The courtyard fell into a brief silence.
Lock stood quietly, appearing deep in thought, while Lakyus watched him with barely concealed anticipation.
Should I just tell her directly that she's far too weak and has no chance against my subordinates?
Hmm… better not.
After all, words alone wouldn't leave a lasting impression on this blond noble lady. Only pain—real, firsthand pain—would truly drive the lesson home. Once she understood the gap between them, shaping her expectations would become much easier.
So this is the standard method for dealing with natives…
Lock felt a brief chill run through him.
Have I just grasped some dangerous universal rule?
"Baron Lock?" Lakyus asked at last, unable to endure the silence any longer. "What do you think?"
Lock snapped back to reality and smiled warmly.
"Ah—my apologies. I was momentarily lost in thought. Since Miss Aindra is interested, I will naturally grant your request. I only hope you enjoy yourselves."
"Thank you very much!" Lakyus replied immediately.
"You're welcome. Considering your strength, the training tower may feel somewhat cramped. Please wait in the courtyard for a moment. I'll make arrangements and join you shortly."
"Alright."
Lakyus led Blue Rose out into the open courtyard without suspicion.
Once they had left, a nearby Tiger Knight stepped forward respectfully.
"My lord, which squad do you plan to assign?"
Within the Tiger Knight Order, there were standard legion troops—and then there were elite five-man squads, trained for coordinated combat. Their individual strength might not vastly exceed that of ordinary Tiger Knights, but their teamwork elevated their combat power to an entirely different level.
Lock glanced at the knight before him.
Kode, a sword-and-shield vanguard.
His squad consisted of:
One Magic Knight
One mounted archer
Two Priest Knights specializing in buffs and recovery
A textbook elite formation.
"Since you're eager," Lock said calmly, "your squad will go. The Sixteenth Squad."
Kode's eyes lit up.
"Yes! We won't disappoint you, my lord!"
Watching the excited knight run off to gather his team, Lock shook his head lightly.
Still a bit unsteady.
But that was normal. Tiger Knights only needed one true baptism of combat to mature.
And besides—
What's wrong with young people having spirit?
The Match Begins
Not long after, Lock and the Sixteenth Squad arrived in the courtyard.
"Baron Lock," Lakyus greeted him.
"Miss Aindra. If there are no objections, we'll begin immediately."
"Very well. Please act as referee."
"Understood."
The two sides took positions.
Blue Rose stood loosely spread out, relying on individual strength.
In contrast, the Tiger Knights adopted a tight 1–2–2 formation:
Kode stood at the front, sword and greatshield raised.
Behind him: the Magic Knight and mounted archer.
At the rear: two Priest Knights holding metal staves.
Clap. Clap.
Lock's hands met sharply.
The battle began.
"Everyone, move!" Lakyus commanded.
Gaguran surged forward first, great hammer raised high.
Tia and Tina vanished into motion, flanking from both sides toward the rear attackers.
Lakyus immediately raised her staff.
Area Defense Up!
Area Strength Up!
Brilliant magic enveloped her teammates, accelerating their charge.
Meanwhile, Ibiruei raised her hand.
A magic circle unfolded. The air above her rippled like disturbed water.
"Rain of Fire!"
Dozens of fist-sized fireballs rained down toward the Tiger Knights.
Normally, such a spell would secure early dominance.
But—
The Tiger Knights did not break formation.
At the rear, the two Priest Knights moved in perfect sync.
Buff after buff surged across the squad.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four—
Lakyus's face paled.
That's impossible…
Even she, a prodigy of the Kingdom's church, could only manage four area buffs.
The Tiger Knights had already exceeded ten.
Before she could process it, the fireballs struck.
"Divine Light Shield!"
Kode roared, slamming his shield into the ground.
A massive barrier of holy light enveloped the entire squad.
Explosions erupted as the fireballs struck—but the shield didn't even tremble.
Behind him, the counterattack began.
"Magic Double Cast · Dragon Lightning!"
Twin arcs of lightning surged forward, transforming into roaring lightning dragons that tore toward the flanking ninjas.
At the same time—
"Great Whirlwind Arrow!"
The mounted archer loosed his bow.
A spiraling gale condensed into a massive arrow that drilled straight toward Gaguran.
"Dodge—now!!!" Lakyus screamed.
"Crystal Knight's Spear!"
Ibiruei reacted instantly, conjuring a massive crystal lance that collided with the whirlwind arrow.
The resulting explosion blasted Gaguran aside, sparing her from a direct hit.
But the ninja twins weren't as lucky.
The lightning dragons swallowed their positions whole.
For a moment, it seemed as though they had been annihilated—
—but two figures reappeared at the edge of the crater, breathing hard.
They had survived by the narrowest margin.
"Don't let them attack again!" Lakyus shouted.
She charged, drawing the Black Knight's Saber, one of the relic weapons of the Thirteen Heroes. The five floating swords behind her shot forward simultaneously.
At the same time, Ibiruei teleported directly into the enemy formation.
"Sand Domain · Full Area!"
A violent storm of sand erupted, corroding living flesh while restoring undead vitality.
Yet the Knights' layered buffs negated the domain's effects.
Their formation didn't break.
Instead—
"Magic Maximize · Burst Flame!"
"Piercing Arrow!"
A massive fireball and a nearly invisible arrow struck Ibiruei's crystal wall.
The wall shattered.
The arrow grazed her face, shattering half her mask and drawing blood.
So fast…!
Before she could retreat—
Gaguran and Lakyus struck together.
Hammer.
Sword.
Both crashed down onto Kode.
Clang!
The impact rang through the courtyard.
But Kode didn't move.
Not an inch.
"What—!?"
With a cold snort, Kode surged upward, knocking both attackers off balance, and slashed horizontally.
Lakyus jammed her sword into the ground just in time, skidding backward under the force, her arms numb.
Am I being overpowered…?
Her heart pounded.
When was the last time that had happened?
She stared at the Tiger Knight before her, disbelief flooding her eyes.
What… are these Magic Beast Knights?
And behind them—
Lock watched quietly, his expression calm.
This was only the beginning.
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A/N: Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded. Please Check It Out. It will really help me out and will keep me motivated to continue.
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