbhar to slay his foe with it.
Only to be surprised when Edelgard had a ball of fire in her hands and blasted Dimitri point blank with it, causing a fiery explosion that sent the two rolling down the muddy ground of Tailtean Plains, reeling in pain from the explosion.
The fact that Edelgard casted magic took the Faerghus King by surprise, not expecting Edelgard to even be capable of using such a spell let alone while on close range, casting such a spell at such close proximity to harm him at her own expense was a bold strategy he never saw coming.
Grumbling in pain, the rain had fortunately dampened the effect of the fire that had blasted him and Edelgard but he could still feel his skin singed from the blast, he knows Edelgard too feels the same way as he saw him also trying to stand up not too far away.
Without warning, Edelgard charged towards him, casting another ball of fire at him which Dimitri successfully destroyed with a swing of Areadbhar only for Edelgard to slam Aymr on to it with such force from a jumping slam that it brought Dimitri to his knees, his greaves being caked in mud as he steadily lost his ground.
"Your Majesty!" Dimitri couldn't see him but he knew Dedue had called to him, frantic at his current situation against Edelgard.
Edelgard briefly glanced at the Duscurian, before giving Hubert the look to make sure Dedue doesn't interfere, something the raven haired man nodded to as he went to confront the armored Duscurian with a spell ready.
Then, without warning, Dedue led out a howl so terrible and familiar to Edelgard and Hubert.
"No, Dedue! You fool!" Dimitri yelled out in a panic as he realized what his most loyal retainer was about to do, spotting the glowing crimson stone in Dedue's hands just as Hubert had called forth spikes of dark magic to impale him with.
Dedue ceased to exist after being enveloped by a crimson light, a Demonic Beast, bigger than anyone has ever seen emerged from it, its head covered by a metal mask. He stood on his two hind legs, the Beast that sprouted from Dedue looked at his surroundings for a brief moment before its eyes turned to where Edelgard and Dimitri were.
Seeing Dimitri in his current situation caused the monster to bellow out in rage, stomping his way towards Edelgard at an alarming pace, every step made the very ground shake which caused Edelgard to lose her balance, giving Dimitri the opportunity to get away from her and reposition himself.
Hubert's only exposed eye widened at the sight of the gigantic rampaging beast. This is no ordinary Demonic Beast for some reason, Dedue's strength of will must have called forth such a hulking monster to transform into. Seeing this unexpected development, Hubert spent no time commanding the Dark Spikes to impale Dedue with.
The monster that Dedue turned into was indeed hit by the spell, each spike impaling itself on his hide and exploding, causing the monster to howl in pain much to Dimitri's distress.
"Dedue!"
Edelgard glanced at the monster before turning to Dimitri.
"For all your talk of righteousness, you had allowed your own soldiers to transform into such monsters." Edelgard said condescendingly which made Dimitri turn to her, enraged.
"Don't you dare! They chose this on their volition! I never asked them to sacrifice themselves to become monsters!" Dimitri lashed out. "I will make sure their sacrifices will never be in vain when I kill you today!"
"And rule over your Kingdom with the foundation of their corpses?" Edelgard responded, mocking how Dimitri had accused her earlier of building a future on a foundation of "corpses and tears".
"You've always been one for contradictions, Dimitri. You show such benevolence yet deep within, there's a person brimming with so much hatred that he fails to see what is true from what is not."
This only made Dimitri roar out in anger.
"YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!"
Edelgard didn't respond but deep within her, she spoke:
'I sadly do.'
Then suddenly, Dedue roared out once more, emerging from the dust and smoke caused by the exploding Dark Spikes, wounded and some of his carapace falling off from Hubert's attack.
"I didn't expect this one to be so sturdy." Hubert grumbled as he tried to ready another spell only for the monster to grab a piece of the earth beneath him and toss it towards Hubert's direction.
The right hand of the Emperor was forced to cast a quick sphere of dark magic to try to destroy the boulder that was sent to him, he succeeding in tearing it to pieces but were still large enough that a smaller boulder hit him straight to the chest, sending him down to the ground, holding his bruised chest in pain and unable to breathe properly.
Just as the monster was to move towards Edelgard and Dimitri, the monster was suddenly bombarded by a series of lightning bolts hailing down towards him, all of which originated from Dorothea and her team of mages.
"Keep raining down Resonant Lightning on him! We cannot allow that monster to interfere with the Emperor!" Dorothea commanded her team of mages, all of which are beginning to tire with the continuous casting of the spell that only a team of skilled mages could accomplish.
Dimitri tried to go after them but Edelgard barred his path, attacking him and keeping him busy towards her in order for Dorothea and her mages to bring down Dedue, she had wished someone will look after Hubert but she knew Hubert wouldn't want to have her get distracted because of him in this battle.
Then, the barrage of lightning stopped, Dorothea looked on dreadfully to her battalion, all of which were near collapse from the strain of casting such a spell in quick succession. The former songstress looked back at the monster that is Dedue to see him nearly charred black from the burns caused by the lightning bolts but otherwise is still strong and alive, a part of his mask is broken to reveal a bestial eye full of primal rage glaring at her, intent on snapping Dorothea up in his jaws and snapping her into two.
Dorothea prepared for another spell but Dedue was fast approaching with huge steps towards despite being heavily injured by the Resonant Lightning he suffered from.
Just as Dedue was approaching, he suddenly found himself surrounded by pools of dark purple slime, causing the flesh of his hindlegs to sizzle as if being melted by acid as well as slowing his movements towards Dorothea.
Dorothea turned to where Hubert is, still on the ground and clutching his ribs, one arm outstretched and covered in purple aura, casting a Mire spell to hurt and slow down Dedue's approach towards his ally.
"Hubie–"
"Stop worrying about me and finish him off!" Hubert shouted at her despite the pain he was feeling, using the last vestiges of strength he had to keep Dedue within the pool of Mire as the monster roared out in pain, flesh being slowly melted.
Dorothea nodded, continuing her incantation of a spell she was certain could put this monster down for good and she knew where to strike.
"I… cannot… hold… on…" Hubert weakly said as he found himself drifting to the realm of unconsciousness, unable to keep casting the Mire spell that has been slowing down Dedue.
Then, Dedue broke free and started stomping his way towards Dorothea, still intent on devouring her until Dorothea completed her incantations, a sphere of lightning formed between her palms.
Concentrating with every energy she has in her being, she glared up at Dedue's monstrous form, directly staring back at the monstrous eye looking down at her.
Just as Dedue was about to reach for her with his claws, Dorothea found the right moment to unleash her spell.
"THORON!" She cried out, unleashing a ray of concentrated lightning from the sphere she formed, the ray of lightning shot straight into Dedue's exposed eye within his mask, the spell was quick to shoot through his eye and out the back of his head, causing blood to shower the battlefield as Dedue could only mutter a weakened growl as he fell on his back, huge pools of blood spreading around him as he twitched.
Dorothea managed to smile before she collapsed from exhaustion, the use of Resonant Lightning and then Thoron, having completely drained her of her energy, falling face first on the muddy ground.
The fall of the giant monster made Dimitri stare wide-eyed in complete shock, the Faerghus King had just seen the death of his most loyal retainer and friend, the only one who had stayed loyal to him when most had abandoned him to join a cause he found to be unjust.
"Dedue… You fool…"
Edelgard worriedly looked over where Hubert and Dorothea had collapsed, feeling conflicted whether she'll be proud, glad or worried over their victory against Dedue's monstrous rampage. The Kingdom had lost one of their key generals in this battle yet Dimitri and Rhea remained, the former being her current objective.
Just as Edelgard turned her focus back to Dimitri, she was frozen in place when Dimitri lifted his tear strained face with nothing but murderous hatred in his eyes, as if a man possessed by something inhuman.
This is it, this man before her is the true face of Dimitri deep within him, the man that he had become nurturing such hatred and anger within layers upon layers of modesty and kindness.
The gentle and courteous smiles of the dashing prince that he was in the Academy years ago is a far gone past compared to this.
"E… ELLLLLLLL!" Dimitri roared out with such inhuman fury that anyone who heard of him thought he was also beginning to transform into a Demonic Beast.
Edelgard didn't say anything and assumed her stance to ready herself for the amount of desperate and fury-filled attacks she will be receiving from Dimitri, her lavender eyes remained focused on what lies ahead of Dimitri instead, the path that awaits her.
But there was one thing, she kept seeing memories of Dimitri as a hopeful and joyful young boy overlapping with his current self as if reminding her of something that she and him cannot return to, a life too far into the past.
"How much more?! How much more are you going to take from me?!" Dimitri roared out before in a fit of rage, charged towards Edelgard with the Areadbhar glowing and intense orange-red as if responding into his rage, the Crest of Blaiddyd manifesting above him.
Edelgard narrowed her eyes, focusing on manifesting the Crest of Seiros to counteract Dimitri's incoming onslaught.
"EL! YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS!" Dimitri yelled out, screaming as if he had never screamed so loudly as before.
A strong bolt of lightning terrorized the skies above them as if the heavens itself responded to the clash of two intensely Crest powered relics that dared to split the very ground beneath them.
Exchanging swing after swing, the two swords almost never parted against each as their wielders kept on hitting them to either defend or attack the other.
For those who watched the duel unfold, it was like seeing a flurry of sparks nearly unseen by the naked eye as Byleth and Rhea wielded their swords as if they were the weight of a feather. But it was clear that in this exchange, Rhea was the nimbler one, owing to both her experience, physique and light armor she wore.
Byleth was just that good in defending himself and anticipating her attacks but this hampered his own ability to execute his own attacks against his faster foe.
He's had experience fighting fast opponents in the past, more recently Petra and Felix in sparring matches, both of which possessed their own fast and deadly fighting style that makes use of their speed and agility but Rhea? She was leagues above both of his former students, he reckons that she is just as fast if not faster than Catherine when she utilizes Thunderbrand at its fullest.
Having had enough of being on the defense, Byleth jumped back to create a distance away from Rhea whilst shifting the Sword of the Creator into its whip form, swinging it towards Rhea in midair, only for her to block it with the Shield of Seiros on her left hand, rendering his attack ineffective.
Retracting the whip back into its sword form, Byleth gripped its handle with two hands once more, readying himself to both attack and defend against Rhea while the latter shifted her stance with her sword into one where her blade is constantly pointing to Byleth while holding her shield up high below it.
A style that mostly armored knights used.
Seeing as Rhea is not moving in her stance, Byleth allowed himself to initiate the attack and renew their battle. Just as Byleth was within her sword's reach, Rhea thrust her sword towards him with such speed that Byleth almost never saw it coming, managing to shift his head to the side to prevent a fatal wound to grace his neck.
Rhea didn't stop as she continued thrusting her sword, almost never moving from her spot while blocking any attacks from Byleth with the raised Shield of Seiros, making sure none of his attacks reaches her while she controls her own tempo in the battle.
Firm and collected despite the burning anger welling within the Archbishop.
Byleth had expected she would allow her anger to control her but such was a mistake, he has to find a way to break through Rhea's defense and somehow overwhelm her speed, else this battle will continue to drag on until he tires due to the extent that he moves his body to compensate against Rhea's efforts.
Mud was beginning to cake their boots as the continuous rain threatened to make the very ground they stand and fight on slippery.
Then, an idea clicked within Byleth's mind.
Letting Rhea attack him with thrusts from her sword, Rhea was surprised when Byleth recklessly closed the distance between them, allowing the Sword of Seiros to create a shallow cut on Byleth's cheek, drawing blood.
This created an opportunity for Byleth to get close and using his shoulder, rammed Rhea's shield with so much force that it sent Rhea back, still with her shield raised.
Anticipating a swing from the Sword of the Creator, Rhea kept her shield up only to be puzzled as there was no follow-up attack from Byleth, when she peered up to look above the rims of her shield, Byleth suddenly kicked up his boot to smear Rhea's shield and her eyes with mud, stinging her eyes and disorientating her for a moment.
"Ugh!" Rhea hadn't expected this move from Byleth, it was so uncharacteristic of him knowing how Jeralt fights, she had assumed that fighting in such a way was beneath for Byleth but she was mistaken.
Taking advantage of this, Byleth swung the Sword of the Creator with so much force, it broke Rhea's guard by forcing her shield away from her, rolling on the muddy ground and losing the bluish energy that coursed through it after losing its contact from Rhea's hand.
Bereft of her shield, Rhea could only defend with her sword which is now the subject of much of Byleth's powerful swings.
Growling, Rhea tried to fight back after she had recovered from her daze due to the mud, she tried to swing her sword only for her to see Byleth raising the Sword of the Creator above his head, about to slash it down on Rhea after she had regained her full sight.
She hastily raised the Sword of Seiros up to defend herself but the power behind Byleth's swing down to her was too much as it forced her handling of the Sword of Seiros down until it cut in her left shoulder.
Wincing in pain from being cut by her own sword, Rhea gritted her teeth as she tried to lift her sword up, away from the damaged flesh on her left shoulder but Byleth was making it hard for her to do so as he kept applying more pressure to make sure Rhea's sword stays lodged on her shoulder.
"You… dare…" Rhea growled angrily, the idea of her own blade being forced to wound her with the Sword of the Creator had ignited the rage within her as her composed exterior cracked to reflect what she felt deep within.
"CUT ME WITH MY OWN SWORD?!"
Rhea's rage-filled roar was followed by a burst of strength within her arms, Rhea managed to lift up her sword to get it away from her shoulder and she used this strength to swing away Byleth's lock on her sword, finally pushing the former professor away from her.
Despite the wound on her shoulder not being too deep, it still stung her flesh deeply as if being cut numerous times with many blades.
"It seems like this is the first time your own weapon was turned against you." Byleth commented with a stoic look, maintaining his own cool in this battle.
"Do not mistake such a feat to be one noteworthy of defeating me, child." Rhea responded with annoyance replacing her visible anger earlier.
"I would be a fool to think that such a cut will lead to your defeat, Rhea." Byleth replied sternly.
"And to think you would use such underhanded means to get to me like that… It seems Jeralt didn't teach you the honors of war–"
"Don't speak of my father's name as if you knew him that well." Byleth's voice suddenly bordered to that of his own anger at the audacity of Rhea to speak of Jeralt's name and what he did and didn't teach him in battle.
For he recalled how Jeralt told him to use any means to make sure he comes out the victor in a battle. That they were mercenaries at the end of the day, not noble knights of honor from fables and songs.
"The only time I want to hear you speak of my father is when you tell me all that I need to know, Rhea." Byleth continued, his green eyes glaring at hers. "One way or another, I will beat it out of your lips."
Rhea bared her teeth at him.
"Then you will perish and suffer in the flames of hell, ignorant and none the wiser about your parents."
No, this won't be like last time, Byleth thought as he and Rhea engaged each other once again, both having drawn each other's blood, a few drops mixing with the muddy ground that had stained their bodies as they slash at each other with blinding speeds.
This time with a more even exchange as Rhea has been stripped of her shield, unable to retrieve as Byleth's attacks have prevented her from doing so.
Not that Rhea needed her shield to defeat him, she had defeated him once back in Garreg Mach and she would do so again even if Byleth had attained the power of Sothis based on his appearance, something Nemesis never even achieved during his time.
The memories of Nemesis and his Elites, standing over the ruins of Zanado and surrounded by the bloody corpses of her brethren, wielding the weapons known now as the Heroes' Relics, angered Rhea as the image of Nemesis looking down at the carnage he had caused overlaid on Byleth.
Roaring out a battle cry, Rhea swung her sword upwards and then downwards, both powerful strikes that caused Byleth to recoil, feeling a painful vibration from the handle of the Sword of the Creator due to the sheer force of Rhea's attack.
Rhea then jumped, grasping her sword with two hands as she delivered an jumping overhead slash that nearly forced Byleth on to his knees from the strength behind the attack. Before he could react further, Rhea backed away and continued a series of consecutive slashes.
Byleth dodged a swing, retaliating with his own to which Rhea ducked and spun around to slash Byleth towards the head, Byleth strafed back to avoid the sword, cutting a few strands of his hair in the process before he lunged forward to cut Rhea down, only for her to backflip away from harm.
The two continued their battle, slashing and parrying at each other with Rhea even involving a kick that Byleth skillfully anticipated with his hand before delivering a thrusting attack that forced Rhea to backflip away again.
Only to be slashed across her body when she regained sight of Byleth, the cause being Byleth shifting the Sword of the Creator into its whip form the moment he anticipated Rhea flipping away from him, taking advantage of the blindspot the Archbishop created for herself and swung the bladed whip on her intended direction.
Shifting the Sword of the Creator back into its sword form, Byleth looked on as Rhea touched the wound across her body, bleeding profusely with blood flowing and staining her battle dress crimson.
Rhea was incredulous, the shock of taking such a solid hit from the Sword of the Creator had taken over her, it was something that Nemesis never even achieved let alone draw blood from her in their fight.
But this man, this… thief… traitor had done the unthinkable.
Was this the power of Sothis? His skill in battle? Or was it just pure luck?
Regardless, the wound began to hurt like hell as she knelt down on one knee due to the agony.
Byleth was no fool, he knew this wasn't enough to defeat Rhea, he knew that she could still bounce back despite the wound he had inflicted on her. He just was anticipating her to transform into that of the Immaculate One in a desperate bid to win, something she had once done years ago which led to him being gone for five years.
An experience that Byleth would never want to repeat for himself and to those he cares about, especially Lysithea who is clinging to her steadily draining life, and the thought of a future with her beyond this war.
He was alerted when Rhea growled in pain, an indication that she wasn't yielding to him, glaring at him with pain and hate in her eyes.
"Don't… get… ahead of… yourself, child." Rhea warned him and it was there that Byleth noticed something odd.
On Rhea's bloody left hand that touched her wound, was a faint blue glow, he knew this glow as he had seen it countless times.
She was casting Reason magic.
Then, a blue light above caught Byleth and everyone's attention, all of them stared up to see a big arrow made out of blue magical energy.
For those not versed with magic, they didn't know what it was but to those who are well versed with the magic arts this spell was the pinnacle of Reason magic…
"Agnea's Arrow." Rhea muttered the name of the spell.
Commanding the spell with her bloody left hand, Rhea brought the arrow of pure magical destruction down to Byleth, having readied to cast it after she had dodged Byleth's thrust.
Everyone looked wide eyed, with Lysithea and the Imperial Army watching on, horrified as the most powerful spell known to Fodlan caused an explosion that engulfed Byleth.
A blinding blue light engulfed the blackened Tailtean Plains.
Hey everyone! The past month has been very busy for me because guess what? I'm finally married with my wife (who I have been with for almost a decade since college) and I am also glad to say that I am going to also be a father soon!
October has been filled with many life changing events for me and my wife: legal paperworks for the wedding and all on top of my regular work schedule, I didn't have the time and energy to spare in writing this chapter.
I decided to split this chapter into two for two reasons: One is I didn't want to make it feel like it would drag out with the fight scenes and second, I want to release something for you guys who have been waiting for this ever since September to read.
Part B will come soon, I just need to REALLY stretch out my imagination because the fight scenes in there will be much MORE intense than the one seen here.
PS: Loving Celine, Chloe and Rosade (girl with cat ears) in Engage so far. Also, hurray for Male Byleth in the game!