Let's Start a Dogfight

"Raon Zieghart..."

Raon narrowed his eyes at Trevin Zieghart, who was grinding his teeth. Fury had flushed the man's skin a deep, burning red.

"Was this whole mess your plan with Rimer?"

Just as Raon had expected, Trevin believed Rimer's forfeit had been part of some scheme. His eyes glittered with the humiliation of having fallen for a psychological ploy.

Might as well get him even more worked up.

Things were already going well enough, but Raon wanted to crack Trevin's composure—and the Iron Battle Squad's morale—just a little further.

"A plan?"

Raon tilted his head as if he had no idea what Trevin was talking about.

"Making Rimer forfeit!"

"I never planned anything like that."

"W-what are you talking about? Then why did Rimer forfeit?!"

"Guess he just felt like it."

"What?"

"Our squad leader's always done whatever the hell he wants. He's a single-celled organism."

Raon dropped his center of gravity and ignited the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Crimson radiance bloomed from the blade of the Heavenly Sky Sword, crushing down across Trevin's entire body.

"I-I don't understand! Why would he do something like that in a match this important..."

"Hell if I know what that gambling-addict elf is thinking."

The truth was, Raon knew exactly why Rimer had taken out a vice-leader and then forfeited—and he'd already figured out how to make the elf pay for it. There was just no reason to share that with Trevin.

"Hah..."

Trevin was driven back by the ferocious flames Raon had unleashed, his jaw trembling.

Then everything he said was actually true?

The things Rimer had told him earlier—to charge in immediately and hit the Light Wind Squad—hadn't been a lie. He'd meant every word.

Damn it...

The sheer absurdity of having the entire situation twisted this badly because of one insane elf left him speechless. His insides churned. He wanted to storm into the disqualified waiting room right then and there and drive his fist straight into Rimer's face.

Raon watched Trevin's complexion flush as red as a heated pot and drew a faint smile.

"There's a reason that guy leads the Mad Dog Squad. Even among us, he's in a league of his own when it comes to being unhinged."

The instant those words left his mouth, a powerful surge of energy came roaring in from behind.

"How many times do I have to say it?! It's Light Wind, not Mad Dog!"

Burren carved into the battlefield with a scowl on his face. A fierce frostwind tore open a path toward Camang, First Vice-Leader of the Iron Battle Squad.

"Crazy Raon."

Runaan unfurled a wave of cold, pinning down the Iron Battle Squad swordsmen who were trying to protect Camang.

"The craziest one among us is you!"

Marta ignited her Titan Aura and sprinted down the path Burren and Runaan had opened.

The ground itself seemed to groan. Following ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the three team leaders, the Light Wind Squad raised a savage battle-madness and charged the Iron Battle Squad.

They crashed together with a thunderous boom. Neither the Light Wind Squad nor the Iron Battle Squad maintained any formation. They collided in a raw contest of force against force, and steel screamed as both sides erupted with fierce energy, shockwaves bursting one after another across every corner of the field.

"You bastards!"

Camang twisted his face and tried to shove the Light Wind Squad back—just as Marta lunged at him and brought her sword crashing down.

"I'm your opponent!"

Marta poured out devastating sword strikes, determined not to surrender the advantage her surprise attack had won. Burren and Runaan stuck close to Camang's flanks, supporting her.

"A-attack! Please attack!"

Raon tightened his grip on his sword as he heard Dorian's thin voice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠taking over command of the Light Wind Squad in the team leaders' place.

Rimer pulled a fur hat down over his ears and hair. Disguised as an ordinary swordsman, he slipped out of the waiting room for the disqualified and climbed the hill where the spectators had gathered.

"I-it's actually going like this?"

"This is a complete mess."

"That's why they call them the Mad Dog Squad, not the Light Wind Squad."

"You really can't predict a single thing those mad dogs will do."

"Rimer sure made this interesting."

The audience burst out laughing at the battlefield, which had devolved into a genuine brawl. Most of them preferred a savage, all-out dogfight to a tedious war of strategy, and excitement painted every spectator's face.

"Wooooooo!"

"Raon! We believe in you!"

"Trevin! Get your head together!"

"Iron Battle Squad, don't you dare fall behind!"

"Mad Dog Squad! Tear the Iron Battle Squad apart!"

The crowd was cheering for the Light Wind Squad as the Mad Dog Squad now, as if the nickname were the most natural thing in the world.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm."

Rimer hummed under his breath as he wove through the spectators toward a quiet corner of the hill.

"P-please..."

"If this goes under I won't even be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠able to pay rent!"

"How the hell did that bastard Raon even think of something like that?!"

"Damn it, Trevin! Why were you just standing there?! You should've taken the opening!"

The people gathered there were nothing like the delighted crowd. They clutched their betting slips with trembling, anxious eyes.

Gamblers. Never a dull moment, no matter how many times I see them.

Rimer passed the gamblers and looked at the chalkboard standing at the edge of the hill.

Seven-to-one odds!

"Hey! Pal! Where've you been?"

The old man running the betting stall grinned, flashing a gap-toothed smile.

"At this rate we're gonna clean up, huh? Seven times! That's seven times the money!"

He snickered, going on about how Raon had flipped the disaster Rimer had created.

"I've been watching."

Rimer pressed down the smile tugging at his mouth and clenched his fist.

Forfeiting was worth it.

He'd withdrawn from the match today for two reasons. The first was to deny the Light Wind Squad an easy victory—to force them through a hard fight and give them a foothold to grow even stronger. The second was this gamble.

Team matches don't close the betting window right away.

Unlike other bouts, the wagering for a team match stayed open past the start, remaining active until both sides had shown a reasonable amount of their strategy. This had been that kind of board, which was why he'd moved before the betting closed—taking out one vice-leader and then forfeiting.

Odds that started at two-to-one before the match and jumped to seven-to-one. A perfect success.

Rimer checked the number on the chalkboard one more time and grinned.

This is killing two birds with one stone.

Helping the Light Wind Squad grow stronger while lining his own pockets. He was having his cake and eating it too.

"I believe in the Light Wind Squad!"

"Iron Battle Squad! Show them the strength of a proper unit!"

"Trevin! Don't you lose to some kid!"

The spectators in front of the betting stall shook their fists and cheered themselves hoarse for the Iron Battle Squad, their throats flushed red.

Rimer slipped away from the stall with a satisfied smile, then casually lifted his gaze. From the hill on the opposite side, a killing intent so sharp it made his skin crawl was pouring down on him.

Th-this might be a little dangerous...

Glenn, watching from up there, was a little—no, extremely—dangerous. But Rimer couldn't let an opportunity this good slip away.

I mean, he wouldn't actually kill me... h-he wouldn't really kill me, right?

Telling himself that Glenn's current aura might genuinely be enough to end him, Rimer tucked the betting slip into a pouch made of rubber.

I'm not getting burned again.

He could not repeat that nightmare from the Owen Kingdom, when his betting slip had gone up in flames. After taking his precautions against Glenn's lightning, he took his place at the edge of the hill.

Raon. My god of fortune, my light and salt, my brilliant beacon.

Rimer clasped his hands together as he watched Raon lock swords with Trevin.

I'm counting on you again today!

Camang, First Vice-Leader of the Iron Battle Squad, ground his teeth as he stared at Marta.

"How dare you..."

"That's the kind of line a third-rate villain would use."

Marta snorted and brought her sword crashing down. A strike laden with ferocious power dropped toward the crown of Camang's head.

Steel screamed. Camang swept his blade as if shooing away an insect and casually knocked Marta's strike aside.

"Know your place!"

"And that one sounds like a back-alley thug."

"Shut up!"

He glared and lunged at Marta. His sword-point shot forward like a bolt of light, aimed straight at her chest.

"Hmph!"

Marta didn't give an inch. She poured her Titan Aura out at full force and leapt in to meet him instead.

Aura slammed into aura, filling the air with a storm of blue-white sparks.

"You're a Master? Pretty pathetic."

Marta curled her lip as she locked blades with Camang.

"Hoo..."

Camang let out a thin breath, rage burning in his eyes.

"I was going to wrap this up quickly and go help the squad leader, but it seems I have no choice."

Camang drew a decisive line ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠through the air, and Marta's sword aura split apart like tofu.

"Kh!"

Before she could even pull her body back, Camang's Ganggi-clad blade came crashing in to cut through her waist—and a streak of green sword aura intercepted it from the right.

Burren groaned as he caught Camang's Ganggi on his blade.

"Kh! I told you! You can't take him alone!"

"Damn it..."

Marta didn't even have time to thank Burren for pulling her out of danger. She was driven backward.

"Adding you to the mix won't change a thing!"

Camang snorted and fired Ganggi at Burren as well. The sword-point turned white-hot with speed and sharpness, melting even Burren's sword aura away.

"This ends now!"

Camang swept his blade horizontally, aiming to cut Marta and Burren down in a single stroke—and a chill bloomed behind him. Runaan's frost.

"Nnh!"

Forced to abandon the finishing blow, Camang spun and struck aside the cold Runaan had poured out. Frost he failed to fully block crept up over his hand.

"Why are you here?!"

Marta clenched her molars as she looked at Runaan.

"Because Marta's weak."

Runaan dipped her head toward Marta with vacant eyes.

"Who the hell are you calling weak?!"

"Marta."

She even raised a finger to point, as if the question itself were confusing.

"Don't you dare ignore me!"

Camang melted the frost that had settled on his hand and lunged at Runaan.

Runaan worked her frost to slow his movement, but he was a Master. He expelled aura, shoved the cold aside, and brought his sword down like a thunderbolt.

"Mm."

Runaan traced a half-circle with her frost-clad blade and caught the strike. Overwhelming firepower shredded her sword aura like paper. Camang's blade was a hair's breadth from burying itself in her shoulder when Burren came flying in once more and caught the Ganggi.

His sword aura lasted only a moment before it started to split—and this time Marta drove in from Camang's left and brought her sword down with crushing weight.

Camang couldn't ignore the heavy blow coming from his left. He changed the path of the cut meant for Runaan and blocked Marta's blade instead.

"You swarming little flies...!"

His sword-hand trembled as he glared at Burren, Marta, and Runaan.

"Since when do flies come this big?!"

Marta kicked off a wall and rushed in, chaining strike after strike. Bundles of sword aura forged from Titan Aura swallowed Camang's space whole.

"We're not flies. We're mad dogs."

Runaan slid in on the left, supporting Marta's assault. The two of them had reached Expert Peak-Class, and for a fleeting moment they held their ground against a Master's Ganggi.

"It's Light Wind, not Mad Dog!"

Burren didn't waste the brief window they bought him. He unfolded the Frostwind Sword at Camang's back. A north wind coiled around a silver blade and reached for Camang's right arm.

"Kh...!"

Once again Camang failed to finish Marta. He ground his teeth and gave ground.

"You filthy little...!"

"This is actually working."

Burren smiled faintly at Camang, whose lips were trembling with disbelief.

We can actually fight a Master.

Even at Expert Peak-Class, facing a Master who could wield Ganggi alone was impossible. But two of them could last a little longer—and three could watch for an opening and counter. If they kept fighting like this, they could seize the momentum.

"Why are you two on the attack?!"

Marta stamped her foot. Her eyes blazed scarlet, and a power that went beyond sword aura surged up along her blade.

Marta exploded with vicious energy and charged Camang. A sword strike even a Master would struggle to receive came crashing down on a diagonal.

"Tsk."

Camang clicked his tongue and stepped back. Dealing with Marta herself wasn't the problem—but if Burren and Runaan followed her in, it could get dangerous.

"Hm?"

He evaded the rampaging Marta and checked Burren and Runaan. Neither of them had moved an inch.

Don't tell me?

He narrowed his eyes at Marta. The energy of her Rampage was spreading through the surrounding space, and it looked like Burren and Runaan couldn't even get close.

An opening!

Camang planted power in the ankle he'd been using to retreat and lunged forward. He raised his Ganggi to its limit and thrust.

A Ganggi as sharp as an awl was about to punch through Marta's shoulder when her eyes settled into a light as clear as a still lake.

The energy she had been flailing wildly condensed into her blade and collided with the Ganggi head-on.

"Y-you...!"

He'd meant to cut her down in a single stroke, but Marta had poured everything into defense, and his sword wouldn't pull free.

"Kh! I hate this, but today's my turn as the punching bag!"

Blood spilled from her mouth—and in that same instant, Runaan and Burren came roaring in from behind Camang.

The frostwind bursting from Burren's sword coiled around the frost blooming from Runaan's blade and smashed into Camang's back.

"Gahhh!"

Camang wrapped aura around his back with a Master's instincts, but the combined strike of Burren and Runaan still hit him hard enough to send blood spraying from his mouth. The internal damage looked severe.

"Ganging up on me—how filthy!"

Irritation thick in his voice, he wrenched his aura up to full power and poured sword strikes at all three of them. Blows rained down like a storm of arrows, filling the air.

Runaan stepped forward first. Ice petals bloomed along the path of her beloved sword, Snow Flower, dulling the flow and force of the Ganggi. Burren followed, a freezing wind whirling from his blade, and the razor edge of his frostwind sanded the slowed Ganggi down to nothing.

"Aaaaaaah!"

Marta drove in between Burren and Runaan and detonated her Titan Aura. A sword-point flashing yellow punched through the withered Ganggi and buried itself in Camang.

"Guhhh!"

Camang couldn't withstand the three team leaders' combination technique. He spat a second mouthful of blood and crumpled to the ground.

"Hhh..."

"Oof. Shoulder hurts."

"Masters aren't so special."

Marta, Burren, and Runaan staggered toward Camang and raised their swords.

"W-wait!"

"You ever seen a mad dog take orders? Drop dead!"

The three of them had no aura left to raise. They smashed the back of Camang's head with nothing but raw physical strength.

A crash like a pumpkin splitting open rang out, and Camang's head slammed into the dirt. His eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.

"Haaah... there's a reason they're Masters..."

Marta dropped where she stood and surveyed the battlefield. A dogfight was the Light Wind Squad's specialty. The entire field was tilting in their favor.

"No, you can't go that way! Please go right! Ah, would you just listen to me?!"

Dorian, the next strongest after the team leaders, was putting out surprisingly solid command, and casualties were few.

Marta watched Raon and Trevin fighting at the heart of the field and curled the corner of her mouth.

Now you're the only one left.

Raon listened to Referee Harrison's voice and let a smile of rising heat touch his mouth.

They all pulled it off.

Starting with Vice-Leader Camang, the Iron Battle Squad's swordsmen were dropping one after another. There was one oddball mixed in among the names, but it wasn't worth worrying about.

"H-how is this..."

Trevin swallowed dryly as the reports of his swordsmen falling kept rolling in.

"A mad dog doesn't let go once it bites. Best not to get bitten in the first place."

Raon shoved Trevin back with raw power, then ignited the Flower Spirit of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.