Chapter 3
"People can turn into dragons in this world?" Ann cried out in shock. "What the hell is happening?" She did a side step to dodge an incoming piece of rubble.
"Futaba! Friends of Futaba! Follow us!" Ferdinand yelled out to the group who were running away from Rhea who turned into a dragon. The Phantom Thieves ran to catch up to Ferdinand. They did have a lot of experience running away from crumbling palaces.
It wasn't fair that Ferdinand was on a horse, anyhow.
The group found themselves in some underground shelter that looked abandoned for quite some time.
"Friends of Futaba," the Phantom Thieves looked toward the sound. "Thank you for your assistance earlier. It would have been hard to escape if it were not for all of you." Ferdinand gave a graceful bow. "I do have to remark on your outfits, however. Do you ladies need a cape to cover yourself up?"
The girls looked down at their clothes. How is this any different from some of the other outfits? they thought.
"Thank you for your generosity, but we are fine for now," said Makoto even though she became a bit uncomfortable at the noble's well-meant question. It was good that she still had her mask on.
Ferdinand nodded, and they heard small shouts of 'Professor!'
Ferdinand and the Thieves ran to the sound, and they saw Byleth being mauled by his students with happy cries.
"Futaba. How do you explain your friends' sudden appearance in the Tomb?" Hubert's critical eye made Futaba gulp.
"Uhhh…"
Byleth however saved the day. "Hubert," he grabbed his shoulder. "Don't worry. I know them. They can be trusted."
Hubert gave another glare at the group, but left to go back to Edelgard's side.
Byleth saw Hubert going before sighing and shaking his head. "It seems like my new students are affecting my thoughts. To think that I would see Kurusu-kun and his friends in Fodlan." Byleth's proclamation made everyone jaws open in disbelief.
"Wait, sensei, you recognize us?" Ryuji looked down to make sure that he was still in his Phantom Thieves gear.
"Hmm… I guess my new students are definitely different. But yes, Sakamoto-kun, your blonde hair and voice is very distinct. I wonder why you're wearing such a thing. I've never seen you wear such a costume before…" Byleth mused.
"Sensei, are you saying that you are conscious that this Fodlan is just your imagination?" Makoto analyzed Byleth's words.
Byleth raised a brow. "Imagination? No, I have only chosen a different route this time. The reason for your presence is a mystery to me. The brain does work in different ways, I suppose."
Sothis crunched her face and yelled, "Then why choose this route, Byleth!" But the words escaped Byleth's ears. The teens looked at Sothis thump his chest, wanting him to notice her, but her efforts were seemingly ignored.
"Eisner. Why did you choose this route?" Morgana, who was still a cat spoke from behind Akira's leg.
Byleth's eyes widened. "Sothis?" He looked around, but he couldn't see anyone.
"Down here!" Byleth then noticed Morgana on the ground. "I'm asking for Sothis. Can you not see or hear her?"
Byleth brows furrowed and his lips formed a small frown. "A cat?..." He scoffed. "Sothis? She has abandoned me a long time ago."
"Byleth…" Sothis hugged Byleth's form, yet he could not feel her. "I have never, ever abandoned you. I am always here."
"No Professor! She's right next to you right now!" Futaba cried out. "She has never abandoned you."
Byleth usual calm mask broke into anger. "No, she has. And I will save all of them this time without her help," and stormed away.
The group wordlessly watched him leave.
"What was that?"
"He brushed us off, just as though we were a figment of his imagination" Yusuke remarked. "He's cognizant that this Monastery is something he conjured in his mind."
"He also talks a LOT more compared to normal…" Morgana face-palmed at Ryuji's comment
"So that's what you're fixated about?"
"What concerns me is that each cycle, Eisner-sensei knows what's going to happen and try to save them, right?" Makoto brought her hand to her chin and continued to think. "He's been thinking about this since his birth here. He must've found a way to save them."
"Or his sadness made him never move on." Haru spoke up softly. "He continues to make himself unable to reach a happy ending or let the past go."
Sothis looked at the teen talking amongst themselves uncomfortably. "Or his guilt made him unable to move on," she sighed.
The Phantom Thieves looked at Sothis.
"What do you mean?" Ann voiced everyone's sentiment.
Sothis looked down. "You… you'll have to see for yourselves."
It was obvious that Sothis was unwilling to say exactly what was going on. They needed to see some things for themselves, after all.
Akira wished for more information, but it was normal to take some days to figure out their target. He looked at the updated MetaNav.
"This underground chamber is another safe room. We'll have to come back after recovering. It's been a long day."
The Phantom Thieves all gave a sound of agreement, exhausted from the battle.
"Also, from this point forward, Futaba, I think it's safe to say that you shouldn't go into their battle. We'll have to watch from the sidelines. Currently, Eisner-sensei does not think too much of our presence, but it is evident that we are affecting his cognition. We have to understand the cause of the distortion in order to change his heart." Akira wasn't sure if this was the right way to approach the target, but Eisner-sensei was different compared to the targets before.
Futaba gave a slight nod and looked down sullenly. "Professor Byleth reminds me… of what my cognition was like. I was experiencing guilt and doubt. He's gotta be the same way." Futaba's expression grew determined. "We'll help him for sure!"
The group nodded, equal in determination.
"We'll continue to observe for now."
The doors to Le Blanc opened with a small chime.
Akira walked in after a long day in Eisner-sensei's Palace. It was confusing and frustrating, to say the least.
"Ah, you're back."
He was planning to say a simple good evening to Sojiro and collapse in his bed for the night, but he stopped in his tracks.
"Eisner-sensei?"
Byleth looked away from his coffee to face Akira's shocked face. He was sitting on the bar with a coffee and curry in front of him.
"Kurusu-kun?"
"You two know each other? Oh wait," Sojiro shook his hands after finishing doing the dishes. "You teach at Shujin now, right?"
Byleth nodded. "Yes, I don't teach Kurusu-kun there, but I do teach him kendo."
"Huh, so you do kendo now kid?" Sojiro smirked. "Well, good for you."
Akira nodded in thanks. "I didn't know you come to Le Blanc, sensei."
After finishing his sip of coffee, Byleth responded, "I used to live in Master Yamamoto's dojo until I started teaching at Shujin." He gave a small smile. "I've always come to Le Blanc to study while I was in school."
"It's been a while since you've been back, huh?" said Sojiro.
"Yes. No one can match your coffee or curry, Sakura-san." Sojiro beamed with a knowing smile.
"I heard that you were fostering a high schooler, but I didn't know it would be a Shujin student. It's nice to know that you're helping him."
Sojiro sighed and shook his head. "Nah, I'm not doing much for the kid. He's helped Futaba get out of the house more though." Sojiro saw Akira's curious expression. "Bereto's been helping me with getting things for Futaba's homeschooling for the past few years."
Morgana finally pitched in quietly, "Is that how he knew Futaba?"
"I thought we couldn't access the monastery anymore because Eisner-sensei sided with the Empire?" Ann questioned as the Phantom Thieves arrived at the gate in front of Garreg Mach Monastery instead of the underground hideout that they left from.
"It seems like his cognition has just left this place empty." Yusuke remarked at the open gates and nonexistent Gatekeeper.
"Yes, whenever he is in a place other than Garreg Mach, Byleth's cognition leaves the place mostly empty, except for some memories." Sothis seemingly materialized to the group's side and scared them with her sudden appearance. "I made you come here, instead of where Byleth's mind is currently in so that I could show you some of his memories.
"How do you have such a power?" Morgana questioned. "I thought you couldn't do anything to Eisner's mind."
Sothis gave a frown. "I have no explanation for my powers in Byleth's cognition. He does not believe that I am here, and cannot see me, but he must still have a part of my heart."
At the teens' confused expressions, she sighed.
"The journal of the history of Fodlan is not the true history. Come, I will explain it to you on the way."
"The lore and magic of this world makes me question it more and more!" Makoto shook her head. "How is it possible for someone's heart to be a powerful stone and transplanted into a baby?"
Morgana looked curiously at Sothis. "It might not be so farfetched. Being able to change someone's heart through their cognition is strange in it of itself. It doesn't really explain how reincarnation happens, though."
"Believe what you will. But it does not change the truth. Rhea, no my daughter Seiros, caused such pain for Byleth." Sothis looked like she was about to cry.
"You mentioned his father hid him from Seiros. Where is he?" Yusuke pondered at Sothis' words.
"He's dead."
"Oh…"
There was silence as the group swiftly climbed the stairs, following Sothis' lead.
"Whether we think it's true or not, we still have to change Eisner-sensei's heart," said Akira. The teens nodded in agreement.
"This room was locked before…." Ryuji went for the door to the room Sothis lead them to. "Oh! It's open!" He yelled after he turned the knob.
"Normally, Byleth has mental barriers that close the door. However, he isn't focused on the monastery right now, so it is an opportune moment to show you these memories."
"What'd ya say Akira? Should we go in?" Ryuji held the doorknob, ready to push it open.
Akira nodded. "Let's go."
"Hey kid." The sudden heavy hand that came down on Akira's shoulder made him almost jump. "Next time, after I come back, I'll have to tell you something…"
Akira was suddenly in the hallway of the Entrance Hall. I was just with everyone else. Where did they go and who is this person? He didn't recognize this burly, bearded man that suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Have a safe trip." His body automatically said, even though it wasn't what he meant to say.
The man's brows went up. "I'll be back after this mission. Keep on training hard. Okay?"
Akira nodded. Why is my body moving on its own?
Akira's eyes became dark and suddenly, the scene changed again.
"Where is Captain Jeralt?" A big, burly man in a white knights armor whose name Akira remembered as Alois ran towards him.
Akira shook his head in uncertainty. He was in the entrance hall again, but right in front of the gate this time.
"Beasts have suddenly appeared in the abandoned chapel!" the knight yelled with his loud voice.
"What's going on?!" Another set of footsteps ran towards them, and Akira recognized the man from earlier.
"Captain Jeralt! I am so glad you are here. We have to set out immediately! There were apparently students that have gone into the chapel before the beasts appeared!" Alois yelled.
So his name is Jeralt?
Jeralt sighed, his expression growing tense. "I wanted to have a talk with you before we set out, but I guess we'll have to do it another time. Let's go Byleth."
Byleth?
00000
Akira realized he was in Byleth's body, and the body was moving all on its own. When he saw the crazed monster lunging at him, Akira swung his blade naturally.
It was jarring, to say the least, when Akira felt himself swinging the blade and killing the monsters. It was nothing like killing a shadow. He knew in his mind that it must be a memory, but it felt so realistic.
"Good work Byleth!" Jeralt yelled from the front of the ruined chapel." The monsters have all been defeated, but there is no trace of the chapel anymore. This must have something to do with Remire. Perhaps…"
"Wait!" a feminine voice cried out. A short, red-haired girl ran out of the ruined chapel.
"Huh, another student?" Jeralt sheathed his sword. "Run along now."
"Thank you for all your help sir!" the girl skipped away happily, only to turn around and take out a dagger to stab Jeralt in the back.
"Aghhh" Jeralt groaned.
"You're just a pathetic old man." The girl watched as Jeralt fell and laughed. "How dare you get in the way of my brilliant plan… you dog."
Ba-dump
Akira was disoriented by the purple haze that overcame him, but he saw Jeralt still standing, without a dagger wound to his back
Jeralt sheathed his sword. "Run along now."
"Thanks for all your help sir!" the girl skipped away, but Akira's body knew what would happen and released the Sword of the Creator.
But a powerful force pushed the sword back, and Byleth could only gasp as Jeralt fell and the girl standing over him once again.
There was a man with white hair and eyes in front of Akira—the man who stopped Akira from saving Jeralt. He grabbed the red-haired girl and teleported away.
Dropping the sword, Akira ran to Jeralt's fallen body. He was still breathing but his blood already forming a puddle beneath him.
"Sorry… It looks like… I'm going to have to leave you now." Akira held Jeralt in his arms as Jeralt closed his eyes in pain.
Tears started dripping onto Jeralt's face, and rain started dripping down equally.
"To think the first time I saw you cry… your tears would be for me," Jeralt said, his eyes showing a small smile. Akira could hardly see with the tears welling from his eyes. "It's sad, and yet… I'm happy for it…" Rain started to pour even harder. "Thank you, kid."
Father… Byleth's voice rang in Akira's head.
Akira gasped for air as he finally found himself able to move on his own.
"Oh my god. That was awful. What just happened?!" Ann cried out.
Akira looked around to see that they were in a small, dusty room adorned with two uniforms displayed on dress forms and many books on the shelf.
"Was that…" Haru slumped to the ground as her legs gave out. "Was that his father?" She remembered the awful memories of when her own father died on national television.
"Yes…" Sothis said sadly.
"Did you see Eisner-sensei today? He looks soooo sad." Akira heard a girl talking to her friend in the hallway as he yawned at the late night he had. He and his friends were so demotivated after their experience yesterday and decided to pull back, but it was already midnight by the time they came back.
"I wonder what happened. He's talking even less than usual."
Akira frowned, knowing that it must have something to do with what he did yesterday.
"Uhh… teach… are you okay? We really can do this some other time if you're not feeling well." Ryuji clutched his empty teacup, waiting for Eisner-sensei to speak.
"Oh!" Eisner-sensei said. "I apologize, Sakamoto-kun. I got distracted but it's quite all right. You wanted counseling for an athletic tract college scholarship, right?"
Ryuji nodded. He saw how terrible Eisner-sensei looked this morning and wanted to let him relax and go home early, but Eisner-sensei insisted he was all right. Did opening up the door to his father's room in his Palace make him like this? Ryuji felt kind of guilty.
Eisner-sensei saw Ryuji's empty teacup and filled it with some more black tea. Its delicious fragrance permeated the whole office and Kawakami muttered for Byleth to save her a cup as she typed away behind her desk.
Oh yeah…. Eisner-sensei now uses his office with Kawakami… Ryuji recalled seeing Eisner-sensei carrying Kawakami's entire desk effortlessly to his office.
"So let's talk about your grades first."
Ryuji groaned.
~Ding-dong~
Futaba stopped her typing and took off her headphones, unsure if she was hearing clearly. She didn't remember ordering a package that would come in today.
She ran for the door, hoping that it was maybe the new KGB49 album and it shipped early.
When she opened the door, she almost closed it right back up. In front of the door was Byleth, with an attire that looked so modern and different compared to the one she saw him wearing in the monastery.
"Hi, Sakura-san. I'm Eisner Bereto. Your father asked me to tutor you?" Byleth looked calm, even as Futaba stared at him with her jaws open wide.
Futaba thought that she remembered Sojiro saying something about a tutor last week… and she definitely remembered ignoring Sojiro's text this morning asking her if she cleaned her room…
With a yelp, Futaba ran back into her room and slammed the door shut, scrambling to throw her dirty clothes and scattered trash into her closet.
"Oww!" She jammed her toe on the computer desk and cursed. She ignored the pain looked around and hoped that the room was clean enough and ran back out, hoping that Byleth was still there. "Phew," she sighed as Byleth was still in front of the house door.
"May I come in?"
"Ahahaha…. Yes, um… come in." Futaba sweatdropped.
The doors to Le Blanc opened with a thump, the chime muffled by the door, smushing it to the wall.
"SOJIRO! How could you not tell me that Professor Byleth was coming today!"
Akira became startled at Futaba's loud voice while he was washing the dishes.
"What are you talking about?" Sojiro rose his eyebrow. "His name is Bereto."
"I- I mean Bereto-sensei." Futaba bit her bottom lip, cursing her screw up.
"Don't you remember telling me that you wanted to go to an actual high school a few weeks ago? Bereto teaches at Akira's school and agreed to help you pass the transfer exams."
Futaba's jaw hung loose, still in disbelief. Akira's face mirrored hers.
"Haaa..." Makoto sighed as she closed the book in front of her—Schacter's Psychology 4th Edition displayed proudly. "Do you know Kübler-Ross' grief cycle?"
Akira nodded, his mind being taken off the homework assignment he was currently doing in the library with Makoto sitting across from him.
"I think he's going through the cycle, but never reaches acceptance. He brings himself back to denial by starting a new route."
Akira found himself again at a strange place. It was a majestic palace but his vision focused on the grotesque, horned monster before him. Next to him was a blonde-haired man with an eyepatch that reminded him of someone, but he could not say for sure. His body started to move on its own. He was slashing down with his sword while the blondie thrusting his lance at this monster.
It finally fell, and Akira breathed a sigh of relief. But the gray, hardened skin that gave him so much trouble to cut through started disintegrating into tiny strands and showed a human form. He recognized her as Edelgard, albeit a little older.
"El…" The blonde said as he reached out his hand to Edelgard.
She gave a small smile and reached out for the blonde's hand, but her other hand reached into her red robe to take out a dagger and throw it.
The blonde grunted in pain, but he already plunged his lance into Edelgard's body. He took out his lance from her body, as well as the dagger in his shoulder and threw it to the ground.
Akira watched as Edelgard's body crumpled to the ground. And then he turned away, following the blonde out.
00000
Akira jumped up in his bed, his eyes open wide and sweat pouring down his face.
A dream?