The Dustbin

Day 9: First Exam Part 2


27th of the Great Tree Moon, Dawn


"I SWEAR TO THE GODDESS, IF NO AMOUNT OF COFFEE OR SLEEP HELPS ME FORGET THIS ASININE INCIDENT, I WILL FLAY YOU ALIVE IN YOUR SLEEP, PROFESSOR YUGA!" Seteth roared out as he drives his [Silver Lance] into a Myrmidon's throat.

"Oh boo-hoo, CRY ME A RIVER!" Karna snapped back as he slashed his own [Iron Lance] across an Archer's eyes before impaling him through his gut, "I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE WANTING TO FLAY YOU ALIVE IN YOUR SLEEP!"

"YOU DRAGGED ALL OF US INTO THIS MESS!" Seteth barked out as he headbutted a Fighter before kicking him in the groin and punching him in the face.

"AND YOUR WALLS HAVE HOLES BIG ENOUGH TO FIT AN ENTIRE DEMONIC BEAST THROUGH IF THESE INFLUX OF SELLSWORDS HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT!" Karna barked back as he'd headlocked a Monk before snapping his neck upon finishing his swing around the neck with his whole body.

Hm, those two seem oddly coordinated despite their bickering, the mysterious girl commented as Byleth fended off her own encounters of cutthroats.

Just curious, what's your name again? asked Byleth as she'd stabbed her [Iron Sword] through a Thief's stomach. A lot happened lately, so some things might've slipped my mind in the confusion.

Good grief that you give me to no end... bemoaned the mysterious girl's voice, again, my name is Sothis, she answered, and are all the things happening lately that bizarre enough to affect you mentally?

"Meh, I've seen weirder things happen, but the past days are a bit up there in the weirdness factor," remarked the ex-sellsword Professor as she'd pulled her [Iron Sword] out of her recent kill, "... but, just curious, is the hole really that big from decay alone? I'm asking for a friend here."

"It's true," a Mercenary casually pointed out while taking a quick break mid-fight, "it was big enough to fit a wagon full of gunpowder-"

"YOU SHUT UP!" both Karna and Seteth yelled at the swordsman in unison as they proceeded to stake their spears through his torso before ripping them out in a bloody arc, leaving the man to bleed to death.

"... I'm right here, you know," Byleth deadpanned as she wiped the blood off of her face.

"Yes, well..." Karna remarked before he suddenly stopped himself, stammering to himself before resuming to talk to her, "... shut up."

"... Wait," Seteth remarked as he sniffed the air, "... why do I smell something burning?"

"About that,." Byleth pointed out, the guy did say something about gunpowder. A whole wagon of them."

At the middle of the battlefield, a wagon tied with several barrels filled to the brim with gunpowder with lit fuses was spotted being pulled in by a berserk and panicking oxen whose horns were tied with a burning bale of hay, braying in confusion, completely unaware of its impending fate that it was carrying behind it.

"OH HELL NO!" cried out Karna as he'd spotted the payload stampeding towards their direction, "EVERYONE RUN!"

Not that the sentiment itself mattered, for its payload was then detonated, taking the bull and several other mercenaries and Abyssian homeguards down with it in the ensuing blast.

"THERE'S AN OPENING!" one of the sellswords, a Warrior with an imposing horned helm brandishing a [Tomahawk] rallied the other survivors, "GET IN FORMATION!" he bellowed out as the other Fighters got into formation around the head Warrior, "NOW! OVERRUN THEM!"

On the Warrior's command, the rallied cutthroats all charged towards their enfeebled opposition in a state of frenzy, they all began cutting down the dazed and singed survivors of the blast without mercy.

"... Huh, he wasn't kidding about the fire," deadpanned Byleth.

Enough of that! Sothis cried out, your cape is on fire-

She just immediately rips it off, leaving it on the ground to smolder.

"... There, problem solved," Byleth remarked before she charged back into the battlefield, leaving the stray apparition stumped at the thought process of her own host as she'd watched the professor join into the fight on the behalf of the Abyssians.

"Professor!" shouted out Sorcha as she'd dragged her [Claymore] across the ground before cutting down another Myrmidon, "the bloody 'ell just happened!?"

"That my student, was a Gambit," answered Karna, "it's when a brigade launches a ploy that would turn a battle around, and the rate of success is dependent on the commander's authority."

He then looked at the dead and charred bull in front of the burning carriage and surrounded by several bodies, both friend and foe, all making up the decor of the freshly-dug-up hellscape laid before them.

"... And what brilliant sort of commander sets a bull's horns on fire!?" cried out Seteth as he pointed to the burning corpse of the bovine. "Scratch that," the adjutant recalled his prior statement before correcting himself, "just where did they they get a bull to pull their payload?"

"Probably stolen it from a nearby farmhouse," Karna speculated before he'd sniffed the air, picking up a faint scent of raw sewage in the burning air, "as for the payload itself, let's just say that compost and outhouse residues came decent enough substitutes for black powder."

"... So these mercenaries have been raiding nearby farmland in preparation for this raid, withholding this kind of knowledge all the while?" pointed out Seteth.

"It's war," Karna pointed out, "in a fight to the death, anything goes. The more unexpected in execution and delivery, the better." He then looks at one of the Myrmidons charging towards Byleth, only for her to dodge the swings nonchalantly, as if she knows where they're going to come from. "... I hear that private military contracting can be a bit fierce when it comes to competition."

He then thrusts his [Iron Lance] towards Seteth's face, only for the spearhead to miss him and instead strike into the eye of a Thief trying to take a backstab at him. Seteth then backhands the vagrant before slashing his chest open with his [Silver Lance] before kicking him away.

"... So uh," Karna stammered out as he'd scratched his head underneath his hood, "... watch your back, okay?"

"I don't need you telling me that," grumbled Seteth as he joined Byleth in defending the Abyssians regrouping into a new formation.

Elsewhere, Cyrus and the Death Knight were still fighting each other, both combatants having their clothes and armor tattered to pieces, with Cyrus now completely topless and the Death Knight still keeping on his helmet, adamant to never show his face.

"Admirable, simply admirable," complemented the masqued Death Knight, "to last this long against me, truly, are you the one who'll sate my appetite for blood?"

"As long as Darius and I are one, we will keep going," Cyrus declared as he'd twirled his lance his grasp, "we of the Battu are immortal riders."

"Very well," the Death Knight spoke as he'd readied himself into a fighting stance, "I will indulge myself in your supposed immortality."

The masked marauder than charges towards Cyrus, swinging his scythe towards the rider with the intent to knock him away from his steed.

However, he noticed that the horse was eyeing his stance and immediately shifts its charge into a stomp, pinning the Death Knight down with the intent of crushing him under its hooves.

"Squirm for me."

With a surprising show of strength, the Death Knight pushes the giant horse's hooves off of his chest, flipping over Darius and Cyrus back onto the ground.

"As an individual, you fall short," the Death Knight evaluated as he stood back up, "a warrior must be adept both alone and as a group. To overly rely on your steed during a battle is speaking of your ineptitude."

He then pins the fallen rider and mount down with his foot as he'd raised his scythe.

"In another life, may I meet you as a proper warrior," declared the knight as he'd brought down his weapon towards the two, only for the blade to stop short in Vidar's intervention.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" roared out the bandaged youth as he'd delivered a punch into the Death Knight's torso, but ends up breaking his [Iron Gauntlets] in the process, barely causing the masked knight to even flinch.

"Ah, the horse-killer."

The Death Knight then punts the bandaged boy into a crowd of clashing cutthroats and Abyssian guards, with Vidar bulldozing through both sides of the conflict before landing in the middle of the quagmire.

"You are a lot like me," stated the Death Knight as he'd lost interest in Cyrus, approaching the bandaged boy while slaughtering both sides in a casual stride, to the fear and confusion as both sides retreated, "your bloodlust, your unrestrained brutality. A beast all but in name. If push you a bit further towards madness, you'll become perfection."

"Hurt my friend..." Vidar snarled out as he got onto his fours, "... DIE!" he bellowed out as the bandaged youth charged towards the Death Knight as the latter swung its scythe towards him.

Vidar vaults over the swing before he wraps his whole body around the Death Knight's head and begins wailing onto it with his head and fists. The Death Knight lets out a scoff before holding him aloft like a kitten by his neck, punched him in the face a few times before knocking the rabid boy unconscious, then throwing him aside, Vidar rolling across the floor before skidding to a stop.

"Move," declared the Death Knight as he'd spotted the other cutthroats trying to jump on the downed Vidar to add his death to their pay, "he's mine."

The others backed off as the masqued reaper approached the downed bandaged boy with his usual stoic bloodlust, sweat and blood dripping across his impeccably sculpted body akin to a marble bust.

"Vidar!" Byron cried out as he saw his friend be at a risky situation. He then rushes towards where he was at after lodging a [Hand Axe] into a dying Fighter, used his [Frost] spell to freeze the ground ahead of himself to slide towards the downed Vidar, snatch him by his collar before the scythe can claim either of their lives.

"... An ice spell, an unheard art," commented the Death Knight as he'd observed Byron running off with Vidar. He then streaks his fingers across the cold patch of ground before rubbing his fingers together, leaving behind a wet patch on his fingers. "... It lacks polish, but clearly, it had intent to be more versatile than simply using [Fimbulvetr]," the masqued reaper remarked, "... I wonder if the others are worth remembering-"

Before he can go on any further, the Death Knight felt a blade be staked into his back, followed up with his senses becoming slightly disoriented. He then reaches around his back, touches something, and pulls it out, revealing a rectangular blade size of a short sword with tiny pinprick-sized holes seeping out a translucent and scentless fluid from it.

"A [Bolo], an old knife used by Almyrian pirates, and the basis of Fodlan's rarely-produced [Venin Edge]" the Death Knight commented as he'd faintly spotted a short girl with a veiled face with an empty sheathe while he held onto the obscure weapon. "... She's mastered the art of cowardice," he pointed out, "driving a poisoned blade into my back and not confronting me head on. I commend her intellect and initiative, but not her conduct. She's too much like her in method."

He then ditches the poisoned blade and continues to prowl around the underground battlefield to search of more potential prey. Across one end of the ruined coliseum, the Death Knight spots two girls akin to the Brigid princess, only sporting a claw and wing tattoo under their eyes respectively. The clawed one was wielding an archaic Brigidian weapon, a [Claymore], while the winged one, despite cowering like a certain Varley, was hitting perfect headshots with her [Iron Bow].

Intriguing, the Death Knight observed the twin girls holding off the the clawed one lacks refinement in her swings of her titanic blade, but compensates it with sheer force and her weapon's natural reach. He then continued observing the other twin with the wing tattoo, whom he'd noticed a suppressed bloodlust leaking out of her aura like an old barrel leaking liquor for the mice to be intoxicated by. As for her, she only wears the facade of meekness, but hides an inner darkness that potentially surpasses even my own, the masqued reaper remarked to himself as he'd noticed that he was approaching towards them beneath his notice, as if he himself was allured to her suppressed bloodlust that was being leaked out, interesting, simply interesting. For the Academy's supposed worst, they're gems in the rough.

He then eyes towards Karna, whom despite still bickering mid-battle with the Archbishop's lapdog, was still coordinating his movements with his supposed subject of mutual ire, their movements akin to a rumored war dance of the orient.

"... A glint of wisdom in his eyes," observed the Death Knight, "behind it, a well of despair and tragedy that one couldn't simply comprehend... who does he think he is, the damned Archbishop?"

He then approaches towards the bickering pair, with the intent to refocus their attention towards the battle or they'll simply die trying. As he swung his scythe down towards the two, Karna shoves Seteth away from both him and the Death Knight's attack.

"Hello there, rejected applicant of the Mittelfrank Opera Company #4444," deadpanned Karna as he'd landed after his evasion.

"You know him?" Seteth asked as the Death Knight glowered at the two with its burning coal pits that were his eyes.

"Nah," the hooded professor remarked as he stood back up, "just making a jest at the flamboyant marauder over there."

"I don't like you, one bit," the masqued reaper declared to Karna, "harlequins like you have no place on the battlefield."

"So says the overly-tryhard prince of darkness," mocked the cloaked professor before his hands relit into a pair of purple-colored blazes. "... I'm not afraid of you or that stage prop that you call an armor. You know those horns on your helmet can easily be grabbed and be yanked off, right?"

"Then I'll kill you here and now!"

The Death Knight then charges towards Karna, slamming his scythe into the masonry with such force that it fractures the ground, and during mid-leap, Karna fires a [Miasma Δ] at the marauder, to which then he counter with a [Thunder] spell fired from his fingertips.

"Of course the so-called bringer of death would be packing in other ways to bring it," deadpanned Karna, "honestly, I'm more surprised at myself that I didn't see this coming."

"You chatter too much," pointed out the Death Knight, "I find your lack of fear disturbing."

"Only because I had it worse than this," answered Karna, "during my many travels both in and out of Fodlan, I myself was forced upon men and women during my travels without my consent, got mugged several times, got kidnapped by various groups, almost got sold into slavery in Almyra, and just now, I was attack by bandits, fell off a cliff, went without food or water for three days straight! Compared to all that, you, are, nothing compared to my normal life. I'm pretty sure that you've killed your own parents in a fit of bloodlust, but honestly, I couldn't care less, hence, why I am not afraid of you."

"... Ah," the Death Knight remarked, "... I never thought we'd be birds of a feather."

"Professor Yuga, do you need a therapist?" Seteth as with legitimate concern as he'd pulled out his [Silver Lance] from a downed Grappler, "the Academy can provide you with one if needed."

"All the more reason WHY I DESPISE YOU!" roared out the Death Knight as he swung down his scythe towards Karna, the blade missing its mark and embedding itself into the ground where the latter was standing. "THIS IS WAR! ARE YOU NOT AFRAID OF DEATH!?"

"Death and I have an on and off relationship that can be best described as..." Karna remarked before coming up with nothing. He then fires a [Miasma Δ] at the masqued reaper, but said attack barely made him flinch. "... Alright, I got nothing. Proceed."

The Death Knight then rips his scythe out of the ground before casting [Thunder] onto his own blade and delivering an electrified crescent projectile that streaked towards the Professor before he'd jumped out of the way of the slash, an explosion emitting upon hitting an old wall afterwards.

"Oh my, Distant Counter," complemented Karna, "that's an esoteric art lost to time, that only a select and determined few dare to practice. Recently, a manual about Close Counter just went into production for the continent's Snipers, so the esoteric part might be a little dated..."

He then nonchalantly dodges the Death Knight's blow before placing his hand over the helmet's face.

"... How unfortunate that your helmet has two gaping holes for the eyes," Karna remarked at the Death Knight as the two stared into each other's eyes, the Bloodstained Demon's against the Twilit Luminary. "[Swarm Z]."

The hand then explodes out a swarm of fly-like constructs that infested inside the Death Knight's helmet, eating away at his flesh through his bone, leaving naught but sinews and raw skull as the man flailed in desperation, before his skull helmet fell off of his head...

"What the!?"

... Only for when the helmet hit the ground, the skull helm shatters its facade, revealing a regular Cavalier's helmet.

"An illusory spell..." Karna remarked as the skull-headed corpse fell before him, his armor now adopting a more conventional hue of silver compared to the shade of onyx prior. He then looked behind the helmet's visor, spotting an array of fading mystical runes where the eyes would meet the plane of the wearer's sight, implying that man referred to as the Death Knight was simply possessed or hypnotized by someone else.

... Or by the actual, real Death Knight, thought Karna as he'd stashed in the helmet into his cloak, either possibility is just simply harrowing to think about. If I were to take what the man said for granted, then it could be said that the real Death Knight might've killed us all in a heartbeat. Even worse, if this poor sap's existence is saying anything, he has followers who are just as formidable and as bloodthirsty as the original. Lovely. An army of grim reapers.

"Tch," Karna clicked his tongue as he'd looked at his now-worn down [Iron Lance] and retrieved the scythe in the fake Death Knight's hands, the [Crescent Sickle], "you there, will be a fine replacement."

He then rushes back to the front, where the Abyssians have regained ground against the invaders, steadily pushing them back through Gambit after Gambit, disorienting the opposition, with neither side giving an inch.

"Look at them run!" Yuri rallied his forces, "their backs are turned!"

"Woo," Hapi deadpanned through faux-cheering, "makes our job easier."

"It's a little too late for them to regret now, isn't it?" commented Constance.

"Fight ain't over until one side is knocked out!" Balthus remarked as he'd hyped himself by clashing his fists together, "time for the King of Grappler's deathblow!"

As the Abyssians begin to rout the retreating forces, the other students who were sneaking around the battlefield looked upon the carnage as it began to reach its climax.

"... I woke up for this," Linhardt nauseatingly remarked while trying not to vomit at the sight of the charred corpse of the bull still smoldering in the middle of the coliseum, "... I am not going back to sleep with that in my mind."

"Why did we come here again?" grumbled Edelgard.

"Come on," Claude reassured, "there's still plenty of time to make a run for it, and we can make this little diversion our own little secret, y'know?"

"You're way too relaxed..." Ashe sighed out, "still, if I knew a fight would break out, I would've pulled all of us out sooner."

"You know the way back?" asked Dimitri, "as much I like to aid them in their defense, I fear what would happen to you all should I get caught."

"Same sentiment here," Flayn agreed as she spotted Seteth bickering with Karna as the two moved through the battleifield with surprising coordination, "... I'd really hate to cross the line when he's in this much of a bad mood."

"*shudder* Yeah," nodded Hilda, "angry Seteth is a bad Seteth. Let's get out of here-"

Suddenly, she noticed that one of their own was missing, realizing that Flayn was caught by the retreating cutthroats, taking her during a blind smash and grab maneuver.

"DAMMIT! THIS JOB IS A COMPLETE WASH!" a ragged Fighter carrying Flayn over his shoulder bemoaned as his capture struggled in vain. "DAMN HOBOS ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO FIGHT!?"

"I KNEW THE PAY FOR KILLING THESE RUNAWAYS WAS WAY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!" a rouge Monk complained.

"WELL, MIGHT AS WELL MAKE LEMONADE OUT OF THE LEMON WE'VE BEEN FED!" a Myrmidon pointed out as the reminder of the group ran for their lives, "WE'LL TAKE THE BRAT GIRL HOSTAGE AND GET A RANSOM OUT OF HER!"

"YOU WON'T GET THE CHANCE!" Dimitri roared out as he jump-tackled the Fighter carrying Flayn over his shoulder, only for the latter to toss the girl last-minute to the Myrmidon.

"GO ON WITHOUT ME!" the Fighter cried out as he was pinned down by the nigh-rabid Blue Lions House Leader, "THIS JOB IS ALREADY NOT WORTH IT! BUY SOME DRINKS FROM THE RANSOM-" he was then cut off by Dimitri fiercely pounding his fists into his face, showing a surprising amount of force behind his punches.

As the Myrmidon caught Flyan from the air, she then resumes her prior struggle she'd done with the Fighter, only now the Myrmidon was struggling more since he'd lacked the bulk compared to his compatriot, causing him to slow down immensely.

"He's slowing down!" Claude pointed out as he scooped up a rock from the ground before aiming at the Myrmidon. "Good as time as any to put him down!"

The Golden Deer Leader than slings the rock with his right hand, beaning the cutthroat in the back of his head, causing him to stumble, and fling Flayn across the air let again mid-fall.

The Monk tries to catch her in the air, but unlike his other two compatriots, he himself proved to be physically inadequate in comparison, as evidenced by him simply collapsing under the girl's weight during his attempt at catch her in the toss.

Edelgard then takes this time to apprehend the girl, keeping her away from prying hands.

"Now we leave," the Adrestian heir declared as she piggybacked the girl, "come on, we must make haste-"

"I HATE THIS JOB!" the Monk screeched out as he manifested a [Fire] spell in his hands.

Instinctively, Edelgard takes out her ceremonial dagger and readies herself for a counter-thrust that she'd practiced over and over for her coming day. Now it was the time to put that method to practice against the ornery rouge spell caster.

"SO I'LL TAKE IT OUT ON YOU!" the Monk declared as he'd extended his arms forth to shoot his fireball. With that exact moment, Edelgard then charges into the line of fire...

"Not on my watch," a phlegmatic female voice replied from above, whom was revealed to be Professor Byleth Eisner, landing on top of the Monk as she'd jumped down from the rafters above.

The [Fire] spell then dissipates in the now-unconscious Monk's hands, causing Edelgard to clamp down her feet into the ground in a forwards position to prevent herself from stabbing the Professor in the Monk's place. For good measure, she then tosses aside the dagger and lands onto the female Professor's bosom.

For the record, you owe me one for wasting one of my own Divine Pulses just so that you didn't die from having your head split open from you climbing up on the stone pillar before falling, deadpanned Sothis.

Hey, just making sure, Byleth mentally stated before facing Edelgard, whom landed face first into her chest, "sup."

"Oh..." Edelgard flusters as she quickly gets herself off of her House's instructor, "... apologizes for the reckless behavior."

"No, it's fine," Byleth replied as she placed the Monk into an armbar to keep him in place, "so what are you doing here? Isn't it past curfew?"

"I... uhhh..." stammered Edelgard, unable to come up with an excuse.

"I'm not mad, just curious," remarked Byleth. "For the record, a giant horse like that horse over there picked me up and took me down all the way here."

Behind them where the female Professor pointed towards, the students saw a giant horse stumbling with an equally giant rider slung around its back like a pack, stopping before the now-bloodsoaked Dimitri, the latter whom is sitting atop a nigh-dead Fighter whose face was warped and contorted from physical force inflicted upon him alone.

"... Oh, oh my goddess, what have I done!?" Dimitri cried out in horror upon what he'd brought upon to the brigand.

"Come on, your majesty," Ashe reassured, "deep breathes..." he reassured as he'd guided the neurotic prince, "... don't worry, I watched Dedue. He even told me how to calm you down in case you go off the handle just in case. Come on, deep breaths, deep breaths..."

After a few breathes, Dimitri calms down before wiping the blood off of his face with his hands.

"... I'm alright," remarked Dimitri, still shaken by his own sudden act of brutality, "... he's not dead, isn't he?"

"Don't worry, he'll live," Claude remarked as he'd looked at the Fighter's mauled face, "... I think." he finished off before he took a mental note about Dimitri. Note to self, watch for Dimitri's behavior; facade might hide a bit of a fractured personality.

As he'd finishing remembering his own observation, he then felt a gnawing sensation on top of his head. Claude looked up, and found the Battu Steppe King chomping on his hair for attention.

"YEARGH! TOO CLOSE!" Claude yelped out, only to realize that his yell had echoed across the halls and inadvertently gave away their own cover. ... Dammit Claude.

Instantly, the seven found themselves surrounded by the survivors of the battle prior, with Seteth glaring daggers at the students who'd broken curfew and almost got themselves killed or kidnapped for ransom. Even the Byleth found herself knelt with the rest of the seven under Seteth's withering gaze.

"Explain yourselves," ordered Seteth, "now."

"It's Claude's fault," the others pointed out sans Byleth.

"To be fair," protested Claude, "asking us to sleep with all this noise going on is like asking us to sleep on a bed of nails."

"Yes, and I might as well sleep well on a bed of nails after I've been exposed to the horrors of mortality," deadpanned Linhardt.

"Flayn," Seteth looked towards the green-haired girl, "... I'm not mad, I'm just a little... surprised that you managed to find yourself down here of all places..."

"So what, you're going to lock me up in my room again?" muttered Flayn.

"No no no, nothing of sort!" stammered Seteth, "still, finding you in such a precarious situation was almost the death of me."

"Hey, silver lining, no one's dead," Karna pointed out, "... except for those three over there, but it's of no consequence."

"You stay out of this!" Seteth snapped. Karna grumbles incoherently before heading off elsewhere to vent his frustrations by dragging the bodies of dead friendlies in an organized fashion.

As he'd dragged the cloaked bomber next to Iago and Hans, Karna looked beneath the man's hood, and upon looking what's underneath, he then shuts the man's eyes before pulling the hood over his face. He then gives the passed a small prayer before departing.

"... And as such, normally, I would have all of you reprimanded," went on Seteth, "but due do the happenstance nature of this whole affair... I'm calling for your vow of silence, and make sure that this doesn't spread outside."

Of course, thought Edelgard, keeping secrets are all you Church of Seiros are good for.

"The last thing we need is to spread needless panic," Seteth remarked, "I want this academy year to on without any major conflicts or anything troubling. Understood?"

The students and the professor nod.

"Alright everyone..." Seteth sighed out as he'd faced the Dustbin, "as for you lot... I'll let this one go, only for the same reasons."

"No complaints here," Byron deadpanned, "however, we demand compensation."

"We request a classroom that won't bury us alive," Karna advocated, "and should there be no vacancies, I have a solution for that."

"Meaning?" remarked Seteth.

"Night classes," Karna explained, "we'll work when the classes are empty. And I will take full responsibility that the classroom doesn't end up damaged, or at the very least, repair any possible damages inflicted."

"Alright, but which one?" asked Seteth, "we just can't pick out classes at a random."

Karna then pointed his thumb towards the corpses of Iago and Hans, subtly implicating the Black Eagles of the cause of their grief.

"... Miss von Hresvelg," Karna spoke to Edelgard, "beware that you overestimate the grasp on that you hold around your fellow peers. And the same goes for the rest of you two leaders," the cloaked professor remarked, "they might end up joining other classes before you know it, and that's merely a slap on the wrist for what others with ill intent might do."

"Don't worry," Byleth reassured, "I'll keep an eye on em."

Karna mentally restrained himself from attacking the female professor. He'll simply settle for putting laxatives in her coffee later on as recompense for her stealing his job.

"Good," Hapi deadpanned, "can we all go home now?"

"Agreed," Seteth remarked, "come on, follow me-"

Elsewhere, the sound of rubble crashing was heard, followed up by a low snarl and snort coming from the darkness.

"... We are not done yet, aren't we?" remarked Byleth.

From the coliseum's aged gates, a giant, oilve-furred lupine creature bursts out of the darkness, letting out a rumbling howl upon spotting the survivors.

"What-HOW!?" Seteth cried out as he'd instinctively pulls Karna towards him by his collar.

"Wasn't me, I swear," answered Karna as the two saw the Giant Wolf devour the corpses of the fallen before its nose twitched at the direction where the bull's burning body came from. "... Ah, that explains it."

"You mean that thing was attracted to the smell of cooked meat!?" Byron yelled out as the creature now eyed the group as its dessert, "oh no, it spotted us."

The Giant Wolf then lets out a bellowing roar to hype itself up for its next hunt.

"ALL OF YOU, GO!" Karna cried out to the students, the Abyssians, and Seteth, "WE'LL HOLD IT OFF!"

"YOU ALL BETTER COME BACK ALIVE OR I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" Seteth replied as he and the remains of his escort took off with the students and Flayn, now held under his arm like a burlap sack.

"SAME HERE!" Yuri remarked as he led the others into a retreat, with Constance dragging the reluctant and ever-boisterous Balthus by his ear, "IT'LL BE SHAME TO LOSE YOU WITHOUT YOU ALL REPAYING US!"

As the Dustbin now faced the titanic lupine occupying the center of the coliseum, the class of misfits exchange amongst themselves.

"So," asked Byron, his hands now emitting with a [Frost] spell, "just what are we facing, professor?"

"A Demonic Beast," Karna answered, "creatures who were mutated by the residual energies emitted from Crest Stones into the current size you see right now."

"You Fodlan people baffle me to no end," Topaz deadpanned as she readied her [Bolo], its vented blade dripping out more poison, "how are you all not dead?"

"Oi, our country tried to invade this shiteheap one time," Sorcha pointed out as she readied her [Claymore], "if they can push back, then we got Fido over there to blame for making em so antsy."

"... They say that one's environment affects one's adaptability," Selene remarked as she readied her [Iron Bow], "... guess this will be our first taste of what they consider pests."

"Still..." Cyrus nervously joined in, just woken up from his injuries, "... can we take on a such thing? An army, sure, but a giant beast?"

"... Bigger..." Vidar growled out, "... means bigger guts ... to rip out..."

"This is your first exam, dear students," Karna pointed towards the Giant Wolf, "remember, failure means death!"


To Be Continued...


Author's Notes: Yep, after deleting two of my long-running fics for the sake of my own mental health, I'm now focusing on something that I actually like and have a semi-coherent writing plan for.

And the whole idea of Death Knight here being a fake one is just so that I don't have to inflict the "worf effect" on him (that's Lysithea's job), so might as well make the Reaper Knights his own body doubles, because it's more terrifying in hindsight. Silver lining, Karna now claims the [Crescent Sickle] as his new weapon, and since his own personal skill, [Master's Guidence] allows him to boost his own weapon ranking faster, so expect the Dustbin to start using [Silver-] weapons in the foreseeable future, provided if they can afford them (which they won't at their given rate).

For now, Giant Wolf fight! Coming next chapter as they learn about AoE attacks and the importance of Gambits (and why they shouldn't waste them too early, just like I did in Chapter 5's Demonic Beast fight and got my ass kicked repeatedly). They will know when the exam starts.

References:

- Bull with its horns set ablaze is a two-fold reference to the Blazing Bull enemies in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and to that scene in 13 Assassins where a whole stampede of bulls are unleashed in a similar manner, but used as a more practical way to deliver the [Blaze] Gambit.

- "Psychiatrist" exchange between Karna and Seteth is a reference to Brooklyn 99's exchange between Jake and Holt about the suggestion of the police department providing the former a"math tutor" after he fumbles with basic arithmetic.