Raze gestured for Fedora and Darius to follow him toward the Watchtower, leaving the other Pieces to begin organizing their respective responsibilities. The three of them climbed the spiral stairs to the observation platform, gaining an elevated view of the entire territory that made strategic discussion easier.

"So," Raze said once they'd reached the top. "What do we know about the other kingdoms? Any intelligence from before we were separated?"

Fedora leaned against the tower's stone railing, Slith coiled around her shoulders as always. "Alex Dawnsblade attracted the most commitments. Fifty-two people joined his kingdom in under two minutes. The divine blessing was working overtime."

"Predictable," Raze replied. "The hero gets handed advantages. What about the others?"

Darius pulled up his bracelet interface. "Gareth Valorian has thirty from Duskhaven, all of them committed to their Duke's son. Solid power base with unified national loyalty. Seraphine Lumis attracted thirty-eight through cross-kingdom appeal, people from multiple nations choosing her leadership over their own representatives."

"That's dangerous for us," Fedora observed. "Cross-kingdom coalitions are harder to predict than national blocks. You can't assume they'll follow expected patterns."

"Blossom Karnstein has thirty from Cindral," Darius continued. "Aurora Weiss has thirty from Silverpeak. Kira Steelheart has thirty from Aeloria. All national groups following their strongest performers."

Raze nodded slowly. "So the competition breaks into three categories. National kingdoms like ours and theirs that benefit from pre-existing bonds and shared culture. Cross-kingdom coalitions like Seraphine's that trade cultural unity for diverse capability. And Alex's kingdom which is just pure divine bullshit attracting people through blessed charisma rather than earned respect."

"Lyra Astoria has thirty-four with some cross-kingdom elements," Fedora added. "Her performance during the Culling Games and her status as Astorian Princess attracted people beyond just her national delegation. Jonathan Berkshire and Caleb Alvarian have smaller groups, twelve and twenty-nine respectively."

"Berkshire is going to struggle," Darius said bluntly. "Twelve people is barely enough to fill Piece positions let alone maintain a functional kingdom. He'll either absorb defectors from failing kingdoms or collapse when the first serious challenge hits."

Raze studied the landscape below, mind working through competitive dynamics. "Our advantage is that we're all from Westia except for whatever few might have joined from other kingdoms. Shared background creates natural coordination that cross-kingdom groups need time to develop. Our disadvantage is that several kingdoms have equal or larger populations, and Alex's divine blessing will create opportunities we can't match through normal means."

"What's the plan then?" Fedora asked. "Besides surviving and completing objectives?"

"Survive and complete objectives," Raze replied with a slight smile. "But do it efficiently enough that we're accumulating resources faster than we're spending them. The Academy designed this system to create competition for limited resources. Kingdoms that manage their points well can pull ahead. Those that waste resources on poor decisions will spiral into penalties they can't recover from."

"And Alex?" Darius's tone suggested he'd recognized the threat the blessed hero represented.

"Alex gets whatever his divine blessing provides," Raze said neutrally. "We focus on what we can control and position ourselves to capitalize when his convenience inevitably creates situations we can exploit. The hero attracts opportunities but also attracts conflicts. We let him deal with the dramatic storylines while we handle practical survival."

Fedora was watching him with an expression that suggested she recognized he was holding something back but choosing not to press. "That's remarkably pragmatic."

"That's called not fighting battles you can't win," Raze countered. "The hero has divine backing. Trying to compete directly with that is stupidity. Better to build our foundation properly and be ready when the system creates opportunities that competence can exploit better than providence."

Before anyone could respond, every bracelet in the kingdom blazed with golden light simultaneously.

Raze felt the pulse through his entire body, attention snapping to the display as text materialized across the interface. Around them, shouts of surprise echoed from below as all thirty kingdom members received the same notification.

[Welcome To The Board]

[Kingdom Formation Complete]

[Initial Survival Period Beginning]

[First Test Commencing]

[OBJECTIVE: BEAST HORDE DEFENSE]

[A horde of beasts has been released from Academy reserves and directed toward your kingdom. They will arrive at your borders in approximately five minutes. Your objectives are as follows:]

[Primary Objective: Prevent beasts from penetrating the kingdom interior. Any beast that crosses your border perimeter and reaches central structures results in objective failure.]

[Secondary Objective: Minimize casualties among kingdom members. Emergency extraction of any member due to life-threatening injury results in point penalties and reduces combat effectiveness.]

[Tertiary Objective: Eliminate as many beasts as possible. Each confirmed kill awards points based on beast rank and difficulty.]

[REWARDS:]

[King: Academy Points and Kingdom Points based on performance]

[Pieces: Academy Points based on individual contribution and kingdom success]

[General Members: Academy Points based on individual performance]

[PENALTIES:]

[Objective Failure: Reduction of Kingdom Points and Academy Points for leadership]

[Member Extraction: 10 percent Academy Point reduction for extracted member, 1 percent for King]

[Territorial Penetration: Kingdom Point penalties scaling with number of beasts that reach interior]

[TIME UNTIL HORDE ARRIVAL: 4 minutes 47 seconds]

[Good luck, delegates. Show us what your kingdom can accomplish.]

Raze read the notification twice, mind immediately shifting into tactical mode. A timed defense scenario with clear objectives and consequences. The Academy wasn't wasting time easing them into the simulation's challenges.

"Down," he said sharply to Fedora and Darius. "We need everyone organized now."

They descended the Watchtower stairs at speed, emerging into the plaza where their twenty-eight other kingdom members were clustered in various states of alarm and confusion. Some were checking weapons, others staring at their bracelets like the notification might change if they looked hard enough.

Raze's voice cut through the noise. "Formation around me. Now."

The command in his tone made people move without conscious thought. Within seconds, all thirty members had formed a loose semicircle around him, attention focused despite obvious anxiety.

"You all received the notification," Raze said, voice carrying clearly across the assembled group. "Beast horde arriving in less than five minutes. Our job is simple: kill them before they reach our structures, don't die in the process, and accumulate as many points as possible. Questions about objectives?"

Silence answered him. The instructions had been clear enough that confusion wasn't the problem. Fear was.

"Good. Then here's how we handle this." Raze's calm certainty helped settle the visible tension. "Helena, take ten people and establish a defensive line at the eastern border where the forest meets our territory. Beasts will likely approach through that cover. Use the terrain advantage."

Helena Veyron, his newly appointed Rook Two for external control, nodded sharply and began selecting people from the crowd.

"Garrett, you and five others form a rapid response unit. You're mobile reinforcement for wherever the line gets stressed. Don't commit to static defense, stay flexible."

Garrett Stone, Knight One for rapid response, gathered his team without needing additional instruction.

"Julian, take three scouts and map where the horde is actually coming from. Don't engage, just report enemy composition and approach vectors."

Julian Cross, Bishop One for intelligence, disappeared almost immediately with his selected scouts following.

"Everyone else with me on the southern perimeter," Raze continued. "Darius, coordinate interior logistics. If anyone gets seriously injured, you're responsible for getting them to extraction range before the damage becomes permanent. Fedora, you're battlefield command. Override any decision I make if your Precognition shows better outcome."

"Understood," Fedora said, her telekinetic authority already manifesting as a faint shimmer around her hands.

"Lysa, stay at the Mess Hall," Raze addressed his Bishop Two for ideology. "Your combat capability is limited, but we need someone coordinating non-combatants if any supply runners or message carriers are needed."

The scholarly woman nodded, clearly relieved to be given a role that didn't require frontline fighting.

"Cole, you're with me," Raze said to his Pawn. "Your job is to observe everything, learn from everyone, and stay alive. You're our versatility piece. Can't serve that function if you're dead."

The young man's expression showed determination despite obvious nervousness.

"Final point," Raze's voice carried weight that made everyone focus. "The Academy is testing us. First real challenge to see which kingdoms have functional organization and which collapse under pressure. We are not collapsing. We are going to demonstrate exactly why Westia's delegates are worth respecting. Every beast you kill is points for yourself and passive accumulation for our kingdom. Every moment you survive is proof we made the right decisions about structure and leadership."

He drew his katana smoothly, the blade catching sunlight as it cleared the sheath.

"This is what we trained for. This is what we came to Elmbridge Academy to accomplish. So let's show them what we're capable of."

The speech worked. Visible fear transformed into determination, uncertainty replaced by focus. His people moved to their assigned positions with purpose rather than panic.

Bephe had expanded to his full calf size, prehistoric predator radiating eagerness for the violence to come. The creature understood combat on an instinctive level that made him the perfect companion for this kind of scenario.

Raze climbed back up the Watchtower quickly, using the elevation to scan the horizon for approaching threats. Fedora joined him, her Precognition giving her the ability to see seconds into the future that would make her invaluable for tactical coordination.

Then he saw it.

Dust rising on the eastern horizon, massive cloud suggesting significant numbers moving at speed through the forest. The trees were shaking, visible disturbance spreading toward their territory like waves approaching shore.

Julian's voice crackled through the Communication Hub that Raze suddenly realized must have been part of the basic kingdom package. "Eastern approach confirmed. Count estimate: three hundred plus. Mix of Expert and Master rank based on mana signatures. ETA is two minutes."

Three hundred beasts. Against thirty defenders, most of whom were Expert rank with a handful of Master rank among the Pieces.

The odds weren't great. But they didn't need to be great. They just needed to be good enough.

"All positions, contact in two minutes," Raze announced through the Communication Hub, the system apparently linked to all kingdom bracelets. "Hold your lines, watch your flanks, and remember we only need to keep them out of the interior. Make them pay for every meter they advance."

The dust cloud was growing larger, closer, more distinct. Individual shapes were becoming visible through the trees now, massive forms that suggested this wasn't going to be a fight against simple forest predators.

Raze descended from the Watchtower and moved to the southern defensive line where most of his people were positioned. His katana rested comfortably in his grip, Combat Reflex already activating as his mind prepared for violence to come.

Fedora stood beside him, Slith coiled and ready to strike. Darius had positioned himself slightly behind the front line, ready to coordinate logistics and extract injured as needed. Cole stayed close to Raze, the young Pawn clearly taking his observation duties seriously despite fear visible in his eyes.

The beast horde burst from the forest line like flood breaking through a dam.

Hundreds of creatures, ranging from wolf-sized predators to bear-like monstrosities that stood three meters tall. Expert rank formed the bulk of the force, but Master rank threats were scattered throughout, their larger size and greater cultivation making them priority targets.

"Here they come," Raze said calmly. "Remember your training. Stay together. And make every strike count."

The first wave crashed against their defensive line with force that would have broken untrained fighters immediately.

But Raze's kingdom held.

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