>>5664190Something told you that wasn’t just the Empire’s mages at work. Even from this distance, you could make out large blots on the ground that were unmistakably Demonic Beasts. Coupled with that display of magic just now, you were sure more than ever that this wasn’t just the Empire you were up against. You look behind your shoulder towards the sky. Anemone was here somewhere, watching the battle from a front-row seat. Had she already realized there were Agarthans here? She’d already told you she would not help you here, but the presence of an Agarthan Talon or Sage would spell a different story.
“They’re clashing.” Ava says, stealing your attention back to the frontlines.
Felix and his vanguard had just collided into the Imperial front-line head on. Though outnumbered, they had no issue punching through their inexperienced foe. True to Ingrid’s report, the large ballista on-top fires several bolts at once into the Kingdom’s frontlines. The damage is somewhat subdued thanks to Mercedes and her relic, but you can make out that there are some casualties. The ballista then rotates to the right and begins firing upon the Alliance’s army. Much like Rodrigue, it seemed that Claude also had the same idea of taking out the sniper tower first. Coming under attack from both north and east, the Empire’s snipers have their attention split into two, lessening the total damage they should have been able to inflict. A perfect example of what could have been accomplished had both sides chosen to work together.
“They’re losing ground!” Diana says happily. Indeed, Felix’s vanguard had the Empire’s front-line on the backstep. Every so often, you could see that same familiar flash of blue light emanating from that battle, indicating that Felix was hard at work utilizing his Crest and Relic to cut through. And he wasn’t the only one. On the Alliance’s side, you could make out the same blue light, likely coming from Hilda and her Relic, the great axe, Freikugel. If this kept up, the Empire would be forced back on both fronts and the Kingdom and the Alliance would seize the tower at the same time. Still, something seemed off.
“The Empire’s holding back most of their troops still.” Ingrid observes.
She was right. Given the size of their army, it looked as if the Empire had committed only a fraction of the number of soldiers that would have been needed to defend their precious tower. The bulk was still hanging back by the ruins. At this rate, the sniper tower would fall with hardly a challenge, and the Empire would be down a valuable battlefield asset.
“You’re better at this sort of thing than I am. What do you suppose their plan is?” She asks you.
>A): The Empire underestimated their opponents>B): They’re looking to wear us down first>C): This must be some sort of trap>D): Write-in 