Thirty minutes before the start of the battle.
The forty-two trainees from the fifth training ground, except for Raon, were gathered at the western foothold.
“I can’t find Raon.”
Burren frowned and turned his head.
“Runaan, where’s Raon?”
“I don’t know.”
Runaan, who was sitting under a tree, turned her head sharply. It wasn’t that she didn’t care whether he was there or not. Her eyes were full of trust that he was going to come.
Tsk.
Burren clicked his tongue. He was nervous since the guy that needed to come and lead them wasn’t there.
“Come around here for now. Get familiar with the geography for now until he arrives.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
Most of the trainees gathered around the map, but Martha was in a tree eating fruits, and Runaan didn’t move from her seat.
“You guys should look, at least. Over here is…”
Burren explained the locations that the enemies could make a surprise attack or put them in danger.
However, he didn’t go over the map and the locations too seriously.
‘Because we are going to win, regardless of what we do.’
Even though a few elites had joined the sixth training ground, they were still mostly the dropouts from the fifth training ground.
The fifth training ground trainees had been training diligently so far, and they also had lots of sparring experience. There was no way they could lose.
When the trainees got decently familiar with the geography and finished warming up, Raon came up to the foothold.
“Raon.”
“The top trainee being late? Pathetic.”
Runaan ran up to him first and Martha glared at him.
“What have you been doing instead of coming here earlier and making a plan!”
Burren furrowed his brow while stomping on the ground, but Raon walked towards the flag’s location without any reaction.
“You don’t need to be so nervous. There’s no way you can lose to the sixth training ground, right?”
Raon grinned, sitting on a tree’s trunk. It somewhat looked like he was cheering them up, but he also sounded like he was laughing at them.
“Hmph, well.”
“That’s actually true.”
“Honestly, the opponents are too weak.”
“We could wipe them out in one fell sweep if not for Sir Kein.”
However, the trainees didn’t seem to have sensed that, and nodded with overflowing confidence.
“I’m glad you understand. Then you should do your best on your own.”
“Are you telling us to just fight?”
“Without any plan?”
“You said you can win regardless. It would be unsightly to make a plan for such a thing.”
“That’s great! I like it!”
Martha jumped down in the middle of the slightly embarrassed trainees.
“You aren’t gonna get your turn. I’m going to decimate them on my own, so just wait here!”
After saying that, she used her aura.
“Are you serious?”
Burren furrowed his brows and stood next to Raon.
“But you think so as well.”
“Hmm…”
Burren licked his lips, hearing Raon’s question. He honestly wasn't wrong.
Since the sixth training ground’s defensive line was going to be obliterated if himself and Martha attacked from both sides while Raon and Runaan held Kein back.
“You should also move with the collaterals following you. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Since Kein might come for a surprise attack, I’ll protect the flag here.”
“I’m going to stay here as well.”
When Raon pointed at the red flag behind him, Runaan sat down under the flag.
“Alright, you two should be enough.”
Burren nodded and withdrew. He told the collaterals following him to head up with him.
“Let’s go down, then.”
“Those that dropped out from the temporary trainee test are a piece of cake.”
“I guess. Do you think they’ve ever even held a real sword?”
The trainees from vassal families and the recommended children giggled, saying that they were heading down.
Whistle!
When everyone finished their preparations, the whistling sound coming from the top of the mountain signaled the start of the battle.
The battle wasn’t going to end until one of the flags was plucked out.
“Wait.”
As the trainees were about to run off, Raon’s voice was heard. Everyone looked back.
“As the top trainee, I’ll give you one last order. You can do whatever you want, but if I order you to retreat because of an unfavorable situation, you should return no matter what.”
“I’m sorry, but that won’t happen!”
Martha dashed to the center while breaking the ground.
“It’s the same here. Let’s go!”
Burren also led the collaterals to climb up, and the recommended children and vassal family trainees ran down.
“Raon, can we win?”
Runaan asked, tapping the flag.
“It’s going to be difficult like that.”
Raon shook his head. He closed his eyes, watching the trainees run off in three directions.
They will return after getting their asses whooped.
***
Wham!
Martha rushed to the front like a bull spotting a red cloth.
‘I’ll wipe them all out on my own.’
The other trainees weren’t necessary. She could wipe out the weaklings from the sixth training ground on her own.
After running for about five minutes and breaking through the dense bushes, nine trainees entered her sight. The number six written on a leather armor showed that they were trainees from the sixth training ground.
“It’s great to see you!”
Martha kicked off from the ground while licking her lip. She surrounded herself with Titan’s aura midair and struck down with her fist.
Slam!
As the fist falling like a shooting star crushed the ground, the sixth training ground trainees scattered.
“Martha Zieghart.”
The trainee with a big build in the center lifted his sword and called Martha’s name.
“Are you the vanguard?”
After spinning her wrist, Martha drew her sword from her waist.
“Since it’s annoying, come at me at once.”
“I’m Dunn Zieghart. I'm a collateral…”
“I don’t need the name of a guy that’s about to be defeated!”
“Hmm…”
The trainee that introduced himself as Dunn wasn’t taunted. With a calm expression, he held his sword at mid height.
“You don’t look too bad!”
Martha snickered and pounced at Dunn, hacking at him.
Slam!
A thunderous noise resounded as the two swords clashed. Unlike Martha, who was standing her ground, Dunn was pushed back five steps away with a trembling hand.
“Tsk.”
Martha clicked her tongue at seeing Dunn get pushed back.
‘I wanted to finish him in a single strike.’
Despite her intention of finishing him in a single strike, Dunn had withstood her strike by being pushed back a few steps. He wasn’t an opponent she could consider easy.
‘But he’s not a difficult opponent either.’
Martha strengthened her body using the Titan’s aura. Her pressure soared rapidly.
“Hmm!”
“Ugh…”
Dunn and the sixth training ground trainees groaned, facing the energy wave.
“Stop being annoying and just meet your end!”
With her eyes gleaming like black pearls, she sliced up with her sword. The tremendous energy erupted like a volcano from her sword.
“Third formation!”
Holding his sword at mid height, Dunn gave out an unknown instruction. The four trainees that had been staying back stepped up next to him and gathered their swords.
Slaam!
Red flame burst out as Martha and the five people’s swords clashed.
“Kugh!”
“Hold your ground!”
Under the powerful pressure, the trainees grit their teeth and didn’t withdraw.
“A group of weaklings are still weak!”
Martha snorted and struck with her sword. Her blade was covered in an energy even stronger than before.
Slam!
Along with a ground shattering noise, the trainees’ bodies wavered.
“Haa.”
“Kugh.”
However, despite being pushed back, they didn’t get knocked down. They kept holding out and groaning.
“Fine, let’s see who wins!”
Martha bit her lip and kept striking with her sword.
“Second formation! Fifth formation!”
Dunn kept defending against Martha’s attacks by changing the defensive formation and the people.
“Tsk. I’ll deal with the other ones first!”
“We’ve already prepared for something like that!”
Martha tried to attack a short haired girl on the right side, avoiding Dunn, who standing in the center.
However, Dunn and the trainees smoothly rotated like clock hands and blocked her sword.”
“Ku…”
Martha bit her lip. It was just like he’d said, they were prepared. As soon as she tried attacking another side, the trainees moved back and Dunn came forward. It was impossible to penetrate the formation.
* * *
* * *
‘Have they only been practicing blocking?’
Their defense was as solid as a rock, as if they’d only been practicing defense. Halfhearted attacks were only going to end up exhausting her aura.
“Haa… It’s so annoying.”
Martha walked back a step and brought up the full power of Titan’s aura. The sword in her hand vibrated fiercely and shone with a light-yellow light.
“I admit that you’re pretty decent. However, this is as far as you go.”
“Tenth formation!”
Dunn didn’t respond, shouting a number that he hadn’t said yet. The eight trainees all stuck to his back.
“Pointless!”
Martha dashed forward and poured out the Titan’s aura filling her sword vertically.
“Die!”
“Hold your ground!”
At the same time that Dunn shouted, the trainees’ bodies shone in the same color.
Baam!
A thunderous noise resounded throughout the mountain, and the earth and sand burst out from the ground like a fountain.
“Hah!”
In the midst of the raid of sand falling down, Martha’s eyes widened.
“Did you withstand it?”
Dunn and the trainees were breathing heavily and were pushed back significantly. However, they managed to take her full power without having a single drop person out.
“You crazy bastards!”
“Haaah!”
Martha kept striking with her sword, insanity gleaming in her eyes. Dunn and the trainees faltered, but never let go of their swords.
“You bastards…”
“You aren’t the only protagonist of the world.”
“What?”
“We’ve been doing our best, sweating our blood. Don’t think you are going to win easily!”
Martha snapped.
“Shut up!”
She kept swinging her sword while screaming. Despite using all of her remaining energy, she couldn’t break through Dunn’s defense.
Instead, it felt like his defense was getting more and more solid.
“Ugh!”
“We kept practicing together in order to block your aura and swordsmanship. We are never going to lose as long as the sword formation remains.”
“Sword formation…”
She was obviously aware that they had a sword formation, and that was exactly what she’d been trying to break through with power. But she didn’t expect to be blocked to that extent.
‘It’s dangerous…’
Martha furrowed her brows, withdrawing her sword to her side. Her aura was dwindling because she used too much energy earlier.
However, since the nine of them were staying together, the sixth training ground’s trainees were also recovering their aura faster.
‘I need to buy some time.’
She didn’t like that method, but she had no choice.
“She is running out of strength. Spread out!”
As she was trying to recover her aura by withdrawing a little, Dunn dashed forward, holding his sword. His eyes were too sharp.
“You dare!”
Swinging the sword she was withdrawing, she hacked at Dunn’s head.
Slam!
Dunn grit his teeth and withstood the shock. His hand was trembling, but he wasn’t pushed back.
“Do it now!”
Following his instruction, the four trainees swung their swords from the top, bottom, left, and right.
“Tsk!”
Martha twisted her blade to deflect their swords, but the attacks kept coming in waves.
‘There’s no opening.’
Dunn defended if she tried to attack them, and the rest started counterattacking afterward. The combination was unfolding like a cogwheel and was leaving her with no breathing room.
‘Damn it! I can’t lose here!’
She’d underestimated them too much. She’d thought they were just weaklings, and she didn’t expect them to be prepared to this extent.
Slam!
Her sword, thrusting at their opening, was deflected by Dunn once again.
“Haa…”
Martha breathed heavily, dodging the blades raining down on her.
‘Damn it!’
Was it because she was in a pinch? She remembered what Raon told her. That they could win regardless.
‘That bastard. He probably knew about it already.’
He must’ve been laughing at her, knowing that she was going to have so much difficulty.
‘That’s why I need to win this at all costs.’
Martha clenched her fist. She needed to put Raon in his place by breaking through somehow, but she couldn’t find the way. Honestly, she felt like she was going to lose at the rate things were going.
‘What shall I do?’
“Are you thinking about something else during a battle?”
As she was wondering about how she could win, Dunn—who'd only been defending so far—dashed at her like a bull.
Wham!
Martha was bounced back by a powerful body slam.
“Do it now!”
At Dunn’s instruction, the trainees thrust their swords at Martha, who couldn’t regain her posture.
“Fine! Even if I get defeated here, I’ll beat you guys up!”
As Martha held her sword upside down and was about to pounce at them like a beast, silver frost came up from the ground.
“Th-this is!”
Runaan came out from the bush with shining purple eyes.
“Wh-why are you here…?”
“Raon is telling you to retreat.”
When Runaan swung her sword in a half circle, the frost on the ground shimmered up like a haze.
“No!”
“Order.”
“I didn’t lose ye…”
“Order.”
“Kugh, damn it!”
Martha lowered her hand, seeing Runaan’s transparent eyes. She withdrew while biting her lip.
After watching Dunn and the trainees she’d separated using frost for a while, she followed Martha.
“The Martha ran away!”
“W-we won! We really won!”
“Waaaah!”
The trainees cheered, screaming that it was worth completing Hell Week.
The sixth training ground trainees’ cheers didn’t only happen at the center. It was also heard from the top, where Burren went to, and the bottom, where the collaterals were headed.
Thud!
As the trainees were cheering in victory, Kein Zieghart jumped down from the tree.
“Sir Kein!”
Dunn ran up to Kein, smiling brightly.
“Good job.”
“Did the others also win?”
“Yes. Just like we’d expected, Raon and Runaan didn’t move and we won in all three places.”
“Wow!”
“We really won!”
“Ah, I can’t believe it.”
The trainees hugged each other and smiled brightly.
“It’s too early to rejoice.”
Kein raised his hand and the trainees stopped laughing.
“We can’t be careless until we take the enemy's flag.”
His blue eyes shone like a starlight.
“Proceed according to the plan until the very end.”
***
Raon glanced at the fifth training ground trainees standing in front of him.
They looked miserable, covered in soil mixed with their sweat. Their muscles were trembling and their eyes were filled with panic. They were the classic appearance of remnants that had lost their battle.
Burren and the collaterals that arrived later were the same.
Burren, who learned systematic swordsmanship, must have been stopped by the trainees that learned the ‘Intuition Sword’. He had been unable to do anything but get pushed back.
“How was it? Was it as easy as you expected?”
Nobody responded. Burren bit his lip and Martha glared at him with a murderous look.
The other trainees also stared at the ground, unable to respond.
“Shall I tell you what your mistake was?”
Raon’s red eyes were distorted, like moonlight.
“You believe that the world is stagnant, and that you are the only ones that are changing. ‘Since we’ve already won against them before, we should be able to win again. Since most of them dropped out of the exam, and they’ve been looked down upon by the Owen Kingdom, we are going to win no matter what.’ Isn’t that what you were thinking?’
“……”
The trainees still couldn’t respond, since it was just as he’d said.
“The world changes faster than you think. You might lose tomorrow to an opponent you won against today, and they might become a lot better than you the day after. However…”
Raon’s voice went even lower. It was a frightening voice, as if it came up from deep underground.
“Did you say that you’d win no matter what, without even knowing your own place? Despite not knowing the enemy's strategy, did you dare think that you could win? Can you make them all kneel on your own? Forget about winning, you wasted all your aura and stamina, showed them your techniques while you were lost in your arrogance. Really amazing.”
Past Burren and Martha, his gaze was directed at the trainees one by one. The trainees’ bodies trembled.
“A lion does its best upon catching a rabbit. However, you aren’t even lions. And they aren’t rabbits. Those trainees are also swordsmen that have been training their swords every day in their life. You can’t look down on them just because you are slightly ahead.”
“Kugh…”
“Ugh…”
Burren and the trainees lowered their heads. Their faces were completely red in embarrassment. Martha couldn’t say anything either, her face wrinkling.
“Are we going to lose, then?”
Runaan, who was standing back, stepped up next to him.
“We might, but we might not.”
The trainees raised their heads slowly at Raon’s calm voice.
“W-we’ve already used too much stamina and aura, just like you said.”
“Four of us are already completely exhausted.”
“This isn’t a one-on-one spar, but a group battle. If you come to your senses even now, it’s not too late to win.”
“Really?”
“I’ll do anything if I can smash that boulder guy.”
Burren and Martha clenched their fists so hard that they creaked. The trainees’ eyes started to shine once again.
“Your eyes are still alive.”
Raon nodded, watching the heat shimmering in the trainees’ eyes.
“Then I’ll tell you how you’ll win.”
