The Three Houses of Hyperdimension

A Fire Emblem: Three Houses & Hyperdimension Neptunia Crossover Fan Fiction

by Derald Snyder

Episode 7: Death Knight

Sothis stormed out to the parking lot, having gotten into an argument with little Lysithea and having decided to just leave before she did something she regretted. (I thought maybe I could get along with her, but nooo, she has to have a stick shoved so far up her... ugh. All I suggested was that maybe we could have some fun together, but she's all like 'I don't have time to have fun'...)

Shuffling between two parked cars, Sothis emerged into a relatively open area, seeing no one else around. (Why would there be? It's not even lunch time...) Obviously trying to practice magic here would be a really bad idea, considering what had happened yesterday... (But maybe...) Looking down at her bare feet, she frowned as she spread her arms a little, concentrating...

Slowly her feet separated from the asphalt, the young girl now floating about a half-foot in the air. (Huh. So I can still do that, even in this form... not very useful on its own, but maybe it could save me if I fell from a great height or something...) Looking around, she quickly set herself back on the ground before anyone could notice. (Now then... that other ability of mine, that I bequeathed to Byleth... can I also do that in this form?)

Her musing was interrupted as she heard a horse's gallop in the distance... (Who could that be, I wonder?) Out of curiosity, she turned toward where the sound was coming from... only to gasp in horror as none other than the Death Knight came into view, bearing down on her! (What's HE doing here?!)

She turned to try and run- but the Death Knight grabbed her by one of her twin-tails, lifting her up and grabbing her body with his arm! "You are coming with me, little one!" he declared as he motioned his steed to gallop away from Garreg Mach...

"Like hell I am!" Sothis cried defiantly. (Now or never, Sothis!) She focused, trying to access her Divine Pulse- and immediately her surroundings went color-inverted as time stopped. (Yes! Okay, let's try this again...) The hands of time were turned back, and soon Sothis found herself standing in the parking lot again, the Death Knight bearing down on her-

-but this time she jumped and rolled away, evading the fiend's attempt to grab her! "Curses!" he grunted in frustration, seeing Sothis dash between two cars that his steed could not fit through. "You won't get away that easily!" he vowed, galloping around the row of cars.

(Okay, you evaded the initial attempt, now what?!) Sothis thought as she tried to zigzag between cars to keep the Death Knight from reaching her. (No one will hear me if I try to shout from this distance... wait!) Hunching down behind a large van, she raised her hands to her temples... (Byleth! Byleth, do you hear me?!)

(Sothis?! What's going on?) she heard in her head in response.

(That Death Knight is trying to kidnap me! I'm in the parking lot! Hurry!)

(I'm on my way! Hold on!) Byleth replied. That done, Sothis dared to peek out from behind the van...

"There you are!" the Death Knight exclaimed, Sothis squeaking before invoking her levitation ability to climb atop said van, where her pursuer could not easily reach her. "Stubborn girl... give yourself up and no harm will come to you!"

"No way!" Sothis refused. "Go back to whatever foul pit spawned you, demon! Why do you want me anyway?!"

"My lord the Flame Emperor desires your presence," the Death Knight replied. "He has taken notice of your magical potential, and shall shape you into the perfect warrior..."

"You mean he'll brainwash me to try and kill Byleth! No way!" Sothis shot back.

"Your father is mine to kill," the Death Knight asserted. "Be grateful that you will not join him in death's embrace..." Just then, an arrow suddenly glanced off his helmet! "Who dares?!" He and Sothis looked in the direction of the academy- and there was Byleth with a steel bow in hand. "Ah, there you are! Let us clash in bloody combat!" He directed his steed away from Sothis and towards Byleth's direction, the professor dashing down the path making a leap as if to attempt a jumping shot with his bow... but instead he hurled the bow itself at the Death Knight who easily deflected it with his scythe! "What was that supposed to- agh!" He grunted in pain as the tip of the Sword of the Creator's chain whip-mode pierced his shoulder! "Ah, a distraction. Of course..." He promptly yanked it out, the chain retracting to sword-mode as Byleth closed the distance, said sword clashing with his foe's scythe! "Now this is more like it!"

"Go, Byleth! Punish that fool!" Sothis yelled.

"Get out of here, Sothis! Get to safety!" Byleth ordered as he parried another strike from the Death Knight. The young girl needed no further prodding, jumping down from the van's roof and dashing across the parking lot, giving the two combatants a wide berth. "You won't lay a finger on her!" he vowed as he went on the offensive, driving his enemy back.

"Killing you would be just as satisfying!" the Death Knight asserted, breaking off and galloping away a short distance, before turning and rushing back in with his weapon ready to skewer his foe... but Byleth had seen that tactic before, using his sword to deflect the scythe while spinning aside! "Stand your ground, coward!"

"I do what is necessary to win!" Byleth retorted. "Case in point... Now, Lysithea!"

"What?!" the Death Knight looked up- and sure enough, there was the white-haired prodigy of the Golden Deer house, already casting a Dark Spikes T spell! "NO!" the Death Knight cried, leaping off his steed just before it was impaled by several black/purple needles, which then exploded, eviscerating the poor horse instantly! "Damn you, girl!"

"That's Lysithea von Ordelia to you!" she shouted back.

"Good work! Now I'll finish this!" Byleth cried as he ran at the Death Knight, who barely managed to parry his sword strike with his own weapon! Jumping back a little, the Sword of the Creator shifted to chain whip-mode again, wrapping itself around the Scythe of Sariel, Byleth pulling and ripping the weapon out of the Death Knight's hands! Before the fiend could comprehend what had just happened, he found himself body-checked by the ex-mercenary, falling on his rear, Byleth then leaping upon him and yanking off his helmet, revealing blond hair beneath! He just managed to catch Byleth's fist, hurling him off, but Byleth rolled back to his feet, striking with an elbow to the nose before the Death Knight could right himself, following up a hard right hook that knocked him flat on his back! Byleth then held out his hand, the Sword of the Creator unwrapping from the Death Knight's weapon and returning to its master's hand, promptly being pointed in the Death Knight's face. "You lose, Jeritza."

"Well... I must praise your unorthodox tactics," the Death Knight, or rather, Jeritza von Hyrm grunted, unable to stand with Byleth's foot on his chest. "Never have I seen you so aggressive before... I admire that. That girl means that much to you, does she?"

"I already lost my father; I won't lose another so soon!" Byleth asserted. "As soon as the Knights of Seiros get here, you're going to answer for all your crimes..."

"I think not," a distorted voice spoke up, Byleth looking over- and barely managing to deflect the Flame Emperor's axe, being driven back a fair distance from the force! "Death Knight, we must depart. Now."

"As you wish, my lord," Jeritza grunted as he righted himself, the two dashing over to retrieve his weapon...

"Oh no you don't!" Lysithea yelled as she conjured a large fireball hurling it at the villainous duo- only for them to teleport away before it made impact! Thankfully no cars were in the area of impact, but it was close. "Aww! They got away!"

"Not unscathed," Sothis said as she came to the young mage's side. "That Death Knight's going to be searching for a new horse for a while... Nice work."

"Not the first time I've sent that jerk packing," Lysithea affirmed with a nod. "Why was he after you, anyway?"

"Something about my magical potential... that Flame Emperor wanted to brainwash me into his minion, I think," Sothis responded.

"Lysithea, that last Fire spell was reckless. You could have destroyed someone's car," Byleth critiqued as we walked up to the girls.

"But it's the simplest spell to cast!" Lysithea protested. "I wouldn't have thrown it if there was a vehicle nearby, Professor..." She then heard footfalls behind her turning to see Claude and Dimitri running up. "You two are late! It's already over!"

"Where's Edelgard?" Byleth couldn't help but ask.

"Dunno," Claude shrugged. "I heard the sound of magic being cast and came running, and Dimitri was suddenly just running alongside me."

"I too discerned the sounds of battle," Dimitri confirmed. "As for Edelgard, it's possible she simply was too far away to hear anything..."

"Makes sense, I guess," Sothis nodded.

"Dimitri, how about you go tell the headmaster and Lady Rhea what happened," Byleth suggested. "Claude, you could escort Sothis back to your dorm room, while Lysithea and I stay here and tell the knights exactly what occurred."

"As you wish, Professor." "Sure thing, Teach."

"And no trying to rope me into your schemes!" Sothis said to Claude. "I would really rather not be grounded again, thank you very much..."

"No problem. We can play some Ultimate Smash while waiting for Teach to get done," Claude suggested as he and Sothis went off together.

After the three had departed, Byleth said to Lysithea, "Well, I appreciate your help, Lysithea, but wasn't it your arguing with Sothis that made her storm out here to begin with?"

"How was I supposed to know that Death Knight was lying in wait?!" the young student shot back. "That girl acts like she's so much better than everyone else, like she's a know-it-all! It's aggravating!"

"Lysithea, she's an orphan. She hasn't been able to rely on anyone other than herself for the longest time," Byleth pointed out. "She has a sharp tongue with everyone, even myself. But deep down she is grateful that I gave her a new lease on life, and wants to try and help me, even if she goes about it the wrong way sometimes. That's why I suggested she try to befriend you, because you're a magical prodigy like she seems to be..."

"...She did mention something about that, now that I think about it," Lysithea contemplated. "Well, the last thing I want is for her to be brainwashed because she couldn't control her magic properly... okay, fine, I'll give her another chance. But tell her to try and rein in that sharp tongue a little, please?!"

"I'll try. Just remember that goes both ways, Lysithea," Byleth put a finger to the girl's forehead. "Keep in mind that she likely doesn't know the whole story behind your... condition."

"Point taken, Professor," Lysithea agreed. "But I also think that Sothis shouldn't be going anywhere by her lonesome from now on... I mean, of course I'll keep an eye on her, but I've got a lot on my plate already..."

"Right. Maybe I'll have Alois keep watch over her from now on," Byleth mused. "Whatever that Flame Emperor has planned for her can't be good..."

*Episode 7- End*