Wait, Zephiel's the bad guy? Let's Play Fire Emblem: Sword of Seals!

Back at camp, Roy and Elphin are noticably shaken by the dragon's appearance...

Roy: How many more of these does Bern have...? How are we supposed to put up a fight against monsters like this!?

Elphin: Master Roy! Please calm yourself.

Roy: Oh...

Elphin: ...I understand your worries. But if you start to panic, everyone in this army will start to get anxious. Please understand that.

Roy: ...I'm sorry.

Elphin: No, it is a perfectly understandable reaction after fighting something like that. But now... we know something we did not before.

Roy: What is that?

Elphin: Do you not remember? I told you about the rumor that Arcard was tied in with Bern.

Roy: Oh! If there are Bern's Dragons in the Etrurian capitol...

Elphin: So Arcard was indeed taking contract with Bern.

Roy: ...That means Lycia is in danger... We must return to the mainland. We have to contact General Cecilia and think of a plan...



Elphin: ...to the mainland, we still have things to do on these isles.

Note that, if you were too tardy in your assault on Djuto, Bern would have sealed up the cave and we would've jumped straight to chapter 13.

Roy: Are there still more enemies?

Elphin: No. One of the Divine Weapons is hidden in a cave near here. If we can obtain it, fighting the dragons will become a little easier.

Roy: Divine Weapon... Exactly! If we can get all eight of them, we have a chance of defeating Bern!

Elphin: Yes... we must obtain as many as we can.

Roy: Then let's go to the cave you speak of!



Next time: "I am power. Power without peer. I am the dragonhunter. I am the fleshbiter, the bonecrusher, the skullbreaker, the doombringer. I require no seals."

FE6 is the first game set in this universe, and as such it's very symptomatic of the old "Must visit every place on the map" syndrome. FE7 doesn't deal with Etruria, Ilia, or the Western Isles at all aside from a few ex-pats, and Sacae only a little. FE7's plot goes only where it needs to go, which is mostly Lycia, Bern, and the Dread Isle (an Expansion Pack area). FE6 goes to more places, but these places are mostly just filler designed to pad the gameplay... The basic plot is still "Collect legendary weapons and smack Bern".

Looks like the translators missed a status effect there. How did ス get converted to {, of all things?

Glee! Man, every time there's another Fire Emblem update I want more! This board should do every Fire Emblem. :3

Congratulations

This is now officially a Fire Emblem LP.

What was in the other treasure chest?

It was a flux tome. Nothing fantastic, but it should help Ray out.

Oh my goodness.

I can only imagine what the deleted scenes are like.

That said, we need more Fire Emblem DVDs.

March of the Geese?

Ask and you shall receive.

The more part, not necessarily March of the Geese.

I'm going to geek out here and say that if it's the first season, he should be sans 'stache.

You guys are awesome, you know that?

Anyway, here's a short one today. Last we left off, we drove Arcard out of the Etrurian capitol, Djuto, and went head-to-head with a Mamkute - a dragon who can morph into human form and vice-versa.



...to obtain the Divine Weapon. But Roy and company aren't the only ones who know of the cave. Yet another battle was awaiting them.

But first...



With Lalum unofficially joining our team, we now have access to the augery. The purpose of this is mostly to check up on how you've been doing so far in the game by commenting on specific areas of strategy.



just for the hell of it, let's see how well we've been doing overall.



La la la...



Lalum's comments are a bit vague, but the amount of enthusiasm she gives is indicative of our score. As I can interpret it, we're getting a B rank overall, which is good as we're not aiming for a specific rank. Odds are that it's our Length score that's dragging us down, but we'll put that aside for now.

The later games add onto the augery more, with FE7 being far less vague and adding on fortune telling for supports and chapter maps (FE8 then went and nixed the ranking entirely).

Anyway, with that all said, join us now as we retrieve...

Chapter 12x: The Axe of Lightning





Man, they didn't even bother recolouring Scott's sprite at all.

Grero: Answer meee...

Thief: Boss... you sure about this? Bern told us to block the entrance to the cave. If they catch us now, we'll be sent back to prison!

Grero: Idiooot! We're gonna bury this cave anywaaay. Sooo they ain't gonna know that we took the treeeasure. If we bury the cave without taking the treasure, no one's ever going to be able to fiiind it. Have you ever thought about how the treasure would feel theeen!

Thief: Well... Guess you're right.

Bandit: Boss! There's an army stationed outside the cave!

Grero: Whaaat!? So they think they're going to take our treasure do they? Have the boys near the entrance take them ooout... and grab all the treasure chests... They're mine nooowwww!

Lord, that was annoying to type.



Roy: It's pretty dark in here.

Elphin: According to a scholar in Djuto, if there is a Divine Weapon in here, it would most surely be the Armads, the 'Axe of Lightning.'

This is a small goof, by the way - in FE7, it's referred to as the 'Thunder Hammer'. Nothing big, but I thought it was worth noting.

Roy: Armads... An axe, not a sword this time.

Elphin: The Armads was used by 'Durban the Berserker', the largest and most muscular of the Eight Heroes. A blow from his axe must have been quite a sight to see.

Roy: Elphin, you certainly know a lot about the Eight Heroes and the Divine Weapons.

Elphin: I'm a bard. I know lots of myths and legends.

Roy: I see. I want to hear them, when we have the time.

Elphin: Of course. ...Master Roy, it seems we have company in this cave.

Roy: We do?

Elphin: There are also some strange fumes coming out of the cave walls. We must proceed with caution.



This chapter isn't too hard at all, and it makes for a good place to bring underleveled allies up to speed. As you can see, the map's completely covered in darkness, and, as Elphin pointed out, jets of poisonous gas will stream from the wall from time to time to weaken your allies and poison them. However, aside from those two obstacles, there aren't many enemies here, and decent formations and slow, cautious movement make it easy to deal with them for the most part. Just make sure to bring a thief and lure the enemies to you and you should be fine.

You may have noticed that the map is scattered with chests, but only two of them are really worth unlocking and those two are pretty much outside the path of the thieves' for the most part. Just play the chapter like you'd normally would and don't worry about it.



The first chapter starts off as expected, with Shin and Geese taking out a brigand while the others move into position.



Next turn, Roy, Geese and Ray successfully lure the next group of enemies to us.

Get used to seeing this a lot - even though the chests contain mostly supplies that we won't need, the enemy thieves will be ransacking the shit out of them anyway.



Next turn, Geese, Wendy, and... Shin, I believe, take out the archer.



Wendy also manages to raise her lance rank in the process.



Ray finishes off the shaman from last turn for a good level up.



Tate, meanwhile, finishes off the brigand Roy doubled down.



Next turn, Cath lures in a brigand from the north. Note that, even though this guy is killing her in one hit, the hit rate is so low that you'd have to be vastly unlucky for it to connect, so feel free to use her as enemy bait if you want.



Oujay weakens the brigand here down, but Wendy and Geese fail to land the finishing blow.

Thankfully, the enemy doesn't manage to connect either on their turn.



A myrmidon rushes our group in the south, but Ray and Tate are more than equipped to deal with it.



Wendy finishes off the errant brigand for a good level up. Her defense is turning out beastly, and at this rate she'll make for a magnificent tank.



Our group slowly makes its way north at this point, healing along the way with Vulneraries.



At this point a brigand flanked by an archer and myrmidon try and attack our group from behind.



Roy takes point and weakens the myrmidon down for one of our weaker allies to take out. He gains strength, too, which I was worried he was falling behind in.

Before I send anyone in, I make sure to take out the archer first with Shin, who then levels up.



Cath finishes off the myrmidon from earlier.



However, during the attack, Cath revealed that a pack of brigands were en-route to chop up Shin something fierce, so Tate abandons her attack to rescue him.



Oujay sets up a kill here, but Wendy misses again.



The enemy brigands then attack, but our team's either too meaty or too fast to hit so it's not too bad.



Wendy finishes off the brigand from earlier while Roy softens up another.



Cath then finishes off Roy's target for a great level up.

Geese landed a heavy blow here, but missed the second, prompting Ray to finish the brigand off for him.



Next turn, even more enemies rush our group.



Roy softens up one of the brigands...



And Cath finishes it off for more speed.



Shin weakens another one here as well.



Which Tate then finishes off, gaining more strength.



Oujay hits, Wendy misses, yadda yadda yadda.

Geese would've tried to finish the myrmidon off, but he would've died if he missed. So! Healing it is.



Thankfully, the myrmidon ends up targeting Wendy anyway, further fuelling her fortuitous defensive growth.



With most of the aggressive enemies dealt with, it's time to move north and around to the throne.



Geese runs into a brigand in the darkness, but he manages to finish it off quite handily.



At this point, a druid starts sniping our team with Eclipse. However, no matter who he targets, the end result is always the same.



Five turns later, Ray moves into range to lure the druid to us. Ray's actually fast enough to double the druid here, believe it or not.

Next turn, Shin dodges the druid's Nosferatu and shoots him down for a level up.



Wendy, meanwhile, gets to work bringing the archer to us, though she and Geese don't quite manage to finish it off.



Cath's in the way, so Oujay moves her out of range...



So that Tate can... miss.



Ray's still available, thankfully, so he finishes off the archer for our team.



There are five or so enemies left at this point, and the three on the throne are entirely passive. Better yet, only the boss is wielding a long range weapon, so you can shoot them down at your leisure.



Cath heads north to retrieve worthwhile treasure #1, a White Gem.



Wendy and Tate decide to pit Javelin against sword here and soften up the myrmidon.

Meanwhile, Cath grabs worthwhile treasure #2, a Red Gem.



Geese weakens the brigand a bit with his Hand Axe.



Tate then finishes off the myrmidon for the magic number of strength. Welp, that's that, then.



Geese then finishes off the last brigand for us.



It's the same deal with Grero as the other Berserkers, however at this point your sword users should be strong enough to deal with him handily and even then the throne's evasion is too high to really soften him up with ranged attacks. Better yet, just send in Roy until he's weak and finish him off with the sword-user needing levelling.



Best battle quote ever.



I try the ranged attacks here for a bit, but Shin and Ray both miss their shots.



I then pull them out of range for Roy to give it a shot, and he criticals Grero right off the bat.

A few turns pass, with Roy getting off yet another critical...



And I send in Oujay for the finish. Even though he's been softening up most of the enemies on this stage, he hasn't actually gotten a kill yet, so I figured I'd let him finish off Grero for instead of Roy.



Guh...



At this point, we could just claim the throne and be done with it, but there are still a few enemies left. Time to go smoke 'em out!



Wendy lures the first of two out of the corner here.



Who Geese is more than happy to finish off. His level up sucks, unfortunately.



Wendy then gets to work luring the other brigand out here.

Tate and Wendy weaken it a bit more...



And Cath the underleveled gets the kill, levelling up.



Well, nothing left to do here except claim the throne.



Elphin: Hmm... I can hear wind coming from behind the throne.

Roy: What? I can't hear it... But there's a niche... between the floor and wall. Oh! It opened!

You know, the defenses the Divine Weapons have in this game are pretty shitty, especially compared to the legion of undead warriors guarding them in FE7. I guess Eliwood, Hector and Lyn thought the gas jets would be enough?

Roy: ...So this is the Divine Weapon? That Axe is huge.

Elphin: The Armads... So this is what Durban the Berserker used. It certainly seems fit for a mighty warrior.



Soldier: ...has broken out at the Etrurian Castle City of Aquelia.

Merlinus: What!

You said it, Merlinus. Please tell me why this is happening now?

Soldier: The rebel leaders are Advisor Roartz and Lord Arcard. They have captured King Mordred and they are announcing their plan to divide ownership of the world between Bern and Etruria.

Merlinus: No... the two strongest nations in Elibe joining forces...

Roy: Is General Cecilia all right!? And how about Princess Guinevere...

Soldier: We do not have accurate information... But it seems like the Three Etrurian Generals have split up. Sorcery General Cecilia has escaped from Aquelia and is headed for the Island of Misul in the west.

Roy: What about the other Generals?

Soldier: They have been forced to join the rebels because King Mordred was taken hostage.

Merlinus: Master Roy...

Roy: We need to contact General Cecilia... Princess Guinevere... General Cecilia... Please be safe...



And, with Armads in hands, it's now off to the mainland.



Next time: Here we come to save the day~!

This is like talking about the glory that is god in grand detail and reverence. And then farting.

^______^

Do the Divine Weapons have their own battle theme like they did in FE7?

Phew, sorry for the long wait. I've just finished playing up chapter 13 just now, so expect an update sometime later today.

Dunno. None of our characters have S-Ranked swords or axes yet, so I haven't had a chance to check with Durandal or Armads yet. Though there is one divine weapon that has a unique theme, as well see later...

Welcome back. Last time, we took out a bunch of bandits, leveled up our weaker characters and claimed the Thunder Hammer, Armads, for ourselves.



Cecilia escaped with Guinevere from Aquleia. She also formed an Anti-Coup d'etat group and traveled around Etruria fighting the rebel forces. However, the rebel forces had Bern on their side. Also, "Great General" Douglas and the "knight General" Percival had been forced onto the rebels' side because King Mordred had been taken hostage.

After locating Cecilia, Roy headed for Misul. Meanwhile, the Anti-Coup d'etat group was under attack by a joint force of the Coup d'etat forces and Bern's troops. It would only be a matter of time before the Anti-Coup d'etat forces were defeated...

Join us now as we embark on a...

Chapter 13: Rescue Mission





Flaer: My lord, the Anti-Rebels lead by General Cecilia are fighting harder than expected...

Narshen: Cecilia...! Her again! Always interfering with my plans!



Oh shit, Zephiel's here.

Idoun: ......

Narshen: Y-Your Majesty!? When... did you arrive?

Zephiel: Just now. The general from Etruria fights well, I see.

Narshen: Yes... But we shall have everything under control very soon.

Zephiel: No, let me. I will fight her myself.

Idoun: Your Highness, there is no reason for you to fight.

Zephiel: No matter. It shall be some good exercise. Narshen, show me to her.



Merlinus: The castle hasn't fallen yet, Master Roy.

Roy: Good! We have to hurry, then.



All right, let's get to it, then. This chapter's nothing too difficult - it's a pretty standard siege-type mission, with aggressive forces coming at us from two directions that we have to wait out before moving for the boss. There are a few promoted units to watch out for as you fight, as well as two groups of reinforcements to watch out for form the northwest and southwest corners of the map, but as long as you take out the approaching forces quickly before they can gang up on you, the chapter's fairly manageable.

...Well, unless you're aiming to recruit Percival early, in which case it becomes a desperate scramble to the northeast corner while trying to kill as many enemies as possible in eight turns. You technically don't have to recruit him just yet, as he'll reappear in chapter 15 to recruit, but he's very powerful at this stage in the game and can quickly turn the rest of this map into a snap. Since we're aiming for perfection here at Let's Play: Sword of Seals, I'll be going this route, but let it be known that I didn't like it one bit.



First off, we'll be using up our stat boosters this chapter, since at this point, we've narrowed down our team enough that we can be assured they won't go to waste. Tate here will get a boost to her HP with one of the Angelic Robes we've got.



Elphin gives her another turn with his song, getting a perfect (Bard) level up in the process.



Tate then flies north and uses up the Dragonshield to give her defense a little boost as well.



In order to deal with the cavaliers in the north with any speed, we'll be needing some help from Wolt here. So Shin and Oujay team up to get him farther north more quickly.

Though her defense and speed have been turning out well, I haven't been too enthused with Wendy's strength so she gets the Energy Ring.



Ray, meanwhile, grabs the Goddess Icon for himself, since shamans typically have shitty luck.



Gonzales's skill is horrid at this point in the game, so he grabs the Secret Book for himself.



The RNG hasn't been very forgiving for Geese here, which is odd considering how well he normally grows. Since his speed is generally lower than his strength, he takes the Speedwings for a little boost.



Finally, I decide to use the other Angelic Robe on Lilina to up her sturdyness a bit.



Since it popped up, and no one objected, I'll be taking Roy/Lilina to A-Rank...

Lilina: Roy?

Roy: What's the matter? You were looking off into space again. We're in a battle. You could get killed!

Lilina: I'm sorry.

Roy: What's wrong?

Lilina: It's just that... We've come a far way.

Roy: Far?

Lilina: Not distance-wise... It's just that everything seems to be changing so quickly. Do you remember the time when you came to Ostia to study?

Roy: Of course. 2 years... Wait, was it 3 years ago?

Lilina: At that time, your father and my father were still well. Lycia was so peaceful... No one would have imagined a war. ...It all seems as if it were 10 years ago.

Roy: Lilina...

Lilina: I sound so foolish... There's no way we can go back there anyway...



And Roy/Lilina reaches B-rank.

Oh dear.

Cecilia: !! ...King Zephiel...

Zephiel: For your prowess in battle, you have the honor to fight me one on one.

Cecilia: ... !!



This battle is entirely scripted, mostly to drive home just how powerful Zephiel is (even still, Zephiel's still winning here - even if he didn't critical, he'd still be doubling her for 29 damage). For those curious, the weapon Zephiel's wielding here, the Exaccus, is one of the eight Divine Weapons we're supposed to be collecting and is only usable by him alone. Altogether, Zephiel's extremely powerful, especially at this point in the game, and we should be grateful we don't have to fight him until much later on.

Zephiel's theme, "Battle For Whose Sake", plays for the first time in this battle as well and it only plays in battles against him. It's pretty badass, all told.



You said it, Cecilia.



Narshen: Your Majesty! Invincible, as usual.

Zephiel: I suppose this is all one could expect from an Etrurian General.

Narshen: Your Majesty. If you would allow it, can you leave her to me?

Zephiel: Hm?

Narshen: I have some certain... bad memories with her. I want to punish her for them.

Zephiel: Well, all right. Do with her as you wish.

Narshen: Thank you very much, Your Majesty. You, make one of the prison cells ready.

Soldier: Yes, General Narshen.



At this point, the enemy's forces start to make their way to us. If you're playing the map defensively, it's not a big deal.



Soldier: Yes.

Percival: ...This isn't what they said. They had decided to leave the Etrurian matters to us Etrurians.

Soldier: What shall we do?

Percival: Was it General Narshen who made the order to attack the castle?

Soldier: No, sir. It was King Zephiel himself.

Percival: ! The King did it himself... So it looks like Bern had no intention of leaving anything to us in the first place. We are going to move right now. Tell the rest of them that.

Soldier: Yes!

Percival: ......

This is mostly to notify you that Percival will be leaving in a few turns time. Which is good if you're playing the map normally, since it means not having to deal with him just yet.

Then again, we're trying to recruit him, so that just makes things harder...



Back at camp, Roy's evaluating the situation...

Merlinus: Yes... We were too late.

Roy: Is General Cecilia alright?

Merlinus: There hasn't been a report that she was killed, but probably...

Roy: Well, if there's still a possibility that she's alive, then I won't give up. We have to hurry!



First off, Wolt takes out one of the northern cavaliers. Taking this guy out opens up a spot for Lance to take out the paladin while still allowing Alan to grab the Horseslayer and finish off two of the other cavaliers on the counterattack.



Shin softens the paladin up a bit with his bow, raising his bow rank in the process...

And Lance finishes him off with the Horseslayer, levelling up.



Elphin gives Ray a little boost so he can double one of the remaining cavaliers to death.



At this point, there are only two more cavaliers to deal with, so Alan takes the Horseslayer and gets into position.



Tate, freed from having to take anyone else out just yet, grabs a body ring from this guy here. Despite what he says, the female fighters actually benefit the most from the body ring, since they generally have low constitutions...



The rest of our group starts to advance north...



And Narshen has just found Guinevere. Ain't that just fantastic?

Zephiel: Show her to me.



You know, this is the first time we've seen Zephiel and Guinevere together, hasn't it? Hmm...

Zephiel: Guinevere. so good to see you.

Guinevere: Zephiel, why? Why do you cause a war, killing innocent people...

Zephiel: Innocent, you say? Hmph, jealousy, vanity, greed... People are fighting over these silly things in every nation. And you say they are innocent?

Guinevere: Well...

Zephiel: The world must be liberated from such pointless things that men fight over. That is the purpose of this war.

Guinevere: But... people are being brutally killed in the process.

Zephiel: Sacrifice is always needed in a radical change. That is nothing new.

Guinevere: Zephiel...!

Zephiel: Guinevere, you are my only sister. Therefore, I will forgive you this time. But not the next. Do you understand?

Guinevere: ......

It's interesting to point out that, despite Zephiel's utter contempt for humanity, he still holds a place in his heart for his sister nonetheless and forgives her for actively going against him. For someone as brutal as the invincible king, this is a pretty extreme exception on his part. Only time will tell if this comes into play later on...

Zephiel: Narshen! The leader of Guinevere's defenders is here, no?

Narshen: Yes. Her name is Miledy.

Zephiel: All right. Tell her to take Guinevere back to Bern. Also tell her to make sure that the Fire Emblem is returned to the Temple of the Seals.

Narshen: Yes.

Guinevere: Zephiel...



The two cavaliers from earlier attack Alan at this point and eat Horselayer in return.

Miledy: Princess Guinevere, it is good to see that you are safe. Now, let us return to Bern on my mount... Princess?

Guinevere: Miledy!

Miledy: W-What are you doing!? Please put down that sword before you are hurt!

Guinevere: Miledy, please! Let me go!

Miledy: !! ...Should I oblige, what would you do next?

Guinevere: ... I understand that Roy of the Lycia Alliance Army is near here...

Miledy: !? You would join the Enemy!?

Guinevere: If we do nothing, the world will be overrun by Bern's forces... No matter what kind of reassuring he gives, what he is doing is the same. He is forcing others into submission through power. And I do not think that will lead to anything good...

Miledy: ......

Guinevere: Miledy, I ask you to let me go.

Miledy: ...There is one thing.

Guinevere: ?

Miledy: There is one thing I cannot forgive you for, Your Highness. When you left Bern earlier, why did you not come and ask for my opinion...?

Guinevere: Well... I thought your reputation would be damaged.

Miledy: Did you think I would prioritize my reputation above you? I am your loyal Knight more than I am a Knight of Bern. That has not changed since I was knighted.

Guinevere: Miledy...

Miledy: So if you told me to let you go, then I would follow your order with pleasure.

Guinevere: Miledy... Thank you...



At this point, Miledy flies across the map and initiates a conversation with Roy...

Roy What? Everyone, lower your weapons!

Merlinus: Master Roy, she may be lying...

Roy She may be a messenger. Killing a messenger goes against the knight's way.

Merlinus: ......

Miledy: Are you General Roy?

Roy ...Yes. And you are?

Guinevere: Roy!

Roy Princess Guinevere!? You were safe.

Guinevere: Yes... I escaped with her assistance.

Miledy: My name is Miledy.

Guinevere: Roy, General Cecilia is alive.

Roy R-Really!?

Guinevere: Yes. Though she is severely wounded, she is alive. She is in the prison cell right now.

Roy Thank you! We have to rescue her!



Miledy is, by and large, one of the best characters in the game. She has great stats all around, with good strength and speed and a lot of defense to deflect all but the most deadly attacks. Though technically arrows still deal triple damage to her and magic gets through quite easily, she's still strong enough that she could shrug off either and still survive. Unless the RNG really doesn't taking a liking to her, she's going on our team.



To be honest, I was originally going to forgo her in favour of her younger brother since she doesn't have any support options with our team, but I have to admit that speech she gave has all but won me over.

Anyway, even though she doesn't pair with anyone we're using, she's still got a few good options, supporting with Lugh, Chad, her brother Zeiss and Ellen. They're all quite well-written in their own regard, and Miledy/Zeiss is one of the deadliest support combinations in the game, so use her and use her well.



In any case, our forces start to make their way to the east to the bridge, with Shin rescuing Wolt so he can move faster.



Lance takes out the troubadour himself, since he needs to raise his sword rank this chapter and he's only a few swings from getting there.



Afterwards, Elphin gives Lance a boost and he heads east to join the rest of the group, dropping off Wolt in the meanwhile so he'll get his turn next chapter.



Meanwhile, back at the castle...

Idoun: Yes. The Dragons are prepared to fight at your command.

Zephiel: Narshen. I will give you some Dragons to fortify your militia. I want you to send some of your troops to Nabata.

Narshen: The Nabata Desert? The desert lands located in the center of this peninsula?

Zephiel: Right. I heard that there is a hidden village there where Dragons have been staying since the Scouring.

Narshen: I see... then there is a high chance that a Divine Weapon is located there.

Zephiel: Exactly. They must not fall into the hands of the enemy. I already sent some troops to start attacking, but they are outnumbered.

Narshen: Yes, Your Majesty. I shall have the village taken in no time.

Zephiel: ...I shall remember those words.

Narshen: Of course!



Sorry, but we're not done just yet...

Cecilia: ...Oh... Where am I... ...!



Introducing Sophia, our second shaman...

Cecilia: Did you treat my wounds?

Sophia: ...Yes... I wasn't used to it, so... Maybe I didn't do a good job...

Cecilia: Yes, you did. Thank you. We must find a way out of here... ...Ow...!

Sophia: Don't move... The wound will open again.

Cecilia: But I must do something...

Sophia: It will be all right. I can see a light... that will be here soon to help...

Cecilia: Light?

Sophia: Yes. That light will aid us both... We must wait for it...

Cecilia: Who are you...?

Sophia: I am Sophia... A priestess of Arcadia...

Cecilia: What is 'Arcadia'?

Sophia: I shall tell you more about it later... Right now, please trust me...

With the cavaliers cleared out, our troop's now free to start crossing the bridge to take out the enemies there.



Ray sets up the kill for Lance so that he can get a C-rank in swords...



And now we've crossed the point where Flaer and Narshen notice our approach...

Flaer: The Lycia Alliance Army!

Narshen: What!? Flaer! I thought you had taken care of them at Djuto!

Flaer: I did! Well... I left a Dragon to deal with them, so... I never thought they would have survived!

Narshen: What! In that case, my reputation as your Commanding Officer is also jeopardized! If I can't defeat the Lycia Alliance Army here, people will start to suspect my ability... I must do something... But they defeated a Dragon... They seem to be tougher than I expected...

Flaer: General Narshen... What should we do...?

Narshen: I have no choice... Flaer. I will return to Aquleia and plan an attack on the Lycia Alliance Army. Flaer, you stay here.

Flaer: ! M-Me... Stay here!

Narshen: You don't have to defeat them. I just want you to hit them as hard as you can and decrease their numbers.

Flaer: General Narshen! You would use me as cannon fodder!

Narshen: Flaer... To tell you the truth, you would have been executed a long time ago when you failed to capture the Western Isles... I'm giving you a chance to prove your worth again. You should be thankful. Hehehe...

Flaer: But...!

Narshen: Or do you want me to carry out your execution right here?

Flaer: Yes... sir... Understood.

Narshen: Good. Then I leave the rest to you.



Our turn continues with Miledy dropping off Elphin here.



And Shin and Wolt take out the other dragon rider.



Unfortunately, this puts Wolt under fire from one of the ballistae in the south, but thankfully it misses.



At this point, our team is fortifying and healing themselves up for the approaching charge.



Wendy's fallen a bit behind thanks to her low move, but this shift is just enough to put her out of range from the mages approaching from behind.