Part 46: (Chapter 13, Continued)

You are the commander general of the Daein army. It is imperative that you lead our troops from this spot. However, with this tome, you can aid your allies from afar.

Thank you.

[Received a Purge!]

This won't be much of a tide-turner, since Micaiah's main purpose in this battle is to spam Physic like there's no tomorrow (because, often, there won't be unless she spams Physic), but there are a few golden opportunities to play with this thing.



As is the norm for siege missions, the first turn contains no combat and is spent getting our guys into position. Aran and Tauroneo are going to guard the eastern ledge; Tauroneo at the top, and Aran down below, blocking and attacking at the same time. Nolan, Zihark and Fiona-with-Volug (or, Team Earth) will guard the middle stairs, seeing the bulk of the combat. Edward will (when he arrives) block the western ledge, and Jill will fly up and down and all around and get into combat misadventures. Jill's objective will be to take care of any hawks that the others can't reach, and otherwise to eliminate targets of opportunity.

The generics are set to Roam. They're not really of all that much use in this mission save to slow the invaders down, buying you time to set up your defences. All of the ones on the lower ledges will be dead in a few turns. They are, however, useful for operating the catapults and ballistae, and they do make nice distractions sometimes. And there is a priest with Physic who can be a godsend, especially if you don't have such a staff yourself.



Catapults aren't that effective against enemies with ~50 HP, but we'll take what we can get.

Anyway, that's all our actions done with. Bring on the charge.



The laguz waste no time in slaughtering the generics.



A pair of generals is stationed at each set of stairs, so the rush won't really begin in earnest for another turn or two.



A hawk flies up to the ledge. Fortunately, he's in range of Jill.



Another flies to the other ledge. Fortunately, as we'll see, he's not actually in problem-range yet.



Pictured: the right hand Hawk's attack range. The only people he can reach are Fiona, Volug, Aran and Tauroneo. Tauroneo may have fallen behind but he's by no means defenceless, and Volug is quickly moved out of rage (but still in support range of Fiona).



Nolan rushes down the stairs and gets straight to abusing Beastfoe. It comes in very handy this chapter.



And his Earth support continues to serve him well.



As does his astounding fortune in level ups. Nolan has capped skill, as well as... magic and resistance. Riiiight.



Zihark can't do as absurd amounts of damage, but has his own ways of cleaning up foes. Micaiah will heal him once the rest of this turn is done, so don't mind his health here.



His own level is... acceptable.



Hrm. Don't like these odds. We've got little other choice, however. Unfortunately, one of the hits misses, so we're just going to have to hope the generics take him out. If nothing else, the ballista user on the western side should prioritise flyers.



Aran runs ahead of his position to deal with the hawk. We can afford to do this because the beasts have yet to actually break through the initial line here, and they won't be able to reach the ledge until the turn after their next one.



Here's the end of turn 2. Now the fight begins.



The hawk Jill tried to kill is murdered not by a ballista but by a catapult. Go figure. Would've made far too much sense to have saved the catapult for the group of cats charging the line.



This shot is, at least, a tad better placed.

Enemy turn.



The attacking cat here did not ninja past the defensive line; he merely jumped up the centre ledge and elected to attack a weak generic rather than the horrifically powerful guys in front of him.



In fact, of all the laguz in the middle, not one of them attacks the defenders in the middle.



This, of course, means that generics start dying.



Generics dyin' all up in here.



Someone finally attacks Fiona. He survives, just.



This guy?



Not so lucky.



Another hawk who has been lurking in the back lines decides to step up and transform.



And some new beasts arrive.



The start of our third turn, and Fiona promptly negates any effort made towards her murder in the last turn.



Edward pesters a cat below the ledge with a Wind Edge.



This happens.



Jill has better luck with this one.



Much better luck.



She remains below the ledge so she can both block it and engage in a lot of counterkilling. Let's just hope she can not get hit too many times.



Aran begins to fight his corner. He finds these odds to be acceptable.



Defensive positioning, remaining guy cleanup, healing, yada yada yada, end of turn 3.



Every now and then, through luck, numbers, or coincidence, a generic will actually kill a laguz.



More often, however, a low health generic will selflessly attack an enemy and get killed.



The ballista operators are generally the ones with the best jobs, all things considered.



Enemy turn, and the last remaining obstacle on the first line on the western stairs goes down. It's just Jill and the beasts now (and a generic knight).



Down and down they go.



The generic knight down here won't last long, it seems.



This one attacks Zihark, though he survives.



Thereafter, they go for Fiona. She's totally fast enough to double cats now.



One of them is able to dodge an 80% attack, and thus lives.



Considering the stats Fiona has capped, this is pretty amazing.



If you were daft and were trying to put your defensive line at the front stairs here, this occurrence would likely terrify you. We weren't, however, so this is just regular reinforcements-as-usual.



Zihark kicks off turn 4 with an Adept-double-Cancel.



And a nice level.



Fiona clears out her nearest friend and takes a step forward. If she's standing here, then any one enemy being left in front of Zihark will mean they're forced to attack Nolan for maximum hilarity.



Jill goes for an easy option and attacks an untransformed cat. Sadly, she misses the second hit.



Time to deal with the latest hawk threat. Micaiah gets the party started with Purge. With Micaiah's pretty-great magic, it hits quite hard, but of course we'd have a tough time doubling with it what with its weight, let alone with Micaiah's godawful speed.



That's quite decent.



A well placed Javelin from Aran finishes the job.



Turn 4, done.



This incredibly lucky knight attacks a cat and is missed twice.



Then, ballista.



On the enemy turn, the fallen cat is promptly avenged.



And now the lower ledge is entirely theirs.



This is fine by me, as it means more combat for Aran.



Jill is taking hits and dealing damage. No kills though.



But a level! That's something!



A cat gets the brilliant idea of attacking Nolan.



Beeeautiful.



They just don't learn!



A wonderful and abusable mechanic is that the AI will always attack if possible (within the unit's programming re: movement). It'd be wiser for them not to attack Aran at all and try to get to Fiona (eventually some of them might hit her!), but no. Aran doesn't have to move, the murder comes to him.



Again and again and again until he gains levels in magic and speed.



More reinforcements, plus hawk.



We are cutting this awfully close here. Jill is left on 1 HP after disposing of this one...



Although the endeavour is not without profit. Notably, Jill is now strong enough to wield Steel Poleaxes without penalty, and she's fast enough to double all of the generic enemies on this map. We'll get her healed momentarily, but first...



Oooooh yes. There is nothing so wonderfully sweet as a crossbow dealing effective damage. Twice.



Nolan's victory animation with a crossbow actually has him do a fist pump thing there. It looks... yeah.



...



Fiona and Aran clean up some guys, and Jill is healed from afar. This has been turn 5.



One of our generics happens to be a fire sage. His encounter with this cat is quite one sided.



Our ballistae continue to pick off weak targets.



The following enemy phase is largely uneventful save for a few beasts killing themselves on Fiona and Zihark and some reinforcements showing up from both entrances in the south.



Turn 6 is even less eventful. We literally do not move any characters.



The generics have more fun than we do this turn.



Fortunately, the beasts are kind enough to feed us counterkills. This one was carrying some Olivi Grass.



Hehehehe.



The cats just are not having any luck with Aran.



...though Aran's not exactly having a lucky time himself.



More reinforcements. Joy.



Jill's recent accuracy gains coincide with her biorhythm peak and, just for a while, she can reliably kill things.



Yep.



We do our usual thing where we clean up nearby guys and continue with our not moving.



The last bolt in the western ballista does its job excellently.



The weakened tiger proceeds to attack Jill, to his loss.



A generic who leapt down here is distracting the laguz from Aran. This will not stand.



A cat decides dealing one damage to Jill is worth getting killed. Good for him.



It's worth it for Jill, though.

Did I mention she has Paragon equipped? She has Paragon equipped. It's helping.



And then these guys show up. These are this mission's Asshole Reinforcements™. If you're not expecting these guys, they can seriously, seriously, fuck you up.



We're not abandoning our defensive line, however, and Nolan's not about to stop overkilling just yet.



Edward is going to help deal with the Assholes.



After gaining a mediocre level...



Jill takes over holding the ledge, and is healed.



Situation as of turn 8.

Now, if the generics just position themselves defensively, they-



-hey, what the fuck is that sniper doing? Jesus Christ he's gonna ge-



-him... self...



Well, crit or not, he's stuck down there with a cat and a tiger. Dude is fucked.



On Aran's front, the battle proceeds as it always has.



The sniper meets his inevitable f-



-huh. Still alive.



Oh, a smart guy, eh?



No.



Zihark continues doing his thing.



A hawk decides to attack Nolan, of all goddamn targets. Of course, Beastfoe won't help Nolan with birds... but his crossbow is effective against them anyway.



Also, this. Why yes, we did just deal 234 damage in a single hit.

For reference, this is more damage than the Black Knight is capable of dealing in a single attack using Eclipse. Even if he were theoretically able to have supports and equip stronger weapons, he still can't deal this much damage. And we're not even ignoring enemy defence!



I really wish they'd show overkill damage sometimes. But seeing a number equal to the enemy's max HP is also nice.



A stray hawk goes after Tauroneo. The guy's fallen behind but he can still kick ass when he has to.



Aaaand more reinforcements.



Volug transforms to lend a hand with the hawk disposal. Fiona and Aran continue cleaning up the nearby beasts.



In the confusion, Jill has managed to grab herself a Steel Poleaxe and proceeds to put it to good use.



She proceeds to have one of those really disappointing fights where both fighters completely fail to damage the other.



I like the cut of this guy's jib, so he gets some heals from Micaiah. Never let it be said we don't take care of our capable fighters.



We approve.



End of turn 9.



Our sniper friend continues holding his own.



A generic halberdier gets unusually lucky.



Twice. Holy shit.



Some... guy... wades right into the murderzone for the sake of firing a catapult shot at an untransformed laguz. K then. Well, it's a kill, I guess.



Well, it was nice knowing you, mister double crit.



A tiger gets a shot in on a generic priest. Fortunately, the priest is fast and the tiger is slow, so he survives.



And wow, this guy is still holding up.



Mixed in with this turn's reinforcements is Ranulf. For the uninitiated, this is a sign that shit is about to get serious.

Are you guys finished with the preparations?

Yeah. The rest of the force is on the way. They should arrive any minute.

All right. Once we merge, we'll launch the attack.



Nailah and Rafiel show up, too.

Yes, Queen Nailah. I'll be closer than your own shadow.



Edward gets an unexpected Wind Edge crit. That's nice. Jill finishes the guy off. Nothing else to do but continue holding the line.



End of turn 10.



The catapult guy continues firing shots.



Our friend the sniper has managed to outlast the transformation of the cat down here. Then he crits him.



Catapult guy finally meets his inevitable fate.



Of course, the rest of them have to go after Aran now. Sadly, he's not fast enough to double cats yet.



A tiger goes for Zihark, only to be Adepted, then Critted, then just smacked for the kill.



Yep.



The beasts surrounding Ike and co also start to move up. If you didn't get the first hint that shit is about to get serious, this is the second.



This is the third. Oscar, Titania, Mia, Rolf, Boyd and Mist all show up. Are you good at taking hints? If so, you'll probably start retreating now.



Nailah also takes to the field as an Other unit, carrying Rafiel. Fortunately, she won't be fighting us, and we can't even attack her so that's alright.



Zihark busts out his Tempest Blade. It's quite an effective weapon, especially down a ledge.



The crit rate makes it especially handy.



Nolan then takes up his super-effective crossbow and leaps down into the pit.



How timely! That's defence capped too, now.



Aran and Fiona clean up on the ledges.



In style.





All paladin crits are ridiculous.



So, how about it being the end of turn 11 and not retreating, huh?



Some murder later, Ike charges and the last of the generic laguz suicides on Nolan.



That's... just great.



The Greil Mercenaries move up. We don't want to be in their way.



Nailah charges forward.



Shinon and Gatrie arrive, to be followed by Rhys.

Final turn!



Ike has officially gotten Too Close™. So Laura busts out her new toy, the Sleep staff.



And that's him dealt with.



One thing about Beastfoe is that it doesn't work against untransformed laguz. However, with Tarvos, Nolan is more than a match for untransformed Ranulf, insane HP and all.



I think there's some sort of law of nature that states that untransformed Ranulf is incapable of appearing graceful in screenshots.



See?



Extremely astute. Ranulf retreats.



Before the impending clusterfuck of a final enemy phase, Volug and Fiona share a moment.

(Volug says: "I'll never let anything happen to you.")



And then, Micaiah blasts Ike with Purge.

The way to actually fight and defeat Ike is to hit him with Sleep (as we have) and then send your strongest units - all of them - to wail on him. If you can kill him, the fight ends immediately. If not, your guys will likely have to answer to Mia and Titania, or Soren. You don't want that.



Being sound asleep doesn't stop Ike from having a coherent conversation. That is shouted. From literally one end of the battlefield to the other.

What's insane about a people fighting for their country?

There's got to be something we can do! Let us help, please!

Why would you want to help us, after everything we've done? No, after everything I've done...

We know you don't want this fight. Isn't there any way for us to avoid it?

...No. No, I'm afraid there isn't.

Just talk to me! We can find a way!

You don't understand. We can't stop. I'm sorry, but I can't explain it more clearly than that.

Micaiah, I don't want you to die. I don't want all of your soldiers to die. You have to let me help you.

Ike... Now I see it. Now it makes sense.

What makes sense?

Sothe always spoke so highly of you. Now I know the reason. You truly are a good person. It's a shame...

Why is that a shame?

Because it makes what I have to do even harder. Please prepare yourself. Let's put an end to this.



("The light of life! Shine a ray upon my path and...")

And then Ike takes some damage.



So here we are. Last turn. We just have to not die. There are an alarming number of ways for us to die in this last turn.



Boyd comes along to pester Fiona.



Rolf is the first major problem. Any crit or Deadeye activation and we are immediately fucked.



Then there's Mia. Mia is trouble. She has a whole mess of skills that can fuck us up.



Wait... no she doesn't! Nolan's innate Nihil saves the day in a big way.



He survives the battle, and we're golden.

Nailah charges right at the line - remember she has Pass and Celerity.



And that's it. Nailah has crossed the line. We lose. We can't block her, we can't prevent this. I guess that's this LP fucked, then.



...kidding. Nailah doesn't count as an "enemy" against whom we have to hold the line, but this "victory" speech sure feels like a failure. And I guess that's the whole point of this mission, but... well, this comes across as a failure to draw the line between a defeat and a game over.

Daein soldiers, pull back immediately! Take up positions inside the castle! We won't let them take us without a fight!

---

Now, for some reason, Micaiah and Soren have a battle dialog that continues the thread that was started during their conversation in Chapter 7.

Our last battle, in the valley. Was that your strategy?

...

That was impressive. You killed thousands of beorc soldiers with your little ambush. Well done.

I...

The Maiden of Dawn... What are you? One of the Branded, that's for sure. But there is something else about you... Power. Yes, I can feel it in you. You possess great power.

Yes, and you would know. There's something very different about you, too. Your energy feels so...ancient. You and I seem to have so much in common.

That doesn't matter in the slightest. The only thing that does matter is that you are a dangerous adversary. You are also in Ike's path, so it falls to me to remove you. It's almost a shame. Farewell, Maiden of Dawn.

So, you fight for someone, as well. So very much alike... But I will defeat you. I will protect the ones I love!

So that's a thing. Sadly, this conversation is, to my knowledge, impossible to actually view, since Soren never moves from his starting spot and will never be in Micaiah's attack range. So... yeah.

---



That was fast. We didn't even get a chance to rest.

Isn't there anything else we can do? King Pelleas has worked so hard to find the answer... Was it for nothing? There must be something... A rumor, old folklore... Anything...



Come to think of it, she recognized the mark of the pact on Pelleas's arm right away, like she'd seen one before.

You're right! Why didn't I realize it sooner? Where is she? Where is Lady Almedha?!



Enemy troops have broken through and are headed this way! Escape while you can!

No! I must find Lady Almedha! Everything depends on it!

---





All this battlefield chaos is starting to really affect the laguz. They're on the verge of losing control. I can't stop them, Ike! If they find Micaiah, they're going to tear her apart. I guarantee it.



Yes, Skrimir! He's the guy we really need to be talking to when people are losing control!

---



I can't believe what a fight the Daein army put up, especially considering their numbers. Wait a minute... Hey, Ulki. What the heck is that on the horizon?

It's flying toward us... The flapping sounds heavier than a wyvern... It sounds huge.



---



Uh oh.











I'm pleasantly surprised that they actually drew the stairs inside the tower and everything.



Alright, so we have a small problem re: unknown enemies with overwhelming force. What now?



Ena! Elincia! What's going on here?

It's a black dragon of Goldoa...

Tibarn, what's going on?

Why are you asking me? All I know is that I'm not ready to step up to a black dragon. Did you see that blast?

Point taken. All units, retreat! Platoon commanders, gather your men!

---



Micaiah!



Micaiah does not, of course, make the connection.

How did you get here? Why would you even come to a horrible place like this?

I wanted to save you...and my sister, as well.

Your sister? She's here?

Never mind that now. I'm just glad you're safe. Are you hurt?

No, I don't think so. I'm just very confused right now.

Chirp!



Stop! Stand down, all of you!



Each of the soldiers here is shown attacking, and missing, Nailah. Well, at least it's consistent with what we've seen from here so far.





It's all right, Micaiah. It'll be all right...

---





Ah, it's the son, is it? I thought maybe the dragon king had shrunk a bit in his old age.

You all know the dragon prince of Goldoa?

Yeah. Goldoa hosted a meeting of laguz royalty three years ago. That's when Tibarn and I met him.

Elincia and I met him around the same time. I'd say he was a nice kid, except that he's older than all of us put together.

The prince hopes to avoid the complete destruction of Daein and its people. He wishes to stop the fighting. We would like to ask you to implement a cease-fire and hold a peace talk.

We have attempted to hold peace talks with Daein on multiple occasions! They refuse to listen to reason, and instead choose to fight. We have no more time to waste on people who choose war over peace at every turn!

Your people are waiting for you in Begnion. Is that what presses you?

It's not just that. All this strife and chaos has affected the medallion. It's shining brighter each day.

No! that can't be!

The blue flame burns once more...



It's this flaming aura that earned the medallion its other name: the Fire Emblem.

The Fire Emblem...

The flames on the Fire Emblem indicate the awakening of the dark god. If the war is allowed to continue, nothing can stop the dark god's awakening. We must halt this fighting.



Then let us wait until Prince Kurthnaga returns. He is speaking with the leaders of Daein now.

---



No, that wasn't the case. Prince Kurthnaga and I ran into each other on our way here.



Lucia! You're here, too?

Of course. I cannot let Her Majesty out of my sight. You know that.

Bastian... He'd been so good about sending me reports until recently.

He was searching for the Black Knight, right?



The Black Knight had already left Daein before the empire's observer arrived. Where he went remains a mystery. That was the last piece of information we received from Bastian. Then he sent word saying that something more important had come up with regards to Crimea. He's been missing ever since. I haven't heard a single word from him.



I'm not so sure. He must've found something important, some new piece of information that he had to pursue.

I ordered Geoffrey to watch over Crimea, and came here to begin a search for Bastian.

It's too dangerous for you and Lucia to travel by yourselves. Why don't you com with us? Everyone would love having you two around.



---

Well then. Kurthnaga has finally gone and stuck his nose in an intercontinental war.

This strikes no one as a terrible idea.



Not really much room for variation here. Note the not insignificant contribution of the Daein generics.

God bless that sniper.

Next time: Absolutely nothing unexpected happens.