(A/N: Just as a reminder to everyone, there is still time to vote on my poll on my fanfiction account—sorry to my AO3 readers but there doesn't appear to be anywhere to run a poll—that time will end once the Battle of the Eagle and Lion concludes. Once it is over, the poll results will NOT be revealed, but all participants who scored in the top half of the poll will have their order revealed in a special way—more on this when we get closer to this reveal. Characters who scored in the bottom half of the poll, are not going to be seriously considered for shipping with Lelouch with three exceptions.
When phase 2 begins, the top 15 scorers and my 3 author exceptions will all be presented in a new poll that will run until the end of phase 2. At which point, that poll will be closed but a new one will not go up. Phases 3 and 4 are shaped by the narrative. I will not be changing Lelouch's intended spouse based on fan polling from that point forward. You may still advocate for your chosen girl, but know that the narrative will be the ultimate decider, including any scenes deemed as "support conversations" tossed into the mix.
But for now, LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!)
29th Day of the Wyvern Moon
At the famous Gronder Field, the Church of Seiros had worked tirelessly over the past few days alongside House Bergliez to build temporary stands, get a multitude of vendors ready—both apparel and food—and prepare security. For the past several centuries, House Bergliez had the distinct honor of hosting the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. While there had been talks in the past of Britannia hosting the battle, many diplomats and scholars within Britannia felt that the historical significance of Gronder Field outweighed any Britannian pride to hosting the games themselves. What was this historical significance?
It was during Adrestia's 46th year as an established Empire, under the guidance of its first Emperor Wilhelm the first. Both he and his successor, Lycaon I fought alongside the fabled Saint Seiros, scoring the first decisive battle against Nemesis and King Charlemagne of the Franks. The war would continue for another 45 years before being ended at the Tailtean plains with Nemesis's head paraded on a pike the following year. However, despite the final battle being in Tailtean, it was Gronder that was considered the Empire's proudest achievement. It…didn't' help that Tailtean was now under Faerghusian control.
Sure, Tailtean, and many historic sights in both Britannia and Leicester, could hold the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, but no matter how many talks were held, no matter how many objections were raised, one fact could not be denied: Gronder was simply prime to host a battle like this. While Tailtean was just as large, it was surrounded by mountains, making it difficult for stands to be build outside the battlefield. Leicester had plenty of land, but a lot of it was scorching desert or rampant with wild animals. And while Britannia lacked neither issue, any battlefield that was suitable was far too close to densely populated areas and so it was often considered a disruption to civilian life. And that wasn't even considering the issue of parking after the invention of the automobile. And so, no matter the climate, no matter the era, Gronder always hosted the event. House Bergliez's civilizations were miles out from the field and the farmlands were just far enough that any shockwaves wouldn't disrupt the crops. And after centuries of taking constant battle once a year, the leveled landscape was simply scarred enough to be the best suitable.
But there was more, these days, than what just happened on the ground. Up in the air, a massive blimp surrounded by aircraft for security hosted the panel which would be broadcasting the event to the billions of people that couldn't watch it live. Gronder was almost a national holiday. Schools were closed. Businesses closed early—some didn't open at all—all to watch the annual event.
Crowns had changed hands over the years. And, despite the Pheasants short tenure, thanks to Suzaku's leadership last year, even Japan held one trophy.
Kaguya, however, was not confident of her chances this year. She gazed around at her small group of less than 30 strong. Many Japanese citizens adorned her house, though she only knew a few faces well, including the two transfers from Faerghus.
"Winning without Kallen's gonna be tough," Ohgi commented, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Indeed. It's unfortunate Zero sits completely opposite us. I would have liked to make a temporary alliance in order to bolster our chances," Kaguya admitted, gazing westward at the Ashen Wolf starting zone.
"Look, even if we don't win, it's just one big publicity stunt," Ohgi told her.
Kaguya nodded. "Still, victory would be nice. Perhaps then the senseless violence would cease. Perhaps the archbishop would kindly take her church off our lands."
"Not sure it'll be that simple after seven years of hosting embassies and clergy," Ohgi lamented.
"Still, the stakes are quite low for us." She stopped scowling, pivoted to face Ohgi and gave him a big smile. "I say we give it our all, and show the other houses that no matter the year, no matter the circumstances, Japan isn't just a leg of the church." She then put her hand on her chest and declared much more fiercely. "We are our own identity!"
Ohgi smiled. "I hear that, your majesty." He then gazed sternly across the slightly foggy landscape. "Let's show these Seirosians what Japanese pride is all about!"
Kaguya pumped her fist and jumped into the air. "Yeah!"
Despite not having any affiliation with the Church of Seiros or any of its superpowers, the Chinese Federation was still surrounded on all sides by the individual superpowers. Adrestia met it right in the Middle East. Its entire northern border had Faerghus on the other side. Leicester sat in the ocean directly to its south. While Britannia was the furthest away, crossing the Atlantic Ocean by boat was impossible without hitting a Britannian landmass or entering arctic or Antarctic waters.
So, while the people had no real investment in the outcome of the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, the High Eunuchs did. Normally they didn't but this year was an exception. With the heirs to the most prestigious houses of the first 3 Seirosian superpowers all competing, plus the addition of Empress Kaguya and Princesses Cornelia, Marybell and Euphemia, it made sense to tune in. The outcome could be seen as a sign of the future of each region. After all, for example, if Faerghus was weak and Adrestia was strong, Adrestia could be seen as an ally for…taking some land away from Faerghus and visa versa. Ambition had been the name of the game in Adrestia for centuries after all.
The eunuchs weren't alone. In a room with a massive TV, Empress Tianzi, real name Jiang Lihua, sat in the lap of her noble bodyguard and protector Li Xingke. Her eyes were glued to the screen.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to let the innocent empress watch such violence?" one of the eunuchs asked Xingke.
"Her young majesty was very insistent about tuning in. She is friends with Empress Kaguya and has expressed interest in visiting Rome for diplomatic purposes. She said she wanted to learn all she can about the people currently there."
"Out of the question!" A bespectacled eunuch cried out, with regards to visiting Rome. "That's far too dangerous! What if she's taken prisoner?"
Another eunuch took his hand and pat it. "The Empress showing a growing interest in the world around her is nothing to be ashamed of. However, Xingke, I do hope you have no intention of settling down in Rome."
"Don't be absurd," Xingke scoffed. In two sentences an entire conversation had been held. So much for the idea of seeking refuge for Tianzi in Rome. Still, the fact of the matter remained that Jiang herself had no ulterior motives for watching the event play out. So, as was often said, on with the show.
And that show began inside the blimp hovering over the field. Sitting behind a polished desk placed in a room on black tiled flooring, Holst Sigiswald Goneril and Alois Rangeld sat next to each other with ear buds and microphones. Large screens were set up behind them. At the extremities of the table, just outside view of the main camera, sat Jeralt next to Alois, and Shamir next to Holst.
Shamir held up her hand and counted silently backwards on her fingers from five. After making a fist, she nodded and Alois and Holst looked right at the camera.
"And we're LIVE," the boisterous Alois announced. "Welcome one and all to the Battle of Eagle and Lion pre-game show! I'm your host, Alois Rangeld!"
"I'm your guest co-host Holst Sigiswald Goneril!" Holst declared with a smile and a nod.
"Hahaha," Alois laughed heartily. "What a day this is shaping out to be. So many people are watching this year."
"Well, Alois, that's to be expected," Holst responded. "Every heir who's any heir is basically on that battlefield today."
"Hahaha! Quite right! Quite right!" Alois laughed.
Flames engulfed the inside of the screen as Edelgard's profile appeared, along with short videos of her training regimen at Garreg Mach.
"Right out of the gate, we have the clear generational favorite Edelgard von Hresvelg, future Emperor of Adrestia," Alois explained.
Edelgard's student records for the various training modules appeared on screen. While her time trial scorers were on the below average side, her endurance scores were through the roof. Other scores such as hardest hitting strike and more skill-based trials also had good marks.
"Young Edelgard might not be fast, but she doesn't need to be. She's a walking tank and a hearty fighter. I feel bad for whoever ends up on the wrong side of her axe," Alois laughed. "You mentioned she's a generational favorite. What did you mean by that?"
"Ah, yes, of course. Since coming to Garreg Mach, her imperial highness has actually started streaming video games in her spare time, earning herself quite the cult following across not only her own country, but several."
"How interesting. I wasn't even aware she was a gamer," Holst responded.
Alois laughed. "You wouldn't, would you? She hides her personal details well. But we do our research well around here. Of course, second favorite would have to be Claude von Riegan."
A gust of wind accompanied Claude's profile, replacing Edelgard's.
"Ah yes, Claude," Holst said with an upswing in mood—not that it wasn't already quite high. "He certainly does show off that leadership quality, and quite the strategist if I'm to understand it. Certainly doesn't take after his mother or grandfather."
Alois laughed. "Kids needn't emulate their parents. I know my little girl has no intention of joining the knights after all."
"Ah, but my dearest Hilda, now there's a real gem."
"On screen!" Alois requested as the techies put Hilda's profile on screen, although Holst was a bit flummoxed by her…poor training scores.
"Ah, don't let her scores fool you. Hilda's bound to show what she's really capable of out there. She takes after me after all. And I led the Golden Deer to victory in my year."
"As I understand it," Alois began, "We have a student in another house that fought alongside you that year."
Holst nodded. "Balthus von Albrecht. He never finished that year at Garreg Mach due to family drama, but now I hear he's looking to fix that."
"Could we get it on screen?" Alois requested.
A howl of a wolf and a rush of ash upwards towards the top of the screen preceded Balthus's profile.
"Yup, still got it," Holst said, laughing at Balthus's stats.
"Isn't he a little old to still be attending school here?" Alois asked, looking at his age.
"The Ashen Wolves are a special case. We'll talk about that in a minute," Holst stated. "We haven't even covered all of the house leaders."
"Ah! Quite right. Let's talk about the man the ladies seem to love and favor…"
Lightning effects struck the screen followed by a lion's roar. Dimitri's profile appeared.
"Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd," Alois announced. "A straightforward lad if there ever was one. Many staff under my command have been comparing him to last year's up and coming rookie, Suzaku Kururugi."
"Could we get some clips from last year on screen then?" Holst asked.
Some clips were shown of Suzaku in the Lancelot Shogun ripping through enemies like nobody's business. One clip even featured him squared up on Monica von Ochs and absolutely giving her a hard time of it, even when Sancia swooped in to help her. It was like he was an unstoppable wrecking machine.
"So what makes them so similar?" Holst asked. "Is it their strength?"
"That and their ideology, the thought of diplomacy over violence, though still being quite capable of the latter. His highness is plenty strong though, a real lion of a man you might say."
Dimitri's stats were shown. They blew Claude and Edelgard's out of the water in all categories, sans Edelgard's in endurance, and Claude at anything related to rifles.
Holst laughed. "Sounds like Faerghus is in good hands. But I hear Britannia is in even better hands."
"That they are. Take a look at this dream team alliance!"
Several student profiles were shown on screen like trading cards in a square, clockwise from top left: Oldrin Zevon, Gino Weinberg, Monica Krushevsky, and Anya Alstriem. Each one had at least one stat that at least mirrored or surpassed Dimitri's. None of them clocked in on Edelgard's endurance time though.
"Quite the impressive lineup," Holst remarked.
"All four of them have their own military history and notoriety. Lady Zevon is the clear home favorite among her people, despite the other three being Knights of the Round."
"Ah, of course, people love a local hero after all," Holst nodded.
"But it's not just the dream team that Britannia has going for it. It's this year's leader too."
Cornelia was shown on screen, using clips taken from her time at Garreg Mach through the present day wherever war photographers could get a snapshot.
"Princess Cornelia wasn't their teacher at first though, correct?" Holst inquired.
"That's correct, but after a series of incidents, she inserted herself into the Violet Tigers," Alois nodded. "That previous honor goes to someone everyone is eager to see out in the open."
Dramatic music blared and hellfire spewed across the screen as Byleth's profile was shown.
Off-camera, Jeralt chuckled at the fanfare.
"The daughter of the former Knight Captain of the Knights of Seiros, Byleth Eisner, better known to the world as the Ashen Demon, was the original professor for the Violet Tigers, but now leads the Black Eagles."
"Such a dainty looking woman for someone so feared," Holst remarked.
"Holst, men bigger than you have said the same thing and paid for that remark with their lives, I'm sure," Alois warned. "For further commentary, we turn to Byleth's father, my personal mentor, and acting Knight Captain, Jeralt Eisner."
The camera pivoted to show Jeralt on Alois's right, Holst looking across the large desk to their special guest.
"What can you tell us about the Ashen Demon for everyone watching at home?" Alois asked. "People are dying to know." Alois then laughed at his own dumb joke.
"What? The kid? She's been able to fight for as long as she could walk. So, I taught her how," Jeralt explained succinctly.
"Where did she get her vast array of potential?" Holst asked.
"Well, I'd like to chalk that up to my excellent teaching skills, but the kid's a natural, takes to battle like breathing. Of course, I think a lot of that has to do with her crest. I always knew she had a crest, but Professor Hanneman only recently proved it was the Crest of Flames."
"Did you just say the Crest of Flames!?" Alois gasped, acting for the camera. He already knew.
Jeralt nodded. "The first and only to be born with it since the day and age of Nemesis far as anyone knows."
"That would explain a lot of her crazy feats of strength," Holst states.
"It goes beyond just having a crest though. My kid…isn't exactly what you'd call normal. She's not the most social creature, eats like a beluga whale, and doesn't so much as emote when she gets covered in someone else's blood. In fact, pretty much every time, she turns around and splits open someone else while the last corpse is still fresh.
"Certainly a terrifying foe to be sure. Yet, this year she's been a teacher," Alois stated.
"Look, I didn't really think she was qualified, but Lady Rhea insisted on it. The students love her, but personally I think this entire generation has a screw loose."
Alois laughed hysterically. "Maybe they do. Maybe they do!"
Jeralt was slid off-camera as the screen behind Alois and Holst went back to its neutral logo setting. "Moving from unexpected guests, we continue talking about House Leaders with Princess Marrybell mel Britannia, leader of the Glinda Knights."
"Princess Marrybell is more of a strategist than she is a fighter though, isn't she?" Holst asked.
"Many would think that, and they'd be wrong," Alois stated, pulling up Marrybell's time trial records. Fastest among the students. Even Oldrin and other known speedier students didn't have some of Marrybell's scores on record. She lagged behind Dimitri in metrics such as strength and there were certain trials he had her clearly beat, but when it came to completing trials and obstacles quickly or getting rid of X amount of enemies in a short time, Marrybell had the gold medal in that category.
"Well, that's mighty impressive," Holst stated. "Guess she isn't a house leader for nothing."
"Indeed, but despite these impressive scores, her popularity is quite overshadowed by her older sister and Lady Zevon," Alois pointed out. "Of course, our people spoke with Marrybell and her response was this…"
A clip was shown with a reporter at Garreg Mach, practically sticking a camera and microphone in Marrybell's face. Oldrin was behind her. "You don't fight for your country for the glory of it. You fight to protect the people. You don't need recognition. The knights under my command deserve the recognition. They're doing all of the hard work."
The clip ended.
"My, how noble," Holst accredited. "And speaking of noble, who could be more noble than the head of the Green Pheasants? While each house leader this year is an heir to a throne, Empress Kaguya Sumeragi already is a figurehead."
Kaguya's profile was shown. She had good marksman skills and above average other scores, but nothing outstanding.
"The youngest of our young house heads to be sure. I hear she joined this year specifically because of the potential shift in political climate," Alois remarked.
"That's true. Originally, only Edelgard, Claude and Dimitri were set to be part of this year's roster, but when that came to light both Britannia and Neo-Japan decided to put their best heirs into the mix as well," Holst said. "Many believe this could be a year that creates everlasting peace."
"And yet this year also seems to be the year of insane amounts of political upheaval and subterfuge, but that's a story for a different channel to cover. We're here for the event!" Alois declared.
"Speaking of political upheaval, let us now turn our attention to the world's favorite group of underdogs, the Ashen Wolves!" Holst declared.
A group photo of the wolves taken recently was shown, with Yuri and Zero's faces being zoomed in on, their mug shots fading and replaced with portrait shots, similar to the trading card aesthetic Oldrin and the Knights of the Round had been given.
"While Yuri Leclerc is house head of the Knights of the Round, the one everyone focuses on and is definitely the most popular man going into this event has to be the mysterious Zero!" Alois declared.
"What do we know about Zero?" Holst asked.
"No more than any news station better suited to cover him could tell you. He's mysterious! His vigilant! He claims to have the globe's best interest at heart! He is Zero, the man of miracles!" Alois declared.
"As I understand it, he leads only a small force into this battle, eleven strong I believe," Holst stated.
Alois nodded. "The smallest on the battlefield by several magnitudes. Every other house except the Green Pheasants has at least thirty students, but the Ashen Wolves only have their close knit group, ten, plus Zero." Alois laughed. "Get it…cause…cause ten has a zero…"
Holst cut off a floundering Alois. "Here to tell us more about the Ashen Wolves is a Knight of Seiros working closely with them: Shamir Nevrand."
Shamir looked right at the camera as it pivoted to her. "You've actually worked alongside the Ashen Wolves, also known as the Black Knights under certain operations, correct?"
Shamir nodded. "The names have started to blend together ever since Rhea issued her ceasefire with Zero, but I have been helping the group since before that pardon. Zero pays well for a merc employer."
"HAHA! Offering up free business to him, are we?"
"I'm not going to confirm or deny that on camera," Shamir responded flatly. "You asked about the wolves. Originally, there were only eight wolves: Yuri, Constance, Balthus, Hapi, Akito, Ryo, Ayano and Yukiya. But, along the way, circumstances had them pick up two more members."
"Let's get them on screen, the newcomers," Alois requested.
C.C.—her face hidden by a hood, but green hair could still be seen—and Kallen were visible to the group.
"Originally, Kallen Kozuki was a member of the Violet Tigers, but she switched houses twice, ultimately ending up in Zero's care. Christina Corabelle…" C.C. had to be given a usable name to further dissuade Britannians looking for her, "…was picked up by the Ashen Wolves during the attack the late Prince Clovis made on Japanese soil. She claims to be a refugee, but she's quite strong."
"Hmm, really? She doesn't appear to have any student records on the training modules," Alois remarked.
"I know a few people who fought her before. She is, without question, one of the aces of the Ashen Wolves."
Alois nodded. "Well, we have to go to commercial, but we'll be back with more information as we get closer to the scheduled starting time!"
Each team was getting their bearings behind their starting zones "out of bounds" as it were. Many things were being performed right now: equipment checks, last minute pep talks, snacking, the works. The blue lions main camp found Ingrid opening a big rectangular she'd received that morning before shipping out with her house.
"What's that?" Dimitri asked.
"My father just had some servants bring it, but said it was not to be opened until camp was made at Gronder Field," Ingrid stated. "I'm not sure wh…" she fell silent as she opened the crate and unwrapped the brown paper packaging around what was inside. She picked up the boney implement and it glowed red, taking into consideration the blood of the Crest of Daphnel in Ingrid's veins.
"That's…Luin," Dimitri remarked, wide-eyed. He then noticed a note inside the box. He picked it up and read it. "Dearest Ingrid, I hope this gift finds you well. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors with fighting for Faerghus. May you do our country proud. Take this as a sign that I believe in your dream. Glory to the Blue Lion House. Love, Dad."
Ingrid clenched Luin strongly in her grip. The glow upon it brightened, the crest stone flashing with energy. "Guess I should get some last minute practice in," she remarked.
"You should. Margrave Gautier already had the Lance of Ruin shipped out as well. With two hero's relics we do stand at quite the advantage now," Dimitri pointed out. "Let's hope it's enough."
Ingrid nodded.
Elsewhere in the Green Pheasant camp, the Japanese were receiving a surprise of their own. Kaguya was the first to spot a non-student approaching the camp. "Ah, Lord Rodrigue!" she bowed gallantly. "Shall I take your presence to mean you are looking for Felix."
"That I am. Is he in a good mood?" Rodrigue asked.
"Well, you know Felix. If he's not snapping, but still sour, we take that as a good mood around here," Ohgi remarked.
Rodrigue laughed. "That's my son, all right."
Felix approached from his spot in camp. "What? Come to wish me good luck?"
"Now, now, I know better than that. Luck has nothing to do with anything as you might say. If it were that, I'd have stayed home. No, I thought to bring you something in person. Felix, we might have our differences, and you may be walking a path I can't say I understand, but I am still your father, and I still support you. To that end, here." Rodrigue handed Felix a glowing, boney shield.
"This is…"
"That's the Aegis Shield, our family's fabled Hero's Relic. Use it wisely. May it keep you safe on the battlefield," Rodrigue told him.
Felix took the shield from his father, strapping it on his back. "Let's hope it serves me better than it did Glenn."
"Let's be thankful we didn't lose it when Glenn used it too. It belongs in Frladarius hands after all."
"So that's a hero's relic, huh? First time I've seen one up close," Ohgi remarked.
"Oh? Is it? I wouldn't get too close, but do you want a slightly closer look?" Rodrigue asked.
Felix turned his back to Ohgi and performed maintenance on his energy sword while Ohgi looked at the shield.
"Impeccable craftsmanship, but I can't quite place the material," Ohgi remarked.
"It's said the method for creating these relics was lost to time, but just one can wipe out an entire army, possibly a mountain. However, the Aegis Shield is not a weapon, it's a tool for defense," Rodrigue pointed out.
"A rarity to be sure. But defense is just as important as offense. Make a mistake, and you'll be glad you have something like this. Even the best trained can slip up or be fooled," Felix pointed out.
"I see I've taught you well," Rodrigue beamed.
"No, Glenn taught me well. You just watched," Felix snapped.
Rodrigue sighed. "Felix, I know this is only a mock battle, and not live combat, but I do ask that you be careful. Just because death is off the table doesn't mean serious injury can't be incurred."
Felix turned to face his father. "Oh so now you care."
"I've always cared. Listen to me, Felix. Nothing made me happier to see Glenn become a knight. I…I know losing your brother hasn't been easy. I lost a son that day too, don't forget. And your mother…"
Felix sighed, averting eye contact. "I'm not fighting for Faerghus anymore, old man. I'm fighting for something far greater. I'm not going to be like Glenn. I'm going to carve my own path."
"Well, I hope when you reach its end, we're still family."
"We'll see," Felix remarked, coldly.
"Not the reaction I hoped for, but the one I expected. I know you don't want it, but nevertheless, good luck. May Glenn's spirit smile upon you and may the Goddess protect you all. Er, or is that last part not appropriate to all of you?"
"Would you leave before you embarrass yourself further?" Felix asked snippily.
"All right, all right, I can tell when I'm not wanted," Rodrigue remarked and left.
"Man, if I ever talked like that to my dad, I'd have been locked out of the house," Ohgi remarked.
"Count yourself lucky, I'd have been crammed in the store cupboard and fed leftovers for two days," Kaguya responded.
Ohgi looked at her, shocked.
"Kidding. Had to one up it. My parents were really easygoing," Kaguya responded, chuckling mischievously.
"Let's not make this about him. This is about us and our mission," Felix said sternly. "Let's continue getting ready. We have an uphill battle to win."
"Yeah!" Kaguya agreed, nodding. Ohgi nodded too.
"And we're back with more commentary on today's event!" Holst declared as the group went live again. "So, Alois, what can we expect to see out there this year? Any students you'd like to focus on?"
"Well you can't say children of the Goddess without magic spells and we have several that are a cut above the rest!"
Several students' profile pictures appeared on screen: Hubert, Lysithea, Dorothea, Monica, Annette, Hapi, and Constance. Across their metrics, highlights were given to numbers that were the most advantageous, be they higher or lower. Lysithea was shown to have the most damage output, with Constance at a close second. However, it was Monica with the best performing time trial timers where the objective was to score X amount of KOs as quickly as possible. Of the five, Hapi's leading metric was agility. Dorothea's leading metric was endurance.
"Hmm, I'm seeing Miss Arnault, a fellow Black Eagle to her house leader Edelgard also has higher stamina and endurance over her fellow competitors. Do you think Edelgard will take advantage of that in terms of strategy?" Holst questioned.
"It's hard to say," Alois responded. "But Edelgard never one battles by idling. But endurance also means being able to stay in the thick of battle longer. And from what we know, Miss Arnault is eager to prove herself."
"Lysithea and Constance appear to have the highest scoring power outputs," Holst responded. "I sense a bitter rivalry brewing."
"That would truly be a magical experience. Hahaha," Alois joked as Jeralt rolled his eyes.
"What about aces?" Holst asked. "Even beyond your house leader, every house always has that one student or team member that stands out among the others."
"Well obviously the Ashen Demon is the best weapon the Black Eagles have at their disposal. Among the Blue Lions, that's a tougher call to make. Dimitri stands king among them, or should I say prince?" When no one laughed, quickly added. "Honestly, with the Blue Lions, I'm not quite sure. However, I know that many other students favor Miss Ingrid Galatea after yesterday's fiasco with her sham wedding."
Holst chuckled. "Quite the spectacle, that. I'll take the Golden Deer. I swear by my mother's health that Hilda will absolutely be the MVP of the Golden Deer. There is absolutely no argument to this."
Alois laughed heartily. "Many are expecting a strong showing from Miss Lysithea as well. I hear fellow Golden Deer students also have high hopes for Leonie Pinelli given she too was trained by Jeralt here."
The camera panned to Jeralt.
"That true?" Holst asked.
"I taught her a few things when I spent time at Sauin Village, where she lives, but everything else is on her. Leonie should be proud of who she is though. Tough as nails in terms of spirit and substance."
"HAHA!" Alois cackled. "Spirit and substance! A strong pair to be sure!" Jeralt was slid off camera as Alois continued. "As for the Violet Tigers, aside from their dream team, it's the mysterious mercenary Shez Lamperouge that has many people talking. Just look at those scores."
Shez had top marks at the academy in many metrics. In fact, in a lot of them, if Marrybell didn't hold a record, it was because of Shez. She was good, real good.
"I hear there's talk that Britannia may have found its next Knight of the Round," Holst stated. "That true."
"Lady Zevon has talked about it with Shez in the past, but from what I've heard, nothing's come of it," Alois explained.
"It's my understanding that the Green Pheasants standout ace now resides with the Ashen Wolves," Holst commented.
"Well yes, Kallen Kozuki is an amazing combatant, but that's not to discount Naomi Inoue at all."
Naomi's firearm scores rivaled Claude's in many categories.
As Shamir noticed she was suddenly on camera, she commented, "She's a pro. You don't get scores like that without doing this a long time. If anyone gets in her crosshairs, they're bound to get hit if she's got a clear shot."
"Coming from the knights' top marksman, that's high praise," Alois laughed.
"When it comes to the Ashen Wolves though, watch out, many would argue that Zero stacked the deck full of aces."
"Well the people who think that aren't completely without merit, but I wouldn't oversell the entirety of the Ashen Wolves. Some of their metrics don't stack up to other students and without lower ranking students to pad their numbers, it's going to be hard for them to secure a win," Shamir pointed out.
"Indeed, speaking of, what does our polling data say about favorites?" Alois asked.
"Well, most people polled tend to caucus with their country, so Britannia, being the most populated, has a clear advantage. So, we'll focus purely on Roman citizens and citizens that voted across country lines to get a clearer metric."
The Black Eagles had a clear lead. 47% of people not betting on their own country turned to Adrestia as the clearly favored winner. 23% then voted in favor of Britannia. 20% said the Ashen wolves. 7% said the Golden Deer. The remaining 3% went to the Blue Lions.
"Not a lot of confidence in the Green Pheasants I see," Alois remarked.
"Nobody ever does, not even last year when Suzaku led them to victory. They're a smaller team. If not for the sudden entrance of the Ashen Wolves, they would actually be the smallest," Shamir remarked.
"What do the rest of the metrics mean, do you think? I know these are all cross-country and neutral held opinions. However…"
The camera zoomed out to let Jeralt into the conversation, alongside Shamir. "Well the kid's probably got a lot of people writing things off as a wash. The reputation of the Ashen Demon speaks for itself. She's basically the world's boogeyman, now we're throwing her at a bunch of soldiers-in-training. People are expecting a blowout. Britannia's not a surprise either. They're huge. They have the numbers advantage and, politically, they're actually the least dysfunctional superpower right now. The rest? Well, the Ashen Wolves are led by Zero, what else needs to be said?"
"Zero, the mystery man," Holst remarked. "I remember when Lady Rhea offered that ceasefire and pardon, shocked the whole world. I don't think anybody thought he'd be standing here. I don't think the world even agrees that he should."
"Whether or not that's the case, it's almost time to begin the festivities," Alois said. "We now go live where our team on the ground will pick things up."
Diethard Reid was not a man that often looked forward to a bloodsport like the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. Since he started watching it on TV, there were rare exceptions where other houses won, but Britannia tended to be the default strongest. When he was six, it was just the four main houses: Eagles, Lions, Deer and Tigers. Back then, Britannia had a clear militaristic advantage and anyone that was anyone knew that they had the largest army in the modern world.
Even in rare years where they didn't win, they'd always placed second. He remembered the years where they'd lost. One year, King Lambert, Margrave Gautier and Rodrigue led the Blue Lions to victory in an absolutely brutal victory. In another year, Adrestia had been hard carried by the dual support of a distant relative of Count Bergliez, Randolph, and his top lieutenant, a woman named Ladislava. Three separate times, he recalled Leicester taking the crown, owed by Judith Daphnel one year, Holst and Balthus another, and the first one Diethard ever watched as a boy where Erwin led the Golden Deer to victory. He was also fortunate to be around the year Glenn Fraldarius led the blue lions to victory as well. And that was still not including the upset by the Green Pheasants just last year.
The Green Pheasants had done little to shake things up in his opinion, a token force that, until their upset win last year, got steamrolled year after year, placing fifth otherwise. However, this year they'd managed to recruit two Faerghusians so maybe 4th place was within their grasp.
Of course, none of this mattered. Not this year. No, this year Diethard was here not as a spectator, but on the clock, with a camera on the ground at the Ashen Wolf camp. He wanted to film Zero's legend at ground zero and had a news helicopter in the air for when the spectacle broke out. He wasn't missing one second of this year's event.
"What do you mean I can't have a last minute word with Zero? I need this for ratings!" He argued with Yuri.
"I mean the Zero you want to talk to isn't available at the moment," Yuri told him. He then muted Diethard's mic and whispered something to him. He then unmuted the mic. "And if you tell anyone I told you that, the Savage Mockingbird will come for you."
"I see…understood. So does that mean there won't be a rousing pre-battle speech?"
"Traditionally, that's the house leader's job, not the professor's to give one last speech to the troops, but you might be in for a surprise," Yuri said with a knowing smirk. "I get it. I get it. You wanna have everyone at home feel inspired by the sharply dressed man in the mask. Heh, don't we all?"
Diethard smiled. "Zero is an inspiration to the world. His efforts are much larger than this one event. But, seeing as you seem to be so close to him, I'll ask, speaking on his behalf, what are your chances today?"
"Honestly, they absolutely suck," Yuri remarked. "But, we have a plan and, like always, Zero's planning on making a miracle occur. So, we'll see what happens."
Positioned on a clifftop overseeing the battle from about two miles away. Rhea stood with Seteth, the pair surrounded by Catherine and her troop.
"It's almost time," Rhea said, looking at a very old, golden pocket watch.
"Indeed."
"I'm surprised you allowed Flayn to participate," Rhea said to Seteth.
"It's not as if battle is a foreign language to her. And at least I know this time she won't be irreparably hurt. Besides, the spectacle is more about fun than it does reflect true warfare, no matter how much it's fought like one," Seteth responded.
Rhea smiled. "You've changed a little. Years ago you would have forbidden Flayn from being anywhere you couldn't reasonably see her."
Seteth smiled back. "Perhaps I owe that slightly to your judgment. I may have…questioned it at first, but you've been right so far about Jeralt's kin. She is…a credit worthy of her craft."
In the Black Eagle camp, Edelgard was serenaded by Monica cheering, "Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech!"
"Okay, okay," Edelgard responded, embarrassed, cheeks flushed. Ferdinand actually beat Hubert to the punch by providing sturdy elevation for Edelgard to stand on so that everyone could see her talk.
Lelouch stood among the crowd, making eye contact.
"My fellow Adrestians, and those of you that have come to unite under our banner…"
In the Blue Lion camp, Dimitri was starting his own speech, "Everyone! Gather round! I have something I'd like to say!" The blue lions stood ready to listen to Dimitri. "I am no king. I have yet to take the crown. However, today I consider my actions reflective of my right to rule!"
Claude took charge within the Golden Deer camp. "All right, let's get this over with. I've never been one for fancy words, usually for quick jokes, but now isn't the time for laughs. Now's the time where we put our differences aside and kick some major butt!"
In the Violet Tiger camp, Marrybell was elevated so she could address her fellow students. "Many of you are probably expecting me to give a rousing speech. However, while I could stand here and talk, I feel that all of you would…"
Cornelia fiercely shook her head and then gestured at Marrybell with it. Cornelia's eyes said it all: this is your moment.
Marrybell nodded. "We stand here on the precipice of a great battle!" Marrybell began. "Today, your enemy was yesterday's friend, and tomorrow they will go back to being such!"
Kaguya was also starting to rouse the Green Pheasants. "Everyone may look down on us, but today, we're going to give it our all! I am not Suzaku! I am no warrior! I am an Empress! I am no Zero! I can't make miracles! But I can fight and so can all of you!"
"All right everybody, it's almost showtime, let's get ready!" Yuri exclaimed.
"What? No speech?" Hapi asked.
"Well, sort of. I know tradition is that the House Leader gives the speech, and that would be me, but I think we all know whose orders we're really following out there, so, I give the microphone to our fearless leader over here."
"But that's not the Zero we know, right?" Ayano questioned.
"Perhaps not," the person in the mask responded, using a voice changer to sound exactly like Zero. "However, Zero himself left me with a script to follow. It will be just like the real thing." They cleared their throat. "Friends," Zero raised his right arm. "Romans," he raised his left. "Countrymen," he brought them closer together. "Lend me your ears!"
And thus…all six speeches began simultaneously.
"…We are a nation proud and strong," Edelgard continued.
Dimitri hoisted his spear into the air. "I am not a man that stands idly by and lets others do his fighting for him. Nay, I shall lead you into he heart of battle myself!"
"Today," Claude preached, "We unite as one! It doesn't matter if we're Riegan, Gloucester," he looked at Lorenz, "Goneril," he looked at Hilda, "Edmund," he looked at Marianne, "Ordelia," he looked at Lysithea. "Or something else entirely!" he looked at Nunnally. "Today, for whatever reason or another, we share a common goal!"
"Today our enemy is not one deserving of holy punishment. Today, our enemy is our neighbor, a neighbor that has slighted our Britannian pride!" Marrybell announced. "We will not let that go unchallenged!"
"They won't take our lives today!" Kaguya shouted, unsheathing a family heirloom katana, "So let us not let them take our honor!"
"I am not Achilles of Phthia! I am not invincible!"
"Our enemies believe that the might of Adrestia has waned over the years!" Edelgard shouted. "I stand before you tell you that these are lies!" She clutched her locket, thinking on her long thought to be dead sister. "Adrestia is the strongest nation in the world! We will prove it today! I will show you all Adrestian might, as your princess, no as your Emperor!"
"I am a man of many faults, but one of those faults is not how to fight for the common man! Be you noble or commoner, I stand by you equally! Battle is not won by preferring one soldiers survival over another because he was born a certain way! Battle is won through whomever has the guts to be the last one standing! And today, THAT SHALL BE FAERGHUS!"
"That goal is to show these other countries why they should Fear the Deer! I've said it, at least half of you have said it at some point this year! Yeah, we're a bunch of snot nosed kids. Yeah, we may be just a bunch of clumped together misfits from disagreeing states, but you know what we have that they don't have? We have each other! We have teamwork! And we're gonna show those other nations that it's the bonds between soldiers that carry the day!"
"Britannia has held its strength high above its head for centuries, since our founding as a superpower! Since the day we crawled out of Adrestia's underbelly and crushed Washington's rebellion, we have been strong! All men are not created equal, because you're either Britannian strong, or you're nothing!"
"We fight not as the church demands, but as the heart of the rising sun that beats in all of us! We are the people of Japan! We do not need a Goddess to follow! We have our pride! We have our ancestors who fought for our people! From Oda Nobunaga to the Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan has been led by great leaders!" Kaguya was then offered a Samurai's kabuto by Ohgi and she strapped it on in front of her fellow Pheasants. She raised her sword. "I am no man! I am barely an Empress! But I shall lead from the front! We cannot hope to win! If you hope to win, you shall fail! We will go into battle expecting to lose and then surely we shall make great things happen! Do not worry about what comes next! Follow your hearts! Follow the battlefield! Follow the path of your sword!"
"I am the man who makes miracles! Yet at the same time I am not! I am made of no flesh and blood, but rather the concept of an idea! Even now I give you this speech without actually being present!" Zero declared, fanning out his arms. "My will transcends the human body straight to the human soul! We are a small team, the smallest! But just as David defeated Goliath, we will triumph!"
"I see you, my fellow Black Eagles, as the future of Adrestia! I do not care about your birth or what brought you here, merely that you did! We are a symbol not of power, but of change! When the dust settles, I will judge you not on who your ancestors were, but what each of you did today, for me, for Adrestia, and for yourselves!"
"My father once said that great men are not born, they are made! I happen to agree. I will be king, but I am not great man! But if only for a moment, today, let me pretend to be one, so that the mask I put on turns into truth!" Dimitri declared. "If you all follow my example, we will be unstoppable!"
Claude fired an energy round into the air. "We've only got one shot at this, so make it count. Things are going to get chaotic and senseless out there, so remember three things. When you counter, don't let them counter back. When you protect each other out there, don't let you or the person your protecting get hurt. And when you go on the attack." Claude shot a tree with one hand, using a rifle. A big hole was now in it. "You make sure it counts."
"Britannia did not get to where it is by being idle! We've always been and aggressive nation. Let's show that aggression today! Like a raging tiger, we shall show the enemy no mercy! Let this be a deterrent for all those that would pick war with Britannia that today's result will always be the result!"
"Today's battle has only one goal," Kaguya declared, "To remind the world that the spirit of the Japanese stands strong!"
"I look at all of you and I think how far we've come together. Each and every one of you is not a pawn, but a piece on the board I would hate to lose," Zero told the wolves.
Edelgard concluded her speech. "Let all of you that haven't found your resolve find it today! If you cower, you will perish! Although this is not real war, it is your final exam to adulthood! Pass it with flying colors!" She grasped hold of a banner as she planted it into what would be her starting position on the battlefield. "Let your voices carry into the heavens! Into the future! When you strike, know that you do so not for my sake, but for your own future!" She raised her axe. "LONG LIVE THE ADRESTIAN EMPIRE!"
"FOR ADRESTIA!" many of her fellow students cheered.
Byleth clapped, smiling.
"Although I may not live to see tomorrow's sun, I know that my spirit lives on in the people, in the country I helped raise. Those are the last words of King Loog, our first king! So should I fall before any of you, do not despair! Keep fighting down to our last! Faerghus is not a country! Faerghus is a people! And we are the MIGHT OF FAERGHUS! FOR THE BLUE LIONS! FOR THE KINGDOM!"
"FOR FAERGHUS!"
Claude pointed his rifle at the sky. "We didn't get this far by taking it easy! Every day we've worked our asses off to be the best version of ourselves we can be!" He holstered the rifle and threw his head back, chuckling. "Now let's show the rest of the world what it means to be Alliance tough! Who's with me?"
"FOR LEICESTER!"
"His majesty will be watching all of us today! Let us show him that even after a successor is chosen, that his Empire is not weak! We are strong like a lion, quick like a snake, fierce like a tiger. We soar like a Griffin and maim like a crocodile! We are Britannia! We are the strong! ALL! HAIL!"
"BRITANNIA!" Her fellow students and even Cornelia cheered loudly.
"I fear that this may be our last chance to prove that Japan has what it takes to stand on its own merits. Let us show Britannia it had something to fear from us! Let us show Aderstia and Faerghus that they were right to support our independence! Let's show the church that we are not its vassal state! We are Japan! We are independent! And we are here!"
"FOR JAPAN!"
Zero concluded his speech…as only Zero could.
He started off with a slow burn. "I have heard the rumors of discontent. I share your concerns. We started our tale because we wanted to change things. We never thought we would be standing here." Zero then began to pace in front of his allies. "Glory in battle is not why we fight! We fight for purpose, not for ourselves!" Zero began waggling his index finger as he walked. "Before a digital network, there were ship fleets! Before diplomacy, we had soldiers. Our presence saw the reveal of the Sword of the Creator, but before that, we broke the line. Our presence nearly saw is swallowed up at Saitama, but before that, we broke the line!" he stepped up onto the crate he started on. "Our influence, will see us triumphant, but before that WE!" Zero threw his arms skyward, flourishing his cape "WILL BREAK THE LINE!" A few fireworks went off behind him to punctuate this declaration. "DEAAAAAATH!" He swept out his right arm. "BEFOOOOORE!" He swept out his left.
"DISHONOR!" The Ashen Wolves, yes, even C.C., all raised a triumphant fist to the sky as more fireworks went off.
The Ashen Wolves were as ready as it ever could be. Morale was at an all-time high. Kronya or no Kronya, they had each other. Nay, they had Zero, leading them. Zero their professor. Zero their leader. Zero their hero.
Up on the clifftop, Rhea turned towards Seteth. "It's time."
Seteth turned towards Catherine's squadron who silently gestured to her troops. One by one they ran down the cliffside to a bunch of staff members ready with massive smoke grenade launchers, firing them alongside fireworks high into the air, bursting with clouds of green smoke and yellow starbursts.
Edelgard gave a silent gesture for a forward charge. Her eyes gazed forward as her off-hand was outstretched, no wavering, index finger indicating the path forward. Several of her fellow students charged on ahead, per the plan.
Dimitri raised his lance, shouting fiercely as he led the Blue Lions into battle, bringing the lance down, but not stopping his intimidating shout.
Claude fired a warning shot into the air and across the battlefield. The Golden Deer did not so much charge blindly into the battlefield as they did get into perfect position.
"Alpha squad!" Cornelia declared as she and Marrybell turned towards each other, opposite arms crossed over their bodies.
They then pointed and simultaneously declared, "CHARGE!"
"YES! YOUR HIGHNESS!"
"Turn back and you will age! Hesitate and you will fall!" Kaguya declared as the entire Green Pheasant house fanned out in a semi-circle, hungry for battle. With a wall of swords and guns, they were prepared to take on anyone dumb enough to get close. "We came here to fight! And we will not back down!"
Sandwiched between Adrestia and Britannia, the small Ashen Wolf squad had little in the ways of being able to breathe.
"Oh dear, it appears we will be annihilated," Constance remarked as her dreary self, stuck in the sunshine.
Zero stepped out amidst the group. "All we have to do is fight to the best of our ability. We have a plan, let's stick to it!"
"Gonna be hard with whoever you are standing in for the real Zero. Speech or no speech, we could get wiped out before we get our bearings," Balthus remarked.
"Don't bring down the mood, B. Have a little faith," Hapi chastised him. She smiled. "I'm ready to give this a shot. Cause Zero made me believe in myself. We're not out here to necessarily win. We're here to show people what's possible, that even a little ragtag group like us can stack up to the big superpowers of the world."
"Hapi's absolutely right," Kallen remarked taking out her axe. "Let's fight for what we believe in! FOR ZERO!"
Balthus shouted, "I hear that! For Zero!"
"For Zero!" Hapi declared.
"Heh, For Zero," C.C. said much more quietly, but with a smile, thinking of Lelouch.
The Ashen Wolves got into position, watching dust form from their north and south positions. The enemy was coming, not just for them, but, across the battlefield, the Blue Lions, Golden Deer and Green Pheasants were having a similar conflict unfold. And as Claude pulled up on an auxiliary force of Edelgard's, firing a rifle shot to down one of her troops in one hit, the Golden Deer scored first blood.
The Battle of the Eagle and Lion had officially begun!
(A/N: Short chapter, yeah, and not a lot happened, but I wanted to do a little pre-game hype up before the real deal. I hope I succeeded. That speech bit was a pain in my ass! I'm no sports fan. Quite frankly, I hate sports. But I tried to get that pre-game show into the spirit of things and I hope I did a good job.
Next time? No more delays. It's time to get into the nitty gritty, pile up the body count and deliver what you all came here to see! And until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!
SPECIAL THANKS to my Patrons ShawnH, Nier 99, and Wizard Aro. Without the support of you and all of the rest of you reading this, none of this would be possible! If you'd like to support my work, consider subscribing. Feel free to also leave a comment, write a review, or just say hey.
I do hope I can turn fanfiction into a job if possible, or at least to help me scrape by while I look for a new one, as I am presently unemployed. Please don't forget to share this fic with others as awareness not only drives more traffic to it, but enriches the lives of others. Plus, the larger the fanbase I have, the better my novel coming out later this year will sell! Hate to plug, but I gotta eat, and I will see you all next time!