It was time for the first mission. This will be the first change. Considering kostas is dead before this point. The mission has changed. Instead of dealing with him. We're dealing with what's left of his crew. They have taken up refuge in an abandoned fortress. Another change is that all the houses are on this mission. In order to forge a bond between them. Though there's already a bond between edelgard and dimitri. From what byleth told us. After the crest experimentations. She didn't remember anything from her childhood but THAT! But considering i saved her from those vipers. She now remembers her step brother. And she's not the flame emperor this time around. So no dimitri going ape shit to worry about. But I am worried about the one who is now wearing the armor.
Carmen ruby kotta. Athros sister. An armageddon knight is already dangerous. But one that's insane? That can't be good. And from what athro said. Duscur wasn't her first. And won't be her last. She truly is the monster dimitri thought edelgard was in the original timeline. And when we encounter her. It'll be the toughest fight yet.
"Are you alright? You seem lost in thought." petra asked.
"I'm fine. So we ready to fight?" I asked.
"We are." byleth said. We approached the fort. To see a bunch of dead bandits. And professor jeritza standing over them with a blood soaked silver lance.
"Yikes. Death knight indeed." shujinko said quietly. Sothis gave us a bit of intel on jeritza. Otherwise known as the death knight. Or emile. Mercedes' little brother. He ended up with a split personality after killing his and Mercedes' piece of shit father. Because their mother couldn't bear children anymore. And mercedes had a crest. He wanted to make mercedes his new wife. Which is full on disgusting. And more proof that the crest system needs to be taken down. It's an awful system which allows shit like this.
"Are these the bandits we seek?" i asked.
"Yes. they were leaving from that fortress." jeritza said.
"Looks like we found their base. Stay focused." byleth said. We then raided the fort. Taking out of what remains of kostas crew. Just cleaning up bandits and thieves. Something i did all the time in adestria. However things quickly changed. When i entered the basement of the fort. After dealing with the bandits. I found someone with red hair in buns. Wearing a garreg mach uniform. I kicked open the cell door. And melted her chains. She quickly rubbed her wrists. And looked at me.
"Are you here…to rescue me?" the red haired girl asked.
"Yeah…what is your name?" i asked. Edelgard quickly approached behind me.
"Lady edelgard!" the red haired girl yelled.
"Monica? How did you…no. My questions can wait." edelgard said. I then began to smell alot of arrogance…them! A bunch of mages teleported in. along with pale skin soldiers with iron lances.
"Don't let the girl escape! Or kronya will make us wish we were dead!" the mage yelled.
"She won't get the chance. Because i'm going to paint this fort black with your guts!" i yelled in pure fury.
"Save some for me natsu!" shujinko yelled. I grinned. Nice to paint the walls black with a friend.
"Five thousand gold to the one who kills the most!" i yelled.
"I'll take that bet!" shujinko yelled. As we began rampaging among these snakes who dared to show their faces to us.
"It's them! The wind devil! And the flame devil!" one mage yelled.
"We can't retreat! Kronya will make us suffer!" another mage yelled.
"You're screwed either way. At least with us. We'll make it quick." i said as i sliced the mage in two. And crush the other one's skull in my hand. me and shujinko continued to paint the walls of this fort black. Until it was done.
"So what's the tally?" shujinko asked.
"We both got fifty of the snakes. It's a tie." i said.
"That was terrifying…you ripping through them like a tornado." petra said.
"Now we have three boars!" fergus yelled.
"Three?" shujinko asked.
"If you saw what we saw. You'd understand." i said.
"Alright. Who came in here and trashed my beautiful strong hold!?" an orange haired viper yelled.
"That's the bitch who saved the flame emperor!" athro yelled.
"Hi there! I'm kronya. But you can just call me "the lady that's about to muder you." or. You know. Don't." kronya said. Showing off that agarthan arrogance.
"Good wasn't planning to. As a matter of fact. I'm going to call you. "The arrogant bitch who's about to die at my hands." that's more fitting." i said
"Whoever kills her gets the five thousand gold!" shujinko yelled. I nodded.
"Don't think it'll be that easy devils!" kronya yelled. As she charged at us. I managed to dodge her blade. I then swung my axe down. But she cartwheeled out of the way. Shujinko ran up to her and punched her in the face. Causing black blood to come out of her mouth. I picked up a nearby sword. And rammed it into her stomach.
"End of the road for you viper!" I yelled. Only for kronya to teleport away. And when she did. We heard a loud roar.
"What the heck was that!" caspar yelled.
"A big problem…get ready!" I yelled as a giant demonic beast appeared.
"Demonic beasts already!?" Byleth asked. As more agarthan brigands appeared.
"Damn…me athro shujinko the professor. And our house leaders will handle the monster. Everyone else deal with those brigands!" I yelled. The beast charged at us. But was stopped as an arrow ended up in one of its eyes. Fired by claude. And the other hit by a javelin thrown by dimitri. The beast was in pain. But it was still swinging it's massive body around. Trying to crush us. Me and edelgard stopped by breakings it's hind legs with a powerful blow from our axes. Shujinko impaled its front legs with his two dan tien daos. Making it completely unable to move. As byleth stabbed in the tale with her sword. While athro stabbed it in the head with her katana. They both then ran across the beast giving it two black spitting wounds running from its head all the way to its tail. Needless to say. It died from that. Though byleths sword broke in two. She looked at the hilt annoyed.
"I forgot how frail iron swords were. I need to get the sword of the creator back." byleth said. The sword of the creator. Her main weapon. She's already got the skills of countless timelines. I'd love to see what she could do with the sword. That's essentially her diamond katana.
Outskirts of the fort./edelgard pov.
"Hey princess we need to talk." claude said as he approached.
"What is it claude?" i asked.
"About natsu and shujinko. When those bizarre mages appeared. They both went berserk. What i want to know is why? Who were those mages? Why did natsu and shujinko go on a killing spree when they saw them?" claude asked.
"Why don't you ask them?" i asked.
"Because i figured their hatred from them had something to do with you. Or lysithea. I didn't want to bring up an ugly past from lysithea. So I asked you." claude said. I sighed.
"Alright. I'll tell you. This is a very painful memory from me. I don't like bringing it back into my head unless i have too." i said. I was about to begin telling him until…
"There you both are! What are you two talking about?" dimitri asked as he approached.
"Trying to figure out why natsu and shujinko went nuts when those mages appeared. Apparently it involves something awful that happened to the princess here." Claude said.
"This is something I want you to know as well dimitri." i said as i told them what happened. Of how the agarthans kidnapped me and natsu. And planned to do experiments on us. How natsu broke us out of there and saved me…..and what happened to my siblings. Both of them were shocked.
"I….i truly am sorry el." Dimitri said. I smiled.
"It's been a while since I heard that old nickname….but thank you dee." i said with a smile.
"Glad to see you remember…things haven't been good for me either." dimitri said as he looked to the ground.
"The tragedy of duscur. Correct?" i asked.
"How do you know about that?" Dimitri asked.
"You really think the news of a massacre that resulted in death of the king of faerghus wouldn't reach other nations?" claude asked.
"It's as he said. Such shocking news reached even the empire…you were there. Weren't you?" i asked. Dimitri nodded.
"I still remember the flames…the sounds of people dying. The screams. The sight of my father beheaded right in front of me…i would have joined them if not for athro. The monster responsible had her blade to my throat and was about to behead me like my father. But Athro stepped in and saved me." dimitri said with a sad smile.
"So both of you were saved by your vassals huh? I get the feeling it's the same for lysithea. After all, Her siblings were said to have died from illness. But i get the feeling that the truth of that is that her family was also used as lab rats by those mages. And just like you and natsu. She was saved by shujinko. And have been inseparable ever since." Claude said.
"Someone else went through what i did?" i asked. As i remember what natsu said that night. About how the agarthans will continue to do awful things if left alone. Looks like he was right. "I also have something else I wish to discuss with you three." i said.
"What is it el?" dimitri asked.
"I wish to ask for your help in dismantling the crest system." I said.
"Say no more! I'm in!" claude yelled.
"Really? Just like that?" i asked.
"Don't get me wrong edelgard. I have my own ambitions. But i do agree. The crest system has to go. It lets nobles get away with too much. Just because they were lucky enough to be born with a crest." claude said. I smiled.
"I appreciate your support. What about you dee?" i asked.
"One time. I would have disagreed…but athro made it clear to me that the crest system but nothing but suffering to my friends…their crests have been nothing but curses…so i will aid you as well." dimitri said with a smile.
"Thank you…with all three of us. Rhea will have to listen." i said. We then returned to our fellow students.
Byleth pov.
The three lords returned. Once again a curveball has been hit at me. I'm actually meeting the real monica von ochs! All the other timelines she was long past dead. It wasn't her. It was that dad killing bitch kronya. I know all the other students like the back of my hand. But monica? This is my first time meeting her. So I don't know how to approach her. Guess i'll have to get to know her. Like i did with all the students in the first timeline….goddess. That was a long long time ago. I should be a grandmother by now. But another curveball is thrown at me. As monica reveals it was tomas who kidnapped her.
I was planning on having him be sniffed out by the three knights. But monica beat them to the punch. No doubt solon is going to reveal himself now that his disguise is no longer useful. The knights of seiros are already planning to put him under arrest…but i know that natsu and shujinko won't let an agarthan get away.
"Sothis. Inform natsu and shujinko on tomas true identity." i thought.
"Are you sure byleth? You know how they'll react." sothis asked.
"I'm sure." i replied.
"...very well." sothis said.
Black eagle classroom/natsu pov
As we talked with monica and waiting for that weasel tomas. I got a call from our ghost friend sothis.
"I don't think it's good idea to tell you this. But tomas is actually an agarthan named solon." sothis said.
"Are you alright?" monica asked. Clearing seeing the rage in my face.
"I'm fine…just found out that the weasel is actually a viper." i said.
"Tomas has arrived. Capture him!" a knight of seiros outside yelled.
"That's my cue…" i said as i ran out of the room. I found the knights of seiros surrounding tomas. I close my eyes. And sure enough. I could see a big foreheaded gray skinned bastard. The weasel is a viper.
"You will come with us!" the knight yelled.
"This doddering persona of mine will benefit me no further." "tomas" said. As he released dark energy knocking back the knights. Revealing himself to be an agarthan viper. Shujinko quickly ran up next to me. He probably got the message from sothis. He looked at he snake with pure anger.
"You're the son of a bitch responsible for what happened to lysithea!" shujinko yelled as drew his blades.
"You may have stopped the crest experiments. devils. But know this. You will lose this war you so foolishly started with this! Glory to agartha!" solon yelled as teleported away. Just as shujinko was about to cut him down. Shujinko then made a dental click.
"Keep telling yourself that. You arrogant prick." shujinko said with hatred.
"So they see us as devils?" i asked. I then had a huge grin on my face. "Good. it means they fear us. Which they should. It's an honor. To be the devil of such scum." i said with a smile as I returned to my classroom. We may have missed our opportunity today. But there'll be other opportunities. And when that snake pops his head out again. He loses it.
