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The sharp edge of the sword glimmered faintly with a blue light as it swung through the air.

Though still faint, there was a growing understanding.

‘I’m starting to get it… what mana truly is.’

During the first month of training, he often thought, ‘This could really kill someone.’

The training in Leonhark was not just rumored to be difficult—it was on an entirely different level.

By the second month, the thought had evolved to, ‘Oh, this really could kill me.’

He had indeed come close to death several times.

But after enduring those two hellish months, Dianal began to grasp the concept of mana through Leonhark’s teachings.

—To rise to a higher state, understanding mana is essential.

Yet, it was a power not granted to everyone, and with that in mind, Dianal focused with all his might.

A month passed without any results, then two, and finally…

—Is… this mana?

—Congratulations. You’ve developed a basic understanding of mana.

Even though he had only just begun to sense mana, Dianal was overjoyed.

It was the first step toward a path that would allow him to advance further.

From that day, Leonhark began teaching Dianal his own mana cultivation method.

Though not as advanced as the mana cultivation methods used by noble families, it had the advantage of being usable without side effects, even at a later age.

And now, after another two months had passed…

Swish!

Though still weak, he had reached the point where he could channel mana into his sword.

But…

“Huff… Huff… Huff…!”

He could barely manage five minutes of using mana.

His head felt foggy, and it seemed as though all the strength was draining from his body.

This was because he recklessly channeled mana into his sword despite his low reserves, and his lack of skill made him tire even faster.

Just then…

“…Are you okay?”

“Huff… Oh, Kyle.”

Bent over and gasping for air, Dianal slowly straightened his back.

Kyle, who had approached unnoticed, tossed a towel at him.

“Take it easy. These days, it looks like you could drop dead any moment.”

“Heh, look who’s talking.”

Ever since Damian left for Makstri, the Caion unit had undergone many changes.

Dianal began receiving private training from Leonhark first.

This sparked a fire in other soldiers, prompting some of them to also request the same rigorous training.

“…The man’s incredible.”

He now understood why Leonhark was hailed as the kingdom’s top instructor.

Leonhark tailored specific training methods for each soldier, making each approach feel individualized.

Though the risk was getting kicked out if they quit midway, it only drove them to push harder.

Kyle, who often spoke with a casual air, was no exception.

“Your leg’s shaking. Heh heh.”

“Ah, damn. It won’t stop trembling, haha.”

Kyle chuckled, his shoulders shaking.

He tried to stop it, but his legs spasmed as if struck by sudden cramps.

Flop.

Kyle eventually slumped to the ground, looking at Dianal. He then asked,

“He’s doing well, right?”

“Of course.”

Dianal answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“How can you be so sure? I heard it’s no joke over there. Plus… that guy seems to have his mind set on ending that war.”

“…”

It was true.

Even being at Makstri itself was a significant feat.

Surviving there, even minimally, would earn recognition upon returning.

But then…

Dianal suddenly burst out laughing, prompting Kyle to tilt his head.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s just like him.”

“…Ah.”

Kyle snickered, realizing what Dianal meant.

“Yeah, he was always a stubborn bastard, even back at training. Leonhark offered to write him a letter of recommendation for the knighthood, but he turned it down to join the Neokalitz unit.”

“That’s how we met.”

Dianal remembered when he first encountered Damian at Neokalitz, where he was just another rookie enduring his daily grind.

—Oh, are you here? Private Dianal?

When tasked with the impossible job of cleaning the barracks to wear him down, Damian had cleaned so thoroughly that it gleamed.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you help too?”

Dianal asked, recalling Kyle’s involvement. Kyle laughed as he reminisced about cleaning back then.

“Haha, yeah. When I said we’d done enough, you know what that bastard said?”

“What did he say?”

“He asked if we’d lick the floor we just cleaned. Crazy guy, haha.”

Kyle remembered another one of Damian’s lines.

—I don’t want to half-ass my first mission. It has to be flawless, no matter who sees it. If you’re not going to do it right, you might as well not do it at all.

Perfect.

It was the first time Kyle had truly reflected on the word ‘perfect.’

Yeah, that was Damian.

“…Damn it.”

Kyle stood up again.

His smile had disappeared, replaced by a determined seriousness.

“When Damian gets back, I can’t let him see me looking weak… I’m going to train.”

“Me too.”

Almost as if rehearsed, the two returned to their training with renewed focus.

All the while, waiting for the friend they knew would soon return.

* * *

Swoosh!

Acar led his hundred-strong force, charging directly up the center.

Dividing his troops carried risks, but…

‘They’ve split their forces too.’

The enemy was also divided, so it didn’t matter.

If anything, it left the center wide open.

‘Deal with the commander quickly and pull out.’

After many conversations with Manuen, Acar had reached his conclusion.

The one who had transformed this ragtag group into a formidable force was the enemy commander.

Once that man was gone, the enemy would lose control and cohesion.

They could reclaim their advantage.

Tap, tap!

Acar’s steps quickened as he approached the hill.

‘Just as expected?’

There were no enemy soldiers in the path up the hill, confirming his suspicion that they had divided their forces.

“We strike directly at their base.”

If there were no one to stop them until the end, they planned to descend from above and attack the enemy’s rear.

The soldiers following Acar nodded at his words.

But at that moment—

“…Huh?”

A voice came from ahead.

Acar stopped in his tracks, startled, and looked forward.

Fwoosh.

In the darkness, unlit by torches, the figure of a man began to appear.

“We… had the same idea, didn’t we?”

The man grinned, showing his white teeth.

“…Damian.”

It was Damian, the enemy commander of the Baroque Kingdom.

Behind him were around forty soldiers, all with shocked expressions. They hadn’t expected to encounter each other here.

“Here to take my head?”

Damian asked Acar.

Splitting off and forming a separate unit meant only one thing—their objective was clear.

Hearing Damian’s question, Acar replied quietly.

“It seems you had the same thought as I did.”

“That’s right. My target is your head, too.”

Damian sighed softly as he looked at Acar.

Given the circumstances—

“Shall we end this with a duel of commanders?”

Damian’s eyes gleamed sharply.

It was the cleanest way for both sides to settle things.

Moreover, this guy seemed confident in his own abilities. However—

“…Why should I?”

Acar smirked.

“It looks like we have more troops. Why bother with a duel?”

It wasn’t that he lacked confidence in his skills.

But looking at their numbers, his side had at least twice as many troops.

Rather than engage in a pointless duel, it was more efficient to quickly crush them.

After all, the battle would end once the enemy commander was killed.

Acknowledging this logic, Damian nodded.

“You’re right. I was just giving you a chance to repay your debt.”

“A debt?”

“You begged for your life once.”

Acar had never begged for his life.

However, since Damian had spared him, it could be seen that way.

Acar’s expression twisted, recalling that moment.

Gritting his teeth!

“…A sharp tongue you’ve got.”

The verbal daggers cut deeply.

Acar immediately drew his sword, looking at the men in front of him.

“Attack them all!”

This is the battlefield that will decide the war.

As the soldiers of the Kingdom of Iren rushed forward, Damian turned to his troops.

“…Remember just one thing.”

“…”

“If you survive this, you’ll be free again.”

Damian’s words made his soldiers’ eyes grow cold.

Freedom—something they had long dreamed of.

This was their last chance to cut ten years off their sentence.

“The enemy has twice our numbers, but don’t let that get to you. Remember what you’ve learned, and you can survive.”

Just hold out until I take that guy’s head.

Damian addressed his soldiers.

“Survive, and let’s return together.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that response, the soldiers raised their swords and shields.

They had learned so much from Damian.

“Kill them!”

“If we kill the enemy commander, this fight is over!”

The soldiers of the Kingdom of Iren charged up the hill toward Damian.

Having completed his preparations, Damian glared at them, his eyes glowing like those of a beast in the darkness.

Then, Damian charged at them.

* * *

Beeep… Beeep… BEEEEEEP!

The sound of a whistle echoed from near the center of the base.

The 3rd squad leader and the archer unit, waiting at the top of the base, quickly turned their gaze.

“That’s where the commander went!”

That whistle sound—it meant the enemy commander had appeared.

With that, the 3rd squad leader led the archers swiftly toward the sound.

However—

“…!”

The battlefield was already a chaotic mix of allied and enemy soldiers.

With the enemy numbers nearly double, the allied forces were struggling.

The 3rd squad leader shouted.

“Draw your swords and fight!”

In the entangled battle, there was no way to shoot arrows.

Following the 3rd squad leader’s orders, they discarded their bows and drew the swords at their waists.

At that moment, they saw Damian rushing toward the enemy commander.

The 3rd squad leader was certain.

“This is our final battlefield! Fight with the commander!”

And from this place, we will depart.

Soon, the 3rd squad leader and his men joined the fray.

* * *

“Uwaaaaaah!”

With fierce shouts, more enemy reinforcements rapidly arrived.

Around fifty more soldiers joined, quickly evening the numbers.

“Now it’s balanced.”

“You…!”

Did he foresee this situation?

Acar scowled at Damian. But Damian shook his head.

“This fight was always going to be settled between you and me. There’s no need to feel wronged.”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

Suddenly, Acar’s eyes flashed.

Wooom!

His sword began to hum with a faint vibration.

Drawing on his magical power, Acar glared fiercely at Damian.

“I’ll repay my debt to you now.”

“If you can.”

“Let’s see how long you can keep smiling.”

With that, Acar swung his sword fiercely at Damian.

Swoosh!

A powerful strike.

Though simple, the skill behind it made Damian’s eyes turn cold.

One thing was certain.

“Among those I’ve fought since coming back…”

He’s the strongest.

Damian tightened his grip on his spear.

This fight wouldn’t be easy, but—

“When was a fight ever easy?”

In his past life, Damian had always survived the fiercest and most dangerous battlefields.

Not once had those fights been simple.

For him, this situation was all too familiar.

Whoosh!

Dodging Acar’s swing, Damian spoke.

“Sorry, but consider yourself unlucky.”

At that moment, Damian’s spear shot out fiercely toward Acar.