chapter 27 specter of the past part 4 betrayal
Dimitri didn't know what to think of his opponent that he was up against. He looked like he was all bronze, no brain, but he knew that he couldn't judge his opponent strictly based on appearances, a lesson that his father taught him when he was a boy. He had an amused look on his face, as if he thought facing Dimitri was amusing.
"To think that I would have the honor of killing the future king of Faerghus, I'm going to take great pleasure in killing you, Dimitri." Jirobo smirked as he cracked his knuckles and got into his fighting stance. This man, whom he was up against, fought with his fists, but he knew he had other abilities. This wasn't a run-of-the-mill Shinobi; this was someone who was an elite Shinobi. He couldn't take him lightly. He got into his fighting position, grateful that Asuma had trained him as hard as he did in the past almost 3 months. He wasn't quite a master at his chakra nature yet, but he did have a few techniques up his sleeve that he could use to his advantage.
"I'm surprised you're not shaking your boots, Prince, considering you're a Noble and you think you're better than the rest of us." Jirobo said mockingly. He wasn't taking him seriously, a big mistake, Dimitri thought.
"In Faerghus, due to the harsh climate, it's a requirement for every able-bodied youth to be able to learn to fight, even before nobles, princes, and princesses. In my kingdom, no one is exempt from learning how to defend themselves. You know nothing about my country's customs." Said Dimitri, refuting his ignorant comment from earlier.
"Talk is cheap. I'll believe it when you can actually give me a hard time and give me a reason not to use more of my power than I already have. I can kill you with one finger." Jirobo said arrogantly.
"Big words from someone who doesn't even know my abilities," replied Dimitri.
He grabbed tightly to his weapon. He knew his skill with his Lance would not be enough to completely defeat the opponent in front of him. He had to draw from all of his training that he had been receiving for the past few months. He looked to his side and saw that Edelgard was about to fight her opponent. He couldn't take this man lightly. If he didn't end this encounter quickly, he could easily see himself losing. Something about Jirobo made Dimitri feel uneasy.
Nothing was said for what seemed to be an eternity until his opponent made the first move. He punched at the ground, which caused Dimitri to leap out of the way. When he saw him throw a
gigantic Boulder at him They've ripped from the ground Which shattered to hundreds of pieces he looked and realized had he been slower he could have easily been dead.
That was not all. He moved a lot faster than he looked. He was close to Dimitri, close enough to knock him multiple feet away. When he was about to be hit by Jirobo's right hand, he moved slightly out of the way. But before he could get to safety, he was punched hard on the left side. Dimitri had to resist yelling out in pain. This punch hurt more than any punch he had ever felt from any of his opponents up to this point. He was fortunate that he had a high pain tolerance, otherwise, he might have been defeated here and there.
His opponent had an arrogant smile, thinking that he had won this fight. Dimitri hated that look. He hated dealing with opponents who gloated when they had the advantage. He felt that it was unbecoming of a combatant to do that to their enemy, especially when they don't know what their enemy is fully capable of. His father drilled this into his head when he was a child, to never gloat when you're winning a battle.
Dimitri calmly did the hand signs that were taught to him by Sasuke in order to activate a lightning jutsu. It wasn't an offensive jutsu; it was a jutsu used to enhance weapons wielded by shinobi who specialize in combat using spears, swords, and clubs. With a motion of his left hand, lightning came out like a bolt, filling the weapon. It was as if he was wielding a trident from one of those ancient stories that he read as a child, a weapon of the gods.
He moved fast and struck at his opponent's thigh. Then he moved his lance to the back of his left elbow and struck. When he was done with his attack, he spent it around horizontally striking his back. Only a few seconds had passed, and he had landed a blow that would have likely ended any other opponent. He faced his opponent to make sure he was down, but what he saw barely did anything.
Jirobo brushed off every one of his blows as if they were nothing more than a minor itch. There were no injuries. There was no way that lightning should have done lots of damage to his body; he should not be unscathed. He had an amused look on his face, as if he thought Dimitri's surprised expression was amusing.
"That almost tickles me, is that the best you can do?" Jirobo said mockingly as he punched the ground. The ground where Dimitri was shaking like there was an earthquake, like he was shaking the ground with his bare hands. It couldn't be possible; there's no way someone could.
Be this powerful, he thought. He thought this was something he would read straight out of legends, not something that was happening in real time. But he saw it; feats that he thought would only happen in a book, but they're not from a book. These feats are real.
The ground under Dimitri's feet collapsed as he fell into the crater that was a few feet below. His opponent jumped into the crater that Dimitri was at, not wanting to have his chest impaled by his opponent's hands. He rolled and dodged, stopping again and again. Dimitri rolled and dodged, then he got into a corner where he couldn't and was stomped. Dimitri, with every ounce of his strength, tried to fight back, trying to push him back, but his opponent, it felt like he was fighting against an entire mountain, not a man in front of him.
"Not so tough are you, Prince?" Jirobo said as he put more of his strength to try to crush Dimitri underneath his feet. He had never faced an opponent this powerful before. Itachi Uchiha made the opponent in front of him weak. The wolf mask man was even stronger as well. Dimitri couldn't lose to this small fry, even if he is an elite ninja from a faraway land. He pushed him off of him with every ounce of his strength.
He doesn't know if he can beat him, but he has to try in order to come to his friend's aid. There was a Jutsu he wanted to see if he could do it; Mercedes used it once in battle, and he wanted to know if he could do his own Jutsu. He performed all the signs necessary, aimed his right hand as if he was about to deflect a magic bolt of lightning, and screamed.
"Lightning Style Lion Bolt Jitsu." Dimitri yelled. He didn't know if this would work; a jutsu on the spot that he invented. But he saw a lion from his fingers. It went straight out as an opponent, knocking him back. He heard his opponent scream in pain. There was a smoke screen all around him. He was hoping that it would knock him down. He didn't know if he could do another jutsu since he doesn't have the chakra or the experience. Speaking of chakra, he felt his energy draining, and he heard laughter.
"I will give you this much, Dimitri. Had you used this Jitsu when we were outside the crater, you could have killed me. But you lost that chance, and now he will die for that mistake." Jirobo said calmly. As the dust settled, and he saw a figure that didn't necessarily look human, his skin was reptilian, it was red, it looked unnatural, and it unsettled Dimitri. Seeing this abomination.
"Damn," said Dimitri in frustration. Out of all the things that could happen, he had to fall for an obvious trap, and now he was going to die for his mistake. There was so much he needed to accomplish. He
He couldn't fail. He couldn't die here, not yet, not until he avenged his father and the people of Duscur. Before a killing blow happened, he heard a voice.
Shez knows Dimitri can't win against Jirobo. Whatever ability he had, he could drain his energy. At the rate things were going, he was going to get killed. He was in her classmate, but because of the severity of the situation, if he were to die, there'll be less people able to protect Sonia while she and her friends try to find the Chalice. No, she has to step in.
"Be careful of his abilities; they're not to be underestimated. He could drain Dimitri, who was clearly superior to him in strength. Do not underestimate him like he did." Arval advised, which she had no intention of doing in the first place.
"Hey idiot, why don't you take me on?" Shez said in an insulting way.
Jirobo ignored Dimitri and looked at Shez. She withdrew the sword that Zabuza gave her in the land of waves. She had fully intended to use this weapon. She had barely had a chance to use it up until this point. He looked at her as if she was holding a toy; he didn't take her seriously.
"I'll come at you momentarily; I have a fight to finish." Jirobo said as he was about to end Dimitri's life. Faster than her opponent expected, she blocked what would have been a killing blow with the sword. But she was holding it; he looked wide-eyed at how she was able to block his punch with a sword.
"As you know, this is no ordinary sword. This once belonged to one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. You know what this blade is. This is no ordinary weapon I'm holding." Shez kicked him back. He looked at her with an angry expression, as if she interrupted his fun. He actually wanted to kill Dimitri, and he enjoyed toying with his opponents before he killed them. Well, too bad for him. She isn't going to hold back.
"Leave this fight to me, Dimitri. Assist Sonia. You're in no condition to fight him. You've lost too much of your chakra." Shez said as she transformed into her stronger state.
"You think that's supposed to scare me?" asked Jirobo in amusement, as if her powers were intimidating to him. It didn't matter what he thought.
"Anybody that had faced me with these powers had Ended up dead. Are you sure you want to be one of those victims?" Shez said in a mocking tone. He went straight at her. She knocked him out of the crater and then slashed him with her sword. He tried to block it, but his hands were unable.
The sharpness of her blade. If it weren't for the hardness of his skin and the powers of the curse mark, he would have already been cut in half.
She swung her sword to the left. He blocked it with a Jutsu that pulled the literal earth from the ground, which protected him from the worst of her sword's blows.
She did hand signs and used the Jutsu that she used against Zabaza in the Land of Waves.
"Lightning style, lightning thunder, spark"—Like the first time she used it, it came out of her index finger on her right hand. Jirobo was caught completely off-guard; he didn't even have time to counter or even defend himself against her assault. It went straight through his chest; he screamed in agony, the pain, in combination with the curse mark, made it even worse. He punched hard on the ground, which caused the land to shake. She jumped in the air, not making the same mistake that Dmitri made when he fought him.
When she was in the air, she did other hand signs. This time, a Jutsu that was loosely based off the fireball jutsu. Though unlike Dorothea's or Sasuke's version, her version combined with a spell that she trained. It was thanks to her girlfriend's training sessions of having to use magic that she was able to combine it with a jitsu that she had been working on.
"Fire style Hades tornado." A purple fire engulfed the crater, causing her opponent to scream, thanks to the power that was given to her by Arval.
When she landed on the ground, she saw her opponent who was completely burned. From head to toe, his corpse barely looked human. The last expression on his face was one of shock; the entire crater was extremely hot. She was impressed by how powerful this jitsu was, but then she collapsed on her knees, and blood came out of her eyes. She heard her girlfriend scream, and she didn't realize why until she saw that her hands were covered in blood and that she saw a reflection in the mirror. Her body was burned; the pain was unbearable. She looked at her opponent and then at her reflection in the mirror with her sword and collapsed.
"SHEZ" Lysithea ran towards her girlfriend, but she wasn't able to get far when an arrow was shot at her. Kidomaru laughed.
"Jirobo, what a dumbass, just great, the fat fuck had to get himself killed," Tayuya said, annoyed that their comrade died.
"How can you say that about your own friend?" Said Bernadetta, disgusted with the callousness of Tayuya.
"He had one job, which was to kill Dimitri. Whatever. As soon as we're done dealing with these brats, we will kill Byleth and his sister, along with all the others." Tayuya said, not caring in the slightest about their fallen comrade.
"That's not going to happen," Marianne said as she held a needle towards Tayuya's neck. She had a cold look on her face. It scared Bernadetta. Her friend, who is normally kind and soft-spoken, had the look of a killer.
"Looks like I'm going to have to be serious. A country boy from a backward country. A timid girl who looks like she doesn't want to be here." Kidomaru looked at Claude.
"And the mysterious heir to House Riegan. So many choices, so many targets." Kidomaru said, licking his lips.
"I will handle him, Lysithea. Bernadetta, go to Shez. I will handle this opponent." Claude said with confidence. She didn't want to be anywhere near him. Along with Bernadetta, they got out of and headed to where Shez is in order to tend to her injuries.
An arrow is fired at Lysithea. Before anything could be done, an ice spell was cast to block what could have been a killing blow. She looked and was none other than Monica, who protected her. She silently thanked her. She, along with Bernadetta, ran to Shez's side. She lifted her up. There were so many burns.
"We're not going to be able to do anything for her if we don't get her out of here." Bernadetta said. She looked at her friends. They needed her, and then she looked at her girlfriend. What would she do if their positions were reversed? It would take too long because of where they were. She closed her eyes. Even if her knowledge of the healing arts were nowhere near the level of her classmates, Marianne and Linhardt, but they weren't here, they couldn't help. Mercedes could have helped, but she wasn't here.
"Please don't die on me." Lysithea said, trying to keep her emotions under control. She was not used to caring so much about others. She had to focus; she had to keep her alive. She didn't pay attention to what was going on in the battle. The only thing that mattered at the moment was Shez.
Edelgard never thought she'd fight someone this strong before. It was as if she was fighting two people instead of one. She looked at the person in front of her; she thought he was some sort of freakish abomination.
"How amusing? Isn't that right, brother?" Ukon asked as he held Edelgard by the throat, she couldn't fight back, he was too strong.
"We don't even have to use our curse mark against this girl." Sakon said boredly. She tried to fight with everything she had, but it was too much for her strength. She thought this person would be manageable, but she was quickly proven wrong because of her inadequate skills compared to her peers. Even with her 2 Crest, it was not possible. It was as if she was fighting two people. She wanted to kick herself for underestimating her opponent.
"Damn it," Edelgard said as she tried to kick him, doing everything she could to force him off of her, but it was no use; his strength was far greater than her own.
She felt a punch on her gut repeatedly multiple times. Is this how she's going to die, she thinks about her unfulfilled dream of a better world, would it really die here by the scum? No, she couldn't let it happen. She screamed on the top of her lungs and used an ability that she had been taught by Hinata. A chakra blade appeared on her right and left hands, and she cut Sakon and Ukon, which caused him to drop her. She breathed as if it was the first time she had breathed in her life, that came very close to suffering an untimely end.
"She's stronger than she looks, brother. We should end this battle quickly, so we don't end up like that dumbass Jirobo." Ukon said, not giving his brother a chance to retort. Edelgard had no idea how it was possible for there to be two people in one body. She knew about conjoined twins, but this was like looking at a horror show.
Edelgard felt uneasy as the hair on the back of her head stood up as she saw Sakon move in a flash. He was right behind her, and she ducked and grabbed her axe. She couldn't be defenseless, not against an opponent like this. He didn't stop attacking her. He was skilled in taijutsu. She was not properly equipped to deal with such an opponent; she wished someone like Caspar or Rock Lee was with her right now. He was too fast and too strong, far beyond her level.
"What's wrong, princess? Not used to fighting a high-level Shinobi?" Ukon said condescendingly as he went straight for Edelgard's heart. He was going to go right through her. No, she couldn't let it end, but she didn't have time to block with her acts. A slash behind Sakon and Ukon surprised her, and it was none other than Hilda, who did not look pleased.
Earlier
Tayuya did not look scared when she had a needle at her throat. Hilda just couldn't believe it, seeing an enemy who had no ounce of fear in her posture. She didn't even flinch; it was as if she thought Marianne was beneath her notice.
"I got better things to do with my time than to play with you girls. I'll make this quick if you're willing to step aside." She said, offering them a chance to back off. Hilda didn't trust anything this woman had to say; she would backstab them the first chance she got.
"I can take care of this, Hilda. Help Edelgard; she needs your help more than I do. You're just going to get in my way." Marianne said as Tayuya elbowed Marianne back. She wanted to come to her aid but was stopped by Marianne's face, telling her that she could take care of this herself. She looked at where Edelgard was; her ex-girlfriend. The last thing she wanted to deal with was her ex.
She turned around and went straight to Edelgard, where her opponent was about to put a hole through Edelgard's heart. Hilda had to get to her in time. With her weapon, she slashed Sakon and Ukon back; he screamed in pain. He looked at her with anger, extreme anger.
"You stupid bitch," Ukon said with rage.
"We should rip her pretty head off." Said Sakon
"Yes, we should, brother. Let's split in two. I will handle this pink-haired bitch, and you will handle Edelgard." Ukon, as they split apart, she had a look of surprise, and he looked amused.
"We have a kekkei genkai that allows us to separate and merge at will; you stupid girls have no chance against us." Ukon wasted no more words as he attacked Hilda. He was fast. Hilda, with all the training that Kakashi gave her, was grateful now, despite not liking the training she was forced to do in the Land of Waves. She was grateful for the speed she had, which she never had before. She was light as a feather; it was as if she weighed almost nothing.
Though she can only do so much, she doesn't have the stamina to do it forever, and she is confident that her opponent has more stamina than she does. She has to go on the offensive. She was grateful that they weren't underground in an open area, where she was able to do her jitsu, which she had been practicing.
Her command of the Lightning element is not as strong as Earth, but considering she is fighting in an open field, she could use the jitsu without risking causing a cave-in.
She did the signs that were taught to her by Kakashi. Her opponent looked at her with interest when she was done with this, the last of the hand signs, which was that of the tiger. A lightning bolt came out of her hand, which engulfed her axe.
She moved as fast as Lightning Ukon, not used to fighting separately from his twin, was not able to dodge her blow as she slashed horizontally at his chest. He screamed in pain, he screamed in rage and frustration.
"I underestimated you," he said with a barely controlled fury as he moved quickly. He struck at Hilda from multiple angles; he was fast, faster than any person she had ever faced in a fight. She was trying to dodge all of his blows, but it was impossible. She felt a cut on her right side and then another on her left.
His nails were trimming parts of her clothing as if they were blades at the end of each finger. She saw multiple afterimages; he was far faster than she expected. This strength was too much; she was lifted up and slammed hard on the ground, and he kicked her in the face again and again and again.
"Not so cocky now, are you? Dumb bitch! I'm going to grind your pretty face at this very spot. There'll be nothing but a pretty stain, you stupid girl." He pressed hard. She was not able to do anything. She felt completely hopeless and at his mercy.
Edelgard was hoping that Hilda would be able to hold off long enough for her to finish her opponent, but even separated, Sakon was far stronger than Edelgard was. He licked his lips as if he was relieved that his older brother wasn't holding him back.
"I'm going to take my sweet time with you. You will regret my brother separating from me. I'm going to take my sweet time, princess." He licked his lips, the sinister smile that he had on his face said it all. He was going to kill Edelgard and do it slowly.
Edelgard was already exhausted from her battle before Hilda came to her aid. She didn't know how much longer she could last; her opponent was far too strong, and he hadn't even used the curse mark. If he used the curse mark, it would be over.
He struck at multiple spots that could not kill Edelgard but disable her. She tried her best to dodge but it was useless. He was way too powerful and way too fast. She did not have the means to defeat him as she was. Up until this point, she had been fighting both brothers alone, and she was exhausted. He slowly approached her like a predator. She wanted to slam her fist and curse the gods for having her face such a hopeless situation. Why do the gods hate her? She hasn't even gotten started on her goals. She hasn't even attempted to change the future so that people without crests can live a fulfilling life. Her dream was going to die to this scum.
She saw an arrow shoot past her and go straight to Sakon's eye. He screamed and shouted in anger. Edelgard looked and saw Bernadetta, who had a look of determination.
"Run, I'll face him," said Bernadetta, forcing the words out. Edelgard had no idea why she was doing this. She can't possibly have a chance if Edelgard didn't.
"Go, I will not repeat myself again. I'm part of the Black Lion squad. I will not lose to this scum." Bernadetta said with more confidence than she was displaying. Edelgard knew better than to argue with her. If she undermined her confidence, it could cost her her life.
"Be careful, he's a lot stronger than he looks. Don't underestimate him." Edelgard warned. She nodded in agreement. She ran as fast as her legs could take her. She felt ashamed that she had to run away, but it was better than dying. She hoped Bernadetta wouldn't die in the process.
Balthus saw Hilda's face being ground into the ground. She was going to die. He looked at his friends, who had a similar look of horror. They were on the verge of going to wear the chalice. Then he looked at Hilda. There was a difficult decision that he had to make, and he had to do it fast. He couldn't let his best friend's sister die. That would be on his conscience. He would never be able to live with himself, knowing he could have saved her if he stuck strictly to their quest.
"I'm sorry, Sonia. I can't let Hilda die. You'll have to go without me." Balthus said to his friend.
"I understand, please be careful." Sonia said, perturbed. He understood completely and went as fast as his legs would take him before Ukon could finish Hilda off. Balthus punched Ukon so hard that it was as if he put a dimensional hole through reality. Hilda looked at him, relieved.
"Get out of here, it's not safe. Your brother would be heartbroken if you died here. I'll take care of this freak." Balthus said as he got into his fighting position.
"He's a lot stronger than he looks, Baltie, please be careful." Hilda said as she struggled to get up. She had cuts that would have to be treated when the battle was over. She struggled to move and was getting support from Edelgard.
"This doesn't change anything," Hilda said to Edelgard, who was struggling to walk due to her injuries. Edelgard wasn't doing much better. They were both walking to where Sonia and the others were. Dimitri wasn't too far behind. The last thing Hilda wanted was help from Dimitri, though to her, it was preferable to Edelgard.
"I know this doesn't change anything, Hilda. I didn't want this." She couldn't say anything; Edelgard struggled to get the words out. Nothing she would say would change how the breakup had happened.
"I do not want to think about past relationships right now, Edelgard. My concern is getting the hell out of here." Hilda said, not leaving any room for Edelgard to say anything.
"Do you two need help?" Asked Dimitri. They all looked like crap due to their battles, though Dimitri's injuries were nowhere near as bad as Hilda's or Edelgard's.
"I hope we don't encounter more enemies like them." said Hilda, who is reluctantly accepting Dimitri's help. She was supported by both Edelgard and Dimitri as they walked to where Sonia and her companions were. She couldn't wait for this adventure to be over so she could lay down on a comfortable bed after seeing a doctor, of course.
Bernadetta sounded much braver when she said her lines to Edelgard in our head. She said out loud that she was terrified, her legs were shaking, and she felt foolish. What could she possibly do against this monster in front of her who looks like he wants to devour her?
"Oh, how cute, this girl thinks you could take me on, you're shaking, you could barely stand. And you think you could possibly defeat me? Edelgard is stronger than you, and she couldn't win, what makes you different?" Sakon asked mockingly as he slowly approached her like a predator. He didn't take her seriously. Bernadetta knew that was one thing she could use to her advantage. Despite her fear, she was more than capable of defending herself. She took a deep breath. Now, she couldn't be useless and a burden, especially with Hinata around. She couldn't disappoint her as a member of the Black Lion Squad. She had to be strong.
Sakon tried to move with swiftness to stop Bernadetta from doing what he thought she would do. Luckily, Hinata had taught her a jitsu that would fool him. She put her hand in the air, and a mist formed, confusing her opponent. Though it wouldn't work for long, it was enough for her to do what she intended.
She moved with swiftness as quickly as a mouse avoiding their predator. Her opponent was frantic, panicking, wanting to know where she was. She was surprised by how thick the fog was. She didn't think she was able to use such a jitsu, but it would be enough to get a fatal blow. She didn't know if she would kill him, but it would make it so he couldn't fight with his comrades. His brother was fighting Balthus, so this would not work a second time.
She did another jutsu. She rapidly did the hand signs that were required to do the jutsu that she had been practicing for the past 2 months. Nobody knew about this jutsu. It was self-taught and it took a lot of trial and error.
With her bow, she rapidly performed all the signs required to activate the jitsu, and a lightning arrow appeared in her right hand. She ignored the pain she was feeling at the moment, knowing it would not last long. With an enhancement, the bow itself was covered in lightning. She pulled the string on the bow as far as possible, and she heard her opponent shout in frustration and anger.
She pointed and aimed. He had no idea what was coming. She wasn't going to yell her jitsu because the kind of technique it was was for silent assassinations. This was not a jitsu she could use in the eagle and the lion. It was a jitsu used specifically for a silent kill. She aimed at his back and fired. The arrow traveled as quick as light, without any time to react, without any sound being heard, Sakon got hit hard by the arrow. He screamed and fell on the ground face down.
Bernadetta wasn't sure if she had killed him; she did not expect to have done anything. She decided to run, even if he wasn't dead, there was no way he would be able to get up and chase after their group. Monica, by her side, was running beside her.
"We should go where Lady Edelgard is; we can do no more here." Monica said, knowing what Bernadette was thinking. She was right; she looked at Hinata, along with Ingrid and Dorothea, and Naruto fighting the wolf mask man. There was no way she could be of any use with the four of them fighting someone so powerful. She turned her back; she would place her faith in Hinata, then shoot in the corner of her eyes, so Marianne fighting her own opponent. She couldn't help any of them if she tried; she would only get in their way. She did as Monica told her and ran to where Dimitri and Edelgard were.
Ukon couldn't believe he was losing to this trash. Balthus was beating him to a bloody pulp. He was way too strong for him. Between the battle with Edelgard and now with this, Balthus was too strong unless he was merged with his brother. He couldn't defeat him. He looked in the corner of his eye, his brother was down for the count, not dead, but he would be if he didn't get out. It made him angry, losing to such trash. He was breathing heavily, and he looked at Balthus with the same hatred that he looked at the other inferiors.
Before he can do anything, he heard his leader, who is currently battling Byleth, order him.
"Retreat, it would be a waste for you to die here, pull back along with your brother, do not end up like that fool Jirobo" Kimimaro ordered. It made him extremely angry to even be told to withdraw, but he wasn't going to deny his leader's orders. He wasn't stupid; he knew he was weak compared to Kimimaro.
"You're lucky if we face each other again, you won't be so smug about your superiority at full strength. I would kill you." Ukon said to his opponent, who had a look of surprise when he vanished and went straight to his brother's side. They merged once again; he looked one last time and then left the battlefield, ashamed of his performance but alive to fight another day. He would...
He vowed to himself that these inferiors would rule the day. They didn't kill him or his brother when they had the chance.
This is the first time Claude has ever faced anyone as cunning and smart as he was against any other opponent. He could spot a weakness or anything to exploit, but this opponent was different. Not only was his fighting style completely foreign, he fought at long range like Claude, and he had strange techniques that he didn't even recognize. It was like playing a game of shogi with Shikimaru, except this battle had life and death consequences. He knew he had a hidden power underneath all his arsenal, he had barely even tried; it was as if he wasn't taking Claude seriously. He had not been in a battle like this since his mission in the Land of Waves. He had gotten a lot better with using chakra, but he doesn't think his skills are adequate against an opponent who he's fighting and who he knows is holding back. He is far stronger than he appears on the surface, despite not looking like much at first glance.
"Your cunning, I'll give you that, Claude, but that's not going to be enough. My abilities far outclass yours. Whatever skills you have in archery, I can counter that with my superior skills and experience. You don't have a chance." Kidomaru said arrogantly. He was correct that his experience far exceeded Claude's, but Claude could use his inexperience to his advantage by causing his opponent to lower his guard and underestimate him.
It was possible for those with less experience to beat someone with more experience; it's much more difficult, but it's possible. Claude knew he had to play it smart, utilizing all the skills that Jiraiya and Kakashi had taught him since the Land of Waves. He wasn't as efficient as Naruto in his jutsu, but there was one thing he did have that Naruto didn't.
Going to use that to his advantage, his opponent looked at him as if he had already made a conclusion that Claude wasn't worth his time. Before he could do anything, he saw Kidomaru summon a bunch of spiders with a jitsu that Claude had never seen before. He knew summons were possible, but he didn't think he would see it firsthand, especially with spiders.
He ran as fast as he could. He was not as good at close-range combat as his peers were. He needed to get distance from his opponent as fast as possible so he could have a plan thought out quickly.
He thought about every single way to approach the situation. He could use his windrill jitsu on his enemy, but that jitsu was not a technique that he had completely mastered yet, and he had to make it happen when his opponent least expected it. He looked at the blade that he always carried on him; all archers carried at least a short sword to defend themselves at close range. Very soon, the spiders would get very close, and he would not be able to defend himself without taking out his blade, but he had a feeling these were not ordinary spiders.
He uses the jutsu that was taught to him, which adds his element to his short sword. The wind chakra engulfed the blade, and the blade even extended to resemble a more normal-sized sword that most swordsmen would use. He wouldn't be as skilled as his classmates who knew how to use a blade, but it would be adequate enough to defend himself. The first of the spiders rushed at him; there were at least 20 or 30 of them, it was hard to keep track. With a swipe of his blade, he sliced half of them in half, and the other half moved out of the way as fast as possible, but it wasn't enough. Claude, with a second swipe, killed the rest.
Before he could prepare another jitsu, more came at him. It was as if he was facing an army. He heard laughter as if his struggles were amusing.
"He actually thinks I don't know what you're planning? I can see everything that you're doing. I can end your pathetic life with a flick of a finger, Claude. To think that your ambitions will end in a shithole like this, dead and forgotten." Kidomaru said behind Claude, who was near his right ear. Claude kicked him back and tried to fight off all the spiders, but it was completely useless. They were like locusts, an army, a literal army. Claude had no idea how he was going to face this Spider-Man that he was facing in front of him.
He had to think of a plan fast. He tried to conjure up multiple scenarios of what he could do, but none of them ended with him having a victory. This was not a battle he could win on his own with his current skill. Kidomaru completely outclasses Claude.
"You want to know something? You're the weakest of the three house leaders. Dimitri could have easily won his fight with that dumbass Jirobo, considering he's the strongest of you. Edelgard could have possibly won as well, if she didn't underestimate her opponent. You see, Claude, there's a huge difference between us, a gap you can never close." Kidomaru said, as if he had already won. He would take full advantage of this arrogance. One mistake that many make in times of war or even in a fight is downplaying your opponent's abilities and underestimating their capabilities.
Claude formed a plan in his head. He let his opponent think that he had already won. He thought about a method Kakashi had taught him in a situation when you're fighting an opponent far stronger than you: use their strengths against them. Claude was a schemer, and there was no way he was going to lose to someone as arrogant as this four-armed freak.
"You know, you're right." Claude said, which caused his opponent to look at him with suspicion. The time window for him to enact his scheme was narrow; if he screwed this up, he could end up dead. He took out a smoke bomb that he had on him; it was one that he made himself. The only way this would work was if he blinded his opponent long enough for him to activate his jitsu, that he had created, that was based off Naruto's Shadow clones.
He threw it in Kidomaru's eyes, which caused him to scream and strike wildly. Claude had to act quickly; he did the signs for the shadow clone jitsu exactly how Naruto taught him; three other Claude's appeared. This technique had to be used very carefully. They all got into formation, which was in the shape of an X. The shadow clones did exactly what Claude was doing, and then, with the last hand sign, put their palm on the ground. A gigantic whirlwind appeared underneath his opponent, the light green wind violently knocked everyone back, including Claude. Ashe was nearby who caught Claude before he could hit a rock that could break his spine.
"Thank you, that would have been bad. I owe you one," Claude said to Ashe. He hoped that did enough damage, at least to injure him enough to knock him out for the count. They both looked when the whirlwind dissipated, his opponent fell hard on the ground on his back. He tried to get up, but it was a struggle for him. Claude took out his arrow, along with Ashe, before they could end his life. Sakon appeared and lived in him up.
"I could take on that fucker, let me go." Kidomaru said, enraged that he was defeated by Claude. Claude knew that he got lucky; he would not be able to pull off a technique like that if he ever encountered him a second time.
"Do you want to defy our leader's orders?" Ukon asked, not really wanting to argue. He didn't look any happier than Kidomaru about having to retreat. Claude should feel relieved, but he didn't. He had a lot more power at his disposal; had his gambit not worked, Claude would have been killed. There's no way he could have defeated Kidomaru. They both looked at Claude and Ashe with hatred.
"The fact that I lost to you, I lost to trash Claude next time we fight, you're dead, you will regret not finishing me off when you had the chance." Kidomaru said with a wicked smile. They both vanished. Ashe looked at him as if asking him what they should be doing?
"We should go where Edelgard and Dimitri are." Claude said, leaving no room for conversation or argument about the other fights that are currently happening. Claude knows he's completely out of his league. It was his cunning and his ability to come up with a good plan on the spot that made it possible for him to get out of his predicament alive, but that would not work a second time. He would have to train when this adventure is over because he doesn't believe this will be the last time he will fight Kidomaru. He wants his blood. Claude does not want to be caught off guard again. He was lucky, and such luck would not happen a second time.
Marianne couldn't put her finger on it, but this woman's abilities make her feel uneasy. The flute that she has on her left hand makes her cautious. If it's true, she's been taught about genjutsu and its applications, and how there's many different ways genjutsu can be used. The one thing it has in common is that it attacks the senses. She was taught extensively about genjutsu by Kurenai, one of her instructors, along with Haku, her Sensei, regarding her abilities. This is the first real fight that involves someone around her level, if not stronger. This was not some bandit that she was using the skills on anymore; this was someone of high-level rank, at least a Jonin. She doesn't know where she would rank in terms of her skills. Marianne was told she was at least a high Chunin level in terms of her skills and the amount of time that she had been training. No, she couldn't doubt herself. This was her chance to test her skills and see if she truly could protect her friends, Byleth, and Hilda.
Her needles clashed with Tayuya's flute, and her strength was far greater than she appeared. Tayuya did not take Marianne seriously. Marianne, with her free hand, went straight to her opponent's throat, hoping to end the fight quickly. Her opponent dodged and kicked her back.
"Stupid bitch, do you actually think it was going to end that fast? Do you think I'm that dumb? I'm not like that fat ass Jirobo who's too stupid not to see what's in front of him and know how strong his enemy is." Tayuya put the flute close to her mouth and started to play a melody, or what would sound like a melody to untrained ears. Marianne had to quickly do a counter-jutsu to prevent her from falling into a genjutsu. The woman laughed at the futility of it.
"You think a sheltered girl who has lived in a mansion her whole life and has only done training for a few months is going to be able to fight on my level? You're nothing but a spoiled child," Tayuya said as she inverted the sounds of her flute. Marianne tried to block the sound as much as she possibly could, but then she saw her opponent right behind her. She tried to move, but it was futile, it was hopeless; she felt completely at her mercy.
"So you're the girl who has that kekkei genkai from an extinct clan from the Land of Water. Pathetic! You should have stayed back at school. You're nothing but a worthless burden to everyone, including that lover of yours." Tayuya said mockingly. She continued the play that Melody had made her fall to her knees. The pain wasn't like anything she had ever felt. It was like hearing screaming in her head.
She looked and saw her friends; their mangled bodies, her classmates, Edelgard's body was broken. She had a look of shock on her face, Bernadetta, the friend that she had made in the Black Eagles, her head was completely cleaved off. She wanted to throw up, she wanted to close her eyes and scream, but her opponent lifted her head up and made her look at the carnage in front of her. She saw more of her friends that she had made since January, dead. Then she saw Hilda, she was crawling, she was trying to get away. Then she saw another scene, Byleth, he was on his back, he was in a pool of his own blood. She couldn't believe this was happening. Now, no, no, no, no. She saw Hinata, who was impaled, along with Ingrid, who was cut in half, holding Dorothea's severed hand. Naruto's head was held up like a trophy; everyone was dead. Then she looked at her most important people.
Hilda had so much she wanted to tell her, so many regrets. But she was gone, her boyfriend wasn't far behind. She was alone, alone like she was when the year started. She had never met them, had she never gone to their lives, they would still be alive. They would.
"You are at fault for why my sister is dead, you abomination." Said her uncle the day that her mother died when her parents were killed by assassins, political enemies of her father from his former homeland. After her mother and her father got married, they moved to Leicester. They were happy for a time until that fateful night. Her mother's family hated her and her father; they blamed them both for why their sister was gone.
"We don't want anything to do with you, monster, leave us." Said her grandfather. She had nowhere to go. She remembered those days when she went to church, but nobody would accept her because of her Crest, because of her curse. She had spent almost a year without seeing her friend.
Hilda went from home to home. It wasn't until her adopted father gave her a home to live in that she was able to see Hilda again, but it was never the same. She was never the same.
She looks at her most important people, the woman who saved her in her childhood. Then she looked at the man she loves; he accepted her for who she was and didn't ask her to change. They were both dead; they were killed by these people. It was her fault, her fault, her fault, her fault. She was about to aim the needle at her neck to end her life, but then she stopped. Why was she hesitating? If they're dead, what was there to live for? Then she looked at her opponent. No, this couldn't be real. There's no way this could have happened. This couldn't happen if she doesn't kill the girl that she is. No, she cannot hesitate anymore. If she has to become a beast just to protect the people she loves, she'll do it. Her soul was worth it.
She, with her raw power and will, broke through the Genjutsu. This completely shocked Tayuya, who did not expect her to be able to pull off such a feat. Marianne's eyes turned an icy blue, her right arm was covered in ice, her left arm had ice forming with a motion, and both of her hands formed a circle, causing her opponent to look at her with fear.
"Ice style ice spear," Marianne said with a voice cold as steel. Her opponent didn't have time to react as she impaled Tayuya. She was rough with her weapon, which she had made with ice. She was trying to get her to move, but it was no use. It was as if her entire body was made of ice, trying to push her off, but it was no use. She continued to try to move the ice spear to cut her opponent in half, and it was working. She was screaming in pain. It didn't register to her that Marianne had a cold look on her face, a look of a killer, the look of an assassin.
"I will not train you to become a killer, Marianne-san. I'm training you to protect those you love. Do not get lost in the power that I'm teaching you. Do not let the power control you, or you will hurt those you love." She recalled a memory when Haku trained her.
Flashback one month ago
Marianne was breathing heavily. This was a harder-than-usual training session. Unlike her other sessions, they weren't training inside the monastery due to how dangerous this jitsu that Haku was teaching her was. She almost lost control of herself; the power felt so good, it felt amazing. She felt like she could do anything, like she could destroy her enemies with it at the tip of her finger. She felt like she was a goddess. Haku looked at her with disapproval, and then she realized what she was doing and stopped.
"I'm sorry, sensei. I've just never felt such power in my life; it's terrifying in a way I..." Marianne couldn't put into words just how scared she was. Her crest, she was terrified of it, but this power that she has—a power she didn't even know existed—was even more terrifying when she saw the lake where they were training was frozen completely solid. What terrified her more was her desire for power, her desire to use it to inflict suffering on others who wronged her. It scared her just how much she wanted to use this power to hurt others, despite her not wanting to do that before.
"I understand what you're thinking. I had those thoughts myself when Zabuza San first trained. He had to make sure that I didn't let my power control me; this power of ours, our kekkei genkai, is it a danger to all those around us? It's a power that can easily control us if we let it. I won't lie to you, Marianne San; you will be tempted to want to use this power to make those who wronged you in your past pay for what they have done to you. I once felt that way. I wanted to make those who made me afraid as a child feel the same fear I felt. That path leads nowhere. Throughout our clan's entire history, there had been many who have been consumed by the very powers that they possess. Our powers require a lot of discipline. This power is great that we possessed, but it's also dangerous to ourselves and to those we care about if we're not careful. We can kill the people we love; it's a very dangerous ability that we have." Haku said. She looked at the lake that she had frozen earlier. Such power, she thought about all the things she could do with it, the things that she could make happen.
"I just want to protect him, I don't want to be a hopeless girl anymore," Marianne said. Haku looked at her sympathetically.
"I don't want you to be like me, I want you to be better. I'm looking for another purpose in life that doesn't involve taking lives. Teaching you how to control your abilities is a way for me to find such a purpose. Marianne San, you are lucky you have friends that care about you. I never had that when I was your age. That's what this power should always be used for, never to provoke a fight, only to protect. I would like to leave a legacy, if any of our clan, using our powers to protect others, not to kill for the sake of killing." The sadness in his tone, he had suffered like she did. He was treated like he was a curse, like he was a monster. She can relate, only too well. In fact, she could understand Haku better than he knows.
"You're too kind, Haku sensei, to be an assassin. I can tell from the tone of your voice that you hated doing those things, you hated killing people, you hated taking lives, but you did it for someone you loved, right?" Marianne asked. Haku did not talk about his past, but she had a feeling he did once have someone that he loved, someone to protect.
"He was the closest thing that I ever had to a father. I wanted to help him achieve his dream, but that dream is dead along with him." Haku answered that she would like to know who this person was, but she decided she had asked too many questions as it was.
"Remember this, Marianne-san, if you ever lose yourself, if you ever believe you are, remember what I've told you, recite this lesson if a situation ever happens where your power is controlling you." Haku said as he looked at the sky with Marianne. She prayed to the goddess for Haku, her sensei, along with her boyfriend and Hilda, to be protected and happy.
Marianne pulled back. No, she wasn't going to become a cold-blooded killer. She jumped back. The woman looked at her with disgust. She went on her knees as she ripped the ice spear from her stomach. Blood was dripping on the ground. She looked at Marianne with anger. She was about to make her move until she hesitated.
"You can't be serious, I have to retreat," Tayuya said with rage. Marianne got back into her stance. She couldn't let her escape; she was too dangerous. If she were allowed to live, she could potentially kill those she cared about in the future. She had to kill her now, but before she could do anything, she felt a hit on the back of her neck, and everything went black.
Tayuya was both pissed off and relieved that the blue-haired girl was knocked out. She was relieved because she was going to survive another day, but angry because of the person who saved her life; she wanted to wipe that smirk from his face.
"You shouldn't be so angry, Tayuya-san. Had I not intervened, my classmate would have killed you." Kabuto said with his shit-eating grin, which she hated so much that she wanted to put him in his place and remind him of how weak he truly was.
"I suggest you retreat now; I'm not going to be able to maintain appearances otherwise. I will have to kill you to maintain my cover." Kabuto said threateningly, a threat she knew he would carry out. She looked at the girl who was on the ground; it made her so angry she wanted to kill that blue-haired girl, someone so meek could put her at the brink of death. She wanted to torture her, to make her suffer, to make her feel powerless.
"Next time, you stupid bitch, I'll kill you, and you will regret that you didn't kill me when you had the chance." Tayuya said as she limped out of the area. One of their comrades might be dead, but the Sound 4 would recover. They would find another member, someone not as stupid or incompetent as Jirobo. She would have her revenge, no matter how long it took. She would lick her wounds and, when she was given an opportunity again in the future, Marianne Von Edmund would be dead at her feet.
Hinata noticed Byleth struggling against Kimimaro, who was a much stronger opponent than any of her classmates had fought. There was no way Byleth could defeat him alone. She had to come up with a plan, and quickly. The four of them were having their own struggle against the wolf mask man, who was able to block everything they threw at him. She was reluctant to split her partners up to protect her professor, but there was no other way.
"Hinata Chan, Ingrid Chan, and I, along with Dorothea Chan, can handle this. Please help your professor." Naruto ordered as he was about to unleash his signature jitsu. Ingrid wanted to protest against Naruto's order, but Hinata looked at her in the eye, and she couldn't openly disagree with Naruto in front of Hinata.
No matter how many times he tried to find an opening, Kimimaro created another bone shield in order to counter his plans that he envisioned. Out of all the enemies he had fought, he had never fought anyone this strong. He was the last of the elite Ninja that his students were fighting; the others had retreated, and one was dead. This man was strong, stronger than any of them. He had fought him a few days ago in the holy mausoleum. He was holding back then. Even with the Sword of the Creator, he wasn't able to land a single blow on him. When he tried to aim for his opening, he countered the attack by pulling bones from his chest to create another shield. Every single one of his abilities involved pulling bones from his body. He was way too powerful, and I knew there was more power he was holding back. That mark on his neck, he knew it would increase his powers significantly. If he couldn't even put a dent in him in his regular powered state, how would he fare if he used the curse mark?
He was breathing heavily; there's no way he could win this, even with the Sword of Creator. He was running out of options; no matter how many times he tried to aim at his weak point, he always found a way to counter. His opponent was calm, treating Byleth as if he was so beneath his level that he wasn't worth going all out. Was there really this big of a gap? No, there couldn't be that big of a gap; it couldn't be that large.
Before he could think of a counter plan, he saw him move so fast that it looked like there were multiple Kimimaro's appearing at once. The first strike appeared behind him; he used his powers to slightly reverse time by a few seconds to dodge what would have been a fatal blow; he had been doing this throughout their entire fight, but every time he used it, it drained him. He was exhausted; it was not a fight that he expected to go on this long.
"This opponent is far stronger than you, Byleth. You cannot fight him alone," Sothis urged him to retreat, but if he did that, he would leave his other friends vulnerable. He was too exhausted, too tired, he couldn't keep up. The Sword of the Creator was knocked out of his hand, it tumbled in the air, and then it landed on the ground next to Byleth.
"Is this what I can expect from the Ashen demon? Pathetic," Kimimaro said as he was about to stab Byleth in the heart. Time reversed again by a few seconds. With his sword back in hand, he did a defensive move with the sword that, with a fast motion, did a whirlwind slice that shielded him from any blows his opponent might give and, caught by surprise, he countered with a slash at Kimimaro's stomach. He didn't seem phased by the wound he received; he couldn't believe it and collapsed, using the Sword of the Creator as support.
"It seems the more you use that ability of yours, the more exhausted you are. That's the thing about manipulating time; even that has a cost. You think you're playing God, but you're nothing of the sort. That power of yours will belong to Orochimaru Sama," Kimimaro said as he was about to finish him off. Before he can do anything, Ingrid blocked what would have been a killing blow, and Hinata hit him straight at the chest, pushing him back.
Byleth sighed in relief that he was no longer alone; he was barely able to stand up.
"Byleth sensei, you're too exhausted to fight this man in front of you alone." Hinata said, getting ready for another round of attacks.
"Your Sensei couldn't touch me, girl, what makes you think you're any different?" Kimimaro asked Hinata.
"I'm not alone," said Hinata as she got into her stance. He couldn't let his students fight alone. He picked up his pouch and looked at the stimulant within it. It wouldn't work for more than 10 to 20 minutes, but it would be enough for him to at least help his students in the fight.
"I'll help you. I will not let you fight this opponent alone, Ingrid Hinata, to me." Byleth commanded. They didn't argue with him; they did exactly what they were told. He looked at the three of them with amusement. He had to end this fight quickly; both of his promising students did. If they didn't, they would be dead.
Dorothea didn't like sending Hinata and Ingrid away; this opponent they were facing was stronger than she anticipated. But she couldn't let Byleth get killed because he is important to her girlfriend's friend.
"I will unmask you and find your true identity, you murderer," Naruto said with hatred as he punched their opponent, who moved slightly to the left. Something bothered her. How did he have the ability to read their moves? The man quickly did his own hand signs and summoned dogs. She had no idea what kind of dogs these were, and she didn't care. She jumped out of the way. They weren't ordinary canines that she had encountered; they were summons. The first one had a small sword in its mouth as it tried to run at her, as if trying to cut her down, but she, with her training from Kakashi, countered. She was glad that no one else was around. This was the first time she was able to use her Sharingan without witnesses.
She created 10 Shadow clones along with Naruto, there was a total of 20 clones charging at Kakashi. Naruto and Dorothea didn't need to say any words due to how much they had trained for the past few months, they were able to communicate with hand signals. They were both going to use a jutsu that was dangerous when combined together. Naruto jumped in the air along with Dorothea, she rapidly did the hand gestures for the jutsu that she was about to unleash, it was a fire equivalent of Naruto's.
"Fire style volcanic explosion!" Dorothea yelled as a gigantic volcanic-like explosion erupted underneath the wolf mask man. Naruto did his own equivalent.
"Windstyle wind explosion" Naruto yelled, creating a gigantic typhoon combined with a volcanic eruption. The impact was so powerful that Naruto and Dorothea had to move further than they normally would.
Naruto landed next to Dorothea with her Sharingan still activated. She wasn't going to take any chances; she had a Kanai ready in case her opponent struck. When she looked, she saw nobody at the crater and then felt a presence behind her. He was about to slash at her throat, but with barely any time to spare, Dorothea did the hand signs. When it finally got to the monkey sign, it activated the chidori. Unlike Sasuke's chidori, Dorothea's combined both her talents and magic and chakra. The wolf mask man was caught off guard by her ability to quickly use the technique that Kakashi showed her how to do when they were in the Land of Waves. Unlike Sasuke, she had a different name for her technique. It wasn't the lightning's judgment; she had a different name.
She raised her right hand in the air and the sky darkened as she moved her hand in a swift motion. It was so fast that barely anyone was able to see, and when it appeared in the air, it was a phoenix which caused her opponent to look in awe and fear a lightning Phoenix. What scared her opponent more was how quickly her lightning Phoenix launched, unlike the first time when her Sharingan was first activated during the Battle of Haku, she had more control over its abilities.
He was running as fast as he could, but it was useless. He would not be able to catch up to the lightning Phoenix she was controlling with her right hand. It was useless; no opponent that she had used this against would be able to escape unless they knew the technique like Kakashi.
The mask man was hit hard by the technique. She heard an echo, "I scream the pain from the jitsu." He looked up; part of the mask broke. She was going to find out his identity, the identity of her mother's killer, the identity of her Naruto's parents' killer.
"I will unmask you, scum, and I will find out who you truly are." Dorothea said as she got very close, close enough to see him.
"I'm afraid that would be problematic," she heard a voice behind her. Someone hit her on the neck, which caused her to fall into unconsciousness. But before she saw her world turn black, she saw a familiar person, the source of the voice shewas not able to see the source of the voice.
Naruto saw Dorothea go down. He went as fast as he could to her side, and the person in front of him was a mask man, different from the wolf mask man. He looked at Naruto. He had a fox mask on; his voice was distorted, but for some reason, he was familiar to Naruto, and it pissed him off. So close to finding out who it is, he couldn't let him escape.
"I'm afraid we will have to end this for now, Naruto Uzumaki," said the mysterious fox-masked man. Naruto tried to lunge at him, but it was useless. He kicked him back before he could escape. Sylvain struck at him from behind with his lance, which caused him to drop the wolf-masked man.
"Oh, I have to fight you in order to get out of here. Well, the mission parameters never said I didn't have to kill you. You should have stayed out of business that doesn't concern you." The fox-masked man said coldly as he tried to lunge at Sylvain, who blocked his short blade with a fast movement of his weapon, which surprised his opponent.
"You seriously didn't think you'd have an easy time, did you? I know you may be one of those tough guys from wherever you crawled out of, but that doesn't mean that I'm an opponent you can easily kill. After all, where I'm from, boys like me are trained as early as 3 to lift a sword. This is nothing," he said with confidence.
"Naruto, I can handle this, take Dorothea and go." Sylvain said. Naruto looked reluctant. Sylvain is one of Sasuke's friends from the Blue Lions. He's also Ingrid's childhood friend. But then he looked at Dorothea, who was on the ground.
"You better not die, Ingrid Chan would be pretty upset if that happened." Naruto said as he picked Dorothea up and left Sasuke's classmate to face his opponent alone.
"Foolishness, you should have enlisted his help. You cannot beat me on your own," the fox Mask man said. He couldn't stand that smug tone in his voice; something about him seemed familiar, and it pissed him off. He couldn't stand him; something about him was familiar, and he was going to find out why.
He was eager to test the results of his training from Asuma. He quickly used the eminent enhancing technique to enhance his weapon with his natural emulent fire. He had never enhanced his weapons in combat before; this would be the first time testing it out. His opponent didn't look impressed.
"You still should have enlisted Naruto's help; you might have had a chance." The master man said as he took a scroll out of his pouch and quickly summoned what looked like strange-looking creatures from a scroll that looked like something straight out of a painting. The first among them went straight at Sylvain; he barely had any time to defend himself against the first one. He hit the first one at the stomach; it dissipated to pieces. When it dissipated, ink covered the spot, and then the second one he cut down horizontally. His weapon was covered in ink, and the third he struck with the back tip of his weapon. When he tried to move his weapon, it slipped from his hand, and he felt like a fool. Obviously, the technique that was used against him was not meant to attack him but meant to catch him off guard.
"Big mistake," he said to himself. He wanted to kick himself. He had to get out of the situation. He couldn't possibly die in a place like this. He wanted to kick himself in frustration before anything more could happen. He saw Felix appear in front of him with his sword drawn.
"You look pretty pathetic." Felix said, which caused him to feel further humiliation out of all the times.
"Another one of you, it makes no difference," said the fox mask man as he took two scrolls and summoned more of those strange-looking creatures.
Before anything could be done, a wind spell was cast, eliminating the entire battalion of what looked like tigers. The fox mask man looked at the group and signed. The source of the magic was Annette, who was right behind Felix.
"I'll have to cut my losses. You got lucky," the man said as he picked up the wolf mask man whose mask was broken and vanished. They were so close to finding out his true identity that it angered Sylvain, the person who tried to kill Dimitri. He got away, and he could attempt to kill him again.
"Damn it." said Felix, who thought the same thing Sylvain was thinking.
"How did you guys get here and how did you know we were here?"he asked his friend who looked at him with annoyance because to him it was obvious.
"Sasuke took additional people from each house to assist you idiots. You should be grateful that he did because it looks like you've all been struggling." Felix said as Sylvain tried to wipe the ink from his weapon.
"I don't know why, but that enemy we fought seemed familiar somehow, and so did the wolf mask man." Sylvain remarked.
"It doesn't matter right now; let's focus on the task at hand. Let's assist Dimitri; we can worry about the rest later." Felix said as he and Annette went to where Dimitri was. He sighed; no, he would think about that later. For right now, he had to focus on the battle at hand.
Hinata was being pushed back; Kimimaro was much stronger than she anticipated. She was breathing heavily, her opponent didn't look like he was tired in the slightest. Ingrid had a similar look of fatigue, her professor was struggling to stand up due to how long he had been fighting him compared to herself and her Knight.
"It is meaningless," Kimimaro said as he took out twin blades from his shoulders and went straight for her professor, who struggled to block every one of his blows. He was getting slower; this wasn't like the last time they faced him. He wasn't even taking her professor seriously the first time.
"Damn it," Byleth said as he was knocked back. She had to help him. She attempted to go to his aid, but a projectile came out of Kimimaro's right hand, which went straight at Hinata. She was not able to dodge and was hit by multiple projectiles.
"HINATA!" screamed Ingrid, who tried to get to her, but it was useless due to him launching projectiles at her. She was on the ground, she had no idea what was going on. Then a blade went towards her neck, and everything went black.
"Damn it," Byleth said as he reversed time for the fifth time. Hinata had been killed three times during the battle. He was getting exhausted, barely able to hold his weapon. It wasn't unnoticed by his opponent.
"Completely useless. You would have been better off had you let that girl die." Kimimaro said coldly. He injected another stimulant. There was a protest from his companion inside of him, but it didn't matter. He wasn't going to allow his friends to die.
"You both have done enough, get out of here." Byleth ordered. Hinata had a shocked look on her face, being ordered to leave. It didn't matter, he had to face him alone.
"You can barely stand, Professor. Let us help you," said Hinata.
"Do not question me," he screamed as he lunged at Kimimaro, who dodged his slashes time and time again. He was knocked down, and then he had a blade aimed at where his heart was.
"So pathetic, you were the feared Ashen demon, you are much stronger than this. These students have made you soft." He said with disgust. He slashed at him, but it was useless; he managed to block. He did so much better the first time; why couldn't he touch him?
"Perhaps if I killed your woman your strength would return in the weakness that you have now will fade." This caused him to scream in a fit of rage and caused him to appear behind his opponent, which shocked Kimimaro, who did not expect him to still have the strength that he did. He slashed at his back, opening his spinal cord. He wasn't going to relent; he knew that with that strange ability of his, he would recover quickly. He was about to strike again to make him completely paralyzed, where he would never be able to move again, but it was useless.
The brief strength that he had faded as soon as he had it; his opponent was pressing his advantage, aiming straight for his heart until he stopped.
"If it's your will, it will be done," Kimimaro said to no one that he could hear. He withdrew his weapon and then looked at Byleth and his group.
"You are lucky this day, Byleth Eisner, my master has other plans for you, so you will live to fight another day. Do something about that weakness of yours, so pathetic, killing you now would bring me no satisfaction." Kimimaro said as he disappeared. He wanted to slam his fist to the ground; he couldn't protect himself from this monster. He looked not too far from him. Marianne abandoned any thought about his failure and ran clumsily where she was. She was on the ground, and he took her pulse. She was alive.
But why was she knocked out? He wanted to know. He had to have an answer. He looked behind him. It was his students. He would have to figure that out later. He had to assist his twin sister. Then he felt himself about to collapse until he felt a pair of hands stopping him from falling. He looked, and it was none other than Leonie, who had a look of worry on her face. What was she doing here? That was one of the first things on his mind.
"Ingrid, help your professor. He could barely walk. I will carry Marianne." Leonie ordered. Ingrid did exactly as she was told, with Hinata's assistance. He looked at that, then saw Shez, who was extremely injured and had to have assistance from Rock Lee and Kiba. He put her on Grian.
Ingrid looked at Hinata reluctantly; she did not want to go.
"I don't want to leave you." Ingrid said. Hinata shook her head.
"Her injuries are bad, Ingrid Chan Grian can get her to the infirmary the quickest. I'm sorry, my Knight, I'm needed here." Hinata said apologetically.
Lysithea looked at Shez worriedly. She wanted to go with her. Lysithea didn't want her to wake up alone. She didn't want her to be alone.
"We have to get going, our friends need us." Hinata ordered, which caused Lysithea to look at her friend in disbelief, but Hinata could be so calm.
"I" Lysithea tried to get the words out, but they couldn't leave her mouth.
"We can't just stand here, Lysithea. Our friends need us." Hinata said in a neutral tone, heading to where their house leader was. How could she be so calm? She felt her heart beating when she looked at her girlfriend. Ingrid looked at her sympathetically.
"Don't worry, Lysithea, I'll get her to the infirmary and then I'll return." Ingrid said, trying to comfort her, but it didn't work. She wanted to be by her side, she wanted to see her eyes open, she didn't want to leave her alone, but she couldn't say anything or do anything.
She watched as Ingrid and her Pegasus took flight; she couldn't stand there for too long. She had to help her friends. She turned her back, going by Hinata's side, along with her former classmate, who was helping Byleth. All this over a freaking chalice; she thought it better be an object of power, and it better be real, she thought as she ran with her classmates.
"Damn these golems." Said Sonia in frustration while the others were fighting five powerful individuals she was trying to figure out how to get to the chalice. Regarding the chalice, it had been located here; no wonder nobody ventured here. Only a fool or someone like her would be willing to venture underneath Garreg Mach. Her friends Hapi, Constance, and Yuri were struggling. She cursed the magic-resistant golem. Dimitri was right by her side, protecting her from the upcoming projectile that was fired at her. He tackled her to the ground to prevent her from getting hit.
She looked at the Lance almost landed on her and sighed in relief. That wasn't the only thing that was in their way; phantoms, which looked like guardians, they looked like real people but they weren't. Every time they took down one another, another took their place. She wasn't going to leave empty-handed; eventually, they would be overwhelmed.
The golem that she was facing was about to launch another projectile, but it was stopped in its tracks by what looked like an army of bugs. She looked and saw a strange man with sunglasses. It looks like another one of the students; could he be one of the house leaders' friends? She didn't think long when his companion, a man with brown hair and red markings on his cheeks, did a technique that looked like this dog companion drilling through the golem in front of her, destroying it.
"Damn, that's a tough bastard, and you've been fighting this thing?" asked Kiba, who was surprised that it got up after that attack.
"Apparently, the archbishop was wise to send reinforcements," said Shino. It was as if they absorbed the blows; Kiba did more damage, but it wasn't by much.
"Looks like this is a job for someone who only knows taijutsu. Leave this to me," said a man with short black hair. She saw him move faster than the eye can see, and he punched a hole straight through the wall.
Through the Golem, it collapsed in an instant. She was amazed by such raw power. He gave a thumbs-up to his group, who looked embarrassed at being outshone by him.
"Looks like the power of youth is strong today," said Lee, winking at Sonia, much to Dimitri's annoyance. Was that jealousy, or was she imagining it? His concerns were unfounded. A man like that did not interest her, though she wouldn't be rude, because he did save her life.
"Who is this weirdo?" asked Hapi curiously.
"Introductions can wait for later, my lady. Right now, we should focus on the battle." Lee said seriously as he performed a leaf whirlwind against six phantom soldiers. He was strong, she had to admit, and she was glad he was on their side. It would be problematic if he were an enemy.
Behind him, there was a girl with purple hair that was braided to her side. She was like an assassin who moved silently as she cut down phantom after phantom. She couldn't help but admire her skills. Her swordmanship was near perfect, even if she wasn't a swordman herself. She knew someone with skill when she saw it.
She saw a girl on a horse who had a lance and charged, cutting down phantoms left and right. She didn't recognize the people she saw, then she saw Ashe, who was shooting a golem with a valley of arrows. The tide was turning, and she was glad that they were helping them now, as things had been difficult. She looked at a key from the Golem Lee took down. She went towards the remains and picked up the key, the spellbreak key, of course, it could never be that simple, and from what she could see, it could only be used once.
She didn't pay attention as one of the phantoms was about to strike at her; she wasn't able to react fast enough. She was about to be cut down until she saw Hinata strike the phantom at the chest.
"Don't stand there," Hinata said coldly. She wanted to retort, but she knew she was right. This was a battle; there was no room for her to pause or give into fear. She looked and saw the locks.
"Hinata, can your eyes find if any of these will lead us outside this trap?" Sonia asked her. Hinata shook her head.
"My Byakugan doesn't work that way. Whatever spell that has been cast to hide the chalice, it's beyond my eyes' abilities to see. I'm afraid we'll have to guess and hope that one of these is the right choice." Hinata answered, which was not something that Sonia wanted to hear, but she knew that was likely the truth. But which lock would be the correct one? Which one would be the most likely to have the chalice or to deactivate the trap? There were so many variables. She never thought, when she researched the chalice of beginnings, that this would be the obstacle she would be running against.
It's just not possible for her to guess with 100% certainty that it's a possibility if she used this key it could activate even more dangerous traps. She looked at the left key; that one was too obvious. The one in the center was even more obvious, and the only one that would be practical would be the one that no one would choose, the one on the right, which was the least guarded. It made no sense, but if she were to make it a trap, she would fool people into going for the one that would be the most guarded, which would make it the most obvious. But the one that has the least guarded is the one that would break this trap, though she couldn't get there without risk to herself.
She was a mage; she wasn't a physical-oriented fighter like her friend Yuri, or Balthus, or as she looked at Dimitri.
"You want to go all the way there?" said a voice behind her. She looked, and it was Dimitri's friends, Felix and his companion, Annette, and the redhead, Sylvain.
"I believe that's what will deactivate the trap," Sonia answered.
"What if it's wrong?" asked Felix, who was skeptical of her idea. She didn't fully believe it herself, but she couldn't show her lack of confidence in her own plan in front of Felix.
"I'm positive." Sonia answered confidently, looking at Dimitri for support, who only nodded.
"Where is that damn idiot?" asked Felix, referring to Sasuke.
"Let's not worry about that now, let's get out of this damn trap." Naruto said as he created an army of shadow clones that charged at the golem. She didn't know how that worked; she'd have to ask one of Dimitri's friends when they weren't in a life-or-death situation. She was moving out.
Of the way, as fast as possible, her legs hurt. She was running so fast that she wasn't as physically built as Dimitri. She was running as fast as she could.
When she was halfway to her destination, 2 Golems appeared before anything could be done. She saw the light darken. She looked up and saw Sasuke, who had his hand up in the air. Lightning was coming out of the sky; it was as if she was seeing something she had read in one of her books. It looked like a creature she wasn't familiar with.
It looked like a dragon with features: similar heads and antlers, eyes with thick eyelashes, manes that always flow upward, and beards. The body is fully or partially scaled and often shaped like an ox, deer, or horse, or more commonly a goat. This creature looked like something straight out of a mythology from a foreign land she almost didn't recognize it but she knew it was a dragon it was made out of pure lightning how did Sasuke managed to create something with such dense amount of chakra she knew it wasn't magic but it looked like it to those who were not well read on the subject.
And just like that, the lightning-like dragon was sent crashing on the Golem's it was trying to absorb, whatever technique Sasuke used, but it was too much, the Golems exploded, destroying hundreds of phantom soldiers. She didn't bother checking if Sasuke was okay, she ran straight to where the lock was, hoping, praying that she got it right.
She put the key in the lock and turned it, stood still for what seemed to be an eternity. She was sweating, she had doubts, had she made a bad call? Had she made things even worse for her new friends? Then she heard a click and then the phantom soldiers disappeared. She sighed in relief, everyone went to where she was, all relieved from the battle
"I advise that we rest for a few minutes before we continue." Byleth said. She didn't think they should be here any longer than necessary, but she saw that everyone had been fighting almost non-stop for almost an hour. He was right; they had to rest, even for a few minutes.
A few minutes would turn into an hour due to how exhausted Byleth was. The powers he had used had drained him more than he thought they would. Everyone looked nervous just being underneath the monastery. The longer they stayed, the more in danger they were, but everyone else was exhausted. An hour of battle, those sound ninja, with the exception of one, they all escaped.
With their lives, Marianne was up, helping tend to the injured, along with Kabuto, whom he did not trust, but he couldn't show his hostility openly; he couldn't let him catch on.
Dimitri was walking towards him. He looked like he had something to say, though he wasn't his student. It wouldn't hurt to address any concerns he may have.
"Professor, is it really wise for us to be resting here about places?" Dimitri asked, voicing his concerns about how vulnerable their group was. He wasn't wrong.
"Personally, I would rather be on the move, but I'm exhausted, and so it's almost everyone other than the reinforcement Sasuke brought; he's also exhausted from that jitsu that he used. Had I known we would have encountered such fierce resistance, I would have brought more people." Byleth admitted.
"I don't know if that would have helped those phantoms that we fought. It was like fighting an army and it wasn't any weak army either, it was as if we were fighting veterans. We're lucky none of us got killed but that luck could easily run out. I think we should be on the move as soon as possible. Professor, I do not believe it is wise for us to linger here." Dimitri said he wondered why he was looking at him for leadership. It was as if no one else was taking charge, of course he was the one that started this exposition. It was his responsibility to make sure everyone came back alive.
"Do you have any other concerns you would like to voice, Dimitri?" Byleth asked the house leader.
"Yes, actually there are other concerns regarding the chalice." Dimitri said they hadn't found it yet and that worried him; he couldn't help but have a bad feeling.
"I still stand by my position that it should be destroyed." Byleth said, not allowing Dimitri to voice his counter argument. He couldn't show any doubts, no matter how tempting it was. He did not believe anybody should have such power.
"I understand where you're coming from, and it's likely the correct thing to do, but is that really what you want?" Dimitri asked him. He didn't know what he wanted. All he wanted to do was keep the people he cared about safe, to keep Marianne safe. That's what he wanted to do. His own feelings didn't matter.
"Something is bothering you, Professor, and it has nothing to do with the chalice." Dimitri said, knowing that something was wrong. How can he explain it? He had failed again, even with his powers. He had seen his students die, the burden that he bears. About time she had seen Hinata and Ingrid lose their lives. The amount of time she had seen him not get torn limb from limb, the amount of times he had seen Ingrid be killed in gruesome ways. Even though they are alive, it doesn't change the fact that he saw their deaths.
"It's nothing Dimitri." Byleth said in denial he had to appear strong in front of his peers he could not appear weak not under any circumstances.
"Do not hesitate to ask for anything, professor. Anything for a friend." Dimitri said as he went towards where his classmates were. He thought.
"He's another one who could be a friend to you, someone to talk to. I like him I think you should be friends with him. You can talk to him as an equal. I think that's beneficial for both of you." Sothis said in approval of Dimitri.
"You're right, but right now my main focus is getting out of this. I just want to go home." He said as he walked towards where Marianne was.
Marianne was tending to Hinata's injuries, which she was healing on her side. Her shirt was off, and they were away from the side of any potential people peeking at her friend. Despite how the battle turned out, she felt useless. That red-haired girl had come very close to ending her life; if it weren't for her lapse and her fear of losing control, she could have ended her life to protect her friends. Hinata noticed she was troubled. She had not spoken, and the awkward silence was ended when Hinata spoke softly.
"Marianne Chan, what happened was not your fault." Hinata said, reading her mind and knowing what she was thinking.
"Why do I feel like it is?" Marianne asked Hinata.
"I sometimes feel like what I do is not enough. I know what that feeling is. I feel like I could have done more, I could have done better to protect those I care about, to protect my partners. I don't feel like I'm strong enough. I know what it's like to feel weak, I feel that way right now." Hinata admitted this did not make her feel comfortable at all; she felt insignificant compared to Hinata.
"You're strong, Hinata. You faced down a strong enemy without any ounce of fear. How did you do it?" Marianne asked as she continued to tend to her wounds to make sure there was no infection. It took a few moments for Hinata to respond.
"Truth be told, I was scared. I was afraid, but what terrified me more was not being able to protect the people I love. That is what made me seem fearless, because my greater fear of failure made my fear of my foe seem like nothing." Hinata confessed, surprising Marianne.
"I wish I were the cold-hearted assassin that Haku sensei was. Had I been ruthless, she would have never gotten away." Marianne said, referring to Tayuya.
"Being a cold-hearted killer is not who you are." Hinata said, which caused her to tense. She remembers Haku telling her he didn't want to train her to be a killer. She doesn't want to be a killer, but she wants to be useful. She wants to protect her friends and the people she loves.
"Being a cold-hearted killer isn't strength, Marianne. Having restraint and knowing when to stop is what true strength is. You are strong, much stronger than you know. You will not be the friend that you are to me if you weren't." Hinata said with a warm smile. No matter how much Hinata wants to deny it, she can be inspiring, no, she is when she sees Hinata she sees a future Queen, though that's not possible, but she can't help but picture it in her mind, a queen of a country inspiring millions. If there is one person Marianne would follow without hesitation, it would be her.
"Thank you, I don't know what I've done to have such a good friend like Hinata. I really don't deserve you," Marianne said as she finished tending to her wounds. Hinata put her shirt back on.
"You deserve to be loved, Marianne Chan, and to have friends. I've told you this multiple times, and I'll tell you again to remind you that you deserve to be loved." As she finished saying that, her boyfriend approached.
"I'll excuse myself, sensei," Hinata said respectfully as she left them both alone. She saw in his eyes that he was exhausted, not physically but spiritually. It had taken him everything not to collapse, and she knew she had to be strong for his sake. Whatever turmoil she was suffering from, whether it was her failure or the ongoing situation with Hilda, she knew that could wait. He needed her.
Not caring if everyone saw them, he wrapped his arms around her. He collapsed, and she didn't like seeing him like this. This was the weakest she had ever seen him.
"I need your reassurance. Mari, please tell me it's going to be okay." She heard his voice crack; it was those nightmares again. She didn't ask, she didn't want to make him relive those painful memories. She had no idea what it was, but she had an idea.
"It will be okay, I'm here for you." Marianne said softly. He hugged her tightly. She was the pillar that kept him together. She had to be strong because if she wasn't strong for him, who would be? They stood there for a long time, but it seemed like an eternity. But it wasn't. They would have to be on the move soon.
It would be 10 minutes before he pulled away. Their faces were inches from each other, and no words were needed. She didn't need to hear him say the words to know what he said because she said them as well. They went back to their group. They were going to find the chalice, and whatever was done with it, one way or another, this adventure would be over, and they could finally go back to what resembled a normal life.
"That's my family crest. I can't believe it, I feel like a fool. I can't believe we passed this multiple times. We could have saved ourselves hours if we simply looked at what was in front of us. Please find any punishment that you see fit." Constance said, feeling stupid and her strange behavior to those who don't know her, finding it weird for her to ask for punishment.
"Looks like we found where the chalice is, so these are the four symbols of the apostles," said Yuri, who was surprised that it was in such an obvious spot that they had overlooked.
"That's my family crest. I can't believe it, I feel like a fool. I can't believe we passed this multiple times. We could have saved ourselves hours if we simply looked at what was in front of us. Please find any punishment that you see fit." Constance said, feeling stupid and her strange behavior to those who don't know her, finding it weird for her to ask for punishment.
"I'm afraid I will require that," said Kabuto.
"You son of a bitch." Dorothea said as she quickly took out a Kanai and went straight at Kabuto, who easily disarmed her.
"Pathetic, so easy. You may have the blood of an Uchiha, but you don't have the talent of Sasuke." Kabuto said with a sinister grin.
Naruto went straight at Kabuto, who dodged his attacks with ease. He took advantage of Naruto's weak spots and quickly disarmed him.
"I knew it"said Felix as he went straight at Kabuto with his sword he tried to cut him down but Kabuto saw it coming and caught his blade with his index finger.
"So rude," Kabuto said condescendingly. He was knocked down by someone tripping him. He was amazing at how quickly he worked on everyone around him. Dimitri tried to take him down by tackling him with pure strength, but Kabuto saw him coming and relieved him of his weapon. Hilda tried to cut him in half with her ax, but he kicked her, knocking her down.
Edelgard tried to strike him from behind along with Monica, but he saw that coming as well. With his knowledge of medical jitsu, he disarmed both of them. It all happened in such a short amount of time; it all made sense why the battles lasted the way they did. He was hoping to tire everyone out. Even Sasuke, who tried to defeat Kabato, couldn't; he was too slow. Kabuto knocked him down easily. Sylvain went to his friend's aid, but it was useless as he collapsed. Kabuto looked at him with a sense of superiority.
"Do you honestly think I'd be foolish enough to take you all on if I didn't have people to help me weaken yourselves?" Kabuto said as he looked at Sonia. She couldn't show fear. She cast the strongest spell she knew, but it didn't do anything to him. He blocked it like it was nothing.
"The sister of Byleth Eisner is such a disappointment," he said as he was about to aim straight at her heart, but he didn't have a chance. There was a needle at his throat; it was Marianne who had a cold expression.
"You should have killed me," Marianne said coldly.
Kabuto smiles sinisterly as if he knew something, and then, before she gets a chance to warn Marianne, Marianne collapses on the ground. He looks at her with amusement.
"You honestly think I wouldn't do anything to you to make sure you wouldn't use those abilities of yours to kill me, Marianne-san. You will be useful as a hostage." Kabuto said with a smile. She saw her brother fuming with rage. He went straight to him, but he had a kunai at Marianne's throat.
"Here's how it's going to be, Byleth, my former professor. You are going to stay where you are if you want this girl not just to be a pretty stain on the ground. You will do exactly as I tell you, and I do mean exactly. You'll hand over the chalice, or her blood will be spilled. In addition, you will come with me. The man I work with needs you and your blood. You will follow my demands, they're not open for negotiation. Decide quickly if this girl's life will be worth it. I mean it, I will spill her blood." He said as he put the knife closer to her neck. Blood was being drawn, she was going to be killed.
Her brother looks like he was in an impossible situation. How would he get out of it? There's no way.
He saw Marianne's throat being slit. He screamed, "No, no!" It was just like his nightmare. He turned back time and tried to use the Sword of the Creator, but every time he tried, it didn't make it in time. She still died, her throat cut from neck to ear. Seeing her die again and again, he knew he had this power. There's no way he didn't.
"Please don't kill her, I'll do it if you ask," he said, and his sister couldn't believe it. He went straight to her, despite her protests, and grabbed the chalice from her hands. When he gave it to Kabuto, he smiled triumphantly.
"I can see you can be reasonable, don't worry I won't go back on my word assuming you don't go back on yours." Kabuto said he did not ever get himself into the situation. Why did he have to be so weak? Everyone was horrified at what was happening. He looked at his sword, this sword of creator, what good was a blade if he couldn't protect the woman he loves.
"I'm sorry," he said as he felt Kabuto hit him hard on the neck and all went black. His last thoughts were how helpless he was.
After her professor was knocked out, Edelgard was full of rage. The scumbag, his whole reasoning for joining the Black Eagles was to get a hold of The Chalice of Beginnings before they can do anything. Kabuto and Byleth vanished.
"They think we stole the chalice, and they're going after us, despite us not having it, damn him." Said Naruto, angry at Kabuto's betrayal and deception.
"We got to get the hell out of here. We'll focus on rescuing the professor later. Right now, we have to get out of this alive." Said Hinata, taking charge. Everyone ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Edelgard cursed everything. Out of all the things that happened, it had to be this.
Exhausted, the party ran; they were going back to the abyss, but then she heard Ashe speak his mind as they were running.
"We can't go back to the abyss; it's too dangerous. Many innocent people could be caught in the crossfire." Ashe said something that was on Edelgard's mind.
"You're right, Ashe San, but we can't stay here either. We have to find a place where we can deal with this threat away from innocent people." Hinata said. Hinata was looking for a place where they could go, but she wasn't familiar with the abyss like the inhabitants who lived there.
"I know a place where we could deal with them away from innocent people." Sonia said, trying to stay calm after the kidnapping of her brother.
"I know what you're thinking, Sonia. The gates! They're so damn sturdy, I nearly broke my priceless fist on one once." Balthus said, surprising everyone.
"You brute, why must you always act in such an infantile manner?" Constance said, annoyed.
"It sounds like a plan we should keep moving, Shino," he said, cutting any conversation short.
"I really hope, for our sake, you didn't break the mechanism, otherwise we're screwed." Yuri said as they ran.
So much had gone wrong that Edelgard thought things couldn't possibly get worse.
The wolf mask man's mask was completely off. He looked at his colleague with the fox mask. He had one job, and he failed twice. The Uchiha girl was his mission that he had gone on all those years ago. Naruto Uzumaki had to be kept alive in order to be useful for the village.
"What happens doesn't change any of our plans," said a voice behind them. They looked, and it was none other than the figure in front of them, the flame emperor. They bowed.
"That foolish girl Edelgard has only accelerated our plans." The Flame Emperor said, looking up.
"Kabuto has gotten the chalice. The final part of the plan is at hand. There are only four more pieces in place. We can test if the chalice of beginnings will be useful to us." Said the flame emperor.
"Your father would be proud if he knew what you are doing now." Said Wolf.
"It matters not, in time I will deal with that bastard that has infected my house, but for now, we will let them believe that they have us fooled." The Flame Emperor said in a tone that was difficult to read due to the mask.
"The archbishop has been weakened because of Her removing the curse mark from that Mercedes woman. We shall see if the chalice will work one way or another. If not, well." The flame emperor looked at the direction where their plans would take place.
"If things go as planned, we will have one less enemy to deal with. One of the Eisner siblings will be dead, and even if it doesn't, I will still join one of the three houses, and there'll be none the wiser." The flame emperor said as the figure took off its mask.
Wolf knew this was dangerous, the game that they were playing. Despite the conflicting emotions he was feeling, the lies and the deceit, he believed in the will of fire and in Konoha.
"Your will will be done," said Fox as they both bowed to the figure, put their masks back on, and vanished. Regardless of how the mission turns out, Wolf knew things would change drastically, and no matter what, it would benefit Konoha in the long run. That's all that mattered: succeed or fail, their association with the figure would accelerate their plans, and even their enemy, the Akatsuki, had their uses
The day that the Konoha Empire would rise was getting closer.
This chapter is shorter than I expected. Then again, I didn't want this to become too long, considering I'm trying to make these chapters more digestible. The next chapter will be based on the 4th and 5th chapters of Cindered Shadows. I'm getting very close to the climax. Yes, I have taken a lot of liberties with the story with this chapter, obviously because it's a crossover fanfiction.
Who is the flame emperor that appeared at the end of this chapter? Well, you'll have to find out later. As for how, there are two flame emperors, well, that will be answered in time. Let's just say I have a huge plan for the flame emperor twist. It won't be Edelgard for reasons you'll have to discover for yourself.
Once this arc is over, I'm going to be doing smaller arcs after this in order to further develop relationships with characters, simply because the pre-time skip is ending sooner than you think.
Not everything is going to be resolved, especially with Marianne and Hilda's conflict, which will be resolved in a later arc. This is because it will derail what I have planned.
The next chapter won't take nearly as long simply because chapter 4 from the Cindered Shadows DLC will be in an escape scene which won't be nearly as long as the other chapters. A bulk of this chapter will be chapter 5 and new material because up to this point I feel like I've neglected the Naruto characters other than the main three that I focus on.
Anyway see you next chapter.
