"And I promise, and swear on my life, I will not let you down. I will give my all."
What he'd said to the Black Eagles a day before now felt like a horrible joke to Byleth as he ran. He heard more shouts and bangs of spells up ahead in the blue mist. He just hoped Edelgard and the others were holding their own. As he thought that, he heard Edelgard shout.
'Linhardt!'
From the tone of her voice. Byleth knew exactly what'd happened and cursed.
Another one down.
'We need to assist our classmates,' Ferdinand said.
'But is it not dangerous to just run into the mist so blinding?' Petra asked.
'It is,' Byleth said. He led them up a nearby mound on the outskirts of the mist. From the top, the mist was more of a haze and they could see through it more clearly.
'Edelgard,' Petra breathed.
Down below, the Black Eagles House leader fought against Dedue, swiping her axe against his lance. They matched each other blow for blow. Hubert stood further along; an arrow skimmed past him from somewhere beyond their view.
'Bernadetta,' Petra said,. 'Beside Edelgard.'
Byleth tensed. Bernadetta lay curled up in a trembling ball behind Edelgard. He couldn't tell whether her sash was intact.
'Oh no,' Ferdinand said, sounding alarmed. 'I see Annette, she's going to strike Edelgard!'
Byleth looked and spotted the small, ginger-haired girl as she appeared through the trees behind Dedue. She went to one side of him and raised her hand at Edelgard.
'Stop her!' Byleth said.
Petra and Ferdinand ran down the mound. Byleth went to follow but then stopped when he heard a loud rustling sound. He looked up.
He had just enough time to see the black-armoured foot before it connected with his jaw.
'I sure hope Annie and the others are doing ok,' Mercedes said.
'I'm sure they are, Mercedes,' Sylvain said, grinning. 'Ingrid's been serious all week, she'll be going all out down there. If anything, we could've just sent her on her own. They'll be fine.'
'Hmph, we probably could have just sent Ingrid down there,' Felix muttered.
'With Hubert and Edelgard there? You underestimate them,' Dimitri said.
'I think you're overestimating them, and their professor.'
'I think you know that I'm not overestimating Edelgard and her squad, and that includes the new professor. I don't care about what happened in the training ground, Byleth has done enough to earn my respect. If the Professor had allowed it, I would have been down there as well.'
'I would rather overestimate the new professor than underestimate him,' Hanneman said. 'Besides, Byleth has quite the reputation in the mercenary world which he couldn't have earnt easily. It's imperative that we treat him with the level of respect his name has.'
Felix rolled his eyes. 'Hmph, you could've at least sent me down there as well to prove you both wrong.'