Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Damian looked at the 2nd platoon forming a triangular formation ahead.

In reality, the skill level of the trainees is pretty similar. What matters is how meticulously they pay attention to details.

“Let’s just do what we practiced.”

“Alright!”

“Kyle, stick to the plan. When I signal, you need to push the guys in front of us hard.”

“Hehe, don’t worry. I’m confident in my strength! I’ll knock them out completely.”

Kyle flashed a confident grin, his eyes wide with determination, but he kept shifting uncomfortably, as if the tight formation bothered him.

“Hey, Kyle, stay still.”

“Damn it, it’s suffocating.”

The dense rectangular formation of Damian’s platoon was tight.

But soon...

“Start!”

As the instructor’s shout echoed, all the members of the 1st platoon glared fiercely at the 2nd platoon ahead.

“Waaahhhh!”

“Crush them all!”

The trainees of the 2nd platoon shouted as they charged toward the defensive formation of the 1st platoon in their triangular formation.

The 2nd platoon’s attack came first.

The 1st platoon raised their shields, forming a dense rectangular formation to block the attack.

But...

“...Isn’t that formation too narrow?”

“Being so tightly packed isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

“Hmmm...”

The instructors, watching from the platform to evaluate, looked puzzled at the unusually dense rectangular formation of the 1st platoon.

While being packed so tightly would prevent them from falling over...

“But after blocking once, they won’t be able to do much, and they’ll end up as sitting ducks.”

“Let’s wait and see.”

The instructors watched the formation battle between the 1st and 2nd platoons with interest.

“Huuuuu...”

“This is... really nerve-wracking.”

“It feels like we’re in a real battle.”

The 1st platoon trainees, holding their shields tightly, gulped nervously.

Even though the spears they held had padded tips instead of blades, they were still threatening enough to cause serious impact if struck properly.

Damian, standing at the center of the dense formation, watched the 2nd platoon. And then...

“What are these guys doing?”

“Their formation is much narrower than usual.”

“But it’s just a trick! Let’s smash them!”

The 2nd platoon trainees, who had been charging with confidence, shouted loudly as they rammed their shields into the 1st platoon’s formation.

Bang!

With a loud crash, the rectangular formation of the 1st platoon shook hard. But...

“...Huh?”

“What’s this? Why does it feel so solid?”

That was it.

Because the formation was so tightly packed, it felt like a single, solid wall.

And then...

“Push!”

“Hyaaaaaaah!”

“Aaaah!”

The trainees in the second row, including Kyle, shouted as they pushed against the backs of the shield bearers in front.

Naturally, the shield bearers in the front also pushed back against the 2nd platoon’s vanguard.

Rumble!

In that intense moment of struggle...

“Huh? Huhhh?”

“We’re... we’re being pushed!”

“Hold on! Hold the line!”

“We’re the ones attacking!”

The vanguard of the 2nd platoon, shocked by the unexpectedly strong counterattack, couldn’t hide their confusion.

And that wasn’t the end.

Boom!

As they were being pushed back, the front shield bearers of the 1st platoon, who had moved forward two steps, quickly bent their knees slightly and lowered their bodies.

And at that moment...

Wham!

The spearmen in the second row thrust their spears forward, aiming directly at the vanguard of the 2nd platoon.

The shield bearers of the 2nd platoon, caught off guard by the unexpected attack, screamed and retreated.

“Ugh!”

“What the...!”

“These bastards...!”

The faces of the 2nd platoon trainees twisted as they realized just how well-coordinated the attack was.

With just one maneuver.

They instinctively felt it.

That they... might lose.

But the battle wasn’t over yet.

As the formation of the 2nd platoon began to crumble under the renewed attack...

“Kyle!”

“Hyaaaaaah!”

Kyle, who had been in the second row, charged forward, breaking through the front line of the 2nd platoon.

Boom!

He was like a tank.

Without even holding a shield, Kyle bulldozed through the enemy shield bearers with just his shoulder, entering the enemy formation.

The 2nd platoon leader, who had been giving commands, couldn’t hide his shock.

“What the hell is that monster?”

It was hard to believe that he was just another trainee, given his immense strength.

Rumble!

Following the path Kyle had cleared, the 1st platoon trainees poured in, tearing apart the 2nd platoon’s formation.

At the center of this precise, coordinated movement was Damian, shouting commands and directing them.

“Spread out to the sides and secure some space! Kyle, push back anyone coming at you!”

The instructors watching this were left speechless, their mouths agape.

“What... what is this?”

“1st Platoon Leader. Did you give them some special training?”

“Hmm... no, I’m a bit surprised.”

Even Brian was astounded by the sight of his platoon members.

They looked almost like elite soldiers who had undergone advanced training.

And there was a reason for this.

After every training session, Damian had pointed out the deficiencies of each platoon member and made them do additional training in the barracks.

“Raise your shields! Don’t lower them below your shoulders!”

“Hey, do it like we practiced! Move in when I signal!”

Even in the tense situation, the 1st platoon trainees communicated by shouting to each other.

Then, as they coordinated, they gradually pushed back the 2nd platoon and secured more space.

Just as Damian had taught them.

It hadn’t been a long time, but simply following what they learned produced these results.

“Now!”

Wham!

At Damian’s signal, the shield bearers who had advanced forward knocked their opponents aside and completely split the 2nd platoon in two.

And then, Kyle charged toward the isolated 2nd platoon leader.

“Hyaaaaaaah!”

With a loud battle cry, Kyle’s charge sent the 2nd platoon leader into a panic, causing him to retreat.

“Stop him!”

“No way!”

“You think I’ll let you get away!”

At the 2nd platoon leader’s command, other shield bearers rushed to block Kyle’s path. But...

“Hehehehe, gotcha.”

“...!”

“What did you say?”

Just as everyone’s attention was focused on Kyle...

Swish!

Someone leaped over Kyle from behind, landing on his shoulders.

“Nice, Kyle.”

A dark figure used Kyle as a springboard and lunged forward, thrusting their spear into the chest of the 2nd platoon leader.

Thwack!

“Gah!”

The 2nd platoon leader fell flat on his back.

Damian quickly jumped on top of him, snatching the flag from his grasp.

“It’s our victory!”

Damian shouted as he triumphantly raised the enemy’s flag.

An overwhelming victory.

The instructors couldn’t help but rise from their seats and applaud the quick, decisive battle between the two platoons.

“Impressive.”

“It looks like it’s going to end in a complete victory for the 1st platoon, don’t you think?”

“Well, if the other platoons are on the same level as the 2nd platoon, it’s possible, but...”

“But I don’t think that’s necessarily going to be the case.”

“...?”

At the instructor’s words, the others turned their attention to another formation battle that was taking place.

* * *

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it...!”

The 4th platoon leader, with narrowed eyes, was failing to break through the solid formation of the 3rd platoon.

“Push harder! Push! Put more strength into it!”

The narrow-eyed leader in the center of the formation yelled desperately.

In response to his cries, the shield bearers at the front of the 4th platoon gritted their teeth and gave it their all, but...

“Arghhhhh!”

“Hyaaaaah!”

The 3rd platoon’s defensive line didn’t budge an inch.

As time passed, the uniforms of the 4th platoon trainees began to be stained with blood.

The unhealed wounds were being reopened as more damage piled on.

“...Their spirit is remarkable.”

The 4th platoon was nothing short of relentless.

Gerard, the leader of the 3rd platoon, observed them quietly before turning to Apel beside him.

“What should we do?”

Apel looked over at the 4th platoon trainees.

They were all sweating profusely, some with red droplets falling to the ground from their feet.

It was clear that they were in poor condition.

“Let’s just hold our ground. The time’s almost up... they won’t be able to break through us.”

In this exercise, the attacking formation had to break through the opponent’s defense and capture their flag within the time limit.

But with the time almost up, there was nothing the 4th platoon could do.

It didn’t seem wise to break their formation just to attack.

Gerard nodded.

“So... now it’s our turn to attack?”

“Stoooop!”

Right then, the instructor’s shout echoed, and the trainees of the 4th platoon, who had been pushing with all their might, collapsed.

They seemed to have exhausted all their strength in the previous attack and were now panting heavily.

“Huff... Huff... Huff...”

They needed time to catch their breath, but...

“Switch roles!”

At the instructor’s command to quickly switch from attack to defense, the 4th platoon trainees grumbled as they forced their heavy bodies to stand again.

But then...

“What are you doing! Is this all you’ve got? How are we supposed to crush the 1st platoon like this?”

The narrow-eyed leader berated his platoon members.

The disjointed attack made it clear that they weren’t in sync.

“When we first attacked, I told you two of you should hit the same shield bearer at the same time. That’s how you break their front line!”

“We did! But what are we supposed to do when they hold their ground?”

“Those guys were so tough. Three others were backing up the one we were attacking!”

At the platoon members’ complaints, the narrow-eyed leader scowled.

“So you’re saying you couldn’t take down one guy with two people, and now you’re blaming me?”

“No, it’s just that the others were covering for him... Never mind, I’m too tired to argue.”

“Come on, guys, it’s not over yet. Now it’s our turn to defend.”

“Yeah, if we hold out well, it’ll be a draw. Let’s give it our best shot.”

Some of the other platoon members tried to mediate, and the narrow-eyed leader sighed and returned to his original position.

“Let’s do this right, guys. Fight on!”

He shouted, but no one responded.

And so the battle continued with the 3rd platoon attacking and the 4th platoon defending.

“It’s better to break through right away, right? They look pretty worn out.”

Before moving the formation, Gerard looked at Apel for confirmation.

It didn’t seem necessary to drag out the fight against such an exhausted opponent.

But Apel shook his head.

“Rather than that, just tapping their shields with our spears while they’re holding them tightly against their bodies will be enough to tire them out.”

If they kept their shields close to their bodies, each strike would exacerbate their unhealed wounds, adding to their suffering.

Gerard chuckled at that.

“So you’re suggesting we stick to the basics but draw it out a bit?”

“Yes, time is on our side.”

At that response, Gerard gave Apel a thoughtful look.

In just two weeks, Apel had shown himself to be quite an unusual character.

‘...Has he already studied tactics?’

His understanding of formations and exploiting the enemy’s weaknesses was impressive.

It might be natural on the battlefield, but...

‘In a training camp like this... and for a fourteen-year-old to be this knowledgeable is not normal.’

He couldn’t help but be curious about Apel’s background.

It was clear that he wasn’t just an ordinary commoner.

“Alright, let’s go with that.”

Gerard then began to move the formation, looking at the 4th platoon.

They wore fierce, determined expressions, but determination alone wouldn’t be enough to win.

“Charge!”

The 3rd platoon, as per Apel’s strategy, kept some distance from the 4th platoon and began striking their shields with their spears.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each time the blunt spear struck the shield, the bodies of the 4th platoon trainees shook.

The best outcome would be if they couldn’t hold out and charged forward themselves.

Even if they didn’t, this alone would be enough to wear them down.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The 3rd platoon continued to maximize their time, relentlessly striking the enemy shields.

The shield bearers of the 4th platoon began to grimace.

“You bastards! Just come to us already!”

“They’re stalling for time!”

As their frustration grew, curses began to spill from their mouths.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The spearmen of the 3rd platoon, hidden behind their own shield bearers, continued to poke at the enemy, unbothered.

“Ugh!”

Finally, one of the 4th platoon’s shield bearers at the front wavered and created an opening.

And at that moment...

“Now!”

“Hyaaaaaah!”

At Gerard’s command, the leading shield bearer of the 3rd platoon charged through the gap with ferocity.

Bang!

With the shield leading the charge, the front line of the 4th platoon staggered heavily.

“Ugh!”

“Don’t fall! Hold the line!”

But the gap couldn’t be closed immediately.

As the formation of the 4th platoon started to crumble...

“Apel!”

At Gerard’s shout, Apel dashed towards a nearby platoon member.

As Apel ran, one of the 3rd platoon members held his shield close to his body, providing a foothold for Apel.

“Hup!”

As Apel stepped on the shield and leapt forward...

“Haaah!”

The 3rd platoon member, who was his foothold, pushed his shield up, launching Apel into the air.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Apel soared over the 4th platoon’s shield bearers, his eyes flashing with intensity as he landed.

Magical energy surged into the spear Apel was holding.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

And with a series of dull thuds, the formation of the 4th platoon completely collapsed.

“What... What are you doing, you idiots!”

The narrow-eyed leader shouted angrily at his platoon members. And at that moment...

“...It’s over.”

Damian, who had finished his battle earlier and came to watch the 3rd platoon, murmured softly.

He had thought Apel was someone unusual, but...

‘In the end, the real showdown will be between the 1st and 3rd platoons.’

Damian’s gaze was fixed on Apel.