Boyzilla: I've been interested in Greek Fire since I first heard about it. I even wrote an (unfinished) novel (set during the Hundred Years War) where the rediscovery of this terrible weapon becomes a major issue between French and English fighting for this secret.

For the Dark Elves, many Warhammer Fantasy players (including me) consider them to be an unjustly powerful faction, especially in a game with a lot of army points, because of the monsters. Even in a low army points setting the basic infantry of the Dark Elves is on part with the elite of the other armies... obviously, these units cost more than other's faction basic infantry. However, you are right about the fact that they suffered a stunning defeat in the last battle... that said, the fight is not as one-sided as you think (and it's my fault). I presented the battle with a focus on the heroes and Hakuno... and where they intervened, the Druchii was cut to pieces.

However, we must not forget that the Dark Elves managed to reach the streets... While the Black Dragons "cleaned" with their breath entire sections of the ramparts. So there were several massacres of Bretonian militiamen, but I barely mentioned these events.

In fact, it is not that the battle is really so favorable to Hakuno... it is that the narrator is not neutral * scratches his head and starts whistling while looking at the ceiling (badly) mimicking innocence*.
I'm glad you're interested in the rest of the story, but... the Shadow Mirror's Arc isn't over yet. The Shadow Mirror hasn't even made its appearance yet.

For the animal documentary... my inspiration is Carnival Phantasm.

The True Skull: the fact that Bedivere Saber has the silver arm of Nuada in FGO (where he faces the Lion King... a version of Artoria that is no longer the perfect king) is in my opinion the best proof that Nasu/ Type-Moon knows very well the Arthurian myth... to the point of understanding who is really Bedivere. Moreover, the fact that Bedivere is the only Knight of the Round that appears in Fate Stay Night (apart from Artoria herself) shows that clearly. Even though Bedivere plays a minor role in most "modern" versions of the Arthurian myth (after the twelfth century) he is a fundamental character of the primitive Arthurian myth. Why? A clue... Bedivere is the transposition into the Arthurian myth of the god Nuada... and who is Nuada? Check it by yourself.

Look, in FGO, Bedivere is Saber-class with Excalibur (the sword of the king) as his arm... That's why Artoria is Lancer here. Because there can only be one king. In Order ab Chaos, Bedivere is Lancer-class because the Extraverse version of Artoria is worthy of Excalibur.

Archangel Xiron Chaos God: Thank you for these compliments. The use of a rope to capture the head of a battle ram is historic. Between 429 and 427 B.C. the city of Platea - allied to Athena- endures a three-year siege. This confrontation remains for me an important source for the tactics of siege and defense because Spartans and Plateans show a staggering inventiveness. And that's when I learned this utilization of a rope. But this method was also used by the Gauls during the siege of Avaricum by the Romans of Julius Caesar.

Goldenfire 215: Yes, but not yet. However, this faction will be a variant of the Bretonian faction with units of the... well, of the nation that Hakuno and her Servants will conquer.

Guest: Yes, she will appear but not in this Arc (sorry).

magostera: Yes, Dark Elves makes very problematic prisoners. For the use of rope, read my answer to Archangel Xiron Chaos God. Keep reading this fanfic, I promise you will see many more battles inspired by historical tactics, using weapons and units you've never heard of.

Adversum Fortunae

(Reverse of Fortune)

(...) Caesar Borgia vulgarly called the Duke of Valentinois, who became a prince by his father's fortune, lost his principality as soon as this same fortune no longer supported him, And this though he had not neglected anything of all that a prudent and skillful man had to do to take deep root in the states which the weapons of others and fortune had given him. It is not impossible, in fact, as I have already said, for an extremely skillful man to lay, after the elevation of his power, the foundations which he would not have founded before; but such a work is always very painful for the architect, and dangerous for the building.

Machiavelli, The Prince, chapter seven

Two riders were heading towards Marienburg. The horses were exhausted, struggling to move forward, the flanks covered with sweat. As the two soldiers approached the gates, they crossed the ruins left by the Druchii: abandoned camps, surrounded by trenches and palisades, observation towers, repeating ballistae sites...

Beyond the positions abandoned by the Dark Elves, they crossed the battlefield. There were still many wrecks of siege towers and casemates on wheels, some still smoked.
Further on, men collected weapons and armor, scavenging the corpses that others carried to a vast pyre where the bodies were piled up.

Despite the recent victory, a funeral atmosphere weighed on the outskirts of the immense city...

The former office of the Staddtholder was occupied by Hakuno and her Servants. The Sovereign of the Moon was behind the work table, Bedivere was standing behind her. The other Servants were sitting in a circle, facing their Master.

Bedivere had just served the tea. He smiled slightly as Hakuno dipped her lips in the drink and then thanked him with a nod of the head. He then turned to the other Servants:

"We are gathered at the instigation of Caster. You will have noted the absence of our allies, including our Marienburger friends. Taliesin asked that only you be present, I don't know why. Taliesin? When you are ready..."

The Druid stood up:

"Thank you Sir Bedivere" he coughed in his fist. Hakuno then noticed his unusually anxious expression." First of all, I would like to give you an update on our mana's consumption and resources. At a previous meeting, I explained to you that a magical cauldron was drawn from the leylines of the region to allow the resurrection of the dead and form a vast army in the Grey Mountains. This energy is now lacking..."

The Servant looked at the other Heroic Spirits and his Master. All showed signs of anxiety. Finally, it was Artoria who spoke:

"Taliesin, I remember this discussion vividly. And as I understood it, you seemed to think that the Cauldron of Resurrection was not an immediate threat to us. Am I kidding myself?"

Bowing with one hand over his heart, Caster turned to Saber:

"You are right, Your Majesty, you sum up very well what I had said. Alas... "He will sigh." Two things have changed. First, the Cauldron of Resurrection draws more and more mana from the leyline network, leaving us less and less energy for our own needs. Then... "He makes a face"... To create the Bounded Field that protected us from the Black Magic of the Druchi's witches, I was forced to dip into our reserves. The result is that our reserves are now at their lowest even as the problem of our mana consummation becomes critical."

Hakuno makes a head tilt:

"How long?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, several Servants held their breath, losing track of what they meant. Even Taliesin forgot that the question was addressed to him and Hakuno had to repeat:

"How long before you disappeared?"

Caster blinked several times and coughed in his fist:

"Three months at the current rate... probably less as the Cauldron of Resurrection is gaining more and more power. Gréal already does not have enough energy to counter the influence of this 'double'. Obviously, in the current situation, any massive use of mana... such as resorting to a Noble Phantasm accelerated our disappearance."

Behind Hakuno, Bedivere makes a scowl:

"A Pyrrhic victory!"

Sir Kay nodded, he understood what his old friend meant. As Hakuno blinked, the foster brother of King Arthur smiled:

"The Knight of Loyalty means we pushed back the Druchii and won... but now we're too weak to take advantage of it. Ironic, isn't it? Little Mouse, is it because of the lack of mana that we couldn't make use of Enemy_Programs during the battle? "

Before answering, Hakuno called on the Regalia, creating several virtual screens where were displayed graphics, texts, calculation pages... As always, the content was difficult to understand, even for a mind with a certain talent for synthesizing information. After several minutes of silence, Hakuno nodded:
"We can't rely on the Enemy_Programs and the Moon Cell can no longer repair the damage caused by the attack."

All the Servants had already realized this last point. After Slaanesh's attack on Marienburg, a 'baby' Moon Cell had appeared, floating above the New Palace. It was this immense cube of Photonic Crystal that supplied mana to the Servants and extended the power of the Moon Cell Automaton throughout the region. As the first demonstration of its power, 'baby' repaired all the damage suffered by Marienburg.

Sir Agravain broke the silence that had set in:

"Which means that the Sovereign of the Moon is deprived of the two most concrete proofs of her power, the carrot: the creative power of the Moon Cell Automaton, the stick: its army of Enemy_Programs."
All turned to the Servant in dark armor. Sir Gawain spoke:

"Brother, would you suggest that we should fear rebellion?"

An almost amused expression appeared on Agravain's face:

"I always fear rebellion, that's my job. Just like yours, little brother is to protect our king and Master from any outside enemy. But, in this case, 'fear' is not the right word. From the beginning, Master Kishinami faced strong opposition on the home front. I will not summarize in a few words what we have all experienced since we arrived in Marienburg. But you know that the city is plagued by turmoil. Its inhabitants are hungry for wealth and power. Two words that they see as synonymous because, until the arrival of our Master, the plutocrats who had been enriched by the trade of the port also monopolized the governmental functions. This ruling class has retained all its economic power and -collectively- still controls the administration. Without the internal divisions among the surviving members of the oligarchy, our Master would have been unable to lead Marienburg. Besides, Tarmonagh din-Ciobahn almost managed to rally the whole city against us just a few days ago."

"Fortunately for us, he met his destiny on the way," remarked Bedivere in a cold voice.

Sir Agravain and the one-armed knight spared each other for a few moments, the Stewart of King Arthur, trying to show that he was not fooled by the innocence of the master manipulator.

Agravain of the Iron Hand agrees: "Of course... But if the Druchii had not dealt with this problem for us, we would be fighting the Exarch and his allies instead of talking together quietly."

Hakuno alternately watched the Servants without really understanding the reasons for the palpable tension between the two Knights of the Round.

At that moment Artoria Pendragon intervened:

"Sir Agravain, what do you really mean by 'fear is not the right word'? Do you mean that an insurrection is inevitable?"

Agravain Who Knows No Wounds bowed with one hand over his heart in a very ceremonious manner:
"King Arthur, I was already dead at that time, but by the account of the other Servants, I know the end of your reign. You were the best of kings, you protected the people from the Saxons and Irish pirates, defended the Hadrian Wall against the Picts. Under your reign, a young virgin carrying a basket full of gold coins could cross the country without anyone molesting her, for the robbers were laying down, The evil lords no longer came out of their castles and your knights hunted down the evil supernatural creatures. Yet you, the best of kings... have lost everything by the rebellion of one of your own knights. How do you expect Master Kishinami to do better than you... here in Marienburg? She is not even the rightful duchess, having not been sacred by Manannan son of Ocean (1).

"Artoria's face froze while she contained a violent emotion.

It almost seemed to hear the sound of the clashing swords and to see again this hill tinged with red by blood and the setting sun, this sea of bodies and swords planted in the ground, and Rhongomyniad in her hand smashing the helmet of one of her knights before piercing her armor breastplate. And this face that looked so much like her, the rebellious knight eyes enlarged with stupor that looked at her and this surprised cry that came out of these lips: "Father?"

Artoria's hands tightened on her thighs. She closed her eyes for a moment, struggling to repress her tears. Yet her voice was calm and clear when she replied:

"Sir Agravain, I have not been a perfect king, contrary to what you think. We all make mistakes. Wishing people well is not enough... especially since instead of thinking of others, I thought instead of others. It was my arrogance that caused the fall of Camelot."

There was a moment of silence, Agravain seemed troubled, but he could not accept - even from Artoria herself - that someone denigrated King Arthur:

"Your Majesty, you are too hard on yourself. Sir Mordred and Sir Lancelot have chosen to betray you..."
"Enough!"
The voice of the King of Knights was hard, and all recognized the tone of the commandment. King Arthur looked at Agravain in anger with furious eyebrows:

"I know that those who turned against me chose to do so. I simply say... " Saber sighed, paused for a few moments before resuming in a sad voice: "I wanted to bear alone the burden of my kingdom, without anyone else but me having to suffer. That I was alone, that I was no longer considered human, grieved me, but I accepted it because I believed that the more I suffered, the happier others were. But... one day I heard a discussion between two Knights of the Round. Sir Tristan said that I was insensitive, harsh, and inhuman. I wasn't understood. But it's my fault. I isolated myself from you, and I never told you how much I loved you. Those who fought me did it for the wrong reasons, but it doesn't change anything... the mistake is mine initially."

Saber closed her eyes before reopening them. Her Master and the other Servants looked at her in silence. She sighed:

"Anyway, the past is the past, we can't change it. Let's go back to the present... it's the only time we can act. What can we do to prevent Marienburg from revolting?"

The Servants exchanged looks. Finally, it was Sir Kay who spoke:

"I'm afraid we can't do anything that has a lasting impact. The problem is that we have no army of our own, nor any real control of the administration (a mere conglomerate of conflicting interests). We are totally dependent on the help we receive from King Louen Leoncoeur. However, much of the history of Vasteland consists of wars against the Bretonnians. As a 'lackey of the Bretonnians', we are of course odious in the eyes of the Marienburgers. Because of this, it is difficult for us to find allies inside Marienburg, which makes us even more dependent on the help offered by King Louen... which makes us even more dependent on him and increasingly deprives us of the support of the inhabitants of this city. This is called a vicious circle."

Sir Gawain left his chair, his eyes burning with anger:

"Arrogant commoners, they have forgotten all that Lady Kishinami has done for them? She healed the wounded and the sick, defeated a Demon Lord, defeated armies. They should be grateful!"
Once again Agravain showed a hint of amusement when he saw his brother spreading his naivety:
"The people easily forget the benefits received from a leader, but never what has suffered under his reign. In the streets, agitators say that Slaanesh only attacked Marienburg because Hishinami was there."

"This is absurd!"

Agravain shrugged his shoulders:

"Regardless, it is easy to convince the people who want to be convinced. And some arguments are difficult to deny. The Dark Elves would never attack Marienburg until Slaanesh and the inner divisions weakened the city so much. From there to say that everything is the fault of Kishinami and that everything was better at the time of the Directorate, there is only one step."

But Gawain could be very stubborn when he was certain that he was right:

"But it was the Directorate and their own greed that attracted Slaanesh to Marienburg!"

Agravain smiled:

"People would learn a lot from their faults if they were not so busy denying them and blaming others.

And then... now Master Kishinami can no longer care for the wounded and the sick, or deliver people who are victims of curses or repair buildings damaged by war. People usually think that the benefits of the leaders are due to them while taxes and war contributions are optional. My dear Gawain, imagine a mother whose Kishinami saved a sick child. She goes to the New Palace because another of her son is sick. And she is told that Kishinami cannot help her. Will she take it well? No, she will blame Kishinami, she will feel betrayed. And since Master Kishinami can no longer invoke an army to protect herself, perhaps the mother who is distressed by her child's illness will join the first uprising that occurred, erect barricades, and demand the Vasteland lord's abdication."

Hakuno listened to the Servants without intervening for nearly half an hour. But the example used by Agravain craked her apparent indifference. She squeezed her hands on her chest, looking down:

"Can't we do anything?"

Agravain turned to his Master:

"You mean caring for poor children? The mana collected by the Moon Cell Automaton is at your disposal, Sovereign. If you think that dedicating the little that remains to caring for the children of ungrateful parents is the right thing to do, do it. And when nothing is left, you will be stoned by the angry crowd... and you will not even have Servants to defend you."

Hakuno was far from being an idiot. She had an innate talent for strategy, the ability to see the root cause of all problems, and the talent to imagine a series of actions that can solve the said problem:

"The Cauldron of Resurrection. Destroy it!"

Sir Agravain nods to that. He too had thought about the problem and was happy that his Master came to the same conclusion as him without the need to force her hand... maybe he would manage to do something about this Hakuno:

"Yes, Master. It's the only way. And as soon as possible."

Artoria pursed her lips:

"All of this is indeed good, but this magical cauldron is in the Grey Mountains... not far from the ruins of Grung Zint, the ancient dwarf city where the Ork Ugrok Broken Tooth established its hideout."
The Servants exchanged disgusted looks, just when they all agreed that their means had never been more limited, a new obstacle appeared in front of them.

Sir Kay made a smirk:

"It's not all that bad. The good news is the Orks got a beating from the Dark Elves. So the Greenskins are weakened...at least for now. We know it's not going to last. The more you kill Orks, the more it comes. This gives us another reason to act now."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

A guard came in. He was dressed in a blue and yellow doublet adorned with the Marienburg coat-of-arms, a large hat festooned with a feather was on his head, and he held a halberd in his hand. He bowed politely:

"Scouts ask to meet you, Lady Kishinami, they return from the Druchii camp."

The two soldiers in dust-stained clothing had just finished their report and Hakuno simply nodded. She was a person of few words. However, this was a situation that demanded that the young Inheritor of the Moon behave as a Sovereign. Fortunately for her, Artoria understood it perfectly:
"Lady Kishinami thanks you for your efforts. Go back to the barracks to rest and eat, you deserve it."

As always, King Arthur's charisma did wonders. The two scouts rose and bowed deeply, happy with the praise they had received.

As they left the room, the Servants found themselves alone with their Master and the news they had received.
"So the Druchii are evacuating their camp," Kay said.

Hakuno Kishinami blinked:

"Did we win?"

Bedivere, Kay, and Agravain did not appear to share this impression. The Knight of Loyalty was the first to reply:

"We won a tactical victory by repelling the Druchii."

"But the Dark Elves won a strategic victory during this campaign" completed the foster brother of King Arthur.

Hakuno looked at Bedivere then Kay and makes a head tilt:

"Tactical? Strategic?"
Most of the Servants looked at her smiling... despite her usual lack of expressiveness, Hakuno was so adorable when she had this expression of incomprehension.

Less fond of the cute Master, Agravain replied:

"The victory at the siege of Marienburg did not change the balance of power between the Druchii and Marienburg. The Dark Elves can cut the shipping lines that allow us to trade our goods with Ulthuan. They can sink our warships without our being able to stop them. They can ravage the hinterland and crush our army on the battlefield. This war showed our powerlessness to the rest of the Old World!"

The Sovereign of the Moon thought for a while:

"Why are they leaving?"

Once again the Servants pondered the question. Indeed, the defeat of the Druchii at Marienburg did not explain their retreat. The city's army - even with the help of their Bretonnian allies- was not powerful enough to face the Dark Elves away from the city walls.

Artoria nodded with a resolute expression:

"We are not the cause of their sudden retreat. As I understand the Druchii, are opportunists. If they get a chance to bet a lot, they can take risks. But if the risks exceed the gains, they have no moral problem running away. They don't consider that cowardly. Conversely, they are proud of their intelligence and cunning and would not want to appear silly by forcing their luck."

Of course, King Arthur understood the situation well and the following events proved it.
Then came a knock at the door and the halberdier, which had already interrupted the meeting once, entered:
"Lady Kishinami, we can see an army from the city's walls. They descend the course of the Reikr following the bank of the river. They must come from the Reikrland."

"The Empire of Sigmar!"

The halberdier agrees:

"Indeed, King Arthur, the coat-of-arms on the banners represents the war hammer held by two red griffins which is the emblem of the Empire."

From the ramparts, they could see the arrival of the regiments of the sigmarite army. It was an impressive spectacle. Reiters were the vanguard. Dressed in half-plates armor painted in black, they pranced around the sword to the side and two Wheelock pistols to the belt. A specialized unit in harassment operations, their firearms could break down cavalry charges, exhaust enemy infantry, and had often allowed the Empire to win against much larger armies.

Behind came the Ritters (knights), they wore Gothic armor covered with ribs and helmets armed with plumes of ostrich feathers or horsehair. Like their Bretonnian counterparts, they used conical cavalry spears and had shields.

The horsemen opened the way for the infantry.

Most infantry regiments were made of pickeers. They were Landsknechts, formidable mercenaries, fighting in squares with six-foot-long spikes on which even the best cavalry units broke.
They fought by protecting the arquebusiers who in turn supported the Landsknechts by their firepower. The arquebuses were primitive firearms but still able to pierce a plate armor, allowing a 'simple peasant' to kill a knight much better 'born' than him. Like the Landsknechts' pike, the arquebuse was a democratic weapon, much cheaper than the horse and the Ritters' full plate armor.

Unlike Bretonnia, the Empire had an army recruited from among the people of the country, which guaranteed the support of a large troop.

This did not mean that all elements of this army were equipped at a low cost. No, the powerful artillery of Kaiser Karl Franz was famous for its hundreds of ordinance pieces of any caliber: siege bombers, mortars, field guns manufactured by master gunsmiths and decorated as works of art.

[Master, do you know who the true winner of this war is?]

Hakuno jolted. As always, when she appeared in public Agravain astralized not desiring to be seen by the crowd. He then communicated through their mental bond.

The Inheritor of the Moon shook her head.

[It is obvious, however. The great winner is the Sigmarite Emperor. Bretonnia is a rival country, the Vasteland a rebel province, and the Dark Elves... are the Dark Elves. Now, these three factions have clashed and weakened. And the Emperor arrives at the head of his army, driving out the invader, restoring peace... Karl Franz has just won a war without even having to fight. All he had to do was show his strength and the Druchii fled."

In the sky appeared a huge griffin that Karl Franz rode in black and gold armor. The young emperor brandished the runehammer Ghal Maraz towards the sky and blue-white lightning thundered from tens of meters away.

An impressive demonstration of power!

Bedivere had obviously not heard the private conversation between their Master and Agravain but he nodded at the show:

"Sun Tsu says a great general can be recognized for his ability to win a war without fighting."

—yes, Bedivere hadn't heard the conversation, but he was in full agreement with the conclusion.
It had been enough for the Emperor to appear to reap the laurels, to drive out the Druchii, and to receive at a little cost a reputation of great liberator. Even Louen Leoncoeur and Hakuno Kishinami were now in debt with the Emperor... and he did not even need to fire a single cannon shot.

Author's note: a classic chapter ending for Order ab Chaos, Hakuno and her Servants won. Yeah! An enemy defeated! Yeah! ... Four other problems - more difficult than previous obstacles- occur. The routine...

(1) A brief reminder of the facts: The Duke of Vasteland must be consecrated by a priest of Manannan. What is normal, since the lord of seas is the main god venerated in Marienburg, it is moreover in this city that his High Priest sits. However, the temple district was ravaged during Slaanesh's attack and the high priest died. The College of Priests of Manannan has not yet reached a consensus on the name of the new high priest... And the only reminding priest of sufficient rank to consecrate a new Duke of Vasteland is the priest sitting at Bordeleaux (in Bretonnia). Except that the Duke of Bordeleaux is a rival of King Louen busy fighting the vampires of Mousillon. King Louen needing the help of the Duke of Bordeleaux against this enemy, is not in a position to force the Duke to send the priest of Manannan to Marienburg... yes the foreign politic of Marienburg is as headache-inducing as its internal power struggle. Does anyone have an aspirin?