Chapter 2: Duel, Magical Tactics Exercise

In a room of a luxurious hotel reserved for the upper class, located within the city of Fejite.

“How did it go, Leos?”

“Good grief… It went just as you said.”

Leos was speaking with someone.

“Just as your script predicted, that man Glenn stepped forward. Impressive… You even guessed there was a high probability he’d challenge me to a duel. Are you some kind of a prophet?”

“Not quite. What I’m doing is merely behavioral prediction. Though, I won’t deny that I can do it with much higher accuracy than most, thanks to a little trick.”

The one who gave a faint smile—a young man wearing a low-pulled top hat, ribbon tie, and frock coat—was the coachman who had driven Leos’s carriage.

“That man still stubbornly calls that girl ‘White Cat.’ Hence, calculations showed a high probability of things unfolding this way. Haha… It’s quite ironic and tear-jerking. To him, she’s ‘White Cat,’ different from that woman… He’s unconsciously convincing himself of that, it seems.”

“That woman…?”

“Oh, that’s my business. Forget it, Leos.”

“…Fine, I’ll forget it.”

Leos backed off with unnatural ease, as if he had no interest.

“Well, even so… He took the bait quite nicely. I had dozens of other scenarios prepared to get Glenn ‘in the mood,’ but… this was quick and easy. Though, it feels a bit anticlimactic.”

As the young coachman muttered this, Leos shrugged playfully.

“Yes, indeed. With this, I’ll definitely make Sistine mine. If I can claim her, the Fibel family will be mine too… Once the prestigious Fibel family, renowned in magic, is under my control, the authority of the main Kleitos family will be absolute. Those annoying branch families will be completely silenced, and the Kleitos earldom will eventually be entirely mine!”

…

The conversation was slightly off-kilter, but the young coachman showed no sign of minding.

“Yes… The Kleitos family, all the glory of this world, will be mine…!”

As Leos reveled in his ambition, the coachman turned away, pulling his hat lower.

“Yes, that’s good… Leos. Dance your heart out against Glenn… You’ll become the foundation of my ‘justice’…”

The coachman’s lips twisted into a chilling smirk as he muttered this—

The day after Glenn picked a fight with Leos.

The rumor that Glenn and Leos would duel for the position of a certain female student’s partner spread like wildfire through the academy.

“No way, seriously…? That troublemaker instructor’s at it again…?”

“Apparently, Leos-sensei and Sistine are officially engaged, arranged by their parents…?”

“Oh, makes sense… They’re both from noble families, so it’s plausible…”

“So basically, Glenn-sensei’s crashing their engagement… How shameless…”

“They say he’s aiming for a rich wife… Typical of him…”

“Even if Leos-sensei’s engaged to her, a teacher hitting on a student is just wrong…”

“Glenn-sensei, do your best… Don’t let someone like that woman take Leos-sama away…”

“Forget all that, two men fighting over one woman? Kyaa! Kyaa! So romantic!”

Since then, the duel has been the talk of the academy.

Who would win, Glenn or Leos? What kind of duel would it be? Attention inevitably gathered on their every move.

And then—

“…Magical Tactics Exercise?”

During a break between classes.

Glenn frowned at the duel format Leos proposed when he approached.

“Yes. Your class and the one I’m temporarily teaching have a joint Magical Tactics Exercise coming up, don’t they? Let’s settle it there.”

“So, we’re competing as magic instructors… on our leadership skills?”

“…In simple terms, yes.”

There’s a course called Magical Tactics Theory, which teaches not magic itself but the fundamentals of combat theory, tactics, and skills for battles between magicians. The Magical Tactics Exercise is, as the name suggests, the practical component of this course.

It involves students engaging in one-on-one mock magical battles or fighting golems with magic, aimed at improving their combat abilities as magicians.

“Isn’t this the perfect way to decide which of us is more worthy of Sistine?”

“W-Wait a second, Leos!”

Sistine, overhearing the exchange, hurriedly interjected.

“That’s unfair! The upcoming Magical Tactics Exercise isn’t just any exercise—it’s a Magical Corps Battle!”

The Magical Corps Battle is a mock battle designed to give students experience in group combat as magicians—a simulation to teach tactical preparedness for real battlefields, akin to military drills for magical soldiers.

In this mock battle, students form a magical corps unit by class, moving under their instructor’s command to engage in group combat against a unit led by another class’s instructor.

The imperial government views magicians as potential military assets against foreign powers, and in times of national crisis, even academy students could be considered for combat roles. Though rare, during the ‘Divine Reverence War’ forty years ago, volunteer students from the magic academy fought in the war’s final stages, reportedly contributing to a narrow victory.

For this reason, the curriculum at Alzano Imperial Magic Academy includes Magical Corps Battle training, which is mandatory, especially for male students.

And the main reason Sistine called this unfair was—

“A Magical Corps Battle is your specialty, Leos!”

As Sistine made her point, Leos gave a faint smile.

Military magic research isn’t just about developing or refining deadly combat spells. It also encompasses studies on spell applications, tactics, and strategies for magical soldiers.

In other words, Leos, who specializes in this field, had an overwhelming advantage.

“Is there a problem? The challenged party has the right to set the duel’s rules. And while we may have our strengths and weaknesses, the conditions themselves are equal, are they not?”

“W-Well, that’s true, but…”

Sistine glanced back and forth between a silent Glenn and a composed Leos.

Leos was clearly playing to win.

Taking advantage of being the challenged party, he proposed rules that favored him.

But.

“Fine, I’ll take you on.”

“S-Sensei…”

Sistine couldn’t hide her confusion at Glenn’s immediate acceptance.

“Heh, quite the bold gentleman. I thought you’d haggle a bit.”

“Hah, if I don’t beat you on your own turf, you’ll never give up on White Cat even if I win, will you?”

“…Just try not to regret this, alright?”

A fleeting look of displeasure crossed Leos’s face before he turned on his heel.

The students who had been watching from a distance, anxiously observing, saw Leos off with bated breath—

And so.

In the classroom of Class 2, which Glenn was in charge of.

“To win White Cat, snag a rich wife, and live my dream jobless shut-in life—starting now, I’m giving you all a special lesson on the Magical Corps Battle!”

“““Don’t mess with us!”“”

The moment Glenn stood at the podium and abruptly announced a change in lesson plans, the classroom erupted in protests.

“Don’t drag us into this!”

“Yeah, yeah! Teach the class properly!”

The students grumbled loudly.

And understandably so. According to the schedule, the next class was supposed to be on black magic.

“Tch, quiet down! The pace of mandatory classes is at the instructor’s discretion, got it?”

“Ugh…”

“Look, I really don’t wanna drag you all into this… but, come to think of it, our black magic lessons are a bit ahead, while Magical Tactics Theory is lagging behind… So, I’ve got no choice but to change the plan. No choice at all.”

“As expected of Sensei… Doing things no normal instructor would ever dare…”

“I’m not impressed or inspired…”

“He’s way too desperate… Is marrying rich really that great…?”

The students, utterly exasperated, had given up.

Sistine’s face turned red with anger, trembling, but since Glenn’s reasoning had some merit, she couldn’t bring herself to lecture him.

“Hmph. I couldn’t care less about your duel, but… it’s pointless anyway.”

At that moment.

A cold voice cut through the buzzing classroom like icy water.

A male student with round glasses and a sardonic smirk—Gibul.

“Oh? Pointless, you say?”

“I mean, this class only has a handful of useful magicians, like me, Sistine, or Wendy, right? The spells allowed in this mock battle are fixed, so Re=L, who’s all about cheating alchemy, is useless.”

Gibul’s blunt words made the class bristle, but he wasn’t entirely wrong.

Except for a few standouts, the students in Glenn’s Class 2 were roughly equal in skill.

Meanwhile, the class Leos was temporarily teaching was full of high-achievers, second only to Halley’s class.

Moreover, unlike the Magic Tournament, where individuals could shine in specialized fields, the Magical Corps Battle required everyone to compete under the same conditions.

So, facing such a class in a mock corps battle was a losing proposition… That was not only Gibul’s view but the consensus among Glenn’s students.

But.

“What’re you talking about? Right now, not a single one of you is useful. Frankly, guys like you are the least useful.”

“Wha—”

Gibul’s jaw dropped at Glenn’s cutting retort.

The classroom buzzed with shock. Gibul was the second-highest achiever in the class, behind Sistine, and ranked quite high even among the entire grade.

Calling him the least useful was baffling, and all eyes turned to Glenn.

“Alright, let’s get started with the Magical Corps Battle… the mindset and methods of magicians on the battlefield. First off, you’re all massively misunderstanding something.”

With the students’ attention fixed on him, Glenn shrugged.

“On a magician’s battlefield—there are no heroes.”

With that declaration, Glenn’s special lesson began.

…

Time flew by, and a few days later.

(Well, I’ve taught them everything I could… The ‘preparations’ are done too… Now it’s up to how I, as commander, move them.)

Glenn walked alone through the bustling nightlife of Fejite’s entertainment district.

(Man… I really owe these guys an apology. Dragging them into my own selfish whims… But I… that guy…)

The cold smirk of that overly perfect gentleman flashed in Glenn’s mind.

(Damn it… Leos… That guy alone…)

Glenn exhaled, trying to calm his rising emotions. Thinking about it now wouldn’t help.

Shifting his mood, Glenn continued walking steadily.

Ignoring persistent street vendors, he turned away from the lively district and slipped into an alley.

Unlike the crowded, vibrant main street, the chilly, deserted alley led him deeper until he reached a discreet bar tucked away in a secluded corner.

Glenn stepped into the bar, a hidden gem known only to those in the know, without hesitation.

The interior was dimly lit, with hardly any patrons. Lanterns placed here and there faintly illuminated the space, casting soft glows in the darkness.

At the back was a counter. The tables were partitioned, creating a private, booth-like atmosphere.

This bar prided itself on strict confidentiality and non-interference, making it a favored spot for nobles, politicians, or shady underworld figures to hold secret meetings.

At the far end of the counter.

“…You’re late. Two minutes late.”

Someone was already there.

“Tch, two minutes is within the margin of error, isn’t it?”

Glenn plopped down next to the man without hesitation, snapping back.

The man, who snorted irritably and glanced at Glenn, was… Albert.

“You’re making quite a spectacle again, Glenn.”

“Well, I figured you’d already have a grasp of what’s going on.”

“Gambling on a girl you don’t even love? That’s low, even for you. Don’t you feel the least bit sorry for Sistine Fibel?”

“Hah, who cares? If I pull this off and end up with White Cat, I won’t have to work anymore! A chance to marry rich like this doesn’t come often. Gotta jump on it, right?”

Glenn grinned, chuckling throatily.

“…Sera Silvers, huh?”

But Albert’s sudden mention of a woman’s name made Glenn freeze.

“I’ve had my suspicions for a while. Fibel does resemble Sera… There’s a certain likeness.”

“…”

“I see now. No wonder you stubbornly call Fibel ‘White Cat’ and go as far as personally training her in magical combat. It all makes sense.”

“Tch—”

“You’re looking for a substitute for Sera in that girl—”

“Don’t screw with me!”

Glenn suddenly slammed his fist on the counter, his angry shout echoing through the bar.

The already quiet bar fell even silent.

“There’s a line you don’t cross, you bastard! I’m just—”

Mid-rage, Glenn faltered, as if realizing something.

“…Just what? Why hesitate? Isn’t your goal to marry rich?”

Glenn realized he’d fallen right into Albert’s trap.

His hesitation was a mistake—it was as good as admitting his claim about marrying rich was a lie.

“Hmph, same old soft-hearted fool. Or rather, a self-righteous idiot? Whatever. Keep playing the villain and dancing like a clown.”

“…Tch, always seeing right through me… You’re as annoying as ever.”

In psychological games like this, Glenn was no match for Albert. Though, to be fair, Albert outclassed him in most things.

“By the way, why’d you suddenly contact me?”

Glenn glanced at the scrap of paper Albert’s familiar had delivered and asked seriously.

Albert remained silent for a moment—likely using detection magic to check their surroundings—then spoke abruptly.

“‘Angel Dust’ has been brought into Fejite by someone.”

“What!?”

Glenn’s face froze in shock, paling as he fell speechless.

“You’ve heard about the mysterious corpses found daily all over Fejite recently?”

“Y-Yeah, I know… Celica was oddly fixated on it, but… No way…?”

“Exactly. Traces of ‘Angel Dust’ were found in those bodies. They’re victims who couldn’t withstand the initial reaction to the drug and died of poisoning.”

Angel Dust. It’s known as the nightmare of alchemy, the worst magical drug.

It completely controls the subject’s thoughts and emotions, removes the body’s muscle limiters, and creates invincible soldiers who obey the administer’s orders to the letter.

Once administered, the subject becomes a husk, never recovering, and without regular doses of Angel Dust, their body collapses in horrific withdrawal, leading to death. Even with continued doses, they eventually die from terminal poisoning.

A single dose leaves a person alive in body but dead in spirit.

These addicts are akin to the zombies controlled by necromancers, but unlike necromancy, which requires elaborate rituals, Angel Dust can mass-produce zombie-like servants with a single dose, making it an utterly heinous drug—hence its ironic name.

The dust of angel wings that ushers in death—Angel Dust.

“Impossible! All research and production methods for Angel Dust were destroyed a little over a year ago in that incident! That complex, high-level alchemical formula… Without the exact method, recreating Angel Dust is impossible! It’s supposed to be a lost mystery!”

“Exactly. And the only person who fully understood the formula in his head—that extraordinary man—was taken out by you and… Sera, a little over a year ago.”

Glenn clenched his fist tightly.

“Then why is it—”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be here. The government’s top brass is taking this very seriously. The military and high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Magic are all investigating… And no wonder, given the massive damage this drug caused before.”

Albert, too, seemed to recall the incident involving Angel Dust from over a year ago, snorting in irritation.

“I’ve been abruptly assigned to investigate the source of this Angel Dust for a while. The princess’s protection is being left to Re=L. I used to worry, but she should be fine now.”

“Yeah, Re=L’s ‘I love Rumia’ aura is no joke these days…”

Indeed, Re=L had changed. She was no longer the emotionless puppet who mechanically followed orders. The current Re=L would protect Rumia with her life, as a dear friend and someone worth guarding.

“It’s odd to say this to you, but… keep an eye on the princess and your students. The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom have been quiet lately, but… this Angel Dust case might have their fingerprints on it.”

“…Hey, Albert…”

Just as Glenn began to say something to Albert—

“No.”

Albert answered instantly.

“I-I haven’t even said anything yet…”

“I know what you’re thinking. You want to say, ‘Let me join the Angel Dust investigation,’ right?”

“Ugh…”

Bullseye. Glenn fell silent, grimacing.

“Figures. With Angel Dust circulating here, it’d make you wonder what Sera died for.”

“If you get it, then—”

Albert’s sharp glare silenced Glenn mid-sentence.

“Even as your former student, this isn’t like the last incident involving Re=L or the princess. You shouldn’t get involved, and you don’t have the right to.”

“Y-Yeah, I get that, but still…!”

“We may walk different paths, but our goals are the same. I see you as a comrade I can trust to an extent, so I’m sharing this information in case of an emergency. That’s all. It’s not because I need your help.”

It seemed Albert felt some guilt for withholding critical information in the past, even if it was for the mission.

“B-But…”

“Besides, you’re no longer a mage. You’re an instructor.”

“!”

Albert’s words left Glenn speechless this time.

“Just as there are things and duties only I, as a mage, can do… there are things and duties only you, as an instructor, can do. Fulfill them. Though—”

Albert stood up.

“If an instructor is fighting over a single female student and playing the fool, fulfilling their duties as an educator is nothing but a pipe dream.”

As if to say the conversation was over, Albert silently departed without a sound.

“Tch… I get it, alright.”

After Albert left, Glenn scratched his head with a bitter expression.

“But… even so, I…”

Not a single soul was there to hear Glenn’s murmur…

…

…

…I see a dream.

It’s a tale from days long past.

A memory from when I was a mage in the Imperial Court Mage Corps.

Looking back, it all started simply because I loved magic. And because I loved magic, I wanted to become a ‘Mage of Justice’ straight out of a picture book, one who could save everyone.

As a child, I was caught up in an unjust incident, lost everything, and was saved by a mage… by Celica. That experience probably made me yearn even more strongly for that ideal.

In any case, I wanted to be a ‘Mage of Justice’ like those in picture books and admired incredible mages like Celica.

I knew I had no talent for magic, but I believed that if I worked hard enough, I could one day become a ‘Mage of Justice’ who saves everyone. I believed that with relentless effort, a single wave of a magic wand could make everyone happy.

Carrying such naive ideals in my heart, I grew up… eventually became a mage… and was elated, thinking my childhood dream had come true…

And then, I quickly hit a wall.

First, I realized that the magic I loved wasn’t the omnipotent, wonderful power I’d imagined. Instead, it was often used for terrible things—a tool for killing.

And above all, even if it was a necessary evil for justice, I was fundamentally unsuited for dirty work. I wasn’t strong enough to kill evil, stain my hands, and bear the weight of that sin.

Facing reality, recognizing my weakness, and understanding the despair that this path wasn’t meant for me… my heart gradually wore down.

Even so, I tried to at least be a ‘Mage of Justice’ who could save ‘everyone.’

Something was off. Something didn’t fit. Even as I felt that, I couldn’t let go of the original reason I’d aimed to be a mage—the ‘Mage of Justice,’ my childhood dream.

That was the only thing sustaining my heart through the grueling days of relentless battles.

If the magic I loved so much was actually a deplorable thing, a tool for killing, then so be it.

If this path wasn’t suited for me, if it was a path of suffering, that was fine too.

So, at the very least.

At the very least, if I could use that deplorable power to protect ‘everyone,’ to make ‘everyone’ happy… to make ‘everyone’ smile as a ‘Mage of Justice’… that would be enough.

That’s what I thought…

And soon, even that fell apart.

Because I couldn’t save ‘everyone.’

No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much blood and bile I spat out while desperately wielding magic, some portion of ‘everyone’ would inevitably slip through my fingers, beyond my reach.

It wasn’t about having enough power or not.

If it was a matter of lacking power, I could just work harder.

But—no matter what supreme miracle I could wield, there were times when it was realistically impossible to save everyone perfectly, times when a happy ending where everyone smiled and walked away simply didn’t exist. I learned that painful truth the moment I renewed my resolve.

Why, after studying magic so desperately, had I never learned such an obvious reality even a child could understand?

In short.

A ‘Mage of Justice’ who could punish the bad guys with a wave of a wand and make everyone smile, like in a picture book… such a thing never existed in the first place.

Once I realized that, every day became hell.

Understanding reality yet unable to abandon my ideals, I fought on in despair, chasing a dream I couldn’t let go of… living in such half-heartedness.

Growing disgusted with magic that only shattered my dreams without fulfilling a single one, exhausted mentally and physically by dirty work I wasn’t suited for, yet still fighting to become the nonexistent ‘Mage of Justice.’

The only reason my heart didn’t break and I somehow kept going was probably…

“…I like it, you know? Your dream, Glenn-kun.”

Thanks to the presence of this girl, who now smiles at me gently.

Sera Silvers.

A member of the Imperial Court Mage Corps’ Special Missions Annex, Execution Officer Number 3, The Empress. Hailing from the nomadic Nanbara tribe who live with the wind and song, a proud member of the Silvers clan, known as the ‘Wind War Maiden,’ commanding countless wind spirits. Her mastery of wind-related magic was said to be unmatched in the Imperial Court Mage Corps, earning her the title The Wind Wielder.

Though now she exists only in dreams, her pristine white hair like fresh snow, her skin whiter than snow itself, and her mystically refined features reminiscent of a wind spirit (sylph) are beautiful, almost dreamlike. Intricate tribal curse patterns, painted in red pigment, adorn her cheeks, arms, and other parts of her delicate body. What might seem odd to most only enhances her mystique, like an accessory accentuating her otherworldly charm.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it? A ‘Mage of Justice’ who can save everyone. I think about it too… if only someone like that existed… There’s surely a wonderful magic out there somewhere in this world that can make everyone happy…”

Come to think of it, she was the only one who affirmed my wild tales, my fanciful dreams.

“So, I think you should hold your head high, Glenn-kun. You’re not escaping reality… Knowing reality and still aiming for your ideals—your aspiration is surely more noble than anything. Those who give up their goals and act like they’ve seen through everything have no right to belittle you. At least, that’s what I think. So—”

“Hmph, shut up, White Dog.”

But back then, being the immature brat I was, that’s how I spoke to Sera, one of the few who understood me.

“What do you even know? Geez, stop acting like my big sister all the time.”

Whether it was to hide my embarrassment or just my inability to be honest, I could only talk to Sera like that. Man, I was so uncool.

“Argh! You called me White Dog again~!”

“Whatever, it fits. You’re kinda dog-like, you know…”

“I’m not a dog! I hate you, Glenn-kun!”

We often had silly arguments, but among our colleagues, I think Sera and I were pretty close. With my unrealistic ideals making me shunned by most, she was one of the few colleagues I had a genuine bond with.

“Hey, that’s no good, Glenn-kun! You have to write your reports properly!”

“Pfft, White Dog, just write it for me, will ya?”

“Hey! Don’t run away!”

Part of it was probably because she saw me, just slightly younger than her, as a troublesome little brother she had to look after.

“《Gather, O winds・Weave together・The battle formation of the wind spirits》—Glenn-kun, now!”

“Got it—!”

Part of it was the camaraderie forged from countless missions and life-or-death battles we faced together, second only to Albert.

“Hey… Glenn-kun. I have a dream too… Will you listen without laughing…?”

“…I wouldn’t laugh…”

And part of it was probably the empathy we shared, both clinging to dreams that could never come true.

“Geez, you’re so sloppy… Button up your robe properly, okay? A disheveled robe leads to a disheveled heart, which can affect your spell chanting, and…” blah blah blah…

“Ugh, you’re so loud!”

…

“Huh? Glenn-kun, do you have a cold? Your face is all red.”

“…Shut up… You’re too close…”

“Hmm… You don’t seem to have a fever, though…?”

“Stop measuring my temperature by pressing our foreheads together! Don’t treat me like a kid!”

…

“So? Glenn-kun, is it good? My hometown’s cuisine.”

“…It’s delicious.”

“Hehe, great! I made a lot, so eat up, okay?”

“…Super surprising. You can cook, White Dog? You look so clumsy.”

…In any case, she was meddlesome, overly caring, preachy, kind-hearted… reliable yet somehow a little reckless. And I—

“With a job like this… I’m sure one day, I’ll…”

“…It’ll be fine. Don’t worry, Sera. I’ll protect y—”

“Huh?”

“Uh… nothing.”

“Ohhh? What was Glenn-kun about to say~?”

“Nothing, I said!”

That’s how I felt about her—probably, I loved her.

Back then, whether out of embarrassment or immaturity, I stubbornly refused to admit it, but… I’m pretty sure I loved her.

It’s not a big deal, right? Even if I couldn’t become a ‘Mage of Justice’ who protects ‘everyone.’

At least, if I could be a ‘Mage of Justice’ who protects her alone, wouldn’t that be enough?

No, maybe that’s what I truly wanted—

To at least protect her.

I loved her so much that I thought that way.

I cherished the time we spent together.

So, I—

“Cough… hack… It hurts… Glenn-kun… I…”

When I looked down at her, fatally wounded, sinking into a pool of blood with no hope of survival—

I despaired, utterly, in myself and in magic.

In that moment, my life dedicated to magic, all the hardships I’d endured… everything became meaningless.

In that moment, I was completely done with magic.

If magic was nothing but a tool for killing, fine. I’d long since stopped dreaming about it. Then, at least, if I could protect someone with that killing tool, that would be enough.

Even if I couldn’t save ‘everyone,’ at least those within my reach. And if even that was too much, then at least the person most precious to me.

I failed, compromised, failed again, and compromised further…

But in the end, I couldn’t even protect the one woman I wanted to save.

What was it all for? Why did I pursue magic?

Why did I keep fighting, wearing down my heart?

Why did I keep staining my hands with dirty deeds?

Why did I keep striving to be a ‘Mage of Justice,’ even as I grew to hate the magic that was once so dear to me? What was it all for?

Was it just to taste my own powerlessness and despair, to have my dreams shattered so thoroughly that I could never stand again?

…What a ridiculous farce.

“Damn it…! That bastard Jatice… How dare he…!”

Cursing the name of the enemy who dealt Sera her fatal wound, my heart was somehow cold.

Because, while it was true that Jatice was the one who struck her down,

Sera… she shielded me. She took the blow meant for me.

In other words… because of me, because I tried to be a ‘Mage of Justice,’ Sera died.

“…Damn… Sera… I’m sorry… I…”

“No, it’s okay… I’m just glad… you’re safe…”

Even as I grieved, Sera smiled at me until her very last moment.

Even though she was dying because of me. Even though she died protecting me.

Even though she still had unfulfilled dreams… for my sake, for someone like me, Sera’s dreams were shattered, and she passed away.

“Ah… But… I wanted to go back… It was my dream… The endless Aldian plains… and that… gentle scent of the wind…”

In that moment, with eyes that no longer reflected light, what Sera saw in her vision was surely…

“…So nostalgic… I want to go back… If I could… with you, together…”

“S-Sera…”

She must have felt such regret.

In recent years, the Rezalia Kingdom’s aggressive religious purification policies had destroyed her homeland and driven her clan out.

To return someday—to that nostalgic homeland.

Believing that the Alzano Empire, a rival to the hated Rezalia Kingdom and bound by an old pact with her clan, would one day reclaim her homeland from Rezalia.

Understanding the near-impossibility of that dream given the current war situation, national power dynamics, and international circumstances, yet clinging to that slim chance… she resolved to support, protect, and fight for the Alzano Empire.

For her clan, honoring the old pact, she walked a painful and bitter path of battle.

To die without any of that being rewarded… she must have been heartbroken.

“Hey… Glenn… kun…”

So, her final words…

“… , …to, …”

I couldn’t quite make them out.

But they were surely words of resentment toward me—

…

…

The faint chirping of a bird brushes the edge of my consciousness.

Feeling the morning sunlight on my eyelids, my wandering mind slowly rises from the dream.

“…”

Glenn silently rises from the bed.

This is Glenn’s room. As always, the four walls are lined with bookshelves filled with magic-related tomes, a stark room without any decoration.

“…It’s been a while since I dreamed of her…”

Muttering to himself, Glenn feels a somber mood settle over him.

There’s no doubt—the cause was hearing about Angel Dust from Albert last night.

After all, Sera Silvers lost her life a little over a year ago… in an incident caused by a man using Angel Dust.

After that incident, Glenn quit being a mage and left the Imperial Court Mage Corps.

He had no desire to explain himself to anyone. It was a departure that could only be seen as running away, and in truth, he probably did run.

“…Ugh, I’m in the worst mood… And today’s the duel over White Cat, of all things…”

With such a fragile mental state, the day ahead feels daunting.

But the vague memories of the dream still linger in his mind—the striking white hair.

“Oh, right… White Cat… she’s like her… like Sera…”

Muttering that, Glenn’s lips twist into an ironic smirk.

What’s the point of realizing it now?

He’d known it all along, hadn’t he?

Not just the occasional glimpses of Sera in her, but that snow-white hair, that fine porcelain skin.

Their surface personalities and speech might differ, but their essence—painfully earnest, meddlesome, preachy—is so similar.

The way she’s so devoted to her dreams… it’s the same.

But Glenn had always avoided connecting Sera and Sistine in his mind. Even when he sensed Sera’s shadow in Sistine, he acted completely oblivious.

Because Sera, whom he failed to protect, was the symbol of his sin.

So stubbornly calling Sistine ‘White Cat’—sure, partly to tease her—but maybe, just maybe, it was his way of unconsciously telling himself she wasn’t White Dog (Sera)… but White Cat (Sistine).

“…Hah, whatever…”

Right now, at this mansion where Glenn is freeloading, the owner, Celica, is absent.

She set out the other day to investigate the underground labyrinth of the Magic Academy alone.

Which means Glenn has to prepare his own breakfast from now on… and to him, that felt like a bigger problem than today’s duel.

“…Well, it’ll work out somehow…”

Stretching with a groan, Glenn slides out of bed.

That afternoon.

After finishing lunch, the students participating in the Magical Corps Battle exercise take a stagecoach along the Ethal Highway, stretching east from Fejite’s East Gate. Eventually, they gather at the lakeside near the southern tip of Lake Astoria, visible north of the highway.

Green trees and colorful flowers line the lakeshore. In the distance, the mountain ridgeline is dusted with white. The lake’s water is cold and clear—a place perfect for a leisurely stroll in peacetime.

From this lakeside to the northwest lies the vast magic training ground owned by the academy.

“But… Glenn-sensei… is he seriously serious about this…?”

“What’s Sistine gonna do if Sensei actually wins…?”

The gathered students cast occasional glances at Sistine.

Feeling their gazes, Sistine can only shift uncomfortably.

“No way, Glenn-sensei’s just talking big, right…?”

“Nah, he might be for real. I mean, it’s Glenn-sensei.”

Rodd and Kai whisper, trying to gauge Glenn’s true intentions.

“Seriously, why’d Sensei even challenge Leos to a duel? Even if he’s aiming for a rich wife, it’s weird for a lazy guy like him to get involved in something so troublesome.”

“Wait… could Sensei actually be serious about Sistie…?”

“Hmm… I feel like he prefers older women, though…”

Kash voices the fundamental question everyone’s been vaguely wondering, Lynn offers a slightly sad speculation, and Teresa points out the oddity in her guess…

“Kyaa! Kyaa! Forbidden love! A forbidden romance between a student and a teacher!”

“Wendy… that’s all you ever talk about…”

Wendy squeals with delight at the juicy gossip, while Cecil responds with a sigh. (By the way, Gibul completely ignores the group, reading a book a short distance away.)

In any case, perhaps to distract from the tension before the Magical Corps Battle, the students chatter nonstop, their rumors blooming like flowers… until that moment.

“Shut up, you lot! Be quiet!”

Halley appears before the gathered students, barking imperiously.

Instantly, the students fall silent.

The sound of Gibul irritably snapping his book shut echoes coldly.

“We’ll begin the Magical Corps Battle shortly… Well, since this is likely your first time participating in this exercise, I’ll explain the rules from the start.”

Halley, one of the instructors serving as a referee and organizer for this exercise, speaks with haughty authority.

“There’s no need to worry about serious injuries in this Magical Corps Battle. After all, only elementary spells are permitted. Low-lethality attack spells designed for students, like [Shock Bolt], which fires a weak electric current to shock opponents, or [Stun Ball], which incapacitates with intense sound and vibration, are the only ones allowed.”

Glancing coldly at the somewhat anxious students, Halley continues his explanation.

“These spells are considered highly lethal military magic, and those judged by the presiding referees to have sustained fatal injuries (damage) will be deemed ‘killed in action’ and removed from the battlefield. In case of any emergencies, the academy’s resident forensic physician is also present for this exercise. Compete without holding back.”

“Yes, if anyone is injured, please don’t hesitate to speak up, okay?”

The academy’s forensic physician—Cecilia, a young, delicate-looking beauty with soft hair in a loose braid and an ethereal aura—waved at the students.

“Now! The exercise field is designated as follows: from Lake Astoria in the north, flowing west along the Yote River, to the Isal Highway stretching east in the south! Anyone who crosses these boundaries will be judged as ‘deserting in the face of the enemy,’ immediately disqualified, and removed from the exercise with a deduction of points for their team!”

As the students’ (especially the boys’) attention began to drift toward Cecilia’s smile, Halley roughly slapped a map pinned to a makeshift board, redirecting their focus.

“As you can see on this map, there’s one stone circle ruin in the northeast and another in the southwest. These will serve as the respective strongholds for each team. For this exercise, Instructor Leos’s stronghold is in the northeast, and Glenn Radars’s is in the southwest.”

Sure enough, the map marked ancient ruins in the upper right and lower left. The upper right would be Leos’s team’s main camp, and the lower left would be Glenn’s team’s.

“Students, follow the orders of your commanding instructor, advance toward the enemy stronghold, engage in combat, and seize the enemy’s stronghold to claim victory. Conversely, no matter how many enemy soldiers you defeat, if the enemy captures your stronghold first, you lose. Never forget that.”

Then, Halley pointed to the exact center between the two strongholds.

“Due to the terrain, the routes to reach each other’s strongholds are limited. The Plains Route, which cuts straight through the central plains. The Forest Route, passing through the northwest forest. And the Hill Route, crossing the eastern hills… These are the only three. No matter how clever you try to be, there are no other routes. This is a mock exercise field for students, so it’s not an overly large area either.”

Halley pointed to the Plains Route at the center of the map.

“Diligent students should already understand, but the fastest way to reach the enemy stronghold is, naturally, the central Plains Route. However, that works both ways, and breaking through head-on will be no easy feat.”

Next, he pointed to the upper left of the map—the northwest Forest Route.

“And the tricky part about charging through the plains is this adjacent forest. It’s easy to attack the central plains from and hard to defend against. If the enemy seizes the forest, the plains unit will be vulnerable to flanking attacks, leading to an immediate collapse.”

Finally, he pointed to the lower right of the map—the eastern Hill Route.

“This hill is also a critical point. If the enemy controls this high ground, they can snipe you with long-range magic at will. However, the spells you students know likely won’t reach the forest, and it’s the longest detour to the enemy stronghold.”

Having finished explaining the general outline of the exercise field, Halley turned to face the students.

“Naturally, you can’t win without attacking, but neglecting defense will allow the enemy to seize your stronghold and lead to defeat. The key to victory lies in where, when, and how many forces you deploy… This exercise field is like a textbook for magical military tactics, understood? Of course, for you students who only need to follow your instructor’s orders, that’s beside the point.”

And after Halley’s explanation concluded,

“Man, thanks for the thorough and polite explanation, senpai!”

Glenn clapped his hands, praising Halley enthusiastically.

In response, Halley shot Glenn an openly disdainful look.

“…Hmph! Glenn Radars, I’ve heard about you. You’re trying to woo a certain female student who’s engaged to Leos-dono, aren’t you? And because of that, you challenged Leos-dono to a duel, settling the matter with this magical corps battle…”

“…”

“I understand Leos-dono. As the heir to a great noble family, it’s not unusual for him to have a fiancée. But you? You’re not even a noble, just a teacher! Making moves on a student—and for a marriage of convenience, no less!? Have you no shame!?”

Faced with Halley’s exceptionally justified reprimand this time…

“Oh, so you’ve heard about it too, Harvest-senpai? Man, a marriage of convenience sounds sweet, but young girls are just the best, right? So fresh, and the thrill of molding them to your liking—it’s downright sinful and seductive, guhehe!”

Glenn’s face was the epitome of sleaze.

“W-What a lowlife… Just how much of a scumbag are you!? And don’t think I haven’t noticed—you’d attach ‘Ha’ to anything and call it a day, wouldn’t you!?”

Trembling with a flushed face, Halley turned to Leos with a pleading look.

“Instructor Leos! I’m counting on you today! Teach this shameless man, who lacks even a shred of a magician’s pride, a lesson! Show him the power of your latest military magic research and give this fool a harsh reality check!”

“Indeed… I have my own reasons for not losing. Even without your urging, I’ll face him with everything I’ve got.”

“…Hmph.”

Leos and Glenn were already locking eyes, sparks practically flying between them.

“U-Um… Leos… I…”

Sistine approached Leos awkwardly.

“You don’t need to worry, Sistine.”

Sensing what Sistine wanted to say, Leos smiled gently at her.

“Just give your all for your class. You don’t need to concern yourself with me. If you come at me, that’s just another trial… I’ll surely overcome it, claim victory, and claim you. So, rest assured.”

“Leos…”

While this somewhat sweet exchange unfolded, Glenn, on the other hand…

“Man, what will I do if I manage to snag that marriage of convenience!? I won’t even need to work anymore! I’ll live it up, hahaha!”

“Ahaha, Sensei, come on… The battle hasn’t even started yet.”

“Oh, right! Since I’ll have plenty of cash from this marriage, how about I make you my mistress, Rumia? Hmm?”

“Huh? Me, your mistress? …Hehe, that doesn’t sound too bad. I’m looking forward to it, Sensei.”

“Mistress…? I don’t really get it, but if Rumia’s gonna be a mistress, I’ll be one too.”

“Heh… Being a ladies’ man is tough… Alright, leave it to me, leave it to me!”

And so, Glenn was spouting nonsense to Rumia and Re=L…

The students in Glenn’s class sighed as they compared Glenn and Leos…

(Maybe we should just lose…?)

In that moment, their thoughts were perfectly aligned.

“So, Sensei, what’s the plan?”

At the southwest stronghold—the stone circle ruin—Glenn’s class gathered in the center.

Representing everyone, the burly boy Kash asked Glenn.

“The signal to start is about to go up. What’s our strategy?”

A table was set up in the center of the stone circle, with a map of the exercise field spread out on it.

The students watched with bated breath as Glenn stared intently at the map.

“The basics of combat are just like I taught you the other day. The real question is where to attack, and with how many… But I’ve got no idea what kind of tactics that Leos jerk’s gonna pull.”

“Haa…? You sound kinda unsure… Get it together, sensei.”

“No, look, I know the basics of magical combat, but when it comes to tactical command and operations, I’m not exactly an expert. Hell, tactical command is a whole different field!”

The class was left speechless by this shocking revelation at such a critical moment.

“W-Wait!? You accepted that duel rule because you were confident, didn’t you!?”

“Sensei, are you serious!? If you lose, Sistine’s gonna end up married to that Leos guy! You okay with that!?”

“Yeah, exactly! We can’t accept that!”

Surprisingly, the male students were unusually fired up for this exercise, which startled Glenn.

“W-What’s with you guys…?”

“Sensei… Isn’t it obvious!? Pretty boys are the enemy!”

Kash’s heartfelt cry was met with nods from nearly all the male students in the class.

“Exactly! A good-looking, rich guy with a gentlemanly personality—what’s he playing at!?”

“Leos-sensei’s classes are amazing, and I respect him, but this is a different matter!”

“Nobles, huh!? We’ll show those privileged, popular jerks the resentment of the have-nots!”

“Yeah! Letting you have Sistine is questionable, but letting that pretty boy have his way pisses us off even more!”

And then…

“You guys…!”

“Sensei…!”

Tears streaming, Glenn and the male students shared a passionate embrace.

“Man, that’s what being a guy is about…”

Sistine looked on at this unnecessarily touching scene with exasperation.

Then, the prim and proper twin-tailed Ojou-sama, Wendy, approached. “…So? What’s the real deal, Sistine?”

“What do you mean…?”

“It’s obvious. Do you want Leos-sensei or Glenn-sensei to win?”

“T-that’s… It’s got nothing to do with me… It’s just those two getting carried away on their own.”

“Well, that does seem to be the case. But still, two men are fighting over you alone. Don’t you feel something about that?”

“Well… I guess I used to dream about a situation like this.”

Sistine glanced briefly at Glenn.

“Alright, you guys! Today, you’re gonna help me snag that marriage of convenience so I can live it up—”

“Screw you, just die!”

“—Guwaaahhh!?”

Glenn was sent flying by a synchronized flying kick from the male students’ fierce dash.

“I mean… One of them is that guy…”

“I completely understand… My condolences.”

Sistine and Wendy rubbed their temples in frustration.

“So… Are you really going to marry the winner of this duel?”

“O-Of course not! I’ve got so much I still need to do… Like I keep saying, those two are just hyping this up on their own.”

She hurriedly denied it, but Sistine couldn’t help imagining it for a moment.

Even for Glenn, aiming for a marriage of convenience was probably a joke—he’s a ‘slacker,’ not a ‘creep’—so maybe the reason he went out of his way to challenge Leos to this duel, which is so unlike him, was because he genuinely liked her as a woman.

If Glenn, as a magician, won the duel fair and square and proposed to her,

What would she do then…?

(W-What am I thinking, you idiot!? Marriage is way too soon! And how would I even explain it to Mom and Dad…!?)

Blushing furiously, she shook her head vigorously to dispel the stray thoughts.

Sistine’s parents were currently preoccupied with some troublesome work and were absent. With matters of family succession at stake, deciding on marriage without consulting them was unthinkable.

But… For some reason, the image kept creeping into her mind.

In a church somewhere, the clear sound of blessing bells ringing, herself in a pure white wedding dress standing beside Glenn… And for some reason, she looked so happy, smiling…

“Aaaah! Stop it, stop these weird fantasies, me! That’d be unfair to Rumia! And why would I even be with that guy—!?”

Clutching her head in turmoil, Sistine suddenly shouted toward the sky.

Her classmates, startled, turned their attention to her.

“Rumia, Sistine’s been acting weird lately. Blushing, getting mad, muttering, shouting out of nowhere… Is she sick?”

“Hmm… In a way, maybe she is.”

“Sick? Then she needs a doctor.”

“Unfortunately, this kind of sickness can’t be cured by a doctor.”

“…?”

Re=L, as sleepy as ever, and Rumia, with a wry smile, watched over Sistine.

Eventually, the supervising referees raised a signal flare in the distance—the magical corps battle had begun.

Each class had a force of forty soldiers.

Glenn first sent twelve to the central Plains Route, eight to the northwest Forest Route, one to the eastern Hill Route, and kept the rest at the stronghold.

He wasn’t advancing aggressively, seemingly opting to observe the situation first.

“…A foolish strategy.”

Through farsight magic, Leos’s left eye projected an aerial view of the battlefield. Upon confirming the enemy’s formation, he gave a faint smirk.

“Piecemeal deployment is a poor tactic—a basic principle of ancient warfare that remains true even in today’s magic-dominated battlefields. Everyone, advance.”

In contrast, Leos deployed eighteen to the central route, twelve to the forest route, and nine to the hill, committing his entire force. He outnumbered his opponents in each battlefield, aiming for a divide-and-conquer approach. His formation was designed to decisively seize the hill and eventually capture Glenn’s stronghold.

Leos’s students marched forward with high spirits under his command—

Glenn’s students advanced cautiously under his orders—

“Tch, it seems Glenn-sensei is well-versed in magical theory but lacking in magical corps tactics…”

By the shores of Lake Astoria, several academy instructors serving as referees for the magical corps battle were observing the overall situation through farsight magic, chuckling wryly.

“That formation is just too poor. This might be over quickly.”

“Still, Leos-dono’s team is moving impressively.”

“Indeed, remarkable. To achieve such coordination with just a week of training…”

Amid the relaxed instructors,

“Tch…”

Halley alone, visibly displeased, was intently watching the battle.

(Leos-dono is a top-tier military magic researcher… Naturally, he’s well-versed in magical corps command tactics. Glenn Radars’s Class 2 is overall inferior in individual ability compared to Leos-dono’s class… Glenn Radars never had a chance to begin with… If he played it straight.)

At that moment, Halley recalled the bitter memory of being thoroughly outmaneuvered by Glenn at the previous Magic Tournament.

(But if that man fought straightforwardly, I wouldn’t have had such a hard time…! Leos-sensei, don’t let your guard down…!)

“Ugh… Kash… What do we do…?”

“Tch, they sent a ton… Way more than us…”

On the central Plains Route, Rodd and Kai spoke anxiously to Kash, who was leading.

“Can we really hold this place…?”

“Won’t they just break through easily…?”

“Well, if we do what sensei said, it’ll work out somehow. It’s not like we’re risking our lives, so let’s take it easy, yeah?”

On the open plain with no cover, Kash grinned boldly as the enemy shadows drew closer.

Soon, the distance between them would enter the range for close-quarters magical combat.

And then, Kash and the others recalled Glenn’s lesson from a week ago—

“Listen up. Tactics and strategies involving magic don’t follow the conventional wisdom of pre-magic warfare at all.”

Declaring that there are no heroes on a magical battlefield, Glenn continued.

“Just casually using fire or lightning spells will terrify horses, rendering cavalry useless. A volley from archers or musketeers in formation can be blocked by a single simple counterspell. If you line up heavy infantry in a dense formation, a wide-range destruction spell will wipe them out in an instant.”

Tapping the chalk, Glenn drew a battlefield diagram on the blackboard, continuing his explanation.

“Non-magical soldiers are now only useful for securing strongholds after defeating enemy magical forces, logistics, or rear support. If regular soldiers have to face enemy magical forces, they’re either sacrificial pawns or the battle is already lost. What I’m teaching you is how to fight as ‘magical soldiers,’ the most critical force in modern warfare.”

Glenn began explaining the tactics of ‘magical soldiers’ methodically.

“Magical combat basically has two ranges: ‘close-range combat’ and ‘long-range combat.’ ‘Close-range combat’ involves exchanging spells at a distance where you can see the enemy—the frontline range. Conversely, ‘long-range combat’ involves ultra-long-range magic to support magical soldiers engaged in ‘close-range combat’ from a distance where the enemy isn’t visible. For this magical corps battle, you don’t need to worry about ‘long-range combat.’ None of you can use spells that powerful.”

Glenn drew three convex symbols on the left and three on the right of the blackboard. On the left, the symbols were spaced far apart, but on the right, they were clustered. Each convex symbol seemed to represent a magical soldier.

“And this is just ‘in general,’ okay? This range stuff, and everything I’m about to say, can have plenty of exceptions depending on the situation or tactics, so don’t forget that. Now, back to the main range, ‘close-range combat’…”

Glenn connected the three clustered convex symbols on the right with a triangle.

“The basic tactical unit for ‘close-range combat’ is a three-man cell, with three positions: assault vanguard, defensive vanguard, and support rear. Each position has a defined role. The assault vanguard handles attacks with offensive spells, the defensive vanguard handles defense with counterspells, and the support rear uses situational spells to assist the two vanguards. These three-man cells form the basic tactical unit, which are then grouped to form larger units… This is the absolute foundation of modern magical soldier tactics and unit organization.”

Having listed the positions and roles on the blackboard, Glenn turned to the students.

“What makes this three-man cell tactical unit so great? Simple—it’s strong. Statistically, it excels in enemy kill rates, friendly casualty rates, and every other metric. For example, imagine a three-man cell of magical soldiers facing three individual magical soldiers.”

Glenn ran the chalk across the blackboard again.

“In a battlefield where spells are constantly exchanged, suppose there’s a moment where both sides cast spells simultaneously. In that instant, the three individual soldiers fire a total of three offensive spells, but—surprise—no damage to the three-man cell. Why? Because the cell’s defensive vanguard cast a counterspell. All three offensive spells were blocked by the defensive vanguard’s counterspell.”

He drew three arrows from the left convex symbols to the right, marking them with an X.

“Meanwhile, one of the individual soldiers goes down. Obviously, right? The three-man cell’s assault vanguard fired one offensive spell at the individual soldiers, but none of them cast a counterspell. Modern military magic isn’t forgiving enough to let you survive without a counterspell.”

He drew one arrow from the clustered right convex symbols to the left, marking one of the left convex symbols with an X.

“And check this out. This guy in the three-man cell—the support rear.”

Glenn drew a circle around one of the three clustered convex symbols on the right.

“In that brief moment of spell exchange, this guy’s doing nothing. He’s free. He can do whatever the situation calls for—join the attack, defend, cast healing or support spells… Whatever, flexibly.”

Murmurs of awe and understanding rose from the students.

“By now, you get how much of an advantage a three-man cell has over three individual soldiers, right, Gibul?”

“Tch…”

Gibul groaned in frustration as Glenn smirked and called on him.

“Exactly… Even with the same number of soldiers, the outcome is completely different… Instead of having three soldiers each handle attack, defense, and support, assigning those roles to a dedicated three-man cell makes them overwhelmingly more effective, even with the same numbers… Is that it?”

“Exactly, well done, honor student. This isn’t just theoretical—it’s proven by battlefield data on survival rates, kills, and more. This is called the ‘comparative advantage of magical forces.’ It’s a concept that didn’t exist in eras when magic wasn’t used in warfare.”

Hearing this, Gibul grimaced bitterly.

For a magician like Gibul, who prided himself on individual skill, the realization that there are no heroes on a magical battlefield finally sank in.

The three-man cell is a unit bound by fate. One person’s actions affect the survival of all three. A strong-willed magician like Gibul, who struggles to coordinate with others, drags the team down and endangers everyone. There’s no room for lone-wolf heroics.

Got it… So that’s how it is…

The class nodded in understanding as if Glenn’s explanation had clicked.

“Hmph… Fine, I get it.”

Gibul said, sounding sulky.

“Abandon my ego and form a three-man cell… Keep in step with the team, right?”

Though Gibul was indeed prideful, he had the virtue of humbly accepting what he logically understood. Grudgingly, he said as much, but…

“…Huh? What’re you talking about?”

Glenn looked at Gibul, genuinely confused.

“There’s no way you guys could pull off a three-man cell tactical unit formation.”

Thud.

The entire class tilted their heads at this brutally anticlimactic letdown.

“I mean, a three-man cell tactical unit is something even professional magical soldiers can only achieve after long, intensive training. The support rear’s movements are especially tough… At the very least, I’ve got no confidence I could whip you lot into a functional three-man cell in just a few days. …No idea about that Leos jerk, though.”

“Then what are we supposed to do!? You explained all this so smugly—what’s the point!?”

Understandably irritated, Gibul raised his voice, glaring at Glenn.

Glenn flashed a fearless grin and replied,

“It’s real simple. If a three-man cell tactical unit is too much—”

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

“《O great wind》—!”

“《O white storm of winter》—!”

In the central battlefield, the students’ spell chants echoed.

Leos’s class—eighteen soldiers total, trained by Leos to form three-man cells into six tactical units—launched an offensive against Glenn’s students.

Lightning streaked and gusts roared toward Glenn’s class.

Glenn’s class, on the other hand, had a total force of twelve students. They were overwhelmingly outnumbered.

When training, equipment, and terrain are equal, a three-to-one numerical disadvantage is considered an absolute defeat.

A one-and-a-half-to-one numerical disadvantage isn’t absolute, but it’s still a considerably tough situation.

If they clashed head-on, Glenn’s students would likely be taken down one by one, as if their necks were being slowly strangled by cotton.

However—

“《O wall of air》—!”

“《O wall of air》—!”

Against the offensive spells fired by Leos’s camp, Glenn’s students swiftly activated Black Magic [Air Screen]—the most fundamental counterspell—erecting wide air barriers to block incoming gusts and deflect streaking bolts of violet lightning…

“Please, Kash! Now!”

“Right! 《Cry out to the void・resounding is・the roar of the wind spirit》—!”

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

“《O mighty wind》—!”

The students who had been casting counterspells were flanked by others on standby, who, led by Kash, began chanting offensive spells one after another.

The compressed air sphere—Black Magic [Stun Ball]—launched by Kash, along with the violet lightning and gusts from the other students, flew toward Leos’s team at a pace that somehow matched their opponents’.

“Wha—!? Damn it, 《O wall of air》—!”

Leos’s students, caught off guard, hurriedly chanted counterspells.

Bang! The [Stun Ball] burst with a loud crack, making the air tremble and vibrate.

It seemed to have been blocked by the air barrier set up by the enemy’s defensive vanguard, but…

“Damn it! Don’t let up on the attack!”

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

Regaining their composure, Leos’s students fired back offensive spells intermittently.

Kash and his team responded in kind, refusing to back down—

Both sides’ defensive units countered the incoming spells with counterspells one after another—

In no time, the area transformed into a heated magical battlefield, with a distance of about twenty-some metras separating the two sides.

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》! Don’t falter! Leave all the counterspells to the defensive team!”

With his robe fluttering in the aftermath of the raging gusts, Kash stood at the forefront, firing violet lightning while rallying his allies.

“Didn’t Sensei say it!? If we go fully defensive against a three-man cell, their entire trio will go offensive and crush us in one push! It’s scary, but leave defense to the rear guard. We vanguards just need to keep firing back! Make them divert even a fraction of their efforts to defense!”

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—! Man, what a ridiculous demand!”

Rodd and Kai grumbled, paling as they watched cold air, gusts, and violet lightning strike the air barriers just one or two metras ahead.

“Tch, 《O wall of air》—! B-But, aren’t we somehow holding our own!?”

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—! Y-Yeah! Even though they’ve got way more people!”

“Why’s that!?”

“Dunno, no clue!”

“Doesn’t matter! Until Sensei gives new orders, we hold this ground!”

At Kash’s shout, the students nodded, steeling themselves.

The war had only just begun…

At that moment, the instructors observing the plains’ battle situation as referees were wide-eyed with astonishment.

“A two-man element, one tactical unit formation…!?”

Indeed, none of Glenn’s students were using the ultra-basic three-man cell tactical formation used in standard magical soldier operations. Instead, they faced Leos’s camp with a simpler two-man tactical unit formation, consisting of an offensive vanguard and a defensive rear guard.

In the central plains battlefield, Leos’s camp had eighteen students, while Glenn’s had twelve.

At first glance, Leos’s side seemed to have the numerical advantage… but when converted to tactical units, both sides had six units—making them equal.

“That’s absurd!”

One of the instructors raised their voice.

“Sure, the number of tactical units is equal, but why is the battle situation equal too!? A three-man cell tactical unit is overwhelmingly stronger than a two-man element, one tactical unit!”

As the instructor said, battlefield statistics showed that three-man cells outperformed two-man elements in both enemy kill rates and ally attrition rates.

After all, a two-man element, one tactical unit was a formation reluctantly used when losses made it impossible to form a three-man cell.

“Tch… Well played, Glenn Radars…!”

At that moment, Halley, sensing the trap lurking beneath the situation, spoke with frustration.

“Thinking about it, this outcome is only natural…!”

“H-Halley-sensei… What do you mean…?”

“A sudden question, gentlemen. For example, which is easier to perform: a two-person three-legged race or a three-person four-legged race?”

The instructors, unable to follow Halley’s train of thought, exchanged puzzled looks.

“Well, obviously a two-person three-legged race is easier…”

“And that’s the answer.”

At Halley’s point, the other instructors finally seemed to catch on.

“Modern magical soldier battles are team battles… The key is how well the team coordinates. A two-man element, one tactical unit is easier to execute than a three-man cell, one tactical unit. It’s simpler to synchronize, and thus easier to train. It all comes down to the teams’ training levels.”

“—!”

“These students were total amateurs with no prior knowledge of magical soldier tactics. Could they really master the advanced coordination a three-man cell requires in just a few days?”

Halley then turned his magical gaze back to the central battlefield.

“Leos-sensei’s leadership is impressive. The four student groups under him managed to form three-man cells—at least in structure. But Glenn Radars’ groups likely trained solely in two-man elements from the start…”

While Glenn’s students seamlessly switched between offense and defense in their two-man elements, executing spells repeatedly without hesitation, Leos’s students, despite using three-man cells, were often sluggish. Their offense-defense transitions were clunky, with the crucial support rear guard frequently failing to act effectively—or sometimes doing nothing at all, left idle.

“Of course, with perfect training, a three-man cell would never lose to a two-man element. But for short-term training with students, a two-man element, one tactical unit is stronger… That’s all there is to it. We, and Leos-sensei, blindly swallowed papers and statistics, forgetting the simple fact that the ones actually performing in this exercise are amateur students.”

“I-I understand the logic, but…”

“Incredible… To pull off such a bold move…!”

The instructors listening to Halley’s explanation let out gasps of admiration.

“Normally, no one would dare try this… Every paper and statistic says that, with equal numbers, a three-man cell is stronger than a two-man element…”

“Even if you opt for the less complex two-man element, who knows how much training you can achieve in just a few days? Normally, you’d go with a three-man cell, right…?”

That Glenn Radars could instinctively grasp this and choose the two-man element without hesitation spoke volumes about the man, Halley thought, grinding his teeth.

Unbeknownst to Halley and the others, Glenn was a former mage with real combat experience. His knack for snatching victory from unfavorable situations was exceptional. With only a few days of training, he intuitively knew the two-man element would be stronger.

Leos, on the other hand, was a pure researcher with little practical combat experience. While his knowledge of magical soldier tactics, built on data and papers, far surpassed Glenn’s, it lacked the backing of real-world experience. As a result, he chose the textbook three-man cell.

This was the outcome. Though Leos’s side was slightly pushing forward, for such a numerical advantage to result in a back-and-forth, evenly matched situation was unthinkable under normal circumstances.

(This is bad, Leos-sensei… Glenn Radars’s next move is obvious… Even I would do the same…!)

With growing anxiety etched on his face, Halley gritted his teeth.

“Alright, you lot! Move out!”

The moment Glenn confirmed through farsight magic that the battles were deadlocked across all routes, he issued orders to the reserve forces waiting at the base.

“Head to the forest and plains routes to provide support! This is our only chance while that bastard Leos can’t respond! Take down as many as you can!”

“Fufu, splendid tactical insight, Sensei. Allow me to praise you first.”

Responding to Glenn’s command, Wendy stood gracefully, pressing the back of her hand to her cheek.

“Now, behold my dazzling combat prowess! Come, everyone, follow your squad leader—me!”

With that haughty declaration, Wendy led a few students toward the forest with high spirits… only to trip and fall flat on her face with a splat.

“Oh, ignore the hill route, alright? It’s kinda sneaky, but leaving just that one guy there is more than enough… Besides, under these rules, he’s basically got zero attack power…”

Glenn tossed those words to the students heading toward the various battlefields.

“Hey, Sistie… What do we do?”

“…We go. No holding back… For Leos’s honor.”

Forming a two-man element with Rumia, Sistine set out with a complicated expression—

“Tch… He got me…”

Meanwhile, at the northeastern base, Leos groaned bitterly.

“This is bad… Committing all our forces backfired, didn’t it…?”

Currently, the central and forest battlefields were completely deadlocked. Leos’s side was slightly ahead, but being stalled like this despite their clear numbers advantage was a serious problem.

If Glenn sent his reserve forces as reinforcements, the situation would quickly reverse. And Leos had no spare forces to send as backup.

His plan to defeat each group individually was now at risk of being turned against him—it was only a matter of time.

“Tch… What’s the status on capturing the hill base? The enemy there is just one person… You still haven’t taken it?”

Perhaps due to his anxiety, Leos, with a slight sheen of cold sweat on his forehead, contacted the hill capture team via the gem-shaped communication magic device assigned to each squad leader—

“W-Well… That’s…”

Rito, the leader of Leos’s hill route capture team, was drenched in nervous sweat as he held the communication device to his ear.

“It’s impossible! Capturing the hill base is impossible! We can’t do it!”

‘What do you mean!? There’s only one opponent, isn’t there!?’

Leos’s accusatory voice crackled through the communication device.

“B-But… There’s only one, but… they’re a monster!”

With a look as if staring at a demon, Rito fixed his gaze on the enemy soldier standing some twenty meters ahead.

There, standing daintily, was… Re=L.

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

Perhaps out of sheer panic, they seemed to have forgotten even the three-man cell, one tactical unit formation.

The twelve students from Leos’s camp fired offensive spells in unison.

Countless streaks of violet lightning surged toward Re=L.

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

They fired, and fired, and kept firing. But—

“…Hm.”

None hit. Not even a graze.

Simply swaying sleepily from side to side, Re=L effortlessly dodged every single bolt of lightning—without even using a counterspell. (In reality, she just wasn’t capable of handling the counterspells available in this magical corps battle.)

 

“How about this! 《Cry out to the void・resounding is・the roar of the wind spirit》—!”

“《O mighty wind》—!”

“《O white storm of winter》—!”

As if thinking, “if pinpoint attacks don’t work, try area attacks,” they now launched wide-ranging spells like [Stun Ball], [Gale Blow], and [White Out].

But in that instant.

With a whoosh, Re=L’s afterimage blurred sideways, vanishing from their sight.

In that split second, Re=L had darted to the blind spot of Leos’s students at high speed.

As a result, the spells exploded futilely in empty space, delayed by a significant margin…

“Wha… What is she…?”

No matter how many hundreds or thousands of spells they fired, they felt they’d never hit her.

And yet, despite toying with Leos’s camp with such superhuman evasion, Re=L did nothing in return. Not a single offensive spell. (In reality, she simply couldn’t properly handle the offensive spells available in this magical corps battle.)

Neither closing in nor retreating, Re=L continued to appear before Leos’s students.

“Ugh… Uu…”

Her incomprehensible nature, her eerie unknowability, her extraordinary movements—despite being a petite, doll-like girl, she seemed like an impossibly colossal monster…

“Tch… To think Glenn-sensei’s class had someone like her…”

Turning his farsight magic, previously focused on the forest and plains, toward the hill to reassess the situation, Leos couldn’t hide his astonishment.

“Her physical abilities are off the charts… To master White Magic [Physical Boost] to this degree is troublesome… Is she some kind of military operative…?”

But he couldn’t complain.

In this magical corps battle, it was permitted to fully utilize the strengths of one’s assigned class. Even if there was a military-affiliated student, calling it a foul would be unreasonable. Besides, Leos’s class had started with a stronger overall force than Glenn’s.

And above all, this was, before being a personal “duel,” an official “training” integrated into the academy’s curriculum. There was no battlefield where one could complain about an enemy being too strong.

Though Leos had been thrown off by unexpected developments from the start…

(But fortunately, I can confidently say she’s a student who only uses White Magic [Physical Boost]. There’s no reason for her to hold back and not take out my students in this situation…)

Leos shifted his mindset, beginning to analyze the situation and devise countermeasures.

(She must be extremely bad at offensive and counterspells, with near-zero attack capability… In other words, bait to draw forces from my camp… And I fell for it completely…)

Leos had sent nine students to the hill, aiming to capture it and plan his next strategy. Judging that Glenn’s lone defender was merely a scout, he had intended to seize the hill base swiftly.

But it was Glenn’s trap—

And that wasn’t all. By deliberately deploying weak forces across all fronts, Glenn had denied Leos the option of a single-point breakthrough, forcing him to split his forces for individual defeats. It was a flawed tactic, useless in real battlefields, but in this situation, with this scale and these students’ training levels… it was effective.

“Tch… Rito-san, retreat. Abandon the hill and return to the base for now… It’s fine. You can ignore that girl. She likely won’t pursue…”

Leos issued his orders—

Glenn’s reinforcements arrived at each battlefield, and his students began pushing back the enemy.

Soon after, reports came in that Leos’s forces were retreating from all fronts, and Glenn, who had been lounging at the base, stood up.

“How many did you take out!?”

Holding three gem-shaped communication devices between his fingers and pressing them to his ear, he asked sharply.

‘Plains here. We took down five. Lost two on our side, though…’

Kash’s ragged breathing came through one of the gems.

‘Forest here. Three down. No losses.’

Gibul’s curt voice came from another.

“Nice work, you guys. So, the situation’s thirty-two versus thirty-eight… Enemy attrition rate’s about twenty percent… I’d have liked a bit more, but guess that’s asking too much.”

‘Sensei, do we pursue?’

“Nah, hold off… The enemy’s hill squad is probably heading back to their base by now. It won’t be so easy anymore. The bonus stage is over.”

Glenn shrugged with a sigh.

“That bastard Leos is quicker and calmer than I expected… This could get tricky.”

‘Glenn. What do I do?’

Re=L’s voice came through the third gem.

“You stay right there. Honestly, if the enemy, who’s stronger individually, takes the high ground, we’re screwed. Since Leos committed so many to the hill at the start, he’s definitely got some strategy involving it. I don’t wanna deal with that. You hold the hill.”

‘Got it… I don’t really understand, but okay.’

“Look, you can barely handle offensive or counterspells, and teamwork? What’s that, some kinda snack? This job’s perfect for you, right? Fight on!”

‘…Hm. I’ll do my best. Glenn’s really counting on me.’

“Hahaha! You’re totally hopeless outside your shady alchemy specialty, aren’t you? It’s almost refreshing!”

‘Glenn. Flattering me won’t get you anything.’

…I’m not flattering you.

The students listening to the conversation through the communicators sighed.

“For now, the surprise attack in the first battle worked, and we chipped away at their forces decently. This should somewhat offset the original gap in strength and the difference between me and Leos as tacticians…”

Through the communicators, Glenn relayed the next steps to his students.

“By stationing the ultimate queen on the hill, they can’t touch it anymore. Since we’ve secured the high ground, they can’t advance through the center without worrying about magical sniping from above. That means, inevitably, the main stage for the rest of this battle… will be the forest.”

Glenn grinned wickedly.

“Oh my, guerrilla-style fighting like this? I’m so good at it. Heh heh heh…”

Chuckling darkly, Glenn continued to laugh ominously to himself.

Thus, as Glenn had planned, the plains forces of both sides kept their distance, glaring at each other in a standoff… and the center of the battle shifted to the forest.

(I know… This is exactly the development Glenn-sensei wanted…)

Leos wore a bitter expression, forced to shift the main battlefield to the forest.

The moves Glenn had been making were ones that wouldn’t work in a real battlefield but were permissible in this specific scenario. Yet, the arena where Leos and Glenn were clashing wasn’t a real battlefield—it was this one.

(Tch… But I’m well-versed in forest tactics for magical soldiers too… As a tactical researcher, it’s humiliating to be played so well by my opponent’s plans, but… I can still turn this around…!)

Indeed, as both sides concentrated their forces in the forest… Leos’s units, following his precise instructions, were gradually overwhelming Glenn’s troops.

Just as Leos began to feel a hint of relief, it happened.

‘Emergency! Leos-sensei!’

A frantic voice came through the communication device. It was from the team advancing into the forest.

“…What’s wrong, Lukio-san?”

‘W-Well… It’s… unbelievable, but…’

After a pause, as if confirming something.

‘Glenn-sensei… He’s appeared before us… Right at the front line of the forest battlefield…!’

“…What?”

At the truly unbelievable report, Leos stood dumbfounded.

“Bwahaha—! Feast your eyes, all you peasants! The grand supreme commander of the Glenn Radars Army is right here—!”

Glenn dashed through the forest, shouting at the top of his lungs.

“If you think you’ve got what it takes, come take me down! Dahahaha—!”

“Chase him! Take down Glenn-sensei! This battle can be won by defeating the enemy commander! It’s our chance!”

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

Naturally, several of Leos’s students gave chase, firing spells one after another—

“Fuhahaha! Dodge!”

Of course, none of them land.

The forest is already full of obstacles, with poor visibility.

Using them skillfully, Glenn nimbly dodges time and again.

“Tch… This is getting ridiculous, but we’ll push back while we can!”

Sweating profusely, Gibul issues orders to the students under his command.

Gibul’s team unleashes a barrage of offensive spells, violet lightning streaking through the air.

In the dense forest, with their attention on Glenn, Leos’s main force, now thinly spread, begins to be pushed back by Glenn’s aggressive counterattack…

“No! Glenn-sensei is a decoy!”

By sending pursuers after Glenn, Leos’s forces have been split. Taking advantage of this gap, Leos’s troops in the forest are being picked off one by one under Glenn’s fierce onslaught.

“His goal is likely to divide our forces—don’t engage him! In this battle, commanders are forbidden from using magic except for far-seeing and communication spells! If we ignore him, he can’t do any damage! Just ignore him!”

Though Leos quickly relays countermeasures, his tactical calculations are already in tatters.

“…A battlefield where the commander himself acts as a decoy on the front lines? I’ve never heard of such a thing… Glenn Radars… Just what kind of person is he…?”

Facing an opponent so far outside the norm in every sense, Leos can only clutch his aching head and sigh…

“Huuuh? Nobody’s gonna play with me anymore?”

Keeping a safe distance, Glenn trails Leos’s students as they turn their backs and walk away, neither too close nor too far.

Leos’s students glare at him irritably.

“Shut up! We don’t have time to deal with Glenn-sensei!”

“Well, if you’re not gonna entertain me, guess I got no choice… Oh?”

Glenn glances around, spots an unnaturally hanging vine on a nearby tree, and yanks it hard.

The next moment, the ground beneath the retreating students suddenly lurches upward—

“U-Uwaaaaaaah!?”

Pitifully, one student is ensnared in a net, left dangling in the air.

“Wha—!?”

“Oh? What’s this? A trap, just lying around by chance? Lucky me!”

Whistling, Glenn mutters in a feigned innocent tone before sprinting off…

“You set it up, didn’t you!? From the start!”

Finally, it seems Leos’s patience has snapped.

Reports flood in of non-magical booby traps—hanging nets, pitfall traps, sticky snares—sprung throughout the forest, ensnaring Leos’s students one after another.

Receiving these reports, Leos loses his cool, slamming the desk and raising his voice.

“Damn it… Glenn-sensei…!”

Leos operates the communication magic device used for emergency contact between commanders, calling out to Glenn with unconcealed anger.

“You rigged this battlefield beforehand, didn’t you!? That’s why you maneuvered to shift the main battlefield to the forest…!?”

‘Huuuh? I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.’

Glenn’s utterly insincere tone makes it clear he has no intention of explaining himself.

“How despicable…! Don’t you have any pride as a mage—?”

‘Whaaat!? Despicable!? Oh, how that wounds me… It’s just that someone, out of pure hobby, happened to set traps in this forest, and they happened to activate and tripped up your team, right? Pure coincidence!’

Glenn’s blatantly transparent excuse causes blue veins to throb visibly at Leos’s temples.

“As expected, I can’t hand Sistine over to a lowlife like you, a man with no shred of a mage’s dignity or refinement… What meaning is there in a victory gained through such cowardly tactics…?”

‘What’re you blabbering about, idiot!? Marrying into wealth for a cushy shut-in life? Hell yeah, jackpot! Daaahahahaha!’

Hearing Glenn’s utterly deplorable nonsense through the same communication device, the students of Glenn’s class…

“Geez, going that far? Even I’m kinda put off…” Kash says, dumbfounded.

“Just when I start to respect him a little, he pulls this…” Wendy mutters, giving him a sidelong glare.

“…Hmph, so desperate for a rich wife, huh?” Gibul sneers mockingly.

“No way, Sensei… Could he… actually be serious…?” Lynn says sadly.

Glenn’s utterly shameless tactics leave even his students appalled, starting to genuinely suspect he’s serious about marrying into wealth.

And then—

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

“Arghhh!?”

With a crackle of violet lightning, the dim forest flickers brightly for a moment.

In one corner of the forest battlefield, Sistine, her expression fierce, takes down an enemy soldier.

‘…Leos’s team, number thirteen, judged dead. Withdraw from the battlefield.’

“Ugh… So frustrating…”

At the referee’s verdict through the communication device, the struck student collapses dramatically.

“—Who’s next!?”

Sistine glares sharply, her eyes slightly bloodshot, as if slicing through the air.

“Eek!?”

“R-Run!?”

The remaining two enemy students, terrified, scatter like spiders into the depths of the forest.

“Haa… Haa… Haa…”

“Um, Sistie? Are… you okay?”

Noticing Sistine’s increasingly reckless behavior, Rumia, who’s been assisting her, asks with concern.

“…Pathetic.”

In stark contrast to her earlier intimidating aura, Sistine slumps her shoulders and mutters a single, heavy, dark word.

“Using such dirty tricks… Throwing himself into it so desperately… Does he really want to marry into wealth that badly…?”

At that moment, flashing through Sistine’s mind…

He keeps talking about marrying into wealth, but… maybe, just maybe, he actually cares about me… Could that be why he challenged Leos to this duel? That’s what she had thought…

 

 

 

She had imagined Glenn fighting honorably as a mage, staking himself for her sake…

Just a short while ago, she had felt a tiny flutter of excitement… picturing that foolish, ridiculous version of herself.

“…God, I’m such an idiot…”

“Sistie…”

From then on.

The battle in the forest between Glenn’s and Leos’s forces reached the peak of ferocity and chaos.

At the start of this magical corps battle, both sides had equal numbers, but there was no doubt Leos’s side held the advantage.

Except for a few standout students like Sistine, Gibul, and Wendy, the overall magical prowess of Leos’s students was, on average, superior.

Moreover, as a tactical commander, Leos, who specialized in military magic, was overwhelmingly superior to Glenn.

In a straightforward fight, the battle would have ended in about an hour.

But Glenn, in the end, never fought straightforwardly.

This ‘mock battle’ was supposed to simulate ‘real combat’ using magic.

Yet, it was ultimately just a ‘mock battle’ between students, not ‘real combat.’ Glenn turned this to his advantage, using two-person element and one-unit tactical formations, seizing a numerical advantage with a surprise attack in the opening clash, limiting the battlefield by occupying a hill, disrupting with non-magical traps, and sowing chaos by personally charging into the enemy’s midst as a decoy.

And now, what most decisively tips the scales in Glenn’s favor…

“Gibul! Kash! Fall back! Pull back and flank from the left wing! Support Wendy’s team! And Cecil, snipe! That tall guy! He’s distracted by the spell exchange with Teresa’s group! You can take him out now!”

“Got it, Sensei!”

“Hmph… Fine, I’ll follow.”

“Y-Yes! It’s a bit far, but… I’ll try!”

Being at the forefront of the forest—the main battlefield—Glenn can observe the ever-changing situation in real-time. As a result, his orders to the students are swift and precise.

Though exasperated by his questionable antics, the students’ morale and cohesion remain high, perhaps because Glenn risks himself to lead from the front.

Meanwhile, Leos, still stationed at a distant base, relies on far-seeing magic and student reports through the communication device, causing his orders to lag by a beat. In the forest with its many blind spots, far-seeing magic struggles to capture the full scope of the battle, which is a painful disadvantage.

That said, Leos lacks the courage to step onto the front lines.

What Glenn is doing is, frankly, a foolish strategy. In this exercise, commanders are barred from participating in magical combat. Naturally, Glenn can’t even cast a single counter-spell. At any moment, a stray spell could hit him, and Glenn could be declared ‘dead’—it’s that precarious.

(Damn it… Why…? Why am I, of all people, falling behind like this…? If this were a real battlefield, this wouldn’t…!)

Leos’s thoughts aren’t wrong.

In a real battle commanding actual magical troops… or even in a war game using a battlefield map and pieces to simulate combat… Glenn wouldn’t have stood a chance.

But by treating this as a mere ‘brawl’ between forty students on each side and commanding his students accordingly, Glenn renders Leos’s superior tactical skills nearly useless.

Still, Leos shows his resolve. Gradually, he begins to read Glenn’s tactical patterns, regaining his composure and issuing precise orders to his forces.

“…Pull back the left wing. Join the third team for a pincer attack. Seventh team, that enemy is an obvious decoy. Ignore them. Hold that line.”

Leos’s side has always had the edge in raw strength.

The tide, which had been overwhelmingly in Glenn’s favor, slowly evens out… until the battle becomes completely deadlocked.

“Tch—They’re not biting, huh… This is getting tricky. The gap between me and Leos, and between you guys and their raw power, is finally showing…”

“…What now, Sensei? Got any plans?”

Dodging a gust of wind aimed at Glenn with [Air Screen], Gibul asks irritably. Even Gibul, exhausted, wears his fatigue plainly, his mana reserves clearly running low.

“Heh, you bet I do. I’ve got a killer plan.”

Glenn declares confidently.

“What’s the strategy?”

“It’s… guts.”

“…”

“Well, anyway, you know… Hang in there, you guys.”

From here, the battle becomes a brutal close-quarters slugfest, with both sides abandoning defense.

Both enemies and allies wear down rapidly, falling one by one.

As leaden fatigue accumulates, students drop out one after another. Comrades fighting shoulder-to-shoulder one moment are declared ‘dead’ the next… That’s the situation.

In the increasingly chaotic battle, the number of fallen grows, and soon no one bothers with two-person elements or three-person cells—there’s no time or energy. They scatter as individual skirmishers, firing spells relentlessly.

Despite being a mock battle with no deaths or even injuries… it makes every participating student viscerally feel, ‘God… War is truly horrific…’

In what feels like an eternity… finally.

‘Both sides, that’s enough. As of now, both forces have sustained over eighty percent losses. Per the rules… this match is a draw.’

Halley’s irritated voice echoes across the battlefield, amplified by magic.

In reality, only about three hours have passed, but the magical corps battle, which felt like an eternity, has finally come to an end.