Chapter 28: A Battle of Beasts and Men
10th day of the Red Wolf Moon 1180. Borderlands of Gloucester and Daphnel territories, Alliance field camp.
It had been about two months since the Church of Seiros had last sent out a large force to do battle. That was now changing, surmised Judith. She had received a missive from Garreg Mach that she was due to receive reinforcements. Neither she nor the Church knew how long they would stay, but any help was welcome after the disasters of the last several weeks.
A scowl crept onto her face as she thought of it. A string of setbacks had befallen them, just as she had predicted. Gloucester and Ordelia territories were already under the complete control of the invaders. To make things worse, Count Gloucester's forces had bounced from defeat to defeat. By the time Judith's army had reached his position, he had lost more than two thirds of his troops. She had ordered a general retreat afterwards in order to avoid more battles they had had no ability to win.
Normally, Count Gloucester would have blustered and demanded command of the army, but his retreat had cost him an arm and a leg, literally. The healers had barely been able to keep him alive. As such, he was in no condition to command anything. There was an advantage to this predicament, however. In the current state of affairs, Judith was free to maintain order and discipline as the unquestioned authority in the field. It was the only thing that kept her troops from deserting.
Duke Riegan had managed to gain something good out of this situation as well. With Count Gloucester incapacitated, he had managed to push through the decision to promote her to Field Marshal of the Leicester Alliance. That meant that no self-important wet-behind-the-ears noble brat could claim to be better suited to command the army. As another consequence of Count Gloucester's indisposition, a bunch of emergency measures had been enacted by the remaining members of the Round Table Conference, including massive expenditures to increase the rate at which new troops could be equipped and defences fortified. As such, reinforcements would arrive faster and be better coordinated.
For the soldiers, that was the one glimmer of hope they had. Duke Riegan's 60'000 men and women would arrive within the next few days, bolstering their numbers to over 80'000. It was still not an advantageous position they were in, but it was manageable. It would be another story if the enemy had continued to receive more reinforcements themselves, but those had ceased. Combined with the losses the invaders had suffered at the hands of Count Gloucester and herself, they had a force of roughly 135'000 at their command by Judith's estimation. A direct confrontation would be close to unwinnable with that disparity, but this was where her plan would come into action.
Her spies were not just useful for gathering information put also for planting information that was false. To that end, she had made sure to spread rumours within the occupied territories that Duke Riegan's army would head south and march to Ordelia territory through Count Goneril's lands. Her own forces would instead hunker down in Daphnel territory in a delaying action. Ostensibly, it was an attempt to cut off supplies and force the superior army to commit to unwise engagements. The reality of things was quite different, however.
The plan had worked well. From what she had heard, the enemy army had split in two hosts. The smaller one, roughly 50'000 soldiers, was headed her way. Rumour had it that Acheron was in command. The rest of the enemy troops was on its way to Goneril territory. The actual plan was now to overwhelm Acheron's host completely with their superior numbers and with the element of surprise. After that, they would march south to confront the other host. By that time, she hoped, Margrave Edmund's troops would be there to replenish any losses to the Alliance army.
Judith also had a personal stake in this battle on top of the strategic one. They were at the border of Daphnel territory, after all. If she failed here, her family's lands would be exposed and ripe for plunder. She did not like the thought of that at all. Her people trusted her to defend them, and that was what she would do. Additionally, losing Daphnel territory would be a strategic disaster. It was the only way to reach Aillel from Alliance territory. The Valley of Torment was the only way through which the Church of Seiros and Faerghus could send reinforcements.
That was actually another topic she didn't want to think about: Politics. Nothing was official as of yet, but with the enemies arrayed against each of Fodlan's nations, the writing was on the wall. There would soon be talks about allying with each other. While Faerghus and Leicester didn't necessarily have a common enemy, they both shared common enemies with Adrestia, not to mention that such an alliance would also be convenient militarily. Then again, considering what information her own spies and those of the Savage Mockingbird had been able to discern, it was very possible that all three countries were beset by the same enemy disguising itself as several.
Generally, she was disinclined to trust information which had not been gathered by her own informants, but the Savage Mockingbird had a reputation. If people delivered information in his name, it would either be correct, or the messengers would find themselves resting in a grave before the week was out. Considering that the messenger who had delivered the information to her was still breathing, Judith was certain that the intelligence had been verified.
The prospect of its truth was both reassuring and frightening. Reassurance came from the fact that it would make diplomacy easier. A common enemy was always an excellent motivator for an alliance. Fright came from the realisation that if the information was really true, then the enemy was one who had managed to raise an army of such enormous size and had been able to manipulate the politics of all of Fodlan into starting civil wars without being noticed. Such an enemy was extremely dangerous.
To be fair, she had already known as much. Even if there were three separate enemies, the one facing the Leicester Alliance had been able to cough up 150'000 soldiers out of nowhere. The threat was already one she was not happy to meet. She did so anyway. The Alliance relied on her ability to beat back this enemy. Still, all the conviction in the world wasn't enough without reinforcements. She knew when those of Duke Riegan would arrive, but she had no clue when the Church troops would come.
12th day of the Red Wolf Moon 1180. Aillel.
Nobody was in a good mood at the moment. The heat made it very hard to feel differently. It was strange how such a hot place could exist when cold winter winds were starting to blow from the north. Byleth did not wish to know how unbearable this place would be in summer. One had to wonder how this place had come to be.
"It was most likely a misfired or underpowered tectonic detonator, possibly even the last one in existence," said Hyperion from within his mind.
"Agreed," commented Sothis, "This really does look like the work of an underpowered tectonic detonator. Seeing as the Agarthans haven't used any more of those over the course of the last thousand years, they likely don't have more of them."
"What is a tectonic detonator and why did it hit here?" asked Byleth. "The Shadow Library's texts mention that this used to be just a forest."
A noise of comprehension left his two headmates. "Right, we haven't explained everything to you yet," said Sothis. "A tectonic detonator is a bomb that can crack the planet's crust and cause continents to shift. The one that hit here was too weak for that. It instead turned Aillel into an artificial volcano."
Hyperion added his own bit of information to the explanation. "As for why it's here, that's because Raziel is a crafty bastard."
Byleth hadn't heard that name before. "Who?"
"The builder of my spaceship. You know, the one whose controls are in the Holy Tomb?" said Sothis.
"Ah, I remember," said Byleth. "But what is the connection between that and Aillel?"
His male headmate spoke up again. "Because tectonic detonators are fired via missiles. Missiles require targeting systems to be useful. When Raziel built Sothis' ship, he built in defences that can hijack those targeting systems and force the missile to hit somewhere else. So, when the Agarthans lobbed a missile at Garreg Mach, it was redirected to this place."
"Couldn't you two have explained that with fewer words?" deadpanned Byleth.
His answer was laughter. "I could have, but I like talking too much to cut myself short, my friend, and I like hearing Sothis' voice too much to complain about it."
The Goddess in question snorted. "Sweet talker," she said.
"Thanks, I try," said Hyperion with obvious mirth in his voice. Then, he shifted his attention towards Byleth again and said, "Well, we've kept your attention long enough and I think one of your students would like to pester you. See you."
And with that, Hyperion and Sothis retreated. The former's gift for awkward farewells had probably amused Sothis enough to not give one of her own. Byleth shook his head. His friends were very strange people, but he liked them for it.
"Professor?" asked Claude from behind him.
Figures that it's him who would "pester" me, thought Byleth with some amusement. "What is it?" he asked.
"I've got a few questions," said Claude.
"When do you not?" asked Byleth rhetorically.
His student snorted before breaking out in a full-blown laugh. "You are learning how humour works, I see." He easily shifted his tone back to one of curiosity as he continued to speak. "But to get back to my questions, I've got to ask; do you know what caused this place to look like this? Rumour has it that it was the wrath of the Goddess."
It was funny how this was the same question he had asked only a minute earlier. Bemusedly, he answered, "A weapon was used against Garreg Mach. It was deflected and landed here. This is the result."
Claude raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like there's a story behind that."
"I don't know too much about it," said the Professor. "Ask your next question."
"Ouch, your indifference hurts," said Claude with a grin. "I've been hearing from some of the soldiers that our destination's changed. Do you know anything about that?"
Byleth nodded. "Yes. We received a missive from Margrave Edmund. He says that he cannot let his troops leave his lands without clearing the Forest of Beasts."
He had already discussed this with Marianne since it affected her the most. She had reacted with apprehension, though it wasn't as bad as it could have been. She had the blessing of Sothis to use the power of her child's blood in her veins. As such, she was no longer terrified of the curse that rested on it. The beasts were another matter, being very dangerous and very powerful, but action plans and stratagems had been developed to combat these.
The one thing that still frightened Marianne was the Crest scholar who had been hounding and harassing her for years now because of the Crest she bore. Byleth had sworn that if that man ever touched Marianne, he was going to hurt him. Nobody harassed his students with impunity, least of all an opinionated fool. That piss-poor excuse of a man had deliberately encouraged her suicidal tendencies. Byleth's blood was boiling at the mere thought of him.
"Teach?" asked Claude. "You seem a bit tense there."
"Claude," began Byleth, "Make sure that either Hilda or Lysithea stays close to Marianne."
The Golden Deer was wary now. "Why?"
"Because there is a Crest scholar who has been harassing Marianne for years in Edmund territory. He will most likely show up close to our destination. I want her to have support," explained Byleth.
Claude hummed. "I can see why you want Hilda there, but why Lysithea?"
His Professor looked at him with a flat expression. "Do you have to ask?"
The House leader thought about it for a moment. Realisation came over him almost immediately. Lysithea in close proximity to a pushy Crest scholar? The little spitfire would eat the guy alive. "Yeah, I think I get what you mean, Teach."
"Good," said Byleth. Deciding to switch topics, he asked a question of his own. "Are Linhardt and Constance adjusting well?"
Claude grinned again. "They've taken to us like a fish to water. Constance's eagerness to excel resonates well with Leonie and she's easy to like when you don't tick her off. Linhardt may be the antithesis of hard work, but his relaxed attitude is endearing. I don't foresee any problems with cooperation."
Byleth nodded. "Excellent. Teamwork is important."
"That special magic unit of yours might actually get a good debut like that," said Claude.
"Yes," agreed Byleth. "They will prove their mettle in the battles to come."
14th day of the Red Wolf Moon 1180. Edmund territory, edge of the Forest of Beasts, Edmund army camp.
As had been feared, the Crest scholar had shown up. Unexpectedly, however, he had arrived before the army from Garreg Mach had. That much was clear to Byleth as he, Marianne and Hilda entered the command tent, where the aforementioned Crest scholar was busy talking a stately looking man's ears off.
"As you can see, my Lord, that girl is the wandering beast!" stated the scholar with vehemence, unaware that she had just entered the tent.
Marianne flinched, and Hilda shot the man a glare that would have made demons run away in terror. She made to step forward and give him a piece of her mind, but her Professor's hand landed on her shoulder. His other hand was on Marianne's. It was he who stepped forward instead.
"I think the only one who cannot see is you," he said.
The scholar turned and looked at Byleth. "Who are- Aha! There she is!" he exclaimed. Turning back to the man whom Byleth believed to be Margrave Edmund, he continued, "I will prove once and for all that I am right."
He took a syringe out of a pouch on his belt and began walking towards Marianne, only for both Hilda and Byleth to step in his way. "I'll kill you if you touch her!" growled Hilda with a steely look in her eyes and a hand on her axe.
To someone who had known Hilda before her time at the Officers Academy, this behaviour was very uncharacteristic. Hilda had never been someone to put herself in danger, least of all for someone else's sake. There had never been anything worth fighting for in her life before the Professor had given her the assignment to look after Marianne. That shy, delicate girl had put her life on the line to protect Hilda all those months ago in the Red Canyon, and the experience had shaken her. In the aftermath of it, her friendship to Marianne had deepened to a level she had honestly not thought it could ever reach. The trust and the bond they had built between each other had been a huge eye-opener once she'd noticed it. Marianne was precious to her like nothing had ever been. For her, Hilda would fight and, scary as that thought may be, even die, if necessary. And so, the pink-haired girl's vicious side came into play when somebody became a threat to her friend.
Marianne stared at Hilda's back with wide eyes. She hadn't expected this outburst from the other girl, but it made her feel warm on the inside. Somebody was standing up for her. Two somebodies, in fact. With her best friend and the Professor standing in front of her, the scholar who had hounded her for so many years suddenly did not seem so intimidating anymore. You have a spine! she told herself, remembering the words of encouragement she had received from multiple sources now. With this in mind, she hardened her gaze and stared at her tormentor with defiance.
The Crest scholar staggered back, both because of the sudden movement and because of the looks he was receiving from the newcomers. "Certainly, you cannot allow such danger to remain with you!" he said. "My research on the matter is-"
"Complete garbage. Leave," said Margrave Edmund.
The scholar was sputtering now. "B-but my Lord, the evidence is clear!"
"Leave!" barked the Margrave. "Or I will have you imprisoned and put on trial for defamation and harassment of my daughter. I have clearly been too lenient with you up until now."
That statement startled the girl in question. Margrave Edmund might have adopted her, but he'd never called her daughter. Indeed, she had been adopted solely because she had a Crest, and she knew that the Margrave didn't love her. There was a point in his favour, however. Even though he held no real love for Marianne, he had provided for her and respected her. It was why there was no arranged marriage in her immediate future, for the Margrave knew that any prospective husband of noble get would have most likely grossly mistreated her just because she was emotionally vulnerable. Still, she was shocked that the Margrave was not only openly defending her but also calling her his daughter.
The Crest scholar, on the other hand, was far less confused and much more terrified instead. He wisely chose to not protest any further and instead removed himself from the tent.
"That man is a piece of work," said Margrave Edmund with a sigh. He turned to the others. "Never mind that. You must be the commander of the Church army, good Sir. Greetings to you and your companions."
"Greetings, my Lord. My name is Byleth," said the Professor.
The Margrave inclined his head before he looked Marianne in the eyes. "It's good to see you again, Marianne."
She looked slightly uncomfortable but answered nonetheless. "Likewise, my Lord."
The Margrave sighed again. "My apologies for derailing the purpose of this meeting, Sir Byleth, but I believe I must speak about another matter before we can discuss tactics and strategy," he said to the former mercenary. He addressed Marianne again, "I'm sorry."
"I… don't understand," said Marianne.
There was a certain tenseness in the Margrave's face as he spoke, "I'm apologising because I haven't treated you right."
Marianne shook her head. "No, you have always made sure that my needs were met," she protested.
Margrave Edmund shook his head in a mirror image to Marianne. "You know that that's not true. I have never adequately provided for you on an emotional level. I'm sorry that I couldn't give you the love you deserved and needed when I took you in, especially because you had just recently been orphaned."
"Orphaned? I thought my parents disappeared," said Marianne in surprise.
The middle-aged man seemed to wilt. "That is technically true, but I cannot imagine that they would have failed to return to you if they still lived."
"You knew them?" asked the blue-haired girl.
"Yes," said the Margrave, "We were acquaintances. To be honest, I was interested in the Crest of your family. Both of them had it."
"Both of them? But that would mean- ew!" said Hilda, only to be mortified at saying so in Marianne's presence.
The Margrave shook his head again. "Do not worry. They had checked long before they married. Their last common ancestor died 240 years ago," he said. Then, he continued his explanation, "They, too, were invested into studying the Crest of Maurice and the curse it seemingly carried. When you first showed the signs of having it, Marianne, they panicked. They loved you more than life itself, and they dedicated every waking moment to figuring out the secret of the curse so they could find a way to free you from it."
Marianne nodded slowly as she considered the words of her adoptive father. She was in inner turmoil about what she was hearing, though she was glad to know that her parents hadn't simply abandoned her. "They… did seem very busy and stressed at times," she said.
"It is what eventually led them to petition me to let them enter the forest," said the Margrave. "I agreed, thinking they would take an armed escort with them. I did not know at the time that they didn't have the means to hire such an escort. They never came back. I am ashamed to say that it took me nearly a week to realise that they hadn't returned. By the middle of the second week, I finally remembered that they had a daughter."
The shame on the Margrave's face easily recognised by all who saw it. It deepened when he noticed Marianne silently crying. He guessed that she did not like remembering those days of uncertainty and fear.
"Originally, my plan was to set you up with a stipend until you were of age," said Margrave Edmund to Marianne. "But I knew you had a Crest, and that I didn't have an heir. So, my greed took hold of my guilt and the plan to take you into my House formed in my mind. The typical procedure for that would have been to have you set up for a marriage to me, but, considering our age difference, that was out of the question, for moral reasons if nothing else. In the end, I adopted you."
Marianne looked down. "I see," she said. "Why are you telling me all this now?"
For the third time on this day, Margrave Edmund sighed. "Because this might be the last time we see each other. I don't know how this war will pan out. One or both of us might die today or later down the line. I wanted you to know the truth, and to apologise before that happens. That, and you are my heiress. Blood-related or not, you are the future of House Edmund. You were owed an explanation."
The girl had conflicting thoughts about this. On the one hand, she was angry at her adoptive father for having kept the truth from her. On the other hand, she appreciated that he had at least apologised. "Thank you for telling me," she said after a few seconds of silence.
Byleth saw how uncomfortable she seemed to be, and nudged Hilda. While the pink-haired girl moved to comfort her friend, he spoke up. "It appears we should discuss the tactics of today's operation now while Marianne thinks about what you have told her."
Margrave Edmund nodded in assent. "Indeed. Let us do so."
One hour later. Forest of Beasts.
The atmosphere was tense as the combined army of Church troops and Edmund soldiers moved through the forest. This place was one that many people feared due to its inhabitants. Huge beasts, including demonic ones were often sighted from the edge of the forest, and legend had it that it was filled with hundreds of them. Byleth thought that such a thing was unlikely. The beasts had never left the forest, and it certainly wasn't big enough to feed a population of hundreds of beasts. At most, there would be two dozen. He had told the Edmund soldiers as much, though that had done little to calm them down. Fortunately, the Church soldiers were somewhat more confident because of the faith they put in his leadership abilities and in the mage group he had assembled. Still, they were on edge as well.
That vigilance paid off eventually. "Enemy spotted!" shouted one of the scouts. The teammate of his who had a horn lifted it to her mouth and blew it with all her might.
This drew the attention of both the beast and the army. A quick response unit immediately rushed forward to protect the scouts as the beast charged at them. In a matter of seconds, magic and arrows pelted the beast in a deluge. It fell surprisingly quickly, though a Red Wolf, which the beast had turned out to be, was far less resilient than a demonic beast.
It wasn't over that easily, of course. Even if it wasn't the most dangerous kind of beast in the forest, the Red Wolf was capable of cheating death once. It regenerated in a matter of seconds and pounced on the quick response unit. It was stopped in its tracks by a shield wall before taking more than one axe to the head. The thing that did fell it for good was a thrown spear penetrating its eye and brain.
The Edmund soldiers stared at the beast's carcass and the troops who had slain it. "Maintain your calm, and any foe can be overcome with time and effort," said Byleth.
The combined army proceeded to march a bit slower form there on, less out of fear and more out of caution. Morale had risen somewhat thanks to the quick dispatch of the first beast they had encountered. There was no suppressing their apprehension, however. As such, Byleth and Margrave Edmund had decided to at least order something to give the troops the impression that they had a plan. Therefore, they now marched at a slightly slower pace.
The advantage was real, however. The lookouts had more time to study the environment. Not only that, but there actually was a plan. The Church troops knew, of course, but the Margrave's soldiers didn't have that advantage. Even then, the only ones who actually knew what that plan was were Byleth, the Margrave and the part of the special magic unit that was present.
Before long, they came upon a wide, open area. The forest was not very dense here. There were trees on the ground and broken stumps everywhere. One of the soldiers, a man with lumberjacking experience, swiftly informed the commanders of the army that most of the fallen trees must have laid there for several years already. Others, however, had fallen only recently. That assessment brought clarity to both Byleth and Margrave Edmund.
"We are on the right path," said the Margrave. "Soon, we will encounter demonic beasts."
"What makes you say that, my Lord?" asked one of his lieutenants.
Instead of the noble, it was Byleth who answered. "Normal beasts such as Red Wolves do not destroy forests in such a careless yet organised manner. This trail was made by demonic beasts long ago and his frequently used. Therefore, we are close to encountering some of them."
The Margrave agreed. "Correct. Even among demonic beasts, the basic ability to make a path for frequent use is unheard of. According to the legends, only the Wandering Beast is capable of such things."
"I see. My thanks for explaining, my Lord. You as well, Professor," said the lieutenant.
Margrave Edmund nodded. "Give orders to the men to prepare for combat. From this point onwards, we'll have a fight on our hands."
The new orders were relayed quickly, causing the army to shift into full combat formation. As had been discussed beforehand, the foremost line of Edmund troops consisted of archers. Next followed heavy infantry behind whom the archers could retreat if a beast came to close. The third line consisted of mages and light infantry, mostly for healing purposes and immediate response. The Church forces which formed the centre of the combined army took on a different formation. Their first line consisted purely of heavy infantry. Behind them were the mages of the special research and combat group. The third line housed archers and healers. The fliers and light infantry were kept on the backline as reserves and flaking units. Neither Margrave Edmund nor Byleth had deployed cavalry. The riders had stayed at the camp to guard it, being more or less useless in thick forests.
The whole formation was specifically designed to funnel the beasts towards the centre. They would be shot by arrows on the sides and thus gravitate towards other vectors of approach. They would ether go to the sides, where they would be intercepted by the fliers and light infantry, or they would head towards the centre, where the mages had set up a kill zone. Byleth was confident that Hyperion's prediction of the "monster meatgrinder" would come true.
Among the mages standing near the front was Marianne. At her side stood Lysithea and Hilda, the latter of which acted as a personal bodyguard. The Professor had made her aware that the scent of her blood would likely attract the demonic beasts and even the Wandering Beast itself. She also knew that that particular beast was Maurice, her ancestor. As such, she had mixed feelings on some level, but her determination to end the curse for good and to make Maurice receive his just "reward" in the afterlife superseded any kind of doubt. She was ready to face this challenge.
That readiness was put to the test eventually. After about a quarter of an hour, growling sounds emerged from the foliage. Among the trees, shadows moved and the ground started to shake. It wouldn't be long now.
"Brace for combat!" shouted Byleth, the sound of his voice amplified by the helmet's speakers.
Dark, booming laughter came out of the forest. "It has been a long time since last someone attempted to clear this forest," said a deep voice.
A massive beast stepped into view. It was larger than any other Byleth had ever seen. This had to be the Wandering Beast. Still, it bore checking. "Are you Maurice?" he asked.
The beast stopped in its tracks. "Ah, so you know," it said. "Then you must know that this girl carries my blood, and that it will be her undoing."
"Unlike you, I didn't steal it!" interjected Marianne.
"Oho, is that so? Then, let us see if you have what it takes to face me. The other beasts are nearly upon you. I'm looking forward to the spectacle," said Maurice in response.
As if on cue, howls came out of the forest. Half a dozen beasts broke out through the treeline and started running at the army. Horns and trumpets blew, and the archers started shooting arrows at the beasts. The sheer volume of arrows brought down two of them, causing their regeneration to kick in. The rest of the beasts, wishing to avoid more arrows and aiming for Marianne's blood, rushed towards the army's centre.
"Firing line!" ordered Byleth. Drums and trumpets sounded in response.
The heavy infantry in front of the mages immediately created gaps in their line. The mages quickly took position in those gaps and started creating magic circles in groups of five. Every group was dedicated with casting a single spell. This appeared inefficient, but it carried two advantages. One, the spell was too dangerous for a single person to know all of its components, bar a select few. Second, having five separate people cast the spell made it more stable and less energy-consuming. The nature of the spell was only known to the Church soldiers. The Edmund troops watched in anticipation as the mages in the centre of the formation started levitating large copper rings.
Before long, the beasts were upon the Church soldiers. The carnage was about to start, only not in the way the beasts had probably imagined. A sharp burst of a trumpet sounded, and the mages let loose. Deafening bangs sounded through the forest. The army was protected from the noise thanks to the sound block spell component, but the beasts were not so lucky. What beasts were not shredded by the Gauss spell were brought low by the sound. Eardrums were shattered and bubbles of air formed in their bloodstream when they came too close. Even with their regenerative abilities, the demonic beasts were all dead within a minute of the engagement.
There was no time to celebrate, however. More beasts emerged from the treeline. This time, it was a full dozen and then some. Byleth counted fifteen. This fight had just gotten a lot harder. Herding the beasts to the centre was risky when there were so many of them. Still, it had to be done. The Edmund archers once again started shooting arrows at the beasts. However, contrary to last time, only about half of them rushed at the centre. The rest charged towards the archers. It was time for plan B.
The Edmund archers retreated behind the heavy infantry, who were now rushing forward to form a shield wall. The few mages in Margrave Edmunds employ busied themselves with reinforcing the armours and shields of the heavy infantry. At the same time, the firing line of the Church mages held firm against the beastly assault. As such, Byleth ordered his own archers to reinforce the flanks. He also gave orders to have the light infantry in the back plug any gaps in the army's frontline.
This resulted in a somewhat stable order of battle despite the ferocity of the beasts. There was a tense moment when three of them went berserk and nearly wiped out a full company each, but those were eventually dealt with. Byleth ordered the centre to push forward and split up in order to wipe out the remaining beasts on either side. The regular soldiers, even those capable of using the Gauss spell, would only get slaughtered by the Wandering Beast, which was now approaching the centre. Only Marianne, Hilda and Lysithea remained at his side to fight it.
"Listen up," he said to them. "If I order you to do something while we fight Maurice, follow that order immediately, no matter how weird or nonsensical it sounds."
His three students glanced at each other. "Yes, Professor," they said. They trusted him to watch out for them.
Not wasting any more time, Byleth immediately activated the Balance Breaker. "Everything green. Eight minutes until yellow condition. Ten minutes until critical condition," informed Hyperion. The Professor nodded internally as he formed a javelin of light and shot it at the Wandering Beast's surprised face. It hit, causing a bright explosion of light, and shattered the protective barrier on the beast's head, but left it otherwise unharmed. Clearly, the Wandering Beast was made of sterner stuff than the average demonic beast.
It was also unwilling to simply take the beating lying down. It immediately took a swipe at Byleth, who dodged by jumping over the beast's claws at the last possible moment. More swipes followed, and Byleth made sure to dodge in as many different fashions as circumstances allowed. It would not do to be predictable against a smart opponent of such enormous size and power. The attacks were getting harder to dodge in time, however. It would some come to a hit if nothing came between them, but the Wandering Beast's hyperfocus on the young Professor threw that notion for a loop.
Lysithea and Marianne took advantage of the opening. They hammered the beast's head with their most powerful spells. Before it could retaliate, however, Hilda smashed her axe into its face. The power of the Crest in her blood awoke and froze it in place as her attack hit. By the time Maurice could move again, she was already out of range.
Having had enough of his attackers, the former follower of Nemesis reared up and let out a terrifying roar. A javelin of light missed his head as he dove back down to attack. The poison cloud he then released from his beastly maw ravaged the three students. It was a nasty thing made of dark and malevolent magic, and it had effects corresponding with that origin.
The student's screams of pain were easily audible for their Professor. Byleth's heart clenched as he quickly surveyed the girls. Lysithea's screams had stopped, suddenly cut off, as she dropped. Marianne and Hilda were on the ground, still screaming. All three looked as though their skin had been burned by acid. If Lysithea wasn't dead already, she would be within seconds, the other two to follow soon after.
"Never," said Byleth, and for the first time in months, the world lost all colour except for purple, black and white.
"Are you alright?" asked Sothis. "That sight was not pretty."
Byleth remained silent for a moment. "I will be," he said.
"I hope so. We'll check once this is over. And don't think you can wriggle out of this. This is what friends are for," remarked Hyperion.
"Very well," acquiesced the former mercenary.
"Have you thought of a plan on how to solve this conundrum?" asked Sothis.
Byleth thought for a short time before he answered. "I will tell them to get back. My javelin will also not miss this time."
"Hm… solid enough, I guess," said Hyperion.
"Good luck," added Sothis.
With that, time spun back, and the world unfroze again just at the moment as Hilda's axe descended on the Wandering Beast's head.
"Get away as fast as you can!" shouted Byleth.
Thanks to being forewarned, his students obeyed his order without question. All three turned and ran as fast as their legs could carry them while Maurice's beastly form reared up. Because of this, they were only caught at the edge of the poison cloud. They still screamed in pain, but none of them were severely injured. Healing spells from Lysithea and Marianne took care of the rest in a frantic action.
A great crash pulled their attention away from their now patched-up injuries. Their eyes fell on the downed form of the Wandering Beast. It bore a hole in its side that had clearly been formed by the impact of one of Byleth's javelins. It appeared that their Professor had taken exception to Maurice's attempt to kill them. And yet, they all knew that it wasn't over yet.
The beast regenerated at an astonishing pace. Within seconds, the hole in its side knit itself shut. This did not go unchallenged, however. Byleth had started throwing javelin after javelin at the Wandering Beast. His students followed suit after only a short delay, though Hilda made sure to use her two throwing axes instead of closing in for melee. By the time the beast stood again, it was already halfway back on the ground.
It swiped again at Byleth with incredible speed, but the Professor dodged into the attack and delivered a stab to its chin. A quick Nosferatu spell empowered by the Wheel of Fortune Arcanum followed. The retaliatory swipe hit Byleth's AT field, though it still three him back quite a bit. The Professor had been able to brace himself, however, and unlike last time when a beast at hit him, he managed to land without any broken bones or grievous injuries. The beast itself was open to counterattack, however. It fell victim to a Dark Spikes spell from Lysithea and a Thoron spell from Marianne, causing it to lose a large chunk of its torso.
Even as it was going down, Byleth kept up with his bombardment of the creature. Time was running out, and he had to make the most of it. Ever more javelins of light departed from his hands, with the occasional Fire or Bolganone spell added in for the mix. His students helped as best they could, but they had to pace themselves more. Hilda also did not dare come closer, which Byleth approved of. It was far too dangerous to engage the beast in melee without a solid shield wall.
Soon, the Wandering Beast was up again. This time, it chose to completely ignore the Professor. It charged straight for Marianne. The javelins and spells that hit it could no longer divert its attention. Cursing, Byleth chased after it as he continued pelting it with all he had. Nevertheless, the beast remained unaffected. The only thing that stopped Byleth from using Divine Pulse after that was pure luck, for the beast froze when Hilda ran at it, axe raised and Crest activated. As such, Maurice received a mangled nose for his troubles.
Before the beast could regain its footing, it was struck by three arrows, one for each eye and one for a nostril. It roared in pain, but could do little else as a Fire spell impacted the other nostril and a spiked gauntlet penetrated its skull.
"Sorry we're late, everyone," said Claude as he came into view. The rest of the Golden Deer had arrived.
"Less sorrow and more help!" shouted Hilda. "That thing's about to get back up!"
"Got it!" yelled Raphael from atop the beast's head. He rammed his gauntlet down one more time before jumping off.
As if on cue, Maurice revived for the third time. His roar of rage could be heard over the death screams of the last few demonic beasts across the battlefield. He took a leap, avoiding every arrow shot at him. Instead, he got an icicle to the face courtesy of Ignatz. The boy's magic was not all that strong, but he was precise, and ice magic had a way of hitting where it hurt the most. Maurice fell short of his goal as a consequence. Instead of crushing Hilda as he had intended, he had landed right in front of her. The axe which then lodged itself into his jaw, courtesy of the girl, caused him to let loose another roar of pain. Arrows and spells were shot into the open maw at this point, doing even more damage to him.
Deciding that enough was enough, the Wandering Beast then shot forward, claws extended in order to skewer his opposition. What stopped him was the appearance of Byleth in front of his students. He deployed his AT field in full force and had Hyperion layer his over that. The two combined fields negated the blow, if just barely, and then gave out. The light enshrouding Byleth's body dimmed and the Raiment dissolved.
"Sorry," said Hyperion, "but your eight minutes are up. More would have been dangerous."
Surprised at this development, both students and beast halted. Maurice was the first to recover, though. "Heh. I've got you now. You put up a good fight, but this is it."
The inattention which accompanied that gloating proved to be his undoing. He was not prepared for Byleth to form a magic circle and cast the most potent spell in his arsenal: Aura. While Gauss was technically more devastating, it required more time to set up and a copper ring to launch. Aura was also not much weaker. It was less focussed, but it was powerful, being famous for shredding entire companies of soldiers. Here, the rising pillar of green light did the same to Maurice's throat.
The Wandering Beast eared up in pain surprise. There was murder in its eyes as it's next roar came out as more of a gurgle. It made to charge, but a series of loud bangs halted it in its tracks. It looked around, shocked to discover that it was surrounded by the entire army. The loud bangs had been the sounds caused by the Gauss spell. Only at this realisation did the beast notice that it was riddled with holes. And then, like a puppet with its strings cut, it fell down for good.
"Finally… This nightmare of a thousand years is at its end," it said.
"It was part of your just punishment," countered Marianne.
Maurice chuckled weakly while blood spilled from his mouth. "Perhaps," he said. Coughs wracked the beastly body of the forgotten "hero" before he spoke again. "If this form is to dissolve, take the sword. It is yours."
"That is not for you to decide," said Marianne in response.
Nothing further was said, however. The Wandering Beast had died, and the large body quickly decomposed. After just a few seconds, the only things that were left were a human skeleton and a curved sword that would have looked quite elegant if it hadn't been made of bones.
"Let this be a lesson," said Byleth while pointing at the skeleton. "Don't gloat before you've won."
Claude snorted and then started laughing. The other students followed suit. Even with the adrenaline fading, it kept their spirits high. They stopped only after a full minute had passed. "I should stop being surprised by your quick wit, Teach," remarked Claude.
Byleth shook his head bemusedly. "Come on. Let's pick up the sword and then take care of the wounded," he said.
Evening of the same day. Edmund army field camp, Byleth's tent.
It had been a very eventful day so far, but there was more yet to come for a select few. Those few were Lysithea, Lorenz and Marianne, who would be part of this night's experiment. Constance and Linhardt were present as well. The matter that was about to be seen to related to their fields of expertise/interest. Magic and Crests were quite important for this, after all.
The thing in questions was attunement with the Heroes' Relics Thyrsus and Blutgang. Hyperion had said that both relics still held echoes of the consciousnesses to whom the Crest Stones within the weapons had once belonged. Following up on that, the students with the appropriate Crests, those being Lorenz and Lysithea for Thyrsus and Marianne for Blutgang, would try to communicate with the origins of those echoes. Constance and Linhardt were there to take notes, monitor things and, if necessary, help Byleth separate the others from the Relics.
"Is everyone ready?" asked Byleth. He received nods all around. "In that case, begin."
Both weapons lit up with the signature red-orange glow Relics usually showed. The three students who were attempting to communicate with the Children of the Goddess scrunched up their faces in concentration. It looked oddly adorable on Lysithea.
I think I get now why Jana liked to tease me when I was younger, thought Byleth.
Normally, he would have been more worried about mishaps, but Hyperion had gone to the Underworld to forewarn the beings his students were trying to contact. There had even been a test run with Yuri already. Whatever Child of the Goddess corresponded with the Crest of Aubin had apparently been very impressed by the mysterious young man. The performance of the Fetters of Dromi had drastically improved as a direct result. With that success in mind, Byleth truly did not expect anything too bad happening during this attempt.
The first sign that something was happening was the abnormal intensity of the glow of Thyrsus. It shone much brighter than before and dimmed thereafter to a level below that of Blutgang. At the same time, the staff began to pulse more than was normal for a Hero's Relic. It rumbled slightly for a moment. Then, the glow's colour changed from red to white.
"Now, aren't you two interesting?" came a feminine voice from Thyrsus.
Lorenz and Lysithea shot up and nearly let go of the weapon in surprise. Laughter came from it. It wasn't malicious but jovial instead, as if the voice's owner were highly amused. "Hekset was right. This is hilarious," said the voice again.
"My apologies," began Lorenz, "But am I correct in assuming that you are a Child of the Goddess."
A chuckle answered him. "You'd be correct with that assumption. It also seems that you have manners as well. Good. I will provisionally agree to work with you." For a short moment, the red glow returned with great intensity. "Do not betray my trust."
"I will not!" declared Lorenz. He was not offended by the threat. It was a reasonable thing to say.
"Good," replied the Child of the Goddess. "Now then, let's see what the little one has in store."
Lysithea's brow twitched. "Don't call me little!" she said vehemently.
Laughter was the response she received. "Bahahaha! This is great! I can't-" There was a hacking cough caused by the laughter. "I can't believe it! Just like Mother! Oh, we are going to have fun, that I can guarantee." There was another laughter-induced cough and some more chuckling before it finally died down. "Alright, just like the boy, you've got my approval. Make the most of it."
Before the presence could retreat, Lorenz shouted, "Wait! We do not know your name."
"Neither do I know yours," responded the voice.
Both Lorenz and Lysithea were embarrassed at that. "Sorry," said the girl. "My name is Lysithea and this is-"
"Lorenz Hellmann Gloucester!"
The Child of the Goddess chuckled again. "My, how colourful. In any case, my name is Hamestra. Remember it well. Until we meet again."
With that, Thyrsus ceased its movement and stopped glowing. It remained inert, which convinced everyone that the "ritual" was finished.
"I think that went well," said Lysithea.
"I concur," added Lorenz. "It would seem that it was a success."
"It was," said Byleth. "Now remain quiet. Marianne isn't done yet."
Everyone's focus now shifted towards Marianne, who was still deep in concentration. The knuckles of the hand on Blutgang's handle were white from how hard she was gripping it. Her teeth were clenched and there was sweat on her brow. Suddenly, she growled. Something was definitely different to how it had gone with the other two. Byleth braced himself to intervene if necessary.
Before anything more happened, however, the sword in Marianne's lap did the same switch from high to low intensity glow as Thyrsus had done. It remained to be hoped that this was a good thing, though it likely was, going by how Marianne visibly relaxed.
"You've got spirit, girl," said yet another feminine voice. This time, it came from Blutgang.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't test it," retorted Marianne. She was beathing heavily, Byleth noticed.
She received a snort as answer. "Ah, but you are testy yourself, if you pardon the pun. I must say, you did well. Only a handful of those who awoke to my blood have not eventually succumbed to the bloodlust… or lust in general. Most became degenerates like that thief Maurice, who spent his days slaughtering, enslaving and raping his way across the continent. But you are different, girl. Even when I agitated your blood, you did not lose control. Mother was right to commend you."
Surprised at this, Marianne blinked and then blushed at the praise. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," said the voice of the yet unnamed Child of the Goddess. "Now tell me your name. I tire of calling you girl all the time."
"My name is Marianne," said the girl in question.
A pleased sound emerged from Blutgang. "Marianne, huh? A name of such contradictory meanings is a good fit for the blood of the Storm Dragon. I will keep it in mind. My own name is Seshamil."
With that, the glow faded, just as it had with Thyrsus. Blutgang was now inert as well. It did leave a question in the room, however. "Professor, do you know what Seshamil meant with 'contradictory name?'" asked Linhardt.
Byleth shook his head. "I do not. Maybe Hyperion knows."
"I do. I looked it up in my databanks while she was speaking," said Hyperion.
"He knows," said Byleth.
"Oh?" remarked Constance from the side. "I would be most interested in knowing."
"So would I," added Marianne.
Byleth nodded and then manifested enough of his helmet to form the speakers. This enabled Hyperion to speak, and speak he did. "Marianne is a compound name. It consists of Maria, derived from Miriam, and Anne, derived from Hannah. Maria means 'beloved', 'sea of bitterness', 'drop of the sea', 'star of the sea', 'exalted one', 'rebelliousness' and 'wished-for child.' Already, that's a bunch of contradictions, but with how devoted to Sothis you are, 'star of the sea' seems very fitting."
Marianne blushed again at that. She was unused to compliments, though she had been receiving a fair few of those recently, mostly from Hilda, but also from a steadily increasing number of boys.
"Now then," said Hyperion, "The second part of your name is Anne. It stands for 'grace', 'favour', 'merciful', 'gracious' and 'God has favoured me.' At this point I should probably mention that both components of your name come from a culture which worshipped a single God. It gives some context into that last bit. Overall, I'd say that your name is very fitting for the nature of your Crest and your personality."
"That is highly interesting," commented Lorenz. "I must agree that it is a very fitting name. Grace and exaltation are certainly things one can associate with Marianne."
Said girl's face may as well have been glowing at this point. "Thank you," she muttered in response. The unamused look Hilda gave Lorenz made the whole thing comical to watch for Byleth and his headmates.
"Lorenz, if you're done trying to woo Marianne, I'd like to get business done first," said Hyperion with quite a bit of amusement.
The sputtering from the two teenagers prompted some cackling from him, but he caught himself quickly. "Now then. Linhardt, Constance, do you have anything interesting for us?" he asked.
"I have certainly acquired a few insights in how Crests can be effected by a Hero's Relic. Some more experiments will be necessary, but it looks promising," said Linhardt.
Constance gave her own short report. "The magical fluctuations were most interesting. There was a miniscule spike whenever Hamestra or Seshamil spoke."
"Anything else as of now?" asked Hyperion.
The two shook their heads.
"In that case," began Hyperion, "I think we're done with our work today. I'm off enjoying my evening with good company. You lot go and join the celebration outside."
With that, the young God broke the connection. The partially summoned helmet disappeared again in his absence.
"I agree. Let us go outside," said Byleth as he stood up. His students had worked hard today. They deserved some fun at the victory feast.
AN: Once again greetings, dear readers!
It's been nearly three weeks now since the last chapter, and I'm glad that my readership seems to have grown slightly in that time, despite the initial dip that came with recent developments. I would once again like to thank all of you who have stayed, favourited, followed and reviewed. It's heartening to know that most of my readership still enjoys this story.
Today's chapter was mostly focussed on Marianne. That might be my own personal bias since she is without a doubt my favourite character in Three Houses. I love that girl to bits.
I don't know if I can pull this off for every character or even every Golden Deer. I'm not BardInTheForest and I most certainly do not possess his skill in character writing. I will, however, try my best. If things play out as I'm intending them to at this point, Claude will get his moment in the spotlight fairly soon.
With all that out of the way, we come to today's recommended story. I present to you Shall I show you a True Shield? By Ryujin Maou. It is the one long-running Rising of the Shield Hero fic that has managed to keep my attention. It does follow mostly canon, but there are enough changes for it to be entertaining, and the Shield Hero's party gains some surprise additions.
Now then, I wish all of you a good time. Stay happy and healthy, and until next time, my dear readers!