Sora quickly scanned the remaining Dark Elves. The survivors were clearly among the best of their company, stronger than the ones who had already fallen. He ordered his remaining clones to intercept the enemies rushing towards the Earth Dome, doing their best to slow them down.
Before he could leap into action to stop one player phasing through the dome, he felt a sudden force locking him in place. He looked up to see Captone, the Dark Elf Colonel, angry.
"Not so fast," Captone fumed, a glint of hate in his eyes.
Sora struggled but found himself immobilized. Before he could try to break free, he heard Kara’s voice from behind the dome, "[Cleanse]!"
In an instant, the stunning effect vanished, and Sora was back in action, nodding in silent appreciation.
For the company, this was when the real challenge began. Most enemies were down, but these remaining twenty had the potential to ruin his entire plan if they managed even one kill. After all, his own company was holding back to avoid getting any kills, while also trying to have everyone survive...
Richard’s shout pulled him back to the present. "Ralph! I’ve got a slippery one here trying to phase away. Finish him off—I can’t hold him much longer!"
The mole-like player was squirming in Richard’s grasp, desperate to escape. Without a second thought, Sora sent a blast of [Wind Blades] toward the struggling enemy. A barrier flickered to life around the Dark Elf just before impact, but to his shock, the blades sliced through it effortlessly, cutting the enemy down in a flash.
Captone’s eyes widened, his disbelief clear. "How is your damage that high? You’re not even level 80!"
Sora didn’t bother responding, his focus entirely on clearing out the remaining players. Behind the dome, his allies launched spells relentlessly, while Kara moved closer, imprisoning any enemies who entered her range, and keeping all allies who came under attack alive.
Kara’s voice cut through the chaos, "Forget about us, Ralph! Focus on them!"
He met her gaze briefly and nodded, redirecting his attention to Captone’s squad. Though Sora’s strength was leagues beyond any regular player, this Colonel had a skill set that backed up his arrogance. Captone threw everything he had at Sora, each spell and maneuver calculated to gain the upper hand. But gradually, his squad diminished, falling one by one.
As the dust settled, only Captone remained, along with fourteen other Dark Elves who were trapped in [Life Cages] or other binding spells.
Captone’s red eyes blazed with fury, his face contorted in frustration. He couldn’t believe what was happening. All of his allies had been subdued, and now he stood alone, completely outmatched.
’Is this real?’ he thought, gripping his weapon tightly. His mind raced as he contemplated using other skills. But in a moment of clarity, he realized it he had nothing to turn the tide. With one last burst of desperation, he threw himself at the Human soldiers, hoping to take down at least one.
Sora appeared in his path, wielding [Ruyi Jingu Bang] with a deadly calm. The staff pulsed with electricity, and as Sora swung it, the shocking effect surged through Captone, stunning him completely.
Sora wasted no time, delivering strike after relentless strike until Captone’s form shattered into particles of light. Watching the effect, Sora thought, ’This feels like a giant taser... But this guy sure had amazing stats even with his lowered level.’
He briefly thought of his [Mana Amplifier] class, regretting that he hadn’t learned more of its skills. But now he felt renewed hope that he could regain those abilities without needing to reset.
’It’s like I’m unlocking a new language, one spell at a time,’ he reflected, sensing his connection to the mana around him grow even deeper.
Kara glanced over at him, catching a glimmer of excitement in his expression, and smiled. ’Even in the middle of a war, we’re growing,’ she thought. ’Who knows who’ll come out victorious on the final battlefield?’
Sora and Kara were soon brought out of their reverie by Richard’s voice. "Come on, Ralph! Smile a little more, you did fantastic down there. The combo of skills to deep fry them? That was brutal !!"
Sora felt a mix of emotions between happiness and fear and quickly opened the war menu, changing the topic. "Alright, listen up! In our fight, we earned 3100 points. As for the other four matches, we had two wins and two losses. That means we racked up 3300 points, while the Dark Elves only gained 200."
Richard and the surrounding Company members stared at him, mouths agape.
"A flawless + Ace victory in a Company Showdown brings in that many points? That’s insane!" a Team Leader blurted out, visibly astonished.
"You really surprised us out there, Captain," added Jordan, the former Vice-Captain, his admiration evident. "I thought we were done for when I saw the enemy company. Looking back, that was a crazy battle. You’re like god on the battlefield, playing with them"
Before the excitement could fully settle, Richard stepped forward, hands on his hips. "Alright, that’s enough celebrating! There’s still a big battle ahead of us. Everyone, get back to focusing on improving your strength! Most of you gained levels, so follow your Captain and Vice-Captain’s example, increase your combat power and stop slacking!"
His stern words cut through the group’s excitement, reminding them of the difference of attitude they had. Motivated, they nodded and began to disperse, practicing their techniques to solidify their power and to push themselves further.
Sora however, received a [Military Summon].
[Summons by Colonel Oliver Evans – "ABOVE YOU"This is a military order by your superior. Disobeying orders will result in punishment by military law.]
Sora chuckled at the description of the meeting spot, scanning the area above him. He looked up, and there was... nothing but open sky.
’What does this guy mean by that... He’s not above me.’ Sora thought, confused.
"Are you an idiot?! I meant higher in the stands! Get up here, you little genius!" a voice called out from above. "And bring your Vice-Captains with you. Jordan, bring your ass up here too!"
Recognizing the voice, Sora glanced up to see Colonel Oliver Evans sitting comfortably in the higher stands of the Coliseum. Four familiar faces surrounded him—the same ones Sora had seen during their last meeting. But this time, there was someone new among them.
Asami Hito.