Fire Emblem: Three Houses of Hope

Prolouge: Fight by Moonlight

???: Hey?! Where is that freeloader...? Ah, there!

A male brigand says and steps over to a young lady asleep on the ground.

???: Hey, wake up already! The battle is upon us.

???: Mm...? What's up, Getz...?

Getz: Pfft. What's up?! Did you lose a few nails during your nap, or somethin? Can you even remember your own name?

???: Of course. It's Shez.

Getz: Well, looks like there's still hope for you yet.

Shez: Oh back off, you sack of guts. I was just getting some rest before the battle at hand.

Getz: Well you almost missed it. It's right at our doorstep now. You're lucky I like ya enough to wake ya. Besides, it's gonna be a tough fight ahead. You know who we're up against, right? Jeralt's Mercenaries. Gonna be one helluva fight, especially if the Ashen Demon is involved. Don't like a smidgen of what I heard about the fella. Or, was it a woman...?

Shez: Leave to you to flunk the details. Did you even catch this Ashen Demon's name?

Getz: Of course I know it, it's...! Ugh, by the Goddess, it's right on the tip of my tongue...!

Shez: Well, since you obviously don't know, the Ashen Demon is a female who goes by the name Byleth.

Getz: Yeah, yeah, that's it! Byleth the Ashen Demon!

???: Well, glad to see you so raring to go.

Shez: Yes of course, Captain Berling.

Berling: Jeralt's Mercenaries will be upon us soon. It seems we'll be fighting by moonlight. Mind you don't kill each other in the dark.

Getz: You got it captain.

After some prep work, Berling's Mercenaries went off to face against Jeralt's Mercenaries. At first, it seemed that Berling's Mercenaries had the upper hand. However, momentum soon turned once the elite soldiers of Jeralt's showed up, as well the Ashen Demon, Byleth, who singlehandedly killed Captain Berling as if she was chump change. Getz falls as well, but not to Byleth. Shez quickly makes her way over, and faces Byleth down. The older woman, however, was unflinching. Her face devoid of any sort of emotion.

Byleth: Stand down, or die.

Even her voice was dull. Her tone detached.

Shez: You're going to pay for killing the Captain...! We will stand, we will fight, and we will win!

Byleth and Shez engage in combat, and the skill gape was clear as day. Byleth evaded perfectly, and struck true.

Shez: It's just one merc...! So why... Why am I so scared right now...?!

Shez continues to try gain control over the fight, going in for an attack. However, seeing an opportunity, Byleth stomps on Shez's foot, causing her to stumble. Byleth lifts her sword arm, and takes a stab at Shez, who blocked the strike, but was still knocked back by how much force she was hit with.

Shez: Ugh...! Guh...!

Shez struggles to stand up again, but couldn't. Byleth steps up to the fallen female, and raises her sword, ready to plunge it into her skull. But just before it could happen, Shez's body begins to be surrounded by a mysterious golden aura. Strange markings appear on her face, and red, spiky aura solidifies around her wrists and collar. A mysterious white sword with a red inner blade appears in her hand, as Shez now begins to duel wield. With strength and power renewed, Shez begins to fight back surprisingly well. While Byleth had momentarily fell back to assess the situation.

Byleth: You're fighting like a completely different person. Interesting...

Byleth returns to the battlefield to take on Shez one more time, and this time, after figuring out her movements and attack patterns, she fought back better than earlier. However, their duel was cut short.

Jeralt: Alright, that's enough! We did what we needed to do! Fall back!

Upon hearing her orders, Byleth pushes Shez away, and puts her sword away.

Shez: Wait...!

Byleth: Why?

Shez: This fight isn't over yet...!

Byleth: But it is. Your job was to stop us. And you failed.

Shez: Grr...!

Byleth: Another time, perhaps.

With that, Byleth leaves, as Shez collapses onto the ground, unconscious.