The king's son rose to his feet. Asgore was a boss monster just like his parents and was almost a carbon copy of his father, and would have been if not for his father's jagged horns and spiky black hair. Asgore's was soft and blond like that of his mother, Queen Tona, and it gave him a young, friendly appearance.
But make no mistake, the young general was far from friendly in battle. His skill with a trident was unmatched, his fire magic was almost perfect, and his personality commanded respect. And it was these traits (And perhaps a bit of nepotism) that led his father to choose him as commander of the monster army.
He met with his men the night before the battle, and they discussed the plan of attack with the king in the monsters' throne room.
"Fellow monsters," he began with a soft, yet stern and powerful voice. "Tomorrow, we will either be free to walk the surface in peace, or be confined to the bowels of the earth. Whatever the outcome, we will stand and fight for our race! I, for one, will not let the humans force us underground. Now who among you is ready to stand and fight with me?!" Every monster present raised a hand, paw, claw, or hoof, or whatever they had.
Except for one. King Lucetrant shook his head sadly.
"Asgore…" he trailed off.
The young general bowed his head, expecting to be reprimanded for his forcefulness. But instead of looking upset, Lucetrant smiled.
"I admire your courage, son," the old king went on. "But if we are to win this war, we need a plan. It is no longer enough to simply attack! We need to look for their weaknesses and exploit them."
Asgore tilted his head in confusion. "What exactly did you have planned, Father?"
Lucetrant rose from his throne, propped up by his cane. "Humans are weak to magic. I suggest using magical attacks, then switch to weapons if they get to close."
"BAH!" One loud and particularly disagreeable voice rang above the crowd.
The king turned his head to see who had said that. He found himself locking eyes with his son's best friend: a short, wide tortoise monster, covered in armor from head to toe. He carried a large, spiked warhammer that looked far too big for him to carry, yet he wielded it with superior skill.
Lucetrant's eyes narrowed. "Ah, Gerson-"
"That's 'Gerson, the Hammer of Justice' to you!"
"Well then, Gerson, the Hammer of Justice, is there a problem?"
"Wah ha ha! Of course there is!" Gerson cackled. "How is it fair striking the humans from a distance when they can only use close-up attacks? That's cheating! Besides, if we have all these amazing tools like my hammer," he said as he spun it around in his hand, "Why use them only as a last resort?"
Asgore put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Easy now, Gerson. I don't like having to cheat with magic any more than you do, but the fate of our entire race is at stake."
The king smiled. "Well said, my son. Besides," He said, casting a sideways glare at Gerson, "Our bodies are not like those of humans. We're made of a different substance." Asgore nodded, having heard this lesson many times before. Gerson, however looked a bit confused.
"Something else, eh? What's that s'posed to mean?"
Lucetrant looked exasperated with the young turtle, so Asgore decided to finish the lesson for his father. "You see, Gerson, while the human body is primarily made of water, ours are made of magic. Magic, like everything else, has weight of its own. That's why some of us are bigger than others: Size determines magical strength. The wider you are-" Asgore grabbed his stomach for effect, garnering a laugh from his friend- "The more damage your magic does. And the taller you are, the more attacks you can resist."
Gerson nodded. "Ha! That makes sense, but why do we have to stay away from the humans?"
Asgore replied: "That's because, unlike humans, we're not entirely physical creatures. While a strike with a sword would cause a deep gash in a human, that same sword could cause a monster to split in half. Our bodies simply don't have enough physical structure to withstand a human onslaught. And that is why we must fight from a distance whenever possible. Now, if you'll listen for just a moment, I will give my plan of attack."
"Well?" Asked Lucetrant. "Don't keep us all waiting, now!"
Asgore sighed at his impatient father. "The plan is to chase the humans to the top of Mount Ebbot. Once they reach the summit, a second group will strike from the other side. We'll surround them, and then finish them off.
Gerson nodded. "That's a good plan!"
And indeed it was. But only time would tell if it worked.