After facing a challenging Champion City Siege, in which they failed to obtain the prizes they aspired to, Neik and his companions spent several days resting and finding harmony in K345, awaiting the imminent start of the Siege of Winterfell. To prepare, the group resumed their training on the battlefield with their allies after a brief break, focusing on achieving the ideal physical condition to perform their best in the first round.

The rigorous training was paying off, and the warriors of HOH seemed more fit than ever. However, just days before the much-anticipated event, another daunting challenge awaited them: the KVK!

Neik, alongside lifelong companions like Ferrious and Mayhem, along with a newly joined group of four members, including Professor X, was ready to put themselves to the test in a demanding challenge. The kingdom vs. kingdom event would last a full 24 hours, where the unexpected would always be lurking, and the matchmaking determining who K345’s rivals would be played a crucial role. A battle tougher than necessary could compromise their performance for the upcoming event that the members of HOH were about to face, striving to elevate the name of their glorious alliance as high as possible.

The opponent they would face today is...

The kingdom was densely populated by numerous mid-level alliances, with WoH and LKw dominating all, each boasting 70 members present in K443. This massive presence could play a decisive role in the final outcome. In KVK, victory depended on the points collected, without necessarily having to clash head-on with rivals. Neik and his companions would need to be cautious.

For the warriors of HOH, this kingdom was still uncharted territory. After a quick exploration to identify the most formidable members, they found no high-level warriors. Something was amiss.

"I don't trust the situation," said Ferrious, an experienced warrior, addressing the allies of K345 as they awaited the start of hostilities. With a long history of battles behind her, she knew that the most dangerous rivals often preferred to wait, ready to react to the first move of the enemy.

"This time, I suggest we aim for the conquest of King’s Landing in K443 right away," proposed Neik, breaking the group's thoughtful silence. "We need to force them out of hiding. Controlling King’s Landing will give us a significant advantage at the start of the KVK." Although this may have seemed an aggressive approach, it was actually a safe one: taking refuge in the kingdom's most important castle and defending it together reduced the risk of an unexpected attack. Neik showed great leadership, convincing his companions to follow his strategy.

As preparations came to an end and the match was about to begin, a cold wind blew among the fighters. The first drops of rain began to fall, signaling the imminent start of battle like a winter omen; the summer warmth was now a distant memory. The atmosphere was tense, ready to erupt into a storm of conflict between the two kingdoms.

A relatively calm start marked the encounter between the two kingdoms.

Ferrious's takeover of King’s Landing lasted just a few minutes, during which she gained total control without facing any defenses from the rivals—an incredibly strange strategy on their part. Controlling the kingdom's most important castle guaranteed the highest flow of points, and seizing it so easily felt almost like a sign of surrender.

Rushing back from her scouting mission in search of nearby rivals, Ms. Mayhem brought back some rather unsettling news: "I spotted a few members of HD! near Winterfell, but as soon as they saw me, they vanished into the shadows."

Their concerns proved well-founded; without a doubt, formidable enemies lurked nearby, waiting for the right moment to strike. HD! was known for being a very dangerous alliance, and if they had enough members to launch a rally against Ferrious’s defenses in King’s Landing, it could pose a significant problem. However, it was Ferrious herself who spoke up: "I doubt they would have let us take control of the castle so easily if they had sufficient numbers to confront us head-on," she said, trying to reassure some visibly shaken allies.

But just as they were debating whether to change their strategy, a rival was spotted near King’s Landing!

Observing the movements of his infantry, it was Professor X who took charge of the situation and launched his cavalry against them.

The attack was tremendously effective!

The combination of Female-Cavalry from the HOH member proved increasingly formidable, allowing him to dispatch the enemy troops without suffering even a scratch!

"Well done," Neik praised, congratulating him on the successful strike. He then added, "There could be more rivals like this; we must stay vigilant!" Aware, as he had initially stated, of the impending Siege of Winterfell, his goal—and that of his K345 allies—was to secure victory today with minimal losses. However, the day of battles was still long, and it was likely that the discovered rivals would not sit idle.

Having spent the night in utmost concentration, with the sun now high in the sky behind the gray clouds obscuring its rays and dropping rain that served as the soundtrack to their watch over the walls of King's Landing, a messenger was spotted approaching from a distance without any sign of hostility. "Let him pass," suggested Ferrious, eager to hear what he had to report.

"I come in peace on behalf of LKw and WoH. I merely wanted to inform you that we do not intend to fight in this KVK, as our kingdom is being invaded by six members of HD! The strongest among them is Mamouthh, and we do not wish to contribute to their potential victory, as they wouldn't allow us to reap any benefits," said the mysterious messenger.

"Alright, thank you for providing the exact number of rivals we might face. You are free to go gather resources, and none of us will attempt to stop you," replied Ferrious.

"In gratitude for your kindness, I advise you to take a look to the northeast from the walls of King's Landing; I spotted another formidable rival as I was coming here," were his last words before he returned to his base, vanishing into the forest.

This unexpected twist left the members of K345 contemplating possible allies within the rival kingdom. "Do you trust him?" asked WitchKing skeptically, standing guard at the castle with the other allies. "To be sure, I'll go take a look around," Neik replied, preparing to head out for exploration.

Following the instructions of the mysterious individual, it didn't take long for the member of HOH to spot the rival, who seemed to be preparing for battle. It was FOXON, about whom little information was available. Sensing something off, the K345 member called for support from the spears of his allies, unwilling to risk a solo attack.

Once the allied troops arrived, the HOH member launched an assault on the rival's base.

The battle between the two was unprecedented in its ferocity. The decision to rally and strike at the enemy's walls proved wise, as the base was defended by a staggering 16 million Bows—three times the number of the attacking forces. Yet, by the end of the clash, it was the K345 member who emerged victorious, forcing the rival to retreat just before Neik could launch a second attack.

"What a devastating rally! Well done!" said Professor X to his ally. "Luckily, our mysterious ally didn't try to lure us into an ambush," Neik added, appearing carefree upon his return to King's Landing.

The following hours passed with few major disruptions. The match score increasingly favored K345, albeit by a slim margin due to the rival alliances' resource gathering efforts. Ferrious and his companions became more convinced that the formidable invaders from K443 had little interest in engaging them—until...

A formidable rival was once again spotted by Ms. Mayhem!

Thanks to her agile Cavs, her assigned task was to patrol the area and report if she saw anyone approaching. "The opponent is heading towards King's Landing and intends to attack with his Cavs," was the message she relayed.

"He knows that Ferrious is defending KL since I distanced myself earlier and wants to counter our Inf with his Cavs," Neik said.

"Let's quickly swap the troops in the castle so that he unwittingly ends up attacking your Spears," Professor X suggested, addressing Neik, who wasted no time in taking over the walls, replacing his ally.

The final outcome of the day was far from clear; Mamouthh, by securing a victory with his attack, could alter the course of the match and create significant difficulties for the members of HOH, despite their control over the most important castles throughout much of the day. A successful defense was crucial, and Neik had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.

So, when the attack finally came...

It was a bloodbath for Mamouthh, the HD! member who attempted to besiege the walls. Confident that he would find Ferrious's Inf to strike with his Female-Weakness-Cav formation, he realized too late—when it was already too late—that Neik's Spears and Weakness Formation lay in ambush for him. The clash that ensued was a massacre.

"A brilliant idea," Neik said, addressing Professor X for his stroke of genius, which showcased great battlefield experience for the HOH member.

"As the LKw member informed us, this was their strongest player; I strongly doubt they will attempt another siege," Ferrious remarked, hinting at the premature end to these 24 hours of battles.

The subsequent hours were nothing but a monologue from K345. The score advantage, which had been kept minimal due to the resource-gathering efforts of the WoH and LKw members, had widened significantly with the last battle between Neik and Mamouthh, the latter emerging gravely injured.

Thus, at the official conclusion of the match, the victory went to... K345!

The final standings of the day saw Ferrious in first place, followed by another HOH member, Professor X. Both had amassed enough points thanks to their efforts defending King's Landing in K443. For the same reason, but in K345, the third spot on the podium went to Stalkerz379, who primarily focused on defending his kingdom from attacks that, however, never came during the match.

"It was a great match; just as we wanted, we achieved maximum results with minimal effort," Neik remarked during the celebrations for his kingdom's victory. Along with the glory came the valuable diamond mines that would arrive during the following day, a welcome reward for their hard work.

Another event concluded, not without its surprises. The unexpected ally from the rival kingdom provided them with confidence in the strategy to secure victory, but it wouldn’t always be so simple in the future. On the horizon looms the start of the Siege of Winterfell, and only a few days separate HOH from the beginning of a long season. Will they manage to reaffirm themselves among the alliances to be reckoned with? We shall find out together!