More mock battle shenanigans! This one was way longer than I originally intended.

Chapter 47 – Battle of the Eagle and Lion Pt. 2 (Wyvern Moon)

Bernadetta shrieked in her usual panic as she tried to flee from Ingrid, who flew atop Celdia. Bernadetta might have been considered the fastest sprinter of the first-year students, but even she could not outrun a Pegasus.

"AAH! Please have mercy, Ingrid! Leave me alone!" Bernadetta cried.

"How long do you plan on running, Bernadetta?" Ingrid asked in some exasperation. She had been chasing the girl for a good five minutes now.

It was then that Bernadetta's pace slowed as she started gasping for breath. Despite how fast she was, she never had the stamina to back it up. As she slowed, Ingrid urged Celdia forward. The Pegasus whinnied as it swooped down, and Ingrid readied her practice lance to strike.

"This should do the trick!" Ingrid said as she thrust her lance at Bernadetta.

The purple-haired girl let out a shriek as Ingrid's lance caught on her hood and hoisted her into the air. Bernadetta dropped her bow as she let out scream after scream of terror. Ingrid pulled back on Celdia's reins and the Pegasus went upward, hovering over a deep portion of the stream.

"AAAHHHHHH! Put me down! PUT ME DOWWWNNN!" Bernadetta screamed.

"As you wish," Ingrid said with a smile, jerking her lance as she did.

Bernadetta let out another shriek as she was dropped around ten feet into the water below, landing with a loud splash.

Smiling at her success, Ingrid said proudly, "Had enough yet, Bernadetta?"

Then, her smile turned to a look of alarm as Bernadetta floundered at the top of the water and screamed, "H-H-HEEELP! G-GLUBB! HELP! I CAN'T SWIM!"

Realizing her mistake, Ingrid urged Celdia to fly just above the water's surface, allowing her to lean over and extend her lance toward the panicking Black Eagle girl.

"Grab onto my lance, Bernadetta!"

Still shrieking in panic as she tried not to drown, Bernadetta swung her hands wildly as she tried to grab Ingrid's lance. After a few seconds, she finally grabbed hold of it and pulled, far harder than Ingrid had expected.

"WHOA! Bernadett – AAH!"

Ingrid yelped as she was unseated from Celdia by Bernadetta's surprise pull, yanking her into the water alongside her. Seconds later, Ingrid burst from the surface as Bernadetta flailed around in panic, trying to grab onto her. Unfortunately, this threatened to drag Ingrid back under.

"B-Berna – ACH! S-Stop that! C-Calm down or– MMPH!"

Ingrid was briefly forced back underwater as Bernadetta screamed, "HEEEELP MEEEE!"

Meanwhile, on the shoreline, Linhardt observed the calamity with a bemused look on his face. He had intended to avoid fighting the battle as much as possible, only healing the others if necessary. However, he couldn't help but chuckle as Ingrid finally managed to grab hold of Bernadetta and started swimming them both back to shore.

By the time Ingrid had brought Bernadetta back onto solid ground, she was exhausted. The purple-haired girl's thrashing had made the effort far more taxing than needed. She coughed loudly as she tried to catch her breath.

And then, she heard Linhardt say, "Well, well, lucky me."

Ingrid looked up to see Linhardt standing over her with his subordinates, the soldiers training their practice weapons on them.

"I'd say you're pretty much caught," Linhardt added.

Ingrid let out a loud groan of frustration as she slammed her fist on the ground, not taking such an embarrassing loss well at all.

…

Lysithea let out a scowl as she panted loudly from exhaustion. She hadn't expected Hubert to be such a difficult opponent, but even her powerful sorcery wasn't working against him. He had been continually putting himself behind his subordinates, leading to Lysithea's spells striking them instead of him. Now only the two of them faced each other, their subordinates either too injured or having lost consciousness.

"I'm shocked you made it easy for me, Lysithea," Hubert said with smug arrogance. "Your magic may be extraordinarily powerful, but you clearly lack the stamina to keep it up for long."

Lysithea let out a shout as she shot another Miasma Δ spell at Hubert, who raised a magical ward and blocked the attack.

"And despite your power, your defenses remain lacking!"

Hubert then countered with a Mire β spell. Lysithea raised her own magical ward, but it quickly shattered to Hubert's attack, which sent the white-haired girl to the ground with a yelp. Lysithea struggled to stand as her whole body ached in pain.

Hubert strode over toward Lysithea with a chuckle. This was proving too easy. He knew Lysithea had to be out of Mana by this point; she always tended to pour too much of it into each spell she cast rather than conserve it.

"The result is clear: you've worked hard for nothing."

Then, as Hubert loomed over her, Lysithea said, "Don't…"

"Hmm? Are you going to beg for mercy now?"

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

Lysithea's eyes glowed as her body surged with magical energy. Shocked, Hubert saw the Major Crest of Gloucester manifest over her body as Lysithea channeled an incredible amount of Mana.

It only took a second for Hubert to realize what Lysithea had planned.

"Y-You wouldn't dare!"

Hubert raised his hand to strike the girl, but it was too late. Lysithea let out a defiant shout as she slammed an open palm to the ground, creating a complex magic symbol beneath them. Then, from the sigil, a dark explosion erupted and engulfed them both.

Around the two, the recovering soldiers looked on in shock, fearing the mock battle might have taken a turn for the worst.

The dust cleared, revealing Lysithea and Hubert were both still alive. Hubert lay on the ground clutching his bleeding side in pain, while Lysithea had ended up lying on her back, her eyes in a daze as she groaned dizzily, her outfit in tatters.

In terms of the mock battle, it would be considered a mutual elimination.

…

Ignatz shook in his boots as he looked around the small forest he had entered, trying to find some sign of Petra. The Brigid girl had been picking off his subordinates one by one while keeping her own outside the trees to cut off any escape. Now Ignatz was alone, and he knew his only chance was to find Petra first.

What he didn't realize, however, was that Petra had already found him.

Above the bespectacled Golden Deer, Petra was perched atop a tree branch, as quiet as a mouse and ready to pounce on her prey. It was a technique she had used for years for hunting, both in Brigid and in Fódlan.

The rustling of leaves above him caught Ignatz's ear, and he realized he was as good as doomed. He yelped as he tried to spin around to Petra's attack, but she landed on him as soon as he started, knocking him to the ground. His glasses flew off him as he did, leaving him pinned to the forest floor beneath the princess of Brigid, his right arm pressed against his back.

"I am having caught you, Ignatz!" said Petra. "You have gotten the – um, you have been defeated!"

"Ow, OW!" Ignatz yelped. "P-Petra, I yield! I yield! L-Let go of my– AGH!"

"Are you giving the surrender?"

"Y-Yes! I said I yield! That means I give up!"

Petra smiled as she released her grip on Ignatz's arm, letting the boy stand himself back up as he nursed his sore limb. Then, Ignatz went down on his hands and knees as he began searching the forest floor.

"Ignatz? Why are you crawling?" Petra asked.

"M-My glasses. I can't see without them."

"Glasses…? Ah, yes! Transparent lenses for viewing things."

"Yes, exactly, yes. Where did they go?"

"Hmm, your face looks different without the glasses."

"Ah, well, I dropped them. That's why I'm looking for them."

Looking down, Petra saw Ignatz's glasses on the ground and knelt to pick them up.

"Are these them?"

Looking up, Ignatz could barely make out Petra holding onto his glasses.

"Y-Yes, there they are! Thank you, Petra!"

Ignatz expected Petra to give him back the eyewear, but Petra hesitated for a moment.

"Umm, Petra?" Ignatz asked.

"Ignatz, may I be borrowing your glasses for a moment?" asked Petra. "I have curiosity."

"You want to try them on? Well, alright, but please, don't break them."

"I have gratitude."

Petra stood as she slipped the round lenses in front of her eyes, and immediately her vision became a dizzying blur. Her head began to swim from the disorienting view, and she began to stumble around.

"The world appears… blurred… My head feels dizzy. The danger of being sick is now – AH!"

Petra yelped as her forehead struck a low tree branch. The girl nursed her forehead as she removed the glasses, restoring her vision.

"Petra, are you okay?" Ignatz asked with concern.

"I have soreness on my head." Handing the glasses back to Ignatz, she said, "I do not have friendliness with the glasses. Like Heroes' Relics, only certain people can be using them."

Ignatz couldn't help but laugh at this observation.

…

Lorenz sat proudly atop his steed as his men rushed against those led by Ferdinand. The orange-haired noble had made a bold charge to engage the Golden Deer, one Lorenz had taken upon himself to intercept.

But as he rounded another bend, he saw Claude being pursued through the woods by Edelgard. The Imperial Princess looked mad as a hornet. Lorenz scoffed at this; Claude had likely done something idiotic and had rightfully earned Edelgard's wrath.

"Hey, Lorenz, why are you just sitting there?!" shouted a tomboyish voice.

Lorenz turned to see Leonie riding toward him atop her own horse. She had apparently lost her platoon.

"Leonie, whatever are you talking about?" said Lorenz.

"What am I – Are you serious?! Claude's in trouble! We gotta help him!"

"Claude surely got himself into his current mess, and he can surely get himself out of it."

"Don't give me that crap! Edelgard looks like she–"

"Leonie, what have I told you before about using such foul language in my presence?"

"What are you, my mom? She swears a helluva lot more than I do."

"That does not give you cause nor reason to expound such profanity."

Leonie, ticked off at Lorenz's holier-than-thou attitude, said, "Well, boo-hoo, mister proper etiquette! In case you haven't noticed, we're in a battle, so shut your damn trap and–"

Now angry with the Sauin girl's antagonism, Lorenz said, "Leonie Pinelli, if you continue to spout such uncouth expletives, I will have no choice but to–"

The two stopped their bickering as the shouting of men rang through their ears.

"Look out!" one of Lorenz's subordinates shouted.

Lorenz and Leonie looked to see two platoons of the Black Eagles' subordinates come charging over a small hill. A second later, Ferdinand emerged on the hilltop on his horse, and directed his lance at the squabbling Golden Deer students.

"Make them tremble!" Ferdinand shouted, driving his men forward.

There was no time to react. Ferdinand's surprise attack overran Lorenz and Leonie, as well as the Golden Deer subordinates. The two Golden Deer students quickly found themselves knocked off their horses as they were enveloped in the cloud of dust kicked up by Ferdinand's troops.

As the dust settled, Ferdinand proudly raised his lance and said, "You two should be honored to fall before me!"

On the ground, Lorenz could only groan in humiliation while Leonie slammed her fist on the ground and let out a very loud "DAMMIIIITTTT!"

…

"I give up…" said Marianne to Dimitri as she raised her hands. The prince was standing before her with his lance in hand while their subordinates fought it out.

"Marianne, you haven't even cast a single spell yet," said Dimitri. "You know you are required to fight for the sake of the Golden Deer and for the sake of tradition."

"B-But I… I wouldn't stand a chance against you."

"You won't know that if you don't try."

"I just… I'm sorry, but I can't!"

Sighing, Dimitri then said, "I'm afraid I must insist that you fight. If not for the sake of the battle and tradition, then for me."

"What do you mean?"

"Over the past several months, I recall having to rescue you from peril more than a few times." Marianne blushed at the memories as Dimitri added, "And though I did not expect reward for it, I do believe I have earned the right to ask a boon of you. And I would ask that you give your all in facing me."

"I… I…" Marianne was at a loss for what to do.

Dimitri made another sigh. He then raised his lance and said, "I see you leave me no choice. If you will not attack first, then I will!"

Marianne's face lit up with shock as Dimitri took a swing at her. The blow was clearly intended to miss, but Marianne bolted back in fright all the same.

"D-Dimitri! I said I gave up!" Marianne shrieked.

"I will not accept that, Marianne! I won't have you simply handing me a victory!"

Dimitri made another warning swing, and again Marianne dodged back. She then whirled around and began running away from Dimitri, but the prince easily kept pace with her.

Marianne turned back to look at Dimitri as he pursued her, and then she made a loud shriek as her foot struck a tree root and sent her toppling to the ground. Almost panicking, she turned herself to face Dimitri as she lay on the soil.

"Running away isn't going to help you, Marianne!" Dimitri said with a smile. He then spun his lance and rushed in for the attack.

Marianne let out a scream as she thrust her hands out, unleashing a Blizzard spell. The icy magic quickly froze Dimitri's legs. The prince let out a yelp as he tripped and dropped his lance as he fell forward, landing right on top of Marianne.

A second later, both Marianne and Dimitri had a vivid blush across their cheeks. Marianne's pupils narrowed in shock and embarrassment. Her expression trembled as her mind processed what had just happened.

Their lips touched one another's. Dimitri, through no fault of his own, had just stolen her first kiss.

Dimitri pushed himself off Marianne and said, "Marianne, m-my sincerest apologies! I did not mean to–"

Marianne barely heard a word of Dimitri's apology before she fainted.

…

Ashe made a nervous chuckle as Byleth leveled her practice sword toward his face, having already broken his bow. The grey-haired boy raised his hands in surrender.

"I'm still no match for you, it seems," Ashe said to Byleth.

"You did better than before," Byleth replied.

"I guess so. Anyhow, I suppose I'll need to head back to the Knights' camp and watch the rest of the battle. Best of luck out there, you two!"

Byleth and Dorothea made a nod to this as Ashe and his subordinates left the central hill. The two now had a central view of the rest of the battlefield.

Byleth looked down at the battle. The Golden Deer were reeling by this point, with only Hilda, Hanneman and Claude still up. The Black Eagles had lost Hubert and Caspar, while the Blue Lions had lost Sylvain, Ingrid and Ashe.

Looking down to the south, Byleth saw Dedue and Annette moving to retake the hill.

Briefly turning to Dorothea, Byleth said, "Head right and try to get Mercedes. I'll handle Annette and Dedue."

"Right, Professor!"

With that, Dorothea gave a quick order to her subordinates to stay with Byleth, then broke off and made her way down the western slope of the central hill. She turned as she ran to see Byleth dodge a blow from Dedue and then a spell from Annette. Byleth then kicked Dedue so he tumbled back and almost rolled over Annette, the girl jumping out of the way.

Just then, a loud 'thwack' caught Dorothea's attention. She turned back in the direction she had been going and immediately skidded to a halt.

Felix stood before her, his wooden blade at the ready.

I know this chapter kinda focused more on the other students than on Dorothea, but this gives the battle more personality.

Also, I know some people are saying I'm getting things wrong between pairings such as Caspar/Hilda, but some of those comments aren't thinking about the timeskip (i.e. Hilda doesn't really have the hots for Caspar until their luggage-filled A-Support). And sorry if the Golden Deer are kinda getting thrashed here; hopefully Hilda can turn things around.

Also, as a side note, did no one really understand the references I made in Chapter 45?