Not This Time

The Final Battle

There she was.

The Immaculate One has taken to the battlefield, an enraged look on it's monstrous face. Byleth wondered if the creature had been trying to join the battlefield to help everyone, or if Rhea had waited until the last moment possible to try and save her own skin. Byleth honestly didn't know...but her timing was impeccable-

-for the Imperial forces.

After all, now they didn't have to fight the Kingdom and Church forces together. Byleth couldn't imagine trying to take down her former students along with the Knights of Seiros. She could see Catherine, Cyril, Seteth, and Flayn from where she stood.

"...I suppose this is the end," Edelgard said solemnly as she stood beside Byleth. She took Byleth's hand in hers...not as lovers, but as true friends the time. "Are you ready, my teacher?"

"We have no choice," Byleth reminded her, squeezing her hand tightly. "This will all be over after this. Just one more fight, and it's over.."

"...You will not hesitate, right?"

"Not against Rhea," Byleth almost laughed at that idea. After all, she was the woman who had stripped away Byleth's emotions, how could Byleth feel pity for that woman? "...El, I..I killed Dimitri."

"It was inevitable," Edelgard said with a stony look on her face...but Byleth knew better than to trust her exterior. She knew that Edelgard didn't want to take human lives, even though they hadn't talked about it. After all, Byleth didn't need a conversation to see that Edelgard didn't want to kill any classmates. Who would..? "...This is not the time to talk. We must press forward!"

"Yes, you're right," Byleth agreed, clutching Edelgard's hand tighter in hers. "C'mon. Let's go!"

The two jumped into the fray, charging onward toward the Immaculate One and her army. Byleth caught view of Annette, but fortunately, the girl was out of their direct path line. Hopefully, Annette would manage to make it out.

Unluckily, as Byleth glanced to her right, she caught sight of Sylvain fighting with an untimely opponent...

"Keep going," Byleth acknowledged Edelgard before dropping her hand. Byleth ran towards Sylvain, hoping that she'd get there in time. His enemy was a female with short blonde hair and defiant green eyes. She held her lance with grace from atop her pegasus, and her blade shot forward, ready to pierce open Sylvain's skin-

Byleth's blade unfurled, batting away the lance before it could hit Sylvain. The two warriors turned their attention to Byleth as she took Sylvain's side.

"Ingrid," Byleth grit her teeth in irritation.The knights of the Kingdom were all the same; willing to die for what they thought was right. In that sense, they were the same as the Imperial forces. Noticing that parallel didn't make the thought of killing Ingrid any better, but... Byleth knew she had no choice. If Felix nor Dimitri wouldn't stop fighting, neither would Ingrid. "...Go, Sylvain."

"What?" Sylvain's brown eyes shifted to her in confusion, and Byleth gestured for him to leave once more.

"Better me than you."

Sylvain finally understood what she was getting at, and he pressed his lips together in sorrow. In one last glance of sadness, he looked at Ingrid before slipping further into the battlefield. Byleth held her sword toward Ingrid, a regretful look on her face.

Ingrid charged, corkscrewing her pegasus toward Byleth. Byleth quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding her silvery lance. Ingrid was quick, overtaking even Byleth's breathtaking speed, and Byleth was forced to block more often than dodge.

Byleth could sense Ingrid's heroic resolve than Felix, or even Dimitri. It made it all the more tragic that she would have to fall, just like the others...

Ingrid dodged Byleth's sword, but that was when Byleth caught sight of an opening. A slight miscalculation of Ingrid as her lance came swinging too far, leaving her stomach exposed. Byleth thrust her sword forward, impaling Ingrid.

The warrior fell to the ground, holding her wound in a silent struggle. Byleth closed her eyes in silent condolence before moving on.

She kept running forward, slaying Alliance and
Church soldiers alike. Eventually, she happened upon Edelgard, who was locked in battle with Catherine. Byleth sighed; her emotions were all over the place from having to kill her former friends. She didn't want to add Catherine to the list, but what choice did she have?

Byleth crept behind the two fighting, and as Edelgard swung her axe forward, Byleth swung her sword from behind Catherine.

Edelgard's axe missed...but Byleth's blade didn't.

Catherine struggled, clutching her wound as she desperately tried to keep fighting to no avail. Her fight was over. Edelgard reached out to grab Byleth's hand, trying to strengthen her professor. The two continued onward until they stopped in their tracks.

Ahead of them lay the Immaculate One in all of her glory.