Kokonoe: While the world can be split with both Nobles and Commoners, it's always acceptable to be the hero of both.

Junko: Like Byleth Eisner, the Ashen Demon of Fire Emblem.

Ann: And Rean Schwarzer, the Ashen Awakener of Trails of Cold Steel.

Kokonoe: The stage is set and the combatants are ready.

Junko: It's time for a death battle!

In a grassy field, two armies were about to square off. Rhea stepped up with Byleth by her side as Sara stepped up with Rean.

Rhea: All of you from Thors Military Academy, stand down if you do not wish to get hurt.

Sara: Sorry lady, but that's not the way we do things.

Rhea: Then die a pitiful death!

Rhea raised her hand and a bunch of flaming arrows were fired down at them. Rean quickly stepped in front of Sara.

Rean: Hyah!

He swung his sword and swatted all the arrows away as a tank went past and fired a missile at Rhea. Byleth quickly turned her sword into a flaming whip and swung it, cutting the missile in half and blowing it up as both armies charged at each other.

Three soldiers charged towards Byleth and she swung her whip, knocking all of them back. Byleth kept going before Alisa shot an arrow right at her. Before Byleth could attempt to dodge, another arrow hit Alisa's and deflected it. Byleth turned to see Claude running past her and firing arrows at Alisa.

Claude: Hey Professor! Leave this one to me and keep going!

Alisa: Hmph. Do not underestimate me.

Byleth nodded and kept moving as Claude and Alisa aimed their arrows at each other.

Sophis: "We need to hurry!"

Byleth: Right!

Meanwhile, Rean was running on the other side of the battlefield. He swung his sword and knocked back a bunch of enemy soldiers before Dimitri dashed at him and swung his spear. Rean dodged it and swung his sword but Dimitri dodged that and went to strike him in the chest. Rean blocked it with his blade but was sent back a bit.

Rean: Dame!

Dimitri: Hmph. I'll end this swiftly.

Laura suddenly jumped above Rean and swung her sword at Dimitri who quickly blocked it with his spear and was pushed back. He dashed back at her and went for several strikes but Laura dodged them all and swung her sword again, creating a shockwave that forced Dimitri to jump back before both of them got into a fighting stance.

Laura: Go Rean! I can handle this!

Rean: Right! Be careful!

Rean ran past them as he was dashing towards Byleth. He looked and saw Crow running by his side.

Rean: Crow?!

Crow: Hey! Let's form a Combat Link!

Rean nodded as Byleth quickly stopped.

Sophis: "Here they come! Be on guard!"

Byleth was ready as she swung her sword. Rean swung his blade too and they both clashed. Crow slid to the side and aimed his pistols before shooting at her. Byleth quickly pushed Rean back and jumped out the way to dodge the shots as she turned her sword into a whip. She swung it at both of them and they flipped in opposite directions to dodge her strike. Crow kept shooting at her but Byleth swung her whip again, knocking the pistols out of Crow's hands. This gave Rean enough time to go for a strike from behind. Byleth saw this coming and quickly jumped to the side to dodge his attack. She turned her whip back into a sword as Rean quickly swung his sword again and Byleth blocked it with her blade and pushed him back. Crow pulled out his Double Saber and dashed at Byleth as he swung it. Before he could strike her though, he quickly jumped back to dodge an axe that was flying at him and stabbed into the ground. Edelgard then landed from above.

Byleth: Edelgard!

Edelgard: Are you okay professor?

She took her axe out the ground and went to face Crow.

Edelgard: I'll take care of this one.

Crow got in a fighting stance.

Crow: Go ahead Rean. I got this.

Rean: Right.

Byleth nodded to Edelgard and walked towards Rean.

Sophis: "Be careful. This guy is tough."

Byleth: I know.

She lit her sword on fire and Rean did the same. They dashed at each other and swung their blades as they clashed, unleashing a burst of fire around them. They both got back as Byleth turned her sword into a whip and swung it, but Rean dodged it and unleashed a flaming pillar from under her. She quickly jumped to the side to dodge the flames before dashing at him. Rean fired a huge burst of flames from his sword but Byleth jumped to the side to dodge it as she continued to dash his way.

Byleth: Hyah!

She swung her sword at him and he quickly dodged it before jumping back. 

Rean: (She's tough... looks like I have no choice!)

Rean suddenly burst with power. His hair turned white as his eyes turned red and he went to face Byleth once more.

Sophis: "What the?! What is this power?!"

Byleth dashed at him and swung her sword but Rean dodged it easily and swung his blade. She quickly jumped back but Rean was on her tail as he delivered a flaming strike that sent her flying straight past Edelgard.

Edelgard: Professor!

Crow: Don't take your eyes off me yet!

Crow swung his saber but Edelgard dodged it. He went for another swing and Edelgard blocked it but was sent back a bit herself as Rean got to Crow's side. Edelgard stood her ground as she was exhausted.

Crow: Sad it has to end this way. I honestly thought we had a lot in common.

Edelgard: ... No... there's one difference between me and you. Unlike you, I will do whatever it takes to achieve my goals!

Edelgard used both her crest. Her arms grew as she turned into a demonic beast. Crow whistled as he looked at Rean, who went back in base form.

Crow: Thinking what I'm thinking?

Rean: Yeah... Valmir!

Crow: Ordine!

Both of them summoned giant mechs behind them. They entered their mechs as Edelgard flew in the air and unleashed a burst of fire that filled the entire battlefield. Valmir and Ordine flew up after her as they swung their blades but Edelgard dodged them. She grabbed Ordine by the head and threw him far away as Vamir flew at her. She started firing balls of energy at him as he continued to dodge them. He went to swing his sword but Edelgard swatted him away, just in time for Ordine to fly back and stab her straight in the back. She went back to base form and fell straight into the ground. She tried to crawl away as Ordine and Valmir landed behind her.

Crow: Sorry, sucks to be you.

Meanwhile, Byleth started to slowly open her eyes as there were flames everywhere. She saw both Claude and Alisa drop to the ground. Claude had been shot in the head as Alisa was shot straight through the neck. Byleth also saw Dimitri stab Laura straight through the heart, but out of pure desperation, Laura swung her sword and sliced Dimitri in half before dropping dead. Finally, she sees Crow inside Ordine, slicing a helpless Edelgard in half. Byleth started to slowly lose consciousness once more.

Sophis: How long are you going to lie there?

Byleth opened her eyes again as she was standing before Sophis who was on a throne.

Sophis: Honestly, do you want to die?

Byleth: Of course not! It's just...

Sophis: ... *sigh* I know. The enemy seems too strong right now... looks like we'll have no choice... we must come together...

Sophis looked down at Byleth. She gave her a light smile as she got off her throne.

Sophis: You're will and mine are now as one.

She started to walk towards her.

Sophis: Both sides of time are revealed to you... and you alone.

She stood and faced her.

Sophis: You know I am the beginning. What shall you do?

Her throne turned into a bright yellow light that circled around them. Byleth reached out her hand as Sophis did the same and floated towards her, slowly disappearing. Byleth then burst with power as time began to rewind to right before Ordine cut Edelgard in half as Byleth woke up.

Crow: Sorry, sucks to be-

A bright light suddenly shined brightly from behind him as he turned around to see what it is.

Crow: What?!

Byleth: HAAAH!

Byleth suddenly cut Ordine in half and Crow along with it as it blew up.

Rean: Crow!

Byleth grabbed a weakened Edelgard and aid her on a rock. Byleth's hair was green and so was her eye as she went to face Valmir. He swung his sword as Edelgard jumped up to dodge it. She ran up his arm and jumped high off his shoulder before spinning down and slicing off Valmir's head, causing it to collapse and forcing Rean to get out of it. He looked down at a very serious Byleth as he transformed once more. He jumped down at her and swung his sword.

Rean: Hah!

Byleth: Hyah!

Byleth swung her blade as well and the two clashed, making another shockwave as Byleth pushed him back. She turned her word into a hip and swung it multiple times. Rean dodged them all and dashed toward her.

Rean: Flames, gather around my blade!

Byleth turned her whip back into a sword as they both lit their blades on fire. 

Rean: Take this!

Byleth: Haaah!

Rean went for a downward slash but right before he could, Byleth swung her sword and cut straight through Rean like butter. As Rean fell, Byleth fell to her knees. She could hear her allies cheering in victory.

Ann: Well, that was longer than expected.

Junko: They even lost their friends! Oh, this was mass destruction!

Kokonoe: At first glance it did seem like Rean could have pulled off a decent victory. He had just the right amount of strength to cut her without his attacks bouncing off her body and his ogre power made him immune to her flames... but that's about it.

Junko: Yeah, Byleth was way faster than Rean and is much better at coming up with strategies on the fly.

Ann: And while Rean does have Valimar, it's really nothing compared to monsters Byleth has fought in the past. Hell, even his Ogre Form has limitations that Byleth could easily exploit.

Junko: In the end, this trial set fire to Rean's cold house.

Kokonoe: The winner is Byleth.