Disclaimer: See prologue

Welcome to the finale of the bloody first night of our resident academic house. This was the second part of the chapter from last week I couldn't bring myself to release together due to the size of this, so expect some closure in what might as well be the opening act of the story. The chapter should wrap up most of the conflict that originated from this first battle and give everyone a taste of things to come. Expect more characters to show up here and get an idea how things will most likely play out in the coming chapters. As always, I appreciate the support being thrown my way. Even though I mainly do this for fun, the things people do to show interest is always great to see.

"Speech"

Exposition/Flashback

"Loud"

Emphasis

Naruko's Exposition

Author's Note

Staring Down Future Adversity

Jiraiya had made a lot of mistakes in his lifetime. That was purely his belief, but he had every reason to believe that much of the tragedy that befell his life could have been avoided if he had been more careful, more attentive, more… something. For the records and accolades he managed to win himself while acting as spymaster for the Confederacy and as a Knight of Seiros, it meant jack shit to him when he thought back to how negligent he was to his own family to concentrate on his own assignments.

Raising Minato alongside his wife had been a complicated yet rewarding experience. Learning from the Grand Professor, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and alongside the next in line for the Kunian throne, Tsunade Senju, ensured that expectations were high and that he would always be in the thick of things. His family struggled to keep pace with him during those years, but it was ultimately rewarding watching Minato grow up to become a remarkable young man, finding his own glory and acquiring his own family.

Discovering that his son found love with a younger relative of his former teammate after his wife had passed away and receiving the news that he was the grandfather to newborn girl, Jiraiya couldn't have been happier or prouder with his son's success.

The knight knew that his kin would be able to forge his own trail forward, and left to pursue his own path, ending up in the service of the Knights of Seiros in an earnest attempt to bridge the gap between the Confederacy and the Church. The man used his own skills and spy network to tie together an array of contacts that would hopefully allow his family and friends to live in peace. He made allies, lifelong friends, and found fulfillment in seeing the future that could be for his secretly struggling homeland. His role as a caretaker over, Jiraiya was content to working in the shadows to take care of threats to his land.

Those were the happiest days of his life before fate punished him for his negligence.

It was during an investigation regarding a situation beginning to stir within House Ordelia on the mainland that he received the news that his son and daughter in law had been assassinated while protecting his granddaughter who was revealed to possess the Minor Crest of Asura.

No one could trace the culprit back to its source. The hitmen, Kunian in descent, were killed and there was no link to a suspect. In the passing months, Jiraiya was in anguish. He buried himself in his work and attempted to wrung out any clues he could of the plot to no avail. The only thing he could find came from naval records suggesting orders came from within Hinokuni, perhaps with outside help from the Mainland. Jiraiya realized too late that in his attempts to secure a more peaceful continent for Hinokuni to join, he drove himself too far away to properly look over his loved ones.

He couldn't even bear to set foot on his homeland, in dread of seeing the grave of his only child, the child that he couldn't protect. Eventually, he worked up the nerve to visit when his colleagues implored him to visit his granddaughter. Even the Archbishop Rhea, who was the first to suggest closure, appeared to sympathize with his grief with a simple order to take a break.

Ultimately it was Seteth, of all people, who was the final straw to convince the grieving father to give his due to the dead, imploring him to face the reality.

"I understand the despair of losing your kin, Jiraiya. Truly." The knight recalled blinking in surprise at the sadness in the man's voice, a tone he hadn't heard before when he was pulled aside. "Which is why I understand more than anything how important it will be to hold on to the remaining pieces of the lives left behind. Don't you believe it is important to face your granddaughter? She is the last legacy of your child, imagine how she feels right now."

Gods, he was right, there was still someone left in his family. This entire time he had been so caught up in his mourning, he despaired meeting the girl whom he had abandoned to work, a girl he hadn't met beyond visiting a pregnant Kushina.

It was inexcusable in his eyes and added to the guilt piling up during his trip back home. Seeing familiar faces and observing the site of where his son's home once stood had been a surreal blur. It was hard to properly focus but the man pushed through, eventually finding his way back to his old teammate, now the leader of the Confederacy.

"The girl is confused for certain. It's hard for her to open up to her own House and it's clear as day her rambunctiousness is a symptom of loneliness" Tsunade remarked from next to him as they walked through the hallways of the Konoha's palace.

"Really? I would have imagined the Professor would have been able to get her to open up…" The knight murmured as they made their way to a meeting room.

"Oh believe me, he's tried." The Kage mentioned with a smirk before frowning. "That old coot has done what he could to get her to open up to others but the girl's stubborn. Doesn't help she knows."

"…Knows what?"

"About her crest."

Jiraiya inhaled tensely at the implication. Tsunade shook her head with a sigh. "You can blame Danzo for that. Something about educating her early about her role as a tool of the Confederacy and spreading the news about her status."

"He spoke of her like that?!" The knight whirled on her angrily. The Senju took the reaction in stride.

"He might as well have, the implication to make her a weapon was there. That bastard never was this callous before his trip to the mainland all those years ago. He's changed for the worst." The blonde leader scrunched her nose at the memory, electing for a subject change. "Letting Sarutobi raise her was honestly the best call. He's done a good job coaxing out her smile. I think she'll be happy to meet you."

Jiraiya hoped so. It honestly broke him up to hear how their society already treated the girl. The thought of betraying the leadership of Hinokuni and whisking his granddaughter to Garreg Mach Monastery grew stronger by the moment, but he'd trust his mentor and classmate's influence.

"Any advice?"

"Act natural, be your usual stupid self. Do your usual ridiculous routines to show you're genuine, she really doesn't respond to authority well. Forced politeness and lying gets you nowhere with the girl. We've explained your situation to her, I think she understands what's kept you from meeting her for so long, but you have to be the one to earn her trust."

Both grownups arrived at the door that lead to a general greeting area for high level parties. There was some muffled conversation going on the other side, one voice belonged to his wizened professor, another he assumed was her tutor based on his exasperation. The final voice was slightly squeaky but sounded like a younger Kushina. It almost made him tear up from the fresh wave of memories he attempted to repress these past couple years.

"I'm telling ya, he wanted to fight me! That Uchiha kid started it! Said I looked like walkin' tomato. Fought like one too, he had it coming!"

"And you pounced him?! What was the point of trying to make friends with him if you were going to punch him at the slightest provocation!"

"I don't even know what that last word means, Sensei!"

"Making you angry, young one."

"Oh ok. Thanks, gramps!"

"You should still apologize Naruko, Sasuke's elder brother seemed to indicate his little brother enjoyed fighting with you but it would go a long way in making friends with him."

"The only thing he's allowed to be makin' friends with is my fist, maybe my foot too!"

"You brat!"

Jiraiya was visibly befuddled at the conversation while Tsunade smiled wryly at his expression, clearly this was a common scene for the medic as she elected to open the doors to let them in.

The two adults and stamping child halted their spirited conversation and turned their attention to their new guests.

"Sorry we're late, brat. Brought someone I thought you might want to meet though!" Tsunade announced with a smirk. Said girl looked at her relatives with wide eyes as Jiraiya froze in familiarity.

Gods, she really did look like a mini Kushina.

There were hints of Minato in her expressions as well.

She was so small.

A part of him couldn't believe he didn't play a hand in taking care of her, another loathed himself at the degree of unfamiliarity his own granddaughter possessed towards him, the rest was overjoyed seeing the girl.

He had a little song and dance planned. Maybe make an ass out of himself by declaring himself a super pervert to rile up a reaction. Magic lessons or a book, perhaps? He had a million stories to share.

Whatever plan of action he had was promptly thrown out the window as the kid stared at him in wonder.

Was he crying?

Ah, it appeared he was.

The girl was reacting to the wetness on his face based on her expression.

The Knight of Seiros noted the smiling expressions of his mentor and his granddaughter's tutor as they gently nudged the now shy girl towards him who slowly approached with increasingly watery eyes herself. If he wasn't crying before, he certainly was now as it got harder to see with the tears in his eyes.

Naruko moved her arms in a way that seemed to suggest she was coming in for a hug.

What a wonderful girl, just like Minato at her age.

Jiraiya prepared to embrace the girl with as much paternal strength he could muster.

He was forced wheeze from the blow to his testicles, courtesy of an uppercut from his surprisingly strong granddaughter. The legendary spymaster collapsed unceremoniously, grabbing his prized goods with a pained groan.

What did they put in this kid's lunch to get her to punch so hard? That must be Kushina's genetics in play, he surmised.

From his spot on the floor, he could see the horrified, gaping expressions on Naruko's tutor and Professor Sarutobi, the pipe of the elder falling out of his mouth. Nearby, he heard the roaring laughter of his traitorous, yet oh so lovely former teammate as she practically cackled with amusement at his suffering.

Ok, he was expecting a rant, maybe cold dismissal, but this worked as punishment as well. He noted a few tears that fell near his position that didn't originate from him.

Craning his neck a bit more, he was treated to the wonderful sight of Naruko giving him a wide smile, happy in origin, despite the tears running down her face.

"That's for taking so long to see me. Nice to finally meetcha, grandpa!" she said with more pep than what he suspected he deserved.

"Niceterfinermeetchatoorrrgh…" he tried to rasp out with a pained smile as Tsunade let out a fresh new wave of hollering laughter.

The atmosphere remained tense as ever as Jiraiya surveyed the situation around him.

"I had every intention to send my men into the forest where we last saw our scouts, but imagine my surprise when we spotted flames by a farm we long suspected was abandoned along with the shouting of a fair maiden! You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, would you?" The gallant figure announced dangerously to the scythe wielder.

Sasuke's eyes widened along with some of the soldiers. You couldn't be serious. Did that moron he called his leader actually plan the fire? He slowly looked over to the retainer he was still supporting and to his abject horror, she gave him that stupid smug smirk she always wore when she pulled an awful prank back in their youth.

There was no surprise in her expression, the over the top 'counterattack' she bragged about was actually meant to be a signal flare for whoever to find them. No one behind them could see her expression but it was clear they were connecting the dots as well. Even their former opponent seemed to be directing his gaze straight onto her in realization. This girl. How could someone with such a short attention span get away with such a ridiculous maneuver?

Granted the backup she was expecting probably wasn't her relative, but the results were the same.

"…I wasn't expecting a man of your caliber to be in the area. I suppose this complicates things quite a bit." The dark figure remounted onto his horse, seeing his new opponent as a larger threat that needed his attention. "Even so, the opportunity to take on one of the Knights of Seiros… things have finally become interesting."

"Hah, I see you're familiar with my charms and renown! Sorry to say though, if it's a duel to the death you're looking for, Spooky, I'm not interested in playing fair tonight." Spooky's new adversary retorted as several of his knights began to form rank with him in front of the Kunian nobles, now backed by their own soldiers and doing their part to patch up their lieges' wounds.

"And for the record, I didn't come alone. I've got my former subordinate and my much hotter, current associate in the Knights of Seiros making their way here as we speak." The lecherous knight declared with a gusto as he and the other knights drew their weapons with a flair before adding in one final warning with an ominous glare. "But if you insist in tormenting my cute granddaughter and her boytoy, then I, the gallant Jiraiya, will be more than happy to personally escort you to the real reaper!"

"…Boytoy?" Sasuke remarked with a frown.

"Just ignore him." Naruko sighed. Their former opponent looked to be ready to fight the lot of them before the news of additional reinforcements.

"It seems as though the opportunity to cull the weak has passed, how vexing." The glowing knight surmised, seeing the odds grow less and less in his favor. "It is unfortunate that you won't allow me to observe the flow of your blood, Sir Jiraiya. Regardless, there will always be another opportunity to play with the students of the Monastery another day." All soldiers looked ready to pursue the man at that cold-hearted remark before the ground below the rider lit up in the telltale signs of a teleportation spell as the figure himself revealed a bag on his person.

"We shall meet again."

And with no other parting words, their would-be assassin vanished into the night. Jiraiya motioned his horse to trot over to the knight's last location, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"So he had warp powder to get away with this entire time, that's going to be annoying to track him with…" the white haired knight muttered. He elected to dismount and check over the Kunian nobles that were recovering, performing a more in-depth inspection for Naruko. He stopped in front of the patched-up teenagers as they silently eyed each other, one with affectionate familiarity, the other with dispassionate apathy.

"Well, well. You grew since the last time I saw you. Barely reached my waist the last time I saw you." Jiraiya murmured with a smile.

"…Thanks for coming to our aid." The redhead neutrally retorted. Something told Sasuke she wasn't in the mood to chat with her relative on her father's side.

"Glad I was able to. Not exactly the first impression I hoped you'd get out of the mainland."

"…" Naruko didn't bother to give him a response, electing to stare at him with indifference. The wizened knight uncomfortably cleared his throat

"So, who's your boyfriend? Looks like you were busy since I was gone, eh?"

"My retainer, actually. You would know if had bothered to visit in the past seven years." The redhead responded, without missing a beat.

Ouch.

That finally got Jiraiya to react with a flinch. Sasuke likewise cringed mentally, he knew the girl had a strained relation with her grandfather, but this was uncharacteristically brutal of her.

"Sasuke of House Uchiha, sir." The retainer politely offered, attempting to diffuse the frosty reunion. The man looked grateful for the subject change at the least as he turned his attention to him.

"Ohh, Fugaku's younger kid. Never would have imagined someone of your status would work together like you do with Naruko. I appreciate you looking after her, sure you got some stories to tell!"

Sasuke offered a wry smirk in response. "More than a couple, I suppose."

"Oi, Pervy Knight." Naruko elected to cut in at that moment, all business. "We need to talk about what happened tonight. You know anything about the asshole who attacked us?"

"Yeah, you could say that. This guy has been a nuisance to the church for a while now. Rhea's going to want to hear about this from the two of you for certain." Jiraiya straightened up and likewise grew serious. The change was almost eerie compared to the jovial man that they were talking to before, but he supposed the apple didn't fall far from tree based on the personality of the redhead beside him. "He doesn't really call himself anything, but the folks around here decided that if he was going to have a title, it'd probably be the Death Knight."

"That's corny as hell." The Kunian heir muttered, the Uchiha felt himself nodding in agreement. Jiraiya likewise grinned at their responses.

"I'm inclined to agree as well but we don't really get to make up these things by ourselves, eh?" Jiraiya chuckled and nodded. "Regardless, I can debrief you on the way to the rest of your group what we know about this fellow and our lovely Archbishop can fill you in herself how we can respond."

xxx

The reunion had been a swift affair as students and soldiers alike flocked around battered and bloodied colleagues, providing aid and getting their own accounts as to what happened. Upon reuniting with their group, Naruko switched gears and jovially greeted her friends and placated their worries despite her bloodied appearance as they resumed their trek to the Monastery.

There was a great deal of fretting from Ino and Sakura who both seemed to be unaware of their own dishevel. Hinata and Choji likewise stood off to the side and expressed gratitude that everything worked out, there was a hint from some of the more analytical members of the group that there was more to the encounter than their leader or second in command let on, but most were too tired to ponder it.

Reuniting with Sir Kakashi was likewise a pleasant surprise for the Uzumaki and Uchiha who had fond memories of receiving lessons in combat from the renown Kunian mercenary turned professor back in their youth. Meeting Shamir was an awkward affair by comparison but an entertained Jiraiya and Kakashi assured It was par the course for Shamir to keep things quick and concise. Everyone agreed to keep quiet about the source of conflict until meeting with the Church officials who were likely concerned with the situation.

"Towels! Water! Who else needs supplies? Does anybody need some water or a towel? Get yer hands on supplies before I run out!" a young boy shouted around the courtyard coming out from the reception hall, an Almyran based on his tan skin. Other members of the staff and Church likewise ran around, ensuring the students and Kunian soldiers were properly taken care of and treated for any injuries they might have.

"Right over here, buddy!" Kiba waved him over, acquiring gear for himself as well as Choji and Shikamaru, the former ravenously digging into some leftover stew from the mess hall. The Inuzuka boy likewise threw the towel on his head and took a hearty swig of water. "Pwah, thanks a ton! You know how much longer this will go on or-" Upon removing the towel from his head, Kiba realized the boy had already moved on to supply other students without waiting for him.

"…Aw man, really?"

"That kid looked ready to stay up the night, handing out supplies to everyone in Fódlan. I doubt you were going to get less than five seconds of his attention, Kiba." Shikamaru muttered in observation.

"Haha, don't mind him, lad. That's just how the boy goes about his business for Lady Rhea!" a new, cheerful, voice loudly chimed in from nearby. The three noted he seemed to be a well-groomed knight based on his bright appearance.

"Well it's still reassuring everyone seemed as worried as we were over the attack, guess we all share it in different ways!" Choji opened with a pleasant wave.

"You're absolutely correct, my friend! Make no mistake, we all at the Garreg Mach Monastery are behind you, one hundred percent! Even if young Cyril is a little busy at the moment, I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the situation." The knight continued with a well-natured smile before realizing something. "Oh! Pardon my manners, before I forget I should have introduced myself. I am Alois Rangeld, one of the Knights of Seiros. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask!"

"Oh! Er, I'm Choji Akimichi. This here is Shikamaru Nara and Kiba Inuzuka. We're all from noble houses in Hinokuni, Sir Alois." The rotund student elected to speak on behalf of a parched Kiba and exhausted Shikamaru who gave salutes and grunts of their own to a jovial Alois. "Are we starting classes first thing tomorrow after this?"

"A good question! The situation seemed to have spiraled out of control and I am fairly certain we're treating the next two days as holidays so that you may adjust to student life." The sunny man remarked with a scratch of his chin. "Honestly, this is the first time something like this has happened from my knowledge. Perhaps Seteth or Tomas could confirm that for me but regardless, our priority is making sure you all are properly cared for."

"Speaking of which, is Naruko still speaking with the Archbishop?" Shikamaru inquired, looking over the yard to see Sasuke, unconvincingly trying to brood by himself as a cat cozied up to him.

"Guess so." Kiba joined in, finishing his drink. "Sheesh, I hope she's not in trouble after that barn burned down."

"Hm, That old thing? Pah, it's been abandoned for years, it was probably for the best." Alois dismissed, adding a wink with his next line. "After all, if the barn caught on fire that easily, it's more along the lines of a burn, eh? Eh?"

The three students stared at the man in silence, perhaps disappointment, it was hard to say for Alois.

"…"

"…"

"…Um. I apologize. You all are probably a little tired after that battle and joking might be in poor taste at the moment." The pungeon master mumbled with a blush. "Knew I should've brought my joke book…"

"Oh uh, that's alright? Let's go with that. Don't worry about it." Kiba offered with an uncomfortable laugh, nudging Shikamaru and Choji to do the same.

"See anything yet, Ashe?"

"Uh, there's still a lot of soldiers blocking my view. Are you sure we should be doing this? Maybe we should just wait to meet the other House tomorrow like everyone else, Caspar…"

"Yeah we could do that, orrr we could get some juicy info on our future rivals! I bet Dimitri would love to hear all about the latest details of the Orange Fox leader, don't you think?"

"I guess... I just don't really think we should go about doing it like this though."

From a safe distance away behind a wall, an odd alliance was struck between a cyan and gray haired duo from different Houses. News and rumors of the Hinokuni's delayed arrival brought forth a wave of speculation. Their country of origin tended to only send students every few years and as a result, there was always generated interest about the island nation's class and they would send. When news that the next Kage destined for the throne of the island nation was to be sent to be leader of the Foxes' Class of 1180, the interest grew to a fever pitch.

Caspar, in his limited wisdom, elected to scope out the competition before anyone else and enlisted the help of the former thief, Ashe, to get him close, leading to the current situation.

"Listen Ashe, this is as close as we're going to get to seeing these guys at their most vulnerable. We'll be able to pick out what they're really like this way." The cyan haired boy told his cohort. "Linhardt refused to come with me and had the nerve to fall asleep right after I asked, so you're all I can count on to get this spy mission done!"

"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me, but we still could sneak around better than this!" Ashe nervously protested.

"Huh? What do you mean, how can we up our recon game?"

"Not shout for the world to hear, for one thing." A new voice joined in causing the duo to yelp in panic and face their accuser. Caspar was the quicker of the two to provide a response.

"We're sorry! We swear we're not doing anything to- oh. It's just you, Lysithea."

"Hi Lysithea!"

Lysithea narrowed her eyes at the casual dismissal of her threat level. The white-haired girl had her hands on her hips in accusation of the two boys standing before her. "Honestly, you might as well wake up everyone else in the Monastery with you childish bickering. What are you two even thinking, trying to spy on a rival house like this. You both could get in serious trouble!"

"Hey, there's no rule against scoping out competition like this. We're not hurting anyone and we're keeping our distance!" The short Eagle student protested.

"I still don't see why we can't just go up and greet them." Ashe mumbled, looking back at the crowd.

The young Deer student rolled her eyes at their comments. "If it's taken them this long to get situated there's probably a reason they don't want you to get close. Honestly, you're both better off waiting to meet them tomorrow."

"Oh come on, you don't think a schemer like Claude would want to get a firsthand scoop why it took a rival house this long to make it here?" Caspar countered. Lysithea scoffed.

"Please, as if there's anything to gain from this type of sneaking. I'm going to bed." The girl began to walk away before an annoyed Caspar called out to her.

"Fine, go then! Feel free to walk back to the dorms by yourself in the dark!" Lysithea stopped.

"What did you say?" She whispered. Caspar raised his brow in confusion.

"Uh, feel free to go then?"

"No, walking in the dark!"

"Well yeah, most of the guards are here so it's safe to assume there isn't anyone looking over the corridors."

The conversation grew quiet as Caspar just stared in confusion at Lysithea's expression. Ashe looked back over and picked up the hidden distress in the girl's countenance.

"If you stick with us, we can walk back together to the dorms if you want?" the Lion student offered with a smile.

"We can?"

"Fine! V-very well! Scoot over and let me see what these new students look like!"

"We will?"

"Glad you can join us! We can't see anything yet because of the soldiers but I think I caught a glimpse of some of them getting ready to be escorted to the dorms."

"Hmph, they must be waiting for an official statement or something similar. I heard some chatter that there was fight before they were able to make it to the Monastery when I was leaving the library."

"Haha that makes sense. Good thinking, Lysithea!"

Caspar could only scratch his head at the development. First the Deer student was going to lecture them, then leave, now she's staying and helping?

Weird girl. Whatever, the more the merrier!

"Aaaaand done! See, stiches aren't so bad when performed by a maiden's delicate hands, wouldn't you agree?"

"Uh, sure. Thank you very much, Professor Manuela!"

Manuela Casagranda sighed as she watched another student wave goodbye after administering a healing spell, following a necessary suture. Patching up the wounded was part of her job at the Academy, but she did hope one of the accompanying soldiers would stop by and ask for a closer checkup before the night ended.

She could see it now, an innocent physical turned passionate, fueled by the knowledge that the man's tenure at the Academy was only for tonight. They'd confess and he'd throw away his duty to his land to spend the rest of his days doting over his one true love…

Ugh. Was it so hard to make dreams like that into a reality?

I mean seriously, some of the studs here clearly could be her type if they pay her a visit. The officers in the Confederacy must be raising their troops right if some of them turn out to look like those chiseled statues she'd familiarized herself with at-

"That was amazing technique professor! I've never seen a surgical suture applied to someone's back as efficiently as you made it out to be! Is it more efficient to perform it in conjunction with a spell to speed up recover or simply your preference?"

Oh right, she had a spectator that had been watching her work for the past couple patients now. It wasn't every day a student sought out Manuela the Physician, rather than inquire about her days at the Mittelfrank Opera Company or her work as a teacher. That itself was an interesting development worth her attention she thought with a smile. There weren't any more patients that required attention from her, why not test the waters with this girl.

"That's a fair thing to ask, Sakura, was it?" The pinkette observing her work nodded with a tired smile. Poor dear clearly had a harrowing first experience on the battlefield. The former songstress gave her a reassuring smile and wink of her own. "In this scenario, it's generally more efficient for a healer to do a mix of both when looking over a large group such as this. We conserve resources and energy a bit more efficiently when we perform a mix of both, rather than leaving everything to the strongest healing spell. After all it does us no good to waste good magic when off the battlefield when we might need it for a more dire circumstance."

Sakura nodded along with what she was saying. "I see, so it is a matter of efficiency…" She muttered to herself. "Ugh I wish I had a notepad to take this down. Normally I'd have one when studying Lady Tsunade's work but I didn't expect to start learning again on the first night!" Manuela laughed at the girl's studiousness, mentally tucking away the information about her being the current Kage's disciple.

"No need to worry! There's no exam on the material but for someone supposedly disarming bandits with her strength, you seem to be quite interested in the medical field, hm?" the songstress mentioned with a naturally sultry voice, causing Sakura to blush at the mention of her strength.

"A-ah, yes ma'am. It was one of the things I was studying before I came here, I had hoped to continue to learn in order to continue supporting my leader when she gets injured. So many of us are ready to fight but who'll support them from the back? At least that's my thought…"

Well that's a noble enough reason as any. A girl with the capacity to become a warrior and motivated to learn medicine? Now that was an interesting find. Perhaps she'd be a diamond just as Dorothea had been in the Opera Company the teacher thought with a delighted smile.

"Well Miss Haruno, it would be considered extracurricular, but if you were ever interested in picking up where we left off learning tonight, the doors to my office are always open for you to continue learning if you wish? I'd love to continue to see how you develop."

The bright smile and shine in the Kunian girl's eyes told Manuela everything she needed to know about whether her offer to the girl was the right one or not.

She hadn't even realized as other shirtless soldiers began acquiring checkups from the remaining priests and priestesses as she became enraptured in her own impromptu lesson.

"I see, this account matches up with the report of the burnt down barn." A dark green haired official muttered to a regally garbed woman possessing hair in a lighter shade of mint green, motioning a priest nearby to scribe the account of the engagement. "Jiraiya, Shamir, Kakashi, do you any of you have anything to add to the report?" Few individuals were allowed in the chapel at this hour, but discretion was necessary after the events that had transpired under the eyes of the Church.

"We've gone over what we saw from our end, Seteth. Unfortunately we can't question the bandit leader himself or any of our scouts since they're all dead, so the most we can do is go off the information we have here and start looking to our network to see what venues this Death Knight has been using to mobilize bandit camps and acquire something as rare as warp powder." Jiraiya mentioned from his place by the side of the chapel before looking over the Shamir. "Could you work with Catherine to get in contact with those familiar with this Larrick fellow and the Ravagers?"

"Understood." The sniper nodded, looking over to the Archbishop. "Permission to be dismissed, Lady Rhea?"

"Granted. Thank you for your work, Shamir." The now dubbed Rhea nodded with a smile. Shamir responded with a nod and exited the premise, passing by a stiff Naruko along the way. The head church official gently turned back towards the final House leader of the school and let out a tired sigh and frowned. "Once again, you have my sincerest apology on behalf of the Church for the peril you and your classmates were exposed to as a result of our negligence. We have… run into issues with this mysterious knight in the past but we have never had a situation that has led to him act as brazenly as he did tonight..."

"O-oh, that's alright, ma'am. Really, I'm just glad we all made it out in one piece. I'm sure everyone who came with me appreciates how the Knights of Seiros came to our aid, myself included." Naruko gave an embarrassed laugh, scratching the area behind her head in embarrassment with a smile and nod. "I can't you all enough for opening your doors again to Hinokuni after all these years. We're really happy to be here and learn from everyone once again. Promise you won't regret it."

Rhea smiled at the redhead's response. "My, the pleasure is ours. Rest assured, there will be steps taken in order to ensure you and your classmates are properly protected for the duration of your time at the Monastery."

"Has this been an issue in the past? Does anyone here have any lead as to why we were targeted specifically?" Naruko questioned the leaders of the Church with a grimace. The forest green haired man, Seteth if she recalled shook his head solemnly.

"Unfortunately, the best conclusion we could give you at this time is that this Death Knight appears to be targeting all members associated with the Church, regardless of background. His origins are unknown, but the one thing that has been made apparent from our encounters with him is that he appears to be indiscriminatory towards his targets." Seteth frowned before continuing. "Regardless of your attacker's motives, I take personal blame for failing to account for the possibility of an assault as fierce as the one you and your allies endured."

"Ah, that's alright! It's like you said, there was no way any of us could have expected him to know when he was going to show up looking for us." Naruko's grandfather frowned at her statement. The fact an enemy of the church knew of the route the Kunian force would take to reach their destination raised several questions who they were dealing with as well as how in the world they received their information. It was highly likely this was on the mind on several of his colleagues as well based on Kakashi's idle mannerisms next to him.

"Hm. Well regardless of the circumstances, we are pleased you were able to make to the Officer's Academy with no casualties. Your House and soldiers performed admirably in wake of the crisis. Garreg Mach Monastery is pleased to once again be able to have the Hinokuni Confederacy's delegation as our guests and students." The aide to the Archbishop finished with a nod. Rhea continued from where her assistant left off with a gentle smile.

"Jiraiya has spoken a great deal of high praise about you. He seems to believe you have the capacity to befriend the future leaders here and help nations of Fódlan move past their grudges." Naruko blinked at the holy woman's praise and blushed when it sunk in, looking at her grandfather in shock. The older knight looked no better at being called out and looked away in embarrassment. Rhea giggled quietly at the interaction. "No need to be so astonished! He speaks quite highly of you and how much he looks forward to reuniting with you once more. We appear to be blessed with quite a number of excellent individuals this year, I earnestly look forward to seeing what you accomplish here as well, you and all your peers."

Poor Naruko couldn't even properly retort at the acclaim. The knowledge that her absent grandfather had been talking to the archbishop of all people about her all these years only added to the complicated pile of emotions she reserved for the man. She fought down her blush anyways and bowed low to her House's benefactor so that no one saw her flustered state any longer. "Thank you for the confidence in me and my house, we'll be in your care!"

Rhea nodded with another smile, turning to Seteth and Kakashi. "I think we can finish this debriefing. We mustn't keep the students waiting any longer, I am sure everyone wishes to call it a night as well. Are the baths prepared?" Seteth gave a nod of confirmation and moved towards the Foxes' leader.

"All dormitories are prepared as well. Shall we escort you and your fellow students to your new living arrangements?"

"Sure, sounds good to me!" Naruko turned looked Kakashi who offered a thumbs up before shifting to Jiraiya, surprised at the attention again but remaining silent. There was a pregnant pause between the apprehensive granddaughter and grandfather who remained quiet yet hopeful for any form of reconciliation.

There wasn't any smile or affection given but before Jiraiya could be disappointed again, Naruko opened her mouth to speak to him, to his eagerness. The Uzumaki blinked at his expression and blushed in frustrated embarrassment, clamping her mouth shut. She turned away once more to stomp away but offered something for the deflated man to latch onto instead with a quick wave.

"W-we'll chat later, Pervy Knight. Thanks again." And then she was gone with Seteth and Kakashi.

Jiraiya blushed in mortification at the nickname but then lit up at the implication of her words after a couple seconds.

He had a chance again!

A way to bring her into his world without his work getting in the way. There was no way he was going to squander the opportunity to bond with his sole granddaughter.

"My, my. Pervy Knight, Jiraiya? That's quite a title you've been bestowed by your granddaughter of all people! I wonder what the story is behind such a moniker…"

Oh shit. The Archbishop was still here. Wait, when did everyone vacate the chapel?!

"Hey hey, there's movement. I think something is happening!" Ashe excitedly announced to his two partners in crime, currently distracted in an argument of their own.

"All I'm saying is that all those sweets you eat aren't doing you any good if you're looking to grow stronger. You're always falling behind with physical training because your diet is pretty much anything that consists of sugar!"

"My focuses are fine, I'll have you know! I don't have the slightest bit of care towards that bustle when my interests are purely academic!"

"Well they could be both if you ate a more balanced meal."

"As if you have the right to lecture me about my diet, all that food you eat appears to have done nothing to help you grow vertically!"

"Um, guys?" Ashe tried to intervene.

"Hey, I'm still growing by the day, I'll have you know!"

"Oh? Did I strike a nerve? Did my words finally get through to your skull?"

"Your argument doesn't make any sense anyways. I'm talking about eating for physical training and you trying to bring up my height is a low blow!"

"Guys."

"I told you, I have absolutely zero interest in something so trivial. I'm studying to become a mage, not a meathead!"

"You don't think a bit of conditioning helps you at all with your magic? That's ridiculous!"

"Of course it's ridiculous! I don't have time to divert my studies to something as frivolous as that when I-"

The arguing duo found themselves yanked down by the collar, courtesy of a frantic Ashe. Somewhere along the way, they must have been standing to continue their argument.

"What's the big idea, Ashe? I'd expect that out of that dunce but not you!" Lysithea hissed.

"Yeah, this seems more like the type of thing I'd do. What gives?" Caspar agreed, rubbing his neck. The gray-haired student blushed at their reprimanding but shook it off.

"I'm really sorry, but look, they're coming!"

Activity and arguing halted at that moment. All three observed as soldiers bidding farewell seemed to be making a path for the new group to get out and all three representatives from each house attempted to excitedly crane their necks to see the last house from behind their hiding spot.

"What happened to them?!"

What weren't expecting was a group of students their age, covered in blood and grime, as though they just came out of a decade long war. All three amateur spies paled in horror at the scruffy state the new House seemed to be in.

For Caspar, the boy couldn't ignore the battle-hardened spirit some of the male students appeared to exhibit. He was originally looking for challenging opponents but the expressions from some of the guys appeared downright savage to the cyan-haired lad as they pushed and shoved each other.

"Ugh, move away from me, pal. You smell like the wrong side of a farm!" A disgruntled Fox student remarked to his nearby irate compatriot.

"I think we all smell like crap after what we went through today don't you?" responded another miscellaneous student with a wince.

"Oh man, I call the first round of baths. I can't go around meeting other girls when I look like this!" another whined.

"The hell? Who said you get to choose who goes first?"

"Oi, quit shoving! You stink!"

"All the more reason to let me hop in the bath first, dammit!"

"Can we get a smelling judge over here to dispute this dastard?!"

"Yeah, sure. Everyone loses. You all smell like crap to me." Grumbled Kiba from his place in the front.

Ashe's focus was locked on the expressions of the females of the house, those that weren't stone-faced, covered in blood appeared visibly reserved with their situation. He couldn't imagine the training and conditioning their leaders put them through to reach that level of professionalism…

But what was the secret to their stoicism? He couldn't help but wonder.

"H-hey, do blood stains come out of hair and clothing easily?" one lass asked to her tired friend.

"I don't know anymore" Her friend moaned back. "My legs feel like jelly after standing back there for so long!" Other girls began muttering nearby.

"Those priests really took their sweet time to check for infections, huh."

"Why is it so hard to take a bath first before getting looked over!"

"Lectures better not end up that boring, I swear to Seiros…"

"Did anyone get looked over by one of those knights back there who kept trying to deliver these puns to get us to lighten up?"

"Oh yeah. There was also an older guy who wouldn't shut up about if anyone's crests in our group activated during the battle after we told him we were fine."

"I swear that book, Sir Kakashi was reading was smut. I've seen my father with that book when my mother isn't looking."

The discord was at least amusing to listen to after the whirlwind evening everyone was subjected to.

"Did you really need to take that long to meet the archbishop, fearless leader?" Ino remarked with a smirk, directing her comment to Naruko somewhere in the back.

"Sorry, can't hear you!" a familiar voice snarked right back without missing a beat.

Lysithea had been privy to her House leader's physical descriptions of several noteworthy house members of the new group, more specifically, how their leader could be identified by her crimson hair. Based on her observation, the girl matching the description was cold. She wore an orange sash similar to the other House leaders but was splattered in blood that another girl was fussing over from nearby.

The expression on her face could be most succinctly summarized as unfriendly. Whatever conversation she had been a part of seemed to indicate that she was as much of a blood knight as some of the more combat hungry individuals out there, the crimson life fluid did little to break her gaze. The redhead was barely smiling aside from when she addressed her colleague, an indigo haired girl fussing over her friend's(?) appearance. The Lysithea wasn't able to get a good look but the studious girl could have sworn the House leader's compatriot had blank white eyes without pupils or irises…

Suspicious! What sort of distrustful individuals were they letting into this institution?!

"One moment, Naruko. I understand you must be a little impassioned after your encounter with your grandfather but please allow me to clean up your appearance just a bit!" Hinata, a girl who most certainly possessed pale irises, murmured to her precious leader. "Goodness, your expression is too rigid at the moment… I imagine anyone looking at you might have a scare."

"Oh, really? Sorry Hinata. I'm actually not mad or anything like that, y'know? Just thinking about my conversation with the Archbishop, nothing bad I promise. I even got along with the Pervy Knight!" The House leader responded glibly.

"That's wonderful! Even so, is there something on your mind you wish to get off your chest?"

"Hrmm, maybe a couple of things actually."

The blunette blinked in surprise at her leader's frank admission. "Is that so?" she asked with interest, eager to help her out.

"Mm, yeah. Actually, it'd be best to get our inner circle in on what exactly Sasuke and I were up against when we faced their leader." There was a bit of apprehension in Naruko's expression, but it quickly dissipated, most likely as a non-concerning thought. "Can you let the others know we're gonna need to have an emergency meeting? I think a couple of you suspected but there was more to that fight than what we could reveal at the time."

Hinata noticed. Shikamaru did as well but suspected it was most likely a private issue.

"Of course. I'll spread the word to gather at your room once everyone is settled in."

"Thanks, Hinata."

Whatever was on her House leader's mind, the Hyuga heiress vowed to see it through for her leader's sake. It was the least she could do after years of support and promised salvation.

All three peeping toms ducked over the bush they were peering from behind to regroup after their viewing party. The impromptu team were trying to process what they had just witnessed but it was clear there was some apprehension in the air. Eventually Caspar predictably broke the ice with his usual gusto.

"Oh man, did you see how hardcore some of those guys were? I bet they eat nails for breakfast, walking around with all that blood!"

"I don't think that was a fashion choice they had the liberty of choosing." Ashe offered weakly.

"Even so, no one was holding a burial while they were there, which means they all got out without any casualties!" The hot-blooded student excitedly mentioned.

"It was clear that they came out of a conflict of sorts. We were supposed to be able to observe them at their weakest, but it was almost as if they had no perceived weakness they wished to expose. How bothersome!" Lysithea murmured to herself with a huff.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to report to Dimitri after this." The Blue Lion student in their group muttered. "Maybe we'll just get a better impression tomorrow."

"Hey man, dunno about you but 'covered in blood and ready to fight' is a pretty good analysis in my book!" The cyan haired bruiser remarked happily. "What do you think, Lysithea?"

Lysithea didn't respond. She was too busy freezing up at the dark, black haired Kunian student that had apparently been staring at them since they had begun their little peeping session. Ashe and Caspar promptly paled in horror at he realization that they weren't nearly as stealthy as they had hoped to be.

The tall Kunian with onyx eyes continued to observe the trio with an almost predatory gaze… or was that exasperation? Ashe was too locked up to know for certain, it was also too dark. He did vaguely remind the former thief of Felix. Perhaps a distant relative or compatriot? Wait, they were still being watched. Right.

Were they dead? Or was he going to call a teacher?

The boy did neither of things. With a roll of his eyes, he continued to move forward with the rest of his group and caught up to his House leader. Whatever the ominous teenager was searching for in the three prone students, Ashe guessed he didn't appear to be impressed enough to hurt them.

Or was that annoyance? It was really hard to tell with this guy!

"…Maybe we should just all go back to our rooms…"

He didn't even realize he had said that out loud but based on the unenthusiastic agreement he received from his cohorts, it was probably a mutual feeling.

Hooray for the small victories?

"Whoa, whoa, slow down! You mean to tell me that while we were fighting a bunch of no name bandits, you and Sasuke were tangling with some sort of serial killer against the Church?"

"That's pretty much the gist of it, Kiba. Any other questions?"

The eight students selected to represent the greater Orange Fox student body were gathered in their House leader's room at Hinata's behest. All of them changed into the orange loungewear assigned to their dormitory but noticeably on edge after learning about Naruko's opponent. The knowledge that there was a trained killer on par with some of the best warriors out there looking for a way to fight students of the Academy was downright concerning.

"So, it wasn't by chance a bunch of bandits decided to attack a fully armed group of students. It was all coordinated by this 'Death Knight'." Shikamaru surmised, the pineapple haired student suspected there was more to the conflict than met the eye but apparently it was tied to a greater threat originating from Church discontent. "What a drag… We actually were in serious trouble after all, huh?"

"Do we have a plan to investigate the situation, Naruko?" Hinata asked, seemingly on behalf of everyone as the group perked up. Before the girl could respond, Sasuke spoke up.

"For the time being, we're not doing anything about this." He announced, receiving no push back from his leader who had previously agreed with him on the response. It wasn't the right answer to several present, however.

"No? This bastard tried to take Naruko and your life! what do you mean we're not going after him!" Kiba snarled ready to get up in the Uchiha's face before Choji reeled him back in with a strong grip.

"He's right, though." Shikamaru muttered. "This isn't something we, as a whole, can't ignore. What's your game here, Sasuke?" The dark youth narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

"Where do you all think we are?" Sasuke questioned. "As far as we should be concerned, this is foreign territory, far from the loyal forces we had to send home. We have to move forward under the guise that we have no reserves and no resources beyond those the Church chooses to provides us. It isn't in our hands to get involved with the meddling of the Knights of Seiros who are already looking into this. What we do need to focus on is our original objective."

The forging of relations and bonds with the other three nations. Self-improvement and bettering their individual crafts. The six students looked back over to Naruko for confirmation, who gave a solemn nod of her own.

"As much as it bugs me, we need to stick to our goals. There are others here affected by the problems of this guy and we have to leave it up to the professionals to sort it out for now. We can't get sidetracked with this conspiracy when we have our own chance to get stronger and fight better the next time it happens."

"The next time, huh…" Choji sadly murmured.

"How did this creep even know we were coming?" Ino asked nervously pulling her ponytail from beside her spot next to Sakura by the bed. "This guy targets students and Church members, right? We weren't even at the academy yet."

The question remained unanswered in the silence that followed.

"Are we even safe here, Naruko?" Sakura sadly asked. "Are we doing the right thing by staying here with people like him after us?"

"…I'm not going to pretend that everything that's happened today was alright, because it wasn't." The redhead smiled ruefully at the question, opting to stand up. "But I think we all know that there's no turning back."

"Well, we know for certain he isn't just after us." Hinata softly mentioned.

"And as a reminder, everyone here and accounted for knew going into this journey that we were throwing ourselves into danger with no backup incoming." Sasuke bluntly mentioned causing several to flinch that had their doubts. "Even if you all have your own motivations for being at the Academy, don't forget we're all here to support the Confederacy."

Naruko nodded at the Uchiha's words. He never really learned to cut back on statements but usually the honesty was necessary. "I think what we're all forgetting is that we're not going to solve any of our problems by sitting around in Konoha. That's what got our ancestors into this mess with stagnation and crest reliance. We have to be the ones to take the first step forward, otherwise no one will."

The Uzumaki clutched her waist where her wound was previously before it was healed. "I think… I was close to choking back there, to be honest. But we can't back down now, what would that say about us? We still are all here, and no one said our path was the easiest!" She looked around to her cohorts, "If I didn't have absolute faith in all of you, I would have given up right from the start! But I haven't and I really think this is our chance to make things right."

Naruko gave a bright grin to her audience, most of whom were smiling once again at her reassurance. "I can't thank you all enough so far. Will you guys stick with me?"

Sakura was the first to stand, having maintained a frown for the duration of the speech despite Naruko's happy expression. The commoner slowly walked towards the Uzumaki before hugging her in confirmation with a sigh.

"I'm really sorry for making you worry that, of course we'll support you, moron."

"Hey hey, Count me in! I can't let Queen Forehead hog all the sappy bits!" Ino chimed in and hopped over to embrace Naruko from the other side.

"Buzz off, Porky! I give way better hugs anyways!"

"What's that? Group hug? Well if you insist!" Kiba announced, dragging a giggling Hinata over. Choji likewise grabbed a resisting Shikamaru and threw him into the pile before embracing the laughing group himself, practically lifting everyone with jolly ease.

Naruko was laughing the entire time before looking at a laidback Sasuke, eying the pile with amusement. The Uzumaki made a smug motion for him to join the pile, the smirking Uchiha responded with a mouthed out "Nope".

He was there in spirit anyways.

A little more camaraderie was shared among the group before everyone broke for the night, promising to meet one last time as a group in the morning before beginning their first day at the Academy. With everyone gone, Naruko found herself staring out at the stars in a manner similar to the final night on the ship that brought everyone here.

A familiar, broody presence alerted her to the fact that not everyone had gone to bed yet as the figure stepped up next to the Uzumaki to lean on the railing of the second-floor balcony of their dormitory. Sasuke fell into comfort silence next to his cohort, neither talking nor observing her, preferring to let the day reflect on the consciousness of both future leaders of the Confederacy.

"…Hard to imagine our first night would be this crazy." The redhead smiled, breaking the admittedly nice quiet of the night. "Throwing down with a maniac was not on my list of things to do while we were here, but I guess we'll work it out as we go along."

"Unfortunately, it sounds like we're going to have to get used to it." Sasuke mused from beside her. "Are you ready? For the challenges tomorrow?"

"Yeah. We're really taking a shot in the dark with this one." The girl winced at the memory of the blood she spilled that evening. Bandits were bandits, but that was no excuse for her to perceive any death as acceptable. The newfound student turned around to lean her back on the balcony in thought. "There's definitely going to be a lot more… fighting in the future we need to prepare for."

"Hn. Plenty of opportunity to learn here, I hope you don't plan on slacking."

"Heh, not a chance! As if I'd let you catch up to me."

"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep tonight. What do you want to do about the three infiltrators that watched us?"

"Er, just let them be? It's not a big deal, y'know…"

"Hmm. They could be co-conspiring against us."

"You're harsh as ever, leave them alone."

"You can never be too sure…"

"Have a little faith in your fearless leader and the people around us, yeesh!" Naruko announced with a friendly pat to an unamused Sasuke's head. Turning back around to face the stars again, the girl smiled.

"I have a feeling we're not the only ones who want to see Fódlan united in camaraderie, corny as that sounds!"

Byleth let out a rather large sneeze despite taking shelter within an inn from the cool night, idly rubbing their nose.

"Sheesh, you could have woken everyone up with that one. I think that was the loudest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth." Jeralt joked coming in from the other room. The child of the mercenary turned to address the approaching father, neutral as usual.

"Sorry about that..."

"No need to apologize for something you can't control. Coming down with something?"

"I don't think so, I don't feel any different. Just a feeling…"

"Oh? Something on your mind, kid?"

"Ah, nothing you have you have to worry about." Byleth reassured, looking out the window, idly staring at the stars. "It almost feels like… things will begin changing soon."

Jeralt stared at young adult, taking in the oddities of his only child in stride. It hadn't been easy raising the youth, but he was proud all the same. The combat veteran walked up to place a reassuring hand on his offspring's shoulder.

"I can't say for certain I understand these dreams you've been having recently, nor anything about this cryptic premonition you've got going on but whatever issue you have we'll handle it together, alright?" He was rewarded with a thankful nod. Byleth always struggled to express emotions, but the legendary mercenary understood the appreciation all the same with a smile of his own. "It does you no good to dwell on things out of your control, just keep your mind clear so it doesn't weigh you down in battle."

Walking back towards the sleeping quarters, the father had one final bit of wisdom to impart.

"Just keep it simple. Whenever you're faced with adversity, don't hesitate. Just act."

It was sound advice to Byleth who looked up to the man, even if it was difficult to emote.

"Understood. Thank you for your support."

"Heh. Anytime, kid. Let's get some shuteye before the job tomorrow, hm?"

Tbh I kinda want to hear what Byleth sneezing sounds like now. Is it one of those demure huffs or like an airhorn going off?

Anyone else?

No?

Just me?

Oh.

I think the question that's come up the most is Byleth's role in this story or at least how they will impact events. Rest assured, the good professor is going to play a very important part in this story as usual but exactly how in depth their role might be is going to have to be seen. In case it isn't evident, this is obviously set prior to beginning of 3H, not too far back but enough to integrate the Konoha crowd into the Class of 1180. By the time the first part of the game happens, you can bet Naruko and friends will be fully integrated into the Academy.

Oh yeah, about Jiraiya. As mentioned previously, I'm not 100% certain on the existence of godfathers in FE but for the sake of more meaningful interactions, he got upgraded to grandparent. Hopefully it hammers home how much the relationship between Naruko and Jiraiya means to one another, but it's something that will inevitably be explored and developed as part of Naruko's character focus as well as his. Additionally, while I gave some thought as to what would be his most logical class in this setting, I ultimately settled on him being a Dark Knight which has magic and sword proficiency I thought complimented his talents in ninjutsu and taijutsu in this world. Yeah there's a Sage class but it's, uh, not really the same. Hopefully it makes a little sense.

Beyond that cameo and introduction, have a little Church staff interaction, post-battle jitters, and a little tactical espionage starring the worst three-man spy team in existence (all done in good fun, of course). Next chapter is the long-awaited meeting with the other three houses and their esteemed leaders, guaranteed to be an experience with a spaz like Naruko. The academy phase is undeniably going to be lighthearted. I plan on dedicating plenty of time in developing the relationships among characters while slowly progressing through the school year. The plan is to build up interactions between characters while having a little fun along the way.

Alright I think that covers everything from my end. As always feel free to drop me questions if you have any in the reviews, more than happy to answer anything reasonable that comes my way since I don't have to deal with hoards of reviews like those DxD fanfics. Being in a tertiary crossover fandom like this one has its perks after all. As always, I appreciate the support thrown my way. I'll be working on the next part of this story, hopefully writing Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude the way they're meant to be portrayed. Their relationship is going to be the crux of this story after all, so I want to make sure that's done right.

Until next time!