"Waaah!"Cheering shook the sandy beach.Spells rained down like a shower in the sky, and shields exploded one after another.Swords crashed against swords, sending sparks flying, and students rolled across the sand as they pounded on each other's shields.The students of both factions were tangled together, fighting a fierce battle.At first, the students had hesitated, watching the mood and debating whether to fight or not, but after being pushed around and taking a few hits here and there, they gritted their teeth and started fighting in earnest.And so, as spells poured down and fists and swords flew back and forth, the battlefield turned into complete chaos."The frontline in the east-southeast direction is collapsing.""Caron, send support to the east-southeast front.""The side Miss Tepes is holding is being pushed back too.""Dandol, take your troops and link up with Tepes. The line is collapsing."Sitting atop a high watchtower, Hildegard surveyed the battlefield and relayed information.I listened to the information she gave and deployed our forces and provided fire support where needed.Hildegard's [Observation] ability was incredibly helpful on the battlefield.Which side was being pushed back, where help was needed, where the enemy's forces were pressing hardest—Hildegard's eyes could take in the battlefield at a glance.Occasionally, arrows or spells were fired at her, but I had lent her Aegis to prepare for that, so it was not a problem."Hildegard, what about Elena's main force right now?""Hmm, they're still not moving. They're only sending the wounded back to the rear for treatment.""I see. So they're on guard after all."I looked at Elena's silent main force and sank into thought.It seemed Elena had already noticed the existence of the detached unit I had placed in the jungle.Since our numbers were blatantly short, it was only natural she would notice.Either way, seeing how carefully she was moving, she was clearly wary of my tactics.Still, thanks to Elena's main force not fully joining the battle because she was wary of the detached unit I had pulled out in advance, the situation on the battlefield remained evenly matched.Given that the difference in numbers was nearly twofold, you could say we were doing remarkably well.'If we keep dragging this out, we're the ones who'll be at a disadvantage.'Having more heads means you can rotate troops in and out while fighting.Not only in firepower but in stamina too, our team is behind.If this kind of drawn-out battle continues, we'll be the ones who end up losing.'It's about time to move.'I watched our students fighting bravely and fearlessly, then took my gaze away.Either way, the goal of this battle was not to win the main-force fight.The battle between the main forces was only to create the situation that we were engaged in a frontal war and to divert the enemy's attention.We just needed to engage them enough that Elena's side did not feel anything was off.'In the end, the victory condition of the Faction War is to steal Elena's Cube.'That is the biggest difference between an ordinary war and this Faction War.And I was going to exploit that.Tap tap—.I touched the communication magic tool in my ear and contacted Bell.[Can you hear me?][Y-yeah. I-I'm hiding in the forest with the others.]The true identity of the troops I had pulled back in advance was the magical corps capable of long-range bombardment, with Bell at the center.They would never expect that I had siphoned off only the mages in charge of battlefield firepower to another location.Because that was not a decision you would normally make in this kind of situation.However.'Either way, everything is going to be decided in this battle.'I would use every move available and create as many variables as I could.If I did not, we would be crushed by a difference in strength of more than double.[All right, when I give the signal, all of you will bombard Elena's main camp with spells. Don't worry about what comes after. Pour all your mana into it.][Y-yeah.]After giving Bell the attack order, I called the other commander-class members together."Ciel, get ready for the final battle. Hildegard, call all the commander-class members here."The time had come to bring this long Faction War to an end.***The sandy beach was shaking with the sounds of students fighting.A little apart from that was Elena's main camp.Elena asked Adler about the current situation."How is the battle going?""It looks like we're steadily pushing them back. The enemy is holding out pretty well for their numbers, but if this keeps up it'll be an easy win. Their magic offensive is weaker than I expected.""Hmm, is that so. How much longer until we completely subdue them?""In about an hour, the enemy's stamina should be exhausted. At that point we'll push forward all at once together with the main force. Then they won't be able to hold out any longer."Adler was certain of victory.At the sure confidence in Adler's voice, Elena slowly nodded.It seemed that even Loen could not handle more than double his numbers in a frontal fight.In a way, that was only natural, but on the other hand, it was a bit anticlimactic.'Well, I suppose I was asking for too much.'Elena sighed inwardly.Sometimes, when reading history books, there are records that say someone defeated enemies several times their number with a mysterious tactic, but that kind of thing is an exceptionally rare case, famous enough to go down in history.A battle led by a great commander whose name will be recorded in history.From the start, expecting such a great tactic in a brawl-like fight like this might have been too much.Clearing her mind, Elena rose from her seat."There’s no need to wait an entire hour. Let's just go and sweep them away."If they kept dragging it out, there was only a higher chance that the students on both sides would be exhausted and the number of wounded would increase.In times like this, ending the battle quickly was better for everyone.Elena decided to personally go out to the battlefield."……Understood. Then let's depart together with the Holy Knight Order."It was just then, when Elena was about to head out to the battlefield herself.Vwoooom—.A powerful surge of mana was suddenly felt from the forest.She felt that powerful mana drawing closer.Elena quickly raised her head and looked up at the sky.Spells of all colors were spread across the sky.Someone was launching a magic attack at the main camp.And among them, a particularly noticeable gigantic fireball."……!"Startled, Elena nonetheless calmly raised her hand and deployed holy magic.Zuuung—.A pure white holy barrier appeared in midair.Elena's unique spell, [Severance], which returned all external forces to nothing.Ordinary holy magic was inefficient for blocking magic attacks, but Elena's unique magic was different.Kwagwagwang-!Spells poured down like rain onto the holy barrier.The countless spells that filled the sky were nullified by the holy barrier Elena had cast.The flames of the large fireball that stood out especially burned at the holy barrier until the very end, but did not manage to inflict any further damage.When Elena easily blocked the magic bombardment, Adler shouted to the knights under his command."Enemies just launched a magic attack from that forest! It'll only be mages, so go and subdue them in one blow! If we take them down, there will be no more variables!""Waaah!"The holy knights who had been ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ staying at the main camp to guard Elena dashed toward the forest like arrows.As she withdrew the holy barrier from the sky, Elena spoke."So those thirty people Loen pulled out were those mages, it seems.""Looks that way. I was wondering why so few spells were coming in from the enemy camp, and I guess it's because he siphoned them all off over there."Previously, Loen had absorbed the Noble Alliance—that is, the Eredor students—into his faction intact.Most of them were mages, combat power capable of using offensive magic.And yet, the enemy's magic offensive had felt strangely weak in the battle, and it turned out this was the move he had prepared."It seems he planned to launch a magic bombardment from an unexpected direction and annihilate our main camp in one blow. Since he can't win in a frontal fight anyway.""Perhaps so."Adler spoke with a look of relief on his face."But this is the end for Loen. From the number of troops he siphoned off, it doesn't look like he even had escorts for the mages. The Holy Knight Order will take care of them easily."To pull aside the mages in charge of battlefield firepower and not even assign them a guard detail.Even if it was for the sake of deceiving the enemy's eyes and creating variables, he had overreached.With this move, Loen would be completely defeated.The only real advantage Loen's side had held was the number of mages."Still, it's a bit of a shame. For it to end this anticlimactically. I haven't even had a chance to fight Miss Ciel yet."Smacking his lips, Adler gripped his sword as if his body were itching for a fight.But even with victory almost certain, Elena could not shake her unease.Elena stroked her chin and sank into thought.'If it's Loen……'He might even use this as a trap.Mages were certainly important fighting power, but they were only one element needed to win a battle.'In the end, what's important isn't winning the battle itself.'Winning a battle was merely a process toward victory.The decisive condition for victory in this Faction War was "stealing the Host's Cube."To that end, Loen might have thrown the mages out as bait to disperse the guard forces that had been protecting him.As her thoughts reached that point, Elena hurriedly opened her mouth."Adler, wait a—"It was just then, as Elena urgently called Adler's name.Kuwaaang-!Something huge plowed through the battlefield and rushed up in front of Elena."Uwaah!"Kicking up a thick cloud of sand and dust, a huge something split the battlefield in half as it appeared.The students stopped fighting and stared blankly at the suddenly appearing gigantic, elongated shape."What is that?""A Cube, maybe? The material looks like a Cube."It had a very long, narrow shape, like several mana trains lined up in a row.As if it had been made to transport many people at once.Elena looked up at the huge shape that had appeared in front of her and clenched her teeth.'Did he actually use a Cube as a means of transportation?'A tactic making use of a Cube's property of freely changing its form and size.She had not expected he could alter a fortress-type Cube's form like this.Clunk—.At that moment, the end of the long Cube opened and someone appeared."Fire, all of you!"At Adler's order, the moment the door opened, the surrounding students fired arrows and spells.Pubbubung-.But they were blocked by a semi-transparent armor-shaped barrier and were rendered futile.At the same time—Paaang-.Someone shot out from inside and launched an attack at Elena.A girl with neat black hair streaming behind her as she charged at me—Ciel.'……Miss Ciel.'Ciel wrapped her fist in aura and ran straight toward Elena.Adler stepped in front of Ciel and shielded Elena."Where do you think you're going!"Kwang-!When the two collided, a wave of mana exploded out across the battlefield.In the midst of this confusion, students from Loen's faction poured out of the Cube.Tepes, Hildegard, Teon, Silphiette, and the rest of the enemy's strongest forces.Elena silently watched them, then spoke to the last person who appeared."……Loen."Thunk—.A male student with a familiar face emerged from the Cube.Putting one leg arrogantly up on the Cube, he looked down at Elena."Did I keep you waiting long, Elena?"Clenching her fist tightly, Elena spoke in a slightly trembling voice."Yes, I was just about to be disappointed, thinking you wouldn't make it.""I'm glad I could live up to your expectations."Shrring—.Drawing the sword at his waist, Loen declared boldly,"Then I'll be taking your Cube."

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