Is this chapter hot, or is it cool? You decide.
Chapter 36 – Symphony of Frost and Flame (Pegasus Moon)
Judith scowled loudly as she watched her front line collapsing to Gwendel's forces. Her infantry was simply no match for the heavily armored Dukedom knights in a head-on fight, whose armor continually turned away the blades of her men. Unable to flank the army of House Rowe, House Daphnel's troops had to meet the onslaught directly, giving Gwendel a clear advantage.
The battle had quickly taken a turn for the worse shortly after it started. One of Ailell's vents had erupted, sending a new stream of lava toward her army and forcing her to split her troops. This new river of fire trapped Judith and some 800 of her men, forcing them to face House Rowe's army with nowhere to retreat. Her remaining 2,200 troops couldn't get around the lava, and they were too far out of range to provide some much-needed archer support. The only good thing about the lava so far was that Gwendel's heavy cavalry couldn't maneuver any more than Judith's army could, and thus they were holding back.
Gwendel, on the other hand, was disappointed by how easily his men were winning. He wasn't about forgo taking advantage of Judith's army being split by the lava flows, but it disappointed him knowing he was about to defeat such a reputed commander so easily. He had wanted Judith to give him a challenge.
Another volley of arrows flew out from Judith's archers. The Dukedom knights stopped their advance and raised their shields, covering their front and up top against the hail of arrows and crossbow bolts. A few unlucky knights were hit in the vulnerable gaps in their defense, but it was hardly enough to stop them. They resumed their advance, ignoring the sweltering heat of Ailell's fires as they brandished their lances and axes.
As Judith's separated force was reduced to less than 400 men, the Hero of Daphnel grimaced and said, "Where the hell are you, Cathy?"
…
Watching the battle from afar, Kronya smirked at Judith's predicament. She remained in the guise of Rissa, though none knew she was there anyway. None except Cornelia and Cleobulus, at least. Cornelia had sent her to Ailell to report its outcome back to her, which would give the duchess the information she needed to plan Gwendel's elimination.
It was almost pathetic, she thought. House Daphnel's army was being crushed, and yet Thales would still expect Cornelia to kill Gwendel and his men for their success. The Agastaya was just as wasteful as ever, it seemed.
Kronya wanted to rush in and kill a few of Judith's men herself, but she knew she couldn't. Not only did she have to report back to Cornelia, but such a pitched battle presented too many risks. Things were a lot easier with fewer opponents to deal with, and she'd never be able to isolate just a few of them without drawing a lot of attention.
She saw something out of the corner of her right eye and looked south. Her mood immediately soured as she saw the Church army rushing onto the battlefield. Leading them was the Fell Star, with her loathsome friends close behind.
Kronya knew she shouldn't have expected Castle Gaspard's army to stop her. Peering through her enhanced eyes at the Church army, she almost laughed upon seeing the young heir of Castle Gaspard in chains. The stupid boy hadn't just lost his fight with the Fell Star; he'd gotten himself captured too!
Kronya's mirth was short-lived, though. Seeing the Fell Star and her friends riled up the Nightblade, but she had to stay her hand once more. They were too far away from her, and she had been ordered to avoid detection. She instead took some satisfaction in knowing they were never going to reach House Daphnel's army in time.
The Nightblade continued to observe the battle, yet kept one eye on the Church army, waiting to see the Fell Star's inevitable failure.
…
Byleth was crestfallen upon seeing House Daphnel's position a little over half a kilometer away. Not only were they horribly split up by the lava, but they had already taken severe casualties. She could barely make out Judith shouting more orders to her men, but the Hero of Daphnel's position was perilously close to being pushed into the flames of torment.
And worst of all, the lava was blocking the Church's route to the battlefield. It would take them far too long to detour around it.
"This is bad. Real bad…" said Brigitte.
"How are we gonna get to them in time?" Annette said, wincing from the pain in her shoulder.
"Whatever we're doing, we've gotta do it fast!" said Catherine. "Judy's not gonna last long."
Growling, Leonie said, "Damn lava! I'm getting so sick of this place!"
"You and I, both, Leonie," said Lysithea. "It's as though the elements themselves are trying to stop us from aiding House Daphnel."
"Should we fly ahead and assist Lady Judith?" asked Flayn.
"We do not have nearly enough fliers to make such a difference, Flayn," said Seteth. "And I would not have you taking such a dire risk!"
"But brother…!"
As the others debated what to do, Dorothea looked on in horror as another batch of Judith's men were cut down by Gwendel's knights. Some of them were now reaching the Hero of Daphnel herself, who had her rapier drawn. With masterful skill, Judith skewered one knight through his neck before dodging another's strike, countering with another precise thrust that pierced the knight's right hip. Before she could make a killing strike, however, she was forced to dodge away from another knight's lance. Two of her men rushed forward to protect their leader, but it was clear that Judith was being overwhelmed.
"Do you see it now, Professor?" said Ashe, prompting the others to turn to their prisoner. "You're too late. You'll never reach Judith before Lord Gwendel finishes her off. You've come all this way for nothing!"
Byleth did not respond to this, but she was shocked when Felix stepped forward and punched Ashe in the gut.
"Felix!" Annette said in shock.
"Tell me something, Ashe: is this part of your dream of knighthood?" Felix snarled. "Letting the Dukedom wipe out someone who had no quarrel with them?! Is this something the heroes from your stories would've allowed to happen?!"
Ashe did not answer this, gasping painfully for breath.
"That's enough, Felix," said Catherine. "Save it for after we save Judy."
"And how exactly are we doing that?" said Shamir. "Don't even think about trying to jump over the lava."
"Don't suppose you have any more tricks up your sleeve, do you Anna?" asked Caspar.
"Not for something like this," Anna replied.
"Hey, what if we tried to freeze some of the lava?" asked Alicia. "Constance, couldn't you use your ice magic on it and make a bridge?"
Pessimistically, Constance winced and said, "Even if I were not injured, I would never be capable of such a feat. The lava would surely melt my feeble magic."
"Maybe if we channeled you our Mana, it could work," said Lana.
"It wouldn't be enough," said Linhardt. "You'd need a spell powerful enough to cover this whole valley in frost to have any chance of cooling this much lava."
It was at these words that Dorothea had an epiphany.
She knew of such a spell.
"Wait…" said the diva. "Maybe we have one."
"Dorry?" Cia asked in confusion.
Anna quickly realized what Dorothea meant and said, "Dorothea, you aren't thinking of–"
"I am," Dorothea interrupted. "The Hymn I used that almost froze the monastery. The one Madame Jiayi told us about in the library. The Grand Blizzard Sonata. If you all channeled your Mana to me, I could sing the Hymn and it'll freeze the lava all across Ailell."
"Are you sure that's the wisest of ideas, Dorothea?" asked Lysithea. "You couldn't control it before, and now you want to use it on an even larger scale?!"
"I cannot allow it," said Seteth. "That Hymn was forbidden by the Church long ago. You do not realize just what kind of power you would be unleashing, Dorothea Arnault."
"You're right, I don't," said Dorothea. "But what other choice do we have? If we don't do something, Judith's finished. This Hymn… it may be our only chance. If it means saving her and her army, then I'll sing it all by myself if I have to!"
Seteth was about to reply when Byleth said, "You won't have to, Dorothea. I'll help you."
"Me too, Dorothea!" Lana said cheerily.
"Count me in," added Cia.
Lysithea and Annette also nodded affirmatively, while Flayn smiled at Dorothea.
"I am unworthy of wielding such a powerful spell," Constance said gloomily. "If you believe you can use it, then I shall offer what insignificant assistance I can."
Linhardt then said sardonically, "Well, unless anyone else has a better idea, let's just throw caution to the wind, shall we?"
"Do you even remember the words to it, Dorothea?" asked Anna. "You weren't exactly yourself when you sang it the first time."
"I know the Hymn, Anna," said Dorothea. "Just be ready to move once I freeze everything."
"What would stop you from freezing all of us?" asked Ferdinand. "And are you certain this will even work?"
Dorothea paused. She wasn't sure this would actually work. She wasn't really sure she could control the power she was about to unleash. But she did not answer Ferdinand's question.
It had to work. She had to make it work.
Dorothea entered a stance as Byleth, Anna, and the other mages began channeling their Mana to her. She felt herself overflow with power, almost to the point that it hurt. Her body was almost radiating magic as she began to float a few inches off the ground.
She began to sing.
Comilito equinus
Orbitas lacuna
A circle of magical runes formed beneath Dorothea's feet. Almost immediately, ice and snow began to swirl around the brown-haired diva. Her eyes started shimmering a cold blue light.
G'odhun A'l Korok
Boda U'hm
The ice and snow, amplified by the Mana being transferred to Dorothea, quickly began to spread. Upon touching the fires of Ailell, however, the frost quickly melted.
Seeing this, Dorothea continued to sing, pouring her heart into every word.
She had to make this work, no matter what!
Boda U'hm ron'kashal
Detrimentum a do sola ditas
The storm of ice swirled violently in its intensity, sucking away the warmth of Ailell. The frost expanded rapidly, this time snuffing out the nearby fires of the Valley of Torment. It then spread toward the lava, which bubbled and frothed at the cold, as if trying to prevent the ice from freezing it.
Dorothea sang louder, stronger, giving everything she had into the Hymn.
An Karanir Thanagor
Mor Ok Angalor
The ice was now howling around her in such intensity that the Church soldiers found themselves being covered in frost, with a few men seeking cover from the storm. But the ambient heat of Ailell, which never truly subsided, kept them from being frozen solid.
Byleth watched in awe as Dorothea, whose glowing eyes were now shedding tears of pain, kept on singing, her tears freezing to her face. She thought for an instant to stop the diva, but then saw what her spell was accomplishing. The lava was beginning to cool, producing black bubbles that burst with steam as the magical frost began to overwhelm it. The molten rivers, once glowing bright orange, hardened into black, glass-like obsidian.
"Dorothea, it's working!" Byleth said proudly. "It's working!"
Barely hearing Byleth's words, Dorothea continued the Grand Blizzard Sonata.
Mor Ok Gorum
Pala Ah'm
Ravali Ah'm
The ice storm surged out, as though releasing an explosion of ice and snow, and swept over the Valley of Torment.
…
Judith winced as she pulled her blade back from another kill. She was only a few meters now from a flowing river of lava, and her divided unit was now barely 300 strong. The remaining 2,200 watched in horror as their leader was about to be overwhelmed, unable to assist her despite being barely a hundred meters away.
But then, just when all seemed lost for House Daphnel, they heard someone singing.
Comilito equinus
Orbitas lacuna
G'odhun A'l Korok
Boda U'hm
Surprised, Judith turned to the source of the song, as did the warriors of both House Daphnel and House Rowe. To the Hero of Daphnel's awe, she saw the storm of ice and frost sweeping over the hellish landscape of Ailell.
Boda U'hm ron'kashal
Detrimentum a do sola ditas
Gwendel, seeing the fighting stop, turned in surprise as the first of the frost began to sweep over the two armies. Within seconds, the unending heat of Ailell gave way to a clash of ice and fire, cooling the soldiers of both sides. The lava streams bubbled defiantly against the great blizzard before hardening into solid rock.
"What is this…?!" Gwendel said in shock.
Meanwhile, at her own position, Judith said, "Well, I'll be…"
An Karanir Thanagor
Mor Ok Angalor
Mor Ok Gorum
Pala Ah'm
Ravali Ah'm
As the final verse ended, the ice storm sweeping over Ailell dispersed, revealing a newly changed battlefield to the surprised soldiers of both armies. The rivers of lava were gone, replaced by channels of black glass. Nearby geysers had frozen, but the ice within them was already melting to the natural heat of the valley. A few pits of lava still burned and bubbled, but Ailell was not nearly the sea of fire it had been minutes before.
One of Judith's soldiers tentatively stepped toward the black glass that had once been a lava flow and pressed his boot down on it, with some expecting him to catch fire. It was solid, and no flames burst forth.
Seeing this, Judith immediately realized the battle had completely changed.
"FAN OUT! ON THE DOUBLE! NOW!" she shouted to her men.
House Daphnel's soldiers roared as they rushed forward, finally able to use their superior mobility as 2,200 men and women began to charge at Gwendel's 600-man strong vanguard, their archers firing arrows into the knights' flanks.
The Gray Lion immediately saw his predicament and shouted, "Regroup! Reform the line! Gamling, cover their retreat!"
But it was too late. House Rowe's heavily armored knights were too sluggish to outpace Judith's rapid advance, which quickly began to encircle the Dukedom's soldiers. Eighty of his cavalrymen charged forward to try and help them, but the terrain of Ailell was still rugged and unsuitable for their armor-laden horses.
Grimacing, Gwendel could only watch as House Daphnel's soldiers fell upon his vanguard like wolves upon lambs. His knights could not defend against attacks from all sides, even with their heavy armor. Within minutes, his vanguard had almost been completely wiped out, his cavalry too late to save them.
"FORWARD!" shouted a new voice, prompting Gwendel to turn to the south.
To his alarm, he saw the banner of the Crest of Flames waving as 350 Church soldiers charged at his flank. At the front was a woman he briefly mistook to be Archbishop Rhea, but he soon realized that it was not her. This woman, though sharing Rhea's green hair, was far younger and fiercer, wielding a glowing red blade.
And shortly behind her, Gwendel saw a face he recognized, bringing a frown to his face.
"So, you're here too, Yuri?" said Gwendel.
The Church's cavaliers, led by Ferdinand and Leonie, rushed forward and began firing arrows into the flank of Gwendel's own cavalry. Immediately, his knights began to give chase, but they were too slow to match their attackers, whose lighter armor gave them greater mobility. Seteth then dove in from above on Hyperion, slaying two more of the House Rowe cavaliers before pulling up with the rest of his fliers.
As the battle raged on, Judith, exhausted from her earlier predicament, gasped for breath as she leaned back against a stone spire.
"Judy!" Catherine shouted as she ran over to Judith with Shamir and Byleth in tow.
Sighing in relief, Judith said, "What took you so long, Cathy? Did you decide to take the scenic route?"
Catherine could only laugh in response, prompting a grumble from Shamir as she spun around, set an arrow to her bow, and fired at a distant Dukedom soldier.
Judith then turned to Byleth and said, "Good to see you here, Professor Eisner. Or should I say, Lady Eisner. Your timing couldn't be better."
"I'm glad you're alright, Judith," said Byleth.
"By the way, was that blizzard your doing?"
"No, it wasn't me. It was Dorothea."
Surprised, Judith asked, "Dorothea? The opera girl? Well, color me impressed."
The sound of a soldier howling in panic at losing a limb snapped them back to the fight at hand.
"We'll talk later," said Judith. "We've still got a battle to win."
Feeling the magic yet?
I'm guessing you saw the Hymn coming, but I hope you were still wowed nonetheless. I'm not sure what would actually happen if you released a blizzard on a lava land like Ailell, so excuse me if my science is off. I'm not a geologist. But we could also claim "magic" if the science is wrong.
The bit between Ashe and Felix was also something I might've messed up on. I know their Support chain has Felix telling Ashe not to give up on his dreams (and just to temper his fantasies a bit), so having him give Ashe a "What the hell?!" speech was tricky to do.
Of course, that's not the only tricky parts coming up. The fight's not over, and Gwendel's still got a lot of firepower.
See you on Monday.