Big shouts to Koblenz! I hope you all enjoyed the first part of The Holy Tomb! It's only going to get crazier from here!

Edelgard stood toward the back of the Holy Tomb. Her hands were balled into fists, and her head was dropped as if she were afraid to witness the events unfolding before her.

Byleth had never sheathed the Sword of the Creator from his fight with the Agarthans. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword as he swung his arms to and fro to gain as much speed as he could.

He passed many knights with their weapons raised, thankfully they wore heavy armor that made them much slower than him. Byleth narrowed his eyes on the blonde lord that twirled his lance as he grew closer to Edelgard.

Byleth's chest tightened as he saw Edelgard did not lift her eyes. She did not carry her weapon. It was almost as if she had resigned to her fate.

"You did this?" Dimitri's voice cracked as he inched closer to Edelgard. "You took my parents from me!"

"I had nothing to do with the Tragedy of Duscar, Dimitri," Edelgard mumbled, never lifting her head.

"I'm supposed to believe the words of a two-headed serpent?" Dimitri cocked his lance. "I could never trust anyone who would kill their own mother!"

This caught Edelgard's attention, and she lifted her eyes with her brows lowered, "my mother? What does she have to do with this?"

Byleth felt every muscle scream to move faster, he was still too far to reach her. Every scenario ran through his head. He could throw his dagger, but he could very well kill the prince, something he wished to avoid if possible. Byleth could send his sword flying, but again, the dangers to the lord's life would be questionable.

"You can ask her yourself," Dimitri's voice grew low, almost a growl. He let out a primal yell as he lunged forward with the tip of his lance aimed directly at Edelgard's chest.

Byleth reached for his dagger and swung his arm over his head. However, before he could fling it across the room, he saw a yellow blur followed by the sound of iron colliding. His eyes darted back and forth as he saw Edelgard fall backward, but in front of her stood Ingrid with her own lance across her body.

Dimitri struggled to regain his balance as his eyes grew wide at the sight of Ingrid blocking Edelgard.

"I'm sorry, my prince," Ingrid brought the tip of her weapon forward, directly in Dimitri's path. "But I cannot let you harm her."

"Ingrid," Dimitri exasperated in disbelief. He finally found his footing as he stared at her. The longer his gaze remained fixated on her, the more his vision narrowed as a snarl formed from his lips, "I am no prince of yours if this is the path you chose."

Byleth slowed his pace as he neared his students, "Rhea, you must stop this madness!"

Rhea looked on in horror as her eyes grew crazed, "have you all fallen to the darkness?"

"The only darkness is Thales and the Agarthans!" Byleth quickly peered behind him to see Dorothea helping Edelgard to her feet. "We are not your enemy!"

"How do you know that word?" Rhea's face twitched. "Was it you, Flayn? Have you divulged our deepest secrets in hopes of falling into the void yourself?"

Seteth cautiously stepped forward as he slowly waved his hand toward her, "Flayn, come."

Flayn hesitated as she exchanged glances with Edelgard, and Byleth craned his neck towards the green-haired girl as worry flooded her eyes.

"No," Flayn took a deep breath, perhaps hoping it would make her stronger in her defiance. "I will stand by my friends."

Several Knights of Seiros surrounded them as they cautiously inched forward.

"Flayn, listen to me at once!" Seteth's panicked voice echoed throughout the Holy Tomb. "You do not wish to stand on that side, please, trust me."

Annette lifted her hands above her head as a bright red glow began to surround her palms. She spun her body to look at each of the knights that threatened them, "please, don't make me hurt you."

Flayn shook her head, "this is my choice, father, and I will not falter. There is more at stake here than revenge and our pride. It is you that needs to trust me."

"Did she just say 'father?'" Caspar whispered so loudly that Byleth briefly wondered why he bothered to lower his tone at all.

Rhea zealously shook her head, "I will hear no more of these cursed words. Lady Catherine, put an end to this now!"

Catherine was closest to Byleth. He watched her every movement as she gave Rhea a firm nod and tightened her grip on the hilt of her Thunderbrand, "Knights! Move in!"

Byleth swung his head to see the two dozen knights that surrounded them take one large step forward in unison. Annette did not hesitate as she swung her arm over her head, releasing a large red flame from her hand. Several of the knights fell to the ground as they scrambled to avoid her spell.

He felt a swift breeze against his skin and turned his head to face Catherine as she lifted Thunderbrand high above her head. Byleth snapped his arm to his side and let the Sword of the Creator unchain itself. Though he did not know much about Catherine's relic, he had only heard tales of its might. I guess it was time to put those myths to the test against his own relic.

A whistle pierced the air.

Byleth snapped his head to find the source of the arrow, hoping it wasn't too late to dodge it. But he felt no pain, no pressure, and no puncture on his body.

Instead, he heard a pained groan from Catherine. He scanned her body and saw a long arrow shaft protruding from her right hand. She lowered Thunderbrand as she scrunched her face in pain.

Before he could begin to question where the arrow came from, a blue blur leapt through the air and landed just a meter or two from Byleth. Shamir landed firmly on her feet as she deftly pulled another arrow from her quiver and nocked it on her bow, "back off, Catherine! You don't know what's really going on."

"Shamir!" Catherine sounded outraged. "How could you betray us? We… we were friends!" Catherine buried her injured hand in her stomach as she loosely held onto her sword with her left.

"That's why I didn't shoot you in the head," Shamir coolly replied as she held her bow steady, ready to release her string at a moment's notice. She nodded towards Byleth, "we need to get out of here, or this may very well be our tomb as well."

"Agreed," Byleth replied before craning his neck to peer at his students. Each stood in a battle-ready stance, each ready to defend not only themselves, but each other. "Don't go for the fatal blow unless you have to!"

Before he could finish his sentence, each of the knights began to yell and stomp forward.

Shamir took off running before Byleth turned his head back. She was already weaving her way between the multiple knights rushing toward them. She released her arrows faster than Byleth thought possible, each striking a knight in the space where their calves remained exposed. Each fell to one knee as they tried to yank the shaft out of their flesh.

Byleth caught a glimpse of Dimitri amongst the myriad of knights. Purple and red flames flew above their heads, but the blonde lord didn't seem to notice. His eyes remained focused on one person and one person alone.

Byleth pushed off his left foot to intercept Dimitri's path as he gazed at the weaponless Edelgard. Though she did not possess her axe, she held a dagger in her hand and deftly dodged several knights' swords. With each swing, Edelgard would spin her body as their blades fruitlessly struck nothing but air, then she'd jab the dagger between their armored plates that hung on their arms, weakening their ability to strike again.

He returned his attention to Dimitri as he rapidly closed the distance between the two. The lord ran with the tip of his lance firmly in front of him, his face curled into a snarl. Byleth pushed off his right foot and let his body fly into the air. To his delight, his feet landed barely a meter from Dimitri, and Byleth brought his sword down; it collided with Dimitri's lance, causing him to stumble to the side.

Byleth used this opportunity to move in front of him to block his path to Edelgard. He swung his sword as the lord regained his balance and repositioned his lance.

"Out of my way," Dimitri's voice sounded more sinister than Byleth thought he was capable of. "You are no Enlightened One, but rather a harbinger of doom."

Byleth shook his head, "I'm just a professor."

"To a crew of traitors and murderers!" Dimitri yelled as he stepped sideways, studying Byleth's every move.

"El said she had nothing to do with the murder of your parents," Byleth replied. He knew his senses were keener than the prince's; his only obstacle would be to not inflict a fatal injury. Though with the pure fury Dimitri possessed, he was cautious not to underestimate him.

"Oh, so we're on a first name basis, are we?" Dimitri's face twitched. "She's never allowed anyone to call her 'El.'"

"Alois! Watch out!" Byleth heard Shamir yell. He jerked his head briefly to see the blue-haired knight kick an enemy to the floor. Alois stood next to her with his sword firmly in front of his body. It seemed Alois was fighting next to Shamir rather than against her.

"You definitely possess the ability to command loyalty. Of that, there is no doubt," Dimitri continued as he circled Byleth. "It's a shame you'll only lead them to the gates of fire."

As the red blaze behind the prince continued to grow and curl behind him, Dimitri's features seemed more sinister than he remembered. His face glowed with the light of the embers around him and his gaze was curled and twisted in hate; all the while, he grit his teeth so hard Byleth was sure he'd chip a tooth.

"I won't let you hurt her," Byleth shook his head as he kept his sword at his side. "Or any of them."

"Heir of Leicester?" Rhea frantically called out. "Where is Claude?"

Byleth tried to push her words out of his mind, he knew Dimitri would strike at any second, and he couldn't afford any distractions, including the multitude of screams and groans from the Knights of Seiros, or Leonie's cackling.

Suddenly, Dimitri darted forward as he sprang his lance toward Byleth. Byleth immediately hopped backward and collided with a warm body. He briefly glanced over his shoulder to see Hubert stumble forward.

Byleth moved to his side, thankful Dimitri's quick thrust missed. He lifted the Sword of the Creator to rest on his shoulders. He wanted to be able to bring it down at a moment's notice.

Dimitri lifted his lance and swung it downwards, hoping to slice Byleth across his body, but Byleth swiftly sidestepped and immediately brought his sword down on top of the prince's lance. Dimitri grunted as he tried to lift his weapon but Byleth pushed with all of his might to keep his weapon pinned down.

"Her head will be mine!" Dimitri shouted as he groaned and yanked on his lance.

Byleth saw that Dimitri's rage would not subside. He quickly considered his options, and without another thought, he lifted his sword, causing Dimitri to stumble backward with his lance. Byleth lunged forward and cocked his knee to his chest, thrusting his foot forward as hard as he could.

He felt his boot make contact with Dimitri's chest and the lord lifted off the ground as he flew backward. Byleth quickly closed the distance between the two, and just as Dimitri scrambled to his feet, Byleth cocked his arm behind him and swung his fist forward, colliding with Dimitri's face.

As soon as Dimitri was able to turn his upper body to face Byleth again, he was met with Byleth's fist once again—and then again.

Byleth did not wish to take the prince's life. But if his sole focus was to take Edelgard's, he knew the only option that did not involve killing him would be to incapacitate him. By the time Dimitri faced him for the third time, his head wobbled, and Byleth could see his eyes wearily dart from side to side.

Byleth stood over Dimitri and watched his movements. He used his lance to try to stand to his feet, falling over many times.

Satisfied it would take some time for Dimitri to come to his senses, Byleth swiftly turned his body and sprinted toward the next Knight of Seiros that came into his vision.

He immediately saw Petra wildly swinging her sword with Lindhardt next to her; his arms thrusted forward as he released green flames of his own. Suddenly, they took a step away from each other to reveal Bernie and her bow. As soon as her arrow pierced through the air, Petra and Lindhardt would close the gap to shield her.

There were many Knights of Seiros on the floor, either clutching their arms or their legs. Some pressed their hands tightly against their sides or stomachs, but most showed signs of life with their groans and pained screams.

"Enough!"

The bellow filled the Holy Tomb and at once, everyone ceased their movements to turn their eyes to the Archbishop. The Knights of Seiros let their weapons fall lazily to their sides as they turned their heads to await her next command.

His own students kept firm in their stances, but their eyes darted back and forth between the Archbishop and the foe they were fighting.

Rhea kept her hands hidden in her sleeves, but her face glowed with anger as her nose lifted in a snarl. She took several steps forward, nearing the heart of the battle.

"Rhea, we are not your enemy!" Byleth broke the silence as he studied her movements. "This is exactly what the Agarthans want! For us to kill each other, so there's less to do on their part!"

"I will not hear your poisoned words," Rhea's lip twitched as she spoke. Her shoulder snapped backward, further than should have been possible. "Edelgard has labeled you all as traitors of the Church, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and the Leicester Alliance. There will be nowhere to run where you will not be shunned and hunted like the demons you are."

Leonie huffed as she watched the Archbishop as her other shoulder flung behind her, nearly causing Rhea to bend backward. "I don't see Claude here, so being enemies of the Leicester Alliance might be a bit overly dramatic."

The crackling sound of Rhea's bones was a sure sign that this was anything but normal.

"The Immaculate One…" muttered Edelgard as she breathed heavily in an effort to catch her breath. "She finally shows her true self."

"I don't like the sound of that," Caspar furrowed his brow as he exchanged glances with Leonie. "That's not a name you want to fight."

"It's alright," she huffed. "By the time we're done with her, she'll be The Un-maculate One."

"Leonie…" Capsar hunched over and rested his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, "that's not even a word."

Leonie lifted her lance and took a deep breath, "then let's make it a word, Caspar."

"No… no," Flayn shook her head slowly. "We cannot be here! She will end us all!"

Byleth scanned the room as Rhea's body twitched and snapped. Even Catherine seemed to be in awe of what she was witnessing. Her eyes were fixated on the Archbishop as her mouth hung agape.

This was his chance. Byleth took several large strides to close the distance between him and Edelgard. However, her eyes were also in a trance at Rhea's growing stature.

"El!" Byleth tried to snap her out of it.

She immediately turned her head to face him though her eyes still seemed to maintain a thousand-meter gaze.

"The barrier is broken, El. There are too many knights blocking the entrance," Byleth placed his hand on her arm. "This is our one chance—you and Hubert have to get the other students out of here. Take Shamir and Alois as well. Get out of here and help evacuate Garreg Mach and then you all get as far from the monastery as you can."

"Wh-what of you?" Edelgard's eyes searched his.

Byleth swallowed hard, "do not worry about me, just do as I say."

He tried to keep confidence and authority in his tone, but inside, Byleth had a churning in his stomach that told him whatever he foresaw was just around the corner.

Though Rhea still stood on her feet, her knees bent so far backward that it was hard to comprehend how she was able to still keep her balance.

Edelgard snapped her head to face Byleth once again and shook her head, "I can't- I can't leave you."

Rhea's arms grew longer and wider as her pale skin turned to a dark gray. Something protruded from her rear; it was sharp and grew longer as the seconds flew by.

"El, please do as I say," Byleth's concern seeped from each word. "Get them out of here and get everyone out of the monastery."

"I refuse," Edelgard vigorously shook her head in denial. "I won't leave you to be killed."

Byleth took a deep breath as he gazed deeply into her eyes. She looked deep into his light green eyes and saw a glimmer of concern, "you've asked me to choose you, El. And I have, repeatedly. I chose to refrain from turning back the hands of time in fear that I might never return to you. I chose you."

Edelgard felt her chest pound at his words and his grip on her arms tightened. She grasped his biceps with her hands, afraid she'd never be able to feel his body again if she were to follow his directions.

"This time," Byleth continued, "I need you to choose me."

"I do!" Edelgard couldn't control the volume of her voice as her eyes began to swell with tears, "I'll always choose you!"

"Then do as I say," Byleth slowly nodded his head. "If Rhea were to best any of you, it would be the death of me. I need all of you to go, now."

She heard a loud thud and briefly gazed at Rhea, who's large tail began whipping about wildly in the Holy Tomb, colliding with many already damaged columns.

"Come with us," Edelgard pleaded as her fingers squeezed his arms.

Byleth wearily shook his head, "I have to believe there is still hope within Rhea. If we are to stand a chance against the Agarthans, we need all the help we can get."

"Don't you get it?" Edelgard immaturely pursed her lips as she furrowed her brow. "You'll be killed!" she paused as a shadow ran across her face, "Everyone I love dies!"

Edelgard's vision began to blur and it felt as if she couldn't breathe. Her palms perspired and an overwhelming panic flowed through her body that caused her limbs to uncontrollably quiver, "they all die in the end… they all leave me! Don't you understand?"

A familiar crackling of stone echoed through the room.

"Uh…" Ferdinand lifted his head to the ceiling to watch the cracks race across the stone. "I believe it is time for us to make haste."

Byleth released one of her arms as he dug his fingers into his breast pocket. Edelgard watched in anticipation and confusion to see what he was retrieving. A brief moment later, he revealed a familiar ring. Its pastel jewels shimmered between his fingers.

Byleth looked at it for a second before holding it out to her, "you remember what this is, right?"

Edelgard nodded as the tears began to stream down her face, "your father's ring he gave to your mother."

"I want you to hold onto it for me," Byleth buried it into Edelgard's palm. "I'll be back for this. That is a promise."

"No," she tightly closed her eyes. However, even with her eyes shut, it couldn't drown out the sound of Rhea's deepening howls. "I couldn't possibly-"

"El," Byleth interrupted. He squeezed her arm harder as he clenched his jaw. "I'm in love with you. This is why I cannot have you here, I can't lose you again."

The air in Edelgard's lungs was suddenly sucked from her body. Even Rhea's shrieks seemed muffled. Her eyes stayed within his as she tried to comprehend his words. She felt her heart quicken as she was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to run her fingers through his hair, to stand on the tips of her toes and press her lips against his.

"Guys!" Leonie's voice yelled. It was barely audible over Rhea's howls and the crumbling of the stone that surrounded them. "We really, really, need to be doing something else besides just standing here!"

"I am in agreement," Petra seemed calmer than the rest. Her eyes studied Rhea's new form. "We are needing to be making a run for it if it is our desire to live."

As if on cue, a loud crash deafened Edelgard. Her eyes scanned the room as she saw dust spew into the air. A column had collapsed and brought down half of the staircase with it.

"El!" Byleth released her from his grip as he backed away. "Get them out of here!"

Edelgard wiped her eyes with her sleeves as she turned her body to find Hubert standing close by. He was as calm as ever.

"I suggest we follow our professor's instruction, Your Majesty," Hubert tried to remain motionless, but his face betrayed his worry.

"Black Eagles!" Edelgard walked toward her peers. With each step, she felt herself growing further from Byleth. "Gather together!"

Hubert followed her as each of their classmates rushed to stand closer to one another. The Knights of Seiros seemed to have lost interest as they gazed upon the dragon that began thrashing about the Holy Tomb.

Edelgard tried to clear her mind and fight the urge to rush to Byleth's side; instead, she kept her eyes on Dorothea, who was waving toward Shamir.

"Get over here!" She yelled at the blue-haired knight, who grabbed Alois by the collar of his armor and began to make her way over.

"We can't leave him!" Shamir yelled as she grew closer to the Black Eagles.

"It was his own order," Hubert calmly replied.

"I'm not his student!" Shamir protested, her eyes darted between Edelgard and Byleth, who was carrying the Sword of the Creator loosely in his left hand as he slowly approached the Immaculate One.

"He told us to take you!" Edelgard was in no mood to argue. "We are to evacuate Garreg Mach and get as far away from here as possible."

A short distance from them, a chunk of stone fell from the ceiling, causing all of them to jump to their sides.

"Will he be okay?" Annette scrunched her face as Ingrid reached her hand over to intertwine her fingers with Annette's.

Edelgard didn't answer. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Dorothea and Petra's shoulders, extending her arms as far as they could as her hands gripped the back of Ferdinand's neck.

Hubert followed her example as he extended his arms and gripped Lysithea and Flayn with one arm and the other wrapped around Bernie and Annette.

"They're trying to escape!" One of the knights exclaimed.

"Haha!" Leonie cackled. "See you later, nincompoops!" She held two fingers to her forehead and gave the knights a half-hearted salute, "we're out of here!"

Edelgard's vision was blinded by a bright white light as her surroundings disappeared. A moment later, shapes began to form and she could hear a myriad of screaming. It took a few seconds before she saw the familiar surroundings of the hedge garden.

She released her grip on Dorothea, Petra and Ferdinand. They immediately spun their body to assess their surroundings. Nuns ran down the pathways, and Edelgard could see Agarthan soldiers still lingered, striking down anyone that came close.

Within a moment, another bright white light descended to the grass nearby. Hubert released Bernie, Flayn, Annette and Lysithea.

Edelgard didn't waste time, "they're attacking Garreg Mach! We need to go back for the rest, but stay here and we'll fight them off together!"

"But Edie…" Dorothea managed to let her words escape through her horror of the slaughter that surrounded them. "They need our help."

"We must remain cautious," Edelgard replied. "If any of us should fall, you know our teacher will turn back the hands of time again."

"We cannot allow that to happen," Hubert added in his usual cool tone.

Dorothea gave her a weak nod, "we'll wait here, but hurry."

Another white light blinded Edelgard, and she immediately found herself back in the Holy Tomb.

Leonie and Caspar stood back to back as they parried several Knights of Seiros. Ingrid stayed close to Alois as she swung her lance, inflicting several gashes across the legs of her attackers.

Shamir moved swiftly and didn't stay in one place as she let her arrows fly, desperate to not let too many knights get too close to the students.

"About time you showed back up!" Leonie didn't stop thrusting her lance. "You made me look like an idiot!"

A flash of light emanated from behind her, but she didn't have to look back to know it was Hubert returning.

Hubert dashed toward Leonie and Caspar and wrapped his long arms around them. As soon as he made contact, he evaporated into a light that shot toward the ceiling, lest he be wounded by the knights before he was able to make his escape with his comrades.

"Shamir!" Edelgard yelled as she approached Ingrid and Alois.

As Shamir landed on her feet, she glanced behind her to see Byleth swinging the chained blocks of the Sword of the Creator at a fully transformed Rhea, it barely scratched the surface of her leather-like skin. He shouted something, but Edelgard couldn't make out his words.

"Prince of Faerghus!" Dragon Rhea bellowed in a deep, raspy voice. "Do not let Edelgard escape! Knights! Follow him. I will handle this abomination on my own!"

Shamir hesitated as she scrunched her face and anxiously bounced on her feet. Finally, she dashed toward Edelgard.

Edelgard wrapped her arms around Alois and Ingrid's necks and held out her arm in anticipation of Shamir.

The moment she felt the former knight's body touch her fingertips, she reached out and firmly wrapped her hand around her waist. She could hear the rapid footsteps of Dimitri and the Knights rushing toward them.

With another flash of light, Edelgard could feel their bodies dissipating. Within a few moments, they all stood in the hedge garden. She released her grip and the breath she held in her lungs when she saw Hubert and the rest of the class.

"We have to go back and get him," Shamir shook her head as she blocked out the chaos of the monastery. Several Agarthan soldiers ran down the path that led to the dining hall, but none seemed to notice them, at least not yet.

"I'll get him," Edelgard's breathing was so rapid she found it hard to breathe. She immediately felt a large hand grip her forearm. She lifted her head to see Hubert staring down at her. His eyes were uncharacteristically sympathetic as he slowly shook his head.

"His instructions were clear, Your Majesty," he simply stated.

"To hell with his instructions," Shamir grew angry as she began pacing.

Edelgard couldn't agree with her more.

"I'm in love with you. This is why I cannot have you here, I can't lose you again."

Byleth's words rang in her head and for a single moment, she almost felt at peace as she imagined what his lips would finally feel like against hers. But the fear quickly overtook her that it was a real possibility that it may never happen.

"Edie…" Dorothea's words trailed off. "The civilians need our help, they're being killed."

Edelgard clenched her jaw. As much as she wished to be reunited with Byleth, she knew she could never face him if she allowed the monastery to be slaughtered, "very well. But stay in our teams, get as many out of the gates as possible to the hill overlooking Garreg Mach. Do not put yourself in danger, if you're outnumbered, you run."

Edelgard had expected her classmates to immediately take off sprinting, but to her surprise, they all exchanged glances with one another and an air of solemnity fell upon them.

"Please being careful," Petra placed her hand across her chest and bowed from her waist, "you are all verily dear to me."

"Y-you all have to promise to be careful," Bernie's stutter returned. Perhaps, it was the graveness of the situation. "I c-couldn't stand to l-lose any of you."

"It is a promise then," Ferdinand gave them all a firm nod. "Just as our professor would do, let's not make our word worthless."

With a final exchange of weary smiles, her classmates began to exit the hedge garden with their assigned teammates.

Shamir and Lysithea were the only ones to stay behind.

Usually, it was hard to read the former knight, but now, she wore her anger and frustration on her sleeve, "if this is what he wanted… I suppose I have no choice but to comply. Lysithea, stay close to me."

The younger girl didn't reply, instead she only followed Shamir to the gates that led to the walkway.

Edelgard turned in the opposite direction. She had one focus and one focus only. Evacuate Garreg Mach so that she may return to the Holy Tomb. She heard Hubert and Dorothea's footsteps behind her as she exited the gate.

Screams and howls of pain and fear filled the air.

Edelgard quickened her pace as she took a sharp right toward the classrooms. She could see several nuns and civilians running, often crossing paths as if they were unsure of which direction was the safest.

In between them, she caught sight of the familiar black and red uniforms of Those Who Slither in the Dark. She may not have had her axe, but she unsheathed her dagger and gripped it tightly.

Edelgard broke out into a jog as she waved her arm frantically, "make your way toward the gates! Head for the hill overlooking Garreg Mach!"

She was unsure how many of the civilians heard her words, but they seemed to coordinate and started running in the same direction for once. The only ones that did not run were the many soldiers that stood in the courtyard.

Suddenly, a blast of ice caught Edelgard's attention. She felt the cold breeze against her face, and even a few shards of ice pierce her cheeks.

Did they have sorcerers in their midsts? It was then she saw an academy uniform, worn by somebody with blue hair.

Marianne. Edelgard had not had the chance to get very well acquainted with the girl, but now she stood over a young woman who lay on the ground. Marianne's palms were extended as blasts of ice flew from her hands at the approaching guards.

A short distance from her, a burly man held the body of an Agarthan over his head, "you messed with the wrong class, buddy!"

He effortlessly threw the struggling soldier into his fellow Agarthans as if they were nothing more than bowling pins. She had heard tales of Raphael's strength, but she didn't believe them until now.

"Dorothea!" Edelgard pointed toward a cluster of soldiers that were trying to surround Marianne and the injured woman.

"On it!" Dorothea stopped dead in her tracks as she waved her right arm forward. Her ball of fire fell quite short of the soldiers, but Edelgard guessed it was because Dorothea didn't want to chance striking Marianne or the injured woman. Regardless, the force of her spell sent the soldiers flying forward onto their stomachs.

Marianne didn't hesitate as she sent shards of ice through their backs before they could rise again. Then in a meek, unintimidating voice, she spoke, "I-I'm sorry."

Raphael had his hand full and Edelgard waved at Hubert to assist him, of which he promptly complied.

The closest Agarthan spun his body to face Edelgard. He swung his sword horizontally across his body and Edelgard dropped to her knees, knowing she wouldn't slide very well upon the grass. She dug her dagger deep just inside the soldier's thigh, in the exact spot her teacher had shown them.

Within mere seconds, the soldier dropped to the ground as the color faded from his skin. Edelgard swiftly returned to her feet and rested her eyes on the injured woman.

No more soldiers threatened Marianne, who was now crouched next to the fallen woman, "I-I'm sorry, but this might sting a little."

The meek girl placed both of her hands over the woman's stomach. A light emanated from her palms and immediately it seemed as if the woman was able to slow her breathing.

Marianne stood to her feet and her gaze met Edelgard's, "t-thank you."

Edelgard couldn't help but to give her a small smile. Though they had barely shared a conversation and were not in the same class, it brought Edelgard hope that they all could share in saving lives.

"Edie…" Edelgard spun her body to find Dorothea's eyes fixated on the sky. She lifted her head to see a thin white light soaring through the sky in an arch. "What-what is that?"

Edelgard's heart sank as she saw it's arch rapidly descend, "it's an Agarthan javelin."

She snapped her head to see Raphael and Hubert catching their breath with several soldiers' bodies at their feet.

"Edelgard!" A male voice called out to the south.

She was certain she was going to get whiplash from snapping her head back and forth. She saw a head of bright red hair poking out of the training room. Sylvain's arm frantically waved at her.

Edelgard didn't have time to think, the javelin's whistle was becoming louder, "everyone! In the training room!"

Raphael hesitated as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

She pointed at the injured woman and shouted, "Raphael, carry her and get to the training room, now!"

He took several large steps forward and cradled the woman in his arms as he lifted her from the ground. It was then the light of the javelin began to shine upon the monastery, more than the sun ever could.

Marianne quickly followed Dorothea and Hubert as Edelgard slowed her pace to jog beside Raphael.

"Hurry up!" Sylvain urged.

It took what seemed like an eternity as she saw her peers disappear into the training room. Raphael and herself trailed behind.

"It's okay, Ashe, it's the Eagles and Deer," she heard Sylvain say.

Finally, Raphael carried the woman into the cover of the training room and she followed close behind to find Ashe in the corner next to the training dummy with his bow at the ready.

Edelgard hadn't noticed how hard she had been breathing until she allowed her eyes to scan the room. There were dozens of civilians sitting against the wall, many with blood smears across their faces and clothes. The younger ones cried as they buried their faces in their mothers' bosoms.

A sudden, deafening boom shook the ground in a severe quake. Edelgard's feet stepped over one another as she tried to maintain her balance. Her mind rushed to her classmates, but she knew all she could do was hope they were able to find cover in time or that they were far enough to not be struck by flying debris.

Dust fell from the ceiling and Edelgard knew the javelin must've struck quite a distance from them for that to be the only damage caused.

It took several, long, unforgiving moments before the ground grew still once again.

"It seems the Agarthan's aren't done with Garreg Mach yet," Edelgard noted. Though her words were meant for Dorothea and Hubert, at this point, she didn't not care who heard. "Can you escort the civilians to the gates of Garreg Mach and to the hill?"

"Me?" Sylvain buried his own index finger into his chest. "There's a lot more people out there who need help."

"But these, here and now, need your protection," she darted her eyes between Sylvain, Marianne, Ashe and Raphael. "They'll never make it to safety without your escort."

"What about everyone else?" Raphael rubbed the back of his neck.

"My class is still out there evacuating," Edelgard tried to reassure them. "As are the other Lions and Deer."

"Very well," Sylvain sighed heavily. "We'll take these to the hill. Just be careful out there, okay? Not that long ago a lot more lights hit Garreg Mach and it killed a lot of people."

Edelgard nodded before quickly spinning on her heel to exit the training room. Dorothea and Hubert followed without question. She peered out of the doorway and looked to both sides to ensure they wouldn't be walking into an ambush.

Once she was satisfied, she broke out into a jog to the south.

"Where are we going?" Dorothea surprisingly had grown used to jogging in her platform shoes.

"The dining hall," Edelgard simply replied. She didn't feel she needed to elaborate any further. It was a popular gathering place for both academy students as well as civilians and nuns.

As she ran, she wiped her blade against her leggings to clean it of the blood of the fallen soldier she had slain. She imagined she'd need to do that several more times before the day was through.

"Edelgard!"

Edelgard stopped on a dime. She knew that voice.

"Edelgard!" Dimitri's voice boomed even in the open air. "Come out and face me!"

His demands came from the hedge gardens, where they were not too long ago. She let out a long sigh, her muscles started to ache as the last bit of adrenaline wore off. Her shoulders slumped as her lungs screamed for air.

Not now, Dimitri, Edelgard felt a surge of anger overwhelm her. There were a million and one things to worry about, his petty and false vendetta was not one of them.

She heard the gate of the hedge garden violently swing open. She straightened her back before turning her body to see the prince of Faerghus scowling at her.

"How did you get out of the Holy Tomb?" Edelgard swallowed hard to allow her lungs to receive air. Inwardly, she felt a surge of relief that there were less enemies in the tomb to face Byleth. She took note of the gray dust that lined his hair and what looked like soot mixed with blood smeared across his face as if it was intentionally done with three fingers. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought Dimitri clawed his way to the surface through the fallen stone, "If you're trying to go for the Brigid warrior look, Petra wears it much better than you. She's prettier, too."

Edelgard didn't know where her sarcasm stemmed from. Perhaps Leonie and Caspar had begun to rub off on her.

"Let's just down him, Edie," Dorothea scoffed. "We have more important things to do."

"You dare jest after admitting to your crimes?" Dimitri was clearly not amused. "How could you do such a thing to your own mother?"

"I do not know what you speak of," Edelgard rested her hands on her hips, desperate to give her body a short rest. "What does my mother have to do with any of this? She's been exiled since I was a child."

"And taken by my father," Dimitri snarled as he readied his lance. He didn't seem to be intimidated by the fact that he was outnumbered three-to-one. "In your devious plot, not only did you slay my father, but your mother - my stepmother - as well as dozens of others."

Edelgard felt unsteady on her legs and it didn't feel like an adrenaline dump. Her mother… was taken by the kingdom? She opened her mouth to speak, but no words escaped.

"That's right," Dimitri snarled. "And now it'll be your step brother that finally puts you out of your misery."

"I had…" Edelgard tried to breathe, but her lungs burned, "nothing to do with that."

"She had no part in planning the Tragedy of Duscar," Hubert matched Dimitri's low, intimidating tone.

"You expect me to believe the words of a snake and her minions?" Dimitri raised the tip of his lance to point it at Hubert.

"We're no minions," Dorothea snapped as she grabbed a hold of Edelgard's arm to help steady her balance. "We're her family. You're going to have to go through us."

"I have no objections," Dimitri curled his lip as he snarled. "Prepare yourselves."

A loud whack drew Edelgard's attention as she tried to focus her vision. She saw Dimitri's eyes roll into the back of his head as his body went limp and fell to the stone walkway. Behind him stood Felix and Mercedes.

Felix held a wooden quarterstaff in his hands and he lifted it back to the side of his body. He stared down at Dimitri's unconscious body.

Edelgard lowered her brows in confusion. Had she truly witnessed Felix knock Dimitri over the head?

"Why…" Dorothea seemed just as confused as her. "Why did you do that?"

"The boar prince will never get his priorities straight," Felix hissed as he handed the quarterstaff to Mercedes. "We need to get out of Garreg Mach, now. The lights falling from the sky are far from done and many more will die if we continue to squabble."

"I couldn't agree more," Hubert gave him an approving nod.

"Please," Mercedes held the quarterstaff close to her body, "don't tell him it was us."

Felix bent over and pulled Dimitri's arm, lifting his body from the ground. With a loud groan, he was able to drape the prince's body over his shoulder as he gave Edelgard a nod, "if anyone asks, I'm telling them you did it."

Edelgard curled the corner of her mouth, "I can live with that."

Without another word, Mercedes walked past them as did Felix with an unconscious Dimitri over his shoulder.

She took several moments to regain her composure. Dimitri's words pierced her heart like a dagger, but she knew she couldn't dwell on them for too long, lest she become tunnel-visioned just as he was. She would have plenty of time to brood over his revelation at a later time.

"Are you okay, Edie?" Dorothea's comforting tone helped calm the rapid pounding in Edelgard's chest.

She gave Dorothea a weak nod before turning once again, "to the dining hall. Our work is far from over."

For the moment, Edelgard pushed Dimitri's words from her head and focused all of her attention on reuniting with Byleth. He had told her the exact words she had longed to hear for many new moons, and now that she had finally heard them from his own lips, Edelgard would do anything to ensure he'd have the opportunity to repeat those words every day for the rest of her life.