Frill’s speech lit a fire under our asses but no matter how many times we stood or whatever cunning tactics we employed we were crushed easily time after time, to say that she was in a different league from us would be selling it short.

“Well, that makes 9 wins for me and zero for you.”

“Congratulations Class IX you passed your second trial!” Frill laughed

“Passed...How...” Lilith rasped

“Yeah...all we did was….get our asses kicked,” I added

“Yes your asses were thoroughly kicked but that was the point of this trial, isn’t that right, Instructor?”

Leaping from the spectator stands Instructor Redgrave approached us his face as smug and condescending as ever, he revealed that the victory condition of the second trial was persistence and teamwork in the face of a much stronger adversary.

“You can introduce yourself properly now Frill!”

“Sup fledglings, Names Frill, Frill Tartan.”

“You said that already…” Drake moaned.

“So I did, well a little reiteration never hurts, wouldn’t want you guys to forget about little old me.”

This girl went from playful and charming to domineering and sadistic like flipping a switch, I started to wonder which of her two faces was the real one and which was the performance.

“Frill Tartan, Captain of the Virgo Mercenary Corp, That’s me.”

“Virgo? Wait the Virgo?” Madoka gasped

“Are they a big deal or something?” I asked

“They're only one of the top corpses in the world.”

My classmates explained that Virgo was one of the top three Mercenary corps that comprised the trio that had come to be known as the Triangle. Albatross, Tartarus and Virgo are the only Mercenary corps to survive multiple decades and crush all their competitors.

All of Class IX was lay sprawled out around the coliseum nursing our bruises while we struggled to catch our breath, To think that we still had a trial to conquer to call this curriculum hellish would be an understatement. Offensive Arts, Martial Arts, Healing Arts, Weapons Training, Stamina Training and Yoshiki’s boring ass history lessons it was all getting a little too much for me to be honest.

“Okay, kids get up let's get on to the third...”

“ What the hell is that sound?” Tyrian groaned

“This you’re doing Redgrave?” Frill asked perplexed.

“No, it’s not, I’ve got a bad feeling.”

The thunderous and piercing melody of bells filled the coliseum so loud that it bordered on deafening, they rang in an aggressive and rapid rhythm, there were bells littered around Edelgard but none were near the academy and we were several stories underground so we shouldn’t be able to hear them.

“Class IX get off your asses we’re returning the surface, now!”

“Frill be ready for combat, we don’t know what to expect.”

“I’m always ready for battle silly it comes with the territory.”

“What’s going on instructor?” I asked

“No clue but nothing good that’s for damn sure.”

We hurried into the elevator alongside instructor Redgrave and Frill and made our way to the first floor of the academy, we sprinted outside to uncover the source of that wretched ringing. The closer we moved to the exterior of the academy the louder and faster the ringing became.

Nothing could have prepared us the sight that was lying in wait for us as we passed the doors of the academy, floating high above the centre of Edelgard an image of a young woman coloured in Azure that contrasted vibrantly against the clouded sky.

“What the hell is that an illusion?” Aeolus asked

“Not like anything I’ve seen and I’ve seen a lot” Frill said

“Any idea who our mystery guest is instructor?” I asked

“I’m a really shitty instructor, I know about as much as you kids.”

The girl grew larger her lips twisting into a grin as she gazed down upon us she broke her silence by addressing the entire city.

“Dead citizens of a dead land I bid you welcome.”

“Oh shit...everyone ready your weapons now.”

“I’m Yukina Hyogo, Princess of the Hyogo Kingdom and The King's emissary, I have come to deliver a simple message to you all today, so I’ll say my piece and then depart wouldn’t want to be a burden.”

“So she’s one of the royal family huh?” Klaus said

“Yeah, she looks like the one I fought a few months ago.”

“You fought a Hyogo and survived? Which one?” Drake asked

“I believe her name was...Mei or something, she was a psycho.”

“Mei? Mei fucking Hyogo? You fought the Red Demon and lived?”

“I wouldn’t call it a fight really more like a lion playing with a cub.”

“Dear Eris citizens we have conquered your lands, everything but your precious capital belongs to us now, the entire force our army is cleaving a path towards you as we speak. Lancaster has been annexed and Dresden is no more you must realize the futility of your struggle by now.

So I won’t keep you in suspense any longer I’ll announce the date of our invasion, it’ll occur on the next Scarlet Moon, one week from today at the stroke of midnight. Citizens, I want you to think long and hard about where your priorities are. Will you use this time to stay and wallow in your fears or will you flee the city to safety and greener pastures.

You have my words that any refugees will be treated with kindness and safety, though who remain to oppose well get your affairs in order.”

All we could do was watch quietly gritting our teeth as the princess made her arrogant proclamation it was true that the odds weren’t skewed in our favour, the kingdom had managed to conquer practically the entire continent, most of our army is likely dead of defected this is looking hopeless.

“Before I leave you to your thoughts, We’ve prepared our little gift for you all, think of it as an incentive to help you make up your minds, a little taste of the things to come.

Clapping her hands together a swishing sound filled their ears accompanied by growling and the chilling screaming of throngs of citizens, monsters began to spawn in the city tons of them Hell-Hounds, Darkthorns, and others that I didn’t recognize.

“Monsters, but how?” Lilith gasped

“There’s so many of them,” Madoka said

Yukina laughed pleased with the carnage she had sown “Have fun and think long and hard, Bye Bye now.”

With one last gleeful giggle, she vanished as quickly as she came, we all stood there frozen as chaos erupted in the streets and as men, women and even children were being eaten and torn apart limb from limb.

“Don’t just stand there dumbfounded, we’re moving out now! I know you’re tired but kill every monster with a pulse, now go.”

Frill jumped from the balcony down to the streets blow producing a pink bladed scythe from thin air and slashed a handful of hell hounds apart like it was nothing, her speech snapped us out of our stupor and we all followed suit making our way to the streets below.

We turned to seek Instructor Redgraves guidance before leaving but he was long gone, we split off into groups with Lilith and I heading east.

“Hey, Lili I have a Crazy Idea.”

“What is it,” Lili answered driving her Luster claws through a hellhound.

“There’s a spell I want to try but I’ll be immobile afterwards so can you hide my body somewhere safe?”

“Sounds dangerous but what the hell, I’ll make sure your safe bestie.”

“I love you, you know that right.”

I knelt placing my hand on the ground and closing my eyes this had been something I wanted to try ever since Velvet taught me about Devour, as icky as it is I devoured the remains of that Giant Spider from earlier figured it might be useful so here goes nothing

“Void Magic Third Form: Sanguin Orthrus!”

“Void Magic: Call: Come Forth, Gigantula Schatten”

Heeding their masters call Orthi the abyssal hound strode forth and behind him the Gigantula from earlier appeared, only this time it was coloured a dark purple with glowing red eyes that sent shivers down her spine.

“I hate spiders but whatever, Orthi...Spider…. Here’s...my orders go forth and kill every monster find while protecting… ugh….all the humans you can…. Go!, Now!”

Without a moment delay the set of beasts dashed forth eager to do their masters bidding, I felt the strength fade from my body calling the two of them once was so damn draining but I’m happy I was able to pull it off.

“The rest...is up...to…you….Bestie….”

I fell into the darkness of unconsciousness leaving the heavy lifting to my pets, my friends, the instructors, Frill and the imperial army.

“Good...Luck...Guys...”