A/N: Howdy! As always, thank you for the new favs, follows, and reviews. They really do help motivate me to write more! Today, we go over the mock battle. Monastery life will continue for the next few chapters before we dive into the Zanado mission.

Also, just as a side note, I went ahead and revamped the prologue and first chapter a bit. I added a couple of extra scenes to clarify things better. No need to go back and re-read it, though. The essence remains the same.

For those who missed the plug-in last chapter, I am now a part of a large discord group that houses many fire emblem fanfic writers. If you want to join a part of the growing community, here's the invite code: u89gs745fn

[White Clouds]

Chapter 12: Exchanging Blows

The school day dragged on as normal, with students wandering around campus, chatting excitedly about the latest news from the three nations, gossiping about the professor and her love for greenery, or praying for the poor victims of the dining hall's special mysterious menu that tasted like poison. It was an average day at the monastery — lackluster but filled with enthusiasm nevertheless.

But today, there was one subtle difference in the students' daily routine. A new spark of interest. A potential news headliner. Something peculiar between two specific students in the Blue Lions.

As soon as Felix and Satiana strolled into the training grounds, all heads turned to them. As if they had discussed beforehand, all the students shared a knowing look and immediately cleared a path for the two. At their well-rehearsed actions, the only thing that kept Satiana from losing her cool, collected front was Felix's scorching glare. One look from him and the onlookers scrambled off, sweating as they rushed to clean up the area neatly, placing away the wooden weapons scattered across the floor.

The mere pressure of his existence was enough to send the curious stares away to outer space, the students dispersing out of the training hall in a neat file. Satiana sweatdropped, glancing at the exit as a harsh gust of wind blew across the now-empty hall.

"You don't have many friends, do you?" Satiana accused, a funny expression on her face.

Felix snorted in response. "I don't enjoy the gallery when I train. It's nothing but a distraction." He strolled casually towards the training rack, picking up three wooden swords. Then, without sparing even a glance in her direction, he threw two of them behind with pinpoint accuracy.

Satiana caught them swiftly with her bare hands, frowning at him. "That's dangerous, you know? Someone could've gotten hurt."

"There's nobody around us. If you can't even catch that easy throw, then perhaps I should reconsider sparring with you," Felix drawled lazily, examining the wooden sword in his hand for blemishes and flaws. After he was satisfied, he dragged the wooden sword across the ground, sending an ear-piercing screech around the room, and Satiana flinched at the sound. "Get into a stance. We're starting," he commanded.

Satiana paused for a brief moment, staring blankly at him in response to the authoritative tone in his voice. Sapphire blue clashed against copper-brown, sending imaginary sparks flying into the air. Although her mouth was itching to complain about the condescending drip of his voice, Satiana knew that there was no point in arguing with the obstinate man. She had only spent three days analyzing him from a distance in their classroom, but it was enough for her to tell that Felix was never one to listen to others.

She sighed in resignation and shifted her weight, sliding her feet apart, bending her hips slightly, leaning forward. "What are the rules of this match?" She frostily replied, dissecting Felix's crouching stance with her vision.

"No rules. The stronger one wins. That's all…!" He gritted his teeth before he charged directly at her.

As expected, Felix fought with true passion. Relentless thrusts, aiming at her weak spots with machine-like precision. A flurry of attacks. The scintillating, bloodshot eyes. His fighting style may seem reckless to the untrained eye, but there was a clever pattern to his movements. He pushed Satiana back with sheer strength, overwhelming her with speed, refusing to allow her a moment of breath.

Satiana parried his blows, stepping backward little by little as he overpowered her with sheer will. Then, a flick to the right, and she dodged to the left, slamming the hilt of her blade into the back of his neck, knocking him down on his knees.

He stood up immediately, baring his fangs her way as he leaped up to charge at her face. Satiana tilted her head to the left, sliding up her right sword next to her head, blocking the blow. Then, with her left, she pummeled the end of her sword into his cheeks, knocking him back down to the ground.

She walked up to him, holding the blade underneath his chin. He glowered at her with fury from his spot on the ground, seething in quiet anger.

"Forget beating me. At this rate, you won't be able to touch a single strand of hair on Byleth's head," Satiana mocked, eyes narrowing in on his pulsating red cheek. "Sorry for the low blow, but you said so yourself that there were no rules."

Copper brown eyes flashed predictably. "Screw you." It would have been more convincing if it hadn't come out so breathy and with his pupils blown as he said it. Not to mention, he was lying pathetically on the floor.

"Is that all you've got? Just bark and no bite?" Satiana stared at him with an arched brow and as much cockiness as she could muster.

She had no idea what it was about Felix, but the way he conducted himself was so brazen and rude — it definitely irked her to the edge of her patience. She was never famous for having an extensive well of patience, to begin with. But Felix had a very…charming way with words that dug under her skin. Forget the sword; he had a talent at riling her up with that nasty glare of his.

And it wouldn't be Satiana if she didn't take it personally, being the confrontational person she was. After all, he wasn't the only one who generally had trouble speaking amiably.

"Again," Felix spat out, standing back up on two feet.

Satiana languidly complied, drawing her stance again. The lazy manner in which she pointed the sword in his direction only made Felix's temper flare to higher heights. He bulldozed his way through her defenses, slashing left and right, switching halfway to vertical slices. Satiana's expression tightened as she parried his blows, countering each and every one of them.

A particularly sharp thrust to her side and Satiana ducked, knocking his feet off the ground with a sweeping kick, the same move Byleth used against him the other day. But to her surprise, Felix backflipped away with one hand, dodging the low blow.

Satiana's eyes widened, and she hesitated in her movements, body stiffening in shock. Felix didn't let that moment of vulnerability go, and he darted back towards her with lightning-fast speed, sliding underneath her defense, slashing at her knees. The wood crashed into her legs, and Satiana felt herself falling forward, knees buckling. Before she toppled over him, she stabbed her sword into the ground.

His knee thrust up into her stomach, and Satiana felt herself cough at the sudden impact. With quick hands, Felix disarmed her with a brutal swing, sending her other sword flying across the ground. She held her stomach tightly in pain, glaring up at him as his sword pointed at the base of her throat.

"So, you fell prey to the same move the professor used against you earlier. Now, who is it who has only bark and no bite?" He sneered.

Satiana scowled, resisting the urge to slam her fists into his face. "You are one insufferable man, you know that?" Satiana bit back, snarling in contempt.

"I could say the same thing to you," Felix glared down at her. He jerked his chin to the side. "Get up on your feet. We're going for another round."

Satiana didn't know how long they sparred, but the sun was already set below the horizon by the time she realized it. She was running on empty, sweat dripping down her face, glistening against the bright red lights as she blocked another blow from Felix, eyes hazy from exhaustion. She stumbled backward, feeling her legs give in.

Felix immediately pushed forward, arms trailing in the air as he prepared to slice down at her. His stamina was monstrous compared to hers. Satiana now understood first-handedly why Renard stressed the importance of stamina for assassins; she was at a clear disadvantage from the start against Felix's relentless attack style.

But losing was never an option to her, and she refused to, not out of bitterness against the cocky man in front of her, but because she swore to herself that the next time she lost altogether, it'd only be on the real battlefield. That one victory Felix managed to steal away from her was humiliating enough. She would never let herself accept a worthless loss without accomplishing anything — a useless death, never again.

A wave of adrenaline rushed through her, and she roared out loud, lunging headfirst into Felix's blade, catching him off-guard as his eyes widened imperceptibly. Satiana's blade clashed against his, and she mutated his cut into a thrust, aiming directly at his neck. Felix gritted his teeth and tilted his head to the left, leaning backward just barely inches away from the swinging blade.

A whir of black, and suddenly, Satiana threw herself at him, knocking him off his balance. She pushed him down onto the ground, using her full weight, slamming his back against the cold hard floor. Felix grunted in pain as his back collided with concrete, bones cracking. But Satiana had no mercy for him. She lifted both her swords up in the air and thrust the edge down onto both sides of his neck, cornering him.

For the first time in hours, the training hall was silent. No sounds of wood clashing against each other or sarcastic remarks being thrown about. There was only the reverberating sound of breathing, panting, and gasps of air.

Satiana sat on top of Felix with a nasty glare aimed at him. Felix's eyes widened, staring up at her in owlish surprise. His hair was messy, strands peeking out of the bun as he lay frozen stiff beneath her.

The long battle was finally over, and both were running low on fuel. They lapsed in silence, frozen in their positions, the quietness blanketing their atmosphere, turning it into something neither hateful nor lovable. It was when the adrenaline fully ran out, her head cooling down from its previous state of unrest and fury, that Satiana realized the awkward position they were in. She felt Felix's legs shift underneath her, and shock jolted through her as she met Felix's smoldering gaze — the orbs wide with barely concealed surprise while the gleam golden with sparkling interest underneath the sunset.

She blanched, lips trembling as the grip on her swords loosened, sending the blades rattling to the ground beside Felix's head with an echoing thud. Immediately, she pushed herself off him, scrambling up onto her feet. "I-I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me," she fumbled over her words, panic settling in. "Are you alright? Is your back okay? I didn't mean to hurt you— I mean, I was kind of mad and fired up, but still!" She was spitting verbal diarrhea on auto-pilot, her mind a mess of contradicting emotions.

Felix coughed once, and Satiana clamped her mouth shut. Felix groaned as he lifted himself on his elbows. He slowly crossed his legs on the ground, wincing in pain as he rubbed his shoulder with his hand. "What is this, a sparring session or a brawl?" He quietly muttered to himself, ignoring her flustered state entirely.

"Well, I mean, to be fair, you said no rules," Satiana started but found herself clamping up when Felix's burning gaze met her wavering ones. She glanced away from him, feeling strangely self-conscious. "Anyway, I'm sorry. Do you want me to call Mercedes? Or maybe take you to the infirmary for Professor Manuela to check up on you?" She changed the subject on a whim.

"No, there's no need. It's probably just a bruise," Felix nonchalantly spoke, shrugging his shoulders. "More importantly, there's something I want to ask you." He stood up from his position on the ground, stretching his back, feeling his shoulders pop into place with a wince. "What is it that drives you to fight?"

Satiana drew a blank at his question. "P-Pardon?"

"You don't fight like a mercenary," Felix pointed out, copper eyes burning in the sunset with realization. "You don't fight because you enjoy it. You don't seek victory. And yet, there's this strange desperation in the way you swing your blade."

Satiana tried to keep a straight face. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied quickly, fiddling with the edge of her shirt, casting a meaningful glance downwards. "I just don't want to lose, that's all."

Felix hummed in thought. The wind blew gently around their profiles as the stygian darkness seeped into the sky, casting shadows over them. "So, it's not that you don't want to beat your opponent, but more so that you can't allow yourself to lose?" He contemplated the thought out loud. "I don't really understand the difference, but I guess that means there's a strong reason why you cannot allow yourself to lose."

"I guess you can put it that way," Satiana replied curtly, without emotion. "A-Anyway, shouldn't you go get yourself healed up?"

Satiana looked up at him with pleading eyes. It wasn't out of genuine worry that she tried to steer the conversation to safer grounds. She simply had an inkling that the conversation was heading in the wrong direction; she didn't feel ready to talk about something so close to the heart, especially to someone she's only known for three days.

Felix stared quietly at her, noticing the awkward and anxious demeanor. "No, it's alright. I'm done here for the day. Goodbye," he said abruptly, ending the conversation at hand.

Felix walked towards Satiana, glancing at her briefly as he brushed past her. She avoided his gaze, opting for a curt bow of acknowledgment instead. He quietly slid out of the training hall, leaving her to wallow in the storm of complicated emotions heading her way.

"Woah, Felix, did you get slapped by a girl or something?"

Sylvain was the second to point out the reddening bruise on his cheeks when he walked into the dining hall, Ingrid being the first though she didn't really care much about his reply. She probably thought he accidentally bruised himself during an intense training session, but Sylvain, being the wiser of the two, knew better. Felix Hugo Fraldarius never made mistakes, whether it was in real battle or on the training grounds — especially after four years ago.

"No, of course not, you dimwit," Felix snapped at him. He sat down opposite Sylvain, placing a plate of Daphnel stew on the table. "This is from training."

"With who?" Sylvain grimaced. "Definitely not a mannequin. Unless you somehow punched yourself in the face."

"Satiana. The hilt of the sword," Felix answered in fragmented sentences, munching on a spoonful of the stew. He had been training with Satiana for more than four hours, and although he was an insatiable training maniac, he did have basic human needs; he was starving to death.

Sylvain whistled. "Damn. That girl really does pack a punch, doesn't she?"

Felix hummed a noncommittal response, lost in thought for the first time in a long while. Felix was never one to lose his focus. He made it clear to everyone that his interests lay only in his obsessive pursuit of strength. He often exhausted himself until his thoughts were eclipsed by the feeling of the sword in his hand. But today, the sparring session with Satiana left him feeling restless and unsatisfied. Felix sought a battle with her for answers, but he was left with more questions than ever before.

She avoided answering his question. Or, more bluntly, she flat out refused to indulge him in a conversation. It was evident by how her muscles stiffened, mouth clamping shut, and eyes quivering that she had no intention to speak with him. Gone was the confident girl who took on his challenge with such defiance and stubbornness. As soon as the battle was over, the bloodlust and desperation in her eyes dissipated into thin air, as if it were simply an illusion — a mirage or mistake.

It was as if he was facing an entirely different person, the meek and soft-spoken girl. He caught a glimpse of fear hiding inside those sapphire blue orbs of hers, which confused him greatly. Although the sentiments were slightly different, she had an eerie resemblance to Dimitri. They both had two different faces, and Felix could never tell which one was the true face.

But whatever the case, Felix did genuinely enjoy his spar with her. She posed a challenge and was, with no doubt in his mind, a worthy adversary. It was a completely different experience from fighting Byleth. With Byleth, she returned each thrust of his with equal strength. But with Satiana, she often opted to dodge or block his blows, waiting patiently for her chance to counterattack.

If Byleth was the epitome of a front-line soldier, Satiana was the complete opposite. She hid in the shadows like a predator, waiting for its prey to make the first move. Indeed, she fought cautiously — too cautiously for Felix's liking; it was as if she wasn't used to raw battles upfront. Perhaps more used to planning her actions before she moved, just like…

Felix jolted, accidentally clinking his spoon against the plate. Sylvain raised an eyebrow at him in inquiry, but Felix ignored him. His eyes widened imperceptibly, an epiphany lighting up his copper-brown orbs. He clasped a hand over his mouth, musing deep in thought.

"Okay, what's wrong with you now?" Sylvain asked with a frown. "You've been acting weirdly all evening, Felix."

"It's nothing," Felix answered stiffly. "It's just…I think I may have caught onto something."

"Caught on to…?" Sylvain trailed off, waiting for him to finish his train of thought.

"The true essence of her combat style," Felix finished, eyes narrowing.

Now that he spent the time to analyze her, it was so blatantly obvious he wanted to slap himself in the head for not realizing it earlier. She was proficient with the sword and fought with deadly precision — a style that depended on sharp final blows and counterattacks. She didn't thirst for victory, and yet could not dare to lose.

Because losing could mean death for someone who was trained to eliminate foes with one single blow.

He remembered back to the large bundle of steel arrows she carried from the market, and the questions clouding up his thoughts immediately cleared. Felix didn't know much about the requirements for different classes, seeing how he aimed to be a swordmaster. However, he vaguely remembered reading the requirements for a class that required one to be adept with the sword and bow.

The puzzle fell into place, and Felix found himself laughing dryly. He reclined back into the chair, staring with darkened eyes up at the ceiling. "I see. So that's what was bothering me about her…" he muttered to himself.

Because she was an assassin.

The realization triggered a memory, his mind flickering as he remembered the events two years ago, the excursion he went on with Dimitri to suppress a rebellion. The way he ruthlessly slaughtered his enemies, laughing and sneering over their corpses, stacking up a pile of bloody corpses behind him as he ran through the fields with his spear raised up high.

Now that he finally found an opponent worth practicing against, it just had to be someone who had similarities to the boar. Of course, he had never seen Satiana in action before, so there was no way of telling whether his suspicions would ring true.

But an assassin. Of all things, why did she choose to be one?

Only time could tell. His mind flickered again to the image of her, eyes glazed over with panic as she stood in front of him, trembling like a newborn deer at the thought of her accidentally harming him.

He snorted to himself, and Sylvain shot him a strange look. Felix ignored him, waving his concerns off with a hand before he delved back into the cold plate of stew in front of him.

Perhaps there was still some hope left, after all.

"Byleth, I think I fucked up."

"What's wrong, Satiana?"

It was almost midnight, and Byleth had just completed her notes for tomorrow's lecture when she heard a soft knock on her door. Satiana appeared, looking completely beaten and battered. There were red scratches all over her knees and legs. A bruise was forming on the side of her arm, her palms red from inflammation. Combined with the forlorn expression of despair on her face, Satiana looked like a drenched, lost puppy.

Byleth resisted the urge to sigh, sensing a storm heading her way, and opened the door to allow Satiana access to her humble room. Immediately, Satiana threw herself onto Byleth's bed, burying herself underneath the pile of pillows. She screeched underneath the covers and Byleth visibly winced, closing her palms over her ears at the annoying sound.

"Byleth…" she whined out Byleth's name for the umpteenth time in the past minute.

Byleth exhaled heavily, wearily staring at the sole of Satiana's bouncing feet. "What's the matter with you?"

"I think my cover just got blown, Byleth." Satiana flipped onto her side, still hiding underneath the thick duvets. "I think he knows I'm an assassin."

Byleth squinted her eyes at Satiana, scrutinizing the bruises on her body with a knowing look. "Let me guess. You just sparred with Felix?"

Satiana popped her head out from underneath the blankets and nodded stiffly. "Yep. The one and only."

"What happened?" Byleth sat on the chair, making herself comfortable as she crossed her legs.

She had a feeling this conversation would go on through the night, perhaps till morning, if Satiana wouldn't stop wallowing in despair. Byleth knew firsthand how soft-hearted Satiana was underneath all that spine and prickle. If she wished, Satiana could whine for days about how guilty she felt for hiding her true identity from them all.

Really, other than Ashe, Satiana was also too kind for her own good.

"Well, he invited me to spar with him. Actually, I take that back." Satiana threw the covers off her, crossing her legs comfortably on the bed. "He practically challenged me to a battle, and I accepted because…reasons," she explained lamely, twirling her finger in lieu of more words.

"Mhm," Byleth made a noise of recognition, eyes blank.

"And so we kind of duked it out in the training hall. I won twice, by the way. He managed to take a win off me, but that's never happening again," Satiana scowled at the memory. "Anyway, after that, he suddenly started to interrogate me. He said that I didn't fight as a mercenary did."

Byleth pondered, tapping her fingers lightly against the table. "That is true. You do have a distinct style."

"And then he pointed out how I fought with desperation. But it wasn't a desperation to win or anything," Satiana continued. "It's not like he flat out accused me of being an assassin, but he might as well be on the right path."

Byleth blinked. "That's it? And you're already freaking out?"

Satiana glared at Byleth. "See, this is why I said it was a bad idea for me to be fighting in front of these kids. They'll figure out that I'm not a normal mercenary in no time at all, and eventually, I'll have to tell them all I'm actually an assassin."

Byleth cocked her head to the side. "And? What's wrong with that?"

Satiana gaped, straightening her back in shock. "E-Excuse me? What do you mean what's wrong? Of course, it's bad if they know I'm an assassin!" She stammered out in disbelief.

Byleth frowned. "I don't get it. Why is it bad?"

Satiana groaned as she shoved her head into her palms, shaking her head in exasperation. "Telling them I'm an assassin is basically me admitting that I killed people for the heck of it. That I'm a cold-blooded murderer. Do you really think they'll want to work alongside someone like that?"

Byleth shrugged. "I guess not. But that's not who you are, right?"

Satiana paused, mouth opening and closing. She struggled to find her voice as Byleth's remark hit right on the mark. "I…well… I'm not a cold-blooded murderer. At least right now, I'm not. But I used to be, Byleth," her voice grew softer as she hugged a pillow tightly to her chest. "Maybe I'm a better person now. I hope I'm better. But still, it doesn't change the fact that I used to kill people without batting an eye."

"You did it to survive, Satiana," Byleth pointed out, eyes softening. "You need to realize that no matter what, you can never change the past. That's why all you can do is live on while bearing the full brunt of your sins."

"I know. I know that, Byleth," she repeated softly, burying her head into the pillow, and muffling her voice. "But it's tiring. It's so tiring, Byleth." Her voice trembled as she spoke and Byleth immediately moved to the bed.

Byleth rubbed smooth circles over Satiana's back. "You're doing well, Satiana. Trust me. If Jeralt, Renard, and I can accept you for who you are, these kids will do so too."

"Will they? Will they, really?" Satiana lifted her head slightly, the corners of her eyes red with tear stains. "What if they see me for what I really am? A monster in disguise?" She stared at her hands, quivering nonstop, eyes wide as if seeing a blood-stained illusion.

"You are not a monster, Satiana. If you are, then so is the rest of the world, alright?" Byleth exhaled heavily, patting Satiana's head lightly. "Just stop overthinking things. You'll be fine. If Felix picks a fight with you because of this, I'll say something to him, okay?"

Satiana straightened her posture back up. She sniffed loudly once before she turned to face Byleth with puffy eyes. "No, don't do that. If he confronts me about it, I'll deal with it on my own. I have to do this much by myself, or what will that make me? A coward who runs away from their sins." Her eyes narrowed in resolution.

A shadow of a smile crept up on Byleth's face. "Good. That's the Satiana that I know — that we came to care for."

At Byleth's kind consolation, Satiana found herself snickering. "You know what, Byleth? I never thought you'd be able to console me like this. You always seem to watch things unravel from afar with a blank expression. I'm pleasantly surprised."

Byleth's eyes softened, a wry smile appearing on her features. She closed her eyes, remembering the first time she met Satiana, the young girl dying on the ground, begging to be killed. Then, she opened her eyes and faced the tear-stained girl in front of her — the girl with the same piercing clarity in her beautiful, clear, sapphire orbs.

A wave of nostalgia rushed over her, and she laughed for the first time in her life, the sound like bell chimes to Satiana's ears. "Trust me, Satiana. I'm surprised at myself too."

The mock battle took place on the outskirts of the monastery. There was a small area of flatland littered with a few bushes and trees, but it was nowhere near a fully-grown forest. The plains were surrounded by rocky cliffs, giving the spectators a perfect birds-eye view from above. A few metal fences were scattered across the grounds, probably the monastery's choice of defense for the students to use in their battle.

"So, including the professor, there will be five combatants from each class, huh?" Annette commented as she stared down the rocky hills from above. "I wonder who will be participating from the other class?"

"There's no doubt the Golden Deers will send out Claude," Ingrid predicted. "And Edelgard for the Black Eagles."

"Well, that's for sure." Sylvain leaned up against the bark of a tree, sitting cross-legged on the ground in a comfortable position. "They are the leaders of their respective classes for a reason. That's why we sent out Dimitri too, didn't we?"

"As I thought, I should've participated as well," Dedue face was sullen as he grumbled in dissatisfaction. "I need to protect his highness."

Ashe chuckled from his position beside Dedue. "Don't worry too much. It's only a mock battle. Besides, Mercedes is there if anything happens."

Dedue turned to Ashe with a frown. "You may be right, but I cannot help but worry for his highness's safety."

Sylvain laughed out loud, shaking his head. "Really, Dedue, you might as well be Dimitri's mother. He'll be fine!"

"But I have to wonder, though," Ingrid mused. "How did the professor choose the participants from our side?"

"It's the professor we're talking about," Annette smiled. "She must have a plan!"

Ashe nodded furiously. "I agree. If we do just as we practiced, we should be able to win against the Golden Deers and Black Eagles."

Sylvain lazily trailed his eyes across the blue sky, taking in the serene atmosphere. "Well, whatever the case, knowing those guys, it'll be one hell of a memorable battle," he drawled, leaning further down the bark.

Ingrid shot a glare at his lazy stance. "Sylvain, perhaps you should pay more attention to the battle. This is the best learning opportunity for us to see the professor in action."

Sylvain waved his hand, brushing Ingrid's comments off. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't worry. I wouldn't miss our beautiful professor in action for anything," he threw in a wink, and Ingrid groaned.

Suddenly, a smoke bomb went off, sending gray clouds of smoke into the air.

"Oh! The battle has started!" Ashe mentioned.

"Whatever the case," Sylvain shifted his position slightly, straightening his back on the tree. A smirk was plastered on his face. "This match is bound to be interesting. Especially with those members."

"Repeat our plan to me," Byleth ordered, turning to face the combatants from the Blue Lions.

Dimitri stood in front of the group, nodding confidently at her. "We stay as a group and lure the enemies towards us. Then, the professor and I will branch off and target the Golden Deers while Felix and Satiana protect our backs from the Black Eagles. Mercedes will remain in the center of our formation so she can heal anyone who gets hurt."

Mercedes smiled pleasantly. "Don't worry! I'll make sure to patch you all up nicely if something happens. Just give me a sign."

Felix grunted. "There's no need for that. We'll end it quick and fast." His eyes narrowed at the opposite end of the field, searching for his prey. "I'll be enough to take out their mages."

Satiana rolled her eyes, sliding up beside him. "Now I see why you told me to bring my bow, Byleth. It's to cover for this idiot here, right?"

Felix whipped his head around to glare at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Satiana shrugged. "Well, if you brazenly jump into the fire, how am I supposed to bail you out unless I snipe at them from a distance?"

Dimitri shot them a warning glare. "You two, calm down. Now is not the time to be fighting each other, alright?"

Satiana and Felix shared a look of disdain before they turned their heads in opposite directions with a grunt. Dimitri sighed in exasperation while Byleth just ignored the two, choosing to turn her full attention to the battlefield.

She spotted a whiff of gray smoke fluttering into the sky from the corner of her eye. Byleth gripped her sword tightly, barking out an order. "It's time. Let's go!"

Without hesitation, the four students followed after her, sprinting down the plain. Satiana stayed in the back with her bow in hand, surveying their surroundings with her sharp vision. She caught movement from the left and right simultaneously, a flash of purple and brown flickering into her eyesight. "Lorenz is charging directly at us from the front, and Dorothea's coming from the right," Satiana announced as she grabbed an arrow, placing it against the string on the rest. She held the grip, facing the arrow towards the ground as she ran after the group.

"Don't charge straight at Lorenz. Lure him into the bushes," Byleth said as she swerved to the left, heading towards the bundle of bushes nearby.

Dimitri followed after her, spear in hand. "Do we wait and counterattack him?"

Byleth nodded. "Don't go too far from the bushes. Use it to your advantage."

"Shouldn't we just take him out now, though? He's charging straight at us like a fool. We might as well take him down now," Felix argued.

A blur of green appeared behind Lorenz, and Satiana frowned. "No, he's trying to lower our defenses by pretending to be reckless. The moment we step out of the bushes, Ignatz will be waiting for us with his bow."

Dimitri chuckled, tightening the grip on his spear. "That's a crafty plan, just as expected of Claude."

"I have a feeling Lorenz is just acting on his own accord, though," Mercedes commented, lightly following the group from a few feet behind.

"From now on, we will separate into two groups as planned. Satiana, just in case, if you see Ignatz aiming at us, shoot back at him the moment he releases the arrow," Byleth left a final order before she swerved into the bushes with Dimitri following after her.

"Got it," Satiana replied, spinning to the right, following Felix's trail.

"L-Lorenz! Wait for me," Ignatz cried after Lorenz, panting for air as he ran after Lorenz, who went completely rogue from Claude's plan. "I knew this was going to happen. And after all that warning Claude gave me about keeping an eye on him…!" He whimpered, stumbling on his feet.

Lorenz guffawed loudly, holding his spear proudly into the air. "Ignatz, my friend, a noble does not run away from battle! We have nothing to fear. I will make the first move and lure out those cowards hiding in the bushes."

"You can't just move alone like that!" Ignatz protested, fumbling with the arrow in his hand as he tried to place it on the arrow rest while sprinting after his friend. "Claude warned us to keep an eye on the professor's movements. Have you forgotten his orders already?"

Lorenz smirked. "There's no need for such devious tactics, my friend. I will show you how it's done!" With a reverberating yell, Lorenz dived right into the bushes in front of him, slashing his lance through the leaves. His swing was blank, landing on empty air as a few branches snapped underneath his lance. He paused, blinking rapidly. "Oh! It appears they're not in these bushes," he coughed awkwardly into his hands, sweat dripping down his face.

As if on cue, Byleth's sword thrust into his chin from the bush on his right, knocking him off balance. Lorenz let loose an undignified squeak, stumbling backward. He barely managed to recover, holding the lance protectively in front of him with both hands. "Hah! That was a brilliant trick, but it won't work a second time—"

Dimitri shot out of the left bush, thrusting his spear right at Lorenz's face. Again, it landed square on his face at point-blank range.

This time, Lorenz fell unceremoniously to the ground, the spear dropping out of his hands.

Ignatz facepalmed, groaning. "This is why I told him to wait for me…!" He quickly placed his arrow on the string, pulling back the grip. "Lorenz! Hang in there! I'll support you from behind with—"

He barely dodged an oncoming bullet, yelping as he ducked to the floor. Head whirling with confusion, he glanced towards the left and spotted Satiana, holding her bow directly his way. Gasping, Ignatz retreated, leaving Lorenz to fender for himself.

"C-Claude! I told you I can't do this!" he screamed, running in zig-zag motions, avoiding the arrows flying his way.

Satiana held the grip of her arrow, facing it in Ignatz's direction. She stared after his floundering back, aiming precisely at his heels. One of them luckily struck the ground before him, causing him to slip, face planting the floor. Another shot from her was enough for Ignatz to wave his white flag, surrendering the battle. A glance towards the left and she spotted a flash of purple on the ground with Byleth and Dimitri surrounding him.

"Looks like we've got things under control over there," Satiana pointed out, leaping to the left, dodging the thunder spell heading her way.

"Focus on the enemy in front of you," Felix scolded, lifting his arms above his head as he slashed through a well-timed thoron.

Dorothea leaped backward, summoning another thunder spell as sparks flew into the air, sending electricity crackling. "Let's see if you can dodge this!" She yelled, shooting three thorons in a line towards the two.

Satiana slid behind a tree for a makeshift barricade as Felix darted headfirst into the blast. He swiftly dodged the blows, sprinting down the plains with lightning speed. Before Dorothea could summon another beam of lightning, his sword was already on the base of her throat.

"Surrender. We don't have time to play with you," Felix scowled.

Dorothea frowned. "Did you have to be so mean about it? I surrender," she reluctantly waved the flag, sighing in exasperation. "Guess I'll leave the rest to Edie."

With three students surrendering, the battle temporarily paused as each class regrouped, checking on casualties. Satiana walked in front of Felix, heading towards the bushes where the rest of their classmates were. She glanced in the Golden Deer's direction, noticing the high metal fences blocking their home base. Musing with thought, her eyes trailed towards the large tree positioned in the center of the battlefield. An idea popped up in her head, and the blue in her eyes brightened up, a sly smirk on her face.

"What's with that creepy look on your face all of a sudden?" Felix pointed out with a confused stare.

She turned towards him and grinned widely, eyes twinkling with mischief. "I just figured out a plan to ambush Claude and the rest of his classmates. They'll never see it coming."

"Claude, what do we do now?" Hilda questioned with a frown.

Claude was crouching on the ground, hiding behind a boulder. He sighed, shaking his head vigorously as he scratched the loose strands. "Lorenz, that idiot. I told him so many times not to underestimate the professor," he groaned. "There goes my plan for a pincer attack with Edelgard."

Hilda hummed a cheery tune as she tapped her axe lightly against the ground next to her. "Well, there's only the two of us and Professor Hanneman left. Maybe we should just play it safe and wait behind the fences and let the Blue Lions fight against the Black Eagles for us."

Claude perked his head up, raising his eyebrows in Hilda's direction. "Wow, since when were you this smart?"

"Hey! I can get things done when I put my mind to it," Hilda pouted, cheeks puffing.

Claude snorted in response. "Yeah, of course. Except that happens like once in a blue moon." He stood up, stretching his arms and legs. Picking up the bow next to him, he twirled it around with his index finger. "Jokes aside, I think your plan isn't bad. We should just quietly wait here. That is…" Claude paused, a nagging sensation digging at his insides. "If they don't ambush us from above," he ended, a vague memory flickering in his crafty mind.

Hilda blinked, frowning at him. "From above? Are you kidding me? This fence is huge! Besides, we're hiding behind a boulder. How can they attack us from above—"

An arrow came whizzing above the fence, targeting Claude's head, and he dodged on pure instinct, crawling on the ground.

"Duck, Hilda!" he hissed, hearing the sound of metal clinking against the rock behind them.

"Woah!" Hilda crouched, covering her head with her axe. "W-What's going on?"

Claude groaned, peeking over the edge of the fence. He squinted his eyes towards the center of the map, locking target with the gigantic tree. The wind violently blew past his ear, and an arrow barely scratched him on the cheeks, landing with a solid thud on the tree behind him. He started laughing, a wry smirk on his face. "Yeah, as I thought, they're not holding back at all, huh?"

He turned towards Hilda and yelled. "Get ready! They're going to ambush us from the right!"

Dimitri stood silently under the gigantic tree. He crossed his arms over his chest stoically, staring in awe as Satiana's arrows flew past their barricade, cleanly whizzing over the fence. "I have to admit. I completely forgot this was a viable option for us," he chuckled quietly to himself, glancing above his head.

Satiana lay comfortably on a tree branch, aiming her arrow in Claude's direction. The tree gave her enough of a height boost to launch a missile attack over their heads. There was no longer any need to cut down the fences that blocked their way. She could send her arrows above Claude's head while the others sneaked around to attack from the right. In essence, it was a makeshift pincer attack — the same plan Claude probably planned to use against them.

"Don't forget to watch the Black Eagles for me," Satiana drawled, shooting another flurry of arrows in Claude's direction. "If they attack now, I'll be left defenseless." Another arrow right to Hilda's head.

"Please don't worry. I'll be sure to cover for you down here," Dimitri replied sternly. A lucky shot right at Claude's bow knocked it out of his hands.

Satiana sighed in relief. Switching up her posture, she sat cross-legged on the branch, squinting her eyes. "I think the battle there should be over soon. As long as we bring down Claude, it should be easy for us to overpower Professor Hanneman with Byleth and Felix's speed."

"Knowing those two, we have nothing to worry about," Dimitri chuckled.

Suddenly, the air around them crackled, dark flames flickering to life, and Satiana gasped, leaping off the tree in a hurry. "Oh crap—" she cursed as she fell to the ground, barely managing to land on her feet. She spun her head around quickly, watching with wide eyes as the flames enveloped the tree behind her, burning it out of existence.

"Satiana, are you alright—" Dimitri moved towards her when a black fog of poison flew his way. He clamped his mouth shut, holding in his breath as he waved his lance in the air, cutting through the air.

"I must applaud you for your brilliant tactic," Hubert complimented as he strolled up casually towards them, clapping his hands. The poisonous fog in the air surrounding him dispersed, his lips tugging up into a smirk. "But unfortunately, it ends now."

Hubert's hands glowed ominously, dark clouds gathering into a sphere, preparing another miasma spell. Dimitri narrowed his eyes and charged at him, spinning his lance behind him with vigor.

Satiana gritted her teeth as she threw the bow behind her. With swift hands, she switched to the double blades. An orange-haired blur moved towards her, and she lifted up her right hand on reflex, blocking Ferdinand's tempest lance. His strength overpowered her, and she slid across the ground. She winced as her right arm trembled from the harsh blow.

"Sorry, Satiana. But it is my duty to cut you down today," Ferdinand said through clenched teeth as he spun around on his heels, whirling around in a circle, preparing for another tempest lance move.

This time, Satiana was prepared. She tightened her grip on the blades and ducked just in time for Ferdinand's lance to breeze past her head. Because of the powerful move, Ferdinand lost control of his balance briefly. Before he could retaliate, she tilted the edge of her blades up and slashed upwards with both of her swords, landing a critical hit, a sunder, on his front side.

He yelled in surprise as he slid back. Satiana rushed him with a flurry of attacks without pausing, slicing left and right in a pattern. Ferdinand barely managed to block her moves, eventually falling prey to a well-timed faint where Satiana slashed left twice in a row. His spear fell to the ground with a thud, and Satiana pointed her sword at his throat.

"Sorry, but it's also my responsibility to win today," she turned his words against him with a proud smirk.

Ferdinand sighed, raising his hand in the air in resignation. "Alright. For today, I concede. But next time, don't expect this to go the same way," he narrowed his eyes at her, eyes burning with passion.

Satiana nodded. "Of course. I'll be looking forward to your performance in the real battle."

From the corner of her eyes, she spotted a black swirl heading her way and leaped to the side silently. The miasma ball hissed past her face, landing on an innocent bush. She turned her attention towards Dimitri's and Hubert's battle, watching from the sidelines as Dimitri charged against Hubert with another tempest lance. Hubert dodged swiftly, sending another miasma his way.

Satiana narrowed her eyes, preparing to aid Dimitri when a large axe suddenly flew in her direction. She jumped back as the axe smashed into the ground where she previously stood, slicing a small cut into her boots.

"I'm afraid this battle is our loss," Edelgard's stern voice came from Satiana's right. Edelgard gracefully sauntered over towards Satiana, the axe balanced on her shoulders. Her chin tilted up in the sky as she peered down at Satiana with curiosity. "Unfortunately, Hubert won't be able to win directly against Dimitri's brute strength. We're clearly outnumbered."

Satiana stared at her with suspicion, refusing to budge from her spot on the ground as she adjusted her grip on her blades. "It's not like you to surrender so easily like this," Satiana accused. "What are you up to?"

Edelgard glared directly at Satiana, her silvery-white hair fluttering in the chaotic wind surrounding them. A pile of ashes blew past them from a misfired miasma, sending hurls of dirt into the air, but Edelgard paid no heed to the pandemonium on the battlefield. Her attention was solely focused on Satiana.

"Who are you?" Edelgard whispered hardly, the violent wind snatching away her words.

The thundering sound of spells almost made Satiana miss Edelgard's words, but with well-tuned ears, she heard her clearly. "I'm a survivor of the experiments," Satiana stated bluntly, knowing that this was not the time for her to be keeping up facades. She slowly stood up, eyes staring unflinchingly at Edelgard. "I'm from Viscount Kleimann's territory. And you? Which facility are you from?"

"Enbarr," Edelgard replied curtly, lilac orbs gleaming with darkness. "And what do you plan on doing from now on? Where do you plan to bare your fangs at?"

The weight of her question lingered heavily between them like a smothering brick wall. Satiana tuned away from the sound of explosions around her and closed her eyes. She remembered the howling of pain, the blood-stained cells, the horrific tragedy that she faced. The screams of dying soldiers, comrades, and beasts alike, blending in with the crimson flames. The pale white skin, the black cloaks, and the sound of laughter echoing down the experiment halls.

She opened her eyes, dark blue sapphire shining with burning coldness. "I seek their death. Those monsters will pay for what they've done with our lives," Satiana snarled, unleashing her full ire and menace.

Edelgard stood stone-faced, withstanding the murderous aura surrounding the air around them. She stared at the darkness roiling inside those freezing orbs, searching for something within them. Their stand-off lasted for minutes, but eventually, Edelgard started laughing.

Satiana blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "What are you laughing at?" She scowled.

Edelgard smirked smugly at her. "It's nothing. You're really naive, aren't you, Satiana?"

Her words were laced with such bitterness and venom Satiana found herself trembling with anger in response. "Excuse me?" She seethed in anger, clenching her fists tightly around her sword. "Naive? What are you trying to say, Edelgard?" She spat out her name like dirt, baring her teeth towards Edelgard.

Edelgard only closed her eyes, turning away from her. "If you can't even see who the true enemy is, then you don't deserve to know the whole truth."

Her words were like ice to Satiana's ears. It cut deep inside of her, wrenching her heart out of her lungs as Satiana gasped with realization. "Y-You," she stammered, eyes wide in horror as she slowly backed away from Edelgard, the image of the elegant, beautiful princess morphing into the body of a hideous, black-winged monster in Satiana's imagination. "What do you know? What do you know about them?!" She found herself raising her voice, eyes brimming with need and yearning. "Please, tell me. Do you know where they are? Do you know what they're up to?!"

"I don't know, and neither do I care right now," Edelgard spat out in response. "The true enemy lies elsewhere, and I will do whatever it takes to change this wicked world. Even if I have to throw myself into hellfire and sell my soul to the devil to do so," she spoke with such determination that it only made Satiana's stomach plummet further.

"Who is it? Who is the real enemy?" Satiana repeatedly pestered her for an answer. "Tell me, Edelgard! I need to know—"

In an instant, the axe slammed into the ground underneath her feet, and Satiana yelled out in surprise as the earth split into two, sending sharp splinters hurling at her face. She blocked her face with the two swords, leaving her stomach area open to attack.

Edelgard knocked the air out of her with a brutal swing to the stomach, and Satiana flew backward, crashing to the ground. Her two blades fell limply to her sides. She groaned in pain, feeling her vision blurring with black spots, her head throbbing. She felt oddly lightheaded all of a sudden. Her thoughts clouded as she noticed the blackness that tinged the edges of her vision.

Shit, did I hit my head?

The sound of footsteps nearing coaxed her out of a trance as she blearily blinked towards Edelgard.

Edelgard paused in front of her with a death glare. "You have not yet gained the right to stare into the abyss. Spend more time in Fodlan. Explore every crook and cranny of this cruel world we have found ourselves in. See with your eyes the state of Fodlan as it is now, and tell me later what you think of the true enemy behind the scenes. Those that slither in the dark are merely one of such monstrosities. But there lies even more hypocrisy in the so-called light of this world."

Satiana groaned. "W-What are you…talking about…?"

"I will ask you again twelve moons later. I pray that we reach the same conclusion when that time comes around. If not…then it is truly a pity, my dear brethren." Edelgard then turned away from her, walking back towards the thundering battlefield.

Satiana coughed, forcing herself to breathe for air. She flipped onto her front, raising her arm weakly towards Edelgard.

"W-Wait… I'm not…done with you…yet…!" she spoke breathily, feeling the air escaping her lungs.

Another sharp pain in her head, and she found her thoughts stilling, sleep forcibly dragging her away as her vision went black.