Chapter 152
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 152
“Waaaaah!”
A thunderous roar shook the sandy beach.
Spells rained from the heavens, and protective barriers shattered one after another. Swords clashed, sending sparks flying into the air, while students rolled across the sand, hammering relentlessly at each other’s shields.
The students of both factions were entangled in a fierce, chaotic melee. Even those who had initially hesitated, cautiously weighing whether to join the fray, were now clenching their teeth and throwing themselves into the slaughter after being shoved around and taking a few hits.
The battlefield had descended into pandemonium—a swirling storm of magic, fists, and steel.
“The front line in the east-southeast is collapsing.”
“Karon, support the east-southeast.”
“The flank Lady Chepesi is holding is also being pushed back.”
“Dandol, lead your troops and reinforce Chepesi. The line is giving way.”
Perched atop a high watchtower, Hildegard surveyed the carnage and relayed her reports. Listening to her, I deployed our allies to the right places at the right times while providing fire support.
Hildegard’s [Observation] ability was an incredible asset. Which side was losing ground, where reinforcements were needed, where the enemy’s assault was most ferocious—her eyes could take in the entire battlefield at a single glance.
Occasionally, an arrow or a stray spell would fly toward her, but I had lent her my Aegis Shield in preparation for that, so it wasn't an issue.
“Hildegard, what’s the status of Elena’s main force?”
“Hmm, they haven’t moved yet. They’re just evacuating the injured to the rear for treatment.”
“I see. As I thought, she’s being cautious.”
I gazed at Elena’s inactive main force, lost in thought. It seemed she had already noticed the existence of the detached unit I had positioned in the jungle. Then again, with such a blatant discrepancy in our numbers, it was only natural she’d figure it out.
In any case, her hesitant movements suggested she was wary of my tactics. Still, because she was holding back her main force out of caution for my hidden unit, the battle had reached a tense stalemate. Considering we were outnumbered two to one, we were putting up an incredible fight.
But if we keep dragging this out, we’ll be the ones at a disadvantage.
Having more troops meant they could rotate their forces and cycle in fresh soldiers. Our team was outmatched not only in firepower but in stamina. If this sluggish battle of attrition continued, we would eventually break.
It’s about time to make a move.
I watched our allies fighting with dauntless courage for a moment longer before turning my gaze away.
The objective of this battle was never to win the clash between our main forces. That engagement was merely a feint to create the illusion of an all-out frontal assault and divert the enemy’s attention. All we had to do was hold them off just enough so that Elena’s side wouldn’t sense anything was amiss.
The victory condition for this faction war has always been to capture Elena’s Cube.
That was the single greatest difference between a conventional war and this faction war. And I was going to exploit that difference to the fullest.
Tap, tap.
I tapped the communication magic tool in my ear to contact Bell.
[Can you hear me?]
[U-uh, yeah. I’m hiding in the forest with the others, just like you said.]
The unit I had separated beforehand was a corps of mages, including Bell, capable of long-range bombardment. No one would expect me to pull the mages—the core of our army’s firepower—and move them somewhere else entirely. It wasn’t a decision one would make under normal circumstances.
However...
This battle will decide everything anyway.
I would use every card I had and create as many variables as possible. If I didn’t, we would be crushed by a force more than twice our size.
[Good. On my signal, I want all of you to unleash your magic on Elena’s main camp. Don’t worry about what comes after. Pour out every last drop of your mana.]
[O-okay.]
After giving Bell the order to attack, I summoned the other commanders.
“Ciel, prepare for the final strike. Hildegard, gather all commander-level personnel here.”
The time had come to end this long faction war.
*
The sandy beach was tumultuous with the sounds of students fighting. A short distance away sat the main camp of Elena’s team.
Elena turned to Adler, asking for a status report. “How goes the battle?”
“We are consistently pushing them back. The enemy is holding on well for their numbers, but at this rate, it’ll be an easy win. Their magical assault is weaker than I expected.”
“Hmm, is that so? How much longer until we completely suppress them?”
“Give it about an hour, and their stamina should be depleted. We’ll push forward with the main force then. They won’t be able to hold out any longer.”
Adler was confident. Elena slowly nodded at his assured tone. It seemed that even Roen couldn’t handle a force more than twice his size in a direct confrontation. In a way, it was to be expected, but a part of her felt a little let down.
Well, perhaps I was hoping for too much.
Elena sighed inwardly. History books sometimes told tales of commanders who defeated armies several times their size with brilliant tactics, but those were exceptional cases, famous enough to be recorded and retold for ages. Those were battles led by legendary generals whose names were etched in history. Expecting such grand tactics in a brawl like this was probably asking for too much.
Elena composed herself and rose from her seat.
“There’s no need to wait an hour. Let’s go and crush them now.”
Dragging it out would only exhaust the students on both sides and increase the number of injuries. In a situation like this, ending the battle quickly was better for everyone. Elena decided to step onto the battlefield herself.
“...Understood. We will march with the Divine Knights.”
It was at that moment, just as Elena was about to head out.
Vwoooom—
A powerful surge of mana emanated from the forest. She could feel that immense power drawing closer. Elena snapped her head up and looked at the sky.
It was filled with a dazzling array of colorful magic spells. Someone was launching a magical assault on their main camp. And among the spells, a massive fireball was particularly conspicuous.
“...!”
Startled but calm, Elena raised a hand and deployed her divine magic.
Zwoong—
A pure white divine barrier appeared in the air. It was Elena’s unique magic, [Severance], which nullified all external forces. While standard divine magic was inefficient at blocking magical attacks, Elena’s unique magic was different.
Kwa-kwakwang—!
The spells rained down upon the divine barrier. The countless magic spells that had painted the sky were all nullified by Elena’s shield. The massive fireball was the last to fade, its flames licking at the barrier, but it failed to inflict any damage.
As Elena effortlessly blocked the bombardment, Adler shouted to the knights under his command.
“The enemy launched a magic attack from the forest! It’s likely just mages, so go and suppress them at once! Once they’re dealt with, there will be no more surprises!”
“Waaah!”
The Divine Knights, who had been guarding Elena at the main camp, shot off toward the forest like arrows. Elena retracted the divine barrier and spoke.
“So those thirty people Roen separated were those mages.”
“Seems so. I was wondering why the number of spells coming from the enemy camp was so low. It looks like he had them all hidden over there.”
Roen had absorbed the Noble Alliance—the students of Eredor—into his faction. Most of them were mages, a force capable of devastating offensive magic. That explained why the enemy’s magical assault had felt strangely weak during the battle.
“He must have planned to annihilate our main camp with a surprise bombardment, knowing he couldn’t win a frontal engagement.”
“Perhaps,” Adler spoke with a look of relief. “But this is the end for Roen. Judging by the number of troops he sent, it doesn’t look like he left any guards for the mages. Our Divine Knights will subdue them with ease.”
To separate the mages who formed the core of his army’s firepower and not even assign them an escort… no matter how much he wanted to deceive his enemy and create a variable, it was too reckless a move. With this one gambit, Roen would be utterly defeated. After all, the number of mages had been his side’s only advantage.
“Still, it’s a bit of a shame. For it to end so anticlimactically. I didn’t even get to fight Lady Ciel yet.”
Adler licked his lips and gripped his sword, itching for a fight. But even with victory all but certain, Elena couldn’t shake her feeling of unease. She stroked her chin, lost in thought.
If it’s Roen...
He might use even this as a trap. Mages were certainly an important asset, but they were just one element needed to win a battle.
Besides, winning the battle isn’t what’s truly important.
Winning the battle was just a means to an end. The decisive factor for victory in this faction war was ‘capturing the host’s Cube.’ To that end, Roen might have thrown his mages away as bait to scatter the guards protecting her.
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Elena spoke urgently.
“Adler, wait—”
Just as she called out to him.
Kwagwagwa—!
Something massive tore through the battlefield and came to a halt right in front of Elena.
“Whoa!”
The huge object kicked up a thick cloud of sand as it appeared, splitting the battlefield in two. The students stopped fighting, staring blankly at the sudden appearance of the large, elongated shape.
“What is that?”
“A Cube? The material looks like a Cube.”
It was an extremely long structure, like a magic train stretched out. It looked as if it had been designed to transport a large number of people at once. Elena looked up at the massive form before her and gritted her teeth.
Don’t tell me he used the Cube as a mode of transport?
It was a tactic that utilized the Cube’s ability to freely change its shape and size. But to think that a fortress-type Cube could be transformed in such a way...
Clank—
Just then, the end of the elongated Cube opened, and someone emerged.
“Fire everything!” Adler commanded.
The surrounding students shot arrows and magic the moment the door opened.
Fwoom—bang—
But their attacks were deflected by a translucent, armor-like defensive barrier, rendered useless. Simultaneously, someone shot out from within and charged at Elena.
A girl with neat black hair flying behind her rushed forward. Ciel.
...Lady Ciel.
With her fists wrapped in a fierce fighting aura, Ciel ran straight for Elena. Adler stepped in front of Ciel, shielding his leader.
“You’re not getting through!”
KWAANG—!
When the two of them collided, a shockwave of mana exploded across the battlefield. Amidst the chaos, students from Roen’s faction poured out of the Cube.
Chepesi, Hildegard, Theon, Silphiette—the enemy’s strongest fighters.
Elena watched them silently, then opened her mouth to address the last person to appear.
“...Roen.”
Thud.
A male student with a familiar face emerged from the Cube. He arrogantly propped one leg on the edge of the structure and looked down at Elena.
“Been waiting long, Elena?”
Elena clenched her fists, her voice trembling slightly as she replied. “Yes. I was getting disappointed, thinking you might not show up at all.”
“I’m glad I could meet your expectations.”
Shing—
Roen drew the sword from his waist and declared with absolute confidence.
“Now then, I’ll be taking your Cube.”