"Besides," Alexander's voice shed the last of its killing intent, replaced by cold logic. "You don't have time to build fortifications. And razing this land to scorched earth isn't what you want, either."

The logic was undeniable. Pushing the battlefield far away from the Black Tower was the only way to buy the time he needed to build a proper defense. The more time he could secure, the stronger their foothold would become.

"Unleash the demonic monsters you've converted," Alexander instructed. "Send them south to intercept the enemy's advance. Let the war erupt in their territory, not ours."

Using their own tactics against them. There's a sadistic genius to it, Orion thought, studying Alexander's deep-set eyes. He was beginning to see a vicious streak of irony hidden in his ally's soul.

"The clown wants to go fishing, doesn't he?" Alexander continued. "Fine. Let's crash his fishing trip. I'm curious to see who ends up on whose hook."

Orion's eyes lit up. He loved the sound of that. "Bro, who's the bait?"

He regretted the question the moment it left his lips. Alexander was already staring at him, an intense, unblinking gaze that made the answer obvious. Among the members of the Champions Alliance present, he was the perfect lure.

"Excellent. You're self-aware."

The words hit him like a physical blow.

"But you won't be the only piece on the board," Alexander elaborated, his voice turning cold again as the killing intent began to bleed back into his tone. "We will continuously raise the stakes. We will blunt their advance, then reverse it. We will push the front line all the way back to their Black Tower and set their doorstep on fire. Only then will the real powers in the Cult of Four show themselves. When enough of their lords and arch lords die, the demigods will be forced to intervene. And if the situation becomes desperate enough, the clown and the Witch will have no choice but to enter the field themselves."

It was a plan that was simple in concept and brutally difficult in execution. To kill the Cult's commanders, the bait had to be strong enough to slaughter anyone and anything that stood in its way, short of a demigod.

In other words, Alexander had complete faith in Orion's ability to do just that.

"Even if they only send avatars, we will tear them to pieces," Alexander hissed. "We will kill every single one they send. We will slaughter them until their courage fails, until their morale shatters, until their very will is broken."

Orion's throat felt dry. He swallowed hard. Alexander's ruthlessness was chilling. For a powerhouse at the peak of the arch lord tier, poised to ascend to demigod, a psychological blow like a shattered will or a loss of nerve could be a fatal, permanent wound, making advancement impossible. Alexander didn't just want to kill them; he wanted to cripple them forever.

He's terrifying.

"In that case, we shouldn't waste any time," Orion said, taking a deep breath. The first battle would set the tone for the entire war. As the bait, he had to be the first one on the field. "I'll leave things here to you, bro."

"Go," Alexander said. "My shadow army is already in position."

Orion nodded once, then turned and descended from the tower.

***

Titanion Realm, the Trident Sea.

The closest Sea-Drake race outpost to the Stoneheart Horde's territory was the Azurecrown Royal Harbor. Since the two powers had formed their alliance, the third prince, Voryn, had been stationed there to oversee the garrison and manage all trade affairs.

At that moment, Prince Voryn was lounging in his palace of iridescent coral, watching mermaids trace patterns in the water and sea-nymphae perform their hypnotic dances.

The tranquil, decadent scene was shattered when a Merfolk warrior burst into the hall, rushing to deliver a sealed message.

Voryn shot the panicked messenger an annoyed glare before taking the missive. As he read its contents, his leisurely expression vanished. He shot up from his pearl-encrusted throne.

"Everyone, out!"

At his sharp command, the dancers vanished into the currents, followed by the now-trembling messenger. Voryn paced frantically before his throne, his mind racing. Unable to decide, he retrieved a small seahorse from a pouch at his belt.

The creature spat out a shimmering silver bubble of water. Voryn used his transcendent power to stabilize the bubble, then initiated a secret technique to contact his father, the Sea-Drake king.

"What is it?" a voice finally grumbled from within the bubble, heavy with the annoyance of being awakened from a deep slumber.

"Father, the Stoneheart Horde is on the move!" Voryn said, his voice tight with panic. "They've launched a massive fleet of Sea-Devouring Warships and Ocean Hunters. I don't know if their target is my Azurecrown Royal Harbor. Our agents in Marina City tried to approach their military camp and were captured. We don't know if they're alive or dead. Father, are they breaking the treaty? Is this war?"

"Calm yourself," King Neptor's voice boomed from the bubble. Voryn was his favored son, and this panicked display was a deep disappointment. "Who told you their fleet is aimed at us?"

"But Father, I—"

"In your recent trade dealings," the king cut him off, "has anything unusual occurred? Have our people been shorting their shipments? Lowering the quality of goods? Has there been a conflict between our people and theirs?" Though they were questions, a cold anger was already brewing in the king's tone.

"No, none of those things!" Voryn insisted, shaking his head. He knew how important the trade was. He had been meticulous. "Father, I swear to you, I personally inspect every shipment. We have the Stoneheart Horde's own contractual ledgers as proof. And there has been no violence. The agents I chose for Marina City are all level-headed. I instructed them to report any issues to me directly so I could resolve them."

The king believed him. A long silence followed. Voryn waited, his heart pounding in his chest.

"This fleet," the king's voice finally returned, "is the Giant King leading it himself?"

"No. It's a lord named Marina."

"Marina?" the king mused. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

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