Your terms for a B&C battle have been denied.

Wepwawet stared at the screen for a second as the consequences became clear. All of his proposals to challenge Epona and her allies to a B&C battle through the System had been summarily rejected, and since they were equal within their class' pantheon, he couldn't force a duel.

Wepwawet could only think of one explanation why his neighbor would refuse a codified engagement for the cruelty of a conventional battle: a B&C battle would let him shuffle his Miracles back into his deck, including those he had already spent today… such as the Divine Avatar. As he had guessed, his enemies had waited for his strongest Miracle to run its course before mounting an assault.

They were dead wrong if they thought it would make him an easy target though. While the attack's swiftness surprised him, he had prepared for such an outcome, and he was not without allies.

The operation had also served its purpose in exposing his foes. The fact that Hel's forces joined with Epona's own in marching on Lavaland's capital meant they had indeed secured an alliance, and the smell of one of the claimed Altars in the east reminded Wepwawet a bit too much of Watatsumi. It didn't seem like Anansi had sent troops to reinforce them, but Wepwawet would bet a great deal that the spider was involved in some form or another.

Elphion was about to witness the start of its first world war, and only the Titans would profit from it. Their fingerprints were all over this mess.

Wepwawet focused on the realm of shared Influence, where he and other gods with ambassadors in Salamandra had gathered. Sun Wukong had yet to show up, and Axomamma had just returned from a meeting with Epona through her own private connection.

From the look on her face, she didn't bring good news.

"So?" Horus inquired.

"Pona told me that foreign ambassadors and civilians will be granted safe passage out of Salamandra, except for Ish and Wepwawet's forces," Axomamma said, looking down. "They must unconditionally surrender and vacate Salamandra within the next two hours, or else the assault will begin."

"This is outrageous!" Wepwawet protested. "Does she honestly think I will just let her put a knife to my throat?"

"Pona swore that she would let your Idol walk home to Verglane tomorrow once the city has been secured." Axomamma gulped. "Pona… Pona said she knew about your plan to let Ishtar's army march through Lavaland and into Valentine proper. She says it's preemptive self-defense."

"'Preemptive self-defense?'" Ganesha choked on the spot. "That is… that is ridiculous."

Horus looked at Ishtar and Wepwawet. "Did you actually plan this?"

"No," Wepwawet and Ishtar replied at the same time; the former because he hadn't agreed to anything yet, the latter for plausible deniability.

"Then it is nothing more than a naked power grab," Horus said with a grunt. "I thought Epona and the others would be wiser than this."

"W-we can't let her get away with this!" Ganesha said. "If one of us is just allowed to take another's land by force, then this will set a precedent and throw Elphion into chaos!"

"I will not surrender Salamandra nor allow Valentine's troops inside the city," Wepwawet replied sternly. Sultana Alexandrite had put her trust in him to defend her homeland, and he would prove worthy of it, not to mention that he couldn't trust Epona after she violated their contest's terms. "If Epona and her allies won't return home, then they can expect no mercy from me."

Ishtar nodded in agreement. "My Champions will not back down without a fight either. Pona will regret choosing war."

"I'm…" Axomamma cleared her throat in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, but… but I'm going to take the deal and evacuate my ambassadors. I tried to reason with Pona, but she wouldn't budge on this."

"Don't feel bad, Axo," Ishtar replied, her hand finding its way to her fellow goddess' shoulder. "You did your best when faced with a hard-nosed nag."

Wepwawet squinted at Ishtar with suspicion. He found it awfully suspicious that her plans had leaked to the enemy in a way that pulled them into conflict with other nations.

Could Ishtar have revealed her own plot to Epona in order to escalate the situation and force a confrontation? He wouldn't put it past the cunning goddess to mastermind such a scheme, and his father had used a similar scheme to entrap Isis. Not to mention that he met Ishtar right after he stepped out of the shower incident…

Now is not the time for this conversation, Wepwawet decided. Epona had already deployed ballistae and siege weapons through her sword-portal, which meant she was serious about storming the city by force. He couldn't afford to alienate potential allies with an enemy parked at the front door, especially with his Idol at risk. But someone is profiting from all this, and we need to identify them.

The Titans had to be involved. The gods' petty divisions and conflicts would only serve their interests and weaken Elphion's defenses. They had to either collaborate with or manipulate one of Wepwawet's classmates to inflame tensions. Events simply lined up too perfectly for them.

"You should evacuate," Wepwawet told Ganesha. "I can teleport your ambassadors to Fort Jarlack through my Idol so they can cross into Megaloria easily enough."

"No way!" Ganesha protested. "I'm not leaving you to face a siege on your own! Plus, lots of people in Salamandra have already converted to me, I can't abandon them too!"

Ganesha's resolve to help his friend warmed Wepwawet's heart, but he wasn't sure the Hindu god understood the full consequences of his choice on Megaloria. "If you stay, Valentine and their allies will likely consider Megaloria itself to be taking our side, and your nation will be pulled into a war. You understand that, right?"

"I do," Ganesha replied, more quietly than before. His pantheon was no stranger to conflicts. "I don't like war… but alliances are only as strong as the will to back them up. What do you want me to do, Wepy? I can't stand still when one of my neighbors attacks my friend."

"There's still time to prevent further escalation," Wepwawet replied, though he didn't believe in the possibility much. "Take your Champion and evacuate the non-combatants through my Idol back to Verglane's border with Megaloria. With luck, taking down the invading army might force the southern powers into reconsidering and limit their war to a skirmish."

Ganesha marked a short pause before pointing out the obvious. "And if they do not reconsider, Wepy?"

Do you really want me to say it out loud? "Then…" Wepwawet sighed. "Then it's war."

It would be a pointless conflict that would only serve the Titans' interests, but he couldn't stand idle while rival gods conquered his territory and threatened his followers. He had already weighed sending reinforcements to help Arty deal with corsairs raiding her shores, so this would only officialize the conflict between the two emerging divine power blocks.

Ganesha didn't like the plan, but he was wise enough to go along with it. All eyes then turned to Horus, who had yet to reach a decision.

Wepwawet held his tongue as his cousin considered his options. This would be a golden opportunity for Horus to play kingmaker. Although he had no skin in the fight, his flying pyramid could let him tilt the balance of the coming battle in either direction. Bombarding either Epona's teleportation relay or Salamandra would guarantee the other side's victory.

However, for all of his rudeness, Wepwawet didn't think Horus would be dishonorable enough to attack his cousin while they had a tenuous truce in place. That didn't mean he wouldn't eventually side with Valentine—Wepwawet would be surprised if Epona hadn't already approached him with an offer—just not now.

Moreover, was being pulled into a war truly what Horus needed for his civilization?

"So," Ishtar said, immediately going for the throat. "How much do you want–"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"I need to think," Horus cut in before she could even finish her sentence. "Until then, I can evacuate civilians on my flying pyramid and carry them to safety. Reducing mortal casualties should be our priority for now."

"I would appreciate the gesture," Wepwawet replied a bit reluctantly. He didn't like owing Horus a favor, but two hours was a very short window of time, and gathering all of Salamandra's population near his Idol would strain his logistics. Having a second way to evacuate the population would make things much easier for him.

Ganesha, Horus, and Axomamma all broke the connection to focus on evacuating Salamandra's citizens, leaving Wepwawet alone with Ishtar to discuss their strategy.

"It's already war, Sweetpup," Ishtar said. "I would bet quite a bit of mana that Hel's support of Epona's attack is a direct result of you arming Artemis' people against her undead corsairs."

Wepwawet glared at her. "I swear that if you had a hand in starting this–"

"Are you threatening me?" Ishtar glared back at him with baleful fury. "All I did was offer you—and you alone—a deal. The leak is on your end."

"I didn't share it with anybody," Wepwawet retorted before changing the subject. "No matter. There will be time to investigate the matter after we repel Epona and Hel. Can you deploy your Molek bull monster again?"

Ishtar shook her head. "I'm afraid I've already spent that Miracle for the day. Moreover, I've been informed that one of my coastal Altars is under attack by ghost ships and that Shadazar is running a military exercise on my southern border."

"What?" Wepwawet blinked. "Both Hel and Anansi are attacking you right now?"

"Yes and no. Shadazar's troops simply gathered near my southern border but didn't cross it. I suppose that trickster Anansi simply wants me to divert forces there to protect myself from the possibility of an attack without actually risking himself, and I'm afraid I can't entirely exclude it. Hel's ships are attacking one of my ports with deadly force, though."

Then this was a coordinated attack, assuming that Ishtar wasn't lying. Wepwawet guessed that Epona and her allies hoped a quick surprise offensive would let them secure a footing in their enemies' territory and keep the war away from their own lands.

"However, a good chunk of my army was ready to march across Lavaland on a moment's notice in case you accepted my deal," Ishtar said, "so I can send reinforcements if you can hold out for a few days… and grant me your authorization to cross over."

Wepwawet clenched his jaw. On one hand, agreeing to this would all but solidify Epona's claim that she had acted to prevent Ishtar's invasion of her lands through Lavaland, which would undoubtedly solidify her people's support of the war. Wepwawet didn't think his allies would look well on him allying with a nation of demons either.

On the other hand… on the other hand, Epona struck first, and her allies had already claimed two Altars that wouldn't be relinquished without a fight. His Idol being on the line also severely limited his options.

"Agreed, on three conditions," Wepwawet decided, albeit with much reluctance. "First, you shall not claim any of Lavaland's Altars on your way to the capital nor occupy the land, and you will assist me in recovering those Epona and her allies have stolen."

"Of course. Lavaland is yours, Sweetpup. I'm just taking the highway to my destination."

"Second… I'll take that revival Miracle." If things were going to shit, he might as well improve his followers' lives.

"A deal is a deal, Sweetpup, though I'll only trade the Miracle after the battle concludes and my troops are allowed to cross into Valentine."

"And finally…" Wepwawet crossed his arms. "Lavaland's leadership will have to validate the alliance."

That took Ishtar aback. "You think our alliance would make you lose your mortals' popular support?"

"Lavaland has been lied to about a war before," Wepwawet pointed out. "I do not wish to drag them into a battle they didn't sign up for."

"I see. Yes, you would be wise to avoid Pele's mistake. I will ask you to lobby your mortals into agreeing to my offer though, and I suspect they will want to repel the invaders off their lands." Ishtar offered him her hand with a smirk. "Friends?"

Wepwawet looked at her hand for a moment before shaking it. "Allies," he corrected her. "For now."

After discussing strategy with Ishtar and hammering out the fine print of their 'treaty,' Wepwawet materialized his spirit back in the Fire Sultana's throne room. Alexandrite, Victoire, and all his Champions had gathered there in preparation for an emergency meeting. All eyes turned to him.

"So?" Victoire asked, her tone grim. She already knew the answer to her question.

"We have two hours to evacuate or surrender Salamandra," Wepwawet replied bluntly. "Otherwise, it's war."

"War?" General Peridot's eyes gleamed with the flames of disappointment behind his helmet. "Again?"

"Stop me if I am wrong, Lord Wepwawet," Sultana Alexandrite said, "but is it not the gods' goal to prepare us to fight the Titans rather than each other?"

Wepwawet hesitated on how to word things, before deciding that Lavaland's leadership deserved to be told the truth after the whole Pele fiasco. "How many paranoid fools and ambitious upstarts have you encountered in a position of power?"

"Too many," Alexandrite replied before marking a short pause. "Oh, is it the same among gods as with mortals?"

"I'm afraid so. Many of my fellow deities believe developing their civilizations at the expense of others will improve their own chances to repel the Titans." It annoyed Wepwawet that so few of his classmates could think beyond their immediate interests. "The goddess of Valentine believes it is inevitable that the Zoramesh Empire will cross into her lands through Lavaland, and so decided to preemptively conquer the area by force to strengthen their border."

"That, that is ridiculous!" Filou protested. "Surely Your Godliness would never have agreed to work with fiends!"

"I would never have agreed to such a momentous deal without consulting you first," Wepwawet confirmed. "Alas, Valentine's goddess has entered into an alliance with the gods of southern nations in an offensive pact of some sort. She feels she can force my hand by besieging the city."

"War it is then," Alexandrite replied as she joined her fingers. This turn of events didn't surprise her in the slightest; shielding herself from foreign invasion by gaining a powerful divine patron had been the whole point of her Miracle contest, after all. "I would have expected the Zoramesh Empire to make the first move rather than Valentine and Mortis. How unfortunate."

"What do they hope to accomplish?" General Peridot pondered. "We magmorians survive on the heat of our land, and we have enough provisions stored away to sustain our kobold auxiliaries and guests for months. Our city's walls are strong enough to repel–" The wise soldier froze in place and then turned at Wepwawet, having caught on to the enemy's plan. "Can you not stomp their armies underfoot?"

"Not until tomorrow," Wepwawet replied. Thankfully, he still had fifty-four mana points left in the tank to fuel Miracles with. "I do have other options to repel them, and reinforcements are on their way, but I suspect they timed their attack specifically to prevent me from moving my Idol around."

"If so, then they will storm the city and try to take it over before midnight," Victoire guessed. "Mortis' forces are all cavalry, so Valentine will have to bring in the siege weapons. If we can destroy their teleporter, then we can nip this attack in the bud."

"The teleporter is out of my range, but I have a plan." Wepwawet sighed. "Unfortunately… I will require a sacrifice from you, Victoire."

Victoire shuddered. She was smart enough to guess what was on his mind and all but begged him to relent. "Is there truly no other way?"

"I can't guarantee he'll behave without it," Wepwawet replied with sincere compassion. "I won't force you, but… it would help tremendously."

Victoire covered her eyes with her palm. "I'll do it. For Verglane."

"In that case, we have no time to waste," Wepwawet said as he began to distribute orders and rank up those who could be. "I understand your wariness towards us gods, Peridot, but in this case, I have no choice but to bless you with strength."

Thankfully, the general was wise enough to accept it with grace. "I shall do what I must for Lavaland."

"So you will," Alexandrite said as Wepwawet blessed Peridot with his light.

Peridot, Iron General, has ranked up in General! +4 STR, +1 AGI, +4 VIT, +5 SKI, +3 MAG, +4 INT, +3 CHA, +3 LCK! He has earned the Weaponmaster II Perk!

Weaponmaster II: All Weapon Artifacts equipped inflict +5 Damage. This replaces Weaponmaster I.

Having a Rank 7 Champion with strong combat potential and experience like Peridot ought to prove decisive in this fight.

"The Valentine forces will target the Zoramesh ambassadors as well, so we can count on their assistance in this battle," Wepwawet informed his Champions. His Doctrines had already spread to strengthen them and Salamandra's soldiers. "We have nothing to fear from hostile teleportation, so I suspect our foes will mount a conventional frontal assault by either bringing down the walls or flying over them."

"They'll use pegasus riders," Victoire stated with firm conviction. "Valentine is renowned for its aerial force."

Pegasi? What were the odds that a goddess of horses inherited a nation full of winged ones? "I'll bring in wereowls and archers from Verglane to help counter those," Wepwawet said. "In the meantime, we have two hours to evacuate non-combattants. I can teleport a few through my Idol, and the angels' leader has agreed to shelter others in his flying pyramid."

"Then we have no time to waste," Alexandrite decided upon immediately taking charge. "Peridot, mobilize troops to defend the walls. Topaz, Jasper, I trust you to prepare the evacuation. I shall supervise our preparations from the palace alongside our allies."

Wepwawet had already sent orders to his Champions in Verglane to prepare for the inevitable battle. He should be ready to spring his trap the moment Valentine's troops got close enough to Salamandra.

Wepwawet turned his attention to the walls while his Champions scattered to prepare the defenses. Hel's undead cavalry had taken position on a few hills surrounding Salamandra while Epona's sword-teleporter continued to bring in hundreds of troops each minute. Most were human soldiers and pikemen in metal armor whose style reminded Wepwawet of Earth's late Middle Ages to early Renaissance period. Proud banner wielders carried flags representing a unicorn trampling a crown underfoot next to crossbowmen and mages. True to Victoire's warning, knights riding atop winged horses emerged from the teleporter alongside a slew of unicorn cavalrymen and marble-skinned centaur archers; the latter of which Wepwawet recognized as summoned creatures beholden to Epona.

What bothered him the most were the siege engines they brought with them. Soldiers dragged a set of trebuchets and two large mangonels ready to fire boulders at Salamandra's walls, but the true danger was much smaller and more ominous: a set of rune-encrusted tubes of blackstone and iron carried on wheels. Although they were few in number, each of them radiated so much mana that Wepwawet could tell they packed more than enough power to crack open fortresses like eggs.

Cannons.

Valentine had cannons.

Iron age world, my ass, Wepwawet cursed.

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