Things are about to go downhill VERY rapidly.
Chapter 97 – Blood of the Eagle and Lion Pt 7 (Great Tree Moon)
Dedue snarled as he saw the Imperials begin to tear through the Loyalists' front line. Having witnessed the death of Rodrigue, the Loyalists' morale had taken a heavy blow, allowing the Imperials to seize the initiative.
Dedue looked over to where Dimitri had gone, but he could not make him out through the flames. The last thing the Duscuri had seen was Dimitri engaging Edelgard one-on-one.
Momentarily distracted as he tried to find the King of Lions, Dedue heard one of his men shout, "Look out!"
Swerving around, Dedue saw a mage readying a Thunder spell, too late for him to react. The mage blasted him with lightning that sent Dedue to the ground on his back, ignoring his heavy plate armor. The mage was then struck by a javelin thrown by one of the Loyalists, killing the man.
Dedue groaned shortly before losing consciousness, forcing two knights from the Loyalists to drag him away to safety.
…
Shamir let out a cry of pain as a crossbow bolt struck her right shoulder. Knowing she couldn't keep fighting, the sniper staggered back from the Church's line.
Witnessing Shamir's injury, Catherine angrily charged at the archer responsible and slashed him in half. As she did, two men who had been following her let out their own cries of pain as more bolts struck them down.
"Dammit…!" Catherine hissed, realizing her unit was being overrun. "Fall back! Everyone, fall back, now!"
The Church's soldiers, who were now faltering after hours of fighting against seemingly endless hordes of Imperial soldiers, began to retreat. As they ran, they continued to try and help the Alliance in its own withdrawal, but this slowed down their own escape, letting the Imperials catch them easily. Within moments, battalion after battalion began suffering grievous losses.
Seteth and his Wyvern riders swooped in to try and force the Imperials to break off their attack. Despite inflicting numerous casualties, the attack did little to slow the Imperials down. Urged onward by their generals, the Imperials continued to pursue and kill their foes.
As Seteth whirled around to try and make another pass at the Imperials, two Imperial Pegasus Knights dove down and threw javelins at him. Hyperion screeched as he took a hit to the left side of his neck, though the javelin didn't hit anything vital. Still, the Wyvern bucked wildly in the air, forcing Seteth to focus on bringing his mount under control.
As he wrestled with Hyperion's reins, Seteth looked briefly at the battle below. It was going badly wherever he looked. Scores of Imperial soldiers were overwhelming the Church, Alliance and Loyalist armies through sheer numbers. No matter how many they defeated, the Empire had more in reserve.
Seteth scowled, realizing they had underestimated the size and strength of the Empire's reserves once more.
In the melee below, Anna deflected two strikes from an Imperial axe fighter, then slashed his throat with her Levin Sword before darting away when three more Imperials moved to avenge their comrade. Drawing some throwing knives, she threw them at the Imperials, killing one and injuring the other two. She reached for some more, but then scowled as she realized she had none left.
Hearing the others calling her name, Anna pushed them out of her mind as she looked to the glacier that was behind the Imperial battle line. She had seen Byleth encased in the ice, yet the Imperials weren't surrounding the glacier. Instead, a woman was standing a short distance from it.
It was Cornelia.
Anna knew she had to do something fast. She couldn't let Byleth down again, not like she had when the war started.
Turning to see four more Imperials had targeted her, Anna reached into her belt and threw a smoke bomb at the ground, blinding everyone around her.
By the time the smoke had cleared, Anna was already dashing to a better position to try and assist Byleth.
…
Byleth tried to get a better look at Cornelia through the glacier that had been erected around her, but she could only vaguely make out the sorceress's features through the ice. Yet she could tell the Duchess of the Faerghus Dukedom was smiling at her from her voice, as though the two were at a social gathering rather than a battlefield.
"I've heard so much about you," Cornelia said in a sultry tone. "And so much of it is glowing with praise. Now that we've met, I know it wasn't mere embellishment."
"You're Cornelia Arnim," Byleth said crossly.
"Ah, so you know who I am. That saves me an introduction."
Byleth's mind continued to race as she tried to watch Cornelia through the wall of ice. The Duchess of Faerghus was considered the most powerful sorceress in Fódlan, and after witnessing her Hymn, Byleth knew she couldn't take her lightly. Any move she made would have to be done quickly lest the Duchess use another spell on her.
The Duchess watched Byleth through the ice, having a perfect view of the Archbishop while Byleth could not make out her expression. Cornelia smiled as she scrutinized the green-haired woman, watching for any sudden movements. Despite having her trapped in ice for now, Cornelia knew she couldn't let her guard down around her even for an instant. After all, this woman was the inheritor of Sothis's power. Taking her lightly would be utterly foolish, especially since Cornelia hadn't recovered all her Mana yet.
As Byleth kept glowering at her, Cornelia said, "There's no need to be so hostile, Lady Eisner. And there's no reason for us to fight one another."
"You say that after killing thousands on that hill?!" Byleth hissed as she swung her hand toward the central hill, gesturing to the infernal bloodbath.
"Doesn't your sword have Imperial blood all over it?"
Byleth glared at the Duchess as blood dripped from the edge of the Sword of the Creator. Indeed, Byleth had killed several dozen men that day, but she refused to think it was comparable to the massacre Cornelia had caused.
"Lady Eisner, there's no need for us to be at odds with each other," Cornelia cooed softly. "I'd rather we be friends. Edelgard speaks so highly of you, after all. So… why don't you set down that sword of yours, and then we could have a nice little chat?"
Cornelia drew out the end of her sentence as her eyes began to glow a faint violet. Through the ice, Byleth could not see the glow in the Duchess's eyes.
As Cornelia said these words, Byleth found her hostility toward Cornelia fading away. Her words were so… convincing. The two had no direct quarrel with each other, after all. The sorceress was simply trying to help Edelgard, just like how Byleth had been Edelgard's teacher years ago.
Byleth's eyes fluttered as she realized what she was thinking. How could Cornelia think she could justify how many people she'd killed that day? How could she call Byleth's own actions comparable in any sense?
In any event, the Duchess was in her way. Byleth knew she had to reach Edelgard soon, before it was too late to save Dimitri.
But… maybe the Duchess was right. Maybe they didn't need to be enemies. Maybe she could talk this out with her…
Cornelia smiled as she saw Byleth loosen her grip on the Sword of the Creator. The Archbishop's green eyes glowed with a faint violet light.
A second later, Byleth saw her own reflection in the ice. She could not see the violet glow in the distorted reflection, but she saw her grip on her sword loosening.
A dull pain filled Byleth's head as she brought her left hand to her forehead. Something was wrong, she thought. Why was she listening to the Duchess so intently? Why was she letting Cornelia distract her?
Seeing Byleth's expression, Cornelia hid her displeasure behind her magnanimous smile.
Byleth was resisting her power.
It wasn't unexpected, though. Cornelia suspected Byleth might be resistant to her Dark Gift, so she used only a small amount of her power on the Archbishop to test how resilient the woman was. Byleth's mind was sturdier than Cornelia had anticipated, though the Duchess was not unprepared for this. Had Byleth been a true god or a Nabatean, Cornelia knew her Dark Gift would've been useless against her, but despite having Sothis's power, Byleth Eisner was still a human, and thus her mind was still vulnerable to the power of Dominus.
Cornelia briefly contemplated focusing more of her power on Byleth. After a moment, she decided against it. The battle around them would make it too risky if someone on Byleth's side assisted her. And she couldn't let Byleth or one of her allies figure out her Dark Gift now.
Cornelia released her grip on Byleth's mind. The violet glow in both their sets of green eyes faded, and Byleth was startled as the pain in her head vanished.
As the pain left, Byleth's resolve returned, and she readied the Sword of the Creator. She knew what she had to do now, her prior doubts vanishing.
"Oh dear…" said Cornelia. "Perhaps you do not wish to be friends?"
Byleth immediately channeled her Mana and placed her left hand to the cross guard of her sword, infusing the blade with a fiery Spellblade enhancement. Then, with a shout, she thrust the Sword of the Creator into the ground, unleashing a wave of fire around herself that shattered the ice surrounding her, freeing her legs in the process. Fragments of ice flew at Cornelia, who easily blocked the debris with a quick ward spell.
As Byleth glared at her, Cornelia knew she couldn't afford to fight the woman now. As powerful as the Duchess was with magic, she would stand no chance in a close-up fight. Physical combat was something Cornelia couldn't even try as a last resort.
Byleth made a brief shout as she charged toward Cornelia, knowing she had to take her down before she could use another spell.
Just as Byleth began her charge, Cornelia stepped back as a ritual circle appeared beneath her feet, causing her to disappear in a flash of light.
Byleth stopped, knowing the Duchess had teleported away. She looked all over for Cornelia, but she could not spot the sorceress in the chaos of battle.
As the lights left behind by the Duchess flickered, Byleth heard Cornelia's voice say, "I hope we can meet again under more pleasant circumstances, Lady Eisner."
Unable to find Cornelia, Byleth turned her attention back toward Edelgard and Dimitri. The two were still fighting each other, and there were at least twenty Imperials between Byleth and the two rulers.
She knew she had no time to spare.
Byleth sprinted forward as the Imperials moved to try and intercept her.
And as Byleth began carving through them like a scythe to wheat, Cornelia watched the Archbishop, hidden in the shadow of a tree.
Her first encounter with Byleth Eisner had gone well, she thought.
…
Edelgard briefly hissed after blocking a strike from Areadbhar before dodging another slash from Dimitri's lance. The King of Lions furiously swung and stabbed at the Flame Emperor, who responded with her own powerful swings of Aymr's blade. Neither one had landed a blow on the other yet, but Dimitri was slowly gaining the upper hand.
As the two rulers continued their clash, Salia and Trauare anxiously watched the duel from afar. The Black Eagle aces had their hands full trying to keep Ladislava alive, so neither of them could intervene. At the same time, several of the other Black Eagles had returned with grievous wounds, though Zola and Setiawati were not among them.
Salia hissed as she saw how many of their elite unit had become casualties. Despite being the best warriors in the Empire, the Black Eagles were taking severe losses. Over half their number were now wounded, and she didn't want to think about how many were dead.
Yet it was not in vain, Salia thought. The Alliance Army had been decimated, while the Loyalists were now being ravaged from a combination of lost morale and poor positioning due to their king's orders.
A loud yelp from Edelgard caught Salia's attention. She turned just in time to see one of Dimitri's strikes had connected. Though it had failed to penetrate Edelgard's armor, the sheer force of the blow, empowered by Dimitri's Minor Crest of Blaiddyd, had sent Edelgard crashing into a tree. The Emperor remained standing, yet her stance wobbled from pain.
"Lady Edelgard!" Salia shouted as she stopped helping Trauare and rushed to her Wyvern Alektra.
"Sally, wait! Come back!" yelled Trauare.
As Salia mounted up, Dimitri rushed at Edelgard and, before the Emperor could react in time, grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground with his left hand. As his fingers closed around Edelgard's throat, he slammed her against the tree, causing her to lose her grip on Aymr.
"I have you now, Edelgard!" Dimitri said wickedly. "Any last words before I snap your neck like a twig?"
Edelgard struggled to breathe in Dimitri's grip, her hand desperately reaching for Aymr. Dimitri saw this and lifted Edelgard further up, leaving Aymr hopelessly out of her reach. Edelgard tried to ready a Force spell in her other hand, but she knew it wouldn't be fast enough to stop Dimitri from killing her.
Just as Dimitri was about to crush Edelgard's neck, a fire bolt struck his left arm.
The King of Lions howled in pain as he lost his grip on Edelgard, dropping the Emperor to the ground as she gasped for breath. Dimitri whirled around as Salia readied another fire spell.
It was just the distraction Edelgard needed.
With a hoarse shout, Edelgard unleashed her Force spell into Dimitri at point-blank range, sending the King of Lions flying back over twenty meters. Dimitri rolled and tumbled, but he managed to regain his footing mid-tumble and skidded to a halt.
As Edelgard tried to catch her breath, Salia readied another fire spell and sent it soaring at Dimitri. The blonde king dodged the attack easily and grabbed a nearby javelin as he moved. He then roared as he tossed the javelin at Salia. The deputy commander of the Black Eagles raised a quick ward spell, but the sheer force of the javelin shattered Salia's defense and sent her tumbling off Alektra's back. Salia hit her head as she landed, knocking her out cold.
Salia let out a soft moan of pain as Alektra landed in front of her, the Wyvern protecting her master, but Dimitri paid them no further heed. He turned back to Edelgard, who now had Aymr in her grip once more.
"Now, where were we?" Dimitri said wickedly.
As the King of Lions walked menacingly toward her, Edelgard said, "You're stronger than I expected, Dimitri. You certainly aren't making my path any easier to tread."
"Your path ends here and now, Edelgard!"
Dimitri roared as he rushed at the Emperor again.
Bracing herself, Edelgard said loudly, "You leave me no choice!"
Edelgard then shouted as power surged through her, and two Crests materialized over her head simultaneously.
Like I said, downhill and fast.
The part with Cornelia and Byleth is one I've been working toward for a while. It might seem strange for Cornelia to only make a small effort to control her, but I feel that's in-character for how I've portrayed Cornelia up to this point. Whereas someone like Thales or Edelgard would take the heavy-handed approach, Cornelia is not the type to put all her eggs in one basket, so to speak. If she just tried to full-on mind-control Byleth without knowing if she could resist it, she could have a very angry Archbishop break free and then kill her. As such, Cornelia is "testing the waters" to make sure if her power has any effect on Byleth.
This is also where I can now explain one of Cornelia's major weaknesses: physical combat. Just like in Three Houses, Cornelia is a squishy mage and probably wouldn't even be a match for a regular soldier, let alone Byleth, in a physical fight. But she's also the type who would try to avoid such a confrontation altogether. This is also one of the reasons why Cornelia hasn't tried to usurp Thales yet; I have Thales as more than just a mage, as shown by how he usurped Omphalos VIII. In a sense, I'm having Thales take a few notes from Ganondorf (specifically his Twilight Princess and Smash Bros versions), being both a mage and a capable physical fighter.
As for why Byleth didn't realize that Cornelia was trying to mind-control her, I covered this briefly in Chapters 8 and 55, but I'll explain it here. To Byleth's knowledge, mind-control spells would be highly complex and highly visible, and if Cornelia were doing it that way, Byleth would've known what it was right away. However, Byleth does not know about Cornelia's Dark Gift, Dominus, which is mind-control without the need for magic since it's a psionic ability.
See you guys next chapter.