The battle within Skull Canyon had only begun to sound its first clash of blades but not from any side anyone expected. Shinji was forced to handle the Black Flame bandits he did not have any forewarning of while a division of the dwarven army was being driven into the chasm that was meant for the ones they were running from. Any hopes they had of making the original plan work were now pinned on Yersia as she led her soldiers into the canyon where she hoped she would be found.
Only the original plan of his enemy was the one thing that Goldo was unaware of as he led his army out of the forest and to the mouth of the towering chasms. He managed to see elves make their escape before seeing them hide behind a series of rocks. All of his prior knowledge of elves served as a reminder that these opponents of his would not be so ready to yield as they displayed.
Goldo heard one of his men suggest this as he heard him ask, "I think the prince lost us my lord. I don't suppose there is any other way they would have gone?"
Goldo agreed, "They know they do not have the power to overtake us from above and it is too far for them to make that trip without us seeing them. There is only one way for us to pursue them now."
One of his men suggested, "It is an odd maneuver for them. They would have a better advantage if they tried to climb the cliffs to the top."
Goldo narrowed his eyes to the canyon entrance before admitting, "They must have delayed us enough to give the traitors time to elude our sights. We must not allow them to have any room to take advantage."
Another one of his men asked, "Do you believe dividing our forces is the right decision?"
Prepared for what he anticipated would be the most vital battle yet, Goldo answered, "We were to never give ourselves to despair when the time came for us to crush our foes. Every soldier who considers himself loyal to my cause, this is a fear you must be willing to crush as you would a boulder that rests in our path. There are many ways to conquer such obstacles, this is a moment we must take all chances we have."
The Dwarven General, Lurgac Beryljaw, stepped forward to volunteer, "If that is your will my king, then I shall lead the east side of the cliffs. Once we make our way up there, any enemy we come across will regret placing themselves there."
The other, Sazack Trollforged, agreed, "Whatever the traitorous prince was planning, he cannot have the numbers necessary to stand against us for long."
Pleased to see two of his leaders prepared to make the climb, Goldo told his men, "You have your orders! Let the blood shed today be just a precursor to the slaughter that comes when we bring down the overlord's very castle!"
Rallied and prepared, the dwarven army split into three equal divisions. The ones led by the two generals took the east and west cliffs while Goldo led his men directly into the canyon mouth. No one was deterred by the uncertainty of who was where and what was waiting for them. Even when a battle within had already begun to take hold.
Looking behind her, Yersia saw the elves under her command managed to avoid taking massive casualties. She had taken three dozen of her kind to stave against Goldo's army to now count 33 were with her. Witnesses could confirm far more dwarves died than elves did but the achievement was minimal at best. It was now only a matter of time before the dwarves entered the canyon and Shinji's plan was tested.
She also realized she would have to make sure her own soldiers were prepared to continue forward as she heard one of them ask, "There is at least a chance the king will enter with the rock giants, but what do we do now? Aren't we at a disadvantage down here?"
Yersia looked down the path she and the others traversed before answering, "We have to meet with Shinji's forces. There is no doubt they are waiting for the opportunity to begin their strike once they see Goldo."
Another one was not so enthusiastic as he voiced, "If the rock giants catch up to us, we will be done for. I can't imagine we will be able to achieve much if we try to face them here."
Yersia prepared to lead her soldiers again by encouraging, "That is what we have to rely on the others for. There is supposed to be only one way through this part of the canyon. It has to take us to where Shinji is waiting."
Few of the elves were encouraged by the sound of what was their current strategy but one of them summarized the situation, "We must move, they are only getting closer!"
No further encouragement was necessary as the gathering of elves made their retreat further into the canyon. The ultimate cumulation of conflict had yet to reach a boiling point but every action being taken only served to delay what would be the final clash of the scattered armies. Many things were not going as the leaders of both armies planned. The consequences of allowing such factors to come into play were about to be realized.
Both sides of Skull Canyon were occupied by two halves of Shinji's forces. The sound of rock giants in the distance served as the one indication their plan was achieving the intended results. Every Rei clone was prepared to begin their rain of attacks while the others were about to begin their descent to the ground as the dwarven army arrived.
Asuka knew she had to keep herself prepared for such a challenge before turning to Mari asking, "Have Ritsuko and Maya been behaving themselves?"
Mari looked behind her answering, "They haven't tried to run. I don't know if that means they decided we're the good guys or not yet."
Turning her attention back to the canyon, Asuka warned, "They better be ready to pick or somebody is going to decide for them."
Further discussion on the two was interrupted as soon as Asuka saw a runner make her way up to her announcing, "The dwarves are headed this way! They're scaling the cliffs!"
Asuka jumped at the announcement asking, "They thought that far ahead?"
Receiving this word made Mari clench her spear as she warned, "If they were able to see through this, they must already know what we were trying to do."
Desperate to make sure Shinji would be warned, Asuka ordered, "Get down there to him and tell him about this! Help him if you have to!"
Before anyone could give any more orders, Asuka saw a charging army of dwarves making their way towards her. Lurgac held axes in both of his hands while his men prepared to fire a volley of arrows upon their enemies. The mighty clash the two divisions of Shinji's army had to be prepared for was fast approaching.
The runner Asuka addressed stayed true to her order as she leapt down the canyon cliff while keeping hold of the wall. Asuka and the others turned to defend themselves as the Rei clones raised their shields to block the incoming volley of arrows while she and the others led the charge against the charging dwarves. Only seconds passed before the leaders of the two divisions collided atop the canyon cliffs.
Just across the canyon, Mayumi realized that she and the others would be subject to the same distraction. Sazack led his own division to charge against while Mana and Misato countered with their attack. Mayumi kept her distance as she summoned a mighty wind spell to send the attackers flying back and desperate to pick themselves back up.
Mayumi saw Mana skewer a dwarf before turning to ask, "How bad is this going to stagger us?"
Mayumi prepared to summon a blaze of fire as she encouraged, "Don't let them stop us! We can still make this day ours!"
The battle atop Skull Canyon was not anticipated by anyone but both armies fought with the intention to win. Rei clones and dwarf soldiers fell at their exchange of attacks while their leaders focused their attention on one another. All who were present found themselves fighting for their lives in a way they did not anticipate.
The sight of the carnage ahead of her made Maya look on in fear and confusion. Once again the children who were tasked with saving the world she came from were in a life or death scenario. She could not help but feel guilty for what she was allowing to unfold.
Maya was uncertain if it was that guilt or something else entirely that caused her to step forward but stopped as soon as Ritsuko asked, "You plan to fight for them?"
Maya nodded before answering, "They might not be fighting for us. But we can still change what we are to them."
Ritsuko watched Maya fly off as she trailed behind her. Her approach to the land they now lived in might have changed but she would not allow her to place her life in the hands of something else. All of her hopes of defecting from Shinji's army were gone as she prepared for what she knew would push her in a way she never anticipated. The one woman she wanted to remain at her side was showing her desire to make sure her new life would be one of complete servitude.
The idea of no longer being the superior to the children she once ranked over was already a great quandary. She could not even say she felt comfortable fighting for Shinji given prior events. What she did value was her own life and what wisdom there was behind Maya's decision. She did not want to be reduced any more than she was threatened to be already.
Flying forward to the collision of the battle, Maya and Ritsuko clawed at the necks of their target dwarves. They saw Ai and Vixen lead the others as they flew over them as their combined attack continued. Mayumi had summoned a series of magic attacks that established the line where both sides were unable to cross despite their efforts to press forward.
One thing Maya was able to view through the growing amount of carnage that was unfolding was seeing how the other succubi staged their attacks. Ai and Vixen landed in front of a pair of dwarves before striking a pose and winking towards them. The effect was immediate as it caused the targeted dwarves to turn against their own kind and begin fighting alongside the Rei clones. This was only the first sight of such a method as Aoi, Tôkibi, Orange, and Pollyanne leapt ahead of them and accomplished the same effect.
Seeing the other succubi turn their enemies to their service gave Maya an idea of what she could do. She did not know how she was supposed to follow through such a plan but decided it was worth trying at least. Her life would be on the line but she was already convinced it would have been this way of she did nothing.
She saw Mana facing a gathering of dwarves in the distance and decided it would be the best opportunity for her. One of them repeatedly swung his axe towards her before she used the openings to thrust her spear towards him. Whether it was from his armor or his blocks, the dwarf was able to defend himself against the incoming attacks. He was one of the only dwarves on the field who was standing firm against Shinji's forces
Deciding he was the best target, Maya flew over to him and made her way right behind Mana. Stretching out her hands and keeping her eyes locked onto his, the effect she was looking for was immediately achieved. Mana was taken aback at first but then found herself simply wondering who was swaying her opponent to their side.
One of the dwarves saw this as he asked, "General Sazack! Why are you hesitating?"
Sazack turned to the dwarf in question answering, "Only now do I realize! Now do I fight for my true ruler!"
There was no more inquiry from the dwarf who asked this as he found a hand axe split across his face from the one who once commanded him. The dwarven army was taken aback and had a fatal blow to their morale. The mighty General, Sazack Trollforged, was cutting down his own men as though his life depended on it.
Although she was denieda kill, Mana found herself pleased with the result as she turned to see Maya was the one who such an important turning. There was still a question of just how much she could be trusted but it had become an easy one for her to tackle. If things went her way it could ideally be in more ways than one.
She tried to get an idea of where Maya was by asking, "So you like your new power?"
Maya watched the battle continue to go against the desire of the dwarves as she answered, "I honestly didn't know I could have done that. Now I'm just worried about what I will do if he dies."
Tôkibi watched Sazack make his way through the field before assuring, "You might not have to worry considering what he's pulling off."
The tides of the battle began to change as Sazack made his way through what was once his army. He chopped down one after another to while many backed away in fear at what they were witnessing. The few dwarves that fought alongside the Rei clones proved to be invaluable in foiling Goldo's plan. The forces of Lurgac were not given such an inconvenience but no one who was on Shinji's side feared what Asuka and Mari would be able to achieve when their backs were to the wall.
Lurgac received word of this warning as one of his messengers announced, "This is not looking good for us! We're losing the eastern cliff!"
The report caught Lurgacby surprise as he defended himself against one of the Rei clones but turned around to ask, "That fool is already losing ground? Who is he fighting? The overlord himself?"
His messenger was shaken to answer but managed to reveal, "That is what is regrettable! He has turned on us!"
Receiving such news caused Lurgac to lower his axe as he realized what he had just heard. All his years told him that Sazack would not cast aside his loyalty to the Golderson throne for anything. The whole plan should have gone unquestioned as they tried to trap the overlord but he was in the center of seeing it fall apart before his eyes.
He had more to worry about however as he turned to to realize attackers were making their way towards him. Rei clones were cut down by his blade before but he had to concern himself with someone far more dangerous. Proper timing allowed him to parry the spear headed his way only to find another thrusting towards his head. This made Lurgac roll away from the attack as he regained his footing to comprehend who had just attacked him.
Both Mari and Asuka stood across from Lurgac as he brandished his axe and made a dash towards them for another sweep. Mari leapt over the head before landing on the head of the weapon. Lurgac's axe dragged through the dirt before coming to a stop right at Asuka's feet.
Asuka grinned before thrusting her spear into Lurgac's left eye. She pulled it out before seeing his limp body fall off the cliff he was cornered towards. Both dwarven generals were defeated one way or another.
Mari watched the battle unfolding behind her commenting, "We handled the easy part. It looks like Shinji might have to wait a little longer for us."
Preparing her weapon from another round of killing, Asuka accepted, "If he couldn't hold his own, he wouldn't be overlord. It's not like he should have been coddled the whole time he was out here. Especially when things don't go his way."
Mari saw several dwarves charging towards her adding, "And we have to show that we didn't just let the plan fall apart just because we let it happen. Ready for some more skewerings?"
Being encouraged this way made Asuka answer, "I thought you were losing your enthusiasm for a bit there."
Shinji managed to hold his own against the onslaught of bandits that tried to slay him. He avoided taking hits while striking back with his mace but rapidly found himself losing ground as well. His plan to move further into the canyon to set himself as bait for Goldo was not going as he anticipated and not in ways he could immediately determine to be in his favor.
He found it would not be the only thing he would have to worry about when he heard a series of steps rush to his location. He slammed a bandit to the ground before seeing who was in the canyon with him. An army of dwarves but without Goldo to be seen anywhere.
Shinji felt a rush of fear at this sight believing he would have to defend himself on two fronts. His assessment of the colliding armies was more complicated than he anticipated as he saw a hand axe fly far away from him. The axe hit one of the bandits directly in the face before the entire gathering realized what they were facing.
One of the bandits warned, "He has reinforcements!"
One of the leaders denied everyone the chance to retreat as he ordered, "Press on! We have an army to defeat!"
Before Shinji was left to face another gathering of bandits on his own, he saw the two armies collide with him right in the middle. A battle had begun in the canyon but not the kind Shinji anticipated would happen. The most curious detail to him became the observation that none of the dwarves were turning their attention to him.
"You have all the power you need to stand on your own but you do not use it."
A familiar voice caught Shinji's attention as he moved his head away from an arrow coming his way. He looked behind him before finding the dwarven prince Golding among the army that came to aid him. Seeing him among the multitude of soldiers was a familiar sight but not the kind that made him feel better assured.
Before he had a chance to say anything in response, Shinji turned to find one of the bandits charging up to him. He swung his mace to smash the charging attacker in the head before ducking under an incoming sword that swung towards his neck. Golding followed this by leaping over Shinji and hitting the new attacker in the head with his hammer.
Shinji looked ahead to find there was no chance for him to discuss matters with Golding in this current state. The only way he would be able to answer his earlier observation would be by defeating the last of the bandit threat. His ally against such a threat was another factor he did not anticipate and knew he could not take for granted. He also knew the battle could just as likely turn back against his favor at the next moment he allowed himself to be caught off guard.
The elven forces that made their way into the canyon lost sight of Goldo's army. It was confirmed by Yersia herself that he was throwing everything he had into the narrow canyons in order to pursue them. Just them entering this area gave Yersia the grounds to believe the attack from above was about to be executed.
Looking up to see where things stood, Yersia heard one of her own ask, "Are we supposed to be waiting like this? We were told this is where it would begin."
Yersia brought her attention to him answering, "This is where we were supposed to meet. Goldo must not be far behind."
Another one of her men asked, "But where is the overlord keeping himself? He was supposed to be out here as bait."
The discrepancy caught Yersia's attention as she looked around to find Shinji but did not see him anywhere. He should have been out here somewhere for Goldo to challenge. Just the sight of him missing made her feel fear at the idea he might have left her.
One of the elves challenged this fear by asking, "What is down here? I hear the sounds of swords clashing down this cavern."
Yersia turned her attention to the area in question before realizing what she was now hearing. A small battle was indeed brewing between two forces in what should have been an enclosed space. It also should have been unoccupied for a long time.
Despite being detached from the battle at hand, Yersia determined this was her next objective as she announced, "I will return. Retreat if Goldo catches up to us."
None of the elves had a chance to protest this situation as they saw Yersia turn towards the cavern and rush inside. The sound of battle continued to resonate through the halls of the cavern while the march of Goldo's army made its way closer by the second. The disadvantage they had was immediately apparent in the canyon with no trees to use as cover. While the battle was not yet lost, the circumstances of keeping it in their favor were growing slimmer.
One of the elves pointed this out by asking, "The overlord is still going to send his soldiers down to face the main blunt of Goldo's army isn't he?"
Another one of the elves by the name of Corym agreed, "He is the best hope we have. There must be a reason Yersia was able to give her full trust to him."
Before there was any more deliberation, the elves saw the Rei runner make her way down the cliff slide before rushing up to them. She was not familiar with every unit on the field but was certain who was on her side and who was not. Right now she could tell the elves were shaken at the odds they were facing. She was now left hoping she would not deliver news that would make them turn away from Shinji.
The Rei runner asked, "I have to speak to the overlord. Is he still down here?"
Corym made his way up to her answering, "We were hoping that was the case but we have not seen him. We understood he was supposed to be what lures Goldo down here."
The Rei runner confirmed, "It is his plan but we need to ensure he is prepared for the current circumstances. Has he taken refuge somewhere?"
Being left to answer with uncertainty was not a moment Corym was hoping for. Having already seen several of his kind fall at the hands of Goldo's forces made him fear he would be talked with a responsibility he could not handle. An instance like this one made him remember he would not be able to determine if he was ready of his own accord.
Shaking his head, Corym answered, "Unfortunately I don't know where he is. We were tasked with making our way down here to guide Goldo to him. I must admit it does leave me to ponder his dedication without him here."
He was relieved to not see the Rei clone angered by the suggestion but found himself uncertain of his original idea as he heard the clone correct, "Shinji will not leave us. He is as dedicated to making this conflict end as you all are."
One of the observing elves voiced Corym's concerns of this assumption reasoning, "I would prefer to see that brought into action. If he does not arrive soon, we will not even have the chance to speculate those intentions."
The Rei clone brought up her counterargument by asking, "Where is your leader? Is she still here?"
Corym was relieved to have an affirmative answer this time revealing, "She went into the cavern where there is supposed to be a battle of some kind. She ordered us to remain here and wait for her return."
Deciding this was the best chance she had to begin searching for her overlord, the clone told the gathering, "It is imperative that I find Shinji. All of you, keep true to your orders."
None of the elves had a chance to stop the clone as she ran into the cavern to search for her great superior. She was relieved to hear none of the elves attempted to follow her as she made her exit. Her greatest concern was still trying to find out if Shinji I anyone would still be alive to receive the news she had to deliver.
With her running speed, it was not long before the clone found herself coming upon the open area where the battle against the Black Flame bandits was staged. An initial glance gave the idea Shinji was standing alone against an entire army. Closer inspection made her realize there were more alongside him than she thought.
At the lead was Shinji himself knocking away one bandit after another with his mace. The dwarf prince Golding came to his aid by striking his hammer to the stomach of the one that swung a sword towards Shinji. This left him open for another attack, but Yersia shot two arrows into the eyes of incoming bandits that fell right at his feet. The three leading heroes were just a few among the army of dwarves who were successfully routing the bandits away from their unified stand.
It was a hopeful sight for the Rei clone to not see the army of bandits threatening to overwhelm Shinji. She still found herself unsure how to approach the scene of the gathering of dwarves fighting alongside him. The progression of the battle continues to develop in ways she could not imagine.
Accepting she would not be able to immediately understand, the clone took up her javelin before throwing it into the neck of the bandit nearest to Yersia. She ran past the army of dwarves before leaping into the air and pulling it out of the fallen soldier. Arrows and axes came her way as she made her run through the field but rolled to the ground where she stood in front of a nearby bandit. The three who led the dwarves against the bandits now had a new fighter among them dedicated to pushing back against the canyon occupants.
The sight of her rushing through the field caught Shinji's attention. He was unable to bring his attention to her as he was forced to remember the still present threat of the bandits in front of him. Every strike of his and the other heroes made the army of bandits Swindle by the second as they pushed into the rear end of their ranks.
One of the bandits realized this situation had become hopeless as he asked, "What about you? Are you staying behind to risk your neck like this?"
The bandit in question kept his sword at the ready agreeing, "At this rate I don't see any coin coming our way from this. Maybe another time."
The two bandits were only three first of those who began their retreat. Their numbers were greatly dwindled and there was no more assistance coming their way. Their hold over the portion of Skull Canyon was denied by the sheer force of Shinji and the combined attacks of the others alongside him.
Yersia and Golding picked off what they could of the retreating enemies. Golding with his hammer of the ancestors sending down mighty bolts of lightning and Yersia shooting targets in rapid succession. Only a few seconds passed before there were no more enemies for them to push away and the dwarven army looked on in victory at what they defeated.
Shinji was thankful to have received the assistance he gained at the last second. This feeling was not enough to make him stave off his confusion at how things ended up this way. The battle he just went through was not the one intended and knew he would still be faced with the wrath of Goldo soon enough.
He hoped to gain an understanding at what happened by turning to the Rei clone and asked, "Is everyone still waiting for Goldo?"
The runner brought her attention to Shinji answering, "Everyone knows what they are supposed to do. But they have been met with divisions of his army. They might not be able to arrive any time soon."
The news of what happened alarmed Shinji at what was happening behind the scenes. He knew no strategy could have been executed perfectly without knowing his enemies perfectly. It was ground he believed he covered earlier but found himself being corrected in a very harsh way.
He found he was not the only one taken aback by the idea as he heard Golding ask, "He was distracted by something else?"
Yersia explained what she believed was the cause of this as she apologized, "I tried to make myself and my people the main targets. I believed he would find an opportunity in following us if we lured them through the canyon."
Golding nodded at the idea, "It is a sound plan. Unfortunately, my father is more forward thinking than he leads on at times."
Shinji was still shaken by the earlier report as he told both of them, "I have to go now. I won't let anyone stand alone up there."
Yersia realized she had to remind him of the most crucial development they were facing, "We might not even be able to make it up there in time. Goldo's army was still headed our way."
Shinji's original plan was under way but proved to be a double-edged success. Goldo was coming to face him in the canyon even with a smaller army than usual. All of the advantages he had were at risk now that his planned surprise attack was not about to be accomplished like he thought it would be.