Demonic Po*nstar System

Chapter 841: Brute Force

The Kaiju wasted no time.

[Claimant Turn 1: Champion One (C1) advances.]

The projection on Kaiden’s board shifted as the heavy biped lurched one square forward with the blunt certainty of a creature that saw the grid as a straight line between itself and prey. No diagonal, no flanking, just mass aimed at the nearest enemy and legs carrying it there.

’It’s hunting with brute force.’ His gaze drifted to the Kaiju at the far end of the weird white dimension.

The creature focused on its own board with the flat intensity of something that had never needed to outthink its food.

’This is my biggest advantage. It’s a newly born, overpowered monster. Of course it won’t bring out complex plays. Just like it did until now, it will brute force its way to victory.’

Kaiden understood that the Kaiju wasn’t an unintelligent creature - the probing it did in phase 1 was proof enough. But it still hadn’t displayed any truly deep thinking, mostly just acting on instincts from what Kaiden could tell.

Furthermore... ’While his champions are even bigger brutes, mine...’

"Kai."

Nyx’s voice carried up from the board, pitched to reach him without straining. She stood on her square with her arms crossed, pink eyes fixed on the enemy projections across the table.

"The back row is bigger than the front. By a lot." She tilted her chin toward the four shapes sitting in Row 1. "And that coiled one hasn’t stopped watching us since Vespera moved."

Kaiden followed her gaze. The Serpent sat among the other three backline pieces, light-refracting scales scattering fractured rainbows across the stone, and there was a quality to its stillness that didn’t match anything else on the board. The front row was inert. The Serpent was coiled.

"I don’t like it," Nyx said simply. "I think the back row is the four strongest subordinates it has."

Luna burst out laughing from her square on the left flank, loud enough to carry across the board despite being four inches tall. "It literally just chose the first champion, right-clicked, and attack-moved! Just ’first guy, go forward.’ This thing has never played a strategy game in its life!"

"It was born a few days ago," Bastet offered from the backline, calm and informative. "You can hardly expect strategic depth from an infant, even one the size of a mountain."

Luna turned to stare at the feline with the flat expression of a woman who had just been out-nerded by a cat in a combat briefing. "..."

Vespera stood at the front of Kaiden’s formation with her arms at her sides, gaze fixed on the four backline projections with an intensity that slowly killed the comedy in the air around her.

"Those back four... Each of them has more presence than any dungeon boss I’ve fought."

The cheerful conversation died instantly.

Scarlet leaned forward from her square, crimson eyes already picking her first fight from the backline projections. "They look like brawlers to me. Big, angry, built to hit things up close." She cracked her knuckles.

"Can the back row even attack then?" Luna asked, gamer braincells working hard. "Maybe it’s dumb enough to have not understood that it should select four ranged and four melee champions."

"I wouldn’t bet on it, sweetie," Scarlet mused.

"Yeah, I agree... They must be ranged-classified," Nyx said.

Calypso nodded as well. "Brawlers or not, if they have enough firepower to hit from two squares back, then they can be considered ranged, I would assume. If even Shadow Mommy is taken aback, then it’s more than possible."

"...Damn. That’s cheating..." Luna growled.

[Defender Turn 2.]

Two new cards materialized in the orbit around Kaiden’s right hand, joining the five already circling there. He scanned the faces as they drifted past.

Seven cards. He could play up to two per turn and bank five, which meant he needed to spend at least two this turn or start discarding.

One card had been calling to him since the grid appeared.

[Card Played: Open Field - Expand the board by 2 columns.]

The table answered. Dark stone split along geometric faultlines as constellations stretched beneath the surface, two new columns shimmering into existence on the flanks.

Pale blue grid squares extended the board from four wide to six, and every piece on the surface shifted inward as the expanded geometry settled.

Empty lanes opened on the far left and far right, clean paths running the full length of the board with nothing occupying them.

[Board expanded. Columns A through F active. Original positions shifted to B-E.]

Luna looked at the open lane beside her and pointed at it with one tiny finger, bouncing on her heels.

"Flanking time!"

Kaiden moved the excited girl with a small smile.

His hand was already reaching for a second card. Five left in orbit, and one of them solved two problems at once.

[Card Played: Double March - Move two allied pieces this turn.]

"Aria."

The Moon Valkyrie tilted her head from her backline square, silver eyes wide and innocent in a way that fooled absolutely no one who knew her.

"Hm? What should I do, Kai? I’m not sure I understand..."

She understood perfectly. Kaiden could see it in the way her lips were fighting a smile.

He shook his head amusedly, reached down, and picked her up between his thumb and forefinger.

Aria nestled her cheek against his palm the instant his hand closed around her, both arms wrapping around his thumb, and the contented hum she let out was loud enough for every girl on the board to hear.

"Shameless," Nyx observed from C6 with a grin.

Kaiden placed her on B5, and the moment his hand pulled away Aria’s expression crumbled into a pout.

"Already?" She looked up at him with silver eyes that could melt glaciers. "That was too fast, Kai. You should use this time to think strategy. Make every second matter. When you’re positioning me, at least. No need to do so for the others."

"..."

[Board State - After Defender Turn 2]

[♚ Claimant]

[Row 1: [] · C5(B) · C6(C) · C7(D) · C8(E) · []]

[Row 2: [] · [] · C2(C) · C3(D) · C4(E) · []]

[Row 3: [] · C1(B) · [] · [] · [] · []]

[Row 4: Luna(A) · [] · Vespera(C) · [] · [] · []]

[Row 5: [] · Aria(B) · [] · Scarlet(D) · Calypso(E) · []]

[Row 6: [] · [] · Nyx(C) · Bastet(D) · Alice(E) · []]

[♔ Successor]

[Claimant Turn 2.]

The Kaiju didn’t even think for a single moment.

Its gaze had locked onto the flanking lane where Luna stood bouncing on her heels, and the Brute at B3 lunged diagonally toward her without a second of hesitation.

Kaiden could tell it was instinct more than any deep strategic move.

The nearest prey was one step forward and to the left, and the creature’s legs carried it there the way water follows gravity.

[C1 advances to A4. Clash initiated.]

The board flared red beneath Luna’s square, and before the light settled, a second notification pulsed at Kaiden’s hand.

[Ranged ally within support distance. Aria (B5) may join this clash.]

’Two against one.’ Kaiden committed her instantly.