Chapter 4 – Let the Lesson(s) Begin

AN: Hey guys. Sorry this chapter is late. My laptop decided to unalive itself and I lost the whole chapter. I had to rewrite the entire thing from scratch on my phone - which doesn't have a spelling check for some reason, so sorry for any of the grammar mistakes I make. The latter half of this chapter was meant to have 4 scenes, but this has been cut down to 2 because I just couldn't recapture the original. I'll probably come back in the future and revise this chapter.

On a happier note: I'd like to thank everyone who left a review or favourited/followed the story. Seeing those notifications pop up really helped to keep me going during the rewrite. I hope all of you continue to enjoy the story going forward.

24th of Great Tree Moon, 1180

The sound of heels clacking against the stone floors echoed throughout the passage. It was a steady rhythm – every footfall spaced evenly apart. As I walked down the corridor, it followed behind at the exact same distance: a meter behind me. Whoever was following me hadn't made any attempt to be subtle about it. The outcome wouldn't have changed even if they were trying – being able to detect one's lifeforce made it virtually impossible for anyone to sneak up on me. As was the case with the current suspect, who had followed me from my room all the way to the reception hall.

I decided to finally get a look at my pursuer and turned around. Cobalt eyes and tresses filled my vision. The mercenary-turned-professor stared at me with a blank expression on her face. I didn't know what to think of the swordswoman. While I liked to believe I had a good grasp on emotions and one's personality, I couldn't quite figure out Byleth. She never smiled, her eyes never narrowed nor widened, and the tone of her voice remained constant and flat. As such, I don't know how I feel about her either. There's nothing that has endeared me to her, but there's also nothing that I dislike about her – leaving me in this weird limbo state. Maybe I was still off-centre from my revival. My thoughts and emotions had been all over the place for the last few days. My emotional state had been thrown into complete disarray when I was around certain individuals – which was something that had only happened when I was around Tiki and Her Radiance, Naga.

I concluded that it was because of a strange reaction between my Fell Blood and the presence of the Divine Dragons. However, these reactions had been happening around random people at the Monastery. Ingrid, who I had met at the training grounds, had made me feel uncomfortable. When talking with Seteth and Rhea (who were definitely Manaketes. I mean, they had emerald eyes and viridescent hair that covered their definitely pointy ears. That's something I'll investigate later), I felt dizzy and nauseous. The worst experience by far was Edelgard. My skin burnt as if it were aflame and I felt the desire to claw at it till it ripped beneath my nails. I felt rage boil in my gut and the disturbing urge to reduce her to a stain on the ground. What was strangest was that throughout the whole experience, I felt a sense of familiarity with her. There was something about her that I knew, but couldn't quite remember. The notion of being so close to the answer, but lacking the ability to grasp it drove me insane. I needed to solve this mystery as soon as possible. I needed answers. I needed to talk to Edelgard.

Tearing myself away from those thoughts, I realize that I had been staring at Byleth the entire time – who had not said a word. "Good morning, Byleth."

A shallow nod. "Robin."

When it was clear that she wasn't going to speak further, I spoke again. "Did you need anything from me?"

A shake of the head. "No."

We stood there for a moment more. Neither of us said anything. I wouldn't say I was unnerved (I felt it impossible to be scared of one person after facing down Grima), but I was a tad uncomfortable with how her eyes never left mine the entire encounter.

Realizing that I was keeping Cordelia waiting, I excused myself. "Well then, I'll take my leave. Take care, Byleth."

Byleth blinked. "Farewell."

I turned and started walking to the dining hall, only to hear the clacking of heels follow me shortly after. I guess this is happening, then. It was strange, but nowhere near as weird as the Chrom Poster Incident. I still had a good laugh at that. Byleth didn't seem to have anything malicious planned, so I decided to just let her do what she wished. As I entered the room, my eyes immediately moved to the flames cascading down Cordelia's back. The bluenette and I made our way to the table she was standing at and the redhead turned towards us. Cordelia had gotten really good at her Resting-Knight-Face in my absence. I almost missed the fact that she was wearing her 'Neutral Face of Mild Displeasure' – her lips a tiny bit flatter than normal.

She nodded at us. "Good morning, Byleth."

The bluenette nodded in response and I sat down at the end of the table. Byleth had immediately sat to my left, leaving Cordelia the seat opposite from me. Her eyes moved between the two of us before she took her seat. She slid my plate to my side of the table.

"I got us some bread and slices of meat. They're not warm anymore, though." Is all she says before she starts eating.

The two of us eat in silence while Byleth sits completely still. Cordelia's gaze would flicker upward occasionally, but that was all that was happening. The air was tinged with awkwardness, but the bluenette was either unbothered by it or didn't notice it in the first place.

I decided to break the silence by addressing the redhead. "So, how are you feeling about today's lesson plan?"

She continued chewing for a moment. "I'm a little concerned about the 'all-out' part, but it's not too different from what I usually do."

I nod and turn to Byleth who was still staring straight at me. "What made you decide on the Black Eagles?"

"Eagle girl insisted." Was all she said on that front.

Edelgard insisted, hm? Was it only her, or did the other House leaders attempt as well? Was she more convincing, or did she just get to Byleth before the other two? The girl seemed to always have an appraising gleam in her eye, but for what reason? As a future Empress, it did make sense – being able to quickly ascertain the value of allies, strategic positions, and army strength was an incredible asset. I couldn't be too harsh on her as well, considering that I had been doing the same thing around her age.

It is at this point that Byleth lifts her finger. Cordelia and I both look toward the woman who hadn't moved until now. She then points at my face. "Do I have something on my face?"

Her finger made contact with my cheek and my stomach immediately flipped. My right hand seared as I shivered in disgust. I suffocated on the smoke that suddenly clouded my lungs. My mind became a muddled maze as my vision fizzled in and out. My focus immediately zoned in on the blurry image of a hand reaching towards me. It settled on my head and everything stopped, no sound making its way to my ears. My eyes, with my vision cleared, settled on Byleth – her eyes wide in surprise. What was-saw tahW .esirprus ni ediw seye reh – htelyB no delttes ,deraelc noisiv ym htiw ,seye yM .srae ym ot yaw sti gnikam dnuos on ,deppots gnihtyreve dna daeh ym no delttes tI .em sdrawot gnihcaer dnah a fo egami yrrulb eht no ni denoz yletaidemmi sucof yM .tuo dna ni delzzif noisiv ym sa ezam delddum a emaceb dnim yM .sgnul ym deduolc ylneddus taht ekoms eht no detacoffus I .tsugsid ni derevihs I sa deraes dnah thgir yM .deppilf yletaidemmi hcamots ym dna keehc ym htiw tcatnoc edam regnif reH

"?ecaf ym no gnihtemos evah I oD"

"Do I have something on my face?" I ask the bluenette and she points towards my chin.

"Crumbs." I rub at my face, wiping away the remnants of bread.

I thanked her and Byleth suddenly shoots up from her seat, startling Cordelia and me. "I must go now. Farewell."

The azure swordswoman hastily walked towards the direction of the classrooms. Cordelia and I stare at our retreating colleague before we share a glance. It looked like Byleth had a habit of abruptly leaving conversations with little fanfare. Cordelia's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly and we continued to eat, despite the food being rather cold by now. There was a slight downward tilt to her eyebrows, which told me that she wanted to say something. I decided to wait until she was ready to bring it up. That did not happen due to the new arrival at our table.

"Hey, Mr and Mrs Robin! You asked me to meet you here this morning?" Came the booming voice behind me.

We turned to see the towering form of Raphael Kirsten. I already had to incline my head to look him in the eye, but sitting down; I had to crane my neck backwards just to see his head. It was like talking to Basilio all over again. I wonder how the Mad Titan was doing nowadays – had he made Lon'qu Khan like he said he would? I could ask Cordelia, but a part of me wanted it to be a surprise.

Cordelia raised an eyebrow in my direction, but I pointedly ignored her. "Morning Raphael. I just needed your help with something before classes today."

The beefy boy smiled at me. "Sure thing! Just point me in the right direction!"

I liked Raphael. He was a pretty merry guy with a huge appetite and a penchant for helping out others – a real golden guy. I hadn't had the opportunity to meet most of the Golden Deer, but if they were all like Raphael, I would have loved to have become their Professor. Having finished my food, I stood from the table and Cordelia followed suit.

"Alright, off to the classrooms we go."

"That's perfect. You can set it down there please."

Raphael placed the weapon rack on the grass. "And there we go! Did you need anything else, Mr?"

I clapped my hands twice. "That will be all, thank you. You should get going so you aren't late for your first lesson. If there are any problems, let them know you were helping me out, okay?"

The gentle giant waved at me as he jogged to class. I waved back with a smile on my face before turning to the chalkboard. As I wrote my name on the board, I noticed Cordelia smirking at me with a glint in her eye.

"So, I'm 'Mrs Robin' now, hm?" She folded her arms across her chest.

I chuckled quietly. "Sorry you had to find out this way, but we're married now."

She shook her head. "And who decided that?"

My brain immediately conjured up an image of the likely culprits. "It was probably Dorothea, or possibly Mercedes – she reminds me of Henry, for some reason."

She sighed at that. "I can't even imagine a female Henry. Although, that time when Tharja started smiling was pretty close – and quite unsettling."

I felt a sudden shiver down my spine. "No kidding. 'Normal' Tharja was way more creepy than regular Tharja. She isn't all that bad once she stopped watching me sleep."

Cordelia moved over to the board and started tossing a piece of chalk up and down. She scrawled her name on the board in hand-writing that was way neater than mine. She points at her name on the board. "Maybe I should change it to Mrs Robin. What do you think?"

I had myself a small laugh. "If you're willing to buy me a ring, go ahead."

We stood in silence for a moment as we listened to the wind blow through the open fields. The gentle lullaby of the birds soothing my ears. I closed my eyes and took in the feeling of the breeze. My soul had decided that it was now naptime.

"Well, I'm going to take a nap until the lesson starts." I declared as I laid back on the grassy fields.

Cordelia opened her mouth with a smile on her face. "Don't say it." Her mouth closed with a grin.

The redhead took a training lance from the rack before sitting down next to me. Her vigilance brought me a sense of safety, and my eyelids grew heavier. Cordelia's smile was the last thing I saw as I faded into the darkness.

/ / /

I stood next to the board as the Three Houses slowly filtered into the field. Most students chattered excitedly amongst each other, with the exception of a small girl with purple hair who looked absolutely terrified – being carried by another student with cyan hair. Certain individuals immediately took note of the weapon racks as their gazes shifted over towards me. Robin let out a yawn which was mirrored by a green-haired boy.

As expected, there were certain students whose eyes homed in on Robin. One was a student with dark bags under her eyes which flickered between Robin and everyone else – her body shaking slightly. The next was the snow-haired child from the dining hall. Discomfort was clear on her face as she stared at Robin, although her eyes would occasionally move toward me. Last was Edelgard, who was pretending to look at the weapons rack. She then proceeded to sneak glances at the man like a lovesick puppy with the subtlety of a tornado filled with flaming pegasi. I suppressed the frown forming on my lips.

As the class began to settle down, Robin clapped his hands twice. "Good morning, everyone! Welcome to your first class with me. I am Robin – your Instructor for Strategy and Tactics."

After a small bout of murmuring, he gestures towards me. "My name is Cordelia. I serve as a secondary Instructor in these classes."

Robin continues without missing a beat. "The purpose of these lessons will be to broaden your tactical perspectives so that you can save lives during confrontations. Many of you will go on to become rulers or defenders, so it is of utmost importance to learn that every life if valuable – that it is your duty to protect and nurture it. Your soldiers are not numbers on a page – they are people first and foremost, just like all of us here."

"There is no feeling more devastating than knowing you could have saved someone if you had just been more thorough, more prepared, more capable…" A sombre mood immediately descended upon those present.

I tugged at the hem of his sleeve and he turned towards me, a small smile forming on his lips. He sent a grateful nod my way before turning back to address the class. "Now then, any questions?"

A ginger girl with looped hair immediately shot up. "How will the coursework be structured?"

Robin smiles at that. "Our lessons will switch between lectures and practical exercises, which is why we are using the field as our venue. Your grades will be comprised of timed assessments that will focus less on correctness, but more about quality and depth of thought. I'm not a fan of the 'remember facts and regurgitate them' style of testing."

A redhead managed to stand despite a pegasus-knight-to-be trying to drag him back down. "Is Ms Cordelia free after lessons?"

Exasperated looks were sent his way and a few giggles permeated the air. I supressed a sigh as Robin's eyes turned towards me. It was time for Phila's tried-and-true strategy. "Kid, do you know what happens to students who flirt with me?"

He raised his eyebrow and I kept my face as neutral as possible. "They get beaten to death."

Complete silence fell over the class – an oppressive air surrounding them. I stared him dead in the eyes as I let the silence drag on for an uncomfortably long time. I could see a droplet of sweat on his brow. His gaze switched over to Robin for reassurance, but he was met by grim nodding. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Hubert quietly cackling to himself.

Deciding that I had done enough, I ended this skit. "However, since this is your first offence, I will forgive you."

The boy let out a sigh of relief, and Robin's grin grew from ear to ear. "I won't though! You will do one lap around the monastery's outer-most wall, effective immediately."

Ah, so he was going with the Inigo treatment. There were moments where one could see him running around Ylisstol castle, often for hours at a time. Robin always provided him with a drink and snacks afterward, though.

The boy paled and the blond beside him smiled at his despair. "The outer wall? The whole thing?"

Robin held his chin between his fingers, smirk on his lips. "Maybe I should make it five laps…"

The boy shoots up. "Alright, I'm going! I'm going!"

The boy begins his steady jog towards the outer gate. Robin had said that he wished to emulate Frederick's training style, and I could see that he was already putting it into action. One of the first things that Frederick would do when training recruits is reacting to the first instance of disobedience with a disproportionate amount of punishment. This would introduce fear of his wrath in recruits and instil discipline within them. Nobody would dare go against Frederick's instructions afterwards.

Several students grimaced as he turned to face the class. "Now, it's time for your first practical session. I've seen most of you eyeing the weapon rack – and your worries are founded. Every house will have a turn to engage in combat with Cordelia."

A pink-haired girl groans and Edelgard's hand immediately shoots up. "Instructor Robin. While Instructor Cordelia is an exceptional fighter, are you not underestimating us by having us fight an eight-versus-one?"

Robin just shakes his head. "I know Cordelia's capabilities very well. Seeing how each House fairs in battle against her will give me a very accurate representation of yours."

I picked up the training lance that I had set against the board. "If there are no more questions, the Blue Lions are up first. Rules are simple: if you get hit, you are out. The fight ends when every member of one side is deemed out."

The students give each other reluctant looks as the Blue Lions collect their practice weapons. Two spears, a sword, an axe, a bow, and two unarmed. While six of them followed me, the platinum-blonde went to Robin. After a brief discussion, she stayed at his side. Probably a Priestess, then. Dimitri was paired with a giant student that reminded me of Basilio. Ms Galatea stood next to a swordsman who tightened his grip around his weapon. Finally, was the ginger girl who was paired with an archer. I evened my breathing and brought my lance to bear.

"Begin!" Robin's voice echoed throughout the field and the bluenette rushed towards me.

Seems he had nominated himself as the morale breaker. He struck quickly without committing himself fully to any attack, allowing him to pull back just as quickly to defend himself. Arm, leg, body, head, leg, body, arm… he didn't attack in the same pattern, but his strikes weren't strong enough that they couldn't be stopped by simple blocks. Quick and skilled with a blade – like a baby Lon'qu. As we continued, I noticed the others slowly getting closer and I made sure to drift around my opponent – keeping him between me and the archer.

Deciding that he had gotten his chance to show off, I finally retaliated with a large horizontal slash. It was a typical lance technique aimed at forcing opponents away so that you could take advantage of the weapon's range. Instead of backing away, he rolled underneath in my direction and swung upwards – so I moved to take a step backward. This move would have surprised me if I hadn't seen Say'ri do it fifty times. I brought my foot down on his hand, pinning his weapon to the floor, and swung my other knee to his face – the crunching noise lost to the wind of the plains. He hissed through his teeth as the audience gasped. I'm sure I heard a small scream from somewhere at the back.

"Felix is out!" Robin called from the side-lines.

The boy growled as I removed my foot and he moved towards the other classes – cradling his broken nose. The priestess moved towards Felix with a glow in her fingertips, but he shoved past her and took a seat away from the others. I noticed a drawn bow at the edge of my vision and my pulse quickened. Training bows – heads are blunted to reduce damage, drawing limit is reduced to slow down arrow – further reducing damage. I tossed my lance to my left hand as my other reached out and grabbed the arrow that had been sent my way. The boy had a surprised look on his face as I twirled the arrow in my hand before hurling it at him like a javelin. It didn't go that well, but it distracted him long enough to allow me to close the distance while he was nocking another arrow. As I got within striking distance, I felt a change in the air. My instincts screamed at me and my body dove to the side – avoiding the blade of wind by a few centimetres. My roll transitioned into a low sweep, knocking the archer off his feet.

"Ashe is out!"

I leapt toward the mage as a spell circle manifested around her fingers. She was not fast enough to cast it before my lance reached her stomach.

"Annette is out!"

The blonde lance-woman finally took her chance and thrust forward. I weaved to the right and slashed sideways, which she stopped with a vertical block. I stepped back and went for an overhead swing. She raised her lance above her head and spun it, knocking my lance away before spinning around in a crouch and swinging for my stomach – which I narrowly avoided with a hop backwards. That was one of my techniques. My eyes moved over to Robin, who was conversing with a twin-tailed girl making doe eyes at him. I huff in frustration as I dodge a strike aimed at my thigh. I bring my lance down on her fingers and she drops her weapon with a yelp.

"Ingrid is out!"

Two left. I slowly walked towards Dimitri and the stalwart giant – who stood in front of the Prince. I was at a disadvantage against axes. I started off with an upward slash towards the giant, who retaliated with a downward swing. Instead of meeting the blade, I stepped away. He fought like an armoured knight – slow, powerful swings that they could risk using because of their resilience to counterattacks. I decided to strike swiftly, sending several jabs his way and pulling back as he countered. I gradually sped up until I finally stabbed at his knee.

"Dedue is out!"

As he lumbered away, I found myself face to face with the Faerghus heir. "While grasping victory against an opponent such as you may be improbable, that does not mean I will hold back. I look forward to learning from you."

I nod at the Prince. "That attitude will serve you well."

I swing for his arm and am repelled by the lance's shaft, and I use this momentum to spin around and strike at his other arm. He ducks under and sweeps, prompting me to leap backward. He rushes toward me in pursuit and brings the lance down on my head. Gripping my weapon with two hands, I block the strike. I shove the weapon to the side and bring my own around to strike at his head – gliding through his blonde bangs. We both took a moment to correct our stances. His grip tightened and his knees bent – signs of a leaping strike heading my way. As his feet pushed off the ground, a light manifested behind him. A strange symbol pulsed in the air. So that is what a Crest looks like. My feet dug into the grass as I braced myself for impact. I grit my teeth as my arms strained against his strength. It took but a moment for my lance to snap in two. I retreated for now and twirled the broken pieces in my fingers. It was possible for me to continue fighting like this, but it would just tire me out unnecessarily.

I dropped the pieces and raised my hands. "I yield."

"All members on the Instructor side are out! The Blue Lions win!" Robin's voice echoed throughout the field.

As Dimitri walked off to rejoin his classmates, I headed toward Robin as he reached into his cost and pulled out a water flask. A 'thank you' left my lips before I took a sip.

Robin waited for the class to settle down before speaking again. "The reason why we have these training exercises is to give you the opportunity to make mistakes; to learn from them so you don't repeat them on the battlefield – where it matters. Now, who has something to share?"

The first hand to shoot up was the snow-haired girl. "Lysithea! The field is yours."

The girl swallowed lightly. "Felix abandoned his partner and attacked an enemy of unknown strength by himself. When it became apparent that he was clearly outmatched, he chose to continue attacking instead of falling back and regrouping."

The swordsman glared at her, but said nothing. "Aptly put. Separating yourself from your allies makes you a prime target. Fighting alone is the easiest way to get yourself killed on the battlefield. I cannot stress enough about the importance of fighting together – its been statistically proven to reduce casualties."

The girl puffed out her chest with pride. "Is there any more?"

The next to raise their hand is a girl with some sort of marking under her eye. "Petra! It's your turn."

She gave a light bow. "They are doing the placing wrongly."

Robin nodded. "Could you explain in more detail?"

"Ah, yes. They are putting their strong fighters together, and leaving their far-fighters open. Bow-boy and wind-girl needed difference support." She received a smile in response.

"Absolutely correct. Considering that Cordelia was armed with only a melee weapon, your ranged fighters are incredibly important. If you had put more emphasis on defending them, the battle would have gone more in your favour." Robin turned to the two Blue Lions members.

"If the two of you had extra support, both of you could have split up and attacked from both sides. The would have made it much harder for Cordelia to dodge." The ranged fighters nodded in acknowledgement.

Robin clapped his hands. "Finally is my question. Dimitri, Dedue and Ingrid. Why did the three of you attack one at a time?"

It was Ingrid who spoke first. "In Faerghus, it is considered dishonourable to engage in a duel with multiple allies."

Dimitri spoke next. "I was also worried that I may have gotten in Dedue's way."

Robin tapped at his chin. "Ingrid, the battlefield is not a dueling ground. If you can attack in groups, do so. Dimitri, as I said before – these sessions are for making mistakes. While you're in this safe environment, feel free to experiment and learn. As you continue to fight alongside your allies, you will learn to read their movements and fight together – eventually reaching a greater fighting efficiency than possible with each of you alone. We stand together on the battlefield and it is our bonds that give us strength."

His message hung in the air for a moment before he continued. "Alright, the Black Eagles are up next!"

"Edelgard, you cannot force control over your forces. Making every decision for your allies is detrimental for your cohesion. You've got to trust your allies to make decisions on their own. You should also be more open to listening to suggestions – I'm sure Linhardt had a good idea or two." Robin continued his critique.

The groan escaped the sleepy student. "Please don't drag me into this…"

"On the other hand, Caspar! Orders are there for a reason. Please follow them if they're reasonable."

"Yessir!" One could tell that the advice went in one ear and out the other.

"Hubert, do not launch Miasma's when your allies are right next to your target."

"I will take that into consideration." Was all he said on that matter.

"Hilda, you didn't even try to block that last attack. I can and will make you run laps around the monastery. Don't test me!" Robin barked out.

She blew a raspberry in response. "Marianne, please fight back. There won't always be someone to fight your battles for you."

The girl nodded meekly in response. "Lorenz, 'My plan is better' is not a valid excuse to disobey orders"

Claude chuckles and Robin's eyes turn to him. "You've got problems too, Claude. Please make sure that everyone on your team understands the plan before you execute it. Miscommunication has crippled entire armies before – do not let this happen again."

"That being said…. Oh! Welcome back Sylvain. Anyway, that wraps up our first practical exercise. Tomorrow, we will be having a lecture on basic strategies. We shall be using 'The Sword of Kyphon' as reading material. You are all dismissed for today."

Edelgard is quick to raise her hand. "Instructor Robin. Will we not have the opportunity to engage in combat with you?"

She received several scathing looks in return, but Robin let out a laugh. "It would be rather unfair if I fought you guys after making you go through all that. I'd be happy to have a go with one of the Knights if they were available."

"Then I shall be your opponent." A voice drawls from behind the students.

I instantly assume a combat stance as a tall man emerges from the crowd. His blonde hair was tied in a low pegasus-tail and he wore what appeared to be a theatre mask. A sword is sheathed at each hip. My gaze moves to Robin, whose eyes are sparkling…?

"Jerry? It's you Jerry! Hi Jerry!" The man's eye twitches in response.

Robin skips over to the man and slings his arm around Jerry's shoulder – a rather comical sight considering the height difference between the two. "Jerry and I are best buds."

"I hate you." The blonde hugs out as he removes one of the scabbards and places it in Robin's hand.

"Rematch. No magic. Live steel." Is all he says before moving away from the crowd.

While some students had left immediately after dismissal, there was still a small crowd who were now eager to watch the coming fight. It had been a long time since I had last seen Robin fight, so I decided to sit and watch as well. I took a seat between Edelgard and Lysithea and got comfortable.

/ / /

Even breaths, Robin. Even breaths. This was actually a good opportunity for me. While I was physically the same as the day of Grima's defeat, I was uncertain of whether my fighting instincts had been retained. Now was as good a time as any to figure out if I could still fight as well as I used to. After all, if anything went wrong, I needed to be strong enough to protect Cordelia. Jeritza drew his blade and I took that as my queue to do the same. I flourished it before planting it in the ground and crouching beside it. My fingers curled around the hilt as my foe's boots dug into the ground. Chrom, give me strength.

The moment his feet left the ground, I removed the blade and leapt backwards. My boot carved am arc in the grass as I pivoted and grasped my blade with both hands. I transitioned into an upward swing to meet Jeritza's blade. The clash scattered sparks into the gentle winds. I disengaged and observed for a moment. What I had noticed about Jeritza's style was that… well… he didn't have one. No flourishes or flair, no personal touch to his moves. It was like he copied the stances in a combat manual and filled in the gaps with the least movement possible. I suppose that, as a combat instructor, the basics had been drilled into him so much that they just automatically manifested when he fought.

"Is that all? You are beginning to bore me." His posture remained completely rigid as he spoke.

I simply grinned in response. "I might have one more trick up my sleeve."

I let my blade linger in my right hand as I closed my eyes. I remember sitting bare-chested in the Feroxi Winter – feeling every snowflake land delicately on my skin. I recalled every caress of the wind as I rode atop a pegasus. A memory surfaces of a lonely night in the library; the texture of the pages as I ran my finger along them. The scent of tea fills my nostrils as the warmth of the drink settles in my stomach. Empty the mind – guide your instinct. The weapon is merely an extension of who you are – a manifestation of your skill. As surely as the sun rises and sets each day, your blade will find its target.

My body curves out of the way of the incoming blade and it dances to the rhythm of my heartbeat. The wind whistles as my blade carves through the air. One strike. Two strikes. Once more, and again. A grand leap brings me out of harms way as I land with my blade by my side – waiting for its moment to bite. So, it is delivered – the fang finding its home across the torso of my adversary. A skill only learnt by a sword's master; too fast for the eye to see – a perfect Astra.

My eyes open and take in the sight before me. The swordsman's clothes are ripped in five places – one for each limb and a nastier cut across the chest. The masked man looks displeased.

"You held back." He accused.

I sheathed the blade and held it out towards him. "I'd rather not be thrown in the dungeon for chopping up a fellow faculty member."

He grabs the scabbard. "We will fight again. Do not hold back next time."

"I'll see what I can do." Jeritza simply marches off the way he came.

With their entertainment finished, the students decide to make themselves scarce and probably get lunch – leaving Cordelia and I alone in the clearing. My eyes turn back to our 'arena', and I spot a familiar figure standing at the center. They stand quietly in the field, eyes peacefully closed despite the blood leaking from the clean cuts in their battle armour. They shake their head in disappointment and are gone when I blink. After everything that has happened, I thought I had gotten rid of them. It seems I was wrong. My right hand starts to itch, but I suppress my desire to scratch at it.

"Robin, are you okay?" Her voice takes my mind away from my thoughts.

"I'm all good. It's just post-battle jitters." The lie forms on my lips as easily as it always has.

A frown mars her features and I feel my heart twist. "Of course. Just let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

I force my smile back into place. "Since you're offering, you can treat me to lunch."

She shakes her head in response. "You do know that meals are free for the faculty, right? I won't be 'treating' you to anything."

"It's the thought that counts." I squeeze a laugh out of my chest and she sighs in response.

This is how it's always been.

This is how it always will be.

/ / /

"Are you prepared for your mission?"

"Of course, but I still don't understand why we've brought the plan forward by several months."

"There has been an unexpected arrival. We must make haste."

"Why are we making such a fuss over some random mercenary?"

"They're not our focus right now. You will retrieve it."

"It? You don't mean…"

"Indeed."

"The real deal? Not a half-baked imitation like the last one?"

A nod.

"The Abyssal One has arrived."