The Dustbin
Day 8: First Exam Part 1
27th of the Great Tree Moon, Dawn
"Alright, before we get our hands dirty, anyone have anything to say about themselves?" Karna asked as the group huddled, "any sort of thing about you guys that I might be able to work with?"
"My innate talent for combat allows me to prioritize either physical defense or magical resistance regardless of if I'm hacking away, or shooting my magic," Byron remarked, "for example, my magic targets enemy's magical resistance in its default state, but should its physical defense be less proficent than the aforementioned, my magic has a chance of hitting that defective aspect instead, and vise versa for whenever I go melee."
Byron's Personal Ability: [Cold and Calculating]:
During combat, unit's attacks has the Skill/2% chance to target enemy unit's lower defensive stat between Defense and Resistance.
"So, essentially, your attacks in general both have a chance to turn your [Hand Axes] into [Bolt Axes], and your magic becoming like an [Iron Bow]?" pointed out Iago, for which Byron nods in confirmation.
"Okay, but what of mumbles over there?" Hans remarked as he pointed to Vidar, "what, does he suddenly go ballistic when one of you guys gets hurt to a certain point?"
The Dustbin students go into awkward silence.
"... You cannot be serious," the cloaked bomber deadpanned.
Vidar's Personal Ability: [Avenger]:
When an ally with C-Support or higher with this unit adjacent 2 spaces has less than 50% HP within this unit, deals +5 Damage and +20% Crit during combat as long as the former conditions are met (does not stack per unit).
"Okay, but what about you two?" asked Iago towards the McCarthy twin sisters, "what are you two good at?"
"We're usually best when someone has our backs," answered Sorcha, "when someone has my back, I usually hit harder and last longer. Sometimes, I do a good enough job, the partner can come in and sneak in an attack right after mine."
Sorcha's Personal Ability: [Dual Striker]:
When this unit is assigned with an Adjutant, grants +10 Attack & Defense during and increase chances for a follow-up attack from Adjutant during combat.
"... For me, I can rely on other people to keep me safe," Selene mumbled out, "because of that, I can ensure them with my safety, and let me perform on the battle more securely."
Selene's Personal Ability: [Dual Guardian]:
When this unit is assigned with an Adjutant, grants +10 Hit & Avoid, and increases chances for the Adjutant to guard enemy attacks during combat.
"... Okay, who's going to have the sisters' backs?" asked Karna, suspiciously eyeing towards Iago and Hans.
"... Are you insinuating that you're holding us responsible for their safety?" Iago pointed out, "may I remind you, we tried to kill them."
"Byron, can I trust you to sic Vidar on them should they even think about-"
"Okay, okay, we'll do it..." grumbled Hans, wiping the sweat off of his brows upon seeing Vidar bare his teeth at him, "... just keep that psycho away from us."
"Moving on," Karna remarked as he changed themselves out of the current subject, "... what can our dear friends from Almyra do?"
"I excel in indirect combat," Topaz stated, "I fare better when my targets have their backs are turned against me."
Topaz's Personal Ability: [Backstab]:
When this unit initiates combat against without any aggro targeting her prior, unit deals +5 Damage and +20% Crit during combat.
"... I'm practically helpless without Darius," pointed out Cyrus.
"Darius?" asked the cloaked bomber.
"My steed," answered Cyrus, "usually, I can take out my opposition easily when I'm more mobile and have the high ground, but when I'm not, I'm a sitting duck."
Cyrus's Personal Ability: [Trample]:
When unit is mounted, unit deals +5 Damage during combat and can inflict -5 Speed and -10 Hit & Avoid after combat; when unit is an infantry, unit takes +5 Damage and has a Luck/2% chance to not counterattack during combat.
"Oh great, you're dead weight," Iago scornfully remarked.
"Not quite," Topaz remarked, "... I can use him as bait to catch the other enemy's attention before I drive my blade into their backs."
"And Vidar can be motivated from his anguish to fight harder," Byron surmised.
"Just make sure that I don't die while you're both benefitting from my suffering, okay?" begged Cyrus.
"Yah yah, whatever," Sorcha waved off Cyrus's concerns, "we ain't gonna leave ya for dead if that's what yer afraid of, ya big lug."
"So, that leaves the professor who shares my taste in apparel," the cloaked bomber remarked, "what do you excel at?"
"Teaching," Karna answered bluntly, "both in class and out on the field."
"The hell does that mean?" asked Hans.
The professor lets out a slight chuckle before breaking up their huddle.
"You'll have to see it for yourself," Karna answered as he led the way to the ambush point, "they're coming."
Ahead, the first detachment was spotted, consisting of two Fighters led by a Myrmidon.
As all of them took their stations, each of them hiding behind the giant pillars, overhearing the wandering vagrants conversation as they walked in the dim coliseum.
"Dammit, why did we decide the order of entry via drawing sticks?" a Fighter on the left complained as he kicked aside a loose pebble.
"We're on a deadline," the Myrmidon leading the duo of Fighters, "we don't find these Abyssians by the next night, we don't get paid."
"Could be worse," the Fighter on the right remarked as waved his torch around the areas that were darker, "... either way, we're done for if don't press on further-"
"Kill the light," Karna signaled Byron.
"Entertain me," declared the latter as his hands shot out a [Frost] at the Fighter's torch, snuffing it out and freezing his hand solid.
"GAH!" the Fighter screamed as his frozen torch was now welded onto his palm, "WE GOT COMPANY-"
"They won't see me coming," a soft female voice declared behind the three vagrants.
From behind and slipping between the shadows of the two Fighters, Topaz clings onto the Myrmidon's back and drives her [Venin Edge] into his lower back, the latter stumbling about with the poisoned blade jutting out of his stomach, the poison now running throughout his body, slowing his senses to a crawl before they gave out completely, falling to his knees and collapsing face-first.
"Delivered," declared Topaz as her victim's corpse hit the floor. "... Next."
The Fighter on the left of the now-deceased Myrmidon swings down his Iron Axe, the heavy blade missing as Topaz cartwheeled out of the way, and behind the retreating assassin, came Sorcha and Selene, backed up by Iago and Hans respectively.
"IT'S AN AMBUSH!" the right Fighter cried out as he took out his Iron Axe with his sole free left hand, intending to use the frozen dominant right hand as a makeshift second weapon.
"Let me at em!" Sorcha boldly declared as she charged forth with her Claymore, the giant blade making a reverberating quake as it struck the ground, missing the frightened Fighter. Upon the latter getting his bearings together, he then swings his weapon towards Sorcha, causing her to be grazed in her shin mid-dodge, and her face being struck by the frozen torch as a crude blunt weapon.
"Careless, aren't you!?" a voice behind Sorcha remarked.
Seeing an opening, Iago fires [Wind] from his hands, blasting the Fighter slightly off of his feet and disorienting him for a few seconds, more than enough of time for Sorcha to pick her Claymore back up and raise the titanic slab of sharpened steel above her head, and right below the Fighter's head.
"A little of the ol' chop-chop!" cried out Sorcha as her Claymore fell through the Fighter's body, first smashing through the peak of his skull, then the blade rips down through the fleshy upper torso, then the slab of iron crashes into the limestone floor between the Fighter's leg, the poor soul bifurcated into two vertical halves.
A critical hit... thought Karna as he saw Sorcha being sprayed with the blood of her victim, with Iago gagging in his mouth at the admittedly horrific scene, ... a little sloppy, but she has the raw strength sought after for a warrior.
"Weak," deadpanned Sorcha as she placed her Claymore over her right shoulder as the Fighter's halved corpse fell before her. "... Bloody 'ell, that was mild. And people make such a fuss about killing a guy."
"You split him in half!" pointed out Iago.
"Big bloody deal," dismissed Sorcha, "a bloody wolf does that to a wee little rabbit for food."
Elsewhere, Selene was hopping and pumping her leg out of the Fighter's swings of his Iron Axe.
"Don't hit me, don't hit me, don't hit me!" yipped Selene as the Fighter gave chase to her to a corner.
"GOTCHA, YA LITTLE MINX!" the Fighter yelled out triumphantly as he swung down his weapon, only for the weapon to be blocked by Han's own Iron Axe.
"What you doing!?" barked out Hans, "I ain't gonna babysit you!"
Selene suddenly lets out a sharp growl before taking out her Iron Bow and pulling back an arrow directly in front of the Fighter's throat.
"Thank yer real clever..." growled out Selene as she let loose her quill, the arrow piercing through the Fighter's neck, allowing Hans and opening to headbutt the Fighter off of him before hacking his Iron Axe across the dying vagrant's chest, finished off with another arrow shot from behind, now the arrow hitting the Fighter's eye before he fell dead.
"... Sweet merciful goddess," Hans remarked, "where did that bloodlust come from ya?"
"... Huh? What happened?" remarked Selene as her eyes refocused around her surroundings. "... And why am I covered in blood?"
"Don't ask," Hans grumbled.
"Alright, first wave's clear," Karna declared as he spotted more torchlights coming from the distance, "get ready for the second wave, Byron, Vidar, Cyrus, and I will take the front."
The cloaked professor then walks by the previous group of frontrunners, and began speaking.
"Topaz, good idea on the sneak attacks, but next time, pull off the execution a bit more quickly, preferably, a slash across the throat," Karna explained, "Sorcha, be sure to distribute your body weight properly when using that sword. Remember, you're the one swinging the sword, not the other way around."
The two girls look at each other in awkward silence before giving a shrug.
"And for you, Miss McCarthy..." Karna spoke to Selene before grabbing her hands and guiding her hands to hold onto the bow and nock the arrow on its string, "... if you're going to use a bow, be sure to keep an arrow ready. Much more easier than simply taking out an arrow beforehand, won't you agree?"
"I... I guess..." Selene awkwardly remarked as the footsteps came closer to them.
"Alright, we'll talk later," Karna remarked as he brought out his Iron Lance as he led the other three into the front, "if we can't learn in class, then learn through your own actions and improve upon them!"
Karna's Personal Ability: [Master's Guidance]:
Multiplies this unit's and all deployed allies' Proficiency growth by 1.2.
"Hmph, so that's what he meant by being good at teaching, both in class and out on the field..." the bomber remarked as he brandished his Iron Sword towards the coming Myrmidon, armed with the same weapon.
The two then clash blades with each other, the two other Fighters adjacent to the Myrmidon tried to get the jump on him, but Byron's [Frost] spell shot towards the floor causes the left Fighter to slip and fall onto his face, whereas the right Fighter has his axe-arm grazed by an Iron Spear from Cyrus, whom despite his crippled leg and trembling composure, actually managed to land a hit on the charging fighter.
"Good work with the implementation of your spell, Byron," Karna praised the student with the dyed hair, "as for you, Mr. Iskandar, your weapon has a long reach, so let the enemy close in the gap on you!"
"Easy for you to say!" Cyrus complained as he hastily backed away before tripping over a rock behind his heel and falling onto his back with an audible thud sound. The Fighter than recovers from his initial blow and pounced at the trembling student, raining blows upon Cyrus with his Iron Axe onto the lance's shaft, hacking it away bit by bit until the lance itself snapped in two.
"Say goodbye, punk!" the Fighter hollered out as he swung his Iron Axe towards Cyrus, the latter shifting his body to the side at the last minute, causing his shoulder to take the blow rather then his vitals, allowing him to escape with his life by stabbing the broken Iron Lance into the Fighter's thigh, causing the aggressor to recoil back in pain, allowing enough time for Cyrus to crawl back away from him.
"Why you!" the Fighter grumbled out as he stumbled towards the trembling Cyrus while he pulled out the broken Iron Lance from his bleeding leg before brandishing his Iron Axe intimidatingly at the student on his hindquarters, the latter backing away as the former approached, "I'm gonna rip you in two-"
From behind, an armored arm hammered into the Fighter's head, splitting it in halfway, causing the head to become like a pressed dough. As the dead Fighter fell, appeared Vidar, the side of his Iron Gauntlet dripping with fresh blood and other transparent liquid that the more fainthearted wouldn't fathom even questioning.
"... You're a lifesaver," Cyrus remarked as he slowly got back up with the blunt end of the shaft acting as support, "thanks."
Vidar looked down at the dead body of the Fighter before uttering the following words from his bandaged lips.
"... Quiet now," he hoarsely pointed out at the Fighter's condition before walking away from it.
"... Guess we aren't friends yet," Cyrus muttered to himself as he saw Byron engage the other Fighter in a melee with his Hand Axe against the Fighter's larger Iron Axe.
"Ha! What do you think you can do with that baby's axe!?" taunted the Fighter, "let me show you what a real axe looks like!"
He then swings down the heavy blade unto Byron, the latter sidestepping out of the way in time before delivering a swift chop to the Fighter's lower left rib with his Hand Axe, the [Frost] emitting through its blades as it then began freezing his body starting from the bodily breach.
"You meatheads think size is everything..." sighed out Byron as he gripped around the upper shaft of his freezing Hand Axe lodged into the Fighter, "... sloppy."
He then draws out another Hand Axe from his leg holsters with his other hand, swinging the axe across the Fighter's rear knee joint, causing the muscled man to kneel down, exposing his neck before Byron as he grabbed onto it and pushing it back upon grabbing it by his hair, which he then removes the Hand Axe entrenched inside the Fighter's ribs and placing the blade caked in frozen blood onto his neck.
What followed then was the Hand Axe's blade ripping across the Fighter's exposed throat, blood spraying out of the garbling wound akin to that of a freshly-killed chicken.
"Zygote," remarked Byron as he shoved the kneeling corpse away from him. Upon seeing no one looking at him, he then leans over the corpse and begins patting it around to search for something, only to come out empty-handed, "tch, cheapskate."
He then looked towards where the cloaked man and Professor Karna were fighting against the Myrmidon.
"DAMMIT!" the Myrmidon cursed as he struggled against the cloaked man amidst the sword duel, "THE HELL'S GOING ON!? YOU GUYS AIN'T FROM DOWN HERE, AREN'T YA!?"
"Don't fret," Karna remarked as he charged forth with his Iron Lance, "you'll be part of this place soon enough."
The spearhead buries into the Myrmidon's ribs, stunning the vagrant swordsman long enough for the cloaked man's own Iron Sword to rend his blade across the enemy's chest, finishing him off for good.
"Second wave cleared," Karna panted out as he wiped the sweat off of his brow. "... If what they said was right, we'd be beset upon by more of them-ah there they are."
Then from the other side of the entrance, numerous footsteps, both light and heavy came forth towards them.
"How many?" asked the cloaked man as he readied his sword.
"... About somewhere in the lower two-digits," Karna surmised as the vagrants came forth, this time, bringing in Brawlers, Archers, Barbarians, Mercenaries, and Thieves into the mix of Monks and Soldiers that made up the band of cutthroats. "... Make that lower-mid two-digits."
"Meaning?" Byron asked.
"Thirty," answered Karna as they were then spotted by the group, who then proceeded to charge towards them with their weapons, "... we bought enough time, let's bring them in."
"Where?" Cyrus asked nervously as Vidar picked him up onto his back.
"ANYWHERE!" Karna cried out as he ran for it, with the others following with the band of cutthroats at their heels, waving their weapons at them as they gave chase.
As the Dustbin and the three accomplices ran with the sellswords hot on their heels, a massive ball of fire whizzes over their heads, followed up by a blast of energy buzzing past them, both landing behind them and right in front of the vagrants, causing a massive explosion that sent both sides flying in opposite directions.
"... I admit, for a sorry lot of dirt-dwellers, you managed just fine without us while realizing when you're all outmatched," a pompous female voice remarked from the dimness laid before the Dustbin, revealed to be Constance accompanied by a group of Monks, their hands clasping onto small wisps, ready to fire their spells at the lady's command. "... You at least lead them somewhat well, Dustbin's Professor."
"I have a name, you know," deadpanned Karna.
"Eh, chill out," Balthus's voice remarked as he came out from behind Constance's shadows, both of his arms now covered in a pair of bone-like gauntlets glowing with bright-orange light, "give it time, she'll warm up to ya in her own way."
"I do not!" snapped Constance.
"Yet again, as much it displeases me, I concur," Byron spat out as he got back up to his feet, "so, now what?" he remarked as he pointed at the vagrants slowly getting back up to their feet, "we continue fighting on our own?"
"Whoa Roro, we ain't gonna leave ya hanging," a bored female voice remarked to Byron, revealed to be Hapi, emerging from behind the pillars, dark-violet aura emitting from her hand, "... just be sure to keep up with us, kay?"
"What the lady said!" a suave male voice cried out from behind the staggered vagrants, revealed to be Yuri leading a band of his own Thieves armed with [Steel Swords], completely surrounding the intruders from both sides, "like I said, we'll make them regret coming here," Yuri menacingly remarked as he drew his own [Silver Sword] from his scabbard, "let's make good on our proclamation, shall we!?"
"IT'S DO OR DIE, BOYS!" the vagrant's leading Brawler hollered out, brandishing his [Steel Gauntlets] into the air to rally his men for their last stand for their paychecks, "GIVE EM HELL! DRINKS ARE ON ME!"
"Likewise," Karna echoed back as the two sides begun to clash with each other in armed combat in two fronts.
As Karna led one charge with Yuri leading the other towards the former's target, the two crash upon the center of the coliseum, weapons clashing and magic and projectiles being slung around the air.
Karna's lance ripped through the air as the cloaked man and the two accomplices fought for their lives, Byron and Vidar synchronically dispatched the opposition with a mix of cold intent and wild savagery from the two, Sorcha and Selene danced throughout the field of carnage as a pair, dodging and weaving as they reaped and tore through the opposing blades aimed towards them, and Topaz, using Cyrus as bait, snuck upon each enemy's back before she drove her blade into her own foothold, hopping about one back to another, shielding her own small body from vagrant Archers and Mages with the same footholds acting as her human shields.
Balthus charged towards the crowd, his fists and titan-like posture breaking the opposition, Constance led an orchestra of flame and magic as her and the other Monks' [Fire] spells rained havoc from the rear, Hapi's own bizarre [Miasma Δ] blasting holes into the enemy ranks, followed up by Yuri taking advantage of the openings to cripple the opposition further.
"YURI!" one of the Abyssians cried out, "I THINK THERE'S MORE COMING TOWARDS US FROM OUR REAR!"
"That soon?" he remarked as he pulled out his sword from an Archer's neck, "if so, so be it. EVERYONE! REFORMULATE! THERE'S MORE COMING FROM THE ENTRANCE!"
"Whoopee, this place is gonna have more people to bury..." Hapi sardonically remarked as she looked out lazily, allowing a vagrant Thief to try and get the jump on her from her back, only for a blast of Dark Magic to repel the potential backstabber, with Vidar driving his foot through his face in a vicious stomp.
"... Watch your back, we're not done yet," Karna chided as he shook his off his hand of the dark aura.
Hapi lets out a low grumble before walking away.
"... I wonder what's bothering her," Karna though out loud as he saw the tanned girl with the bright-reddish-orange hair walked away with her hands behind her head, "is her condition so dire that she's given up on life itself?"
"Close enough," Balthus remarked as he walked past Karna, "respect a lady's privacy, or at least, that's what Constance said."
"If it means that I don't have to deal with her nagging later down the line, I'll more than happily oblige," Byron deadpanned as he walked behind Balthus, "we share blood, but she's not my mother."
"At least you have some sense of decency, you crass dastard," Constance snapped as she walked behind Byron.
"Oi," Sorcha called out to Constance as she approached from behind before smacking the noblewoman aside the head, "talk shite, get hit."
"Ow!" Constance winced as she clutched her head, "WHAT THE HELL!?"
"He's an arse, but he's our arse," Sorcha replied, "ya don't piss on our lawn, we don't piss on yers. That clear enough for ya, or do I need to smack ya upside again?"
"Now now, ladies," Yuri interjected between the two quarreling ladies, "save that energy for the enemy up ahead and take your rage out on them, okay?"
The two girls back away from each other in a huff, preventing the conflict from escalating any further.
Back at the Abyss's Main Plaza...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE NOT HERE!?" barked out an irritated voice, revealed to be Seteth, on the last dredges of his patience. "AND ON TOP OF THAT, BANDITS!? HERE OF ALL PLACES!?"
"Not our first time that our location has been tipped off," Aelfric remarked nonchalantly, "usually, the Church's presence itself acts as a natural deterrent-"
"NO, NOT THAT! I MEAN THAT COCKAMAMY PROFESSOR AND THE LOT OF DELINQUENTS THAT HE CALLS A CLASS!" Seteth barked back, "WHERE, ARE THEY, NOW!?"
"The old coliseum, one of my own is leading an ambush to fend off the intruders," Aelfric remarked, "I can take you there if I want-"
"JUST GIVE ME THE DIRECTIONS-"
Behind them, a loud and screeching bray was heard, followed by a drumming of thunderous hoofbeats echoing down the halls behind them.
"The hell?" the Abysskeeper remarked, "did you guys bring an entire calvary unit without telling me-"
From the darkness of the hall that they've come from, a massive, dark-amber-brown colored horse leapt out from the black, it's form large as a wyvern, and strangely enough, a familiar-looking female Professor with long, messy, and dark-teal colored hair draped down her semi-vacant expression on her face.
"PROFESSOR EISNER!?" Seteth gawked out at the utterly-bizarre spectacle.
"Sup," Byleth greeted nonchalantly as her body clung around the giant, rampaging horse's trunk-like neck jumping above their heads, "... how's the weather?"
Before anyone can press further, the horse that the Professor was clinging onto for her dear life galloped away like a runaway wagon rolling downhill.
"... Your orders, sir?" asked the Armored Knight.
"AFTER THE HORSE!" Seteth barked out as he and his detachment went on a mad pursuit towards the rampaging equine.
As the company from above left Aelfric behind by his lonesome, he begun to contemplate to himself for a few moments before shaking his head in dismissal.
"... Hmm," Aelfric grunted at the thought of seeing the female Professor wrapped around the horse's neck, "must be a coincidence."
He then looks up towards the ceiling, also contemplating on something else to rid his mind of his previous thought.
... I wonder what's going on up there so cause such a fuss.
As Aelfric was left to wonder on his own, the man didn't take notice of seven youths sneaking into the Abyss and following the trail of footprints left behind.
"My, this is quite exhilarating!" Flayn quietly remarked as the group snuck past the unassuming man in cloth.
The rest of the group shushed the naive girl's hushed excitement as they continued to sneak towards where the Professor went.
Back at the Coliseum...
"Incoming!" Yuri cried out as his Battalion charged forth towards the enemy Battalion.
The two forces met in a violent clash of arms, with the others joining on the fray to drive the vagrants back.
"So, dare I ask," Karna remarked out loud as he kicked off a dead Myrmidon off of the Iron Spear that he was impaled on, "just who's hiring these infidels to come and raid this dump of all places?" he asked as he ducked under a swing of an Iron Axe followed up by another swing from the Fighter's weapon, "does this place carry that much deplorable people that the outside wants dead, or are they just being ingrates!?" the cloaked Professor pointed out as he fired another [Miasma Δ] point blank at the charging Soldier's stomach and sending him flying across the air.
"Hard to say, but it's all the same to us," Yuri answered as he thrusted his blade into a an enemy Fighter before pulling it out with a quick flick of his arm, "we fight for our survival, nothing more."
"I did not sign up for this nonsense!" Iago complained as he fired his [Wind] at the charging Brawler followed up by Hans driving his Iron Axe into the vagrant's shoulder, "I thought that my academy days were supposed to be lacking of bloodshed and not as a prelude to some convoluted conflict!"
"Blame our old men, they started this mess," Hans grumbled as he pulled his weapon out of his dead opponent, "guy over there is just a pawn like the rest of us," he remarked as he pointed to the cloaked bomber, whose sword was knocked away from his hand, causing him to flee back and pull out another canister full of gunpowder, lighting its wick with [Fire] and throwing it at the charging vagrants, the explosion engulfing them all in a sea of flames formed.
"At least some of us are having their own fun..." Constance grumbled to herself as she saw Balthus and Vidar go at it at the other enemy Fighters and Brawlers.
"Come on, little man!" Balthus cried out boisterously towards Vidar as he uppercutted a Brawler into the air, "keep up with me!"
Vidar lets out a low growl before pouncing onto a Fighter and headbutting his nose into the poor man's face as the bandaged student proceeds to jab his throat in to finish him off.
"Sis, duck!" Sorcha cried out as she swung her Claymore across where Selene was, ducking out of the way of the brutal swing that cleaved through numerous Grapplers and Mercenaries, sending the enemy halves flying off their collective torsos.
".. Thanks," Selene gulped out, "but next time, can you not swing your sword at my direction?"
"They were gonna jump on ya," Sorcha remarked before she left elsewhere on the battlefield, introducing herself to the new vagrants by impaling her massive sword through the leading Thief's gut.
But just as they were about to retaliate, Topaz slits one of their throats open from behind with her [Venin Edge], causing enough of a disruption to allow Sorcha to mow them down with her Claymore once again with the Thief still pierced through its blade.
And as for Cyrus himself, he was still cowering in the corner, hoping that no one would spot his massive 197 cm-tall body curled up behind the pile bodies stacked next to Byron's kill count. Predictably, this fails, and he nearly gets killed for it by taking a near-fatal stab wound to his stomach before fighting the Iron Spear off of the Soldier's grasp and returning it by staking it through the original owner's neck.
"... Someone help," moaned out Cyrus as he pressed onto his bleeding wound, "... don't give out, don't give out, don't give out..."
"Ugh, why me," groaned Byron as he begun to cast [Heal] on Cyrus's stomach wound, "... look, I'm not good at using [Faith Magic], so goddess help us should we end up both dying because of you."
And speaking of the devil, a Brigand with a Steel Axe jumps towards them with his weapon raised over his head, but he was then intercepted by a flechette of arrows from Selene, followed up by Vidar tackling the sorry lug back down to the ground before caving in the vagrant's throat.
"... Let the record show that I owe you nothing," Byron grumbled as he shot a glare at the Almyran that he was healing, "... so don't get any funny ideas, for I already have my hands full, you've already proven yourself to be a dead weight, and things cannot get possibly any worse than it currently is-"
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" a extremely-pissed off voice roared out from the other end of the coliseum, revealed to be a really-pissed-off Seteth, accompanied by his company of Armored Knights and Wyvern Knights (sans their flying mounts).
"... Oh hello there, Mr. Desk Jockey," greeted Karna as he offhandedly blasted a charging Brawler with his [Miasma Δ], "... as you can see, our current situation has escalated."
"I can see that," Seteth gritted out, ceasing of yelling just to preserve what was left of his voice and sanity, "... I will make you answer for this-"
A loud braying followed up by a drumming of hoofbeats echoed throughout the stone walls of the Abyss. Then followed a chorus of screams of pain echoing in tandem to the beat played underground.
"... Sir," a Wyvern Knight asked, "do you think that's the horse we just saw?"
"... No," Seteth answered as the sounds of screaming followed up by sounds akin to that of sacks of grain being dropped onto the floor filled his eardrums to the brim, "... the hoofbeats feel too light."
Karna then notices from the corner of his eye, a single glowing red dot dancing in the darkness behind where Yuri and a few others were standing looming behind them.
"GET DOWN!"
Karna then tackles Yuri down to the ground shortly before a wicked crescent blade reaped through the bodies of countless men in one swipe, taking out Hans, Iago, and the cloaked bomber among the casualties.
From the shadows as it flicked off the fresh blood from its sickle, was a mounted knight adorned with a nightmarish ensemble of horned and skeletal armor, its hollow blacks that are its eyes faintly glowing red wisps, its back fluttered with a ragged and torn black cape akin to that of a bat's wing, its horse equally intimidating in size, armor, and the gloss of its jet-black coat, all accentuated by the menacing sickle that it carries in its hand. Standing before them was the closest that a mortal mind can comprehend an envoy of Death itself, riding about the pitch-black night and collecting the souls of many in its lunatic hunt.
"... It seems that I've arrived a bit late," the sickle-wielding knight remarked as it looked upon the scattered battlefield of corpses and tired students fighting for their lives.
"Dare I ask, but who in the actual hell are you exactly?" asked Karna, "because in my opinion, your armor is in horrible taste, and your ensemble suggests that you've lost your way to a local theater production."
"I commend your fearlessness, groveling one," the knight replied as it tapped its horse's side, causing it to trot past them and swing down its weapon towards them, but not before Karna blasts his last-remaining [Miasma Δ] on the ground that he and Yuri were laying on, rocketing them away from where the weapon had dug in its blade, "and I am not lost, for I have found myself in the field of carnage to sate my appetite."
"In other words, you're not the one in charge," pointed out Yuri as he crawled out from under Karna. "Just another vagrant that found itself down here."
"To those who are either brave or foolhardy, I shall prove your worth myself," the knight declared as its horse trotted to the center of the coliseum, "for I am the Death Knight, and I have come for your heads."
The Death Knight then charges forth towards Byron and Cyrus's direction, causing Vidar to spring in the rider's path.
"A challenger, and with eyes like mine," said the Death Knight as it raised its scythe, "... entertain me."
But just as Vidar charged towards the horse, another loud bray was heard, and this time, the drumming of its hooves came towards the direction adjacent of the Death Knight.
"... No way..." Cyrus remarked with a small smile on his face as the hoovebeats came closer and closer, "... Darius!?"
"Who?" everyone sans Cyrus asked before a bear-sized equine galloped out of the shadows with a dark-teal haired woman clinging around its neck, and with it speeding itself up towards the tacky-armored rider with its head tucked in, rams itself to the side of the Death Knight's own mount, at the same time where Vidar delivers a backflip-kick into the area where the horse's chin and neck met, causing its brain to short out from both being knocked the air out of its system while the trauma delivered to its head caused it to faint and keel down sideways, with the Death Knight being forced to dismount.
"Phew, finally stopped," Byleth remarked as she let herself go from the horse's deck.
"DARIUS!" Cyrus called out to the mammoth steed, the latter coming towards him at his master's call. "Sorry, broke my leg, so I couldn't get to ya myself."
Darius let out a huff before lowering its neck and back.
"... A little help up?" asked Cyrus.
Byron lets out a frustrated groan as he helped up the big lug back up to his one foot, and at that moment, Cyrus grabs onto the horse's mane before hoisting his whole body up to the horse's back, in which then his meek demeanor shatters.
"GYARGHHHHHHHH!" Cyrus roared out with his horse letting out an ear-piercing neigh in tandem as it raised its forelegs triumphantly, "I AM NOW WHOLE!"
"... What am I seeing?" asked Seteth to one of his men, with none of whom can provide an answer.
However, the Death Knight, even with one dead horse, as seen by Vidar now cannibalizing the dying horse of its meat and blood with his teeth like a crazed predator, was simply amused.
"Here comes another challenger..." the Death Knight bemusedly remarked as he raised his scythe above his shoulders while Cyrus's regained confidence blazed across the Almyran's exuding aura, "... don't disappointment me after that show of bravado. I despise those who're all talk."
Darius then kicks up an Iron Lance with one of its rear hooves, with Cyrus catching it mid-air.
"... Can someone tell me what's going on?" Yuri asked out loud as the others gathered around him while watching the stare down taking place, "this is getting bizarre, even for me."
"This reaction, from sullen to strong..." Karna commented, "... the boy's no mere Almyran."
"Then what is he?" asked Balthus, "I fought a couple back in the day, so I couldn't missed em."
"Easily the most expansive of the Almyran ethnicity, their population being roughly 3 times larger than that of all of Fodlan," Karna gulped out, his eyes agape from reminiscence of something awe-inspiring as it is bowel-emptying. "... He's from the Batu Steppe, also known as the 'Sea of Grass', and the home of the infamous Golden Horde."
"... Sounds big, so why haven't we heard of em?" asked Hapi, "I mean, if they're big, should've they come across the Throat and pour in?"
"Politics," answered Karna, "the people of Batu and Almyra are currently negotiating an alliance to secure the Throat eastward of Fodlan, and contrary to popular belief of them being savage brutes with meat for brains, they're savvy enough to know when to make friends."
"So how did an out-of-the-way foreigner end up here of all places?" asked Constance.
"According to him, he was captured by the House of Goneril as a prisoner of war and made as their pet, or so I've been told by him," Karna answered. "... As for the horse, don't ask, but I think it followed him all the way to here."
"Whatever the case, he's serious of taking that freak on," Byron pointed out as Cyrus sallied forth towards the Death Knight, the Iron Lance being parried by the scythe's swing, but the rider and mount being undeterred by the knight's feat of inhuman strength. "... Should we jump in?"
"I don't recommend it," a tired female voice remarked, revealed to be Byleth, who somehow snuck up to them undetected.
"How!?" barked out Karna. "Explain!"
"Dunno, been a fast runner since I learned how to swing a sword," answered the phlegmatic professor.
Before the conversation can proceed any further, the whole coliseum then floods with an army of vagrants out for blood, now completely surrounding everyone present in the coliseum.
"... So, what now?" asked Topaz.
"... How unfortunate," Karna remarked with a sigh as he then begins to charge up another [Dark Magic] in his hands, "I guess we're going to have to KILL THEM ALL!"
The whole area then explodes into an all-out brawl to the death.
"... Sir?" asked the Armored Knight, "... do we join in?"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" Seteth snapped as he tried to keep his eye on both Byleth and Karna, former being an object of the Archbishop's trust while the latter was a walking legal nightmare.
But before he can think more deliberately on the matter, someone smashes a giant wooden plank into the back of his head, the object snapping in two as Seteth tucked his head in pain. Just as the vagrant was about to be apprehended by the surrounding men, Seteth then simply punches the man's face hard as he could, sending the vagrant flying across above the arena full of blood-crazed killers, with all of his clothes sans his undergarments flying off during the flight before landing goddess-knows-where with a sickening crunch.
"... Sir?" again asked the Armored Knight, taken aback by his superior bleeding green from his head.
"ALL MEN CHARGE!" Seteth exploded as he and the others jumped into the battlefield with violent zeal.
Unbeknownst to the ones present in the battle, there were seven others watching the whole thing.
"Oh, my, goddess," Claude chucked out as he did his best to try and keep his laughter in, with Hilda having slightly less success than her leader's own, "I know this a dire situation, but that guy's clothes flew off after Seteth punched him across the room!"
"Umm..." Flayn remarked as she looked down next to where she was crouching, that being the dead man with the broken neck and the lack of clothing, "... for the best, I think it's best we leave before my brother does something worse than this to the rest of us."
Everyone nods, unanimously agreeing to pull out.
"... Question is, where do go from here?" asked Edelgard as she noticed that all of the passages were clogged with vagrants spilling out towards the center of the arena to join on the fray.
"Ashe, any luck of slipping all of us out of here?" asked Dimitri.
The hooded boy gulps in worry.
"... Usually, when me and my siblings were cutpurses, we avoided situations like this," he sheepishly remarked, "this is all new, even for me."
All they could do now simply watch without being detected-
"Get down!" said Dimitri as he tackled down Edelgard from a flying decapitated head landing against the stone wall like a pelted rotten fruit.
... and hopefully, not get beaned on the head by dismembered body parts.
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes: Had to squeeze this out before I work on my short paper assignment for my English course, so if chapter kinda goes a bit downhill during the tail end of this chapter, then you can pin me that for the blame.
I'm only saying that because I expended most of my efforts into writing up the Dustbin's Personal Abilities/Skills and making them feel like legit game skills, so that's a bit of a case of self-inflicted early-burnout for me.
Anyway, for convenience (and possible padding induced from my half-melted brain), here the list of Personal Skills for the Dustbin Characters:
Karna: [Master's Guidance] - Multiplies this unit's and all deployed allies' Proficiency growth by 1.2.
Byron: [Cold and Calculating] - During combat, unit's attacks has the Skill/2% chance to target enemy unit's lower defensive stat between Defense and Resistance.
Vidar: [Avenger] - When an ally with C-Support or higher with this unit adjacent 2 spaces has less than 50% HP within this unit, deals +5 Damage and +20% Crit during combat as long as the former conditions are met (does not stack per unit).
Sorcha: [Dual Striker] - When this unit is assigned with an Adjutant, grants +10 Attack & Defense during and increase chances for a follow-up attack from Adjutant during combat.
Selene: [Dual Guardian] - When this unit is assigned with an Adjutant, grants +10 Hit & Avoid, and increases chances for the Adjutant to guard enemy attacks during combat.
Cyrus: [Trample] - When unit is mounted, unit deals +5 Damage during combat and can inflict -5 Speed and -10 Hit & Avoid after combat; when unit is an infantry, unit takes +5 Damage and has a Luck/2% chance to not counterattack during combat.
Topaz: [Backstab] - When this unit initiates combat against without any aggro targeting her prior, unit deals +5 Damage and +20% Crit during combat.
Anyway, that's all I can muster for now before schoolwork drowns me anew. I'll see if I can salvage my somewhat-rushed work in the next chapter.