Meanwhile, as the small unit of Spectral Daggers Mercenaries were still bickering among themselves or worrying over why the enemies had a devious trap set in the forest capable of wiping out Team 4…

Teams 5, 6, and 7 were also worrying.

Coalition member # 50: “Hey… does – does anyone else feel that this forest is a little too quiet? I mean, didn’t the powerful super-soldier team – Team 4, enter not too long ago? So why...is everything silent?”

Coalition member # 51: “…Honestly? I think it’s the lack of birds. This place is extremely eerie when only bugs are around to make noise. The darkness doesn’t help either.”

Coalition member # 52: “No, it’s not just either of those two points you mentioned. The fear you’re all probably feeling is an instinctual one. Listen. See? Not a sound. Not even from the crickets? This type of silence usually puts humans and animals alike, on high alert, because it means a predator is stalking its prey.”

Coalition member # 53: “Sta-Stalking their prey? Kyaaaahh!! Nooo, I don’t wanna die!”

Coalition member # 54: “Heheh, stop it. Captain Toyama will be pissed if he hears you bothering her any more than this. *Turns* don’t be such a wuss, miss. The animals here, if any, won’t pose a single thereat to Team 5’s 3,700 strong company! Even a powerhouse ‘hero’ will have to beg for mercy from us!”

Captain Toyama: “No; there are no animals in this forest. Sometimes birds come by, but they never really stay. Students apparently use them as training partners for their animal speech skills, and the droves of them either find their first partners, relocate them if they’re endangered in the world, or the birds just leave of their own accord. After all, what bird only interested in building a home and mating, wants to be chased by an army of teachers and students instead?”

Coalition member # 55: “Ca-Captain!”

Coalition member # 53: “We were just… uh… We did nothing wrong! I swear! We were only curious about the forest’s tranquility being a little TOO tranquil…!”

Captain Tomoya: “…Does… anybody have...a detection method? Specifically towards magic energy being released?”

Coalition member # 56: “He’s changing the subject. Phew!”

Coalition member # 57: “I do! I’m a very respected mage back in the Living Devils Mercenaries! With the powers granted to me by my demonic rituals, I can even sense magic energy waves from those powerful mages and sorcerers a few tiers higher than me – about twenty – five times stronger than me, at least!”

Coalition member # 58: “…You aren’t exaggerating, are you? This sort of power seems to unusual to have on the clumsy daredevil’s side. You all were never the types to act in such a calculated and refined manner like scouting ahead!”

Coalition member # 57: “Of - of COURSE WE ARE! How DARE you question my mercenary company’s capabilities! We may be called daredevils but we aren’t barbaric idiots! We know how to scout ahead!”

Coalition member # 58: “Pffft! *Ptew!* Yeah right! You barbaric freaks make me sick! Always kidnapping women and sacrifici--”

Captain Tomoya: “Oh? Then tell me. What do you sense. Start searching from the Northern entrance to this forest and scan all the way towards our destination in a straight line. What is it that you sense? Any magical energy waves?”

Coalition member # 58: “…(He… He cut me off!)”

Coalition member # 57: “(Hehehe, serves you right!) Hold on, captain. Give me a second to check for you.”

Team 5’s powerful team prides itself on their ability to nullify all attacks that come their way. You want to stop them with magic? That’s cool. Here’s an anti-magic expert. In fact; here’s a thousand of them. They may not all boast complete immunity to completely overpowered levels of magical force, like the Team 5 leader claims, but at the bare minimum, they can tank magic with their body’s high resistance. Oh, but wait! If some of them can resist magic, and the team’s leader is mostly immune to it, hen what about a well – trained super soldier with an especially powerful punch and blindingly quick speed?

Unfortunately, that won’t work too well either. This team has many physical shock absorbers, durability – enhancing fighters, and invulnerability – touting mercs. In short; whether it’s from the magical side or versus physical attacks, the Team touted as the 6 – organization Coalition of mercenaries can also be considered their ‘wall’. A complete wall of defense – specializing mercenaries with no ability to deal destructive damage comparable to Team 4, but at least they can serve as the Coalition’s greatest defensive support for Team 4.

but that didn’t mean this team doesn’t have other specialties other than just defending. They, similar to Team’s 4 and 6, Have a couple jack of all trades at their disposal.

Such a person was this magician! He was powerful enough to sense magical energy waves being released by a sorcerer twenty – five times stronger than him! With him here: no magic can get past his senses and target their team!!

Coalition member # 57: “Hmm. I… don’t sense a single thing.”

Captain Tomoya: “…I see. Maybe I was mistaken, then.”

Coalition member # 57: “WAIT! I sense… Yes… I sense light magic! Traces of light magic fused with...something else…it isn’t magic however. Another energy mixed with light magic left traces on a few trees throughout a large area Northeast.”

Coalition member # 59: “Are you sure? They released magic? That would mean someone close to Team 4’s position actually...”

Captain Tomoya: “…They were forced to release magic…they fought with somebody, maybe? No. Why weren’t we contacted about it? This was probably a trap they carelessly triggered. But what if it wasn’t…”

Coalition member # 60: “…Light magic? Another energy combined with magic…? That’s…

…That sounds a whole lot like Captain Dawan!!”

Captain Tomoya: “…Who?”

Coalition member # 60: “Forgive me for eavesdropping sir, but I think I know the identity of this mysterious light user inside the forest over that-a-way *points*.”

Coalition member # 57: “Dawan… why does that name sound familiar?”

Coalition member # 60: “Captain Dawan is the current captain for the Coalition of mercenaries’ vanguard team: Team Four. He boasts the power to bring an entire SUN to a battlefield! He does so by fusing his psychic ability, Pyrokinesis, with an innate talent for the versatile light magic Bright-Burn Mercenaries’ elite learn! He’s also the second in command!”

Coalition member # 57: “Psychic energy… Mhm, I think you’re right. *Looks deeper* Yes… this sensation does remind me of the energy fluctuations pyrokinesis emanates, but it’s much too powerful!”

Captain Tomoya: “Team 4’s Captain was forced to move away from the plan and fight. Not only that, but he actually had to fuse his powers instead of just going with pyrokinesis alone… This seems like an attack. Either that, or it’s a trap. But if it’s a trap, could it be the reason That ‘Numbers’ group failed and were forced to flee? Furthermore two of them were captured… Yes it has to be. Monitor man was away. He wouldn’t have let anyone escape from his sights, if he had been there.

.

.

.

…Unless…”

Coalition member # 60: “Hm? Captain Tomoya, did you say something? At the end, you mumbled something that I couldn’t hear.”

Coalition member # 61: “Shh. He’s talking to himself, stupid. Don’t interrupt! Please continue Captain Tomoya, sir. Please continue talking to yourself and thinking out loud without interruptions.”

Captain Tomoya is a very shrewd man. The calculating team leader is fourth in status at the Ghastly Seal – Breakers mercenary corps. Disposing of protection abilities and magical traps with mechanical partitions involved is his absolute specialty. Furthermore, he has very high magic resistance that almost grants him complete immunity to the craft. His body has been further morphed to offer some decent levels of invulnerability to physical force, and shock absorbance to tie every one of his defensive points together. Yes. He is the most valued member of Ghastly Seal – Breakers, not only due to his capability to break energy shields, but also because he was their team’s greatest…

…punching bag! There wasn’t any attack from his team that he couldn’t withstand with little difficulty! In fact, the only reason he isn’t ranked higher than fourth is because he lacks a little in the ‘attacking’ department.

Yet, this shrewd man knew very well when to draw his line. He has always been deathly afraid of learning his own limits. Why? Because the day he is forced to face such an ordeal, meant he had encountered someone strong enough to end his life on a whim. This fearful mindset transformed him into an extremely cautious individual.

Alas…

As with everything in life, however, that desire to avoid danger actually worked to heighten his intuition quite a lot. Thus, saving his life by becoming ‘aware of any danger’.

...Ah, any danger up to a certain extent, that is. He isn’t omnipotent or some such.

This very trait is why he reacted so strongly to the ‘bad feeling’ he had, regarding magic being spread or used in the forest. Furthermore, it’s the reason for his terrified expression right at this moment, immediately after hearing about light magic being cast.

His fear and intuition led him to develop a scary cluster of thoughts…

Captain Tomoya: “(Unless this isn’t a trap. Or what if the ‘trap’ isn’t a physical one, but an ambush? No, in the world is skilled enough to –

…

AH! THE MONITOR – MAN! What if - if… he never left? Or - Or every time somebody spotted him elsewhere, it was him deceiving them all!)

Coalition member # 62: “Hm? Captain Tomoya, why don’t you look so good? Your eyes are bulging and your mouth is open and quivering. Are you feeling sic--”

Captain Tomoya: “Everyone… EVERYONE FALL BACK NOW!”

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