image [https://cdn.midjourney.com/ca850027-5f92-47c4-bc9c-565950288a94/0_3.png]

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Peter and Regina had just made love, lying in each other's arms, with him avoiding the conversation. She wanted him to Warp her to the village, for a proper bath, being sure that knocking at Redroar's door at that hour was a good idea. He pretended he wanted to prolong the cuddling, which was true, hoping she'd forget her plan, fall asleep, and settle for the camp's cold water the next morning.

And all of a sudden, the trumpet sounded the alarm.

"What the fuck," he mumbled.

"Everybody, come outside," Alchemy shouted. "Now." It took about five minutes for all students to emerge from their tents, and then she went on: "We were given an ultimatum by Auszeal. Surrender, or they'll attack in an hour."

"But it's a free day," a student shouted.

"It expired at midnight," Alchemy answered. "I'm asking for a vote. Do we fight or do we surrender?"

"They want to fight at night?" Jack wailed. "But how can we sleep if we fight?" he continued without much sense.

"It's morning in their time zone," somebody else said.

"I say we fight," Kostel shouted. "Who's with me?"

"Let's fight," a boy yelled, and the camp was overwhelmed with enthusiasm and pumped fists.

"This time we take the fight to them," Melinda yelled. "Prepare for a sortie, I'm going to give my orders to Yalevard."

"She should put on some less revealing underwear," Ariana commented, as Alchemy rose in the air wearing her night robe left little to the imagination. Yet many students sighed in awe.

"I don't like the sortie plan," Daniel said. "It's hard to see the spiders in the dark."

"Looks like we don't have a choice," Jack said.

Peter pulled Regina apart, speaking in her ear. "When combat starts, we should move away."

"I'm not afraid of fighting anymore," she said, her eyes proud.

"To spy from the rear, and attack where it matters, without being noticed," he said.

"OK," she accepted.

When the hour came, a small shock team exited through the rear of the base, to attack the enemy's flank, while the rest took the positions assigned to them. The three moons lighted the land well, and there were no clouds. Peter transported himself and Regina to a taller hill, closer to the rivals.

Spiders appeared from the Oceanians' camp. Hundreds, then thousands after thousands, a sea of monsters. It sent a shiver up Peter's spine.

"They're so many!" Regina gasped. After the spiders came the muscular warriors, then the Chinese Tiger Mothers, and their cubs. The enemy was throwing everything at them. At Melinda’s orders, Yalevard, their vassals for the week, advanced to meet the incoming army, flamethrowers every fifty feet, to deal with the spiders.

Yet, the attackers stopped a couple hundred yards before making contact, when trumpets sounded a short signal.

"I’ll go spy," Peter told Regina, entered Stealth, and Warped near a group of what looked like Auszeal leaders.

"The Japanese are moving on us," a scout shouted. "Ten minutes away."

"Plan B," a teacher ordered. "We need bows and heavy armor. Go for Oxford, take their flag, and we'll order them to assist us against Japan."

What baffled Peter was that only one young man rushed away after the order was given. He returned to Regina and let her know what he had found. "They sent someone to steal Oxford’s flag, like we did with Yalevard. We need to tell Alchemy," she said.

They found the teacher in the Yalevard’s camp, organizing things. "We went out scouting, the Japanese are coming after the Auszeals," Regina said in one breath.

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"That's good," a military officer from Yalevard's security said. "We're better prepared against them."

"What do you mean, Sir?" Peter asked.

"The Japanese have a mobile camp, all on wheels. Huge all-terrains. We have anti-tank trenches, the Aussies don't. They weaken each other and we take care of the rest."

So that's why they need Oxford…

"Well done. I’ll tell everyone we cancel the sortie and play defense again," Melinda said, taking her communicator.

The two lovers were aiming back for their camp when Regina grabbed his arm. "Perhaps it's better to warn Oxford than risk them joining Auzland... whatever."

"Good idea,” Peter said. “Keep the enemy divided.”

Peter took Regina by the and rushed toward Oxford's castle, choosing a low hill as a stopping point. He had kept up his HUD all the time, to check on his Mana. It was a bit over sixty percent.

"Yes, mother," Peter sneered. He looked at the fortress for a minute, using a pair of binoculars, and then passed the object to Regina. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

"You don't? But the castle is so big!... Joking… Aha! The Auszeal guy is hidden in a thicket, below us. He's guiding two spiders to steal the flag."

On the castle's wall, two cat-sized spiders were climbing very fast.

“I’ll jump near their walls and give the alarm,” Peter proposed when Regina grabbed his arm again.

“What if we let him take the flag, and then intercept him on the way, stealing the flag for us?

“You’re a wicked girl,” he kissed her.

They took turns in observing the spiders. The flag was atop the main tower, but they reached it in minutes. Chewing the rope, the monsters detached the flag and carried it away without raising any alarm. One of them slipped and crashed on the ground, but the second survived and transported the fabric to his master, who started running back.

Peter and Regina jumped back a few miles, almost in the battle range, waiting for the spider master to appear. It took fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, the Japanese started their attack. Their vehicles were twenty feet in height, with wheels going to half that. They had the upper hand, slowly making their way onward, shooting flames and rubber bullets.

"Here they come," Peter pointed. "Are you ready?"

"I am. I'll give the signal. Three, two, one, start!"

Running along a brook, there was the young man, followed by the spider, the flag in its mandibles. Peter Warped laterally, so they didn't see him immediately, took out his gun, and shouted: "Freeze! Don't move, I have real bullets."

"Whoa, are you mad?" the runner yelled, raising his hand in the air. "No lethal weapons, mate!"

"No lethal hits! I can blow your kneecaps off if I want. Make the spider to get the flag to our camp, or else."

"Which camp, mate?" the other runner asked.

"Dartmouth."

"Oh, buggers," the young Australian sighed. "Fine… Don't shoot… What the heck?" he exclaimed seconds later. "I lost contact with the spider…"

"You're swindling me?" Peter aimed the gun at the youngster's crotch.

"Please, I swear, it's tr—

"Qi-message. Team Dartmouth has captured Oxford's flag. Team Oxford will follow Team Dartmouth's orders for the duration of the game."

“Hi hi hi,” Regina giggled, showing Peter a straw doll representing a spider, adorned with black disgusting hair tuffs, probably taken from the dissected spider captured yesterday.

“Go away,” Peter ordered the prisoner, who dashed away like hell was on his heels. "Wow… Congrats," he kissed her.

The next message was not a surprise. "Qi-message. Team Japan has captured Team Australia-New Zealand's flag and camp. Team Australia-New Zealand will obey Team Japan's orders for the rest of the game."

"We need to reach the camp before they turn on us," Regina said, but he was already taking her hand. When they reached their base, unobserved, everybody was cheering.

"He must've been disoriented," Ariana was saying, patting the spider's head, to Shredder's displeasure, the pup growling loudly.

"Get back in position," Alchemy yelled, and people started to run around, preparing for the next round. "We can do it, we're fresher. Someone goes to Oxford and tells them to attack them from the rear."

A pair of scouts ran away and five more minutes passed in preparation. The all-terrain vehicles were starting to turn around and prepare for the next attack when trumpets sounded again in the rival camp. This time it was nothing like a signal, but more like somebody was shoving the trumpet on the trumpeter’s throat. Each call ended in strangled notes.

"Oh my God!" a girl shouted, pointing. "Look!"

Peter and Regina ran to the ramparts, elbowing their way through the crowd. From behind the former Auszeal base, the haze had begun to rise and advance. The mist accelerated forward like a hungry wolf, covering the entire area in seconds. Screams started to be heard, one, two, dozens, hundreds. A spider tried to fly the fog, only for a tentacle to snap out and catch it. Sick crunching and chewing sounds reached everybody's ears, even at that distance.

"Prepare to abandon camp!" Melinda screamed. "Leave the luggage behind. Don't let the fog touch you!"

"What's that?" Jack yelled.

"Your worst nightmare!" Alchemy yelled again. "Move! Or die!"

"Look," Peter yelled. “The fog has stopped.”

Indeed, the sea of haze was now receding. In its wake, it revealed countless dead spiders and Japanese vehicles turned upside down. The students, though, appeared alive, yet they kept screaming.

"Qi-Message. Team Kalimantan has captured Team Japan's flag. The first edition of interschool games has concluded. First place: Team Kalimantan, with three directly captured flags and two indirectly, scoring four points. Second Place: Team Dartmouth, with three flags and points. Third place: Team Bulgaria, with their flag still standing. The winners will receive golden qi-pills for each competitor, the second and third place silver and bronze qi-pill. They will be allowed to remain in place and farm the local resources for the rest of the week, keeping the profits. The High Council of the Reasonable Cultivation Sect thanks you for participating."