𝗇𝐎𝓥𝓮𝑳𝑛𝔢xt.𝑐𝗈𝓂

15 minutes earlier,

Rust outside the Shopping District, a chaotic and brutal scene unfolded as two armed groups fought violently against each other.

Blood was being spilled, lives were being taken, and the sparks flew as the sound of swords clashing against swords filled the air.

It was as if both sides had been eagerly waiting for this moment to unleash their fury upon each other with no mercy or remorse.

However, even an untrained eye could spot the fact that one of the armed sides was slowly starting to lead.

Yes, it was Nero’s troops.

Although they were surrounded from both front and back, they were starting to fight back.

Nero’s troops were focusing all their attack power on breaking through the enemy formation on their front, completely leaving their backs unguarded.

It was a crazy strategy but somehow, someway, they were pulling it off.

Seeing this sight gradually unfold, Alberto clenched his fists. Veins bulged on his forehead and his eyes turned red in rage.

“What the fuck is happening?!” he bellowed in a mix of anger and disbelief.

Standing beside him was a broad-framed boy with a rugged appearance and a tough build, clearly of Half-Dwarf descent.

He pushed his glasses up using his index finger and glanced around before letting out a deep sigh.

Realizing there was no one around, he braced himself to become the target of Alberto’s outburst.

“Jason!” Alberto barked, glaring at the Half-Dwarven boy beside him through his bloodshot eyes. “What the fuck is going on here?”

“I- uh… I think we’re losing,” Jason stuttered nervously.

“Oh? You don’t say!” Alberto spat back, his fury mounting with every passing moment. “You THINK we’re losing? You THINK?”

“I… I guess…” Jason trailed off, clearly intimidated by Alberto’s anger.

“Guess? Are you freaking stupid?” Alberto seethed, his voice rising to a shout as he gave Jason a death stare. “What the fuck is happening? Just a few minutes ago, they were like mice caught in a trap. How are they suddenly putting up such a good fight?”

Jason let out another deep sigh. He knew how much of a thick skull Alberto was and he wouldn’t be able to comprehend the intricacies of the battle.

But Jason himself had been paying close attention since the beginning, watching and analyzing everything and had already figured out what was happening.

He had observed how Class 1-A-1’s cadets were changing formation in the middle of the battle and positioning themselves according to their individual strengths. He had also noticed how they seemed to be predicting their moves in advance.

This level of coordination and foresight wasn’t natural. Jason knew there was a mastermind behind it all, someone who knew Class 1-A-1’s thought processes, fighting styles, strengths, and weaknesses as if they had been studying them for weeks if not months.

There was a puppet master who had been pulling the strings of Class 1-A-1 from the shadows, instructing them what to do and how to move.

As the Head Strategist of Class 1-C-8, Jason knew he would also share the blame if they lost this battle. He had tried improvising his strategy, implementing new tactics, and changing formations, but the enemy predicted everything he did in advance.

It was as if Jason was indirectly playing a game of chess with this person. Needless to say, he was losing the game. Or better yet, he had already lost it.

But who was he playing up against?

According to Grace and his secret source, Class 1-A-1 only had two strategists – Amelia and Lucas.

Could it be any of them? From what he had heard about Lucas, Jason doubted the fact that he would have trouble outsmarting him.

So maybe it was Amelia. But if that was the case then why didn’t she show this level of battle intelligence and foresight until now and let so many of her troops die?

No, it couldn’t be her!

But if neither Amelia nor Lucas, then who?! Just who was he fighting?!

“Arghhh! This is so frustrating! Whoever we’re up against is not only a brilliant strategist but also a keen observer who knows the strengths of their troops and how to cover up their weaknesses,” Jason muttered, his eyes fixed on the ongoing battle.

Despite his best efforts, he knew he had been bested. He had been utterly and truly defeated.

“Just who the hell am I up against?” he wondered aloud, his frustration and disbelief palpable.

Alberto shot a side glance at the boy standing next to him. Jason had been his companion practically since childhood. They grew up together in the slums, fought on the streets, formed their gang, and were both ‘recruited’ by Kai Wiseman before attending Global Academy through his assistance.

Yes, ‘recruited’ here means beaten to a pulp by Kai before being forced into joining him.

In short, despite Alberto never saying it out loud, Jason was a friend to him and a close one at that. And yet, he had never witnessed Jason so agitated before.

He remembered him always being so calm and collected. He was the smartest person Alberto knew.

Although he couldn’t understand what was going on and how this battle had been turned around so easily since he was a bit of a, what Jason would call him from time to time, thick skull, he knew if even Jason was having trouble dealing with the situation then they were up against a genius mastermind.

“Haaa,” Alberto let out a breath before placing a hand on the Half-Dwarven boy’s shoulders.

Jason shook out of his thoughts and looked at Alberto. For a second, they both shared a moment of silence.

“Bro, I’m into girls.”

The first one to break that silence was Jason.

Pat—!

And that little comment earned him a smack at the back of his head.

“Ooow! Ooow! You brute!”

“I’m going in.”

“…What?”

“I’m going in. I’ll fight them head-on.”

“Alberto, it’s too much of a risk! If they get you, then it’ll all be over for us! Besides, I think the one calling the shots for them is some kind of war genius—”

“Shut up, Jason. As I’ve always told you, you use your brain too much. Remember, everything can be solved with a little bit of force. If it isn’t solved even after you used force, then that simply means one thing— you didn’t use enough force.”

“…That’s so stupid on so many levels—! What the fuck!!”

Just as they were wrapping up their conversation, Jason noticed something hurtling toward their group, causing his classmates to be sent flying.

“What the hell is that?!” Jason exclaimed, bewildered.

“…It’s him,” Alberto replied through gritted teeth. In no time, he summoned his great sword by channeling mana into his smart bracelet.

–”Arghhh!”

–”Stop them! Stop him!”

–”He’s going toward the Lord Commander! Don’t let him get to him!”

–”Arghhaaaaaa!”

Alberto’s soldiers screamed in panic as the perpetrator continued to advance, finally hurling the last soldier who stood in his path to the side as if he was a ragdoll.

Alberto bent his knees and took a low defensive stance, ready to face the black-haired young man in a nanometal combat suit similar to his, holding a longsword in his right hand.

“It’s you,” Alberto growled with contempt, recognizing him instantly. How could he not recognize him? This boy was the reason Alberto had to face so much humiliation!

It was, to no one’s surprise, Nero.

He had expected this confrontation with Nero sooner or later, so Alberto wasn’t caught off guard.

Instead of shock or fear, a mocking smirk formed on Alberto’s face as he spat, “I’ll kill you, bastard.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?” the black-haired young man assumed a fighting stance with his sword and retorted with a scoff. “I will kill you, you ugly virgin.”

A group of Nero’s men trailed behind him, but they were met with resistance from Alberto’s troops.

Observing the skirmish, Jason removed his glasses and summoned an axe.

“Jason, assist our soldiers. I’ll handle this scoundrel.”

“As you command, Lord Commander.”

Without hesitation, Jason rushed to the aid of his allies, engaging Nero’s soldiers in combat.

With that, the two Lord Commanders were now left alone.

“Remember how you begged for your breath the last time you dared to raise your head against me?” mocked Nero.

Alberto remained silent, his grip on his sword tightening as he prepared to parry Nero’s attacks.

The tension in the atmosphere grew thick as the two Commanders began to circle each other warily, like two predators sizing each other up before a fight.

The air crackled with intense pressure as the battle raged on around them, but the only thing that mattered to Alberto and Nero at that moment was the fight that lay ahead. They were determined to emerge victorious, no matter what the cost.

“Arghaaaaa!”

Alberto moved first. He let out a fierce battle cry and dashed toward Nero with breakneck speed. His sword pulled back, ready to unleash a powerful swing at the black-haired boy.

“Come!”

Nero was ready too. He pulled back his own sword and infused it with mana before performing a horizontal slash as soon as his opponent stepped into his striking range, aiming to cleave Alberto’s head off without any hesitation.

But Alberto, despite being so tall and big, was quick on his feet, as expected of a former street fighter. He ducked and avoided Nero’s sword slash.

But that wasn’t all. From down there, he swung his own giant sword forward in an arc, intending to sever Nero’s legs.

Fwoosh—!

The protagonist reacted quickly and jumped up, dodging Alberto’s attack by a hair’s breadth.

Nero quickly began his counter by willing mana into his right leg before skillfully spinning his body and performing a mid-air roundhouse kick.

Thwack—!

Nero’s feet landed flat across Alberto’s chin as the latter had no time to avoid the incoming attack.

“…Huh?”

But Nero was shocked to see that Alberto didn’t do much as flinch even after he had hit him with all the strength that he could muster.

In fact, an attack that should’ve sent a normal person flying off didn’t even budge Alberto from his place.

“Tsk!”

Clicking his tongue, Nero quickly jumped back and created some distance between himself and his foe.

“Hah,” a scoff left Alberto’s lips as he stood up straight. “Is that the best you can do? I expected more from you and your Silver-ranked mana core. I see now that you may be strong, but you’re not invincible. You caught me off guard last time, but I won’t make the same mistake again. Today, you will fall, Nero Dekrauf!”

“Is that so? Then come!” Nero beckoned.

“Oh, but of course I will!” Alberto yelled before activating his gift. “Enforcement!”