Narrator POV

After successfully defeated the mighty gladiator of the never-ending war, a sense of pride fills Edlic's small chest.

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While on the other side, Dayne is confused, lost in a pool of emotions.

"Y-You will not be the victor!"

She slams the translucent platform in anger, ordering her 'units' take a step forward into the Northern plain, seizing the area for her army.

It's Edlic's turn. He has yet to make any decision. He remains a poker face, but inside, he's conjuring up his plan.

He decided, ordering his rightmost 'unit' to take a step toward the Mage of destruction.

Followed by the movement of the Hawk-eyed hunter, joined the other two 'units.'

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For her turn, she does not hesitate to make her decision, moving her 'unit' to directly face the General of impeccable defense and another 'unit' on its right to form a trap for the shielder.

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Edlic smirk, laughing to himself.

"What are you laughing, blondie?'

Dayne was so focused on the game, distracted by his laugher.

"Haha, I don't know why, but there is something funny about you."

He said, wiping a tear off his face.

"Ah, you're so annoying! I'll destroy you!"

Edlic orders his rightmost 'unit' to advance, lessen the gap between the Mage of destruction.

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"Standby, 8th 'unit.'"

He declared.

Dayne smiles, pointing her hand toward Edlic.

"You're making a mistake!"

"Mage of destruction, consume my 6th 'unit' and ready for my command!"

The Mage of destruction uses her powerful magic, consuming the soul of the soldier within the 6th army.

"2nd 'unit' advance!"

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The fight has begun, between two and three armies. From the plain sight, the less would inevitably lose to the mass.

"Haha, what's have gotten in your mind, Dayne?"

Edlic is mocking her with a smirk.

"You'll see, your territory is mine now.

"Charge!"

Army of red rushes through the lush green field of the Northern plain, bravely head toward the army of green.

"Formation, engage!"

By order of Edlic, all the shielder formed a triangle formation, pointing toward Dayne's army.

"Cover flank, and engage!"

With more order, the soldier of green takes cover on both sides of the shield formation, marching slowly forward.

Dayne smirks.

"Thundering wrath, destruction of my foe, judgment that will seal their fate, torquetque sonantia mortem!"

The red light flashes in the sky as every soldier of the green looks up to their end.

"I-'ve completely outplayed by such a simple trick?"

*Boom!*

The red thunder rain down from heaven, destroying everything it touches.

The battle of the Northern plain ends with the loss of the three green armies.

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Dayne sighed in relief, the fight going well for her.

"Let's move on to the green territory!"

Edlic even after sustained such loss, kept smiling.

"Well, you've done well, but not enough, princess."

"I call for the Gladiator of the never-ending war to come and lead my 8th 'unit.'!"

The light shines over the green's 8th 'unit' as the gladiator has arrived.

"March forward, give our deceased friends a justice!'

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But he doesn't commence a battle, ending his turn.

"Haha, Everyone, get them!"

Dayne orders 1st and 2nd 'units' to marching inside the green territory, gaining the ability to move four-directional.

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"7th, take a step."

"Archer, take a step."

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Edlic's quickly ending his turn.

"Feeling trouble?"

Dayne chuckles.

"2nd 'unit' march side way toward them two steps!"

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The 2nd unit of Dayne's army moving within the green's territory, sneaking behind the green Archer.

Edlic smile slowly creeps up onto his face. His emerald green eyes spark with excitement.

"7th, join the gladiator and eradicate them!"

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Within the battle of the Adithon pool, two versus two, fighting in the middle.

"Tsk! The Mage of destruction is useless in this kind of battle."

"I should've transferred her to somewhere else before this happen!'

Dayne complains to herself as the battle goes on.

Her army is slowly slain one by one with every step the gladiator takes.

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"It's end here, Dayne, you're too focused on taking my territory, and this is the consequence!"

Dayne grits her teeth but replaces it with a smirk later.

"General of impeccable defense, come and lead my 5th 'unit'!"

"1st 'unit' move back one step."

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She ends her turn.

Edlic sees a gap of opportunity, quickly asset all possibilities, and calculating his next move.

"7th unit, move into red's territory. Mage of destruction, come and lead my 6th unit."

Unit Shielder Unit+ Gladiator Archer Unit+ Unit Unit+ Mage

"Now, It's your turn, princess."

"Hah, feeling serious now?"

"1st unit, take two steps to the left."

Unit Shielder Unit+ Gladiator Archer Unit+ Unit Unit+ Mage

Edlic's smile begun to form as he perfectly predicted Dayne's move correctly.

In his head, his risky plan, using the Hawk-eyed hunter as a bait, gathering Dayne's armies at one battle.

"Mage of destruction, consume my 5th unit, gaining the power to destroy my foe. Then take a step forward."

Unit Shielder Unit+ Gladiator Archer Unit+ Mage Unit+

Dayne's face fills with amusement.

"As if I'll fall to your plan, blondie."

"3rd and shielder, take a step."

Unit+ Unit Shielder Gladiator Archer Unit+ Mage Unit+

"Oh, my hunter is completely surrounded, how unexpected."

Edlic says in a sarcastic tone, waving his hand to blow some wind onto him.

"Still got the nerve to act like that? You will never suit for a prince."

"General of impeccable defense, standby. 4th, take a step to the left."

Unit+ Unit Shielder Gladiator Archer Unit+ Mage Unit+

Edlic's turn.

"7th, two steps, flanking the General of impeccable defense!"

Unit+ Unit Shielder Gladiator Archer Unit+ Mage Unit+

Dayne laughs as Edlic's 'unit' cannot fight a shielder, wasting his effort.

"What's the point of flanking my General of impeccable defense? You cannot hurt him."

Edlic lifts his head and looks at Dayne with his now cold emerald green eyes.

He closes his eyes.

"And what's the point of wasting your action to standby and aware of my 'unit' that cannot hurt you?"

She was in silence for a moment before Edlic calls her out.

"It's your turn now, princess."

Dayne focused on the board, looking for her best move.

**Dayne's thought**

'Killing the mage will surely lead me to victory in the end, but that archer looks tasty too.'

'Also, the battle of four joint armies is a hard occurrence. I could flex this to my mother later on.'

'Okay, let's me thinking for a bit, If I go for the Mage of destruction, a safe victory, and If I go the Hawk-eyed hunter, a glorious victory!'

Dayne smiles to herself as she's thinking about her plan.

Her pride gets the better of her.

'Oh, wait, I can take both options if I move my 3rd+ unit to the Mage of destruction and wait for shielder next turn, I could fight both of them.'

'But that's a risky move. I could not afford to lose all three in one battle.'

'Never mind, I'll take the third option.'

"3rd+, take two steps to my left!"

Unit+ Unit Shielder Gladiator Archer Unit+ Mage Unit+

'Should I end my turn or battle before the end of the turn? If I battle right now, I could lose two 'units' by the Mage of destruction's power.

'Two for one? not so worth It.'

But when she looks closer to the board, her eyes widen in surprise.

'H-How? Every path will always lead to my destruction.'

'My option was limit by the Mage of destruction. Every path will end in my loss.'

'If I left the Mage of destruction to live, the shielder will die.'

'Getting The Hawk-eyed archer is also mean I need to end this turn without a battle.'

'Hey, I could wait for my next turn and move back to my unit?'

"End turn."

'Hmpf, you manage to fool me, but I notice your foul plan before taking any action further.'

"My turn already?"

Edlic yawns as he wiped his eyes.

"Hawk-eyed hunter, standby, then take a step forward, commencing a battle."

Unit+ Unit Archer Shielder Gladiator Unit+ Mage Unit+

'A battle? You fool!'

As the battle has begun, Dayne's waiting excitingly to exterminate the hunter.

"Retreat, falling back one step."

"And commencing a joint battle with the Mage of destruction."

Unit+ Gladiator Unit Archer Shielder Unit+ Mage Unit+

'N-No way! I've played this game for since I was four, and never ounce witnesses this kind of play!'

' Continuously spamming his battle, he is so despicable!'

'And what's about this counteraction play? It's so strong. I never used it since it's only taking my unit a step backward.'

'He's using this trick once, but this time, he using it to take me into the trap in his turn?'

"You cheater! You exceed the two-actions per turn!'

Dayne yells at the blonde boy.

"Cheating? You did not explain that commencing a battle needed an action point. It's available automatically when your 'unit' is blocked or nearby an opponent."

"And the counteraction, it's consumed my next turn's action, not this turn."

Dayne was shocked as Edlic explanation.

"This kind of dirty trick, I cannot accept it, even if it's allowed!"

"Well, princess, your game end here."

As the battle began, Edlic ordered his Mage of destruction to call down upon the star, destroying everything in the canyon.

Unit+ Gladiator Unit

For this fight, Edlic lost his Hawk-eyed hunter and the Mage of destruction but traded with Dayne's Shielder and two 'units.'

"I-I s-surrender..."

There's no way for her to win against two remaining units of Edlic.

"Don't feel so bad, princess. Losing is not an end. Instead, it's a point where you start a new."

"Learn this, and You'll have a better understanding of the world."

'W-Who is he? Even though we're both kids, he's talking just like that person.'

The game ends as the golden platform slowly fades away into nothingness.

The furniture slowly rises back into their position, returning the room to its normal state.

"Well, that should prove that I'm a prince of Eskarnda, princess."

"A fair fight of wit, it was a fun experience."

Dayne stood there in silence.

"Please don't forget what You've said before the game, princess."

Edlic walks closer to her, smiling broadly.

"Okay! I get it! Eskarndain prince!"

She yells in frustration as her face is red as a tomato.

"Then, just ask it already!"

Edlic chuckles, placing his finger beneath his chin, thinking.

"Hmmm..."

"I'll ask for that later when the time comes, princess."

He said with a smile.

"No! You must ask for it here!'

"No, princess. You swear by the name of Eion princess. You sure you want to take that back?"

"If not, then consider this is one request I've asked you."

The light shines into the dimly lit Amber chamber, marking a wonderful start of a friendship of two kids of two nations.