The atmosphere in the classroom was downright oppressive.

Wepwawet saw grim scowls and expressions of disbelief on his classmates' faces everywhere he looked. Artemis and Anansi looked exhausted, and though Sun Wukong appeared in better shape, his body was tenser than a bowstring. Axomamma was by far the most devastated, since her territory was the most directly threatened, while Ganesha kept his arms crossed in anticipation.

Hastur's spatial rift had opened south of Stalheim, near the water border with Watatsumi's Kingdom of Timberan and the land border with Megaloria. Lavaland wasn't immediately threatened, but still frighteningly close.

"We're with you," Wepwawet immediately told Ganesha once they met up.

His best friend looked up and nodded in gratitude. "Thanks, Wepy," he said with a sigh. "I had hoped we could celebrate Arty's victory instead…"

"How is this possible?!" Hel shouted what was on everyone's mind. "How can we face two Incursions in a row?!"

"Our worst fears have come to pass," Miss Athena replied with a forlorn expression. "The Board suspects that a mix of sabotage and algorithmic manipulation on the Titans' part skewed the System. Since Beelzebub counts as a defending god and Tiamat failed to defeat any of her opponents, the System likely assumed that your class had an immense advantage and acted to balance it out."

Epona glared at Horus. "I suppose we should send a letter of gratitude to your mother for this mess?"

"You watch your tongue, horse-woman," the falcon god replied, though he bristled and didn't contest the accusation.

"Isn't this his fault too?!" Hel wrathfully pointed a finger at Wepwawet. "Allowing a local god to rise skewed the System against us!"

"I did what I had to do," Wepwawet countered. "The situation would have been far worse had we allowed Archon to rampage through Valentine."

Miss Athena came to her student's defense. "I do not think this factored into the Third Incursion's timing. Local deities of this Lady of Broceliande's level cannot participate in B&C battles, whether as a player or a Champion, so their impact on Incursion timing is negligible. If anything, the presence of native gods will help strengthen Elphion's mana and reinforce its emerging barrier."

"Anansi, Sun, Artemis, can you recount your battle with Tiamat?" Epona asked. "What unfolded during it might have led to this early Incursion."

"Allow me!" Anansi said with a slight, tired bow. "As the god of stories, I will gladly recount my own priceless contribution to this battle."

"Like how you nearly lost all your troops and we had to bail your sorry ass out?" Artemis taunted him. Their year-long struggle against a common foe hadn't made them closer in the slightest.

"I was serving as the most alluring of baits, thank you very much," Anansi replied with distaste. "Can't we put the past behind us? We're all in the same boat right now."

Artemis glared daggers at the spider, but didn't comment. Wepwawet shared her sentiment. For all the shit Anansi pulled, he was right; now was not the time for division.

Anansi proceeded to recount the Second Incursion in his own trademark dramatic fashion, though the fact that his teammates only interrupted him once or twice pointed to the tale's accuracy. True to her reputation as a mother of monsters, Tiamat had spent the better part of the year-long battle following a very simple strategy: summon as many brood monsters as she could with the appropriate Miracles, cast a few Animisms to protect their nests, use recursion cards to recover from the discard pile, and then repeat the process ad infinitum until she swarmed the board in an attempt to claim all the Altars. Unlike Whiro, she went for a marathon rather than a sprint.

Thankfully, their classmates had quickly divided roles between themselves to contain the onslaught: Sun Wukong's forces engaged the brood's bigger monsters in melee while Artemis' Champions sniped them from afar with supereffective equipment, and Anansi's dark elf strike teams infiltrated the nests to torch their eggs before they could hatch. They faced a close call and were nearly overwhelmed until Sun Wukong used a forced exchange Miracle to steal Tiamat's main recursion option and prevented her from recovering cards from the discard pile. This forced her to rely on the creatures she had already summoned and their naturally born descendants, allowing Artemis and the others to keep their numbers in check. The Wyld supplied enough food to keep the troops supplied, and although they had to abandon some Altars to Tiamat's brood, the defenders kept enough of them to secure a win once the countdown reached its end.

Nonetheless, the victory felt bitter. All the defenders had lost many, many troops—losses which Anansi felt more deeply than his teammates since his dark elves were fewer in numbers—and many brood nests now infested their various territories.

The battle was won, but the war had only just begun.

"Then Wepwawet's right," Epona said once their classmates finished recounting their battle, much to both Wepwawet and Hel's surprise; neither of them had expected her to come to the former's defense. "The attack on Saguenay perfectly aligned with Tiamat's strategy."

"How so?" Axomamma asked with a frown.

"Think about it, Axo," Ishtar said. "Tiamat picked the Altar defense victory condition, which resulted in vast swathes of Artemis, Sun Wukong, and Anansi's territories being taken to form the battle board. And what did she do with them? She spent the year-long battle multiplying creatures that would bedevil us once she threw the fight."

"Tiamat didn't throw the fight!" Sun Wukong protested. "That snake lady gave as good as she got! I haven't had such a tough fight since that Golden Eagle!"

"Yes, haven't you listened to my tale of sweat, tears, and sacrifice?" Anansi complained. "Our victory was hard-won and purchased with blood."

"Of course she tried to win," Ishtar replied, "But she anticipated defeat and focused on weakening us by leaving her brood on Elphion."

"Those things are the worst!" Artemis let out a groan of exhaustion. "They're like, parasite wasps on magical steroids!"

Wepwawet shuddered. "They reproduce by parasitizing people?"

"Yes! They put larvae into animals that eat them from within until they mature and then burst out of their hosts! They don't sleep, breathe, or relent! And they're Eldritch types, so most type-effective weaponry barely affects them!" Artemis shook her head. "I usually love hunts, but those things are just disgusting! Even their blood is corrosive, so their corpses make for poor crafting material!"

Those creatures sounded vaguely familiar, but Wepwawet couldn't recall the name. "In short, they're a near-unkillable invasive species driven to prey on everything else to reproduce."

Epona nodded sternly. "The Titans' plan was likely to ensure most of us survived to hasten the Incursions, but with so few resources afterwards that we could not put up a fight. Now, Hastur has come to decisively knock us out."

Wepwawet scowled. Epona was right; most of the class was in no shape to fight Hastur at full strength. The Valentine-Zoramesh War and its proxy conflicts weakened almost everyone involved, and Tiamat's brood would continue to bedevil everyone who participated in her Incursion.

Ishtar glanced at Axomamma with what seemed like genuine concern. "Are you going to take the field, Axo?"

"I have no other choice," Axomamma said with a sigh. She had done everything in her power to avoid fighting in the previous Incursions, only for one to open up on her doorstep. "The rift opened right next to my people's capital. Thousands of lives are at risk."

"What do we know about Hastur?" Ganesha inquired. "I've heard he belongs to the Great Old Ones eldritch pantheon, but all I know is that they're super insular."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"You are in luck, for I've heard quite a few things about him," Anansi said, earning everyone's attention. "Most members of Hastur's pantheon couldn't care less about mortals, whether it is to protect or exterminate them, but the King in Yellow is one of the few exceptions. He delights in leading worlds astray through madness, forbidden knowledge, and decadence until they return to nothingness. He's a trickster and deceiver capable of matching wits with Loki himself."

"You sound like you admire him," Ganesha commented.

"Game recognizes game," Anansi replied without shame. "Unfortunately, I don't know much about his deck. Everyone I interrogated had a different opinion on the guy's playstyle."

"The only consistent thing about Hastur's playstyle is its inconsistency." Miss Athena stroked her chin. "He's a rogue deck player who never plays the same strategy twice in a row."

"Rogue deck?" Axomamma pondered. "I've never heard of that term."

"A rogue deck is themed around an unconventional strategy or gimmicks rather than more standard tactics, like ailments or instant win conditions," Epona explained to her friend. "Rogue deck players mostly rely on surprise or not playing by the same rules as the opposition to win."

"That plays into our favor," Wepwawet noted. "A Titan cannot change their deck during an Incursion, so any group besides the first will learn Hastur's strategy and spoil the surprise. He can't sucker punch us twice."

"Will our god of scouts volunteer to scout it out?" Hel vindictively taunted him.

Wepwawet glared at the goddess, but Horus spoke quicker than he did. "I will volunteer for this one."

His bold declaration caught everyone's attention, especially since his own nation was nowhere near threatened. Miss Athena studied him thoughtfully. "Are you certain, young Horus?"

"I need better grades and my army needs practical experience," Horus replied sternly. "My troops are fresh, so I'm best positioned to fight. Moreover, my Providence will let me anticipate whatever Hastur will throw at us."

"Your Providence?" Artemis wondered, with Horus shrugging his shoulders.

"His Eye of Horus Providence lets him see the truth through anything," Wepwawet whispered back into his 'girlfriend's' ear so the others wouldn't hear it. He had heard his father complain about it often enough to learn its limits, inside and out. "In a B&C game, it lets him see invisible creatures, polymorphed creatures, and face-down Prophecies. He can even check the first card on top of his deck."

"Whoa, that's… that's broken!" Artemis complained. "This class has serious balance issues!"

Horus glared at Epona's group. "Now that I have volunteered on behalf of the northern alliance and Axomamma represents the neutral parties, I expect you to send someone from your own posse."

Since his territory was very close to the rift, Watatsumi stepped forward. "Ore-sama no turn."

"Are you certain?" Epona inquired. "You have barely managed to replace the Miracle you lost last time."

"Ore-sama no turn!" Watatsumi insisted angrily. "Keizoku wa chikara nari!"

"Fair enough." Epona locked eyes with Horus. "Watatsumi shall represent us in this fight."

"That's quite the triad we assembled there," Ishtar mused. "Between Stalheim's technologically advanced land army, Timberan's navy, and Sekhem's aerial forces, you have all angles covered."

"I would have volunteered too if it were only up to me, but my troops need rest," Sun Wukong replied while cracking his knuckles like the battle junkie he was. "Oh well, I'll catch up on the fourth one!"

At least one of us remains in high spirits… Wepwawet thought while he studied Horus. He knew his cousin was a fearsome warrior and B&C player from their days in Egypt, with fresh allies to fight with… yet Hastur was the strongest Titan yet with a deck shrouded in mystery. Tiamat wouldn't have sacrificed her chances for victory to prepare the board for him if he lacked skills.

While Wepwawet hoped Horus and the others would fend off Hastur for Elphion's sake, he would have to prepare for their defeat, too. Ganesha's nation would be directly impacted should the rift increase any further in size, not to mention that Artemis was facing a monster infestation in the Wyld.

"How are things going with Anansi?" Ganesha asked Artemis.

"I dunno," she replied, her fingers scratching her hair. "We've both taken a beating, and our lands are infested with monsters. We don't have the strength to take shots at each other anymore."

"Something has to change," Wepwawet decided. "This can't go on like this, fighting each other."

Artemis pouted. "We didn't begin this, Wepy."

"I know, but we can end it." Wepwawet steeled his heart and took a step forward. "Ishtar, Epona. I need to speak with you about Saguenay."

The two enemies exchanged a wary glance, but joined his group while the others discussed Miracle trades with the volunteers. "I've heard you've destroyed Zoramesh's archdemon, sweetpup," Ishtar said with a smile. "I would have preferred to keep him alive to use his blood for my own purposes, but getting rid of him is an acceptable outcome. You have my thanks."

"If your words are sincere, then make peace with Epona." Wepwawet crossed his arms. "You're smart. You must have seen by now how our enemies have played us."

To her credit, Epona nodded in agreement. "Beelzebub's Miracles let him hide his parasites from our divine senses. He must have spread spies and saboteurs to all of our territories by now."

"The threat goes deeper than that," Wepwawet insisted. "Archon confirmed that demons were created by lunarians as combat organisms subjected to their telepathic control, and though we've slain him, they might reestablish their control one day. Not to mention that Beelzebub's continued existence skews the System in the Titans' favor. His very presence on Elphion puts us all at risk."

"More than you think," Ganesha cut in, his expression grim. "Beelzebub is technically a defender god according to the Elphion System, right? This means he can volunteer to participate in an Incursion at any time."

"What?" Artemis choked in horror. "But that would turn any Incursion into a two-on-two battle rather than three-on-one, while the invading player would retain all advantages!"

Wepwawet nodded grimly. He had considered that possibility too. "An Incursion battle only ends when one side is wiped out, and as you said, Beelzebub would be considered a defender. Either the enemy Titan wipes him out with our unlucky classmates, or Beelzebub would have to repel them to stay on Elphion."

"Which is why I suspect he will wait until the Fourth or Fifth Incursion to pull it off, but if he does, then he's all but certain to knock two of us off of Elphion," Ganesha said. "Depending on the timing, it might let the Titans clinch the war in its final steps."

Although they tried very hard not to, Wepwawet caught Ishtar and Epona exchanging furtive glances. The magnitude of the threat besieging their world had finally dawned upon them.

"If you feel any gratitude for my actions against Archon, then I please ask you to set your enmity aside and reconsider this madness," Wepwawet asked the two. "We will only win against the true enemy when united."

"I agree," Epona said. "We should at least settle on a truce until we can deal with Beelzebub and eradicate Tiamat's brood from Elphion."

Ishtar crossed her arms and pondered the proposal for a moment before reaching her decision. "Very well. I will see to it that my Champions speak with yours on neutral ground."

"So you will end this pointless war?" Epona asked with skepticism.

"I am willing to open negotiations," Ishtar corrected her. "I do not have as much control over my people as you think I do, Pona. Wepwawet is right that Archon's demise will significantly decrease my pet emperor's desire to push into Valentine, but he will not settle on a white peace either."

"On the other hand, I have gained access to the Three Sages'–" Epona all but spat those words, "–research on demon-controlling spells. I can ensure your country pays dearly for its continued aggression. It would be in your emperor's best interest to negotiate if he wishes to avoid one of his generals betraying him."

"Bold of you to think he does not anticipate it each d–"

"Ugh, enough!" Artemis cut in sharply, her voice brimming with annoyance. "If you were my handmaidens, I would throw you both into an icy bath!"

"I wouldn't mind sharing a bath with you and your boyfriend, if you're both open to it," Ishtar teased them. While Wepwawet did not take the bait, Artemis blushed to Ishtar's amusement. "Fine, fine. We can discuss peace terms at Axo's place once she wins."

Epona scowled darkly. "If she wins."

"And here I tried to play the supportive friend for once." Ishtar sighed. "We should ensure she receives our best Miracles to put all odds on her side."

Epona nodded sharply and then turned to Artemis. "As for you, I'll speak with Hel and Anansi on your behalf. I understand you may not trust us–"

"Damn right I don't," Artemis replied dryly.

"–but everything I've heard so far about Tiamat's brood tells me the threat these creatures pose to Elphion will grow exponentially with each passing day," Epona continued, ignoring the interruption. "I will make sure they understand the threat and put our differences aside to eradicate them."

Artemis grit her teeth and clearly bit her tongue. "If…" the goddess of the hunt took a long, deep breath. "If they help my people fight these creatures and release their slaves, then I'll refrain from attacking those two."

"Seems fair enough," Epona replied. "I'll discuss those terms with you and arrange a peace conference shortly."

Most of the class swiftly returned to Elphion after that to prepare for both the Incursion and its aftermath soon after. Although the situation was quite dire, Wepwawet did feel a tiny shred of hope. His fellow gods had finally taken the first step to mending their differences and allying against the real threat.

"I'm surprised you didn't argue about the colonies in the Wyld," Ganesha told Artemis once only the three of them remained in the classroom.

"I don't have the forces to storm them by force now, even if I wanted to," Artemis replied with a scowl. "This is such a mess…"

"Hey, don't look so forlorn," Wepwawet said, putting a hand on her shoulder to console her. "We're with you. I'm with you. I'll send all my available forces to help you deal with those critters."

His 'girlfriend' smiled. "Thanks, Wepy. I appreciate the help."

A flicker of light passed over Ganesha's gaze. He seemed quite pleased with himself.

"What?" Wepwawet asked.

"You haven't noticed, Wepy?" Ganesha inquired. "Ishtar and Epona listened to you."

"It only took a war, a near-disaster in Saguenay, and a third surprise Incursion," Wepwawet replied dryly. "It was about time they did."

"Even then, they could have ignored you. Almost everyone in the class respects you, and those who don't listen to those who do." Ganesha stroked his trunk. "And I suspect that this will make all the difference in the world one day."

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