Light and Darkness: A Fire Emblem Three Houses' Story

Chapter 11: The Death Knight and His Master

Finally, there is a clue to Flayn's whereabouts. The Golden Deer students descend to a hiding place. There he finds Flayn, guarded by the Death Knight.

Great is Byleth's surprise when he learns Ernest's previous nickname, and how The Death Knight referred to the boy.

Ernest considered Lysithea's words He wondered that it was already too late. He had to meet Byleth. The boy had to tell her what I had dreamed. He already knew that the girl was Lysithea. However, he still didn't know who that decapitated woman could be. Ernest feared he would find a horrible, overwhelming answer. Then, the man rose from his chair to say goodbye to Lysithea.

"I better go rest, Lysithea," The girl's expression of regret moved her. "I thank you very much for your consideration and support. I won't tell any of this, don't worry."

"It's okay... Ernest," Her gaze combined sadness and even tenderness for her classmate. "Go to rest; I will order the books you were using."

"Thanks, bye."

Ernest retired from the library. Lysithea watched him leave, while she felt her heart beating strangely. She didn't seem used to this type of reaction. "I don't understand... I have to be careful with these sensations." she thought, and then sighed and took the books that Ernest had used.

It was almost dusk, and Ernest couldn't find Byleth anywhere. Maybe she was still busy with everything that had happened regarding Flayn 's disappearance. Finally, she arrived at his room, somewhat agitated.

"Ernest, come with me!"

"What's going on... They found Flayn, didn't they?"

"We think so. Follow me," Byleth 's tone was of a concern that Ernest did not usually see in her.

The couple ran through the Monastery. They reached a small room in an area relatively close to the stables. From there, they could see how some classmates urgently treated Manuela, a teacher and nurse at the Officers Academy. Thar was Jeritza's room.

"Marianne, instruct a guard to take Manuela away, " Byleth ordered, with a strong voice.

"Co-correct, Professor," Marianne ran with a crestfallen posture towards the outside of the room.

"Byleth, we must go to that grotto that Manuela pointed out," Claude ventured on this suggestion with urgency.

"We'll split up, then," the teacher said, addressing Ignatz. "Ignat; go and tell Marianne to come with us after calling some guard. Then come down together and meet us. We will go down immediately."

Ernest was paralyzed. His taciturn attitude still reflected the shock he was in from his nightmare a while ago.

"Wake up, Ernest," said Claude, with an urgent attitude. "I have no idea what's happening to you, but now is not the time for introspection. Now we must do our duty."

"Okay... Okay, Claude. I will do it that way," Ernest was grateful for Claude's words.

Immediately, the class of the Golden Deer descended through that grotto. They arrived at a fairly large underground chamber. The hallways led to different rooms blocked from each other by firm bars. There were some teleportation circles, which probably connected different rooms or hallways that were distant from each other.

"This place sure is a big trap," Byleth said, looking around. Be careful with the terrain. Let's spread out around the place, but without distancing ourselves too much. We must take care of each other to defeat the enemies in front of us.

Byleth had to be diligent. This situation was suspicious, and even more so with all the context that surrounded that day. She used his skill to guide her students and defeat those who appeared to be members of the Western Church. Lorenz and Lysithea showed off their black magic, while Ignatz and Claude attacked from the rear with their bows. Leonie and Raphael accompanied Byleth in the vanguard. Ernest

"I'm going to sneak out ahead to inspect what we have left to advance," Ernest suggested to Byleth.

"No. "You can't," she replied in a dry voice. "You are in my charge, and you will listen to me."

"All right."

Ernest was feeling a little frustrated by his teacher's apprehensions. But maybe what she said was true. He figured it was best to follow her at the forefront. Thus they entered that underground chamber and its intricate corridors. In the center of that place, there was a room protected by a fairly large group of monks and soldiers. It was a somewhat slow battle and required Marianne, who had joined in time, to use her healing abilities.

When they were able to defeat all the opponents, Byleth ordered Raphael and Ernest to help her open that chamber. There they found the blessed Death Knight, of whom there was talk amid rumors in the academy and who had already appeared to them in the Mausoleum when Byleth obtained her Sword of Creation.

"I figured we'd meet here again, Byleth," the Death Knight said to the professor.

"I guess... Last time we didn't fight, but maybe this time it will be different."

"You guess right," he responded in his voice from beyond the grave. It will be an honor to fight to the death with you.

The terrible enemy approached Byleth quickly. The students tried to approach him, but he scared them away with precise lightning spells that wounded them. The fight against Byleth was brutal. She used her sword, while he used a fearsome sickle. Byleth was forced to back away a little. Following the direction of the next attack, someone was able to repel the dark enemy: It was Ernest.

"I have no idea who you are, but I won't let you hurt Byleth," Ernest said, gripping his sword tightly. "You'll have to deal with me too."

"I guess we'll fight as a team, Ernest." Byleth stopped next to his student. "Don't you dare trust yourself even for a moment This guy is extremely strong."

The knight remained still and speechless for a few moments. Then he began to laugh wickedly and uncontrollably.

"What is it that makes you laugh so much, huh?" Byleth asked, gripping his sword tightly and taking an attacking stance.

"Ha, ha, what a joy to have this individual here!" The laughter of that dark knight combined with his fearsome voice made all the students of the Golden Deer fear.

"You... You mean me?" Ernest asked, stupefied.

"Well, of course... The shadow."

"The shadow?" Byleth asked, surprised. "What do you mean... And where could you know Ernest from?"

"Well, I know him, and I am very grateful to him, Byleth," the fearsome enemy responded, with an even more frightening voice. "This dear student of yours was the one who taught me how to kill... No; It was he who taught me how to slaughter."