Got some stuff I wanna ask you guys, but it'll be after the chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 95 – The Sealed Forest Snare (Guardian Moon)
Ingrid grit her teeth as Leonie yanked an arrow out of her left leg, the blonde releasing a loud grunt of pain as she did. The blonde Pegasus Knight had been knocked off her mount after spending several minutes trying to dodge her way through the battle before a shot got lucky. Not having time to address the wound, Leonie took the arrow, set it to her bow, and fired it at one of the black-garbed attackers, hitting him in his abdomen.
"N-Nice shot," Ingrid said as she held her hand down on her wound.
Another scream got their attention, and the two girls turned to see one of the militiamen, a cobbler from the monastery town, had just been impaled from behind with a steel blade. The militiaman was looking at the blade sticking out of his chest in disbelief for a second before it was ripped clear of his body and he was kicked to the ground.
"No!" Leonie shouted furiously as she reached for her quiver. "You son of a– AAGH!"
"LEONIE!" Ingrid cried out as the Sauin girl was struck in the shoulder by another arrow.
Leonie shuddered painfully on the ground as she grasped at the arrow sticking out of her, finding herself without the needed strength to pull it from her body. Her right arm was now limp at her side. She knew the arrow must have hit a nerve.
If Jeralt were still alive, Leonie knew he would've been ashamed of her right now.
"Leonie, hang on!" shouted Ingrid as she ignored the pain in her leg and pulled Leonie behind the tree she was using for cover.
"C-Can't feel my arm…" Leonie hissed.
Dismayed, Ingrid looked at the black swordsman who had killed the cobbler. The sinister warrior had turned his attention to the pair of wounded girls.
"You mongrels are making this too easy," the pale-skinned man said nastily.
Ingrid snatched up Luin and attempted to stand up to defend herself, but the wound in her leg sent her back to the ground with a loud cry of pain. She struggled to get back up, attempting to fight through the pain, but the swordsman was closing fast.
"Time to die, you bra– AAAAAGH!"
The swordsman was struck by a bolt of lightning when he was a mere two meters away from Ingrid.
Surprised, Ingrid turned to her savior, expecting to see Anna or Marianne. To her shock, it was Felix who had cast the Thunder spell. He settled from his casting stance as multiple soldiers from the Church ran past him, keeping the black-garbed assailants busy.
"Felix!"
"You alright?" Felix asked tersely.
"I-I've been better. Leonie needs a healer, quick!"
…
Caspar grunted loudly as he was knocked back into a tree by a Demonic Beast's claw. He managed to stay standing, even with his body aching from the impact, and readied his axe for another attack.
The blue-haired boy gritted his teeth in frustration. No one had expected Demonic Beasts to be among the enemy's forces, nor had they expected that the enemy seemed to be able to control them. The militia were not equipped to face such a foe. Already they had lost over half their number, while the others were either fleeing or being cut down.
But he knew he couldn't back down. There were around a dozen wounded around him, and if he didn't stop the Demonic Beast before him, they were as good as dead. Among them were Ashe and Hapi; Hapi had been knocked unconscious when she tried to block a fireball, her ward spell failing to hold back the attack. Ashe had only some minor burns, but he was too busy trying to rouse Hapi to help Caspar.
The Demonic Beast roared as it readied a breath attack. Caspar knew he was finished. He'd never reach the monster before it fired.
"Come on!" Caspar shouted bravely. "Do your worst, you overgrown lizard!"
Just as the Demonic Beast was about to release its breath, the Sword of the Creator shot forth and wrapped its blade around the monster's head.
Surprised, Caspar turned just as Byleth pulled hard on her blade. The Demonic Beast's jaw was forced shut as the segments of the blade dug into its hide. The beast's fiery breath, having nowhere to go, roasted the inside of the monster's head. But this was not enough to kill it.
Byleth then rushed forward, retracting the blade as she ran and using it to propel her momentum. The Sword of the Creator unwound from the Demonic Beast's head as Byleth leapt into the air. The monster had just enough time to turn toward its attacker before Byleth landed and plunged her blade into its forehead, shattering the red crystal in its center.
The Demonic Beast screeched its last as Byleth leapt away and landed just as the monster collapsed to the ground. Seconds later, the monster's body crumbled away to nothing, the body of the man it had once been turning to dust shortly afterward.
After a moment of stunned awe, Caspar said, "Whoa. Nice save, Professor."
"Are we ever glad to see you, Professor?" said Ashe.
Their praise turned to worry as Byleth turned to them, showing she was furious with the two boys.
"Where's Anna?" Byleth demanded angrily. "And where's Dimitri?!"
…
Dimitri remembered this feeling. It was the same thing he felt during the Tragedy of Duscur when he heard his father, Glenn, and the others being massacred.
Helplessness.
Lying on the ground before him, Marianne von Edmund had taken an arrow to the chest, and he was powerless to save her.
He knew he couldn't remove the arrow. He wasn't sure if it had pierced a lung. But the pale girl was convulsing in shock, and he knew if something wasn't done soon, she would die.
"Marianne, stay with me!" Dimitri said desperately.
Marianne couldn't reply as she tried to gasp for breath, choking with each attempt to fill her lungs with air. Her eyes were wide open, but all she could see was Dimitri's blurred face.
"Marianne, you're going to be alright! You're going to– Dedue, help me!"
"Your Highness, we must move!" Dedue grunted as he blocked an axe from a black-garbed warrior.
"Dedue, she's dying! She needs help!"
Dedue was unable to reply as two more black warriors attacked him, forcing the Duscuri man on the defensive. As he blocked repeated strikes from the enemy, he saw two more dart past toward Dimitri.
"Your Highness, watch out!"
Dimitri turned toward the assassins as they closed on him and Marianne. He could see the intent on their faces. They wanted them all dead, just like the men who had murdered his father and his friends years ago.
Grasping his lance, Dimitri furiously shouted, "GET AWAY FROM HER!"
The first assassin threw a knife at Dimitri. The prince raised his arm and the small blade pierced into the blonde's forearm, but he ignored the hit. Dimitri roared as he swung his lance at the surprised attacker. The Minor Crest of Blaiddyd shimmered over Dimitri's head as his strike impaled the assassin through the chest, killing him instantly.
The second assassin, a woman, hissed, "You wretched infidel!"
The assassin then darted to the side to attack Dimitri's flank. Dimitri swung his lance around with the first assassin still impaled on it, flinging the man's corpse at his partner. The woman shrieked as she was sent careening into a tree and was impaled on a low, broken branch that jutted out like a spike. She screamed as she clutched at the branch that protruded out above her right breast in a futile attempt to free herself from it. Seconds later, her cries faded as her life left her body, and the assassin slumped over, dead.
Another cry of pain prompted Dimitri to turn to see Dedue had just buried his axe in another attacker's belly. However, in doing so, the Duscuri man had exposed his back to one of the others, who seized the opportunity and raised his blade, intent on plunging it into Dedue's back.
"DEDUE!" Dimitri shouted, knowing it was too late to warn him.
An arrow struck the attacker in the throat, sending him to the ground on his back as he clutched at the arrow. The assailant gurgled his last as blood filled his lungs.
"I got your back, big guy!" said a familiar suave voice.
Dimitri turned and, much to his relief, Claude gave him a salute. The leader of the Golden Deer was accompanied by Linhardt, Petra, Hilda, and Balthus. Petra and Balthus moved to assist Dedue, with the former gracefully dodging an arrow before shooting one of her own at an enemy archer, hitting the black-garbed woman in her left eye.
"MARY!" Hilda shouted as she rushed over to her friend. "Mary, stay with me! Linhardt, help her!"
"Easy, easy, give me some room," said Linhardt as he knelt next to Marianne. After inspecting the arrow, he said, "Hilda, hold a cloth over the wound." As Hilda did this, Linhardt then said to Dimitri, "Dimitri, on my word, pull the arrow out."
Dimitri nodded as he placed his hand around the arrow shaft while Hilda readied herself.
"Ready?" said Linhardt. "On three. One… two… three…!"
As Dimitri ripped the arrow out of Marianne's chest, the pale bluette let out a shrill gasp of shock as Hilda put pressure on the wound. Linhardt immediately channeled a healing spell as his Minor Crest of Cethleann shimmered above him. The empowered healing spell coalesced on Marianne's chest, healing the small puncture in her right lung.
Marianne finally let out a loud, deep gasp for air, followed by several panicked breaths as her chest rose and sank. Her vision finally began to clear.
"Mary? Mary?!" Hilda said in terror.
After several more gasps for air, Marianne finally said weakly, "H-H-Hilda…"
"Mary! Oh, thank the goddess, you're alright!"
Hilda wrapped her arms around Marianne in a hug, but this prompted the pale girl to whimper, "H-Hilda…! H-Hurts…!"
"Ah! I'm sorry!" Hilda set Marianne back on the ground as she said, "I was just so worried about you!"
Dimitri let out a sigh of relief at seeing Marianne would live.
"There you are," said a familiar voice, prompting Dimitri to stand up and turn to see Byleth approaching him with Dorothea, Edelgard, Caspar and Ashe in tow. Ashe was carrying an unconscious Hapi on his shoulder.
"Professor Eisner, your timing is impecc–"
Dimitri was interrupted as Byleth punched him in the face.
"Professor!" Edelgard said in shock.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Byleth said furiously as Dimitri recovered from the blow. "What compelled you to join Anna in this… this mess?!"
"Professor, please!" Dorothea said in concern. "Calm down!"
"Do you know how many people are dead because of this?!"
"Whoa, Teach, ease off a little, would you?" said Claude.
"No, she's right," said Dimitri. "Professor, we wanted to give you justice for Jeralt's death. But instead, we led the townsfolk straight into this… this disaster."
"Is that how Anna put it? Is that how she convinced you all to go with her?!" Byleth shouted.
"Miss Anna did no such thing, Professor," Dedue said calmly. "We all volunteered to assist her in her vengeance."
"Yeah, she actually didn't want us to come along," said Caspar. "But we weren't gonna take no for an answer."
"We couldn't just let Monica get away," said Ashe.
"Wait, Monica's here?" asked Dorothea.
"Yes," answered Dimitri. "She was leading the ambush."
"Where is she?!" said Byleth. "Where's Anna?!"
"She pursued Monica into the forest." Dimitri pointed into the trees as he said, "We tried to follow her, but when the Demonic Beasts showed up, we could not pursue. I am sorry, Professor."
Byleth let out a loud growl as she stormed away from the others.
"Professor, what are you – where are you going?" asked Dorothea.
"I'm going after Anna," answered Byleth. "The rest of you tend to the wounded."
"We'll go with you," said Ashe.
"No! You're all staying here! That's an order!"
Byleth then ran off in the direction Dimitri had indicated as Dorothea said, "Professor, wait!"
But it was no use. Byleth soon vanished into the foliage.
As soon as Byleth was out of sight, Dorothea's concern won over her sense of reason. She ran after the teacher.
"Dorothea? Dorothea, wait!" Edelgard said in surprise.
The princess was about to chase the singer when Balthus shouted, "Hey, guys, we've got more company!"
The others turned to see that the black-garbed warriors had reorganized and were now preparing another assault. Grimacing, Edelgard readied her axe, knowing Byleth and Dorothea would have to wait.
…
Anna let out a yelp as Monica's blade sliced her left arm. Monica let out another sadistic giggle as she acrobatically jumped and flipped back, avoiding Anna's counterattack.
The two had been going at it for a good ten minutes now. The merchant was covered in shallow cuts, but so far, her opponent was unscathed. Any time Anna thought she was about to land a hit the girl, she somehow moved with unnatural speed and dodged the hit. Monica had even left herself open to attack several times, and each time, Anna's strikes failed to find their mark. Meanwhile, Monica had several opportunities where she could've killed Anna, but instead chose to wound her.
Monica was toying with her, and the knowledge of this infuriated Anna.
"Wow, for a well-travelled merchant, you really suck," Monica taunted. "Were you really planning on avenging that old dog with your pathetic skills? That's so funny I forgot to laugh!"
"You shut your gods-damned mouth, you little backstabbing bitch!" Anna shouted.
Anna quickly raised her Levin Sword with her palm against its blade and fired a blast of lightning from it. The bolt surged toward Monica, who made no move to dodge it.
When it wasn't even an inch from her, Monica disappeared.
Anna's gasped with disbelief, and then her eyes went wide as she heard Monica right behind her.
"So predictable."
Anna had just enough time to lurch forward before Monica's blade, Athame, slashed across her back. The merchant screamed as she fell to the ground on her hands and knees. She knew if she hadn't moved in time, Monica's blow would've severed her spine. Instead, Anna now had a wide diagonal cut down her back.
The merchant's body shook as she tried to stand up. She had never faced a foe like this before. Anna knew she was outmatched. She had to get away from Monica.
Anna let out another scream as Monica's boot came down hard on her back, stomping her into the ground.
"You're nothing more than a nuisance to me, 'Miss' Anna," Monica said mockingly. "An insignificant bother. And when something bothers me… I tend to kill it."
Monica took this moment to lick the blood on Athame's edge, savoring the taste.
She then bent over, her foot still on Anna's back, and whispered to the merchant, "Time for you to join Jeralt… in Hell!"
Monica twirled Athame in her grip and readied herself to plunge her blade into Anna's heart.
Before she could, the Sword of the Creator lashed out of the trees. Realizing it was heading for her, Monica vanished again when it was an inch from her, reappearing several meters away from Anna.
"Anna!" Byleth shouted as she ran over to her wounded friend.
"B-By…" Anna groaned.
As Monica watched with disgust, Byleth said, "What were you thinking?!"
"S-Sorry, By… I didn't wanna risk losing you too."
"You… you idiot! Were you planning to get yourself killed for my sake?!"
Anna's eyes went wide with realization. She knew why Byleth was so angry with her now.
"I don't want to lose you either, Anna! You're like family to me! Don't you get that?!"
"B-Byleth…"
"Ugh, would you listen to yourself?" Monica jeered. "You sound like an actor in a cheap drama!"
"Monica…" Byleth seethed, turning slowly toward Monica.
"Monica? Are you referring to me?" the redheaded assassin said coyly. "Oh, you mean the girl whose identity I stole!" Laughing, she said, "She was soooo pathetic. You should've heard her screaming when we had her in our cells. 'Nooo! Nooooo! Someone, help meeee~!' My favorite was when the guys were taking turns with her. 'Aaah~! Not thaaat~! Anything but thaaat~! Eyaaaaaa~!' But what you really should've seen was the look on her face when I told her it was all gonna be over. She was smiling when I slid my blade, my dear Athame, into her spine."
"You…"
"Oh right, I lost track for a second. No, I'm not Monica von Ochs. My name… is Kronya!"
With that, black energy began to crackle around Monica as her form changed. Her academy outfit tore itself apart as her skin turned a pale gray. For a moment, she twirled her naked form before Byleth, revealing her voluptuous curves and ample breasts before her body was covered in a revealing black leotard that left an opening from the top of her cleavage down to her navel. Her legs were covered in black thigh-highs while long detached sleeves covered her arms. Her hair changed to a short, wavy orange, and her facial features shifted, along with a tear-shaped tattoo below her left eye. Three wavy coattails, each ending in wicked segmented blades, emerged from the small of her back, moving as if they were alive.
"This is what I really look like~!" Kronya said with glee as she seductively stroked her body.
Byleth's eyes narrowed as Kronya gave her a sadistic, flirtatious smirk.
Okay, questions for you guys.
First, did I oversexualize Kronya here? I know I was generous in describing her transformation (I kinda went for an evil Mahou Shoujo angle with it), but was it too much? Also, was her description of Monica's torture in bad taste? I sometimes wonder when I'm going too far with stuff like this.
Second big question: I've been showing Byleth with a wide range of emotions, but do you think hatred would be a good one to show? In the game, Byleth shows she's pissed at Kronya, but not at the level of, say, her screaming "I'll rip your damn head off!". Would it be too much to show Byleth wanting not just to kill Kronya, but wanting her to suffer too?
The last big question is more important, as it'll influence a few upcoming chapters.
Should I have Kronya survive this battle?
If you'd rather I stick with her dying, that's fine. But if you wanted me to shake things up, I think I could do that too. Do note, however, that there is NO chance of Byleth reconciling with Kronya. They will forever be enemies. If Kronya survives, she'll be surviving into post-timeskip, but she'll still be on the side of the Agarthans (in one way or another).