Floating Islands: SSS Gacha Lord

"Very well," Luna said at last. "Tell me more."

Atlas leaned forward, his tone sharpening.

"First, Luna - answer me this. Suppose the alliance currently holding the Central Fortress is Alliance A, while the one controlling most of the key zones is Alliance B. And let's call your faction Alliance C. In an all-out war, do you truly believe you could defeat either Alliance A or Alliance B?"

Luna fell silent, her gaze narrowing as she considered his words. The weight of the question lingered between them.

After a moment's pause, she exhaled softly.

"I'm not sure about an all-out battle," she admitted at last. "Because in terms of raw strength, Alliance C is outmatched by both A and B."

She fell silent again, her answer deliberate but vague. It was clear - she wasn't overconfident, but she also wasn't ruling herself out entirely.

Atlas smirked slightly.

"Then what do you think about this?" Atlas pressed. "Let's say Alliance A is the last one standing. Only Alliance A… your alliance… and my team remain on this island. If we merged our forces, what would be our chances of winning?"

Luna tilted her head, studying him carefully.

"Atlas… I don't know how strong your forces really are," she admitted. "That's why I can't give you an answer. But an all-out battle is never the smartest path in a Dominion Skirmish. Sure, our chances of winning alone may be slim, but circumstances can always shift. And that's why we rely on strategy. Strategies are what lead us to victory."

Atlas chuckled softly. "That's quite a safe response."

He leaned back in his seat, his voice easing into a smoother tone.

Luna's eyes narrowed as she continued. "So now, the real question is… why? Where does your earlier overconfidence come from?"

Atlas let her question linger in the air for a moment, giving Luna the time to process everything. At the very least, her body language made it clear - she was truly considering his words. Despite how absurd his offer sounded, she was still willing to listen.

Meanwhile, Atlas himself knew one undeniable truth, this war was impossible to win alone. He needed an alliance. He needed support.

But… He refused to enter an alliance if it meant sacrificing full control of the island. That, he would not accept.

And so, he finally spoke.

"I want to invite you to fight together against Alliance A."

Luna nodded slowly, signaling that she was still listening.

"But I don't want to be under anyone," Atlas continued. "I want to claim the island for myself, with the agreement that every lord in this alliance will have the right to use and harvest its resources once we've secured victory."

Luna's gaze sharpened.

"What exactly are you offering that makes you so overconfident with those terms?"

Atlas gave a slow nod before stating his next words clearly and deliberately.

"I will destroy Alliance B. Completely. In my own way."

He let those words settle.

Luna's response was immediate.

"How?" she asked. "You do realize that Alliance B is even stronger than mine, right? Then how do you plan to do it? And if you can do it alone, why do you even need my alliance?"

Atlas shook his head.

"I don't need to tell you how."

His voice was firm.

"I only need to say that I will do it. And once it happens, once it's over, I will return. That's the requirement I've set for myself before this alliance can take form."

Luna let out a slow sigh. "How much time do you need?"

Atlas smirked slightly. "So… you believe me?"

Luna exhaled again, this time in frustration. "Listen, Atlas. I already told you. You should leave this island. And now you're wasting time trying to delay my warning with some ridiculous plan?"

She leaned back, arms crossed. "I've been patient enough to listen to your idea, but… this just doesn't make sense."

"One week."

Atlas cut off Luna before she could say anything more.

"In one week, I'll return and show you the results. Once that happens, we can have a real discussion about our alliance, one where both sides set their terms."

Luna furrowed her brows, her skepticism deepening. "I'm not desperate enough to entertain this fantasy of yours. No matter what strategy you use, no matter what tricks you pull, your forces are too small."

Atlas smirked. "You were the one who said it yourself, weren't you?" he countered. "I have no intention of confronting them in an all-out battle. I have a plan. This is about strategy."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "And you're so sure your strategy will work?"

Atlas leaned back slightly, his tone unwavering. "I'll be back in one week. You'll see the results for yourself."

Luna exhaled sharply, shaking her head.

"And what exactly are we supposed to do until then?" she asked, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Obviously, I won't be sharing my plans with you, but I'd at least like to hear something remotely logical from your side."

Atlas nodded slowly.

"Let's say… treat my entire force as equivalent to one Rank 2 Lord and their troops. That way, it'll be easier for you to visualize the scale and strength of my overall army when we work together. Regardless of the reasoning, the fact remains. We need to weaken Alliance A as much as possible before the final battle against them. That's the only way we'll win."

Luna tilted her head slightly, still skeptical.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

"We chip away at them," Atlas replied simply. "Bit by bit, we weaken them, ensuring their overall strength keeps dwindling, making it easier for us to take them down when the time comes."

Luna let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head.

"You do realize they can keep sending more troops to this island, right?" she said, now clearly irritated. "You know how valuable this place is. They'll do anything to secure it."

Atlas gave a slow nod. But he didn't say anything further. Because he knew, by now, Luna understood exactly what needed to be done. In reality, he was certain she and her forces were already working on guerrilla tactics to slowly drain the enemy's power.

And with that, the conversation had already gone exactly where he wanted it to.

After a few more exchanges, most of which revolved around uncertain possibilities and Luna's obvious skepticism.

Atlas decided to end the discussion for the day.

"Thanks for at least being willing to hear me out."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "You mean your crazy ideas?" she corrected.

Atlas chuckled. "You're the most respectful lord I've met in this whole war."

Luna smirked. "That just means you haven't met many lords yet, have you?"

"You could say that."

With that, Atlas and Kurogasa left the tent, stepping back into the freezing night.

Without looking back, they silently made their way beyond the camp's perimeter, disappearing into the dense, frost-covered forest.

They left behind an unspoken agreement. One that neither side could say for certain how it would play out.

Some might call this a gamble.

But to Atlas? This was a well-planned strategy. And he was ready to execute it exactly as intended.

As they moved further away, he spoke to Kurogasa, his voice steady and sure.

"Let's move on to our next plan."