"This isn't like Lonato!" Ashe held his head low. Byleth stood with him in the courtyard outside of the Black Eagles homeroom. It didn't seem right to brief his students on the battle plan while Ashe stood helpless to stop the situation. He thought some privacy would be best.
"Lonato took me in, raised me like his own," Ashe continued, his voice as gentle as silk. "He's a good man, I know it."
Byleth was at a loss for words, he'd seen this grief many times. Mostly on the faces of villagers who lost their loved ones. He placed his hand on Ashe's shoulder, "I… I imagine he is."
"Maybe I could go with you," Ashe lifted his eyes, his eyes glimmered with hope. "Maybe I could talk to him, convince him to lay down his arms!"
Byleth's chest grew heavy, he knew it mattered not if Lord Lonato surrendered. The church needed to make an example of him.
"His… sentence is clear…" he trailed off, trying to avoid cruel words that might sting Ashe's fragile mindset.
All hope drained from Ashe's gaze. Deep inside, he must've known it to be true.
"I don't know what your future holds, Ashe," Byleth softened his tone as much as he could. "But watching someone so close to you fall…"
An uncomfortable silence fell between them.
"Well, let's say there will be many heartbreaks in your lifetime. I do not want to add to it now," Byleth hoped his words were reaching him. "Please stay at the monastery."
"I understand, professor," Ashe wearily nodded his head. "Might I ask you one favor?"
Byleth lifted an eyebrow.
"I know I'm not one of your students, and before today, we've rarely had a chance to get acquainted," Ashe rambled, seemingly trying to find the right words. "So I feel that asking such an… intimate favor is a bit forward of me. But if you can help it, can you make it so Lonato does not suffer?"
He gave Ashe a firm nod, "If I can help it, yes. I'll give you my word."
"Thank you, professor," Ashe gave a solemn bow. "If you'll excuse me, I have an urge to go to the chapel and pray for him."
He could see the young man fighting back his tears as he passed him. Byleth did not move. He tried to clear his chest of the tightness that made it hard for him to breathe.
But he knew he couldn't let his body betray his cool demeanor. Not when Edelgard was watching.
Of course he knew she'd been standing outside of their homeroom for some time, but he saw no harm in her watching from a distance.
She took several steps toward him, "that must have been hard, my teacher."
Byleth lifted his gaze but focused on the students eagerly awaiting in the homeroom. His thousand kilometer stare never failed him before in keeping his emotions in check.
"You don't have to hide it." As if she could read his mind, her gentle tone filled his ears, "Not from me."
Of course he did. It's what the people of Fodlan came to expect from the Ashen Demon.
"You've feared your lack of emotion made people afraid," Sothis unexpectedly chimed in, "Now you wish to hide your pain? I swear, children mustn't be so complicated."
Now isn't the time to try and change my nature, he thought to himself, hoping his words would reach Sothis. If Lord Lonato is alive, I can't let Ashe's tears distract me from battle.
"The arrogant one is pleading to see more of you, and you blatantly disregard her request. You'll have many days of marching to harden your mind before you unsheath your sword," Sothis scoffed.
"The others are waiting," Byleth ignored both of them as he made his way to their homeroom. Edelgard followed as she crossed her arms, a defensive position, Byleth noted.
"Professor," Dorothea's tone was solemn as she rose from her seat at his arrival. Petra gave him a gentle nod as Ferdinand lifted his chin and puffed out his chest.
Lindhardt remained seated with his hand holding his head. Though not asleep, his eyes drowsily scanned the table. Leonie gulped hard as she looked at him expectantly.
"I just don't get it!" Caspar obviously couldn't read the room. His tone pierced the weighted atmosphere, "why are they sending us when the fighting could already be over?"
"Because," Huburt emerged from the corner of the room, "it might not be."
"Th-there could be more fighting?" Bernadetta's voice quivered as she closed the distance between her and Dorothea.
"That's right," Byleth nodded.
Edelgard stood to his right, her arms still crossed but her demeanor seemed unsure.
"Any of the knights might tell you otherwise," He continued. "Many will tell you that the battle is already over. But those are the words of men passed to each other, from the Kingdom all the way to Garreg Mach and words have a tendency to get distorted the farther they travel."
"I couldn't agree more," Hubert added, a hint of approval in his voice. "We'd be fools to think ourselves safe from danger."
Byleth nodded, "so I want all of us to march into this battle believing that Lord Lonato's forces are waiting for us."
"What's the battle plan, my teacher?" Edelgard finally broke her silence.
"The buddy system," he replied. "Our class is diverse, from close fighters to distance strikers. We need to make sure that no one is left alone."
"I'll be happily protecting Dorothea," Petra's commitment was admirable. Dorothea smiled and gave her a wink, to which Petra pretended not to see.
"Good, one close fighter to a distance fighter," Byleth nodded. "Pair up."
The students moved from their seats and began to form pairs. Leonie surprisingly planted herself next to Bernadetta, despite not having much time to get to know each other.
Ferdinand stood over Lindhardt's droopy, slouched body.
"I must heartily object," Lindhardt spoke slowly. "I believe Professor Hanneman requested my assistance once again."
"Funny how he always seems to 'request your assistance' when we're meant to march to battle," Ferdinand furrowed his brow.
Byleth nodded, "Sorry, Lindhardt, you're not getting out of it this time."
Hubert dutifully took his place at Edelgard's side.
Caspar wandered around the room for a few moments, he darted his eyes to each of his classmates. "Hey, why doesn't anyone want to be with me?"
"You can be with me Caspar," Byleth struggled to hold back a chuckle. The boy's ignorance was amusing at times. But this was not the time to be laughing.
He scanned the room, ensuring he approved of the pairs that formed. That there were no obvious weaknesses that might hurt more than help. As his eyes landed on Edelgard, he saw her shoulders visibly deflate while Hubert's stance remained unchanged.
"Good," he gave a firm nod as Caspar moved across the room to stand by his professor. "This is not a group of poorly trained bandits. If there still is a resistance, they are trained knights in service to their lord and will not flee."
A few of the students uncomfortably shifted their weight, some crossed their arms.
"You are each other's sword and shield. Without your partner, you are more than likely to fall yourself."
It may have been a harsh reality, but it was the truth nonetheless.
However, inside, Byleth could feel his resolve growing stronger. None will fall, not if he could help it.
Night fell on their second day of marching. Byleth knew they were close to where Lord Lonato's forces were reported. He despised the thought of his student's fighting in the shadows.
"Will we not make camp soon?" Byleth turned to Shamir. Despite being a knight of Seiros, she chose to stay toward the rear of their march, near Byleth and his class.
"Unlikely," she shook her head. "Ryler has it in his head that we're just the cleanup crew."
"That doesn't seem wise," he muttered, barely audible.
"Agreed," Shamir replied. "Perhaps their goddess will knock some sense into him."
Much of the woman remained a mystery to Byleth, and mysteries were not something he enjoyed. He only knew she was a mercenary before joining the church, a fact that Byleth could not only relate to, but respect.
"Their goddess?" Byleth inquired, trying to note her body language. "Bold talk for a servant of the church."
"I owe Rhea a debt," he silently noted that she omitted the title of "Lady" from Rhea's name. "She took me in at a time of need."
He nodded in understanding. She's loyal, but won't compromise her beliefs.
"And you?" She quipped, "I didn't receive a lecture about not addressing Rhea by her formal title. Doesn't seem you took offense."
She was much more observant than Byleth gave her credit for. A rare trait indeed, perhaps even rivaling his own.
"I just teach," He purposely kept his answer short, not wanting to give away more detail than needed. It had been quite some time since he met another mercenary that possessed his own skill of personality deciphering. Byleth wanted to make Shamir work for it.
"Just teach?" She chuckled, "I find that hard to believe."
"How so?"
"Your students adore you," Shamir elaborated. "Teachers that just teach don't get the admiration that you get."
"I haven't been here long enough to earn adoration," he shook his head.
"My teacher," Edelgard quickened her pace to walk beside Byleth. "I wonder if we should not make camp soon. The trail only darkens from here and the fog is setting in."
Byleth turned his head to see her visibly trying to soften a scowl that was on her face.
"We're guests of the Knights of Seiros," he shrugged. "If they insist on moving forward, we have no choice but to follow."
"Yes, but I believe-"
Byleth raised his hand and ceased his walk. He couldn't help but notice that Shamir had also stopped on a dime.
His students behind him lowered their bodies, perhaps muscle memory from their first skirmish with the bandits.
His eyes darted across the trail as he tried to focus on his ears. It was hard to separate the sounds of the knights' heavy metal boots marching forward, but in between steps… a rustle.
He snapped his gaze to the tree line to their left, instinctively putting his arm across Edelgard's chest and pushing her behind him.
Shamir took a step forward, closing the distance between her and Byleth, "whispers."
"I hear it too," his lips barely moved as he struggled to keep his voice as low as possible. "They're nocking their bows."
He could also hear the unsheathing of steel.
"Catherine!" Shamir yelled, no longer concerned with their stealth. "The trees! They're in the trees!"
She knew what he knew. It was them who had succeeded in being stealthy.
The knights in front of them began to scatter in confusion. Some moved towards the trees, the others fell over trying to distance themselves from them.
Byleth pivoted toward his students, "get back, now! Away from the trees!"
The whistle of arrows were unmistakable. He heard several groans and shouts before the loud clunking of metal against the ground.
But the knights were not his responsibility. Byleth waved his arm, hurrying his students away from the trees.
Dorothea turned so fast that her legs could not keep up and she fell to the ground. Byleth gripped her arm tightly and practically threw her into the air, desperate to get her on her feet again.
His eyes frantically darted trying to do a headcount of his students. Bernadetta, Petra, Hubert, Edel-
He saw a body laying face-first on the ground. He did not wear armor as the knights did, and his orange hair swayed in the wind.
Ferdinand. Byleth sprinted toward his motionless student. An arrow protruded from his back.
No.
He could hear Bernadetta's scream, but only barely. His ears throbbed as he pushed Ferdinand onto his back. His eyes were open.
A dead man's stare.
"He-He…" Lindhardt stuttered, "He threw me to the ground just before he fell."
But Byleth paid him no mind.
"He threw himself in front of the arrow meant for me, didn't he?" Lindhardt's tone rose as he fell to his knees.
"No!" Byleth screamed.
"B-but he did!" Lindhardt's voice quivered.
Byleth put his fist in front of him and clenched hard. His brow furrowed so hard he could feel his head throb. There was no more sound. Only vibration.
His surroundings began to blur as he tightened his fist even harder. He cared not if he drew blood. The vibrations grew stronger as blurs passed him and surrounded him, as an ethereal orb would.
Byleth's head screamed for him to stop, but he would not, not yet.
Finally, his fist loosened, unable to manage the strength to keep it clenched any longer.
He was no longer on the ground next to Ferdinand. His arm was across Edelgard's chest, pushing her behind him as he stared into the trees before them.
"Catherine!" Shamir yelled, "The trees! They're in the trees!"
Byleth dared not hesitate, pivoting to face his students, "get into the open field, now!"
This time, Byleth followed closely behind Ferdinand and Lindhart, unsheathing his sword. Dorothea yelped as she fell to the ground but he did not run to her aid. He watched from the corner of his eye as Petra gripped Dorothea's hands, aiding her to her feet once again.
He heard the whistle and without wavering he swung his blade across his body at the rapidly approaching shimmering metal arrowhead. Byleth did not hear the clink he would have expected to hear if he had deflected the arrow as he intended.
Instead, he was greeted with a sudden pressure in his left pectoral muscle. He glanced down, but only for a moment as men began to emerge from the trees, their blades raised as they engaged the Knights of Seiros.
The arrow stung deep in his chest, it was deeper than he expected. The shaft of the arrow nearest his pierced shirt was already red with his blood.
Without a second thought he gripped the shaft tightly and snapped it downward, breaking it as close to his skin as possible.
Confident none of the enemies had focused their attention on them yet he quickly turned to see his students had stopped running. Though they were mostly clumped together, they remained in the pairs they had chosen.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ferdinand stood next to Lindhardt, his own sword pointed toward the trees. Byleth smoothly pulled the collar of his coat a little further across his chest, hoping to hide what remained of the arrow.
"Spread out with your partner," Byleth barked out orders. "Distance fighters, aim for the trees. Let the knights deal with the ones on the trail."
He walked toward them at a brisk pace, trying not to let the pounding sensation in his chest deter him from his responsibilities. His glance rested on Shamir, surprised that she had chosen to stay with them.
He lifted a finger and pointed it at Edelgard, "don't heave your axe! There are a lot more of them than we were led to believe."
She nodded as she swiftly gave it a twirl, adjusting its weight in her hand.
"Pro-professor!" Bernadetta lowered her bow, "They're coming!"
Byleth quickly turned his head and saw a dozen or so armored knights jogging toward them. Thankfully the bulk of their forces were focused on the Knights of Seiros, "let none get near your partner!"
He gave his own sword a twirl before resting both of his hands on its haft. His right hand was already tired from invoking Sothis' Divine Pulse.
"Dorothea, Hubert, rain fire," Byleth didn't like how grouped together their approaching enemies were. If they were to collide, casualties would be inevitable.
He saw two balls of light arch over his head, one a bright red and the other a deep purple.
As expected, the enemy knights changed their path quickly to avoid one only to be met with the other. The ground exploded as their spells pounded the dirt, sending two of the knights flying backward.
They saw the error in their staying so close together as they began to spread out. Just as Byleth wanted. Their pace quickened.
He raised his sword as he sprinted forward, mere meters from the closest knight.
His foe mirrored his actions and both swung their blades as they collided with a deafening CLANG.
Byleth quickly spun his body, knowing the weight of the armor his enemy wore would make his movements slower. With a low, side slash to his leg, he heard the knight cry in pain as he dropped to his opposite knee. He raised his sword and slid the tip below his helmet but to the side of his torso armor.
One of many weak spots of an armored enemy.
He knew by now the other foes must have passed him. He lifted his eyes as his kill dropped lifelessly to the ground to find his students engaged in their own battles.
Byleth let the tip of his blade drag against the ground as he sprinted toward the next closest, the one currently trying to expose Edelgard's weakness of being unable to sidestep attacks. She favored blocking too heavily for Byleth's liking.
He dropped to the ground and let himself skid across the dirt, a tactic that served him well since his first kill. Byleth lifted his sword and let it slide into the back of the knight's thigh but quickly pulled back. He didn't want to risk letting the blade slide too far and pierce Edelgard.
The knight dropped his head with a terrified yell as he dropped his sword to grip his thigh with both hands. Edelgard took the opportunity to bury her axe into the man's neck, the exact same spot Byleth had targeted just moments earlier.
"Well done, my teacher," She shot him a sly smile.
"Move your body more," He quickly stated, "They're slower than you."
Byleth turned his attention to Shamir, fighting off two knights. She didn't seem to be struggling, but Byleth wanted to even the odds.
He darted away from Edelgard and brought his sword down and with all of his might swung upwards, between the legs of one of Shamir's attackers.
"Oof," The enemy stopped moving to see blood begin to drip to the ground from beneath his metal skirt.
Shamir immediately took advantage and turned her body fully to face her solo attacker. With a swift kick to the chest he flew and landed on his back. But before he could scramble to his feet, Shamir stood over him and brought her blade down through his open visor.
"Appreciated," she simply stated before she ran off to find her next enemy.
Byleth turned his body to find all of his students either swinging their blades, casting their spells or nocking their bows.
He turned his gaze to the next closest. He was attempting to double team Ferdinand and Lindhart as they were already preoccupied with another knight.
Byleth galloped effortlessly toward him, confident he had enough time while trying to give his muscles a moment to breathe. He didn't know how long this battle was going to last, he would need every ounce of energy he could muster.
Byleth raised his sword and brought it down in the sweet spot of the knight's exposed neck. He didn't fall, not right away. Instead, he placed his hand over his neck and drunkenly turned his body to face Byleth, clumsily swinging his sword.
"No!" An ear-piercing scream jolted him. He turned his sight away from the dying knight and saw Bernadetta on her knees, her bow on the ground not far from her. She used her hands to shake Leonie's shoulders, "G-get up, you have to get up!"
But she would not get up, there was a neat, deep slice across her stomach.
Her wide eyes were so focused on Leonie's lifeless body that she paid no attention to the enemy that hovered over her. He raised his blade high above his head, confident of his victory. Bernadetta's head would be his.
No.
Byleth closed his eyes and held his fist in front of him. Every muscle in his body begged him to stop, but he would not.
His surroundings began to vibrate.
"What are you doing?" Sothis' voice called out. She sounded as exhausted as he felt. And the arrow that was burrowed in his chest certainly didn't help, "we cannot take much more of this."
"I'm sorry, Sothis," he squinted his eyes harder as the vibrations grew stronger, "We have to."
"I… understand," Sothis breathed heavily.
He released his fist.
Byleth opened his eyes to quickly assess his new surroundings.
"Appreciated," Shamir simply stated as she dashed off toward her next enemy.
Byleth quickly pivoted and began sprinting at full force toward Leonie and Bernadetta. He passed Ferdinand and Lindhardt, ignoring the extra knight that approached them, hoping with all of his might that the events would play out in his favor.
He saw Leonie sidestep her enemy's overhead swing. Something he would have to commend her for later. But his heart sank when he saw that his blade did not stop moving. Instead, he expertly diverted the momentum sideways. Something he could see Leonie did not foresee.
Her eyes grew wide as she realized too late.
CLANG
Byleth threw his body forward. His sword was adjacent to the knight's, but he wasn't quick enough. He felt the sting of his foe's sword breaching the side of his abdomen. Byleth shoved his sword forward with all the strength he could summon. The blade was yanked from his skin, he would assess the damage later.
He turned his head to see Leonie standing, slack jawed. More than likely, trying to process how close she had come to death.
Another overhead swing. Byleth felt the breeze of his steel as he snapped his head forward and spun his body. He prepared his blade but was surprised to see that Leonie had already pierced his thigh with the tip of her spear, just to the inside. Exactly where he taught her.
Without a struggle, he fell to the ground. Leonie shot him a grin as she yanked the spear from his flesh.
He would have returned her smile, but instead, he retrieved his knife from his waistband and deftly spun his body and sent the small dagger flying end over end. In truth, Byleth barely aimed, but he knew exactly where the dagger was meant to land.
A moment later, Ferdinand flinched as the knight he was parrying jolted his body. He frantically reached his hand behind head, fruitlessly trying to remove the dagger that pierced his exposed neck.
His body clanked against the dirt.
Ferdinand snapped his gaze to meet Byleth, his eyes wide with shock, "impressive, professor!"
"That… was impressive," Leonie sounded baffled. "You didn't even aim."
But Byleth had no time to engage in conversation. There were still a handful remaining enemies that threatened his students.
"Gaspard knights!" A deep voice bellowed in the distance. "Our skirmish is over!"
The enemies in his students' immediate vicinity lowered their weapons cautiously.
"We have your lord!" The voice continued, "and he does not wish for you to throw away your lives any longer!"
Byleth hesitantly lowered his sword as the knights began to walk backward, not wanting to take their eyes off their enemies.
Once they felt enough distance had been gained, they turned and began to walk toward the booming voice.
Byleth sheathed his sword as his students began to gather around him. He instinctively pulled his coat over the side of his abdomen as he had not had the opportunity to assess the damage.
Another wound to hide.
"Professor, your nose!" Edelgard's voice was full of worry.
Byleth didn't feel any pain in his face, nor did he recall being struck in the face. He brought his hand up and wiped it under his nostrils. Lo and behold, a streak of blood lined his hand.
"It's nothing, I must have gotten punched." He turned his attention back to the gathering crowd near the trail.
"Should we… should we go see?" Dorothea asked hesitantly.
Byleth shook his head. He knew that it was true. The Knights of Seiros had subdued Lord Lonato, and by the sound of it, alive. He knew what was coming next.
His students would witness executions many times in their lives, he did not want this to be their first.
Byleth turned his gaze to his worried pupils, "Go further into the open field, back the way we came. Ensure there are no stragglers. Stay in the open and keep your eyes and ears open."
He knew there were no 'stragglers.' Lord Lonato's knights would not have strayed so far away from their lord. It was a flimsy excuse, but he hoped that none of them would question his instruction.
Each gave him a pause before turning and walking the direction he pointed.
"And you, my teacher?" Edelgard interjected. "Will you not join us?"
He shook his head.
"Then I shall go with you," she stubbornly finished.
"Do as I say," Byleth lowered his tone.
"Do not think I am naive," She rebutted, "I've seen many executions already. One of the downfalls of being a princess of the Empire."
He wished to spare her this moment. It didn't matter if she had seen them before, he did not want her to see one while she was in his company.
Byleth began to walk toward the gathering knights, enemy and ally, alike. They formed a bustling circle around the general direction the voice came from.
Edelgard doubled her steps to walk beside him. Hubert followed closely behind.
Shamir approached his other side as the four walked across the field.
He turned his head to see his other students dutifully following his instruction, talking amongst themselves, though he was now too far to hear what they were saying.
"You know what's coming next," Shamir coldly stated.
Byleth nodded.
"They won't be gentle," she added.
"I suspected as much," Byleth replied.
"When are they ever?" Edelgard mumbled, barely audible. Had it been anyone but Byleth, they probably wouldn't have been able to make out what she said.
It seemed like an eternity of walking in silence before they reached the rear of the crowd.
"Shamir!" The unfamiliar voice called.
The knights that had blocked their path parted to let her through. Byleth, Edelgard and Hubert followed her path.
As they neared the center of the crowd, Byleth saw Shamir's muscles tense.
"Why does he have on a noose?" Her voice rose with fury.
"I tried telling him," Catherine rubbed her forehead with her hand, clearly frustrated.
Byleth moved to see what Shamir was seeing and saw a regal man, on his knees. His hands were bound behind his back. His head lowered as if he didn't wish to see the joy his foes would receive from his death.
Sure enough, around his neck was a thick rope tied into a noose hung casually around the man's neck. An unfamiliar, black-haired knight tossed the rope over a tree branch that hung above them.
The sight sickened Byleth. He struggled to keep his composure as he heard Edelgard's voice fill the air, "this man's defeated. What is the meaning of this?"
The black-haired man turned his head and with a disgusting grin, nodded his head, "you must be the infamous professor I've heard so much about."
"Ryler, I assume?" Byleth's voice was flat.
"I see my legend has preceded me!" He turned his body to grip the rope that dangled from the tree branch.
"You didn't answer my question," Shamir's tone skyrocketed.
He casually shrugged, "Lady Rhea demanded an example be made of him. I figured what better example than a hanging lord's body to anyone who traverses their way through Gaspard."
"You intend to pull that rope, thus hanging Lord Lonato?" Byleth coldly inquired.
"I do," Ryler's eyes began to size Byleth from head to toe."
"You realize without the fall, his neck won't break." He knew what Ryler intended. "He'll be strangled to death."
"And?" Ryler lifted his brow, "what of it?"
"With a noose that thick, it could take five minutes, give or take or someone to strangle to death."
"Again," Ryler's voice grew agitated, "what of it?"
"My teacher," Edelgard frantically lifted her head, gazing into the side of her professor's face. He turned his head to meet her eyes. Her violet eyes glistened as they darted back and forth, seemingly searching for answers within his. "We cannot let this happen."
Byleth didn't answer. He turned his head to look at a deflated Lord Lonato. His eyes were sullen, no doubt recalling fond memories of Ashe in his youth, hoping to soften the fear of his own death.
But if you can help it, can you make it so Lonato does not suffer?
Ashe's words stung in his chest.
Ryler was put in charge of this mission. Who was he to start a futile squabble? Could Byleth defy a Knight of Seiros?
He already knew the answer. Yes, yes he could.
Byleth unsheathed his sword and with a single step managed to lift and drop his sword in one fell swoop. The crowd took several steps back as Lord Lonato's head fell from his body.