Chapter 316: Cooperative Combat Drills

“So, kill the other legion commanders and gather here. Of course, setting the meeting place where we might run into Deon Hart is absurd….”

Everyone will probably figure it out and gather here, but just in case.” Develania tapped near the location where Deon Hart was expected to fight.

Her action of pinpointing this place as the meeting spot drew everyone’s attention to her fingertips.

“But even if they’re caught off guard, legion commanders are still legion commanders, so the longer the fight drags on, the more likely they’ll become overwhelmed. If that happens, just ignore them and come to the rendezvous point. Reducing the number of legion commanders in the city is a victory in itself, and even if we fail to do so, it’s fine, so don’t push yourselves too hard.”

“Is it okay if they come trailing behind us?”

“It’s a bit awkward to call them ‘tails,’ but… yes. Some might have finished dealing with their opponents first, and likewise, if there are demons who are pushed back in battle and come this way, we can join forces to fight them.”

In the latter case, both sides are fleeing from the enemy. Even if they join forces, the enemy will also increase accordingly.

The representative of the 10th Corps frowned slightly, seemingly unconvinced. Nevertheless, Develania remained confident.

War doesn’t follow mathematical formulas. 1+1 can be 2, 4, or even 0 or negative in war.

“So, practice cooperating with each other in combat. If the synergy is good, you can exert power beyond simple numbers. I’d like to mobilize entire legions to practice, but that would draw too much attention and be problematic. At least, practicing combat together among those gathered here would be good enough.”

Not to mention Legion Commander Myers, and the other two are also representatives of their legions, so they must be good at combat. If the teamwork among those gathered here is good, we’ll be halfway to victory.

“I’ll look into a suitable place. I’d like to just openly do it as a casual spar between legion commanders, like the 1st Corps Commander and Deon Hart, but we don’t mainly engage in 1-on-1 duels.”

Small 1-on-1 meetings are common among legion commanders, but it’s rare for more than three representatives of legions to gather for sparring. It would attract attention in many ways.

Finding a suitable place is a task, and escaping unnoticed and gathering is also a task. ……It’s going to be a bit of a hassle.” Develania lightly swept her hair back.

“We’ll start with 2-on-2 sparring by randomly dividing into teams, and since we also need to coordinate as a trio later, we’ll also conduct 3-on-1 sparring. Of course, the remaining person will have to work a bit harder.”

“What about practicing as a group of four?”

“Hmm… We’ll just roughly coordinate the main attack routes and positions, and we’ll have to rely on practicing combined attacks in turns among the three of us. And….”

She rolled her eyes slightly and scanned the information that came to mind.

The 2nd Corps specializes in setting up traps using threads, the 8th Corps in shields, the 10th Corps in cavalry, and the 12th Corps in spears.

“…There was more to coordinate than I thought.”

“?”

At least, no one should be foolish enough to get caught in the 2nd Corps’ threads. Allies getting tangled up and self-destructing would be too embarrassing to die in peace.

“You all know your legions’ information well, right? We’ll verbally coordinate how to command legions and cooperate in combat so that there are no clashes.”

“……Before that.”

Legion Commander Myers of the 12th Corps, who had been silently listening, opened his mouth.

Still shrouded in the excessively heavy atmosphere since losing his adjutant, he fixed his lowered gaze directly at Develania and slowly spoke.

“Is there a possibility that we will encounter Deon Hart before we are fully prepared?”

If, as she said, they are too weak to face the legion commanders and end up gathering near where Deon Hart is fighting, there’s a possibility they might encounter him after he finishes fighting and emerges, before they can finish off all the other legion commanders and regroup their troops. If that happens, things will become a mess.

“Well.”

Even though his unwavering gaze, not allowing for any deviation, could be burdensome, Develania lightly shrugged.

“We’ll probably capture the city and get there faster than Deon Hart, who has to deal with so many Heroes. Battles between legion commanders are different from sieges and will proceed without breaks, so they won’t take too long. He’ll probably emerge after all the battles are over.”

The Human Realm also seemed to have made thorough preparations to face the ‘Heroes,’ so there’s no way it will end so quickly. She dared to assert.

“So, stop worrying unnecessarily and focus on our goal.”

Kill the legion commanders who are hindering our purpose, kill Deon Hart who will be weakened from fighting the Heroes, and then kill the Demon King with the power we’ve saved up bit by bit.

We’re already swamped just focusing on this.

***

Thus, having reached this point, Develania, who had marked Lirinel as the priority target to eliminate and attacked, lightly rolled her eyes and scanned her surroundings.

Corps Commander Idelia of the 4th Corps, who was most likely to become a hindrance, had gone to eliminate the Heroes who might be stumbling blocks at my request, and the 3rd and 4th Corps without commanders were flustered by the unexpected situation, unable to decide what to do.

A situation where it became a perfect clash between the 2nd and 11th Corps.

‘If I take care of Lirinel and then Idelia, it’ll be clean and tidy.’

At Develania’s gesture, invisible threads embroidered the air. Lirinel, instinctively sensing danger, teleported away, and Develania, looking up at her casting attack magic from above, quickly dodged and clicked her tongue.

A boulder the size of a human head crashed down where she had been standing just moments before.

‘Breaking the magic suppression array was a loss, after all.’

Just look at her rampaging around. Seeing her in the air to avoid close combat is truly irritating.

‘It’s fortunate that I have a plan for aerial combat.’

Otherwise, what would have happened?

She, too, seemed to have narrowed her vision by focusing too much on one thing. With a displeased expression, she snapped her fingers. Threads stretched out, and the magic within her resonated.

Transparent stakes made of magic were driven into the air, and threads wrapped around them. Lirinel, intuitively sensing that she was up to no good even though it was invisible, retaliated with magic and tentacles as if to contain her, but Develania dodged and blocked all of them, methodically setting up traps.

‘The most obstructive thing is teleportation using magic.’

If I make it dangerous no matter where she teleports, that’s it. If she comes here, the only safe space, then it’ll be easier for me to deal with her.

As Develania’s fingers moved, restrictions were imposed on Lirinel’s movements. Lirinel, whose some of her hair was cut off by the threads that had occupied even above her head, rolled her eyes in search of a safe space.

‘Where should I teleport to?’

Upwards? Or risk getting closer to Develania?

Moving upwards would be safer, but there’s no way that thorough demon would have set up only a single layer of threads overhead. If I’m going to teleport, it’s better to move really high up. I’d rather not have any part of my body fall off due to a miscalculation.

The problem is whether the influence of the Snowfall Stick still remains in the upper air. Can I protect my body enough to fight in that intense cold?

‘……My opponent isn’t just Develania.’

Casting strong heat magic would solve it, but wasting magic power here would be troublesome. I was already consuming more magic power than I had calculated in the battle against her.

……Decided. Lirinel glared at Develania. Soon, her figure disappeared from mid-air, and the moment she appeared a step away from Develania.

Pow, pow, pow!

Tiny needle-like blades poured down on the two of them.

“What is this now…!”

The speed was threatening enough to not ignore, so both Develania, who was swinging her threads as if she had been waiting, and Lirinel, who was about to stab the opponent with her sharply raised tentacles as soon as she teleported to not give any openings, hastily stopped their actions and dodged.

The threads that Develania had painstakingly set up had long been loosened as the owner holding the ends moved.

“……Tch.”

Develania, having retrieved her threads, looked towards where the blades had flown from.

“You could have come a little slower.”

“Sorry about that. Should I have moved according to your wishes?”

A cheerful voice cut through the tense air.

The 3rd and 4th Corps, who had been in confusion due to the clash of the two legion commanders, seemed to have finally contacted their commanders. Idelia, who arrived sooner than expected, smiled brightly. Develania, displeased with that annoying sight, posed a sharp question, almost like an accusation.

“Did you deal with the Hero?”

“Yeah. I received the message and killed them in a bit of a rush.”

“Why did you do that? You could have come leisurely.”

“For whose benefit?”

Beneath the smile feigning composure, sharp words filled with taut tension were exchanged.

Develania, looking at the beaming Idelia, twisted the corners of her eyes as if to show off.

“Don’t interfere. I’m just eliminating a betrayer who prioritizes Deon Hart over Lord Demon King.”

“I was wondering why all of a sudden….”

Was it because of this? Lirinel, who had been listening, slightly frowned.

It’s not new that I follow Sir Deon, but the fact that such blatant attacks were launched and the reason given was ‘prioritizing Deon Hart over Lord Demon King’ is problematic.

Even if there has been plenty of suspicion, they wouldn’t move so openly without certainty. It seems they’ve obtained some kind of confirmation….

‘……Could it be that ‘that order’ Sir Deon gave has leaked?’

The order to kill the legion commanders….

Just as Lirinel’s expression was about to turn serious, a somewhat cynical voice retorted.

“You come up with witty excuses. But pretty packaging doesn’t make everything true.”

“It’s not a lie, though?”

“Right. It’s not a lie ‘in itself,’ I guess.”

A gaze that was not at all friendly brushed past Lirinel.

For a moment, Idelia turned her head back to Develania and sneered.

“If Lirinel is a betrayer, then you are a traitor.”

“…….”

“I knew you would cause trouble someday.”

“……Ha.”

Hahaha, ahahahaha!!

Laughter spread across the chaotic sky. Amidst everyone’s attention focusing on the sudden laughter, Develania laughed so hard that her shoulders shook, then abruptly stopped and lifted her head. Her coldly chilled pupils glared at Idelia.

“That’s why dealing with information-types is annoying.”

There’s no need to be quick-witted even in a place like this.

***

That crazy bastard finally stirred up trouble.

Idelia, who had rushed over, half-believing and half-doubting the news of the clash between Lirinel and Develania, immediately thought this as soon as she witnessed the situation. The unfolded fan concealed her lower jaw as if hiding her emotional agitation.

‘I expected it.’

Even though I look like this, I’m a legion commander who deals with information, so I’m quite perceptive.

So, I knew. That Develania harbored hostility towards the Demon King, and that she was moving around busily as if plotting something.

Her motive was obvious even without digging into it. She probably intended to turn her back on both Deon Hart and the Demon King.

‘How foolish.’

There’s no way she can rebel against the Demon King and survive.

Idelia knows that magic power isn’t everything for the Demon King. She was well aware that all the things the Demon King had learned while living for a long time should not be taken lightly.

The attacks a tiger can make include not only biting with its teeth but also attacks using its front paws. The claws are sharp, and the power of the swinging front paw is strong, so how can it be taken lightly just because it cannot use its teeth?

Furthermore, in a situation where even how much the Demon King’s magic power has decreased is uncertain, is it even reasonable to rebel based solely on the fact that ‘he has concealed his magic power’?

‘It would have been better to side with either the Hero or the Demon King.’

It would have been better to choose the one you dislike less between the two and antagonize the other under their protection.

And that’s why Idelia decided to side with the Demon King.