[Niles gets to his feet, bracing an arm on the serving table to steady himself. Zero is arching her back and leaping in an angry frenzy, looping around his feet and baring her teeth. He brings a hand up to assess the damage. Everything hurt and in moments would be a swollen mess, but his jaw moves fine, he can breath through his nose, and even the feeling of the room spinning is starting to fade. No, Niles cannot walk away from this just bruised. Zero suddenly charges straight forward like a ground level arrow, screeching and leaping up to bite at any part of Byleth's leg she can reach.

The word choice of his piss poor attempt to comfort Corrin rattling around in his head he pushes off the table and swats Dimitri's hand away, snarling. He needed more, he couldn't let Byleth get away and cool down. If Corrin really intended to forgive him then someone needed to make him pay what was owed. He spits in his would be savior's face and after a short stumble tries to follow Byleth down the hallway, shouting after him.]

What, that's all you got? [No, too weak, just bravado. Get him angry again.] Is that all he's worth to you? [C'mon, c'mon, something that hurts. Big Broad and Blonde over there called him 'professor'. Make it personal.] Just a slap on the wrist? If I do it again, what next, detention?