Interlude: Edelgard

The heavy silence of the woods hung thick in the air, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves or the tree itself falling to the ground.

Edelgard Von Hresvelg, heiress to the Adrestian empire, knelt on the forest floor, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her once-immaculate armor bore the scars of battle, muddied and dented, a reflection of the turmoil that had beset her. Around her, bodies littered the ground. They were not men and women she cared for, yet the sight of their dismembered and mangled corpses still caused her to shake uncontrollably.

This was wrong.

This was all so very, very wrong.

She knew what she was getting into, that the one they sought was potentially as dangerous as the Archbishop herself. And yet, not even she could have guessed to this extent! She was only meant to be here as a spectator—to watch as Solon and Kronya 'persuaded' this 'Angel of the Woods' to join their cause.

In hindsight, she should have known that peace was never an option.

She should have known there was no going back from killing one of their ranks and she should have known the two Agarthans would have all the subtlety of a battering ram.

The moment they had arrived, magic was already crackling in Solon's hands. And the moment they confirmed their target was inside the house, a searing blast of dark energy erupted from his palm, rending the tranquility of the cabin asunder with an explosive cacophony. The once peaceful stillness of the forest was replaced with splintering wood and the fleeing of wildlife. Soon, flames begin rising from the debris, black smoke escaping the canopy.

That was when she first saw her.

Rising from the debris was a silhouette. She stood crouched, her legs slightly bent and her arms awkwardly twisted in a way that was definitely caused by pounds and pounds of wood crushing them. The woman's clothes were little more than tattered rags, yet Edelgard could make out the black she wore from the neck down. It was as if she were the dead come back to life.

And as if to further empty the pit in her stomach, she witnessed the impossible.

With her very own eyes, she watched as bones snapped, muscles tore, and ligaments stretched until finally her arms were straight and her hands were flat on the ground. Even from this far, she could hear the grueling process as if she were standing right next to her.

And despite that, there were no moans of discomfort from the woman. Instead, when the process was finished, her body seemed to heave constantly, as if taking in gulps of air before she simply stopped.

That's when the woman lifted her head, and Edelgard felt the unease hit her at full force.

Glowing, slit-red eyes looked upon the gathered militia behind blue bangs. Her face was as pale as the moon, yet completely devoid of human emotion. Only a small mouth and a pointed nose were visible from the distance, yet it was hard to care when those bright red orbs glared through her very soul.

Edelgard felt like fleeing.

Despite her resolve, despite her ambition, everything in her was telling her to flee from this woman—that nothing good would come from bothering this...this...creature.

And she had no doubt it was a creature.

No human could do what she just saw, no matter the level of training or endurance. To do so would require a level of fortitude that was impossible for mere mortals to reach, and she refused to believe this woman was mortal.

Then she started walking towards them.

Stepping through the rubble, the sound of splintering wood echoed through the forest like bells. The moment she cleared the rubble, she was sprinting.

And she was fast.

Too fast.

They were at least 150 yards away from the shed, yet she crossed half the distance in no time—exceeding that of even the best knight on horseback to travel in the span of 5 seconds.

Edelgard barely had the time to draw her axe before she was on them. Predictably, since she was in the lead, she was the first to face the creature's wrath. She had held her axe up defensively, hoping to counter the speeding flaming arrow coming right for her.

A concentrated beam of black magic sent the creature flying back into the forest before she could even make contact. It did not stop there, either. Countless number of spells shot from behind her and at the creature's landing spot. Fire, lightning, wind, dark—all were used to bombard the creature into submission, and it looked to be working.

Only when they were sure the creature had been subjugated did Solon raise a hand for them to stop. In the distance, a crater formed, all the surrounding trees and grass having been turned to dust. If it were still alive after that, then Edelgard had no hope of defeating it.

And for a moment, she thought that they had succeeded. After nearly 3 minutes of silence and allowing the debris to clear, nothing moved from the crater. Behind her mask, her relief was hidden.

Next to her, Solon spoke condescendingly, "A pity she had to die. She would have been a most valuable asset to our cause if she knew her place."

Edelgard couldn't help but find the remark asinine. They didn't give her a chance to submit, nor was diplomacy ever in question. Its remains were all they needed, so such remarks could only be spoken in spite or vengeance for the agents they've lost.

It mattered not, though. The creature was likely dead, and they got what they wanted.

She didn't hear what the Agarthan had said to her next, but she clearly remembered him calling Kronya from her perch in the trees. The lavender-skinned woman did so eagerly, her diamond-patterned tails following behind majestically.

It was almost poetic, really, how fast the atmosphere changed.

It was only a minute into the hole before Kronya's shriek cut through the air like a knife. The cry didn't even last a second before a gurgle followed, causing her and the others to turn and face the crater she'd dropped into.

The silence that followed was the calm before the storm.

It didn't take long after that, maybe a minute or two, before the something flew out of the crater. It was small, at least the size of a melon. And like a melon, it cracked upon landing, sending red flying as they took in what exactly it was.

It was not a fruit, but a head.

The head of the Agarthan herself.

Orange locks stuck to her face, a permanent picture of horror etched on her face. A scream began to erupt from the other Agarthans, yet no one dared make a move.

Especially when the creature emerged from the crater to land in between their ranks.

Once again, all turned, those close enough falling to their feet and scrambling away from the monster that had landed in front of them.

Only now, it looked different. Almost all the clothing she had worn had been completely disintegrated. Loose fabric clung to her chest while only parts of her leather pants remained to cover her decency. The clothes, however, weren't the focal point of their fear. Surrounding her was a bubbling aura of red, pulsating and moving about. Behind her, the aura formed three tails, while on her head formed what they all thought were horns.

And in its hands were the remains of the missing Agarthan.

She didn't know who screamed or what started the carnage that followed. All she knew was the panic after the scream and being thrown on her back.

And then, it began.

Bodies flew everywhere, followed by the constant screams of men and women alike. Trees were uprooted and flung as if they were pebbles, decimating surrounding trees at best and completely flattening people at worst. Spells went flying wildly in hopes of hitting the creature, and soon, the smell of blood became commonplace.

Not once did Edelgard see the creature during any of it. The only thing that came close was a blur of red before a helpless fool vanished from sight, sometimes without their legs. It was all she could do to stay clear of the carnage as she desperately tried to find somewhere safe from the chaos.

Whatever desperate attempt she wanted to make was foiled upon something smashed into her from behind. The force knocked the wind right out of her, sending her tumbling before the back of her head smashed into something hard.

Stars filled her vision as she struggled to stand, her world spinning and the sounds around her distant. Her ears were ringing loudly, her surroundings were a blur, and the back of her head was in pain. Something warm was running down her face, the fact that she had more of a peripheral view starting to set. Reaching up, she was able to feel the blood, which also meant her mask was cracked.

That wasn't good.

That wasn't good at all.

If things couldn't have gotten any worse, the screams from before had gone eerily quiet. Looking up through blurry vision, she was able to take in her surroundings.

The once-pristine forest was in shambles. Bodies were littered everywhere, all lifeless and covered in red. Edelgard has seen truly gruesome sights thanks to her upbringing, yet nothing held a candle to this level of carnage.

So lost was she that she almost didn't feel the hand shaking her until the man it belonged to kneeled down before her. Looking up, she saw the familiar visage of Solon. The Agarthan had definitely seen better days. His robes were tattered, and a deep gash marred the side of his bulging cranium. The left lens on his glasses was cracked, and one of his hands was missing.

Before she could take him in any further, she was being dragged to her feet. "Get up, brat!" Solon barked at her, the haze clearing at his voice. "There isn't much time! Quickly, before-URK?!"

Solon suddenly let go of her, stumbling forward. Before Edelgard could ask, the reason was revealed when his hand went to his stomach.

A red hand had pierced through his midsection.

The world stopped, and Solon looked back at her in disbelief. The look of shock persisted as he turned his head shakily to look behind him.

Slit-red eyes met his, and if his heart hadn't been pierced, it would be beating a mile a minute. They looked right through him. Judging him. Finding him wanting. Then dismissing him altogether.

"D...Dem...on." He barely was able to choke out before his body was casually tossed aside.

If Edelgard didn't know fear before, she definitely knew it now. The creature-

No, the demon looked down on her after killing one of the most powerful mages as if he were an ant in her way. Her entire body trembled out of control, and her breath came in short, uncontrolled gasps. She was sure she had soiled herself, yet the numbness was all she could feel, nor would she care if she could feel it.

Then the demon began walking towards her.

She immediately fell back to her rear. Despite everything telling her to flee, she was nailed in place. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes watered as she stared death in the eye. The world went silent save for the sound of the demon's steps, and her world became consumed by the image of her approaching demise.

Kneeling down, a red hand extended itself toward her, and she had the urge to scream.

Soft, warm fingers stopped that impulse.

A thumb brushed against her cheek, wiping away the blood from her injury. It smeared what was likely Solon and countless others' blood on her face, but she doubted the demon cared. Then, a finger traced her jawline before her cheek was fully cupped.

And all this time, she stared petrified at the demon, the aura around her gone but not the malice it exuded.

And then it spoke. It's voice was low and husky, almost a whisper that reverberated in her head.

"You...are not one of them." It was more a statement than a question. The overwhelming fear did not allow her to reply, but she doubted anything she had to say would make her fate less certain. "...But you know where they are."

The Adrestean heiress didn't even have the mind to question how the demon knew that. She didn't have a response in her head—not one that would help her survive, anyway. And so, she remained silent, hoping her silence wasn't confirmation for the demon's theory.

She didn't know if it worked, but the demon's free hand pointed a thumb behind her, those red pupils not leaving her for even a moment.

"That cabin...that was my home." The demon's grip on her cheek tightened, and she whimpered. "I remember. The men who spied looked a lot like your friends. They had masks like the one you wear. The men and women in white... You all never learn, and now, you took my home. How long will it be before you take something else precious from me, I wonder..."

The demon's hand suddenly left her face as it stood up. It began walking around her until she was completely out of view. Despite that, Edelgard didn't move. Even when she heard dirt rustle behind her. Even when she felt two hands land on her shoulders. Even when the demon started speaking directly behind her. She did. Not. Move.

"I know what they all feel like now...thanks to you." One hand left her shoulder. "I should kill you." She said plainly, as casually as one would talking about the weather. "...But I won't do that."

An arm came into view as it slowly curled around her neck.

"You will be my messenger."

It was only when the second hand went behind her head that she realized what was about to happen.

"I want to send whoever you serve a message."

The arm that had wrapped around her neck began to tighten, and Edelgard felt her breath leave her completely.

"Tell them, their days are numbered."

The will to live finally kicked in as the heiress frantically kicked and struggled to breathe.

"Tell them to make their peace."

The hand on her head pushed her forward, the sudden action forcing her chin to touch the demon's arm and squeezing more air from her lungs.

"Tell them a demon is coming."

Edelgard felt her world going dark.

"And tell them."

Her body slowly went limp, and she found darkness before the last words registered in her psyche.

"...I will kill them all."

A/N: Let this be a lesson to those who delve into the unknown. When you play with fire, sometimes you're gonna get burned. In this case, when you poke a Jinchuuriki with a stick, expect them to put a hand through your chest.

Fodlan now understands the vast difference between their magic and a Jinchuuriki, and soon so shall the Agarthans. Wonder who else will get their comeuppance. Hmmmmmmmm.

Current ages in scene:

Byleth: 19

Edelgard: 14

Solon: Doesn't matter. He dead.

Kronya: Doesn't matter. She dead.