(FE3H Crossover Fanfic) House Isekai
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Prologue: An Inevitable Encounter
After having a surreal dream, Byleth Eisner finds his father alongside his mysterious companion that only he can see waiting for him. Little does he know that his fate is about to dramatically change mere moments after he awakens.
Word Count: 5.5k Content: Action, swearing, crack, and a useless blue thing Characters: Byleth, Sothis, Jeralt, Edelgard, Claude, Dimitri, Satou Kazuma, Megumin, Aqua, Darkness, Makoto Yuki, Aigis, Yukari Takeba, Junpei Iori
=========
"Hey, time to wake up."
Byleth's eyes slowly opened up, sitting up to see his father, Jeralt, standing on the other side of the door. He was already in his full gear, his armor clinking as he walked closer to the bed, one eyebrow of curiosity raised at his son.
(Jeralt) "Were you having that dream again?"
(Byleth) "I was. It was that young girl."
Byleth nodded in response, his voice barely going above monotone as he began equipping the rest of his gear that was sitting on a nearby table.
(Jeralt) "You've described her to me before, I don't think I've ever met anyone like that."
Jeralt handed Byleth his sword and continued.
(Jeralt) "In any case, put that out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts-"
As if on cue, immediately behind Jeralt materialized a familiar face to Byleth, the young girl in question floating over to him, barely containing a yawn as his father continued the lecture.
(Young Green-haired Girl) "My, it's this early and he's already going off on you."
Byleth's eyes subtly shifted over to her, responding in his head.
(Byleth) No thanks to you, Sothis. That dream you had kept us both awake.
Sothis scoffed, hovering in front of Jeralt despite the fact he was still speaking, with no indication that he was even aware Byleth was having an entirely separate conversation.
(Sothis) "As if I can control them! I've always been bewildered by their timing as much as you, child! Now, what in the world is Jeralt going on about still?"
Both of them turned their attention back to Jeralt, who seemed to be wrapping up his lecture towards Byleth, thankfully.
(Jeralt) "Our next job is in the kingdom. I told you before. It's far from here so we'll need to leave at dawn."
Byleth momentarily searched in his mind for any recollection of Jeralt mentioning this to him, but nothing was coming to mind much to his annoyance.
(Byleth) "Oh...Right."
Immediately, Jeralt sighed in annoyance as his eyes drifted over to the window, movement catching his attention.
(Jeralt) "Hm? Oh, good grief. Everyone is already waiting for us outside."
Byleth shot one last glare at Sothis, who was smirking at him.
(Sothis) "My, and I thought I was the one with the bad sleeping habit-"
The door suddenly swung open with one of Jeralt's mercenaries rushing into the room and slightly out of breath. Though Byleth was the only one to see, Sothis had gotten startled by his sudden appearance as the door nearly hit her. Ever since he was a child, he figured that Sothis wasn't able to interact with anything regarding the physical world, yet she acted like she did. It was something that never failed to amuse him, despite the fact his expression did not change in the slightest. And yet, Sothis knew what he was thinking, giving him a glare of her own. Tuning back into the conversation, he knew that this was going to be something serious.
(Mercenary) "Jeralt, sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed!"
Jeralt and Byleth tensed up at his words, the gathering of the mercenary company outside suddenly taking on a whole new meaning. Jeralt shot one last glance at his son to finish preparing before turning his attention back to the mercenary.
(Jeralt) "What's happened?"
...
Byleth, Jeralt, and the other mercenaries went outside the inn they had been staying at, rushing to the middle of the open village square to see three colorful teenagers standing with other members of the company. Jeralt and Byleth shoved their way through the small crowd to talk to them, with the blue one in the middle quickly bowing in greeting.
(Blue-Colored Teenager) "Please, forgive our intrusion. We wouldn't bother you were the situation not dire."
Jeralt crossed his arms as his brows furrowed, noting just how unbothered these kids appeared to be despite the boy's words. All the while, Byleth and Sothis remained quiet to observe, though...Something was bothering Byleth the more he stared at the three. Sensing the unease Byleth was feeling, Sothis floated over to her friend, her eyes narrowing as her gaze bounced between the three.
(Sothis) "Do...you feel that too?"
(Byleth) I do, but we can't focus on that right now.
Heeding the words of his father that he was partially paying attention to previously, Byleth decided the mysterious feeling could wait for now.
(Jeralt) "What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?"
(Blue-Colored Teenager) "We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend us your support."
Jeralt and Byleth were taken aback, giving each other a quick side glance.
(Jeralt) "Bandits? Here?"
(Byleth) "We've checked the area surrounding this village three times, and we saw no signs of any bandits."
The girl in red clothing stepped forward, interjecting in a polite tone not too dissimilar from her friend.
(Red-Colored Girl) "It's true. They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp."
(Yellow-Colored Boy) "We've been separated from our companions and we're outnumbered. They're after our lives, not to mention our gold."
All three of them sounded relatively unaffected despite the severity of the situation. Their tone was more akin to being annoyed that a meal was taking longer than usual, or if someone was not moving out the way. That small detail not escaping either of the mercenaries, or the hidden floating girl.
(Jeralt) "I'm impressed you're staying so calm considering the situation. I-...Wait, that uniform...!"
Just before Jeralt could put a name to the clothes he was staring at, one of the mercenaries came rushing back to the group, the three teenagers stepping out of the way for him to report.
(Mercenary) "Bandits spotted just outside of the village! Damn...There are a lot of them!"
Jeralt turned back to the kids with a small sigh, gesturing to the other mercenaries with his head nodding. They all rushed to defensive positions while Jeralt and Byleth finished their conversation with the teenagers.
(Jeralt) "I guess they followed you all the way out here. We can't abandon this village now."
Byleth straightened his back as his hand immediately clenched his sword's hilt.
(Byleth) "Are we taking the lead?"
Jeralt smirked at his son, a sense of pride swelling within his chest to see him immediately get ready to jump into the action.
(Jeralt) "Naturally."
Both of them moved through the teenagers, only to be interrupted as he saw them step forward.
(Blue-Colored Boy) "Please, allow us to help you as well, sir!"
The two mercenaries stopped in their tracks and spun around, with Jeralt failing to hide his surprise.
(Jeralt) "You...want to help?"
(Yellow-Colored Boy) "Before, we were outnumbered and the three of us alone couldn't handle them. With your help, I'd reckon we can send them packing in no time!"
The other two nodded in agreement, furthering Jeralt's surprise. Byleth simply shrugged at Jeralt when his father turned to him for a suggestion, making him chuckle.
(Jeralt) "You got some guts, kids. What are your names?"
"Dimitri, and once again thank you!"
"Name's Claude."
"I am Edelgard. A pleasure."
(Jeralt) "Just call me Jeralt, kid over here is Byleth."
With the greetings finished, they rushed to the front of the village. The other mercenaries covered the other entrances and prepared for an attack from other directions as they ushered the other villagers inside their home. Others rushed to protect the mercenary's caravan, and the last few closed the gate leading into the village, leaving Jeralt, Byleth, Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude to deal with the bandits.
...
Jeralt leapt onto his horse while grabbing a nearby lance, turning to his son.
(Jeralt) "I'll make sure no one gets near the entrance, then I'll be flanking around the sides. Take care of the ones in front for now so they can't overrun the village!"
Byleth nodded at Jeralt's orders before unsheathing his sword and rushing to the first three bandits emerging from the woods, the teenagers behind him following suit. Sothis hovered ahead of Byleth, floating around the trees elegantly as she looked back to him, frowning as the bandits ran and phased straight through her.
(Sothis) "No archers as of yet, finish this rabble off quickly!"
Not needing her to tell him that, Byleth stood his ground as the first one rushed him, an axe swinging up into the air and ready to plunge itself into his torso. The axe fell fast, but Byleth's hand was faster as he parried his attacker effortlessly. The stagger sending him backwards for only a second was all that Byleth needed, as the mercenary made a single slash across the bandit's chest, taking him down instantly. With his body crumpling onto the floor, Byleth immediately dodged backwards from the next attack, an axe trying to swipe him from the side as the other two rushed his flank. Before they could motion to attack again, they frantically raised their weapon to block Dimitri and Edelgard's weapons, forcing them back into a defensive stance.
For the brief few seconds Byleth watched the two match the bandits blow for blow, he was impressed. Dimitri's lance kept his opponent desperately trying to avoid his brutal thrusts while Edelgard's own axe easily overpowered the strength of the bandit. As much as he would like to see their skills in their entirety, he promptly chose his next target, that being Edelgard's attacker. Forgoing any kind of flashy move, he simply slashed at the bandit's leg, stunning him for Edelgard. She finished him off with a final blow that sent him flying into the air for a few seconds, armor, leather, and blood accompanying him.
An arrow whizzed past his head, though it came from behind as it landed in the shoulder of Dimitri's attacker, causing him to scream before it was cut abruptly, Dimitri's lance shattering upon smashing into the bandit.
(Dimitri) "Tch, these lances truly are brittle..."
(Claude) "What? You're not even gonna acknowledge how clean that shot was?"
Dimitri rolled his eyes as Jeralt ran by, tossing another lance into his hands and disappearing into the treeline.
(Edelgard) "We'll acknowledge it once the fighting has ceased, Claude."
Byleth followed after Jeralt, with the others following suit. After another brief skirmish, the group had taken out a few more bandits with ease, cutting their way further into the attackers, eventually catching sight of their leader.
(Bandit Leader) "Damn, why are there mercenaries in the village?! Guess we'll have to deal with them too...!"
The bandit leader and his group were quickly closing in on Byleth's position, though he noticed that he appeared to be hurtling towards the kids in an almost single-minded manner. Jeralt was too busy protecting their left flank, and the three were occupied handling the ones in front of them, meaning Byleth had to deal with them alone. His expression subtly growing more determined, he stepped directly into the bandit leader's path, sword at the ready, eyeing the other two bandits at their leader's side.
(Bandit Leader) "Hey, you with the blank stare! Outta my way!"
Saying nothing in response, Byleth swiftly hopped to the side as the bandit leader's axe crashed onto the ground where he was previously standing. Blocking Byleth's sword as it came swinging from the side, the mercenary was forced to back off before parrying the next attack from his lackey, promptly dispatching him with another slash. The other one nearly barreled into Byleth, barely jumping out the way in time of another axe that grazed his gauntlet.
(Sothis) "Child, he's going for the others!"
Byleth grit his teeth as his elbow slammed into the bandit's chest, shoving him away as he sprinted towards their leader. Hearing the mercenary's footsteps rapidly approaching from behind, the bandit leader spun his axe around, only to have his attack easily deflected with a slash followed up by a second that sent him and his weapon into the air. Both came crashing down with a loud thud, Byleth nodding and his attention turning back to the continued fighting behind him. Dimitri and Claude were finishing off their targets, alongside Jeralt and Edelgard. Sothis hovered over and began examining the ongoing skirmish with him, the two of them failing to acknowledge the quickly recovering bandit leader.
Edelgard's eyes flickered over to the sudden movement near Byleth, her eyes going wide as she realized what was about to happen.
(Edelgard) "BEHIND YOU!"
Thanks to her scream the duo realized that he had gotten up again, but it was too late. The mercenary's eyes shot wide open, raising his sword arm in a vain attempt to parry the oncoming axe about to plunge into his chest, knowing that it would not save him in time. Just as he clenched his teeth and prepared to feel searing pain throughout his body, only for the world around him to come to a screeching halt.
...
In an instant, his vision was clouded in a black abyss, the only thing he was able to see now being himself in this endless void. Looking around his side, Byleth lowered his sword, puzzled by what had just occurred. It was only when he heard his companion's voice did he start to get an idea.
(Sothis) "Tch! Honestly, I cannot believe that you let your guard down like that! Are you trying to get us both killed?!"
Sothis was now sitting upon a throne across from him, the only two things he could see in the void. Though, the sight was not exactly new to Byleth at this point, letting him sheathe his sword with somewhat peace of mind, other than the lecture that was incoming.
(Byleth) "He was stronger than I expected."
(Sothis) "Oh! And I'm sure your father will accept that excuse as your lifeless body is bleeding on the dirt! Phooey, and you call yourself a mercenary! Simply turn your back on an enemy without checking he was down properly, a splendid idea, child!"
Clicking her tongue after emphasizing the last word, she shook her head and let her chin lean against her hand, rolling her eyes.
(Sothis) "It's as if you don't know the value of your own life, including mine!"
(Byleth) "Enough already, I get it."
Exhaling deeply through his nose, Byleth remained silent for a moment before turning back to his friend.
(Byleth) "Thank you. But where are we?"
Sothis scoffed at his half-hearted gratitude, but sat upright to answer him.
(Sothis) "The same location. I have just stalled the flow of time, albeit temporarily."
She noticed his brows furrow ever so slightly, only noticing the difference due to the time spent with him since birth.
(Byleth) "...You can do that?"
WIth a sudden realization for his expression, Sothis's eyes widened at his question as her mouth hung slightly open.
(Sothis) "I...However did I manage that?"
Her finger tapped against the side of her cheek trying to find an answer, yet could find no response.
(Sothis) "Hmph. It doesn't matter for now. However, our current predicament that you have put us in is our priority. Once time resumes, you will surely meet your end."
Ignoring her comment, Byleth crossed his arms trying to think of a solution. He wasn't sure just how long they could remain like this.
(Byleth) "...If you can stop time, can you reverse it?"
Though it took a second for Sothis to register his suggestion, her eyes suddenly lit up, alongside the tone of her voice.
(Sothis) "I can! Hmph, how troublesome you are that I must manipulate reality like this...!"
The smile on her face betrayed her relief, as a circle with magical symbols materialized in front of her, spinning in place with the world shaking around the two. Byleth clenched his sword's hilt again with his eyes remaining on his companion as she floated towards him.
(Sothis) "It does not look like we can wind time back too far, however we are aware of what's to come."
(Byleth) "Good enough for me."
Byleth rolled his neck side to side, his expression steeling itself for the jarring effect that was about to happen. All the while, Sothis crossed her arms and gave him another smug grin.
(Sothis) "You should thank me again, child. I will be the only one to know of your embarrassment today.-"
(Byleth) "Please be quiet so I can concentrate."
With his last request, the world slowly faded back into view and resumed.
...
(Bandit Leader) "Hey, you with the blank stare! Outta my way!"
Byleth blinked and he was back in position, the bandit leader and the two at his side rushing forward again. Byleth stood his ground, ready to deflect the leader and cut him down with one fell swoop.
At least, he was before the sound of glass shattering above him caused everyone to pause their engagement, turning to the source of the sound. He thought bandits somehow broke into the village but realized that was impossible, given time was only supposed to be reversed and not changed. However, that thought also came to an abrupt halt once Byleth noticed the light directly above him, alongside a literal tear in the air above him, the sound of glass breaking intensifying.
(Byleth) "Sothis...?!"
Sothis appeared next to him once more, just as confused as he was, beginning to motion Byleth to stand back.
(Sothis) "I played no part in whatever is transpiring!...I-I think!"
For the first time in his life, Byleth's stoic expression broke into something resembling genuine shock as everyone, including the bandits, backed away in fear. Before anyone could muster the courage to continue the fight or even run, the glass shattered for a final time, sending a violent shockwave across the field and everyone tumbling across the ground by the sheer force. Dimitri, Claude, and Edelgard attempted to brace themselves but found themselves flung back into the trees. Jeralt and his horse staggered backwards, struggling to keep their footing. The bandits, alongside Byleth and Sothis, flew the furthest back since they were the closest, the mercenary and his companion's backs slamming against the tree knocking the wind out of them.
As the rift in reality tore open, it sent four figures hurtling down, screaming all the while until they landed on top of each other with an audible thud. Byleth blinked the pain away, his vision starting to unblur itself as he stared at the strangers who had emerged from the rift. From what her could gather upon first glance, they were about the same age as the other three kids. The shortest one wielding a staff was wearing a red dress adorned with a cape and a comically large hat hiding her brunette hair. The tallest blonde one meanwhile appeared to be wearing some kind of yellow knight armor, a winged pauldron on her right shoulder. Lastly, a brown-haired boy with a green mantle and simple shirt stood up, jamming a finger into the chest of a blue haired girl, yelling at the top of his lungs.
(Boy) "Oh, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! Where did you get us stuck now?!"
The blue girl stood up startlingly fast, faster than she should have considering they fell from the sky. She looked more annoyed by the boy rather than any potential injury.
(Blue Girl) "Why are you blaming me?! You're the one who wouldn't let go of the relic, Kazuma!-"
(Kazuma) "SHUT YOUR TRAP YOU USELESS GODDESS! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO BROKE THE DAMN THING! We were going to get an entire month's rent from that, and you just HAD TO-"
As the two continued their argument, only the other two girls realized the predicament they had interrupted, making direct eye contact with Byleth. No one said anything, or even dared to move, time seemingly paused once again without the interference of Sothis. Their argument only continued for a few more seconds before the red dressed girl spotted the bandits, pointing at them as she directed her voice to Kazuma and the other girl.
(Red Girl) "KAZUMA! AQUA!"
Both of them, though greatly agitated, redirected their anger and shouted in unison at the girl.
(Kazuma/Aqua) "WHAT!?"
(Yellow Girl) "BANDITS!"
Though the tone of her voice appeared to be alarmed, her flushed face and subsequent heavy breathing indicated something far worse. Upon the girl's shout, time abruptly resumed, everyone quickly remembering that they were in a life and death battle with each other. Byleth rushed to his feet and grabbed his sword, rushing to defend the newcomers as the bandits rushed the blonde. Much to his confusion, instead of fighting the boy named Kazuma physically tackled the red girl as she tried to cast magic, the blue girl named Aqua also rushing to restrain her. As if being able to read his thoughts, Sothis appeared next to Byleth failing to contain her utter bewilderment.
(Sothis) "Why on earth are they leaving their friend alone?! She can't take on those three without-!"
The blonde swung her sword in a comically wide arc, somehow missing the bandits entirely but cleaving the trees next to her completely apart, their weight crashing into the rest of the forest with everyone diving out of the way. The bandits were completely distracted by her fumble and failed to duck out of her follow-up punch. The first bandit's face made contact with her fist, causing him to soar at impossible speeds and crash into the other bandit, directly towards Byleth and Sothis.
(Sothis) "-HELP?!"
Byleth dove for the ground while Sothis arms raised and flinched as the bandits phased through her, and flew over him. He could feel the rush of air left in their wake as they crashed into the trees, also causing another chain of trees to collapse on top of each other. Had he been any slower, Byleth had zero doubts in his mind he would've been killed yet again. Kazuma meanwhile lifted his head, looking in Sothis's direction.
(Kazuma) "H-Hang on, little girl! We're coming to he-"
(Red Girl) "MY EXPLOSION CAN WIPE OUT THE BANDITS, COME ON-"
(Kazuma) "MEGUMIN, NOT NOW! Aqua, reign Darkness in before the trees crush us!"
(Aqua) "You want me to restrain her?!"
(Kazuma) "JUST DO SOMETHING!"
Dimitri, Claude, Edelgard, and Jeralt rushed over to Byleth's side and doing their best to avoid the collapsing trees as "Darkness" kept missing her swings, somehow missing the bandit leader everytime while almost decapitating them by mistake. Jeralt grabbed his son by the arm and helped lift him off the ground. Sothis hovered behind Byleth, looking over his shoulder, the six of them watching in horror as this party of four was both somehow protecting the village and doing absolutely nothing. Though they knew the former being accomplished was also by mistake.
(Edelgard) "How can so few people be loud enough to wake everyone in the village better than the sound of combat?!"
(Jeralt) "At this rate, that girl will destroy the village herself!"
(Kazuma) "I'M SO SORRY FOR HER, SIR!"
Kazuma restrained Megumin's arms as she flailed, kicked, and screamed with Aqua raising her rod at the bandit leader.
(Aqua) "TAKE THIS! CREATE WATER-"
A stream of water burst out from the tip of her rod, jetting forward and hitting the bandit leader in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. Though it seemed to annoy him more than anything, with him continuing to dodge Darkness's attacks with surprising ease.
(Bandit Leader) "I didn't sign up for this crap! GET OUT OF MY WAY YOU BRAT!-"
He raised his fist and slammed it against the side of Darkness's face, only to recoil frantically in pain and shocking everyone who was watching, the exception being her own party.
(Bandit Leader) "GAAAAAH!"
(Darkness) "HARDER!"
(Jeralt/Byleth/Sothis) "WHAT?!"
(Claude) "Was that a clang I just heard?!"
(Dimitri) "S-So I wasn't imagining that either!"
(Edelgard) "What in the world is happening?!-"
Kazuma's face appeared that it was ready to burst several veins as he began shouting out into the sky.
(Kazuma) "Can this crap get any worse?!"
The sound of glass shattering answered his question, everyone pausing yet again as a light shone across the sky.
(Aqua) "H-Hey! That's the same light we saw!"
Upon hearing Aqua's words, Jeralt immediately turned to the kids in his care, his voice loud and clear above the chaos ensuing.
(Jeralt) "GET BEHIND THE TREES, NOW!"
Not needing further instruction, everyone rushed behind cover with the exception of Kazuma and his friends. The bandit leader was now running away at full speed as the glass shattering grew louder and louder.
(Megumin) "Can we use it to get back home?!"
(Darkness) "GET BACK HERE! I NEED YOU TO HIT ME AGAIN-"
(Kazuma) "NO, DARKNESS! STAY HERE GOD DAMN IT!-"
Suddenly, the skies above them turned into a pale sickly green, the full moon above growing even brighter than before with the tear in reality growing bigger. Kazuma and his friends now took a step back, unaware of what was to follow.
(Dimitri) "P-PLEASE! ALL OF YOU FIND COVER!"
Dimitri poked his head around the corner before promptly hitting the floor upon seeing the tear ready to burst.
Kazuma suddenly froze up, yanking Megumin by the collar and kicking Aqua directly behind Darkness as he curled up into a ball, the final tear splitting reality apart again and causing another shockwave. Darkness used her body to shield her party, with everyone doing their best to ignore the very happy noises she was making. With the trees as cover, the six were able to mitigate the worst of the damage, only poking their head out to realize instead of people falling through, black blobs were.
Byleth opened his mouth to say something, only to see a blue mask shift around the first blob staring directly at him. The rest of the blobs did the same, before shifting their attention to Kazuma's group, suddenly growing arms and clawing their way towards them.
Kazuma lifted his head and screamed in terror, quickly joined by Megumin and Aqua who all held each other in unison, tears in all of their eyes.
(Kazuma) "AAAAAAGH! I'M SORRY FOR COMING INTO THIS WORLD! SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEEE!-"
Byleth vaulted over the log he was hiding behind, unsheathing his sword and running as fast as he could with Sothis right behind him.
(Sothis) "I don't know if we can make it!"
Even though he didn't know these kids, the last thing he wanted to see was them getting torn apart by these creatures.
(Byleth) "Can you reverse time again?!"
(Sothis) "I-I'm not sure! I-"
Several fireballs cut off the small distance between the monsters and Kazuma's group, the monsters suddenly swiveled toward the still present rift. Byleth froze in place as four humanoid figures dropped down with far more elegance than their present company, landing and instantly ready for combat. The one in front had dark blue hair with his bangs covering his right eye, sword and some strange device Byleth couldn't recognize in his hands. The uniform he was wearing was extremely similar to the other boy in their party, a black uniform with a red armband on their side, though his friend had a claymore in his hands and a foreign hat. A brown-haired pink girl wielding a bow had the same armband and jacket, the other blonde girl standing completely out with steel adorning her limbs and a pink ribbon in the center of her neck. As far as Byleth could see, she had no weapons at all.
Wiping away the tears in her eyes, Aqua smiled widely at the appearance of the newcomers.
(Aqua) "OH! WE'RE SAVED! THEY'RE-"
Everyone except the blonde pointed a device at their head as other creatures appeared behind them, all focus directed to them. Though, it appeared Kazuma was the only one who knew what they were doing.
(Kazuma) "They're PUTTING A GUN TO THEIR HEADS?!"
"PERSONA!"
Blue flames surrounded the four as they shouted in unison and pulled the trigger, massive ghastly figures emerging behind them as they quickly struck down the creatures in a flurry of spells and swings. Everyone could only watch in awe as they dispatched their enemies faster than they could process. Firing an arrow, the pink-dressed girl rushed over to the group and pointed towards everyone else.
(Pink Girl) "Get to safety, we'll handle this from here!-"
Kazuma shoved Darkness aside as he ugly cried holding her hands, snot and tears running down his face with his words barely comprehensible.
(Kazuma) "THANK YOOUUUU!"
The pink girl recoiled at Kazuma's reaction, instinctually rubbing her hand on her jacket trying to rub off Kazuma in disgust.
(Pink Girl) "Uhh...Y-Yeah. Just get-!"
(Boy with Hat) "YUKARI! BEHIND YOU!"
Immediately her expression steeled itself once again as another creature barreled its way past her comrades, quickly grabbing her "gun" and putting it against her forehead.
(Yukari) "IO!"
Byleth saw one of the ghosts in clearer detail, someone resembling a girl in the center of a giant cow-like skull, the figure summoning a violent gust of wind to blow away the creature, the dark blue-haired boy slashing his sword as it flew by, killing it instantly. He gave a single nod of thanks to Yukari before effortlessly going back to holding off the others. Shaking off his own shock, he ran over to the group and picked Kazuma up by the arm, letting the rest of his group run ahead of him before retreating, everyone watching as the group destroyed the rest of the creatures with seemingly zero effort.
...
At last, the tear in the sky finally repaired itself as a gust of air shook the leaves of the remaining trees, the green skies reverting back to normal slowly to its original dark purple color as dawn approached. Their leader took a deep breath, as the rest of his team did the same with varying levels of expression.
(Boy with Cap) "Woo! Damn, are we good, or what?!"
(Yukari) "Give it a rest, Junpei..."
(Blonde Girl) "Leader. All threats neutralized."
(Dark Blue-Haired Boy) "Keep scanning the area for shadows, we still might not be alone."
Their leader motioned with his head to follow, all four of them making their way to Byleth and the others.
(Dark Blue-Haired Boy) "Hey, is everyone alright?"
(Jeralt) "Yeah, thanks. And you guys deserve my thanks too for he-"
Jeralt and the others turned to Kazuma, only to find him still sniffling and sucking his thumb as Aqua rubbed his hair sympathetically. Megumin and Darkness on the other hand looked completely fine if not a little surprised.
(Edelgard) "Are they...?-"
(Megumin) "Yes, they're fine, just give them a few minutes."
Darkness stepped in, any signs of her masochistic tendencies completely absent, which startled the ones who were there to witness it.
(Darkness) "It is my duty as a paladin, and our pleasure to assist, sir...?"
(Jeralt) "Jeralt. But enough of that, where the hell did you all come from?!"
Right before anyone else could answer, several knights emerged from the trees triumphantly, led by a man with a mustache in the middle.
(Knight Leader) "The Knights of Seiros are here! We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students! They're gone...? Ah, the students appear to be unharmed and...Who are those people?"
Kazuma and Aqua finally stood up as the knights approached, everyone giving each other an awkward glance, save for Jeralt, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude.
(Jeralt) "Ugh, why him...?"
Sothis floated over to Byleth, crossing her arms.
(Sothis) "I wonder, did my winding back of time cause this?"
Byleth glanced over to Sothis, about to speak in his head before Aqua spoke up.
(Aqua) "Wait, you can wind back time?"
Everyone turned to Aqua, though everyone except Makoto and Yuki appeared to be confused.
(Dimitri) "I beg your pardon?"
Aqua directly faced Sothis, crossing her arms.
(Aqua) "Are you the deity of this world?"
Sothis physically recoiled when she realized that Makoto and Kazuma were also looking directly at her, Byleth's eyes becoming as wide as hers.
(Kazuma) "I mean, she looks the part...Wait, does that mean she dragged us into this?!"
(Makoto) "I'd put money on it."
(Edelgard) "I apologize, who are you speaking about?"
Sothis floated behind Byleth on instinct, only three pairs of eyes following her.
(Sothis) "You can see me?!"
(Aqua) "Duh! Why else would I be talking to you?-"
Makoto and Kazuma quickly realized the expression on everyone else, leading to Kazuma clearing his throat obnoxiously to get Aqua's attention.
(Kazuma) "Must be some side effect-ANYWAYS!...What's your name?"
Both new parties turned to Byleth, Sothis floating over to his side as they exchanged one last uneasy glance. First were those three kids, now suddenly there was eight more to handle, most of which came falling out of the sky. No mercenary training in Fodlan could have ever possibly prepared him for what he witnessed this morning. And the duo had a terrible feeling these people were here because of them.
What mess were they about to get themselves into...?
[PROLOGUE: END]