With only forty-eight hours separating Elphion from its first Titan Incursion, Miss Athena summoned her entire class to an emergency meeting.

Wepwawet hadn't seen all of his fellow students gathered this way since they re-established contact with the Nexus. Their avatars had regained some color and stability since that time, probably because they had all gained at least five Altars or close to it. Even Horus attended the session in spite of his mother's issues with the Board of Education, although he kept his arms crossed and sulked in his seat.

"Welcome everyone," Miss Athena greeted her students. "The first Titan Incursion is now upon us. You have all been taught extensively about what these events entail, but I decided you could do with a recap considering the System changes."

Wepwawet could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Even Sun Wukong, who feared nothing and rarely took any challenge seriously, had a frown on his simian face. They all understood that this would be their first true test of divinity.

"A Titan Incursion will pit two to three of you against a single Titan opponent, with these events happening at irregular intervals," Miss Athena reminded them. "I've been informed that the Titanomachy registered five of their numbers in the struggle for Elphion, not counting their infiltrator. Your opponents will attack in order of increasing B&C rankings as per our treaty with the Titanomachy."

"So Whiro will be the weakest Titan to invade Elphion?" Pele guessed with a smile of relief. "That's great!"

That reassured Wepwawet a bit, since this attack was happening barely a couple months into his divine tenure. He felt nowhere near prepared enough to confront the likes of Kronos or Apep the Destroyer on his first outing.

"While true, that does not mean you should underestimate Whiro," Miss Athena warned her students. "Whereas you will have to rely on the Miracles and Champions you gathered on Elphion, he will come at you with a custom deck, a dedicated strategy, and other advantages."

"The weakest member of an elite army is still an elite," Sun Wukong mused.

"Wisely spoken." Miss Athena waved her hand and manifested a colorful board that appeared to float out of a spatial rift. "During an Incursion, dimensions will overlap and create a demiplane that is halfway between the native world and the invader's divine realm. This will change how you receive mana. Everyone will start with an empty reserve and extract mana from the rift when they draw a card; the intensity of those mana surges vary but usually provide one to six mana points. However, your Titan opponent will receive a multiplier based on the number of opponents they face."

"So if it's two against one this time, then Whiro will receive a multiplier of two per mana surge?" Ganesha stroked his trunk, his eyes squinting. "This means he will be able to cast higher ranked Miracles more frequently."

"Yes," Miss Athena confirmed. "Additionally, the invading Titan can cast any Animism from their deck for free before the battle begins in order to partly reshape the battlefield. Most of them use Rank 12 Animisms with the power to create vast fortresses or environments that favor their given strategies."

"That sucks!" Artemis complained. "How is it that they get to fight with their personal deck, a custom board, and an overwhelming mana advantage?!"

Anansi scoffed. "Simple, huntress. The Titans would never have agreed to indirect battles without stacking the deck in their favor. They don't care about collateral damage to mortalkind, remember?"

"Of course I know that, spiderling!" Artemis replied with a sneer. "I'm just venting!"

"You are not without your own advantages," Miss Athena reassured her before materializing Altars across her phantom board. "Since Titans despise mortals and Champions, most must use Miracles to conjure monsters to fight for them; and while Titans will always enjoy a mana point lead, the board will also generate random claimable Altars. Each one a player claims allows them to receive an additional mana surge during their next draw phase; Miracle maintenance costs, such as those of Doctrines, will have to be paid right after."

Wepwawet raised his hand. "What about the System changes on Elphion? How would they impact Titan Incursions?"

"I cannot fully answer that," Miss Athena conceded. "Considering the Elphion system has changed from a turn-based one to real-time one for battles, my guess is that each player will have a short timing window where they can cast their Miracles one after the other, though nobody can confirm it until the Incursion actually begins. Most of the battle format was codified through our treaty with the Titanomachy, so all other rules of engagement should remain in place."

Miss Athena then forwarded the winning conditions from the agreed-upon list in the Titanomachy treaty: 'destroy the enemy's Idol,' 'defeat all enemy Commanders,' or 'capture the most Altars before the countdown runs out.' The invading Titan would select one from among that number before the battle's start and it would apply to everyone.

"If Whiro chooses the first win condition, then all participants will have their Idol manifest on the board and can field as many Champions or Commanders as they want," Miss Athena explained. "If he picks the second, each participant will only be able to send a limited number of units; and the third allows for some customization. While some rare Miracles may allow a Titan to automatically win a match should some difficult conditions be met—such as summoning the Innocent One or casting The End Comes For You Doctrine—an invader cannot change the main victory condition nor edit their deck until they are either expelled or defeat all of you."

"So those of us going in second will benefit from prior knowledge of the Titan's deck and strategy should the first team be defeated," Wepwawet summarized.

"How fitting that you would be the first to test the enemy's capabilities, oh great Opener of the Ways," Anansi taunted him. "Try to scout out most of our foe's deck before you lose, could you?"

Wepwawet glared at him. "You imply I'm going to lose?"

"If you're so sure of yourself, spiderling, then why don't you volunteer?" Artemis asked with a snort.

"No thank you," the spider god replied shamelessly. "I do my best work with prep time."

Artemis scoffed in disdain. "I'm tempted to call you chicken, but poultry would be braver."

"Anansi does raise a good point," Miss Athena said, much to everyone's shock. "An Incursion battle will continue until one side is entirely wiped out, so any Miracle or Champion you have in play will endure beyond your elimination or until no one pays their maintenance cost. I would ideally prefer that you all survive, but should you find yourself in a position when your defeat is certain… I would advise using your remaining resources towards playing Miracles that will improve your surviving teammates' odds of success."

Axomamma politely raised her hand. "What of us, Miss Athena? If we are beaten but our teammates win, would we stay on Elphion?"

"I'm afraid not." Miss Athena shook her head with a grim look on her face. "Should you be defeated, you will be permanently expelled from Elphion with no way back even should your allies prevail in your absence."

A chill traveled down Wepwawet's spine. "What about our Champions?" he asked. He had never considered what would happen to Victoire, Filou, and the others should he lose before, but now that he had spent many months with them… he had begun to wonder. "I know we keep the souls of dead Champions so we can revive them with Miracles later, but what happens to them should their god be defeated?"

"Who cares?" he heard Ishtar complain at the back of the class. "If we're gone, they'll be on their own anyway."

"I-I care," Axomamma said. "We've just started planting potatoes, so I hope they'll stick around for the harvest…"

"Between us, the only reason my worshipers don't go to Hell when they die is because we haven't implemented one yet," Anansi quipped.

"Mine would sell entrance tickets," Ganesha complained.

"A defeated god's dead Champions will see their souls return to reincarnate on Elphion," Miss Athena explained. "Any surviving Champion will return home once the battle concludes no matter what happened to their divine sponsor. This also means that your Champions may live to fight another day under a different god's banner."

So if I lose but Pele wins, then Victoire and the others will return safely. While the idea of leaving Verglane at that dimwit's mercy didn't particularly inspire confidence, Wepwawet was relieved to know his followers wouldn't go down with the ship. They deserve a happy ending, even if I can't provide it to them myself.

"You must now decide the order in which you will confront Whiro," Miss Athena concluded. "It would be better for you to form pairs based on your own civilizations and playstyle synergies rather than allow the System to pick your match-ups."

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Wepwawet and Pele exchanged a glance. The latter could hardly contain her impatience. She probably craved the glory of going in first and showcasing her bravery to the class. They began to raise his hand to volunteer…

Only for Horus to prove quicker. "I'll go first!" he declared proudly, earning himself gasps from other students. "My family's name has been dragged through the mud, and I shall clear it with that Titan's blood!"

"I'll fight with him!" Pele said immediately.

"What?!" Wepwawet choked at her sudden decision. "What about the plan?!"

"We'll find something else," Pele replied while dismissively waving her hand. "Love does not wait."

Miss Athena put an end to the argument. "While I appreciate your eagerness to clear your name, young Horus, the Board of Education is reviewing your case as we speak. Considering the…" Their teacher marked a short pause and chose her words carefully not to sully Horus in the eyes of his classmates. "Suspicions involved in your particular case, I ask that you wait for the final round to engage Whiro."

"This is ridiculous!" Horus protested, his classmates exchanging glances behind him. "How am I to prove my innocence if I cannot take a stand?!"

"With reason and patience," Miss Athena replied calmly. "Moreover, considering the fact that the Incursion will take place within the borders of Wepwawet's civilization, it is only fair that he be allowed to go first for their sake."

Horus grunted and crossed his arms in defeat. Wepwawet almost felt sorry for him. He would have seen being forced to go dead last as an insult too.

"So…" Pele smiled innocently at Wepwawet, her previous outburst all but forgotten. "Back to Plan A?"

She should have been a goddess of weathervanes rather than volcanoes, Wepwawet thought as he glanced at Artemis and Ganesha. The former was silently begging him to partner up with her, and he had to admit he was sorely tempted. Unfortunately, working with Pele and the magmorians remained his best option for Verglane's long-term peace. The things I do for my mortals…

In the end, Pele and Wepwawet volunteered to go first. Ganesha and Artemis would take over should they fail, followed by Axomamma and Epona, Sun Wukong and Watatsumi, and then Ishtar and Hel. Horus and Anansi would conclude the gauntlet—the former because he had no choice, the latter out of self-preservation.

The die is cast, as they say, Wepwawet thought once he and Pele registered in the System for the first round. I hope I'm not making a mistake here.

"I'll inform my Champions about the truce and return Princess Topaz to them as a gesture of goodwill," Wepwawet informed Pele. "I expect you to return the favor."

"Who do you take me for?" She sounded vaguely offended by the lack of trust. "I promised an alliance and I'll deliver. I'll ask my Pantheon about Whiro too."

Wepwawet nodded in appreciation. "My parents organized a cram school session with the SGA, some of whom likely fought Whiro. I'll ask them for advice too. Once that's finished, we can pool our intel, collaborate on a strategy, and coach our Champions on it."

"Works for me!" Pele replied with a smug grin. "It'll be a walk in the park!"

"You're taking this way too lightly," Wepwawet complained. "Haven't you listened to what Miss Athena said? Fighting two-on-one will barely make up for Whiro's advantages."

"Yes, yes, don't be a killjoy," Pele replied with confidence. "I've secured a secret weapon, a scaled weapon. I promise you that Whiro will never see it coming!"

Wepwawet had a bad feeling about that, in more ways than one.

The rift continued to expand with each passing hour.

The crimson maw growing in the sky now covered Narc's horizon and tainted it in a red hue. Staring at it from the feet of her god's Idol sent shivers down Victoire's spine. According to her scouts, the phenomenon could be seen all the way from Citadel Sapphire.

It will reach Narc's outskirts in a day's time at this rate. As much as she tried to present a strong front for the sake of her comrades, Victoire struggled to suppress her unease. Is it one of those Titans manifesting to take a bite of our world like an apple? Or will it vomit fear and death upon the earth below?

All of Lord Wepwawet's Champions—save Insupportable, who was still frozen in the temple—had teleported in from all across Verglane and gathered near his Altar at his telepathic command. The likes of Filou trembled like a leaf in the wind, and even unflappable personalities like Wintresse and Lord Raymond observed the rift with cautious silence.

"That's not good at all," Jarlack stated the obvious, his hands clenching his axe with his wife at his side. "Any idea what it is?"

"I cannot say," Wintresse muttered under her breath, her voice laced with more anxiety than Victoire ever heard coming from her. "This is magic on a scale I never thought possible…"

"I-I could do that too!" Slimon said, his voice wavering. "With science and enough prep time!"

"Gruuudu…"

"I know, big guy," Mistouffe whispered in the weremammoth's ear. "I'm scared too."

"Whatever is it, it concerns all of us," Lourson nodded upon glancing at Lady Karen, Princess Topaz, and Jasper, who had all been invited to participate in the meeting; they had even provided the kraken with hundreds of buckets to periodically hydrate herself with. "Not just Narc."

Victoire nodded gravely. The silver lining was that the six andvari golems had finally arrived from Roynimalia. While nowhere near as tall as giants, these towering automatons cut an impressive figure and reached twice the size of a werebear. The constructs resembled armored warriors carved from stone, with scripts of runes for veins and a wolfish mask for a visage. She guessed the dwarves added that detail to honor Lord Wepwawet. The group came with six iron control rods that allowed their wielders to order them around with vocal commands.

Their fists could kill a man in a single blow, Victoire thought upon assessing them, but something tells me we're not going to fight humans…

Her spine stiffened when her god's visage appeared in the clouds above Verglane, his expression unusually grave and solemn.

"Citizens of Verglane!" her god shouted, his voice carrying the strength of thunder. "The day I foretold is upon us! The darkness has come to challenge us! In two days time, this maw shall unleash a great disaster called Whiro the Corpseater! His army of fiends and monsters awaits on the other side of this rift, ready to descend upon Verglane, nay, all of Elphion!"

This is it, Victoire thought as her fellow Champions listened in dreadful silence, her suspicions now confirmed. The Titans are coming.

"Considering the scale of the threat at hand and the fact that both of our nations face destruction, the goddess Pele of Lavaland and I have agreed to a ceasefire between our nations until our common enemy is defeated!" Lord Wepwawet announced. "Starting now, all military actions against the magmorians will be suspended until further notice!"

While Victoire wasn't entirely surprised considering her earlier conversations with Lord Wepwawet, his announcement drew gasps and chokes of outrage from his Champions.

"A truce?" Goreville choked, clearly struggling to believe his own ears. "With Lavaland?"

"Is this a joke?!" Lord Rickart asked.

"It is not," Princess Topaz said, her hands holding her shining forehead. "I hear Lady Pele's warning echoing in my mind… this vile Whiro threatens Lavaland too, and his power is unimaginable."

"I hear Lady Artemis' whispers too," Karen the Kraken said. "She asked that I support you in any way I can."

Rapoleon crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "This Whiro must be quite the threat to force such an alliance to be formed to defeat him."

Is that their plan to bring peace between our nations? To unite us against a common threat? Victoire wasn't sure it would work, but the urgency in her god's voice sounded genuine. Then again, maybe they have no choice in the matter…

"I know that many of you hold grievances against Lavaland for their reckless attacks on our lands, and those shall not be forgotten; however, I ask that you temporarily cooperate with their forces for the sake of Verglane's survival!" Lord Wepwawet declared, his eyes shining brighter than the stars. "I sense your fear, but dread not, for I shall defend you to my last breath! My chosen Champions shall hold the line and our foes shall crash on our walls like the tide on a shore!"

Victoire held her breath as her god's gaze focused on his Champions and addressed them directly.

"I won't lie to you, my Champions; many of you may not make it out of this battle alive," Lord Wepwawet said. "The enemy we will face soon is unlike anything you have fought before! Whiro does not seek conquest, lands, or riches; he cannot be negotiated with because the only thing he seeks is your destruction! He is evil in its purest form, cruel and unrelenting! However, I promise you that I shall preserve your souls should you fall in the line of duty!"

He can play the solemn god when he wants to, Victoire thought. She was tempted to believe for the first time since before she saw the outline of a board in Icefall. Still… this victory will be purchased with our blood, not his.

No matter. Victoire had seen what the Titans did in Promesse. She couldn't allow a similar slaughter to destroy Narc or Verglane.

Victoire turned to face her fellow Champions. "You have heard Lord Wepwawet!" she shouted, her spear raised to the sky. "Only we stand between Verglane's people and their destruction! For their sake, we cannot falter!"

"I-I am ready to fight!" Filou said upon drawing his scimitar. "We've all trained for this!"

"It will be an honor to fight at your command, Lord Wepwawet," Goreville said with a knee on the ground, with other werelings quickly imitating the gesture. "Our lives are yours!"

"Hah!" Jarlack scoffed as he stomped the ground with his axe. "No foe or friend can collect my soul without my due compensation!"

A few like Renarde reacted with less moxie, but stood their ground nonetheless. "I am not certain my presence will make any difference in such a battle," she said, "but I suppose there are some stages one cannot exit before the curtain's call."

"Then mobilize all of our forces in time for the second day, and give your heartfelt goodbyes to your loved ones," Lord Wepwawet said before turning his attention to their hostages. "Lady Topaz, Jasper, I please ask that you remain with us as messengers to your mistress. Sagesse and another volunteer will move to Lavaland to serve as my voice there, which will allow us to coordinate against our common foe."

"I understand," the princess replied, her hands joined together. "It does not please me to collaborate with my jailers, but my goddess demanded that I assist in the protection of the innocent people of Verglane."

Much to Victoire's surprise, Jasper remained quietly silent. No doubt it surprised him that he would be asked to defend the very place he lost so many soldiers to take.

"Victoire," Lord Wepwawet said, startling her. "I must focus my efforts on gathering critical information on our adversary. I leave the battle preparations in your capable hands."

Victoire nodded firmly as her god disappeared. She was grateful for the trust he showed her in this dark hour and did not waste time barking out orders.

"Wintresse, Slimon, ensure all our magical weapons are operational. Sagesse, Lord Rickart, take a small escort with you to Citadel Sapphire to coordinate with General Peridot. Lord Raymond, I ask that you move all battle-ready troops from Promesse to Narc." It felt strange to direct her former commander officer around, but he did not complain nor argue. "Finally, Bernard… Yours will be the hardest task." Victoire suppressed a sigh. "You need to convince your dragon to help without making a mess of himself."

"I will do what I can," the yeti promised solemnly.

We're going to win this. Victoire could feel it in her bones in spite of all the tension in the air and the dread creeping into her heart. We must win this.

Yet a terrible malaise filled her soul once she looked at Filou, Alpine, and all the allies her god had gathered under his banner. Many had become her comrades-in-arms, or her friends.

Two days separated them from the battle of their lives.

How many of her comrades would live to see the third?

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