As they were setting up, Ayaka sensed a group of people rushing toward their location about thirteen in total.

  She immediately rushed to inform Aiko and the others.

  “Guys, we’re being rushed. There are thirteen of them more than half of the elites from earlier.”

  As she spoke, Ironfang and Kivolak grew excited and charged out of the camp to face them head-on.

  Kaeris shouted,

  “Oi! Get back here, you two idiots!”

  He chased after them, with Bennett following close behind.

  “Damn it, we can’t let them fight alone. Our numbers are way lower than theirs.”

  Aiko giggled a bit and followed last, telling Ayaka to stay in the trees and attack if she found an opening.

  As for the other group

  “Hahaha! Let’s rush them. We’ve got double their numbers.

  Should be an easy win as long as we wipe them out.”

  Soon, both parties collided in the middle.

  Ironfang bulldozed through three of the opposing elites, activating his skill Body of Titans, tripling his defenses.

  Right behind him, Kivolak grabbed and grappled the three elites Ironfang had smashed through.

  The group of elites exclaimed in surprise.

  “The hell?! Where did these two brutes come from?! Quick cast the slowed regeneration debuff! Melee fighters, stay in front! Ranged fighters, take cover and attack when needed! Healers, stay beside me!”

  Soon after the orders were shouted, Kaeris broke through, casting an arcane shield in front of Ironfang and Kivolak. It blocked the incoming attacks but rapidly drained and shattered soon after.

  Bennett arrived next, raising his shield and activating Aegis.

  He pulled out his staff, activated Revolving Cinder, and used Cinder Fall to block close-range attackers.

  He was pushed back rapidly as the mana in his shield depleted extremely fast under the barrage of ranged attacks.

  “Hehe, look at them they lack coordination!

  Keep up the pressure! Don’t let them recover!” the enemy group leader shouted after seeing Bennett and the others react to the sudden assault.

  Nearby, Aiko emerged and drew her bow, firing smoke bombs around the area. She then activated Inari Rage, instantly knocking out three opponents.

  Ayaka silently appeared behind them, finishing two, but the third was saved at the last moment by a teleportation formation.

  Ayaka immediately retreated back into the shadows.

  As Aiko arrived, Ironfang and Kivolak were in a dire moment, so she cast Inari Protection at their location, reflecting the enemy’s attacks back at them.

  This gave Kaeris and Bennett the chance to grab the two brutes and drag them back.

  As they escaped, Aiko cast Overload and threw it ahead of them, causing a massive fox-fire explosion that shielded their retreat.

  Kaeris took the opportunity to raise a thick earth wall, buying them enough time to escape.

  Ayaka kept her distance, ensuring all traces of their escape were erased.

  Soon after, the other group destroyed the wall but all traces of Aiko and the others were gone.

  “DAMN IT! We outnumbered them two to one, and we still lost two people! How are you all so incompetent?! That should’ve been an easy win!”

  The others bowed their heads, not daring to retort that he was too impatient and had forced this half of the group to attack with zero information on their opponents’ fighting styles.

  However, his outburst caused dissatisfaction to spread among them.

  Some blamed him silently, one even muttering under his breath,

  “Tch… if you weren’t two ranks higher than us, we’d have killed you ourselves.”

  After searching for several hours with no success, they finally returned to camp, all traces of the enemy’s escape completely erased.

  In another part of the forest…

  Bennett and Kaeris were panting, shoulders rising and falling as they finally released their grip on the two brutes they had forcefully dragged away from the battlefield.

  Bennett turned toward Ayaka.

  “Thanks for the help. Putting those two under an illusion made it a lot easier to pull them out.”

  Ayaka nodded, leaning against a tree. She allowed herself to rest but her eyes remained sharp, constantly scanning their surroundings.

  Nearby, Kaeris lifted his wand, mana flowing through it as he cast Water Veil.

  A thin curtain of shimmering water expanded outward, enveloping all six of them. The spell soothed fatigue and eased minor bruises and injuries.

  Aiko gave Kaeris a thumbs-up before turning to Ayaka with a grin.

  “Hehe, you did great, Ayaka. If you hadn’t used your illusion, dragging those two out and beating the elites blocking me would’ve been way harder.”

  Ayaka’s eye twitched.

  …So she noticed after all.

  “Not good enough, apparently,” Ayaka muttered.

  Aiko laughed. “Come on. We’ve known each other for years. If I couldn’t tell when you’re using illusions, I’d be a failure especially since I’m a kitsune. Deception’s kind of our thing.”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Ayaka didn’t respond. Instead, she released the illusion on Ironfang and Kivolak.

  The moment reality returned, the first thing the two brutes saw was Aiko cracking her knuckles.

  “Hehe. You two are lucky this is a tournament,” Aiko said sweetly.

  “Otherwise, I’d beat you until you swore off reckless charges forever.”

  Bennett shook his head as he watched Ironfang and Kivolak visibly cower.

  She’s as terrifying as ever.

  Standing, Bennett approached Ayaka.

  “We need to plan a counterattack. We’re outnumbered and outgunned but with guerrilla tactics, we can thin their numbers.”

  Ayaka nodded, her expression cold and analytical.

  “I’ve already covered our tracks. But we can’t keep hiding forever. I assume you want me to scout the enemy camp.”

  She paused. “The issue is detection. None of you have senses as sharp as mine.”

  Bennett thought for a moment before replying.

  “Our detection may be weaker, but I can compensate.

  I’ll set harmless alert traps. And with Aiko’s specialty as a prankster, it shouldn’t be hard to make them effective.”

  Ayaka considered it, then nodded.

  “That will suffice. I’ll return shortly.”

  She glanced around. “No need to explain to the others. Aiko already heard everything and didn’t object.”

  In the next moment, Ayaka vanished into the trees, her presence disappearing entirely.

  Bennett turned back to the group.

  Aiko flashed a peace sign. “Yep, heard it all. Let’s move. I’ll handle the north and east. You take south and west.”

  She pointed back toward their temporary hideout. “Every twenty minutes, we regroup here. If someone doesn’t show up, we assume they were caught.”

  With that, Aiko vanished into the forest.

  Bennett followed shortly after.

  Enemy Camp

  Jason raised an eyebrow as eleven figures returned to camp down from thirteen.

  “Hahaha. I told you,” he said lazily. “You’d lose people, especially sending mostly Rank 3s.”

  He crossed his arms. “You should’ve sent scouts instead of charging headfirst.”

  Karl groaned, jaw tightening.

  “Yes… sir,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

  Jason smirked. “Good. You all heard me. Wounded, get treated. Anyone with energy left, scout the surroundings.”

  His gaze sharpened. “If you don’t come back, we’ll assume you’re dead. Conceal yourselves properly.”

  The camp responded in unison.

  “SIR, YES SIR!”

  Behind Jason, Mei the second Rank 6 sighed and smacked the back of his head.

  “That’s enough, Jason. Being Rank 6 doesn’t mean you outrank them in experience. They’ve been in the academy longer than you.”

  Jason rolled his eyes. “And yet they didn’t improve. Still arrogant enough to rush the enemy.”

  Mei nodded. “They’ll be punished after the tournament. For now, focus on command.”

  She turned and headed back to her tent.

  Jason watched her leave before retreating to his own, waiting for news.

  Ayaka’s Reconnaissance

  Ayaka moved like a shadow, following faint tracks until she located the enemy camp.

  It was well hidden beneath a cliff.

  Open plains surrounded it on three sides, while the cliff itself formed a natural barrier forcing attackers into predictable routes.

  A defensive position, she noted.

  Soon, raised voices reached her ears.

  Karl and several others were arguing.

  Calling Jason and Mei cowards, Karl convinced a group of elites to “scout” though their true intent was clear. They split off, forming a separate camp.

  Ayaka followed silently.

  Activating Eye of Perception, she evaluated the auras within her vision.

  She began tallying.

  2 Rank 5

  3 Rank 4

  5 Rank 3

  Ten total.

  Her eyes narrowed.

  Manageable with an ambush.

  After marking their location, Ayaka withdrew, moving swiftly through the forest.

  An hour later, she was already on her way back.

  As soon as Ayaka returned, she carefully avoided every trap while releasing a faint trace of her magic just enough to signal the others that she was back.

  Aiko grinned.

  “Ayaka’s back. She’ll be here any second now.”

  The moment the words left her mouth, Ayaka dropped lightly in front of her and gave a short nod.

  “Okay!” Aiko clapped her hands. “Let’s get this meeting started.”

  Everyone took their seats on nearby logs.

  Ayaka explained everything she had observed enemy positions, movements, and the split forces. When she finished, silence lingered for a moment before the others began offering ideas.

  Ironfang grinned widely.

  “Let’s rush them. Hehe.”

  Kivolak nodded in agreement.

  The rest immediately disagreed, making it a clean two to four split.

  Kaeris then spoke up.

  “What if we destroy the cliff and trigger a rockslide? It should take out a large portion of the main camp.”

  Bennett nodded at first, then shook his head.

  “It’s a good plan but not yet. I think it’s better to ambush the group that split off first. Taking out the Rank 5s there has a higher success rate, and we still don’t know the full strength of the main camp.”

  Ayaka shook her head slightly.

  “If I got any closer to the main camp, I’d risk being detected or worse, trapped. That’s why I kept my distance.”

  Bennett immediately agreed.

  “You’re right. Getting too close would be risky, especially if they’ve already set countermeasures.”

  He paused, then continued.

  “Let’s save the cliff plan for later.

  Once they’ve burned stamina dealing with us and their guard drops, it’ll be much more effective.”

  Ayaka nodded, thinking it over.

  “Agreed. But we should only send two people for the cliff attack when the time comes.

  Fewer people means easier escape and we’ll need someone capable of delivering a strike strong enough to collapse the entire cliff.”

  The others quietly listened.

  For Ironfang and Kivolak, the discussion flew straight over their heads.

  Kaeris understood parts of it, but strategy wasn’t his specialty.

  Aiko, on the other hand, leaned back comfortably, letting Bennett and Ayaka handle things this was exactly where they shined.

  Eventually, the two finished discussing and turned toward the rest. Ayaka took the lead.

  “The plan is simple,” she said calmly.

  “We ambush the group that split from the main force and eliminate their Rank 5.

  Ironfang and Kivolak will create a distraction. Bennett and Kaeris will support from mid-range.”

  She continued without pause.

  “Aiko and I will infiltrate directly. Once their Rank 5 fighters are taken out, Aiko will signal using her Overload. We retreat immediately.

  I’ll erase our tracks as we escape.”

  She glanced at each of them in turn.

  “The main camp will need several minutes to respond. Follow the plan exactly. Unless something unexpected happens, this will work.”

  Then she added,

  “As for the cliff it’s shelved for now. It’s too obvious a tactic. They’ve likely prepared for it.

  The best time to use it is after they’ve already exhausted themselves dealing with us.”

  Aiko grinned and clapped again.

  “Alright, you heard her! You’ve got ten minutes then we move out!”

  Everyone dispersed immediately, checking weapons, adjusting gear, and preparing mentally for what was coming.

  Elsewhere - with the instructors

  “Not bad,” one instructor said thoughtfully.

  “They’re willing to kill their enemies despite being outmatched. I’m curious how they’ll fare against superior numbers.”

  Another nodded.

  “Still, they understand something important hesitation kills. Leaving enemies alive is often cruelty to yourself.”

  He shrugged lightly.

  “In any case, this is just a tournament.

  Even fatal injuries and outright deaths aren’t permanent.”

  He continued calmly, as if explaining something mundane.

  “With modern magic and technology, anyone who dies can be restored within thirty seconds before the soul dissipates.

  Their DNA was recorded before they were tossed into the stage there recreated bodies retain their original strength and capabilities.”

  The instructors watched silently as the students moved toward their next engagement.

  Back at the forest

  Aiko and the others reached their destination after some time.

  Night had fully settled by then, darkness blanketing the forest as each of them slipped into position around the enemy camp, waiting for the signal to strike the group that had split off from the main force.

  Moments later, a small burst of mana flared briefly barely noticeable to anyone but them.

  That was the signal.

  Ironfang and Kivolak burst from the forest simultaneously, activating their body-enhancement skills the instant they revealed themselves. Their presence was detected immediately.

  Shouts erupted across the camp as enemies scrambled awake, hastily forming defensive lines. Ranged attacks followed at once elemental blasts, condensed mana bolts, and crude long-range techniques flooding the battlefield.

  That was Kaeris’s cue.

  He slammed his staff into the ground and activated Guardian Defenses.

  A towering wall formed in front of them, layered with multiple elements stacked atop one another.

  The barrage crashed against it relentlessly. In seconds, more than half of Kaeris’s mana was gone but the wall held.

  Without hesitation, he followed up with Knight’s Armory, pouring a massive amount of mana into the spell.

  Elemental armor formed around Ironfang and Kivolak, reinforcing their already monstrous frames.

  Bennett moved next.

  He dashed forward, planting himself ahead of them both. His staff flared as he activated Revolving Cinder, then slammed it down.

  A violent shockwave erupted, crashing into the enemy camp’s barrier.

  Cracks spread instantly across its surface as the majority of the mana stored within Bennett’s staff was drained in a single strike.

  He retreated just in time.

  Ironfang charged next, ramming straight into the fractured barrier.

  The cracks widened rapidly. A heartbeat later, Kivolak followed, slamming into the same spot with brute force.

  The barrier shattered.

  They surged into the camp, holding back the majority of the enemies through sheer force and momentum. Yet the Rank 5 fighters were nowhere to be seen.

  They had stayed back observing.

  In their eyes, Kaeris had been the only real threat, and he had already spent most of his mana reinforcing the two brutes at the front.

  That mistake would cost them.

  Meanwhile, Ayaka and Aiko slipped in from the rear of the camp the moment the barrier fell.

  They quickly located the Rank 5 fighters.

  Ayaka activated Absolute Illusion.

  Nearly all of her remaining mana vanished as the technique erased their presence entirely body, mana, and intent for exactly three seconds. That was her limit.

  Aiko drew her bow.

  She activated Overload, pouring mana into the arrow without restraint.

  Compression intensified as the energy condensed further and further, as if her reserves were endless.

  The illusion dropped.

  The sudden appearance of an overwhelming mass of mana behind them triggered the Rank 5s’ instincts but too late.

  Aiko released the arrow.

  It struck the ground perfectly between them.

  The explosion was instantaneous.

  Violent, blinding, and absolute.

  Both Rank 5 fighters were incinerated before they could raise a single defense reduced to ash in less than a second.

  That detonation was the signal.

  Ironfang and Kivolak disengaged immediately, forcing a path out. Their elemental armor was already on the brink of collapse, but it held just long enough.

  They grabbed Bennett and Kaeris along the way and vanished into the forest.

  The enemy forces didn’t pursue.

  The sight of their leaders being erased so effortlessly instilled immediate fear.

  Convinced another trap awaited them, they chose caution over revenge and held their ground until reinforcements arrived.

  Aiko and the others escaped cleanly, regrouping while erasing all traces of their movements.

  By the time the main camp reached the site, all that remained was destruction and the realization of what had been lost.

  Rather than give chase, they gathered the survivors and withdrew, bringing them back to report to Jason.

  Chapter End