2. I think the big question we need to figure out is if Link's larger set of options is enough to pressure Byleth into using all her device pulses before Link runs out of healing and fairies.
Probably not, due to the skill gap, and the plethora of abilities Byleth has like probability manipulation, and stat amp/reduction
3. That just sounds like a case of purely Game Mechanics. Even if we place Zelda's headshot mechanics (e.g. stunning) as a bit unrealistic, the nature of hitting someone in the head with a sharp object is going to be incredibly dangerous.
There’s a chance that a bunch of Link’s attacks straight up get nullified, due to Pavise and Aegis, which nullifies damage taken. Or you know, Byleth can just, block them.
4. That doesn't mean anything for fighting against Byleth, who lacks any displayed resistance to Deconstruction.
Doesn’t matter if Link doesn’t have the skill to consistently land a hit on Byleth with it, except for maybe during bullet time, let alone over 10 times, where each time, Byleth becomes fully aware of what exactly Link is going to do.
Alternatively, Byleth blocks the Ancient arrowhead, their sword disappears, they take note not to get touched by it, and they pull out another sword. No divine pulse necessary.
4.5: This is a partial tangent because nobody brought it up, although Link does have an option involving this: Why does Byleth have a resistance to Soul Manipulation listed when that's a feat from FE Heroes, which has its own seperate set of profiles and AP and all that. It probably doesn't even impact this since it seems they're effectively incapped if Link did hit them with the Gloom Spear, but this is still just tangential.
It’s a verse-wide ability, it’s not exclusive to Heroes; it just so happens that Heroes has a feat that shows Fodlan characters can survive without their souls as well.
If Link takes Byleth’s soul, then that’s either just going to bloodlust them, or alternatively, there is a chance that Sothis could take control of Byleth’s body now that their soul is gone.
5. I'm not sure if everyone here has come to an agreement over how we should interpret how some enemies can break Ultrahand builds (or the AP of miniboess for that matter), but even if Byleth can one-shot them, that still means Byleth has to either a.) divert their attention from the main threat, b.) expend one of their limited Divine Pulses in order to stop Link from building one, or c.) simply ignore them and tolerate whatever damage and area presence they manage to do before Link runs out of power (with that issue possibly mitigated depending on if Link wants to use some spare Zonai Charges to fill the supply back up).
Alternatively, Byleth shoots a single fireball at it and calls it a day.
