Attack on Fire Emblem – Chapter 9 (Leo leads)
Leo's eyes were misty and blurred. He barely had time to get away from the blast zone and could still feel the blow from the explosion. Was Corrin still alive? She was nearer to Clive before he transformed.
Nevertheless he could still see what was towering over him. A Titan was in the spot where Clive once lay. Seeking cover, Leo darted into the tunnel. He was just in time. The Titan's fist smashed the area where Leo was floored just a moment before. The Titan seemingly wondered if he should pursue the fleeing Leo.
Leo, Robin and Corrin had prepared for this. If Clive had resisted arrest, the kill order would be given.
A mob of fliers led by the Camilla flanked the giant. Leo's sister was one of the best fliers in the world and instantly attempted to slash her giant axe at the nape of the Titan.
Meanwhile, Robin led a team of mages to manipulate the ground to make muddy to destabilise the Titan. All they need was half a second for Camilla to deal a killing blow.
Unexpectedly, Clive leaped to the skies and swatted the fliers out of the air. The retreating Leo did not see if his sister was struck. The Titan aimed his landing to target the mages. A sickening "splat" resounded throughout the tunnel. Sticking to the plan, Leo continued running. There was no time to grieve or check for survivors.
Roaring in fury, the Titan punched holes into the tunnel aimlessly. A fist smashed a few meters ahead of Leo, so the retreating mage carefully bolted to the side to ensure that the sunlight did not exposed him. Snapping his raised fingers, Leo fired a bolt of dark energy through the holes in the ceiling. It was time for plan number 2.
"For Palla! For Catria!" a cry answered his signal. Leading what was left of her White Wing mercenaries, Est flew her flying horse towards the Titans. To make up for the numbers, the elite Hoshido sky knights led by princess Hinoka joined her.
Unlike Camilla's fliers, their orders were to maintain a safe distance from Clive and to lure him into the next trap. Volleys of javelins bounced harmlessly off the Titan's skin. It was enough to catch his attention and he started attacking the fliers.
Based on Est's account of the Titans, Hinoka had devised a strategy to fly defensively against the Titan. It included maintaining a safe distance of at least 15-20 metres, nose diving and retreating early. While Clive managed to pick off a few fliers, the casualties were kept to the minimum.
Clive chased the fliers till they reached a junction surrounded by three-storey buildings and an even taller church. Instantly, Clive knew he went into a kill zone and could do nothing about it. Summoning her light magic, a flash of brilliance exploded into Clive's eyes. This temporarily blinded him. The multiple ballistae that were mounted on the top of the buildings fired to tangle the Titan into a network of ropes. A contingent of foot soldiers and armoured knights rushed out to nail any of the dangling ropes to the group. Est and her fliers dived for the kill shot with their heavy spears.
Micaiah allowed herself a brief respite. Did they succeed in immobilising the Titan?
"We got him! Prepare for my awesome majestic .." Odin began, but Micaiah cut him off. The mages cast spells to strengthen the restrains as Clive struggled against them.
The heavy spears nearly hit the nape, causing the Titan react in maniacally. With suddenly vigour, Titan broke free of his retrains. Clive quickly smashed the ballistae and the surrounding the soldiers. Ignoring the elusive fliers, Clive kicked the ground troops away and ran towards the mages.
"Plan three!" Micaiah yelled. Immediately, the ground erupted below the Titan. The earth hexes placed earlier by Robin and his fellow mage Tharja took effect. The Titan fell into the sink hole, and the ground sealed itself over the hole.
The troops of Askr cheered. The Titan had been defeated. Micaiah nearly collapsed in relief. Wiping off the sweat with her navy blue scarf, the white-haired mage ordered the soldiers to treat the wounded.
Suddenly, the earth shook. Cracks appeared on the surface of the dirt that buried the Titan. This battle was not over.
"Sister, are you ok?" Leo woke the axe-wielding princess. With blood staining her purple hair, Camilla nodded. Her immediate concerns were with Corrin, the other royal sister. Both Corrin and Robin were badly hurt.
"Corrin has multiple fractures but the healers said that she will live." Leo assured Camilla.
"He hurt Corrin?" Camilla asked, in a confused tone.
"Yes, we failed to capture the Titan. It's up to Micaiah to kill him now." Leo reported. However, Camilla was in a craze.
"He hurt Corrin!" the enraged princess repeated, louder and less confused this time. Camilla summoned her half-healthy wyvern and mounted it. Leo pleaded with his sister to stay for treatment.
Camilla ignored her brother and took off with her Wyvern. Quickly, Leo barked orders to her retainers to follow suit. Yet majority of them were wounded or dead. Those who were healthier were slow to mount their wyverns and could not keep up with her. Even her famed bodyguard Beruka could barely stand. Camilla was charging on her own.
Author's note: Sorry for the long wait. Stay tuned to see the conclusion of the arc!