The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

There was no smart defensive strategy that Aeric could see, and Alzera was advancing quickly. She now had her Tactician slightly forward. It was risky, but she was gaining confidence fast, and made sure to keep the Tactician close enough to her Ranger.

Aeric had already made three retreating moves now as Alzera advanced, and she was now getting closer to the real Treasure Chest so she could now claim the +1 point.

If he retreated any longer, not only was Alzera's confidence not going to increase, but he was putting the Treasure Chest in jeopardy.

Yet, what did he do?

He retreated one more time.

"It's not looking good for you, Prince Aeric," Kael remarked. Ryn clenched his jaw. Delva watched silently and Bel's eyes were wide open.

Alzera smirked, moving her Ranger closer to the Chest, she was just a few steps towards it. She could use a sprint action card and race to it, but why waste the card when she was already that close.

However, Aeric dropped an action card into the board and it simmered away in glittery smoke. Alzera's eyes widened. It was a portal card.

'He had that all this time?!'

Everyone expected Aeric to use the card on his Courier, as it was the safest move. If any attacks hit the piece, it was just a Courier and wouldn't be a major disadvantage.

But, to everyone's surprise, it was his Vanguard who made the leap, jumping from the home base all the way to the Treasure Chest.

"What?!"

'Hmm. That is quite the risky move. Sending his Vanguard into the danger zone like that. It's his second most important piece, isn't it?' Delva thought, resting her jaw on her thinking arm as she watched.

Ryn only narrowed his eyes curiously. 'What's he thinking?'
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Alzera's brows furrowed in slight frustration as she found herself in a little bit of a dilemma. She had to make the next move, but it was a difficult one.

She could send a blast attack at the Vanguard and stop it from taking the Chest, or she could attack the now exposed squad who just lost their Vanguard.

Alzera looked up at Aeric's face and smirked. 'Sneaky little bugger,' she thought. 'He even placed his Courier in front so my blast would waste on it before I could even get to his Tactician. Then he can make his next move and return his Vanguard through the portal and set up his defence once again.'

The best way to use her blast attack action card was on the Vanguard, to stop it from unlocking the Treasure Chest. So without thinking further, she dropped the action card into the board.

Alzera's Ranger stepped up and fired at the Vanguard. But a shield instantly appeared, blocking the attack into nothing.

"Oh, heavens! He outsmarted her!"

Alzera's eyes widened.

Aeric quickly got into action, dropping his action card to retreat into the portal and returned to the team with the Treasure Chest!

He set up the defence instantly after that, and a pop up notification chimed and floated on the board close to Aeric: +1.

"That was amazing!" Kael exclaimed.

"Waaww!" Bel clapped her hands while Ryn smiled silently.

'How did I not see that coming?!' Alzera thought in disbelief. 'That was why he leaped with his Vanguard. He took the shield along with him, and set his Courier as a defence for his Tactician, while the Vanguard was protected by his shield. Neither of my attacks would have been able to stop him from taking that Chest!'

She raised her eyes and looked at Aeric who was yet to look away from the board. His eyes were locked in and studying all the pieces at play.

'That was an incredibly smart tactic. In fact, I would have at least accomplished hurting his Courier than just wasting my blast. But he knew my confidence and drive to get that chest would make me attack the Vanguard. That was why he sent it.'

'Kid's pretty smart,' Ryn thought.

Alzera, however, decided to go super aggressive with her tactical approach. Her plan was to attack quickly and give Aeric less time to think. She began to push aggressively toward Aeric's Tactician, while Aeric completed the defensive formation.

His Ranger was healed and so was Alzera's Courier. For her move, she activated a super sprint action card and sent her Vanguard barreling down the northern corridor, clashing with Aeric's Vanguard.

The impact forced both pieces to a stalemate, but there was a collision of shields that further blocked the path to Aeric's Tactician.

Aeric quickly went through the contents of his treasure chest and saw two action cards, and one reaction card — a very valuable piece.

He activated one of the action cards which was a reinforce action card. It bolstered his Vanguard and the shield, making it almost impervious to damage. Alzera's Vanguard struggled to make progress.

She thought for only a moment and instantly came up with a quick attacking strategy. Alzera sent her Courier around the southern corridor, aiming to create a pincer attack.

However, Aeric saw what she was trying to do, and so he positioned his Ranger to intercept, taking another shot that halted the Courier's advance.

Alzera then activated an action card, a shield shatterer, tired of saving it. She had finally succeeded in pulling Aeric's Ranger out of the main gathering and if she took down the Courier with some smart moves, she could have a way road to his Tactician.

Aeric's Vanguard's shield shattered, and this caused him to frown a little. Before him was a tight call.

He could bring back his Ranger but Alzera would go on with her plan of flanking him, or he could allow his Tactician and Vanguard to deal with the encroachment.

'What are you gonna do, Kid Prince?' Ryn watched with silent excitement.

Aeric saw an opening. It wasn't particularly about defence or offence in that situation, but it was one that would lead him to more points. It was an even bigger risk as it meant leaving his team to handle the encroachment on their own.

But Alzera had left too many spaces in between her squad members that it would be a crime not to take advantage of it. And... he did have a reaction card.

He made his move. He took the Courier out of the way, leaving his Tactician out in the open, and then he moved forward towards Alzera's team.

She frowned, and so did everyone.

'What's he doing now? Leaving his Tactician open. She could just take down his Vanguard and then take down his Tactician. She'd win.'

Alzera narrowed her eyes. 'Is he trying to confuse me? Trying to make me overthink this?'

After a moment of thought, Alzera refused to be gaslit. She deployed a Disrupt action card, stunning Aeric's Vanguard for one turn. Her Vanguard then seized the moment, breaking through and heading straight for his Tactician.

Automatically, Aeric's Support began to heal his Vanguard, and instead of Aeric making any kind of defensive moves, he took his Courier forward, just a few steps away from Alzera's team.

Alzera wasn't particularly worried about the Courier since it could not make offensive moves. But what was he doing? He was letting her win the game! Her Vanguard was directly opposite his Tactician.

Everyone leaned in, heart thumping.

One strike and she'd win! Right? Wouldn't she? Was Aeric up to something? But whatever could he be able to do here? It was basically game over for him.

She lifted her action card, and everyone's eyes followed it as she began to lower it into the board. It then activated.

'Wait!' her mind suddenly sparked. 'Did that chest give him a reaction car—?'

It was too late. Aeric instantly activated the reaction card and it boomed. Her Vanguard's shield strike struck his Tactician, but the piece received it like an energy and struck Alzera's Vanguard.

The piece went down, and even worse, it was far away from her Support, which meant it couldn't be healed. And no Vanguard meant no shield for Alzera's team.

"He outsmarted her again!"

"Oh, by my father's hats, I should have bet on the Prince."

Since he hadn't made his official play, Aeric then activated another sprint action card. He moved his Courier all the way from the center of the board, right to the space beside her Tactician.

Alzera, her mind still scrambling, sent her Ranger in to protect the Tactician. Although she wasn't sure what Aeric's play was here, as the Courier could not make offensive m—

Her eyes widened once again. 'Unless he has a piece changer action card.'

Aeric lifted up his eyes and looked at her for the first time, smirking. He did have a piece changer action card.

He activated the card. The courier glowed, and suddenly exchanged places with his Vanguard!

Alzera panicked. 'Not the Vanguard again! It's going to block my attacks!'

Since striking the Vanguard was a waste of time, she sent her Healer on a sprint, hoping to reach Aeric's own Tactician in time, now it was exposed. But the sprint only took the piece a mere few blocks away from his Tactician.

Aeric activated an attack action card. The Vanguard lifted his shield and struck down Alzera's Tactician.

Tudum! A sweet chime rang in the air with a +5 notification on Aeric's side. Squad B wins!