Mala Fide- End.
AN: No, I don't own anything.
The first body they came across was a single mangled arm, one tossed to the side of the road by a rampaging beast.
"A firefighter," Hubert muttered behind Byleth. "There's no armour. No trace of cloth even. Whoever this traitor was, he died quick."
"We continue on," Edelgard replied before she called over the murmuring soldiers. "Move in phalanx formation. Our scouts will alert us of any movement up ahead."
Byleth was impressed by the men around her. Most of them were strangers, surviving loyalists of the decimated garrison, yet they locked shields alongside the grim-faced soldiers of Edelgard's personal bodyguard, moving in a practiced lockstep, spears poking out from their shield wall.
"El," Byleth whispered as she turned back. "I'll check on the scouts. I'll be back soon."
"Stay safe," Edelgard replied, squeezing Byleth's hand for a moment before Byleth slipped away, behind the line of heavy infantry before she crossed under the slightly cooler forest.
The ground beneath her, unlike the rough but well-trod road, was overgrown and treacherous, with thick roots from a time where water was not a concern for the mighty forest, though Byleth made better progress than the line infantry marching behind her, especially when she found a relatively clear trail that offered a faster, less dangerous path forward.
It was when she followed the trail did Byleth find the first full corpse of the day, a tall, muscular man, facefirst in the dirt, his throat slashed by a dagger. She recognized Yuri's bladework immediately, and looked around for signs of struggle, but found none.
Byleth continued on, climbing past downed trees and shallow trenches that might have once been streams, and found herself rewarded when she spotted Yuri and Shamir, crouched low, obviously in deep conversation.
Byleth continued with her head high. No need to risk being mistaken for an enemy by their sentries and being shot as a result.
Yuri was the first to notice her, and he gave her a brief nod before he gestured for her to come forward.
"Teach," Yuri muttered as he tossed over a canteen. "We went up ahead, and it's not good."
"What happened?" Byleth asked as she took a sip of the water, her other hand on the pommel of her sword.
"Myrddin is overrun," Shamir replied, cold as ever. "The beasts seem to have caught all of Myrddin's garrison off guard. From what we can see, all of the dead are of Gloucester's men or civilians, and we've only found a single survivor."
Byleth nodded at the memory of the executed traitor behind her.
"We managed to reach the edge of the tree line," Yuri added after a moment of silence. "But given how heavy the smoke from the fire is, by that point we could barely see anything a few paces ahead of us."
"We're looking for more, but we haven't been lucky yet." Shamir summarized.
Byleth nodded. "I'll head back to El. Keep watch here."
Yuri nodded as Byleth began to jog back down the path, taking careful steps only when the roots returned to trip her up again.
But she didn't have to move far, only about a few hundred paces after the dead man, because the early morning light reflected off the glint of the shield line.
"El!" Byleth called as she fought her way out of the woods, breaking through two twisted trees just in front of the stopped infantry line. "We've got a report from Yuri."
Slowly, the line of infantry parted, and Edelgard stepped forward. "What did he have to say?"
"The beasts caught Gloucester's men off guard," Byleth said. "But we can't count exact casualties because the smoke is too heavy."
"We'll need the wind to shift for that to happen," Edelgard replied with a nod. "Have you encountered any resistance?"
"One," Byleth replied. "Yuri dispatched an unarmed traitor, but we haven't fought any soldiers yet, or mages for that matter."
"No doubt to the fire," Hubert muttered. "Wearing heavy armour makes fighting fires difficult, and thus Gloucester's scum were unprepared to deal with rampaging beasts."
"We carry on," Edelgard barked. "Regular march. We go until the smoke becomes too thick to see through."
Byleth nodded as she glanced behind them. "What's Marianne doing?"
Edelgard blinked as she turned around. "Mari- Marianne? Why are you here?"
The lines around Byleth shifted, falling silent as Marianne dismounted from her horse, her face grim as she climbed down.
"Marianne," Hubert said, his voice cold and dripping with suspicion. "What are you doing here?"
Marianne took a deep breath. "I cannot leave you to fight my own battles."
"What?" Edelgard's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Marianne swallowed. "The Beast. The one that is rampaging towards Myrddin."
"What of it?" Hubert asked.
"I bear its Crest." Marianne replied as a burst of green light erupted from her hands, taking the form of a strange Crest that Byleth had never seen before.
There was silence from Edelgard as she turned to the soldiers. "Hubert, move forward. I need to speak with Marianne in private."
Hubert did not say anything to the soldiers, but waved them forward, the units moving in a quicker but looser formation than before.
Byleth stood still, her arms crossed as she watched the figures of the soldiers in front of her disappear over the horizon.
"We should have some privacy now," Edelgard said. "Marianne, what are you saying?"
Marianne closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry that I've kept this from everyone, but the Crest is something I've always been cursed with, and it all starts with that monster."
"But that's impossible," Edelgard muttered. "To share the same Crest as a beast would mean that a Crest-holder turned into a monster despite having a Crest."
"We've watched Arianrhod be reduced to rubble without any army touching it," Byleth offered, looking over to Edelgard. "Perhaps it's one of their schemes?"
Edelgard drew in a breath. "If this beast was implanted with-"
"No," Marianne said, her voice pleading. "Please, I'm asking you to trust me."
"Professor?" Edelgard asked. "The choice is yours."
Byleth looked into the eyes of Marianne and found only a frantic desperation. "Stay close to us. We've already lost too many good lives to Gloucester's treachery. Whatever happens with this beast, we can deal with it after Gloucester."
Marianne nodded slowly as Byleth turned back to Edelgard. "Let's join back with the others."
Edelgard paused for a second. "Marianne, what about Dorothea?"
Marianne said nothing, but her silence told Byleth all she needed to know.
"Let's be quick about it," Byleth said as she increased her pace. "Then we head back to Dorothea."
To her surprise, the line of infantry had advanced a long way down the road, even more than what she had expected, though they stood in a defensive position at the edge of the forest by the time Byleth finally spotted them again.
"Something's happened," Byleth called to Edelgard. "Let's move."
Edelgard said nothing, but Byleth could hear her footsteps increase in pace behind her.
"Hubert," Byleth muttered as she reached the back of the infantry line. "What's going on?"
"Hey teach," Yuri muttered from the side, his face grim. "One of our scouts found something hard to swallow."
"What happened?" Byleth asked.
"He said he watched people jumping from the bridge," Yuri muttered. "Civilians."
"We cannot march into smoke," Hubert growled as he glanced over to the lifeless bodies still visible before the cloud of ash and smoke obstructed their vision. "Unless the wind changes, we cannot risk exposing our men needlessly. To do so would invite chaos into our lines, and we cannot afford that."
"Then we'll be waiting for days," Shamir said. "These fires won't die on their own. The entire forest will be ablaze by sunset."
"Was this common in Dagda?" Edelgard asked, her eyes narrowed.
Shamir shook her head. "I remember a fire when I was young. An entire forest was burned over the span of two days. Imperial troops hunting rebels."
"That I can confirm," Hubert said with a nod. "Still, Imperial troops found only a handful of bodies amongst the remnants of the forest. We cannot expect that the fire dealt much damage to Gloucester's men, though we were fortunate with the beasts."
Edelgard nodded. "It would appear that Olivia's… unintended gift has still given us a significant advantage. Still, with the fire still burning, we cannot order our troops to hold the bridges for long, lest the smoke overwhelm them."
"What if Gloucester's men were all slaughtered by the beasts?" Byleth wondered out loud.
Edelgard paused at the words for a second. "We cannot allow the beasts to rampage into the heartlands of Gloucester territory. Whatever quarrel we have with the traitors does not extend to civilians."
"But that would mean that we must move forward into the smoke." Hubert muttered as he glanced into the cloud of ash that blocked the front of the bridge.
"It must be done," Edelgard growled as she gestured for the soldiers to advance. "With a refugee camp occupying the Tailtean Plains, we cannot afford to lose the breadbasket of Leicester as well."
"Soldiers!" Hubert barked. "Advance in line position! Nothing gets past you!"
There was no reply from the line of soldiers, even as the shield wall tightened, shields overlapping as the group marched toward the field of dead bodies that littered the dirt road before the Airmid River, their spears pointed at the thick cloud before them, but not a single soldier stepped into the field of dead bodies in front of the mighty bridge.
"We're far close to the fires," Edelgard managed, her voice barely audible as she placed an armoured hand over her nose and mouth. "We'll hardly be able to move at this-"
"Lady Edelgard?" Hubert's voice hissed. "Look up. What are your orders?"
"What?" Byleth muttered as she looked up. The sky, apart from the blacked cloud, was still the light blue of midsummer, but she could feel a sudden gust of wind rushing toward the bridge from behind her.
"It's them," Edelgard growled, her heavy cloak almost tearing off her shoulders as she raised her arms to shield herself. "What are they-"
"The sky above the bridge," Yuri's voice cut in over the billowing of cloth. "That's some sort of spell they-"
A bolt of lightning lashed out at something on the smoke shrouded bridge, briefly illuminating more mangled corpses before the light faded once more, followed by the unmistakable roar of thunder.
"They're going after the beasts!" Hubert shouted. "Soldiers! On your guard! Nobody comes through this side of the bridge!"
"Let's go," Byleth muttered to Edelgard as she unsheathed her blade, her heart pounding as she tried to make out a possible counterattack coming from the bridge.
But no counterattack came, despite several long minutes of waiting, dragged out through an eternity as soldiers held themselves in a fearful, frozen silence, awaiting the moment mindless beasts or rebel soldiers would break through the smoke cloud.
But it was something else that reached them first, and Byleth felt that something cold land on the nape of her neck. She looked up, right as another drop landed on her forehead.
The rain had started suddenly, clearly fuelled by the same magic that brought lightning down on the beasts on the bridge, and even the lines of soldiers wavered and broke position as water rushed down, wiping away the last traces of Olivia's rearguard action.
"The rain-" Hubert muttered as the downpour continued. "It's killing the fire."
"Which kills the smoke," Byleth continued as she fought her chattering teeth. How could rain be so icy cold in the middle of summer? "Which means that they can see us now."
"It'll slow us down too," Hubert growled, kicking at the suddenly muddy ground beneath them. "If retreat becomes necessary."
"No matter," Edelgard replied as Byleth noticed the cloud of smoke before them fading. "The rain will make their bowstrings useless and will slow their march. We press forward."
"We're about to get some company," Yuri called. "They've noticed us."
Byleth turned over to Yuri for a second before she looked further upon the bridge. Sure enough, there was a line of soldiers beyond the corpse-littered battlefield that was the blood soaked bridge, the unit standing by large, bold banners, untarnished despite the ash and smoke.
Most curiously, there were none of the dark-cloaked soldiers belonging to Thales, with the soldiers ahead of them, both dead and alive, wearing the bright violet of House Gloucester.
But there was more still, revealed as the rain wiped away smaller barricade fires. Byleth saw dead beasts, some still showing the obvious wounds scored by ballistae fire, lay scattered across the battlefield, but always surrounded with countless mangled bodies.
Most interesting to Byleth was the fallen Titanus golem that had crushed what must have once been a church, the usually smooth armour of the war machine battered and scarred, as if a pack of savage beasts had torn into it. Yet even around the fallen war machine, there was a lack of dark robed dead, the dead consisting of underdressed firefighters and hapless civilians with the occasional dead soldier. In fact, apart from the two mages Byleth had killed the previous day, she hadn't seen any of the mysterious mages.
"Professor?" Hubert's voice was cold, even colder than the punishing rain. "Lorenz is here."
Byleth glanced back up to the bridge, and noticed that the line of Gloucester infantry had parted ways, allowing through a single man on horseback.
And even with the rain and the passage of five years, Byleth could still recognize Lorenz from a distance. But more than that. She recognized the spear in his hand.
"The Arrow of Indra," Hubert hissed, stepping forward. "That confirms it then. Gloucester's been in cahoots with them."
"I think the Titanus already confirmed that," Yuri muttered as he pulled an arrow from a quiver. "Permission to take the shot?"
"Denied," Edelgard replied, her voice a bitter hiss as she threw her shield down, seemingly throwing caution to the wind. "I will separate his head from his shoulders myself."
"El," Byleth managed to get out as Edelgard stormed forward, shoving aside two infantrymen before she raised Aymr. A clear challenge.
Without thinking, Byleth leapt forward along the same path as Edelgard, managing to slip though just before the line of shields closed once more.
"I'm not going to let you face him alone," Byleth said to Edelgard, who, to her surprise, gave a warm smile before she turned back to face Lorenz.
From her position on the bridge, no longer blocked by the heavy shields of the soldiers in front of her, Byleth could finally take a close look at Lorenz, riding forward slowly, maneuvering his horse to avoid trampling the dead.
He had changed since she last saw him. His lilac hair had grown out, reaching his chest in a single mane, and he wore heavy plate armour rather than the Garreg Mach uniform she had last seen him wear. And it had to be said, he had grown more handsome, though Byleth doubted that he had lost his pompous attitude.
It was surprising then, that Lorenz lowered himself off his horse before he reached the Imperial line, taking the final steps on foot as the rain slowed.
"Edelgard," Lorenz called at last, mere paces from Byleth and Edelgard. "I came here to resolve this peacefully."
To Byleth's surprise, she heard Edelgard laugh at that, though the mad, hysterical laugh reminded her of Dimitri more than anyone within the Black Eagles.
"You would have us resolve this peacefully?" Edelgard snarled. "After you spat on your oaths and murdered loyal subjects of the Adrestian Empire?"
Lorenz said nothing as the sun broke through the clouds above, the energies of the storm spent.
"Peace?" Edelgard hissed as she raised her free hand to point at the wreck of the Mittlefrank Opera ship. "Your men set that ship ablaze. Your men slaughtered unarmed civilians begging for their lives. Your men murdered those who needed medical aid and cost me three quarters of my best soldiers. And you have the audacity to ask for peace?"
Lorenz opened his mouth slowly before he gestured to the ground. "Were these men armed when your beasts rampaged across Myrddin?"
Edelgard let out a slow breath. "They followed under your banner of treason. For that there is only one reward."
Byleth didn't need Edelgard to finish the sentence to know the reward was death.
"If we were to surrender right now," Lorenz started, his voice slow. "You would have every man in Gloucester County put to death?"
"You won't," Edelgard said, pointing Aymr at the lance in Lorenz's hand. "Not with them backing 're the ones who summoned this storm, aren't they?"
Lorenz looked down at the Arrow of Indra, his voice slow and hesitant. "None of this was supposed to end like this. Was the guarantee that you would allow us to lead Gloucester County as our forefathers did too much to ask for?"
"When I crushed those who slither in the dark, whom you have so foolishly allied yourself with, your lands were to be ruled by the most competent man for the job," Edelgard growled. "By raising this banner of treason, you have proven that your bloodline is no longer worthy of the task."
A distant shriek echoed across the bridge, cutting though the ensuing silence as the line of soldiers moved forward, backing up Lorenz.
"And what about you Professor?" Lorenz's voice came as Byleth tried to find the source of the scream, though a number of buildings and larger corpses blocked her view. "What do you say?"
Byleth looked up at the eyes of Lorenz, but before she could speak, there was a crowd of murmurs from behind her and the shifting of bodies, with the unmistakable sound of moving bodies.
Byleth turned around, as did many of the assembled soldiers, and though she didn't recognize the shambling corpse staggering toward her, it was clear that those around her did, given the fact that the soldiers shunk back.
"See what the witchery of your friends has done to Raphael," Edelgard growled as she stepped to the side. "And you wonder why I intend to turn them all to dust."
Byleth watched as the shambling thing staggered forward, as she wondered how Raphael might have looked before his body had been destroyed beyond recognition.
A low moan escaped the thing that had once been a student at Garreg Mach. Not that Byleth could see anything in the horror that reminded her of the strong, happy student she knew.
"Raphael?" Lorenz's voice called out as the soldiers behind him set up their own shield line, pointed spears jutting out from behind silvery shields. He sounded stunned.
The mindless man stopped at the voice for a moment, then began a limp run, one leg moving far faster than the other, clearly shattered, one.
"Raphael?" Lorenz asked again, his voice expressing absolute horror as the shambling thing still came closer. "What have they done to you?"
The maimed man let out a low, agonized moan as he staggered past Byleth and Edelgard, still seemingly focused on Lorenz.
Byleth held a free hand to her mouth and nose as she took a step back from Lorenz and the shambling Raphael, gagging at the stench of burnt flesh and unholy sorcery.
"It would be a mercy to kill him," Edelgard managed to whisper to Byleth as they turned their backs to Lorenz and the maimed Raphael, her face scrunched in disgust as she spoke. "It's the only mercy we can afford him, not that he deserves it for what he did."
But before Edelgard could act, there was a gasp and a wet gurgle, and Byleth spun back to Lorenz and Raphael, the latter slowly slumping to the ground, the Arrow of Indra protruding from his chest.
"May you rest in peace," Lorenz said, his voice slow, solemn as he sank down to his knees next to the dying Raphael. "Do not worry. Your loved ones will be cared for."
A cold laugh from Hubert came, and Byleth turned to watch Hubert step past the relative safety of the shield wall. "And by that, do you mean you will kill his sister too?"
Lorenz froze, his jaw falling. "What?"
"Your father was behind the monster attack that killed his parents," Edelgard explained, her voice low as Byleth noticed the shield wall behind Lorenz advancing forward, long spears jutting out of the wall in a well-practiced maneuver. "And now you have taken his life."
"No!" Lorenz cried out, scrambling back from the unmoving body, as if his legs had lost all function. "You- you're lying!"
"Those sorcerers that crafted your lance," Edelgard snarled, pulling the Arrow of Indra free from the corpse with her spare hand, holding the unholy weapon up to the light of the sun. "They told us things- about you. Your family. Your ambitions. And yet they failed to mention the depths you so called nobles would sink to in the name of power."
"No-" Lorenz whispered. "My father would never-"
"We both know that is a lie," Hubert snarled as he stepped forward, taking the lance from Edelgard as he stepped in front of Lorenz. "Your father contracted one of them to carry out the attack that took their lives, in his attempt to murder the Duke of Riegan. Your father would do anything for power, and now we have come to show him judgement."
"On your feet Lorenz," Edelgard snarled. "I will not kill you on your knees."
Byleth watched Lorenz for a long moment, but her view was blocked when a heavily armoured soldier stepped in front of Lorenz, his weapon pointed at her.
"To arms!" Hubert shouted as Byleth danced back from two soldiers charging at her, dodging spear strikes by mere inches. "Defend your Emperor!"
But from where Byleth stood, it was clear that Edelgard needed no assistance, for she had already carved through the first of the spearmen and was fighting a second.
But the ones closer to Byleth needed to be dealt with, and she grabbed the neck of one of the spears after a failed thrust.
This time, Byleth refused to risk another blow from the shield of the soldier, and instead thrust her blade forward, past the shield of the soldier and cutting awkwardly into his arm.
As the man screamed, Byleth saw from the corner of her eye a wild swing coming from the other soldier. But instead of dodging away from the spear, Byleth leaned back, steeling herself against the wild, inaccurate attack.
The blow still hurt, but only somewhat. The portion of the spear she was hit by had moved little, and there was little in terms of momentum as a result. Not only that, but Byleth felt a grim satisfaction as the spear spun out of the man's hands, falling to the stones below.
But then Byleth felt a squeeze around her midsection as the armoured arms of the soldier wrapped around her, as if he was trying to carry her away. Here, Byleth did the first thing that came to mind. She threw her head back.
The blow hit the man square in what Byleth assumed was his face, given the crunch of broken cartilage and the sudden release of her body as the man's arms fell away.
Byleth wasted no time pressing her advantage, spinning around to deliver a sword to the man's mouth, silencing the rebel soldier in a single stroke before she turned to rejoin the fight.
But there was no fight anymore. The soldiers that had abandoned their position to help Lorenz escape lay dead at their feet, just more bodies along the countless dead on the bridge.
"We push forward," Edelgard called. "Take shelter against buildings. We're not out of the fight yet."
Before she could act, Byleth heard something crash in the distance.
"The hell is that?" a voice, one of the lesser soldiers, came as Byleth realized the crash was coming from the bend in the road at the other side of Myrddin. And worse yet, it was coming closer.
"Incoming!" Hubert shouted. "Defensive positions!"
Byleth continued to look over to the far side of the bridge, but only saw the fleeing form of Lorenz, clearly having trouble getting through the dead. But he was close to the bend. One more turn to the left, and he would be beyond their sight, untouchable.
But Byleth knew a second later that Lorenz would not escape death, because the source of the crash came into view.
It was a hulking, monstrous thing, a shade of hideous olive, sporting thick armour and massive claws and teeth. And it was charging straight at Lorenz.
Byleth closed her eyes a brief second before she heard the distant death-shriek of Lorenz, followed by a bone shattering crunch.
When she opened her eyes again, Byleth could still see the beast, now chomping down on the last of Gloucester, the man clearly dead.
"Professor," Edelgard's voice came. "The shield wall will not survive a charge from a monster like that. We'll need to draw it to a position of ambush."
"El," Byleth managed as she watched Edelgard grab her shield, the bright crimson of the metal contrasted by the proud golden double headed eagle. "We'll support you."
"Shamir! Yuri! Hubert!" Edelgard shouted as she adjusted her shield. "Get to position! We only have one chance at this!"
Byleth watched silently as Edelgard rushed forward, keeping to the side of a set of buildings as she advanced, acting as bait.
"Professor," Hubert murmured as he rushed by her. "When Lady Edelgard triggers the trap, we'll have only a little time to take advantage."
Byleth swallowed but held the sword in her hands tight, watching Edelgard storm forward before a tall building of grey stone. Then bring Aymr against her shield.
The clang echoed against the stone walls of the bridge's buildings, and Byleth held her breath as the distant monster turned its ugly head toward Edelgard.
Then the beast charged, and Byleth forced herself to stay in position. If the beast charged after her rather than the building behind Edelgard, then the gambit would have failed.
For several long, agonizing seconds, Edelgard stood firm. Then she leapt out of the way.
Byleth watched as time seemed to slow down. The monster coming ever closer to Edelgard, and the blur of red rolling to the side.
But even as its own momentum claimed it, the monster reached out with a mighty claw, tearing at Edelgard- and finding purchase as half of Edelgard's cloak separated from the other half.
Byleth screamed asEdelgard crashed hard into the stones, a fire inside her that she had never felt before driving her forward. To protect Edelgard, even if it would kill her.
But then the monster slammed into the large building behind Edelgard, and Byleth felt her heart rise when a single word echoed across the stones of Myrddin.
"Fire!"
There was the unmistakable roar of arcane might from around the beast as spears of dark light tore through stone and flesh alike, pinning the terrible monster in place as a storm of violence played out before her eyes.
Then Byleth felt strong arms around her, and she found herself hugging Edelgard back.
"I'm glad you were safe," Byleth whispered to Edelgard as the building the beast crashed into collapsed, burying the horror beneath tons of stone. "But promise me that you'll never do that again."
"It had to be done," Edelgard replied, her arms letting go as Byleth heard the rest of their task force take a few tedious steps forward. "Come. Count Gloucester still lives."
But then a roar caused Byleth to stagger back as the collapsed building moved, revealing the monster within.
"Resilient bastard." Yuri growled as Shamir ran forward, firing a fast volley of arrows at the half-buried beast. "Defensive positions!"
"Incoming!" Hubert shouted. "It's Gloucester!"
Byleth spun around, just in time to catch the first banners of House Gloucester rounding the corner of the street, just steps from where Lorenz met his end.
But when Byleth turned back to the monster on hand, she felt a moment of confusion as a flash of blue and white charged the beast, the fallen Arrow of Indra in hand.
And to her surprise, the monster seemed to freeze at something, because the charge hit home as the Arrow of Indra shattered into the head of the beast.
Ignoring the distant troops of House Gloucester, Byleth rushed over to the dismounting Marianne, who still lingered next to the monster she had struck, her hand on the dying beast's head, her lips moving. Was Marianne talking to the monster? The thought seemed inconceivable.
And yet, when Byleth reached the blue haired woman, she heard a second voice. A dusty one, one incredibly ancient. And tired.
"Rest now," Byleth heard Marianne say in a soft, comforting whisper, her head placed against the monster's own. "Your nightmare is at an end. But I will use your gift to forge a new legacy."
"Promise," the dusty voice gasped.
"I promise on our shared bloodline," Marianne whispered. "No more will your relic be used for wanton destruction. Nevermore."
"Nevermore," the dusty voice managed, as if savouring the word, even as its voice grew faint. "Never…"
"It's dead," Hubert's voice cut in as Byleth noticed him standing next to her. "Marianne- is that a sword?"
"My Relic," Marianne said, her voice quiet as the monster shriveled and withered, grey flesh receding as the collapsed building fell further, yet avoiding the beautiful blade that Marianne took from an ancient, pale hand.
"Come," Marianne said, clutching the sabre in her hand as she rose to her feet. "This is something we must finish."
Byleth said nothing as Marianne turned away from the monster, now nothing more than a limp hand buried under the collapsed building. Whoever he had been, she would never know.
But when Byleth crossed the bridge, she recognized the man on his knees at the other end. He was different from his dead son, but she knew exactly who he was, even from across the bridge.
And yet he was in grief. On his knees, cradling his murdered son. In a position Byleth knew all too well. She had held her father the same way.
Yet this situation was different, a tiny voice inside Byleth reminded her. The girl on the throne, Sothis, had once told her that some things were inevitable. But the death of Lorenz was anything but.
Had the flag of rebellion not been raised, had their ship not been burned away in a cowardly attempt at assassination, had Olivia not been forced into a desperate rearguard action, perhaps all the bloodshed could have been avoided.
But it was too late for that now. Especially when Edelgard raised Aymr once more. And Byleth knew that she couldn't stop it. None of them could.
"Gloucester," Edelgard snarled, taking a step forward. "This rebellion ends now."
The older man didn't say anything that Byleth could hear, but he was on his knees, crading what was left of his son.
"Stand," Edelgard barked. "I will not kill you on your knees."
Byleth looked up at the crowd of soldiers behind Gloucester. There were few, and most sported heavy injuries. Maybe three or four could resist in battle, but most were no longer a threat. There would be no battle, not after what the beasts did to Gloucester's army, especially since those who slithered in the dark had seemingly abandoned the fight.
But something seemed to possess Edelgard as she stormed forward, her shield forgotten as she seized Gloucester, dragging the man to his feet with superhuman strength.
It was when the decapitated head of Lorenz rolled from his father's grasp that Byleth sprung into action.
"El," Byleth snapped as she stepped forward. "Enough."
Edelgard took a slow, deep breath before she dropped Count Gloucester and stepped back, her breaths coming in slow, ragged puffs as the older man sunk back to the stones, his hands cradling the head of his son once more.
"I'll take care of this," Hubert's voice came from behind Byleth. "Lady Edelgard, if I may."
"Proceed," Edelgard managed as she took another step back, her fingers finding Byleth's hand as her voice lowered to a near-whisper. "I'm sorry you saw that."
Byleth shook her head. "We'll talk about this later, in private."
"Count Gloucester," Hubert's voice boomed across the stones of the plaza. "For raising troops against the Adrestian Empire and the Royal House of Hresvelg for the benefit of a hostile power, you are hereby stripped of the lands of Gloucester County."
There was silence for a moment as Hubert turned back toward Byleth and Edelgard, as if seeking confirmation. "You are banished from stepping foot in Gloucester County until the date of your death. You will be denied shelter, food, and rest from every loyal citizen of the Empire."
There was a silence on the bridge as Hubert began to pace. "As for your second crime, for the murder of loyal subjects of the Adrestian Empire, you are to have your eyes torn out."
There was a shift in the soldiers behind Gloucester, their spears falling to a defensive position, even as Hubert stood firm.
"For your third crime," Hubert continued. "There is not enough punishment the Adrestian Empire can inflict upon your bloodline to resolve you for three attempts at regicide, but in this case, the erasure of your bloodline from Fodlan will suffice."
Byleth closed her eyes as Edelgard's hand squeezed hers.
"Do you have any last words?" Hubert asked.
A distant movement caught Byleth's eye, but before she could even move, Hubert had already launched a spell at the charging soldier, blowing him back to the ground, deathly still.
There was silence again, at least until Count Gloucester spoke.
"What have I done to deserve this?"
Byleth shivered as Hubert laughed at that, a cold, mirthless sound that echoed. "Must I remind you of your own evil, Gloucester? You attempted to use feral beasts to murder the previous Duke of Riegan, you slaughtered the loyal soldiers here who refused to join your rebellious banner. Your men murdered civilians in the forests as they begged for their lives. The fact that I have limited punishment to your soon to be extinct bloodline is mercy enough!"
Count Gloucester's eyes widened as he raised a shaking finger at Hubert. "Leave my wife out of this!"
"She has enjoyed the fruits of your foul ambition just as you have," Hubert continued. "Tell me, did she beg your archers to not fire upon an unarmed civilian ship?"
There was silence from Count Gloucester. That was enough of an answer for Hubert to continue his attack.
"Did she ensure that your men would not murder civilians?" Hubert's voice was mocking now. "Did she put her body between the beasts and the murdered traders Kristen? Did she stop those allies of yours from turning Raphael Kristen into a mindless animal?"
"No!" Count Gloucester cried. "Spare her! Please!"
"There is no need for that," a voice cut in. "Hello Lear."
"Cornwall!" Count Gloucester cried as the line of soldiers behind him parted. "Stop them!"
"No Lear, that's not what I'm here for," the newcomer, a man in a distinctive black cloak replied. "I'm here for a confession, as a matter of fact."
Count Gloucester said nothing as Hubert took a step back, magic roaring to life in his hands.
"Seven minutes," the man said, his words slow, as if he savoured the sound of them. "That's how long it took to hang lovely Cordelia. She called for you, for your precious son Lorenz."
"No," Count Gloucester gasped. "No!"
"Do not worry," the man chuckled. "I had figured that Maurice would have killed you, but I am more than happy to end you myself."
"That will not be happening," Hubert said, raising a finger at the newcomer. "Because you will be coming with us."
The mage Cornwall laughed again as he raised his hands, unleashing some sort of spell that caused Count Gloucester to scream, his hands clutching at his head moments before spears of bloody ice shot out of Gloucester's eye sockets, silencing him mid-scream. "No, I don't believe I will be joining you in oblivion."
Instinct, honed by a life spent in danger forced Byleth to move, but suddenly she felt a frigid agony take her legs, and when she looked down she saw powerful spears of frigid ice that made any movement impossible. She was trapped.
"Professor?' Edelgard's voice had fallen, and Byleth noticed that Edelgard was also trapped in place, her own legs coated in the same arcane ice that pinned Byleth in place. "Can you move?"
"Not in time to avoid your just desserts," Cornwall laughed before he turned to Hubert. "Tell me, little dog. Will you die alongside your precious Emperor, or will you abandon her to her fate?"
"No," Hubert growled. "I'll kill you."
The mage turned his head, his black, bird like mask shifting as the man dodged Hubert's magical attack. "I will enjoy hunting you, Hubert von Vestra. You will live this day, if you so choose. But you may toss yourself on the pyre as well, if you so fear my wrath."
And then the mage vanished, leaving Edelgard and Byleth trapped within their prisons of ice.
"Hubert," Edelgard's voice was surprisingly calm, given that Byleth could hear her heart pound as she fought desperately against the ice, a fight that she soon realized she could not win. The ice was simply too strong, as if her legs had been encased in rock. "You will retreat."
"Lady-"
"Enough!" Edelgard snapped. "I cannot escape this ice prison, and if he spoke the truth, then death will come for me soon. Gather the Black Eagles. Avenge me. Bring Fodlan to the daybreak that it deserves. And wipe out those who slither in the dark."
"I-" Hubert started.
"Go!" Edelgard shouted, cutting Hubert off. "You have no time!"
"Retreat!" Hubert screamed, his eyes shimmering with hatred- much of which Byleth knew was centred at himself for failing to notice the trap. "Fall back to the trees!"
Byleth couldn't see Hubert retreat, not with the ice pinning her body in place, but she could hear his footsteps, along with the rest of the friends and soldiers. She could only watch as the traitor soldiers drag the lifeless bodies of the dead Gloucester men away. To their own safety. To something that was out of reach for her and the woman she loved.
And then they were alone again.
"El?" Byleth whispered.
A slow sigh escaped Edelgard, followed by a few sniffles. And then Byleth realized Edelgard was crying.
"When I swore to walk this path with you," Edelgard managed through her tears. "I didn't think our time would be so short."
Byleth blinked the tears out of her eyes too. She had to be strong, even if her own heart was breaking as her own dreams shattered. For Edelgard.
"I regret nothing," Byleth reached for Edelgard's hand, squeezing gently. "We chose this path of our own volition, and nothing in the world will erase what we have done."
Edelgard choked back down a sob as her hand tightened around Byleth's. "To think… to think that I'm about to die, and all I can think of are silly, childish things."
"El?" Byleth asked, a tiny spark of curiosity rising. "What are you thinking of?"
A tiny giggle escaped Edelgard before she hiccupped. "The cake at our wedding."
Slowly, an image formed in Byleth's mind. A massive, towering cake that was bigger than any of them. Yes, that was something she wanted, something the woman she loved deserved.
"What of the day we drown ourselves in sweets?" Byleth asked as a new memory replaced the cake. She could see them now in her mind's eye, scoffing down sweets until they could eat no more, then spend a quiet afternoon in the sun, away from the rest of the world, laughing to themselves without care.
"There's so much in Enbarr I wanted to show you." Edelgard said, though Byleth could hardly hear her. A roar, coming from somewhere to their east, had become louder, drowning out Edelgard's voice.
Byleth opened her eyes again when she could no longer hear Edelgard over the sound of the approaching weapon. Even if she could not hear Edelgard, she wanted her final sight to be of her face, not of the oblivion that had come to claim them.
And to her surprise, Edelgard had the same idea, violet eyes meeting her own as their hands tightened one more time.
Then the light swallowed them up, and the Great Bridge of Myrddin disappeared from Fodlan.
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AN: In the event you want me to write faster, always leave a review.
Next time: A changing situation in Almyra. Prince Khalid meets with his father.
Next story arc: Pax Adrestia.
