"Hmm, I wonder how he's going to defend," Jugi mused as Saem's suddenly disappeared from view, on of the game's system to protect players from seeing the other player’s defense and strategy plan.

"What defense tactic would you use?" Aurianna asked, her gaze fixed on Jugi.

"I'd like to try the lava circle defense. The idea is to diga trench around the entire castle and fill it with lava to prevent intruders from getting in," Jugi explained. He tapped on the holographic image, and instantly, a glowing illusion of molten lava surrounded his castle.

"But wouldn’t they just jump over it?" Aurianna questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"That's why I'd make it extremely wide. Plus, the playable characters don't have any elemental powers," Jugi replied with a grin, expanding the lava circle to increase its size.

"Then, I’d place the ten children in the center of the castle," Jugi continued, and the holographic image showed ten children appearing inside the castle, moving about and playing with one another. Despite their wooden appearance, their movements almost seemed lifelike.

"I’d station ten soldiers at each corner of the castle walls. Let me add some traps inside the castle too," Jugi said, zooming in on the castle's interior.

"I’d install foot-trigger traps that explode upon impact when stepped on, and impaling traps hidden in the walls," Jugi said, and the traps were immediately created and hidden in the walls.

"Some of those ten soldiers would be archers, positioned in the towers for a clear view of their targets and to minimize their own exposure," Jugi added, tapping on the towers, where a soldier appeared, armed with a bow and arrow.

"That leaves me with thirty more characters," Jugi mused.

"I’d station the queen near the children," he said, tapping the castle ground and the Queen appeared with a sword, standing to watch over the children.

"Why not place her near the king since she has the best defense?" Aurianna asked, curiosity piqued.

"That would make sense, but then there’d be no one strong enough to protect the children. The king can only be stationed on the battlefield, not inside the castle," Jugi explained, and Aurianna nodded in understanding.

"I see, it's more complex than I thought," Aurianna murmured.

"I could come up with a better defense if this game allowed for wild imagination, but unfortunately, I have to work within its limitations," Jugi sighed, disappointment clear in his voice.

"So, what about the fourteen knights and fourteen soldiers left?" Jade asked, his interest in the game growing.

"They would be stationed at the front lines with the King," Jugi responded nervously, and the knights and soldiers materialized behind the King.

"I'll use a V formation," Jugi explained, his voice gaining confidence. "This way, no matter what formation the enemy takes, I can easily break through. The fourteen knights will form an iron barrier around the King, holding full-body shields. The soldiers will carry lighter shields and spears, riding horses for increased speed. If our defenses break, they can quickly retreat."

As he spoke, the holographic display adjusted, showing the knights on horseback surrounding the King in a protective V shape, their shields gleaming like metal walls. The soldiers rode within the formation on their horses. Wielding weaker shields that were easier to carry to protect from any arrow attack from the air.

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"How boring," Aurianna scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain.

"Why do you say that?" Jugi asked, visibly puzzled.

"I'd rather blast everything with a Shining Star if it were a real battle," Aurianna declared, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"How tacky," Gixo interjected, appearing before her with a dismissive scoff.

"How dare you say that?!" Aurianna shot back, anger flaring in her voice.

"As I said, tacky. A foolish plan like that would get all your people killed if you were to fight in a war," Gixo retorted, and Jugi nodded in reluctant agreement.

“Tch, I can simply revive them," Aurianna stated, crossing her arms defiantly.

"And if you can't? What happens then?" Gixo challenged. "Your power isn't limitless, and you know it. You haven't reached that stage yet."

"Yet, huh? So you know I'll get there one day," Aurianna chuckled, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"Of course. It's fairly obvious, considering your race," Gixo replied matter-of-factly.

"Whatever, let's just watch Jugi and Saem's game," Aurianna sighed, turning her attention back to them.

As the restriction was lifted, both castles came into full view.

"Oh, he's using the spike strategy," Jugi observed, chuckling as he noticed Saem's entire castle protected by sprawling rose plants that occasionally spat out water from their blooms but had extremely long poison coated spikes.

‘Ah, water, in case I try to set it on fire. Clever,’ Jugi thought to himself. ‘But this will be easy. Maybe I gave him too much credit.’

Some of Saem's knights and soldiers were outfitted with spiked armor, their horses similarly clad in metal spikes.

"Won't that slow down your horses?" Jugi wondered aloud.

"It might," Saem replied calmly, "but I believe it's the best way to counter any shield or direct attack strategy.

"True enough," Jugi nodded.

‘If my army charges straight ahead, they could get skewered. And even if I use my shield strategy to advance slowly, those large spikes would make it difficult to attack. All I'd be left with is defense. But luckily, their heads are exposed,’ Jugi thought with a grin.

"Now, let the war begin!" Jugi declared, and his King led the charge, his army surging forward toward Saem’s forces.

Saem's soldiers raised their bows high, launching a barrage of arrows into the sky. But Jugi's army quickly formed an iron wall, their shields locking together seamlessly, easily deflecting the incoming storm of arrows.

As the arrows clattered harmlessly off the shields, Saem's army launched their own charge. His King, spear in hand, led the assault, aiming directly for Jugi's King.

But before Saem's King could pierce through the gap in the formation, Jugi's knight, positioned strategically before his King blocking the attack, and Jugi seized the opportunity. With a swift, decisive strike, Jugi's slid down and cut through the legs of Saem's King's horse, causing it to collapse to the ground.

"Oh, so they also control the fighting styles of some of the pieces," Aurianna remarked, watching the game.

Undeterred, Saem's King quickly regained his footing, just in time to block Jugi's King’s incoming sword strike with his spear. The two pieces immediately clashed, their weapons ringing out as they exchanged blow after blow.

Saem's King lunged forward, his spear slicing through the air in a wide, powerful arc aimed at Jugi's King’s belly. But Jugi's King was faster. With a swift motion, he parried the attack with three rapid strikes, then charged forward, his sword gleaming in the sunlight. He unleashed a flurry of lightning-fast attacks, each aimed at critical points: Saem's King's neck, stomach, and legs.

Saem's King struggled to defend himself, but his slower, heavier movements left gaps that Jugi's King exploited. The sword cut through the air, grazing Saem's King's armor, causing Saem to frown in frustration.

As the two Kings dueled, the knights and soldiers of both armies engaged in battle around them, each side controlling their pieces. However, Saem began to sweat as Jugi remained nonchalantly and calm.

Saem's King tried again, thrusting his spear straight toward Jugi's King’s chest in a quick, direct jab—a move that would have skewered a lesser fighter. But Jugi's King responded swiftly, raising his sword in a smooth, upward motion that met the spear’s body with a sharp clang.

The impact sent a jarring vibration up Saem's King’s arms, making him grit his teeth in frustration. He swung his spear once more, but Jugi's King leaped onto the spear itself, standing atop it as if mocking his opponent.

Saem's King barely managed to twist away, creating distance between them, but not before feeling the cold steel of Jugi's King’s sword graze his armor. Panic flickered in his eyes as he forced his King to stumble back, swinging his spear defensively to keep his opponent at bay.

‘This man, Jugi, is an extremely skilled fighter... I might actually lose this game,’ Saem thought, a nervous smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.