Wepwawet retreated to the Nexus the moment he received the challenge.

Thankfully, Miss Athena immediately showed up in the classroom to greet him. His teacher always had an uncanny ability to guess when her students required her wisdom, and considering the situation, he preferred to inform her about that duel proposal before he decided anything.

"Beelzebub?" Miss Athena stroked her chin as she read the Godly Battle notification Wepwawet presented her with. The classroom was empty except for the two of them, and almost deathly quiet. "I must say, him being our titan infiltrator does not surprise me all that much."

"Do you know anything about him, Miss Athena?" Wepwawet asked. His connection to the Nexus had strengthened a lot since acquiring the Roynimalia Altar, enough that he could manifest a relatively stable avatar. "His name sounds familiar, but I can't put my finger on why."

"He used to be the god Baal, leader of the Assyrian Pantheon, until he tried to betray us to the Titanomachy when his worship began to wane among mortals," Miss Athena explained. "Your father bested him in a Board & Conquest battle and diminished him into a demonic deity by taking most of his divine power… among other things."

"He was Baal the Betrayer?" Wepwawet gasped in surprise. He knew that story very well. "But that means he was–"

"My ex," a familiar voice confirmed.

A thunderbolt struck the classroom out of nowhere, startling Wepwawet. His father Set and his stepmother Astarte materialized in the classroom, both smiling at him: the former with paternal pride, the latter with kindness.

"I called your father and Astarte to provide you advice, considering their familiarity with your opponent," Miss Athena said. "Their perspective should prove useful to you."

"My son, I am so proud of you!" Dad said, his hand finding its way to his son's back; something rare enough to be noted. "Already picking fights with your father's enemies!"

"You're… proud of me, Dad?" Wepwawet asked in disbelief. Such words were music to his wolfish ears.

"Of course I am proud!" Set grinned ear to ear. "In spite of all of my cursed sister Isis' attempts to sabotage my son, my seed has prevailed and crushed her in battle!"

"There is no proof Isis was behind the System's sabotage," Miss Athena replied calmly. "Although she is indeed a prime suspect…"

"Who else would it be? That b–" Miss Athena waved her hand before Set could utter the dreaded word in her classroom and turned it into a long beeping sound. "–would do anything to put her bird-faced bastard ahead of my own trueborn son!"

Miss Athena remained unshakable. "I am aware of your pantheon's internal feuding, Lord Set, but I would not jump to conclusions yet. We cannot rule out a titan false flag operation."

Wepwawet wasn't so sure himself either. Aunt Isis never liked him since she had been feuding with his father and supporting her son Horus, but he didn't think she would stoop so low as to sabotage a world's system and ally with titans. He trusted Miss Athena and wiser gods to get to the bottom of the matter.

"Your teacher gave us detailed reports of your progress," Astarte said while affectionately scratching his head. "Your father and I were worried at first due to the System's sabotage, but you've pulled through admirably."

"I was never worried," Set protested. "I always knew my son would prevail through his superior bloodline and education! I didn't raise a loser!"

"That, uh…" Wepwawet cleared his throat. Should he tell his dad he had been mostly winging it since arriving on Elphion? Would telling him that he survived thanks to his hard work and skills sound better than giving the credit to his father's teachings? What would please him more?

Whatever the case, Wepwawet knew better than to mention that one of his Champions had learned about the gods' true nature. His father always viewed mortals as little more than soldiers to be micromanaged and never to be trusted with important truths.

Oh damn, I hit a bar with Victoire! Wepwawet bit his tongue and swallowed his panic. His father would be furious if he ever learned that he 'lowered himself' to getting chummy with one of his worshippers! I'll need to force her into an unbreakable oath of silence, just in case!

Miss Athena thankfully changed the subject before he had to reach an agonizing decision. "In any case, I have summoned you to advise young Wepwawet. Since Beelzebub and him are now equal gods among the Elphion pantheon, my student may decide to either decline the proposed battle conditions or argue over them."

"Why bother?" Set asked with a scoff. "That fly was already a chump before he started eating shit for a living. My son can crush him in five turns max."

While his father's confidence pleased him, Wepwawet didn't feel so confident. No doubt Beelzebub had learned his lesson and improved himself since his last defeat. "Thanks, Dad… but just in case, how did you beat him the first time?"

"I finished him in one turn with my OGC—Obelisk God Combo—so fast he couldn't even cast a Miracle!" Set boasted, which gave his son absolutely no information whatsoever. "I pounded his face into the dirt, and then I pounded his wife!"

"Language, dear," Astarte said with a sigh; though Wepwawet noticed a thin, salacious smile at the edge of her lips. "It is true that your father crushed my ex-husband too fast to take a good look at his deck, but I've seen him duel many times. Baal mostly favors weather effects, especially storm-based Miracles, alongside summoning large amounts of weak minions to overwhelm his enemies."

"Storms and numbers?" Wepwawet repeated. "Come to think of it, he's been trying to summon blizzards in my territory for a while now."

"Baal used to be a god of storms and fertility back when we were together," Astarte explained. "He's still pretending to be one, even after losing most of his original portfolio."

"Beelzebub is nowhere near the level of a true titan and incarnating on Elphion put him in the same situation as you and your fellow students, besides the advantage of experience," Miss Athena warned. "Even with his prior knowledge of quest requirements and exploits, I doubt he managed to entirely replace his beginner's deck with new Miracles yet. He won't be able to rely on his usual strategies."

Astarte nodded in agreement. "My ex-husband certainly wouldn't have proposed those Godly Battle conditions if he thought he had an overwhelming advantage. The terms are relatively simple, and neither side is risking much."

"Of course the risks are minor! That bug knows my son will wipe the floor with him!" Set crossed his arms. "Trust your old man, my son: Beelzecuck is going to play extremely cautiously. He'll try to lure your Champions out into a place where he thinks he'll have overwhelming numbers, and he'll fold like a wet paper bag the moment things stop going his way. Keep a cool head, play boldly, press your advantage, and you'll finish him faster than he ever did with your stepmom."

"Oh my gods," Wepwawet complained. He could have lived without that information!

"That's true," his stepmother admitted with a shrug. "For a god of fertility, he always lacked your father's endurance. I used to call him 'One Turn Baal' behind his back."

"Oh my gods!"

Athena let out a heavy sigh. "Consider yourself blessed, young Wepwawet, for my father is far worse than yours."

"Anyway, my ex started out as a pompous prick and his demonic demotion didn't help matters," Astarte said. "Target his ego, Wepwawet. He can't think straight when enraged."

"So… you all think I should take him up on his Godly Battle challenge?" Wepwawet inquired.

"Of course!" Father replied without hesitation. "If Beelzecuck is foolish enough to challenge my brood, then he deserves what he gets!"

Miss Athena proved a bit less confident. "The choice whether to accept this Godly Battle or opt for a conventional confrontation is yours alone, young Wepwawet, but I suspect your enemy is testing the waters and that his proposal betrays a certain lack of preparation. Striking now before your foe has a chance to entrench himself and plague your territory with storms sounds wiser than waiting any further."

Wepwawet considered her advice. On paper, he had many advantages going for him: he had received precious intelligence on his enemy's personality, tactics, and emotional weaknesses; Victoire's knowledge of her old city should let his Champions counter the home field advantage; and he had a solid amount of troops. A Godly Battle over Promesse would be good practice for the upcoming Titan Incursion.

On the other hand, Wepwawet could refuse the offer and opt for a standard battle. He wouldn't gain any cards from it and this would force him into a war of attrition, but he should have an advantage in manpower and logistics now that Roynimalia was supporting him…

No, I can't afford to waste too much time, Wepwawet decided. Miss Athena is right, every day Beelzebub spends fortifying Promesse will cost me more time, resources, and mana down the line. The sooner I kick that stone off my shoes, the better.

He didn't think Pele would betray the truce while he was engaged in battle with the infiltrator, but the titans could launch an actual incursion anytime. He couldn't afford to split his meager forces too many ways.

And most importantly… he couldn't disappoint his father by turning tail! His dad would never let him live it down!

"Alright," Wepwawet decided. "I'll fight!"

"That's my boy," his father said fondly. "Come back victorious or not at all!"

Wepwawet knew his father was only trying to encourage him, but his words only put more pressure on his shoulders. He left the Nexus more anxious than he arrived.

I can't back down now, he thought. Thankfully, Victoire had already drawn up plans to take Promesse by storm. I'll just have to teleport in the troops and distribute them.

His Champions' previous engagements had been little more than warband clashes or small-scaled, localized fights. Not even the last B&C battle would compare to this one. Today would be their first true battle.

He hoped they would all prove up to the task.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Victoire failed to hide her disgust as she observed her home city one last time from behind an icy rock.

Promesse's outer walls, once maintained with rigorous precision and military discipline, now crawled with bugs. Pony-sized flies buzzed atop frozen crenelations and circled around watchtowers. Seeing those things despoil the places she used to patrol with dear friends disgusted her.

I hope Kale and the others are alive somewhere in there, Victoire thought. Not even Lord Wepwawet could confirm it, so the best she could do was to hope and pray. If not… if not, they'll pay dearly.

Victoire chose to travel with only a few forces to avoid notice, with her task force including Mistouffe, Grudu, Filou, Wintresse, and a dozen well-equipped wereling warriors. The latter were either veterans of the magmorian raids or experienced rangers, but even they showed apprehension upon seeing the city crawling with monsters.

"I've… I've never seen flies so big before…" Filou muttered at his mistress' side. "Nor so many…"

"I'm counting hundreds of them," Mistouffe said from atop Grudu's shoulders. "You think you can take them all on, Big Guy? You wouldn't let them harm little ol' me, right?"

"Grudu," the weremammoth replied quietly. Grudu looked a bit more spooked than usual, which Victoire blamed on the tension in the air. Everyone in the group was on edge.

"I'll concede this is quite the disgusting sight," Wintresse said. While the changeling remained surprisingly aloof and calm considering the circumstances, the way she clutched her staff betrayed some nervousness. "These creatures are not wild animals, let alone natural. They are far too well-organized."

"We'll have to assume that they're as smart as we are," Victoire warned them.

"They are," a familiar voice confirmed. Lord Wepwawet's spirit manifested at her side, his presence reassuring the fearful soldiers. "Victoire, report."

"We're ready to storm the western fort at your command," Victoire replied. "What about the others?"

"They've all taken their positions." Lord Wepwawet crossed his arms. "We'll attack soon."

Victoire's fingers gripped her spear's shaft tighter than ever. She knew four ways to enter Promesse, each more dangerous than the last; and they would try to break in through almost all of them.

The first was through the main gates, which was by far the most difficult option. The narrow pass leading up to them was easily defensible and the outer walls were so thick it would take siege engines to break through them. Lord Rickart Coeurdelion of Roynimalia would lead the attack on this front, which was mostly expected to bog down most of the enemy ground forces there.

The second was through a western trail across the Glacis Mountains. The Glarmes had built a smaller fort there to block that path, but Victoire knew how to break her way in. She would lead her small task force this way and hopefully fight her way to the main castle next.

The third way in was from the air, which Insupportable had abused many, many times in the past; enough that the Glarmes had built ballistas on most towers to shoot him down if he ever tried to approach the city again. This option was unfortunately unavailable. The dragon refused to budge from his cavern upon learning that the enemy would try to assault his den, and their few wereowls wouldn't fare well against the giant flies assisted by long-range defenses.

The fourth way was through secret passages underground known only to ordained knights. Victoire had provided the appropriate map to her allies, even though it violated her oath of secrecy to the Glarmes Order; she hoped Lord Raymond would forgive that indiscretion in the name of saving their city. Goreville would lead a task force of wererats to storm Promesse from below.

They only needed one group to reach the enemy's Altar to win, or so Lord Wepwawet said… a task that would involve fighting their way through the infested city first.

Lord Wepwawet faced his soldiers. "Listen well, everyone! The evil which has taken over this city is called Beelzebub. He is a foul fiend-god in the service of a greater darkness called the Titans. While you fight his mortal servants, I will battle him in the heavens above for the sake of your souls."

His declaration took the men by surprise and bolstered their morale. "You shall take the field yourself, Big Boss?" Mistouffe asked with a whistle. "Awesome! There's no way we can lose then!"

"Overconfidence is an insidious killer, Mistouffe," Lord Wepwawet replied solemnly. He could play the stern and confident god when he wanted to. "You will indeed see me appear in my full splendor. This will likely come as a shock to most of you, but you must ignore it and focus on your own battles. They will matter just as much as the one taking place above your heads."

"This Beelzebub…" Victoire said, the very name of their enemy causing her throat to itch. "Is he a Titan?"

"He is one of their emissaries," Lord Wepwawet replied. "While Beelzebub shouldn't be as dangerous as a true Titan, he's still a god that matches my power. Once you advance further and reach the city walls, you will fall within his sorcery's zone of Influence. I will do my best to distract our foe, but he will likely try to ensnare you with spells and curses."

Wintresse smiled with morbid curiosity. "I'm curious to see what awaits us then."

The wereling soldiers exchanged glances. Though Victoire could taste their nervousness, none wished to show fear in front of their deity. "We won't disappoint you, Your Godliness," Filou spoke for them all. "We shall fight to the last man!"

"I know you shall, because holy warriors such as you are blessed among the blessed!" Lord Wepwawet reassured them. "Know that no matter the wounds your bodies may take, I will shield your souls from this foul Beelzebub's claws. I shall be watching over you from the heavens above!"

Victoire had no idea if her god was serious, but his words did warm the soldiers' hearts. By the time Lord Wepwawet's projection dissipated, all of them were ready to march with renewed zeal.

This is it, our first fight with those Titans and their thralls, Victoire thought as she led her task force forward, subtly using rocks as cover to prevent the flies from seeing them. I'll have to give it my all, for everyone's sake.

According to her calculations, they were approaching the edge of the enemy's miles-wide range of Influence. The western fort stood only a few dozen meters away from their current location, with a handful of monstrous flies keeping watch over the crenellations.

She had left her homeland as a pariah and would return there as a liberator. The irony wasn't lost on her.

"This wall suffers from serious structural defects and would lead us straight into the mess hall," Victoire said, pointing her spear at a specific spot at the main gate's right. "Mistouffe, I need you and Grudu near to tear it down."

"Leave it to us!" Mistouffe replied. Knowing that Lord Wepwawet would take the field himself had filled her with confidence. "We'll tear down those stones like my prices!"

"W-we're ready to charge at your command, Milady," Filou said, his scimitar nervously drawn for battle. Her squire seemed to grow braver with each battle, though he still had a long way to go to become the fearless warrior he aspired to be.

"The enemy will know we're here the moment we approach it any further, so our best hope is to overwhelm them with a speedy offense," Victoire warned her troops once again. She had extensively briefed them on the dangers awaiting them. "Our foe will likely target us with extremely powerful and foul magic. Wintresse, I trust you to cover us to the best of your ability."

"Your mistake," the changeling replied, laughing at Victoire's glare. "I jest, I jest. My best will be more than enough."

I hope so, for all of our sake, Victoire thought. She didn't like trusting a scheming witch with her back, but necessity ruled. For Verglane.

The attack signal shook the earth and sky.

The great barrier of light that encircled Icefall during that fateful battle returned brighter than ever. It arose beyond the mountains and enveloped the horizon in multicolored shrouds. Everyone but Filou and Wintresse, who had seen this happen before, gasped and froze in shock. "The mountains… the mountains are shining!" Mistouffe shouted. "It's the end of the world!"

"Grudu!" her weremammoth mount whined in panic. "Grudu!"

This is different, Victoire thought as she observed the barrier enclose far more than a frozen waterfall this time. All of Promesse and a good chunk of the Glacis Mountains were carved away from the universe, Insupportable's den included. This new board must be miles wide.

Lord Wepwawet arose beyond the mountains at her back, with the tallest of peaks barely reaching up to his waist. Her god's presence bolstered Victoire's hope and caused the werelings at her back to roar in triumph… until a dark shadow arose to loom over Promesse, great and terrible.

Victoire's heart froze in her chest, her courage wavering. The darkness that confronted Lord Wepwawet at Icefall was little more than a shadowy silhouette, but the creature that had taken hold of her hometown hid nothing. A horrible, fly-like monstrous visage with tinted red eyes glared down on her, its mouth a gaping maw of teeth from which stuck out a tongue. The abomination had purple plates for skin, hairy hands with claws longer than towers, and great wings that cast the entire valley into the penumbra.

"That's…" Filou muttered under his breath, his whiskers straighter than arrows. "That's a big bug!"

"And not the same monster as last time," Wintresse replied. She alone appeared more curious than frightened.

The entire region buzzed and shook in response to the dark god's arrival, with the flies atop the western fort taking flight. Dozens more arose from Promesse's frozen houses to welcome the intruders.

This would be a hard day.

"Lord Wepwawet promised, and Lord Wepwawet has delivered! See how the gods are watching us today!" Victoire shouted to her shaken troops, her spear raised to bolster their morale. She stood atop a rock, proudly revealing herself to both friends and foes. "Will you disappoint our own with cowardice?!"

"No way!" Filou replied as the first among the brave. He leaped down the mountain trail and out of hiding. "O-Onwards!"

"After him, Grudu!" Mistouffe scrubbed her mount's ears just in the right spot to fire him up. "Let's go!"

"GRUDU!" The weremammoth beat his chest like a drum, his trunk roaring to the sky. "GRUDU!"

"Onward, for Verglane!" Victoire shouted as she charged ahead. "For Wepwawet!"

Seeing their commanders advancing without fear moved her soldiers into action. The group's momentum carried them forward, and soon the entire group was marching onto the western fort. The earth trembled with each of Grudu's steps, while gods threatened each other in the heavens above.

The monstrous flies protecting the area immediately descended upon the task force like falcons on the hunt, but Wintresse and the archers among them proved quicker. The changeling trapped one of the bugs in a prison of ice with a wave of her staff while arrows nailed another and caused it to fall onto the snow below. Grudu and Filou quickly reached the wall, with the former smashing through it with the strength of a battering ram. Ancient stones crumbled and opened a path into the fort.

"We have no time to secure the area!" Victoire warned her troops as they stepped into the breach. Grudu continued to smash a way forward, crashing through empty barracks and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. "We need to reach the central keep as soon as we can–"

The stench of rot and death filling her nostrils almost made her throw up mid-sentence.

Victoire was no stranger to such things, but the putrid smell soaking every inch of the fort proved overwhelming. The stony rooms of the keep were covered in trash and dejections, the mortar replaced with shit. She spotted a rotting corpse in a corner, so mangled Victoire failed to identify them. The ribs were carved out as if their heart had burst from their chest.

How… how horrifying… Victoire's shield was heating up against her skin. Its metal trembled with power and will, as if the closed eye painted on its surface struggled to open up. What… What happened here?

A buzzing cacophony echoed from deeper into the building, and Grudu's fearsome roars suddenly turned into screams of fear.

Her warrior instincts prevailed over her doubts and fear, Victoire following the path of destruction left by her weremammoth ally with wereling soldiers rushing after her. She swiftly made her way to the western keep's mess hall.

A scene of horror sprawled before her.

Faeces and dried blood obscured the windows, the meager light finding its way inside now tainted crimson. The dozen-strong tables where she once used to share meals with fellow knights were now either broken, frozen in ice, or housing rotting human corpses which were feasted on by pony-sized flies. Dozens of these disgusting creatures buzzed and chittered with excitement in anticipation of a new meal.

Lord Wepwawet had made the Titans' objective clear: to exterminate all mortal life on Elphion. Simply hearing his warning wasn't the same as understanding it. Only when Victoire looked at the sickening banquet of the dead did she finally grasp the horror awaiting her and her loved ones should they fail to fend these monsters off.

We're food for them, Victoire thought, her body struggling against a feeling of sickness and revulsion. They've turned Promesse into a buffet.

Grudu fearfully cowered in a corner in spite of Mistouffe's best attempts to shake him out of his funk, while a mail-clad human knight's sword clashed with Filou's scimitar, every blow sending flames and sparks flying in all directions. Two more soldiers stood motionless at the center of the room, paying no mind to the battle or the bugs around them.

Victoire's eyes widened in surprise upon recognizing one of them. "Kale?"

Her old friend turned to look at her, but she hardly recognized him. His iron armor was tarnished with fly excrement, his short silver hair was ragged and dirty. His eyes, once a bright shade of blue, had turned white; and Victoire felt an alien and malevolent presence staring at her through them.

A dark blue bug the size of her hand sat on top of Kale's head… or so Victoire thought at first, until she saw the way its thin, telescopic tail had wormed its way into her friend's left ear. The creature vaguely resembled a centipede, albeit with crimson eyes, vicious mandibles, and two large antennae so thick and long that they almost… almost resembled wererabbit ears…

As the truth of what frightened Grudu so much dawned upon her, a horrified Victoire suddenly noticed similar parasites attached to the other knights present, riding them, controlling them like puppets.

"Release them, creatures!" Victoire ordered coldly, her hand gripping her spear and her shield now so hot on her skin it let out steam. "Release my friends now!"

The parasite atop Kale's head answered with a hiss, and her friend raised his sword to fight.

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