Coordinated Assault
At my suggestion that each of us take on our respective roles and hold hands, both girls reacted with visible shock.
Lee Yuha and Yang Bok-ja stared at me in bewilderment. I'd expected exactly this reaction, so I offered a more detailed explanation.
"I'm saying you two should hold hands and make peace. Your roles are the most critical part of this plan."
Lee Yuha possessed ice emission abilities, while Yang Bok-ja specialized in telekinesis. The way we'd been operating was for Lee Yuha to release freezing energy, which Yang Bok-ja would then manipulate from beside her to strike the target. But with the two of them seething with resentment toward each other, there was no way their reluctant teamwork would produce decent results.
"Hurry up."
"......"
"......"
At my urging, Lee Yuha and Yang Bok-ja reluctantly clasped hands. They made a half-hearted show of reconciliation, then immediately let go. Of course, since their fight stemmed from far more than a simple difference of opinion, I didn't expect this to magically resolve everything. Still, they seemed to understand that synchronizing their breathing was crucial.
"Good. Now listen carefully, everyone."
I turned back to the squad and continued my explanation in a serious tone.
"First, as I mentioned earlier, Lee Yuha will open with an attack on that magic beast."
Lee Yuha nodded with a tense expression.
"Lee Yuha will release her ice at maximum output for twelve seconds, freezing that devil—no, that onigumo. The control of that energy will be Yang Bok-ja's responsibility—"
"W-wait a moment."
Lee Yuha interrupted me.
"Maximum... output?"
"That's right. Is there a problem?"
According to my calculations, her mana reserves should still be more than sufficient. After a brief hesitation, she spoke again.
"...If I release at full power, I might accidentally hit the other students..."
So that was what she was worried about. I told her firmly, "Aiming is Yang Bok-ja's job. Trust her and unleash your maximum without holding back."
"...!"
She'd just been fighting with Yang Bok-ja, and now I was telling her to hold her hand and give it everything while trusting her. It must have been difficult for Lee Yuha to accept. But in the end, she nodded in understanding.
Thank goodness.
I turned to Yang Bok-ja next.
"Can you handle it? The distance is a bit far, but the target's huge, so it shouldn't be too difficult."
"Umm... But why exactly twelve seconds?"
"No matter how precisely you aim, if she keeps firing cold energy beyond that point, it'll disperse into the air and could harm the other cadets around the onigumo."
This was a calculation based on my assessment of Lee Yuha's capabilities. It was the sweet spot—enough freezing damage to the onigumo without endangering the surrounding students. If I had access to a Status Window, I could have been more precise, but accounting for a small margin of error, this was the best option.
I continued the briefing.
"Of course, even a direct hit from Lee Yuha's maximum ice output won't kill that onigumo. It'll only freeze its surface and slow its movements. As soon as the freezing stops, it'll charge straight at us."
With that, I called out to Murasaki, who was standing at a distance.
"Murasaki. You can use a sword, right?"
"...Are you taking me for a fool? Of course I can!"
"Good. After that, it's your turn and mine. Five seconds after the ice emission ends, we'll rush in and each sever one of the onigumo's left and right legs. Its body is too high for us to reach anyway."
If the original Baek Chulyeon I'd reincarnated into or Murasaki had reached the level of freely flying through the air, it might have been different. But with our current specs, cutting off one leg each was the best we could manage.
Murasaki asked, "Why wait five seconds? If we charge in right away and cut—"
"Because the cold energy that Lee Yuha released into the air between us and the onigumo needs time to dissipate. Do you want to fight it while getting hit by freezing energy?"
"...Hmm. Understood."
Murasaki nodded. Song Byeong-o spoke up.
"T-then does that mean we can defeat that thing? As expected, you're truly—"
"No. Even if we cut off both legs, it won't die. It'll just lose mobility and hesitate slightly from the pain. That's why..."
I placed a hand on Song Byeong-o's shoulder.
"You have to land the finishing blow. Right into its maw."
"F-finishing blow?"
...We were all speaking Japanese, but my habitual 21st-century slang kept slipping out, making communication tricky. I explained it more clearly.
"The final strike. From the moment the attack begins, keep pouring mana into your bullet. Then, exactly three seconds after it opens its mouth, fire directly into it. The reason for three seconds is that it takes that long for the creature to gather and spew its venom. The venom gland that becomes exposed then is its weak point."
In other words, delivering the killing blow to the magic beast onigumo was Song Byeong-o's role.
But Song Byeong-o cried out in dismay.
"B-but how could I possibly do that! Look at my hands! Yesterday I already..."
During previous practice sessions, he'd had no trouble hitting small magic beasts. Now, however, tension had his hands shaking uncontrollably. It wasn't that he lacked courage. From the way he'd tried to face a cephalopod alone yesterday, it was clear he possessed both bravery and a strong sense of justice. The problem was his tendency to freeze up and make mistakes in truly critical moments.
"Think of this as different from yesterday. Yesterday you were suddenly attacked. Today, we're the ones hunting the beast. There's no need to be nervous at all."
"Haa... haa... Damn it. Fine. I'll give it a try..."
That was it. This was the makeshift strategy I'd thrown together on the spot. I moved on to the final part of the explanation.
"Then, lastly—"
"Wait, wait! Shirabayashi-kun...!"
Yang Bok-ja called out urgently.
"Twelve seconds, five seconds—it's all so complicated. How are we supposed to match the timing for all of this?"
"Indeed. When we're focused on using our abilities, it's difficult to keep accurate track of time," Song Byeong-o added, and Lee Yuha nodded with a tense expression.
"I was just about to explain that. Don't worry about it. There's someone who will call out the timing for us."
I removed my wristwatch and handed it to Aikawa.
"Here."
"Eh...?"
Aikawa accepted the watch in confusion, then looked at me with an expression that said she hoped she was misunderstanding.
"Um, w-why are you giving this to me...? You don't mean...?"
"Exactly. You'll watch the second hand and call out the timing for each person's movements."
"S-such an important duty... to me..."
Because of her timid nature, she immediately shrank back in fear. It was natural to feel burdened, thinking the success or failure of the entire operation rested on her shoulders. But the reason I'd assigned the timing calls to Aikawa wasn't just because she was the only one left. More importantly, I could trust her.
Timidness, after all, could also mean meticulousness. And despite her outwardly frail demeanor, I could tell at a glance that she possessed a surprisingly strong core. She hadn't learned proper healing techniques yet, so all she could do was restore a bit of stamina. But healing abilities were inherently more difficult to master than others. Just as it's easier to destroy than to repair in this world, even the seemingly simple act of restoring stamina required considerable concentration, composure, and an unexpectedly steady nerve. One small mistake could backfire and damage the body instead.
Precisely because she could remain calm even in urgent situations like this, I could entrust her with timing calls that might decide the battle's outcome.
"Umm... I understand! I'll do my best!"
Aikawa finally nodded with a determined expression. With that, the explanation of everyone's roles was complete.
I addressed the squad one last time.
"We're going straight in without a rehearsal. Everyone ready?"
The rest area was located at the entrance to the 'Third Training Ground' halfway up the mountain. Cadets who had come down from the mountain early were gathered by squad, resting.
The students held up their iron cages and complained.
"I only caught a few... After noon, they were barely visible. So I just came down."
"Same here. Maybe they didn't release that many magic beasts to begin with?"
"By the way, what about the kids who still haven't come down? There are still some left on the mountain."
As they said, the preliminary field practice was nearly over, yet more than twenty cadets still hadn't returned.
One cadet remarked, "They probably just don't want to give up because they didn't catch much. It's not even part of our grades anyway."
Another student looked up at the second floor and said, "Still, take a look at Lady Shimazu's over there."
On the second floor of the rest area, which resembled a large hall, Shimazu Renka sat quietly sipping tea. Behind her were the iron cages belonging to her squad. The cages were packed full of magic beasts—all of them hunted by Renka alone.
She'd only formed a squad because school regulations required it, but in her eyes, most of the cadets were nowhere near as useful as the members of the Shimazu Gumi's Gyeongseong branch she'd worked with before. They were little more than baggage handlers.
Renka set down her teacup, gazed out the window, and thought.
Shirabayashi-san.
If she'd known such a cadet existed earlier, she would have arranged for him to be assigned to her class. But it wasn't too late. Baek Chulyeon would eventually join her squad, even if it was a bit late.
Those kinds of squad members wouldn't catch your eye anyway.
Baek Chulyeon didn't know it, but Renka had secretly planted someone among the cadets to monitor his squad's movements. The reports showed that while Baek Chulyeon was producing impressive results, his squad members were only holding him back. There was a Korean cadet who acted uncooperatively and picked fights, and two others had even caused internal conflict through disagreements. The remaining two weren't particularly outstanding either.
Hehe... Spending an entire year in the same squad with those people? He'll soon realize it's impossible and come to me.
Renka's heart was filled with composure. Moreover, seeing Baek Chulyeon's performance this time had put her somewhat at ease. His skills were certainly outstanding compared to the other cadets, but they weren't on her level. They didn't threaten the value of her seventeen years of harsh training since childhood.
Still, that doesn't change the fact that he piques my curiosity...
Slurp.
With that thought, Renka closed her eyes and leisurely lifted her teacup for another sip.
But at that moment, the cadets in the rest area began to stir noisily.
"Whoa, what the hell is that...?"
"Was there a magic beast like that in the training ground?"
Renka casually glanced out the window at the commotion.
What entered her sight was Baek Chulyeon descending from the mountain and entering the clearing, followed by a large group of cadets. And behind them, the cadets were collectively dragging a medium-sized high-grade magic beast—an onigumo.
Renka stared out the window, completely unaware that tea was spilling from the tilted cup still in her hand, and unconsciously muttered.
"What the...?"