We're at Chapter 100 (222 overall). Wow, this is getting long.

Chapter 100 – Blood of the Eagle and Lion Pt 10 (Great Tree Moon)

Dorothea looked out at the approaching Imperials with dismay. The battle had turned into a rout, with thousands of Church, Loyalist, and Alliance forces fleeing for their lives. Despite how many Imperials had fallen, they still outnumbered their shattered foes.

To make matters worse, the leadership of all three armies was in shambles. Dimitri was dead, Claude was badly wounded, and Byleth was unconscious. Seteth, Judith, Yuri, and Catherine were trying to regain control of the situation, but any and all cohesiveness had already broken down.

Though they kept fighting, they knew the battle was lost.

Dorothea shook Byleth in another frantic attempt to revive the Archbishop as two soldiers carried her away on a makeshift stretcher, but everything she tried wasn't working. Byleth did not stir from her comatose state.

"Please, Byleth, please!" Dorothea said tearfully. "Please, wake up! We need you!"

As Byleth remained still, the soldiers shooed Dorothea away so the Archbishop could be brought to safety. Unable to help her any further, Dorothea looked around once again at her allies. Ingrid was still out cold, as were Raphael, Ignatz, Flayn, and Dedue. Lana was doing everything she could to keep Ignatz alive, but the blue-haired twin had almost no Mana left after helping Dorothea with the Song of Swiftness. Nearly everyone else was wounded one way or another.

Knowing they could not treat their wounded where they were, soldiers had begun loading whatever wounded they could onto carts, yet those with grievous injuries were left behind. Many of those who were being abandoned pleaded for their comrades to take them, but there were simply too many injured to bring everyone.

Dorothea's mind scrambled to think of anything to turn the tide, or at least take some of the pressure off her allies. But Dorothea could not think of anything that would work. None of the Hymns Jiayi had taught her would be enough.

She then heard Anna hiss, "Dammit! There's no end to this!"

The redhead was doing what she could to help with the wounded, too exhausted by the Song of Swiftness to keep fighting.

Anna then said, "Shamir, what's taking so long?!"

Shamir, despite having been wounded, directed a battalion of Church archers, who aimed flaming arrows at an incoming Imperial infantry regiment. The archers released their volley, striking down several dozen Imperials with a fiery barrage. Yet the Imperials did not slow down.

The sight of the burning projectiles sparked something in Dorothea's mind.

The memory of the Hymn that Anna had attempted in Abyss months ago flashed before her.

Dorothea did not know what Hymn it was, but she remembered the Hymn Scroll showed flames raining from the sky. She wasn't sure if she could use it, but in her desperation, she could not think of any alternative.

Looking around at everyone she cherished, the diva made up her mind.

No matter what, she had to save them.

Dorothea stood up and shouted, "Everyone, help me! I need Mana, now!"

Several nearby mages, unaware of what Dorothea had planned, began channeling what they could to the brunette. As she felt the power flow through her, a runic circle appeared beneath Dorothea's feet.

Despite her exhaustion, and despite the fact she had no idea what the Hymn would do, Dorothea began to sing.

Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal

Upon hearing the words, Anna turned toward Dorothea with a look of dread written across her face. Seteth did the same, recognizing the words and knowing what they heralded.

Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl

Magical flames began to rise from the runic circle. Across her body, her veins began to glow red, as though her blood were ablaze. The pain flowing through her was intense, but Dorothea did not stop. If she did, all would be lost.

She continued to sing.

…

Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal

Across the field, Edelgard and Cornelia heard Dorothea's song. To Edelgard's surprise, Cornelia's expression was one of shock and alarm.

"They wouldn't dare…!" Cornelia said in dismay.

Emustolronzen Finé el zizzl

…

As soon as Dorothea sang the fourth verse, her eyes began to shine with crimson light. Her body suddenly jerked back as she looked to the sky and began to float off the ground. Every one of her veins was now glowing with power as she drew in Mana from everyone around her. Several of the other mages fell to their knees as their Mana was siphoned into Dorothea's spell, while others recoiled in pain as their Mana was taken forcefully from them.

Dorothea kept singing, her voice distorting to the point that the others could not make out what she was saying. It was not words or lyrics that came from her lips, but pure, primal sound that sent waves of dread through all who heard her symphony.

It was clear to everyone that Dorothea had lost control of the Hymn.

A deafening boom sounded above the battlefield, prompting Anna and several others to look up at the sky, which was turning from its normal blue to an ominous red. Black clouds billowed above and roiled with flames.

Seconds later, fire and brimstone began to fall from the sky in a massive meteor shower, one that threatened to blanket the entirety of Gronder Field and everyone in it.

Anna, now appreciating the severity of what Dorothea had unleashed, shouted, "DOROTHEA, STOP! STOP SINGING!"

But Dorothea made no response to the redhead, continuing to sing as the first meteors impacted, creating enormous smoldering craters where they landed. An Imperial battalion of swordsmen was blown away in mere seconds by two meteor strikes. Seconds later, an Alliance archer battalion was obliterated by another meteor, followed by two entire Loyalist infantry battalions. A Demonic Beast took a direct hit from a meteor, blowing apart its head. Across the battlefield, the Dirge of Armageddon left ruin and death in its wake, indiscriminate from friend or foe.

Seteth then shouted to Anna, "STOP HER! She'll destroy everything!"

Despite her exhaustion, Anna rushed toward Dorothea to try and physically stop her from singing, but she was forced back by the roaring flames surrounding the diva.

At the same time, Brigitte saw a meteor careening toward Bernadetta.

"GET DOWN!" the redheaded matron shouted as she rushed toward the purple-haired archer.

Surprised, Bernadetta let out a shriek of terror as Brigitte tackled her.

At almost the same instant, the meteor crashed down, releasing an explosion of fire, stone and smoke.

Seeing the blast, and not seeing the two afterward, Annette screamed, "BERNADETTA! BRIGITTE! NO!"

…

Edelgard was briefly awestruck by the meteor shower as it rained down on Gronder Field. Many of the meteors were landing amongst her troops, but several were also hitting the other armies as well.

She then saw several Imperial regiments begin to retreat, unwilling to keep up their attack in the face of such devastation.

The Emperor strode forward and was about to shout an order for her troops to press their attack when Cornelia said, "Pull your men back at once, Edelgard!"

Edelgard whipped around and said, "And allow the enemy a chance to escape? This may be our one chance to finish them off!"

"It is not worth the risk. Tell your forces to retreat. NOW."

Edelgard was about to retort when she heard a soldier shout, "Your Majesty, look out!"

The Emperor whipped around to see one of the meteors was roaring toward her. Still weakened from her fight with Byleth and from using both of her Crests, she knew she would not be fast enough to avoid it.

Just before it struck, a powerful ward materialized in the meteor's path, blocking it in a fiery explosion.

Shocked, Edelgard turned to see Cornelia had created the barrier.

The Duchess, seeing more meteors hurtling toward the main Imperial camp, spread her arms to her sides, causing the barrier to expand from a small wall into a large dome. Her supplicants, despite being low on Mana, channeled their power to Cornelia. Within moments, the dome covered the entire command camp.

As more of the meteors began to strike the large dome, Cornelia shouted, "Order them to withdraw, Edelgard, while you still have an army to command!"

Edelgard glared at the Duchess for a moment. While there was logic in what Cornelia said, Edelgard refused to obey an order from anyone.

She was the Adrestian Emperor. She bowed to no one.

A second later, however, she felt something grasp her mind as Cornelia's eyes began to glow an almost unnoticeable violet light.

The power was not nearly enough to take control of Edelgard's mind. Cornelia was deliberately holding back with Dominus, knowing that taking full control of the Emperor would have dire consequences.

Yet she had to let Edelgard know that she was willing to do it if she had no other choice.

Edelgard, for her part, quickly acknowledged the Duchess's threat. She had to be serious if she was willing to mind-control her in front of dozens of witnesses, yet the expression on Cornelia's face was one that spoke volumes.

The Duchess did not want her hand forced if she could avoid it.

Edelgard snarled as another meteor struck the Duchess's barrier, knowing Cornelia was going to get her way, one way or another.

The Emperor's expression was enough for Cornelia, who released her touch on Edelgard's mind.

Whirling back around, Edelgard shouted, "All forces withdraw! Pull back and regroup!"

The Imperials were briefly startled by Edelgard's command, but as more meteorites smashed into more of their ranks, the soldiers began to retreat.

…

Meanwhile, at Garreg Mach Monastery…

Jiayi looked to the south as the sky turned crimson and fire rained from pitch black clouds. It was a familiar sight, one the seamstress watched with an inscrutable countenance.

Hearing the clatter of boots behind her, Jiayi did not turn as Ferdinand said, "Madame Jiayi, what is happening?" Waving his hand toward the black clouds, he added, "Fire rains from the sky!"

Jiayi was silent for a moment as Ferdinand and some of his men watched the destruction taking place in the distance.

The seamstress then shut her green eyes and said, "重蹈覆辙."

"I beg your pardon, Madame?" asked Ferdinand.

"It is the mistakes of the past repeating themselves, as they so often do."

Jiayi turned and walked away from Ferdinand and his men as they continued to look south with unease.

…

Anna struggled to reach Dorothea through the flames surrounding her as more meteors crashed down around them. Soldiers from all sides of the conflict were being annihilated by the Dirge of Armageddon as Anna cursed herself for finding the Hymn Scroll. If she hadn't, they wouldn't be in this catastrophe.

As she inched closer, the flames roared in intensity, causing Anna to yelp as she jerked back, her hand now having minor burns on it. There was no way to reach Dorothea directly without getting incinerated.

The brunette was still singing, unable to stop herself even though she could see the devastation around her. Even as she saw her friends and comrades threatened by the power she had unleashed, she couldn't stop. Every fiber of her being was screaming in agony and anguish, both physically and mentally.

Dorothea turned her head slightly toward Anna. Anna tried to look Dorothea in the eye amidst the chaos.

In doing so, Anna realized that Dorothea wanted the merchant to stop her, whatever it took.

Steeling herself, Anna drew her Levin Sword and said, "I'm sorry, Dorothea."

Channeling her Mana into the wavy yellow blade, Anna shouted as she unleashed its lightning at Dorothea, striking the diva directly. Dorothea screamed as she was electrocuted. The runic circle beneath her and the red glow in her veins quickly vanished as the Hymn was disrupted.

The flames surrounding her receded as Dorothea fell to the ground.

The sky above returned to its normal blue as the meteor shower ended and the black clouds dispersed.

Anna gasped for breath as she lowered her sword and fell to her knee.

"DORRY!" shouted Cia as she rushed over to the brunette's side.

The dark-skinned twin cradled Dorothea in her arms, checking for any signs of life. A small moan escaped Dorothea's lips.

She was alive, but just barely.

"Fall back! All forces, retreat now!" shouted Seteth.

"Get everyone you can onto the carts!" shouted Judith. "Hurry, before the Imperials come back!"

"Wait, where's Yuri?! Where's Constance?!" shouted Balthus.

"I don't know, Baltie, but we've gotta go, now!" said Hilda.

The clamor of the Church, Loyalists and Alliance continued as Anna turned to look at the destruction Dorothea had caused. She couldn't be sure exactly how many had died to the Dirge of Armageddon, but it looked to have inflicted an even greater tally than Cornelia's Hellfire Bolero.

However, it wasn't just the Imperials who had lost men to it. The Church, Loyalists, and Alliance had all suffered horrific losses to the Hymn.

The only consolation was that the spell had created enormous craters and walls of fire in the path of the Imperials, preventing them from attacking. Anna knew it wouldn't last; they had to escape while they had the chance.

Cursing under her breath, Anna rose to her feet and moved to help whoever she could.

…

Edelgard looked out at Gronder Field with a mixture of frustration and relief. Cornelia had been right to order a retreat. Had she not done so, the Emperor knew her army would have been utterly devastated. Yet in doing so, she was allowing the enemy to withdraw.

Edelgard watched as thousands of Imperials stumbled back toward their lines, carrying their wounded and dead while others tried to find some way to continue the assault on the enemy armies. But with hundreds of craters and fires all over the field, she knew there would be no advancing for several hours.

The only area that hadn't been devastated was the command camp, saved from destruction by Cornelia's barrier. Nearby, Trauare let out a short, unnerved laugh as she saw the devastation. Nearby, Zola and Setiawati were both awed by how much damage had been done.

Setiawati lowered her head and made a prayer in her native tongue that no one else could make out.

Edelgard then turned to Cornelia, who was now visibly panting with exhaustion. Her supplicants, on the other hand, had all collapsed, with some now motionless.

"Well, I suppose that's that," said Cornelia as she sat down on a nearby rock.

Edelgard, not wanting to thank the Duchess in the open, turned back toward the enemy as they fled the field in disarray.

The Battle of Gronder Field was over.

And though their losses had been immense, the Adrestian Empire had triumphed.

That's right.

The Imperials have won this day.

Since this doesn't happen in any of the routes in Three Houses, we'll be moving into uncharted territory from hereon out. And there's going to be a lot more ground to cover as we go.

I had originally thought to use the Dirge of Armageddon during the Second Battle of Garreg Mach, but I decided against it since it would undermine the efforts of our heroes (especially Anna) in winning against such long odds fighting Randolph. Now, however, Dorothea uses it and it turns what's already a losing fight into a disastrous defeat. She had the best intentions, sure, but things just didn't go how she wanted.

I should note that the Empire's win here should be considered a pyrrhic victory, as the Imperials have suffered massive losses. This means our heroes still have a chance to turn things around eventually, but not at the moment. For now, our heroes are going to be on the backfoot, and the outcome of the war is still up in the air.

As for the Hymn that Dorothea sang, that would be the Superb Song from Senki Zesshou Symphogear. Damn good anime. I only put in the lyrics that are available, so you'll need to use your imagination for the rest of the song. Also, the lyrics are fictional, so don't bother trying to translate them. As for why Dorothea would use it without knowing what it did, the games have shown that Dorothea hasn't always made the wisest of decisions throughout her life. To me, making a mistake like this for the sake of those she cares for wouldn't be too much of a stretch, especially if she did it in a moment of desperation. But, to be clear, expect someone to call her out for it later on.

This Hymn also explains why I haven't had Dorothea use the Meteor spell yet. In my story, the Meteor spell would be extremely rare and difficult to master, and would also have been banned by the Church of Seiros due to being too destructive (much like how I had the Church initially ban crossbows). But now that she's called down an entire meteor shower, mastering the Meteor spell will be possible for Dorothea in the future.

Jiayi's line is meant to translate as "history repeats itself" or "history follows the same road to ruin", but I'm not fluent in Chinese, so I apologize if the line is incorrect. It was suggested to me by Zagrycha on Reddit (I'm just crediting him here).

Finally, I feel the need to address certain anonymous reviewers once again. While I can accept constructive criticism, these reviewers seem to have nothing to say other than stuff like "this is woke bullshit" or "you're a trash writer" and so forth. When I see stuff like that, I immediately stop taking your reviews seriously. To me, they are not constructive criticism; they are simply flaming. If you don't like how I'm writing this story, why do you keep reading it? No one is forcing you to read my fic. Stop wasting my time (and your own) with your incessant flaming. It doesn't help anything and it's getting on my nerves.

Anyhow, I'll see you all in the next chapter as we finally move to the Harpstring Moon.

EDIT: Sorry everyone, but I'm having a bit of writer's block after doing this ten chapter battle. I'll try to get the next one out next week.