The demon emperor walked into the war room as if he owned the place.

Emperor Malvolo looked… well, exactly how Victoire imagined a demon emperor would look. The ruler of the Zoramesh Empire was a tall and towering figure, reaching nearly eight feet tall and clad in heavy black plate armor adorned with a crimson velvet cape. Metal covered almost every inch of his body, with his helmet only allowing two dark curved horns to rise above, and two slits revealing glowing red eyes assessing everything in sight with cold calculation. A malevolent, reddish aura swirled around him at all times, and Victoire often glimpsed howling faces reflected inside. It was almost suffocating.

Are those the ghosts of his victims clinging to him? Victoire wondered. The smell of blood that followed the demon emperor everywhere he walked certainly pointed in that direction. Or a blessing from his goddess?

Whatever the case, the Zoramesh Emperor felt so supremely confident in his power and safety that he didn't bring any bodyguards. The only demons that followed him were Duke Vidé and a newcomer that would have almost looked like a young and elegant human woman with pale blue eyes and long pink hair tied up by multicolored flowers into braids, if not for her sinuous tail and horns betraying her true nature. Said horns' shape matched that of Emperor Malvolo so closely Victoire wondered if it was a coincidence, and the expensive crimson dress she wore was adorned with so many fancy trimmings it was a wonder she could move in it at all. The woman smiled at everyone, though her hand never left the pommel of the sword sheathed at her belt.

Malvolo and his cohorts assessed the room in an instant. Fire Sultana Alexandrite had insisted on a small gathering, so only Victoire, General Peridot, and their bodyguards had been invited. Almost all of them had brought their weapons and kept them close at hand.

"Let me welcome you to Salamandra, Lord Malvolo," Fire Sultana Alexandrite said with graciousness, though her voice retained a metallic edge and a hint of caution. A demon emperor remained a terrible threat even in the center of her power and surrounded by her guards. "Last time we met, neither of us had yet to ascend to our respective thrones."

"Small talk is for people who have breath and time to waste, Alexandrite," the emperor replied sharply. "Let us skip through the pleasantries."

This one is cut from the same steel he wears, Victoire noted. The emperor's cold and abrupt behavior stood in stark contrast to that of his aides, who were all smiles with their hosts. At least he's honest…

"You wound me, Malvolo," the Sultana replied, dropping the 'Lord' part. "I would rather that we proceed with the proper introductions. I am not familiar with your youngest aide."

"I am Satine, high priestess of Lady Ishtar and only daughter of His Dark Majesty," the woman replied with a courteous bow. "Thank you kindly for hosting us today, Your Grace, and let me congratulate you on your splendid victory the other day. Lavaland truly lives up to the tales of its military brilliance."

"My, such a respectful young lady. It is a pleasure to welcome a demon princess to our halls. We have already felt the effects of your presence among us."

Victoire gritted her teeth in embarrassment. Lord Wepwawet had to teleport Soumis and Insupportable away from the capital earlier because too many princesses in one location drove them absolutely feral.

"The two of you make quite the pair, Malvolo," the Fire Sultana noted. "A velvet glove and an iron fist."

"You could say that," the emperor replied, his crimson gaze turning to Victoire. "You must be the Verglanian dragon rider I have heard so much about, Victoire of Narc."

"I am indeed," Victoire replied without elaborating much. She disliked empty courtesies, and she had the feeling the fiends would use anything she said against her down the line.

"Oh, then you are the rightful heir to Valentine's throne," Princess Satine said with a wide smile. "Excellent, I hope we can be friends."

It took all of Victoire's willpower to keep a blank face as her allies glanced at her with incomprehension. "I do not know what you are talking about."

Satine raised an eyebrow. "You do not?"

"She does," Malvolo replied with a hint of amusement in his voice, "but she resents the burden of her birth because she fears others will focus on her lineage rather than her achievements."

He's sharp, Victoire noted while hiding her distaste. Duke Vidé had already made it clear to her that the Zoramesh Empire's aristocracy knew of her origins, but she never said anything about her reasons for hiding them. The demon emperor only had to see her face to guess her motives. Of course he has to be, to stand atop a pit of vipers.

"No matter," Emperor Malvolo decided. "If thou wish to be treated as a warrior, then I shall respect it."

"Let us return to the subject at hand," Sultana Alexandrite said, though the glances she sent Victoire's way all but said they would have a private conversation about her origins once the meeting concluded. "Shall we?"

Princess Satine nodded and joined her hands. A golden aura surged from her and swiftly materialized into a projection of Lady Ishtar, while Lord Wepwawet manifested next to Victoire and Alexandrite.

"Greetings, mortals," Lady Ishtar said with a predatory smile that sent shivers down Victoire's spine. Her beauty was that of a poisonous flower that made itself enticing enough to lure fools to their doom. "Thank you for having me today, Wepwawet."

"But of course," Lord Wepwawet replied with a hint of wariness. Although they were allied today, Victoire could tell her god trusted Ishtar as much as she did her demon worshipers. "Peridot, if you would?"

The magmorian general nodded and brought a set of stone tablets onto the war table. Victoire recognized a series of carved maps and a geological analysis of Lavaland providing detailed information on the southeastern border.

"The stolen Altars are located in two cities," General Peridot explained, pointing at points on the map. "Oretown, a prosperous mining settlement and hub for the silver trade with Valentine, and Pitsfire, one of Lavaland's most ancient settlements."

"How defensible are they?" Malvolo immediately inquired.

"Oretown is located in a mountainous region, but the city itself has no fortifications or defensive features," Peridot explained. "Pitsfire possesses stone ramparts dating back to the founding of Lavaland, but they have fallen into disrepair from a lack of maintenance."

Malvolo scoffed in disdain. "You never expected an attack from the Valentinian side, did you? How naïve."

"Valentine used to be the better neighbor, I won't deny it," Alexandrite replied with a frosty tone. She held the demon emperor's gaze as she spoke. "According to our scouts, Timberan's forces hold Orestown, and Mortis' troops control Pitsfire. I want to retake them both at once before our enemies can entrench themselves there."

"Forgive me, but can't Lord Wepwawet simply walk all over them?" Duke Vidé asked. "Certainly none of our enemies can repel his avatar."

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"I could attack these cities myself, but Lady Ishtar decided against it," Lord Wepwawet replied. "We assessed that Mortis' and Timberan's deities aren't too determined to protect their stolen lands. They will fight to keep the Altars, but probably not to the point of sinking an enormous amount of resources into doing so."

"Lord Wepwawet's direct intervention would no doubt change that state of affairs," Ishtar added. "They would likely consider options like destroying the cities we are trying to retake as acceptable losses to wound him. This is the same reason why I am unwilling to deploy my Molek so early in our campaign."

"In short, you are trying to avoid escalating this operation beyond a conventional battle," Alexandrite summarized. "Can we count on your support anyway?"

"Of course." Lord Wepwawet nodded fiercely. "Our foes will have a defensive advantage due to the stolen Altars' proximity, but we will help you to the best of our abilities."

"We have options," Lady Ishtar said ominously. "In any case, Pitsfire and Orestown are close enough to each other that one of our enemies could send reinforcements to the other at any time. Securing the border requires taking both cities at once."

"A two-pronged assault, then?" The demon emperor crossed his arms. "Pitsfire is closer to the Valentinian border, so I shall lead my army there to immediately cross once we retake the city. Speed is of the essence in our campaign."

"Then I can lead the charge against Orestown," Victoire said. "Our troops have experience with defending mining towns, so we can anticipate some tactics the enemy may use to protect this one."

"Point taken," Alexandrite replied with a chuckle. "Then it is settled. Victoire, General Peridot, and I will lead the Verglanian and Lavaland forces against Timberan's forces in Orestown while the Zoramesh army shall march against Pitsfire. My sister Topaz and Jasper shall accompany Lord Malvolo's army to reassure our population that this is a liberation operation, rather than one of conquest."

And ensure a Lavaland local reclaims the Altar rather than a demon, Victoire thought.

"Good, a local riot against the occupiers would suit us well." Malvolo glanced at his daughter. "Satine."

"Yes, father?"

"You will accompany the Lavaland army to keep communication channels open… and ensure operations proceed smoothly."

Victoire narrowed her eyes at him. "You do not trust us, Your Majesty?"

"Trust?" The demon emperor suppressed his laughter, as if he found the mere idea of trust ridiculous. "There is no trust in this room, only an alignment of interests."

"True," Fire Sultana Alexandrite replied, her fingers intertwining. "We know of a few secret passages that the enemy shouldn't be aware of and that will let us infiltrate the cities from multiple fronts, but I worry that Valentine will send supplies and reinforcements to their allies. Cutting Orestown and Pitsfire off from them would tremendously help."

"One of our allies is already working on that," Lord Wepwawet reassured them, much to everyone's surprise, including his fellow deity.

"They are?" Ishtar glanced at Wepwawet with a heavy look. "Is Ganesha going to reinforce us?"

"Not quite." Her god smiled ear to ear. "Let's just say Valentine isn't the only country with a strong air force."

The strategy meeting was long and productive. Ishtar and Wepwawet bounced around strategy ideas on how to use their Miracles to retake the cities, discussed how to subvert the enemy defenses with their mortals, and then agreed on a division of forces.

Both locations presented specific challenges. Orestown's Altar was located near a manse built atop abandoned silver mines and separated from the town by a bridge. The enemy could easily block access by destroying it, so they would need to rely on an air force to retake the area. Meanwhile, Pitsfire's Altar was built on top of the city's former central shrine, so defenders would have an easier time shielding it from attacks.

And that was without taking into account whatever Miracles Watatsumi and Hel used to fortify both cities. Neither side had much knowledge of what the other had in store, so they were bound to encounter surprises.

Once the meeting concluded, Wepwawet then proceeded to Rank-Up every Champion expected to fight in the battle. Victoire obviously decided to stick to the Snowheart path, as usual, while Princess Topaz and Jasper picked the Princess and Vanguard Classes respectively; the former because the healing she provided her troops had already saved many lives, the latter because he wanted to better protect his new wife.

As for Princess Treasure… Well, the only thing that came out of her mouth was 'Princess!', so Wepwawet guessed she wanted to continue to play the part.

Victoire Fleuret, Blade of Winter, has ranked up in Snowheart! +3 STR, +3 AGI, +3 VIT, +4 SKI, +3 MAG, +3 INT, +4 CHA, +3 LCK! She gained the Winter Infusion Perk!

Winter Infusion: Can empower their weapon and those of all allies within thirty meters with the power of Frost for five minutes; all affected users gain a chance equal to LCK/2 to inflict Freeze ailment on successful damage and become immune to Frost until the effect runs out. Replaces Frost Infusion.

Topaz, Fire Princess, has ranked up in Princess! +2 STR, +1 AGI, +2 VIT, +3 SKI, +5 MAG, +2 INT, +4 CHA, +3 LCK! She gained the Leadership I Perk!

Leadership I: Grants a +2 Damage bonus to all allies within range and reduces damage taken by 2.

Princess Treasure, Precious Royalty, has ranked up in Princess! +2 STR, +1 AGI, +2 VIT, +3 SKI, +5 MAG, +2 INT, +4 CHA, +3 LCK! She gained the Leadership I Perk!

Leadership I: Grants a +2 Damage bonus to all allies within range and reduces damage taken by 2.

Jasper, Shield of Topaz, has ranked up in Vanguard! +3 STR, +3 AGI, +4 VIT, +1 SKI, +3 MAG, +2 INT, +1 CHA, +3 LCK! He gained the Taunt I Perk!

Taunt I: Inflicts the Berserk ailment on an enemy within sight, and compels them to attack you until the effect runs out.

To think that Princess Treasure was now smarter than the dragons fighting over her… Wepwawet wasn't sure what to make of that.

Victoire has reached Rank 7 too, Wepwawet thought with some pride. She has come a long way since we first started.

Since both Topaz and Jasper had hit the four-perks limit, Wepwawet replaced their Ignition ability—which allowed magmorians to ignite weapons with their blood—with the new ones. The two were expected to always be together, so Topaz's Fire Blessing spell made Ignition redundant anyway. The princess would strengthen her husband, who would, in turn, draw danger away from her. A winning combination.

The only Champion left to Rank-Up would be Filou, whom Wepwawet would bless after contacting him again. Something told him new options might open up for the brave squire…

"Quite the force we have assembled," Ishtar commented once the two of them retreated to their domains of Influence to discuss a few points about their strategy. "I would say quality and quantity are both on our side."

"I would have even better troops to commit if we completed the resurrection Miracle trade."

"And we will… after my troops cross over into Valentine."

Wepwawet glared at her. "You think I won't let your army through Lavaland if you trade me the Miracle now?"

"You know the saying. Trust, but verify." Ishtar smirked at him. "If you're afraid of an early Incursion, worry not. My army is the kind that feeds on its own success. I would say I will be a better asset to you against the Titans after I conquer Valentine than before."

Wepwawet clenched his jaw. He wasn't too eager to see Ishtar gaining too much power, and he still had no idea what kind of secret hid in Valentine's royal vault, but he had few options to contain his dangerous ally.

Ishtar waved his worries away with her hand. "I'll hold up my end of the bargain so long as you hold up yours, do not worry, Sweetpup. If anything, I'm starting to like you."

"Whole graveyards are filled with mortals whom you took a liking to," Wepwawet countered.

"But none of them ever regretted it." Ishtar changed the subject when she realized her fellow god wouldn't take the bait. "Then again, you probably have your hands full with Artemis and Horus. I'm surprised you convinced the latter to fight Epona on our behalf."

"He agreed to prevent Epona from sending reinforcements, not to engage them in battle," Wepwawet corrected her. "An important distinction."

Ishtar quickly caught on. "Ah, I see. He intends to do what Anansi is putting me through on my southern border. Mass troops that seem poised to attack, forcing Pona into a deadlock in case he goes through with his threat."

"Yes… with the caveat that he will attack if Epona sends troops across the border."

"Smart bird. At best, he wins concessions doing nothing, and at worst, he can pretend to be a righteous defender keeping order in the class." Ishtar stroked her chin. "This helps us in any case. I do not think Watatsumi and Hel are so attached to their Altars that they would defend them with all their strength, so the loss of reinforcements will shake their confidence."

"Which is our chance to end things quicker," Wepwawet said. "A long siege would bleed us all dry, but if we offer them a straight knockout, a winner-takes-all fight…"

Ishtar's smile grew predatory. "Are you suggesting what I think you are, Sweetpup? A double date?"

"Oh yes, we're going to challenge Watatsumi and Hel at B&C," Wepwawet decided, grinning ear to ear. "We'll fight them in a tag-team battle."

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