The Nirvana Alliance Army, now a massive military force, had grown so vast that it was impossible to grasp its entire situation with a mere glance. The wide-spread forces were monitored through hourly situation reports.

“Looks like the enemy is poking around at our western units.”

Jean muttered as he read the time report. His tone suggested that this was expected.

“Shall we send reinforcements?”

“No, based on the scale of the attack, there’s no need for the main forces or the Musou Iron Cavalry to move. What concerns me more is the guerilla unit sneaking toward our main forces under the guise of that attack. They’re likely planning something big.”

“They’ve already launched a minor attack, so we have a sufficient pretext to engage them, right? Wouldn’t it be better to crush that guerilla unit now?”

“You’re right. It’s best to strike before they can cause any significant damage. Arjuna, take your unit and intercept that guerilla unit.”

“Got it. Leave it to me.”

Arjuna led a force of 500 units to sortie. Her unit, known for its offensive power and mobility, was deemed most suitable for such missions. As a precaution, I ordered my unit to prepare for deployment so that we could respond immediately if anything went wrong.

Soon after, Arjuna discovered the target enemy guerilla unit and reported back.

“Found them! Looks like it’s a guerilla unit from the Elysian Empire. I’m surprised they managed to sneak in this far.”

“The Elysian Empire… Are you sure!?”

Jean, caught off guard by the unexpected mention of the Elysian Empire, asked again in shock.

“Their machines and emblems are definitely from the Elysian Empire.”

“Why would the Elysian Empire make a move at this time? There’s no benefit for them to do so… Could this be a trap?”

“What’s the plan? Can we attack them?”

“Regardless, if we leave them alone, they’ll cause damage. Proceed with caution and wipe them out.”

“Understood.”

Arjuna’s unit swiftly launched an attack, but the enemy guerilla unit retaliated lightly and began to retreat. Arjuna’s unit pursued them.

“Arjuna, don’t chase them too far!”

“I know! We’re just about to cut off their head!”

Despite her words, the enemy continued to evade capture, even after a prolonged chase.

“That’s enough, Arjuna. Leave that unit and return.”

Perhaps sensing something was off, Jean changed his stance. However, it was already too late. Arjuna’s voice came over the communication line, reporting a dire situation.

“Well, looks like we’ve been had… They lured us right into the heart of the enemy’s territory. We’re surrounded by a massive army, and it doesn’t look like they’ll let us go easily.”

“Tch… Too late, huh? There’s no helping it now. Yuta, go rescue Arjuna’s unit.”

“Understood! Leave it to me!”

My unit, equipped to handle any situation, was a versatile force composed of a variety of Magicrafts. Incidentally, Mayu was also part of my unit. Though our numbers were only 100, making us the smallest among the Musou Iron Cavalry, we were rumored to have combat strength second only to the elite unit led by my father.