"I guess you'd better ready yourself, Ishtar. The rebel scum approach." Julius stood up straight and took a steady breath. This should be very interesting, indeed, it should be.
He was in the middle, next to Ishtar, the only person he really much cared for at this point. On either side of them were Hilda and Bloom, married (happily?).
"You know... we might see my late sister's children on the battlefield today."
"Then I plan to torture them as much as I did her!"
Next to Hilda was Arion, and next to Bloom was Travant. They didn't say much.
Next to Arion, on the edge of the formation, was Arvis.
I wish I knew were Julia was...He shook his head.
And next to Travant, on the opposite edge, was Manfroy.
"Hehe. I could take on that whole army myself, I have to say."
In front of those eight stood Harold, Liza, Kutuzov, Vampa, Eliu, Fetra, Ovo, and Fisher, whom Julius decided most worthy and able to lead the attack.
"Here and today Grannvale proves that it cannot and will never be felled by rebel scum!"
"Vampa! Forward... march!" Julius ordered.
"Your Majesty!" She did as he ordered.
1. d4
"That will provoke them."
There was silence, and nothing much over the hill.
There marched the rebels.
Seliph called it the Liberation Army. He made sure Julia was right at his side.
"It ends here, doesn't it?"
Julia gasped. "Father... Julius!"
"... Julia, you'll..." He couldn't say much more, to his daughter.
Arthur walked next to Julia, and his sister Tine moved at Seliph's side.
"That's..."
"That's that wretched Hilda!"
"Calm down, Tine. We'll get our chance... surely."
Next to Arthur rode Diarmuid, and next to Tine rode Ares. They were pretty silent.
Finally, next to Ares was Leif, and on the opposite side, next to Diarmuid, was Nanna.
"Stay safe over there, Lord Leif... promise me."
"I promise."
Facing the front eight of the Grannvalian Army marched, in front of Seliph and his line, Larcei, Ulster, Lana, Fee, Ced, Patty, Coirpre, and Lene.
"Brother, don't do anything too reckless out there."
"Bah, don't worry!"
"Can't be scared..."
"I've got to make my parents proud!"
"Hmmph."
"Oh, boy!"
"Oh, dear..."
"Hmm..."
"Their army and ours are about the same size..." Seliph noted. "What should I do first, Julia?"
"That's up to you. You're our leader, Seliph."
"A bunch of kids..." He shook his head. "How it all came to this is beyond me. Whomever I send out first..."
His army stopped, facing down the Grannvalian Army.
"You're going to have to make a decision, Seliph..."
"Rebel scum!" Julius boomed. "Come like sheep to the slaughter!"
"He doesn't care..." Seliph glared and clenched his teeth. The first name to come to mind... ugh... I'm going to be sick."Lana!"
She jumped and faced him. "Lord Seliph?"
"Forward... march..."
Lana nodded slowly and did as she ordered.
1. ... c5
Vampa stared her down and was surprised that she wasn't shaking or cowering or anything like that, just... breathing normally. "Your Majesty! Shall I attack?"
"Not necessary. Let them have the first strike. They'll pay dearly for it! Travant! Forward, two, left, one!"
"Much obliged, Your Majesty." Vampa started calling him that... gotta go with it...He did as Julius commanded.
2. Nf3
"Lana is still standing..." Seliph began to sweat. "Lana!"
"Yes?"
"... attack."
This can't be different from using my staff... She held up her lance and charged at Vampa.
"Ungh!"
2. ... cxd4
"...!"
"Ugh..."
"Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine..."
"Well... I'm taking you prisoner!"
"Ha... I'd love to see you try..."
It happened.
"Right. Ishtar... your first fun of the day."
"Of course, Lord Julius." Force of habit. He didn't seem to care. She brought out her tome, Mjölnir, and in something of a flash, Lana was down on the floor.
3. Qxd4
"Lana!" Seliph put his hands over his head.
"Mother..."
"Don't worry... I won't harm her any more." Ishtar dragged Lana off.
"Everything is equal... he's brought out Travant... Diarmuid?"
"Orders?"
"Forward two, left one."
3. ... Nc6
Suddenly, something happened to the landscape. A perfect square was formed, and in it were contained sixty-four squares, light and dark green, labelled from a1 to h8.
"What is this?"
Manfroy pretended he wasn't paying attention.
"... no matter. Ishtar! Retreat to d1."
She nodded and headed there as quickly as possible.
4. Qd1
"Ares, forward two and right one."
"So, to f6?"
Seliph looked down. "... yes. This makes things... easier."
4. ... Nf6
5. b3 d6 6. e3 a6
Now I can't order Bloom to b5 to put pressure on Diarmuid... he can't move lest I take out his leader, and crush their morale, end the battle, even! No matter... Now to place Hilda on the long diagonal there...
7. Bb2
Seliph stroked his chin. "If I control the center of the battlefield... they'll be forced to the flanks, won't they?"
"So it seems..." Julia nodded.
7. ... e5 8. c4
It's happening already. Seliph smiled a little.
8. ... Bg4
That's Arthur!Bloom recognized him immediately. So if I move to defend Travant here... if he captures him I'll be able to capture him back."Heh, heh." And then...
9. Be2 Be7
Don't die on me, Arthur...Tine thought as she stepped in front of Seliph.
10. h3 Bh5
Blast! Coward...
11. Nbd2 O-O
"It sure is nice to see you, Leif."
"The pleasure is mine. I hope you feel safe and sound, right here."
"We understand how important our job is," Coirpre stated, turning to face his leader.
"I'll dance for all six of you, if you'd like!" Lene offered.
"Of course..." Patty shrugged.
Ares said nothing.
"Interesting tactic... I shall do the same!" Julius declared.
12. O-O
Manfroy grinned at Julius. "You needn't worry about being attacked now, Your Majesty."
"Ha! As if they could even ever touch me in the first place!"
12. ... e4 1
Ced stared Travant down.
13. Nd4
I hope you know what you're doing, Lord Julius!
13. ... Nxd4
"Gyaaah!"
14. Bxd4
Hilda snickered as she took Diarmuid down. It was almost too easy.
"Good luck, Lord Seliph...!"
Wait... Bloom!
"Bloom, I've been waiting for this day! This is for taking my mother and sister!" Arthur ran at Bloom and sent him down with some Thoron.
14. ... Bxe2
"Ack... agh... dammit... you brat..."
"Bloom!" Hilda began to seethe with rage.
15. Qxe2
"Heh... how silly..." Arthur blacked out.
15. ... d5
Fee was sweating quite a bit.
16. Rad1
I wonder if he sees it!
Ordered around by my own son...! Is this... is this my fault...?
16. ... dxc4
"G-glory... to the Loptyr Empire!"
17. Nxc4
"Cedsy..."
"Fee..." Ced covered his face with his hands.
"If Hilda moves... that will be your father, attacking you, Julia."
Julia shivered.
"Move next to Nanna."
17. ... Qb8
18. Nb6 Ra7
Nanna wiped some sweat off her brow.
19. Bxf6
"This can't be..." Ares went down rather disappointed.
Hilda's eyes widened when she realized what Julius had just done to her.
"I... I'm going to kill you personally, Tine! You're just as ungrateful and as much of an eyesore as your pathetic mother was!"
"I don't think so! Mother, please watch! I'm... I'm going to kill Hilda!"
19. ... Bxf6
The day became very dark, what with all the thunder and lightning about. Soon enough, it began to rain.
"Avenge me... Ishtar..."
20. Nd7
Seliph's heart sank. Damn!
"Save Julia, Lord Seliph. I'll go down for her. She's vital to this battle... I am nothing but a Pawn."
"No, you're not, Leif! You're... you're as valuable as a Rook, dammit!"
"Then Julia is the Queen."
"..." He shook his head.
20. ... Qc8
21. Nxf6+
"H-huh? ... Julius... going after a child over a man, of course!"
"Mother... I did it."
21. ... gxf6
Coirpre struggled to keep his lance up.
And here is my idea!"Ishtar! To g4!"
Ishtar moved as quickly as she could over there, staring Seliph down, since Coirpre had moved out from in front of him in order to capture Hilda.
22. Qg4+
Seliph sweated some more. What to do, what to do... ...
"Wait a minute! Seliph!"
"Julia?"
"... I'll take her down. I can."
"No, Julia, not already!"
"I'll fight! I will!"
22. ... Qxg4
That's Naga! Julius grimaced and watched his love go down.
"Lord Julius... I..."
"Fisher!"
This will be my greatest honor!
23. hxg4
"Aaah... Lord Seliph..."
Seliph shook his head. He didn't notice that Arvis did the same.
23. ... Raa8
"Now I'll cover you, Lord Leif!"
"And I you, Nanna."
24. Rd4 Rfe8
Ced sighed in relief.
25. f3 exf3
"Hyaa!"
"Sisters..."
26. gxf3
"I... I'm coming, Fee..."
26. ... Rad8
Nanna shivered as she stared Arvis down.
Ha... if I send Arvis after that girl... and that boy next to him captures Arvis in return... Eliu will be left to die! I have to keep her on the board... she is a crucial Pawn! Seliph certainly knows his tactics well...
27. Kf2
"Lord Seliph, he saw the idea!"
"I see that. Nanna, one step to your right."
"Phew!"
27. ... Rc8
28. Rd2 Red8
Now I'm staring Arvis down...
29. Rfd1
"I'm right behind you, Arvis. Right behind you." Manfroy chuckled.
"That's nice to hear..."
29. ... Rc2
Julius rushed over as soon as Nanna stopped. 30. Ke2 Rcxd2+
"Here I go...!" Nanna ran Arvis through with her sword.
"Gyaah... Deirdre... Julia..."
She stared in terror and fear as the great Emperor Arvis went down, by her hand.
"I'm right behind you." Manfroy cackled and sent the dark spell of Jornmungand Nanna's way. It hit her with full force.
31. Rxd2
"Lord Leif... don't lose..."
"Nanna!" Leif rushed over and ran Manfroy through with his Light Brand.
31. ... Rxd2+
"Ugh... Lord Julius... the Loptyrian Empire is in... your hands... now..."
32. Kxd2
"Mother... Father... I did my best. I have no regrets."
"Now look, Seliph, you so-called Scion of Light!" Julius laughed. "The very thought is worth laughter. I grow weary of this silly game. All your friends are fallen. And once I win and wipe the floor with the rest of you... you will all die."
"It's just our foot soldiers, now, Julius, you and I. Don't think this will be easy!" Seliph began making his way in front to aid his friends. Larcei and Ulster were on a6 and b7, Patty on f7, Coirpre in front of her on f6, and Lene on h7. On the opposite side, Harold and Liza were on a1 and b2, Eliu stood on e3 next to Ovo on f3, and Fisher was on g4.
32. ... Kg7 33. Kd3 Kg6 34. Ke4 Kg5
"Harold! Forward... march!" The storm began. Fitting, since it was stormy.
35. a4
"Larcei, step forward!"
35. ... a5
"Now we can't attack each other." Larcei smirked.
"Just you wait... as soon as I make it past you... Ishtar will be back to fry you and your friends!"
"Not if my blade has something to say about it!"
36. Kd4 f5
"L-Lord Seliph!"
"You have to clear the way, Coirpre... I'm sorry. Either you remain a prisoner until I defeat Julius... or all of us die."
"... It's worth it."
37. gxf5
"This is what I was raised for... to fight!"
37. ... Kxf5
"So it was possible..."
"Forwards, Ovo!"
"Your Majesty."
38. f4
"Go, Lene!"
"Watch me."
38. ... h5
Bah! I can't let her get through!
39. Kd3
Almost there...
39. ... h4 40. Ke2
Almost there...
40. ... h3 41. Kf1
"Just the distraction I needed!"
"What?!" Julius realized that those two of his men were going down, one way or another.
41. ... Ke4 42. Kg1 Kxe3
"If only I could make my sisters proud..."
43. Kh2
"Take it with grace, Lene! With grace!"
Lene's heartbeat ramped up as Julius approached.
43. ... Kxf4
"Heh, heh, heh..."
"Here I go!" Lene began to dance for Julius.
"Wh-what... are you doing? Grr!"
44. Kxh3
"Put me next to Ares..."
"Shut up."
"Go, Patty!"
"Yes, Lord Seliph!"
44. ... f5 45. Kg2
Ke3 46. Kg3 f4+
She was making like a bandit.
"Grr!" Julius tried to hold on. 47. Kg2 Ke2 48. Kg1 f3 49. Kh2 f2
"No... NO!"
50. Kg3 f1=Q
"YES!"
"Patty! Get Julia!"
"Right away!"
"Nngh..."
"Are you hurt badly, Julia?"
"Y-yes..."
"Get up. I'll take your place."
"... o-okay..." She stood and made her way over to f1.
"Julia, you're okay!"
"Mm-mm-hmm..."
"I knew you'd be all right."
Julius growled. "You will never be able to take me down! That I can promise you!"
"So, you're going to fight it out to the very end?"
"Watch."
51. Kg4 Qf3+ 52. Kg5 Ke3 53. Kg6 Qf4 54. Kg7 Qf5
"Dammit! I'm running out of space... and out of time..."
55. Kg8 Qf6
"Liza! Forward... march!"
56. b4 Qe7 57. Kh8 Kf4 58. b5 Kg5 59. b6 Kg6
"No... no!"
"Doesn't look like you'll be able to get past me!" Ulster grinned.
"Hmmph. Watch this!" Liza's attacks from her tome all went diagonally.
Ulster was laughing, until he realized that all his attacks with his sword were also going diagonally.
"Well… it doesn't seem as if we can land a hit on each other."
"We're stuck here."
60. Kg8
"Julius... what happened to you? What happened to the loving brother I knew?"
"He is gone! I should have killed you when I had the chance. What a grave mistake I made not chasing after you, to the ends of the continent. What are you going to do, huh?"
60. ... Qg7#
"Tch-!"
"Checkmate, Julius." Julia attacked him with the tome of Naga, and everything went white.
0-1
When Nanna was helped up she healed her friends and allies. Julius and his army, they all just died of wounds, except Harold and Liza, who were still standing, blocked by Larcei and Ulster.
"Didn't get any action today, sis..."
"Now we never have to... hopefully..."
And then there was peace, or something.
The strategy and tactics employed in this decisive battle would be reviewed, taught, and studied many a time after King Seliph's time.
Cool.
My best idea ever. Maybe I should make another one. Another one. Another one. Anoth
[Event "The Liberation War"]
[Site "Belhalla"]
[Date "778.01.01"]
[Round "0"]
[White "Grannvalian Army"]
[Black "Liberation Army"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. d4 c5 2. Nf3 cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd1 Nf6 5. b3 d6 6. e3 a6 7. Bb2 e5 8. c4 Bg4 9. Be2 Be7 10. h3 Bh5 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. O-O e4 13. Nd4 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 Bxe2 15. Qxe2 d5 16. Rad1 dxc4 17. Nxc4 Qb8 18. Nb6 Ra7 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Nd7 Qc8 21. Nxf6+ gxf6 22. Qg4+ Qxg4 23. hxg4 Raa8 24. Rd4 Rfe8 25. f3 exf3 26. gxf3 Rad8 27. Kf2 Rc8 28. Rd2 Red8 29. Rfd1 Rc2 30. Ke2 Rcxd2+ 31. Rxd2 Rxd2+ 32. Kxd2 Kg7 33. Kd3 Kg6 34. Ke4 Kg5 35. a4 a5 36. Kd4 f5 37. gxf5 Kxf5 38. f4 h5 39. Kd3 h4 40. Ke2 h3 41. Kf1 Ke4 42. Kg1 Kxe3 43. Kh2 Kxf4 44. Kxh3 f5 45. Kg2 Ke3 46. Kg3 f4+ 47. Kg2 Ke2 48. Kg1 f3 49. Kh2 f2 50. Kg3 f1=Q 51. Kg4 Qf3+ 52. Kg5 Ke3 53. Kg6 Qf4 54. Kg7 Qf5 55. Kg8 Qf6 56. b4 Qe7 57. Kh8 Kf4 58. b5 Kg5 59. b6 Kg6 60. Kg8 Qg7# 0-1