There was an orange glow that danced over the horizon and Byleth could hear the screams even before they reached the hill that overlooked Remire village.
"Let's pick up the pace," Jeralt broke out into a gallop.
Byleth followed close behind with Shamir at his side. He could hear his students' footsteps quicken. His chest felt tight, as if someone were standing on it. Solon was no doubt waiting for them, but the thought that he might also be accompanied by Monica and maybe even the Death Knight made him uneasy.
Byleth might be able to take on any one of them, but if they planned to make a stand here and now, he was unsure his students would be ready.
Jeralt came to a sudden stop at the top of the hill. His eyes peered downward though he did not say a word. It was only a moment before Byleth saw what he did as he came to stop beside his father.
Remire village was not a large town, but no less than half of the residential shacks and buildings had been set ablaze. Their flames danced wildly and emphasized the shadows of the villagers that ran frantically past the fires.
From this distance, it was hard to tell who had been afflicted and who was in fear for their lives.
"It's…" Annette had reached them at the top of the hill, "it's horrible!"
"We must get down there!" Ferdinand began moving forward, but Byleth put his arm across his chest to stop him.
"We have to assess our battlefield first," Byleth simply replied.
"B-but… the villagers!" Ferdinand protested.
"I know it's hard," Byleth did not feel like explaining himself, but he knew his students would easily rush head-first into the battle without a plan. "But we must first identify the characters of the infected and strongholds."
"Is that…'' Jeralt narrowed his vision as he stared at something in the distance. "Is that Tomas?"
"Tomas?" Flayn breathed heavily. "Hopefully he has not been injured!"
Byleth followed his gaze to see the old librarian standing on an opposite hill, and beside him, the Death Knight. He could barely see them through the rising smoke.
"He certainly doesn't seem to be in any danger," Jeralt clenched his jaw. His voice was barely audible over the myriad of overlapping screams. Some were shrieks, some called out the names of a loved one, others pleaded for their lives.
It was true. Tomas stood on the hill and peered down at the carnage. However, Byleth already knew Solon was only there to revel in his destruction.
He returned his eyes to the town below and watched the villagers carefully.
"My teacher," Edelgard squeezed her way to stand beside him. "How much longer must we wait?"
"There," Jeralt ignored the students. He lifted his finger and pointed at what appeared to be three strange villagers. "Look at their arms, they're not moving to and fro."
Byleth followed his finger and saw what he meant. As they ran, they spun their arms wildly, not as a normal person would.
"Alright," Byleth nodded his head. "Stay in your groups, protect each other and target the villagers that are moving erratically."
"Target the residents?" Ingrid lifted her brow as she scrunched her face.
"They're killing each other," Byleth answered. "Our first priority is to protect those that aren't affected. Lysithea, stay close to Shamir."
"Understood," Shamir nodded.
"But professor-"
"She'll protect you," he interrupted her.
"My teacher, surely you don't mean to face them alone," Edelgard looked up to his face.
Byleth began to walk down the hill, "if we have any hope of freeing the affected, I have to."
Edelgard trotted down the grass, a short distance from her professor, "then I shall go with you."
The class followed close behind as they weaved in and out, forming their teams.
"Lady Edelgard, I must object," Hubert picked up his pace. "I cannot allow you to face them without me."
"Don't leave Dorothea alone!" Byleth could feel the adrenaline beginning to pulse through his veins as they rapidly approached the chaotic village.
"I've got her covered," Shamir ran, she had not yet unsheathed her weapon but she preferred to do so only moments before she would strike.
Damnit. Byleth did not want Edelgard anywhere near Solon and Jeritza but she seemed determined to defy his instruction, just as Lysithea had done.
But it was not the time to argue. He narrowed his eyes at a few villagers near a burning hut. Byleth knew he couldn't just pass them by on his way to Solon and let the cards fall where they may.
He quickly unsheathed his pale sword and flicked his arm behind him as he ran. The Sword of the Creator glowed as it unchained itself.
Byleth took a double step and forcefully flung his arm. His chain whipped forward faster than he could follow. It struck a rabid villager as it tore a gash through his back and he fell to the ground with a thud. He quickly flicked his arm back to recall his sword.
He could see Edelgard give her axe a twirl as she approached a resident. He turned his body to face her, he foamed at the mouth as he narrowed his focus.
"Kill!" His arms and shoulders darted wildly in the air, as if they were being controlled by something else.
Edelgard brought her arm up with all of her might and sliced the affected villager up his stomach to his chest. She did not cease her motion, instead she spun her body and brought her axe across her body, burying her blade deep into another rabid resident's chest.
Byleth quickly scanned his surroundings as he saw his students intermingle with the frantic villagers.
He kept his blade solid as he dashed forward. A woman tripped and attempted to scramble to her feet, but her pursuer was quicker. Byleth leapt into the air as he thrusted his sword through his back.
"M–my daughter!" The woman stood on her feet as she peered at Byleth. He pulled his sword from the lifeless body and let it fall to the ground.
"Get out of the village!" Byleth waved his hand as he turned his head to find his next target. There was no way around it, he would have to fight his way through to Solon.
"Please! I have to find her!"
"You'll be no good to her dead," Byleth stated. "I will find her. Now get out!"
The woman didn't answer as she gave him an uncertain nod, her whole body trembled. He did not wait to see if she had fled, instead, he turned his body and focused on his next target.
Three rapid villagers faced him, their heads jerked erratically.
"Darkness! Kill!" They ran toward him.
Byleth pushed off his right foot and swung his blade upward, then across his body and finally thrusted the tip of his sword forward. Each strike was fatal as the villagers fell to the ground behind him.
He could hear his students' voices between the panicked shouts and incoherent yelling of the villagers.
"That one!" It sounded like Annette.
The shack behind him violently shook. Byleth darted forward as the wood collapsed under the weight of the raging fire.
"Stay together!" He couldn't see most of his students, and he began to feel a swelling panic of his own.
Byleth heard a loud whooshing sound and quickly snapped his head toward the sound. Before he could process what he was seeing, he leaned as far as he could and stumbled backward as a large purple fireball flew past him.
He followed it with his eyes as it collided with two affected, sending them flying into the air. Byleth turned his head to see Hubert extend his arm again, another purple flame flew from his palm.
"Lady Edelgard?" Hubert shouted, his voice cracked.
Byleth swiveled his head to search for her white hair. He saw a man running with a small child in his arms. He saw another affected villager sitting on the chest of a lifeless body, he mindlessly threw his fists into what used to be the villager's face.
"My teacher!"
He heard Edelgard's voice. Byleth scrambled and weaved in between the scattering residents. He did not know if any were affected, all he knew was he must reach her.
"Hurry!" Edelgard yelled.
Byleth turned the corner of the dirt road and saw Edelgard kick a female inhabitant in her chest, knocking her to the ground. Behind her laid a small body. He rushed forward as he made out Flayn's green hair plastered to her bloody face.
Edelgard barely had time to face him before another rabid wrapped his arms around her body, restricting her movement. She deftly threw her head backward and struck him in the nose with the back of her head.
Byleth held his fist in front of him.
Edelgard swung her axe and buried it deep into the man's chest.
He didn't dare close his eyes, not this time. Byleth couldn't risk being tackled as he turned back the hands of time.
The ground shook beneath him. Edelgard swung her axe vigorously, the bodies piled at her feet. Soon she was nothing but a vibrating blur. His surroundings swirled before his eyes. The trembling grew stronger.
Suddenly, the blurs came to a sudden stop. Byleth assessed his surroundings. He heard the creaking of the shack behind him. The wood was beginning to crumble.
Byleth turned and broke out into a run, he swung his arms to and fro with all of his strength. He slid as he turned the corner.
Flayn stood behind Edelgard as she desperately swung her axe, first to her left then to her right. A body fell with every strike.
He dashed forward as the infected surrounded the two.
"B-but they are innocent!" Flayn's voice was soft against the sound of Edelgard's shouts.
"Move!" Byleth yelled as he rapidly approached them.
There were too many.
He retrieved his Black Eagles dagger from his waistband and cocked his arm. Byleth aimed for the closest one as he flung it into the air. It pierced the temple of a rabid villager before he reached the young green-haired girl.
Flayn snapped her head to face him.
"Get down!" Byleth didn't hesitate. He leapt into the air and spun his body. He heard the unchaining of his sword and hurled it across his body.
The glowing whip propelled forward and Flayn was the first to drop her body to the ground. Edelgard's eyes widened, her features lit up with a deep red from his blade. She chose to bend her body backward until she fell to the floor. His whip snapped above their heads as it struck no less than four of their attackers. Their bodies toppled to the ground and did not move again.
Edelgard hopped to her feet with ease and tightly gripped Flayn's collar as she lifted her to her feet.
"She's over here, Hubert!" Byleth yelled, hoping his voice reached her retainer.
"Kill!" Byleth spun his body and thrusted his blade upward without a second thought. The villager's eyes were white and he could barely make out the outlines of his pupils. Black veins throbbed from his forehead.
Byleth let the man's body fall as he removed his sword from his chest.
He heard an ear piercing shriek from Edelgard's direction. Byleth spun and saw that she and Flayn still stood firmly on their feet.
He began running again and passed his two students toward the sound.
"Lady Edelgard!" He heard Hubert sigh in relief.
In between two resident shacks, he saw a slight movement. It appeared to be a small elbow.
Clouds of dirt erupted from below his feet as he struggled to come to a stop. His eyes rested on a young girl.
Her face and garment was splattered with blood. Byleth held out his hand, he had no time to try and quell the young girl's fears. She hesitantly placed her tiny hand within his palm.
Byleth lifted her from the ground and secured her in his left arm, his hand wrapped tightly around her back. She buried her face into his shoulder as he took off once again.
"Dark!" Another milky-eyed villager rushed toward him. "Kill!"
Byleth swung his blade across his body to the best of his ability. He never had to fight while he carried a child before. Nonetheless, his sword slid across the villager's chest with ease.
The young girl's head blocked his vision to his left, but he made out another erratic head jerk. Byleth spun his body and let his blade slice through another rabid resident.
The door to one of the shacks in front of him exploded outward.
"Kill!" The affected villager turned her gaze toward him.
But before Byleth could raise his sword, several dark black spikes erupted from the ground. He came to a quick stop, his feet slid through the dirt.
The villager's foot became impaled on one of the spikes as she jerked her body, desperately trying to free herself. Her imbalance only caused her to fall forward and her body became skewered on the rest of the black, sharp protrusions.
As quickly as they sprung up, they receded back into the ground and Byleth saw a short, white-haired girl in front of him. Lysithea made a fist as she punched the air and a bright, purple flame flew from her hand.
It flew past him on his right. He didn't dare turn around to see what she had struck.
Shamir flew onto the dirt road from between two houses just meters in front of Lysithea. She landed on her stomach but quickly pushed herself to her knees. She kept one hand on the ground and brought the other to her stomach. He did not see her blades.
Byleth lowered the girl to the ground as gently as he could but did not slow, he narrowed his focus on the jerking body of the villager that approached her. He twirled his body and his blade easily sliced through the villager's neck, his head fell to the ground followed by his body.
"Thanks," He held out his hand to help Shamir to her feet. "Just got the wind knocked out of me is all."
Byleth doubted her claim as she would not remove her hand from the center of her stomach, "the girl," he turned his head to see the young girl sprinting toward him.
"Yeah," Shamir swallowed hard, "I got her."
Byleth pulled his old blade from it's cover that was strapped to his back under his coat. He placed the hilt in her free hand, "is it bad?"
Shamir pulled her hand from her stomach, there was blood on her hand but not as much as he expected, "I'll live."
"Make sure you do," Byleth gave her a nod.
Then from the corner of his eye he saw a blur fall to the ground.
He snapped his head to see Lysithea on the ground, a villager sat on her chest and restrained one of her arms. She held the other in front of her face.
Byleth pushed off his foot and sprinted toward her.
"Kill!" The mindless resident threw his fists into her, one after the other as she desperately tried to block it with only one arm.
He gripped the hilt of his weapon with both of his hands as he slashed upward, his blade splattered the villager's blood into the air and the force sent him twirling off of Lysithea.
Byleth dropped his sword to the ground as he peered down at the young mage on the ground. He couldn't make out any of her features sunken beneath a pool of blood that formed on her face.
He dropped to his knees and lifted her head with his hand. Red bubbles rose and popped from where her mouth should have been, "hold on, Lysithea!"
Once again, he held his fist in front of him as he held the young mage in his free arm. As his surroundings began to shake, he closed his eyes. Byleth felt his stomach churn with nausea and his head started to spin but he kept his fist firm. He had to hold back a violent gag but wouldn't spare either of his hands.
The vibrations stopped as he released his fist. He felt the weight of the young girl in his left arm, and the Sword of the Creator in his left.
Shamir flew into the dirt road and landed on her stomach.
Byleth ran with the girl as he tightened his hold on her. The knight lifted herself to her knees but kept a single hand on the ground while the other covered her stomach.
This time, he wasn't as gentle as he dropped the girl to the ground. He would have to apologize later.
No time to unchain his blade. Byleth flung his sword over his shoulder and sent it flying at the villager that rapidly approached her. He leapt into the air as he watched the villager fall to the ground, Byleth's foot landed squarely on Shamir's back, he heard a loud "oof" as he pushed off of her and landed closer to Lysithea.
Byleth did not hesitate. He wrapped his arm around Lysithea's body.
"Hey, what do you think you're-" he spun her to the side with as much strength as he could muster just as the rabid villager tackled Byleth to the ground.
Byleth felt a sudden and intense pressure to his eye and saw the man lift his fist again. He gripped the villager by his collar and pushed as hard as he could. The two rolled across the dirt several times before Byleth landed on top. He cocked his arm and brought his fist into the man's face. He pulled his arm back again and thrusted his fist down again, and again, and again.
Byleth felt the warmth of the blood splatter across his face. He didn't know if it was all the man's blood, or if his was mixed in there as well.
"Byleth," he heard a soft voice call.
He hesitated with his fist above his head. Shamir held the little girl's hand within her own. The knight used her foot to kick the Sword of the Creator toward him. It slid across the dirt until it collided with the side of the rabid villager's head.
Byleth swallowed hard as he wiped his nose with his sleeve. He leaned forward to grab his weapon by the hilt.
"Kill…" Beneath him, the villager gurgled and bit into the air.
Byleth raised his sword above his head and brought the tip of the blade down into the man's chest. His movements came to a stop.
Byleth was breathing hard, his head ached and his vision spun.
"Professor? Are you all right?"
He turned his head to see Lysithea was already on her feet. He nodded as he used his sword to pull himself off the lifeless villager.
"Sound off!" Byleth yelled as loud as he could. He had a rising fear that through the chaos of Remire, he had missed a familiar scream or didn't look as closely to all the bodies he had passed to see if any were his students.
"You saved my life…" Lysithea's voice was low.
"We're okay!" He heard Leonie's voice call from a few roads down.
"I am believing we are in the clear," that was Petra's.
"We are fine, my teacher," Edelgard's voice was a lot closer than he realized. He turned his head to see her approaching Shamir with Hubert and Flayn in tow. The throbbing in his ears made it hard for him to hear her footsteps.
Edelgard's eyes scanned his face.
Byleth turned away and did a count in his head and felt the air leave his chest as it twisted under his skin.
"Ingrid?" He yelled at the top of his lungs, "Dorothea! Ferd-"
"The kiddos are with me," he heard his father groan as if he had just swung his blade.
"We are well, professor!" Ferdinand added.
Byleth closed his eyes.
They're okay, everyone's okay.
However, it wasn't over yet. He opened his eyes and looked toward the opposite hill. He saw two silhouettes still lingering over their massacre.
Byleth swallowed hard, he tasted blood in the back of his mouth. He knew not whose it was, it was very possible he had inhaled some of his own due to his inevitable nosebleeds. He began walking toward the hill, "converge on Jeralt. Gather everyone and do a sweep of Remire. Make sure we've saved all we could."
"And you?" Shamir queried.
He pointed his sword to the hill.
"I'll go with you," the knight firmly replied.
"No," Byleth shook his head. "Stay with the others and tend to your wound."
"My wound?" Shamir sounded surprised. That was a first. "How did you know?"
He could hardly hear her now as he continued walking. It was best if he saved her question for another day.
"We'll go with him," Edelgard spoke to her, or he had assumed.
Byleth kept his eyes on the two dark figures. They hadn't moved nor did they say anything. It did not appear as if Monica was with them, so at least he stood a chance, albeit, a small one.
"Are you injured?" Edelgard slowed her pace to walk beside him, and beside her Hubert craned his neck to peer at him.
Byleth shook his head, "I think I got punched. That's it."
"You were most certainly struck, judging by the swelling and color of your eye and cheek," Hubert replied coolly.
"I call that a win," Byleth couldn't help but to laugh. His body was beginning to fail him and yet Hubert couldn't help but to be direct.
"How many… fell?" Edelgard chose her words carefully.
"Two," he held his thumb and index finger up. He tried not to recall Flayn and Lysithea's faces, "Could have been a lot worse."
"I still fear what each time does to you," Edelgard shook her head.
"Hm?" Hubert didn't question any further.
"Nothing, Hubert," she waved her hand dismissively.
"As you say, Lady Edelgard," he nodded.
"I don't suppose I can force you two to stay here," Byleth breathed heavily as they reached the bottom of the hill.
"Wherever Her Highness goes, I follow," Hubert elaborated.
"I will not have you fight my battles alone," Edelgard began her ascension up the hill.
"They're our battles, now," he muttered as he stepped up the steep slope. "But I'm much too tired to argue."
He peered behind them and saw many of his students had gathered together, they walked the dirt paths of Remire cautiously.
"We won't have much time before Jeralt tries to follow us," Byleth warned them. "We'll need to end this quickly if we wish to keep their words from prying ears."
"Oh, this won't take long," a voice hissed from the top of the hill. "I see Her Highness is in good health."
Byleth trudged a few more steps until he could clearly see Solon. The Death Knight stood by his side with his massive scythe.
"Do you insist on fighting as an old man?" Byleth lowered his sword as he gripped his handle tighter.
"Such a disappointment, Edelgard," he ignored him. "You could have been the greatest creation to ever walk Fodlan."
"Stand down, Jeritza," she lifted her chin higher into the air.
"You deny my blade the blood it hungers for," the Death Knight's voice bellowed. "You have betrayed your creators. It is only befitting that I betray mine."
Byleth did not have the history with their two foes as Edelgard and Hubert did, he felt a little left out of the conversation, "truly, I do not wish to be seen hacking an old man to death. Show your true self."
"As you wish," Tomas hissed. His clothing began to turn a deep shade of black and red, "after all, you've already forced our hand."
Black smoke rose from beneath his humble garb. His thinning white hair grew before Byleth's eyes and black markings surrounded his right eye.
Byleth rested the side of his sword on his shoulder. The Death Knight rose his scythe higher into the air.
He watched their movements carefully, awaiting the first movement of battle.
Solon threw his hand forward and sent a black flame flying forward. He dashed to his left while Edelgard chose the opposite direction. Hubert lifted his own arm and within a fraction of a moment, his purple flame and the blackness collided.
Byleth threw his arm forward and let his chain soar. The Death Knight stepped in front of Solon and the Sword of the Creator rapidly wrapped itself around the staff of his scythe. Jeritza pulled his body backward and Byleth flew closer to him as he struggled to keep the hilt of his weapon within his grasp.
Before he could recall his sword, Jeritza stepped aside and all he could see was Solon's unsettling grin as he extended his hand. He barely saw the black that shot from his palm before it blinded him and sent him flying into the air.
He felt his body collide with the solid ground and even the bounce thereafter. He felt the wind quickly leave his lungs as he brought his head up to see Hubert backing away from the Death Knight as he threw one purple fireball after another. Edelgard dashed forward and swung her axe but was quickly put on the defensive.
It was then he realized the Sword of the Creator was no longer in his grip. He pushed himself off the ground and rushed to rejoin the fight and reclaim his weapon.
Solon stayed mostly behind Jeritza, more than likely due to his frail nature.
Byleth unsheathed his old sword that he had given to Shamir not too long ago in a different life. The Death Knight refocused his attention on him.
Good.
Jeritza swung his scythe low, aimed for Byleth's legs. He leapt into the air and swung his blade until it collided with his helmet.
Byleth landed firmly on his feet and watched as the Death Knight vigorously shook his head. He had to admit, he borrowed the move from Leonie and it seemed Jeritza had not learned from the last encounter. If it were Byleth, he would've added insulation to the inner lining of his helmet to prevent any deafening rings.
"El!" Byleth yelled as he tossed his sword to her. She firmly caught it in her offhand but shot him a confused look. He had seen exactly how deadly she could be as a dual-wielder. Byleth sprinted in front of Hubert and dropped to his side and slid on the thinning grass as he grabbed the handle of the Sword of the Creator.
Solon's arms extended faster and faster as he tried to penetrate Edelgard's parrys. She deftly swung one weapon after the other in front of her body as she spun, each deflected another attack from Solon.
Byleth cocked his arm and sent his whip flying toward the dark mage. Solon quickly turned his body to face him as he lifted his arm into the air. With a small black explosion his chain bounced off and recalled itself. Another black fireball flew toward him. He slashed his blade upward and cut through the center of the black mass.
Edelgard attempted to flank him but the Death Knight intervened. Hubert ceased his spells for fear he might strike her.
Jeritza cocked his arm to his opposite side and swung the back of his glaive across his body. It struck Edelgard with a hard clank but he couldn't tell where. She flew back and rolled on the ground.
"Lady Edelgard!" Hubert's eyes grew wide as he threw his arms forward. The purple in his flames was brighter and burned more intensely. Byleth ran toward Edelgard as she quickly brought herself back to her feet.
"She's alright, Hubert!" Byleth didn't want him to worry as he tried to quickly assess her body for where she had been struck, though he appreciated the increasing ferocity of Hubert's attacks.
He saw a reddening beginning to form just under her eye. Edelgard pursed her lips as she focused her gaze toward Solon and darted past him.
"Tomas!" It was his father's yell.
Byleth had to end this. Now.
He swung his arm above his head and unleashed his chain. It flew over Edelgard's head but was easily deflected with another flick of Solon's wrist.
"Come," Solon hissed. "They've already shown us all we needed to see."
Edelgard slowed her pace as she came to a stop. Hubert kept his hands at the ready.
"As you wish," Jeritza's deep voice replied.
Byleth could hear a symphony of footsteps approaching.
"Tomas?" Lysithea huffed as she gasped for air.
His class had reached the top of the hill as Solon and Jeritza evaporated into a bright white light that shot through the sky.
Shamir carried the small girl in her arms just as he once did. She gently placed her on the ground as she approached him, "you guys alright?"
Edelgard wobbled as she lowered herself to the ground and sat. She rested her elbows on her knees and rested her forehead with her hands. Hubert breathed heavily as he walked up behind her.
Byleth sheathed his sword as he made his way toward her, "I think so."
"Tomas… is one of them?" Annette swallowed hard.
"I never did like that old man," Jeralt sighed. "Something was off from the moment I saw him."
Byleth let his body fall hard to the ground in front of Edelgard. He landed firmly on his behind. He extended his hand gently in between her hands until he felt her skin. Byleth gently pulled her chin upward until he saw her eyes.
She peered at him from behind the glistening wall of tears that began to form. Her right eye had started to swell and the red darkened into a purple.
"We're okay, everyone's alright," he gave her a reassuring nod. "We'll get Lindhardt to heal that up a bit."
Edelgard let out an unexpected laugh as she sniffled, she dropped her hands from her face, "you're not looking so great yourself, my teacher."
Byleth hadn't put much thought into how he was feeling. He felt a crackling crust that began under his nose and extended all the way down to where the collar of his shirt met his neck, "is there a lot of blood?"
She swallowed hard as she nodded.
"And you two have matching shiners," his father towered over them. "You sure you're alright, kid?"
He gave his father a nod.
"No dizziness?" Jeralt prodded.
Byleth shook his head. It was a lie as he had plenty of dizziness, but not from the strike he had received to his face.
"If you say so," he rubbed the back of his neck. "You were never one to cry about your injuries… or at all."
"Lindhardt," Byleth turned his head to see the young healer step forward. "Can you see what you can do to patch up Shamir, then Edelgard."
"Yes, professor," he quietly replied.
"I'm fine," Shamir declined. "It can wait."
"Don't listen to her, Lindhardt," Byleth wouldn't allow the knight's hardened exterior prevent her from receiving the medical attention she needed. "She has a shallow cut in the center of her stomach."
He heard Shamir release a long sigh, "fine."
Byleth swiveled his body on his rear end to get a good look of who all stood on top of the hill. He was greeted with the weak smiles of his students. All of them. Though most of their faces were splattered with blood or covered in soot.
"We'll take a short rest here, then, while you kids get healed up," Jeralt lifted his eyes to the sky. "We might be able to make it back to the monastery before daylight."
Dorothea lowered herself to the ground as she wrapped her hands around her knees, and one by one they all followed suit. Byleth could see the fatigue in their eyes. And the terror.
"I know…" Byleth trailed off. He wasn't sure what to say, but he knew they needed to hear his words more now than ever. "I know this was hard. All of those villagers were innocent."
None of his students replied, though most lifted their heads to gaze at him.
"But nobody's at fault here," Byleth continued. "Except for Tomas, or Solon as he called himself. He did this. I need you all to remember that. He turned a peaceful town into a slaughter and forced us to put down innocent people to save others."
Dorothea wearily nodded her head and she dropped her eyes. Bernadetta buried the lower half of her face behind her knees as she sat.
"But we did what we had to," his eyes darted to each of his students. "If we hadn't, then even more people would have died for no reason."
"My kid's right," Jeralt crossed his arms. "You all saved a lot of people tonight, even if it doesn't feel like it."
"It doesn't matter who your enemy is, whether it's someone who chose to be a threat or not, I need you all to stop hesitating. If someone is trying to take your life, you do not hesitate to take theirs," Byleth tried to keep his tone gentle but he wanted each of them to understand. He knew this would be the first of many times they would have to face this ethical dilemma. "I cannot afford to lose any of you. I couldn't… bear the thought."
"Yes, professor," Dorothea was the first to answer.
"I understand," Leonie nodded slowly.
"And he doesn't go around displaying his emotions to everyone," Jeralt added. "So you know he means it, don't go dying on 'im."
His students either firmly nodded their heads or vocalized their agreement.
Byleth returned his eyes to Edelgard's, her tears had begun to dry, "did you hear me?" He lowered his voice, "it was no one's fault but his."
She gave him a weak smile as she lifted her hand to his face. Edelgard rested her fingers on his cheek and used her thumb to start peeling away the blood from his lips and chin, "yes, my teacher. Still only two times?"
Byleth bobbed his head up and down, "yeah, still just two."
He heard light footsteps from behind him and craned his neck to see Lysithea approaching them.
"Professor… I don't-" Lysithea cut herself off.
Edelgard looked up and smiled, "have a seat with us."
The young mage sat on her legs beside him, "you saved my life… I don't know how to thank you."
"And jumped off my back as if I were a pack mule," Shamir quipped as she lifted her shirt slightly. Lindhard leaned down and covered her stomach with his hands.
"Sorry, Shamir," Byleth tightened his lips.
She waved her hand in his direction. He could tell that she wasn't genuinely angry with him.
Edelgard let a smile form from her lips, "you're a Black Eagle now, we help each other."
"B-but," Lysithea furrowed her brow. "I didn't even see him coming-"
"I did say that our teacher was very good at the impossible," Edelgard interrupted, which Byleth was thankful for as he didn't want to explain how he knew she was in danger.
"I think we all are," Byleth moistened his lips, he still had a distinct iron taste in his mouth though most of the crackling sensation was gone since Edelgard peeled away the dried blood. It wasn't a lie. After all, he sat next to two young women that had endured things he couldn't even imagine. They both held two crests and still remained strong and determined enough to continue fighting, without regard to how high the odds were against them.
If that wasn't the definition of 'impossible,' Byleth didn't know what was.