The surprise attack from Mambern occurred abruptly at dawn, catching everyone off guard. However, thanks to Theo's advice during the earlier meeting, the Imperial Army had remained vigilant against a potential night raid and managed to respond without much difficulty.

“Something feels off.”

“What does?”

Theo muttered quietly as he continued cutting down enemies with the same relentless efficiency he displayed during the day. Behind him, Leo joined in.

“These monsters... don’t you think their strength has dropped compared to before?”

“Now that you mention it, maybe you’re right.”

Leo casually responded while slashing through the oncoming enemies and monsters with ease.

“Mail, any reports from the 5th Division?”

“None! And stop talking to me during a fight!”

“Mail’s got no manners, as always.”

As Leo muttered complaints about Mail, Theo stepped back and took a sweeping look over the battlefield. It wasn’t just his imagination. The enemy’s monsters were undoubtedly weaker than before. He could tell because he had spent the earlier part of the battle slaughtering them. Something had definitely changed.

If this change was the result of the 5th Division successfully completing their mission, there was no reason why they wouldn’t have sent a report.

“Leo, I’m leaving field command to you.”

“What? Why me? Theo, where are you going?!”

Ignoring Leo’s protest, Theo turned sharply, his cloak billowing behind him as he disappeared in an instant.

***

A dark shadow loomed overhead. A monstrous paw, several times larger than a human body, came crashing down as if to crush Luke. With a thunderous thud, Luke leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the attack. The ground where the monster’s paw had landed was left in a deep crater, completely unrecognizable. The sheer power of a single strike was overwhelming.

Luke took a moment to catch his breath. The summoner stood far away, observing the battle, while Luke faced off against a high-tier monster. This was a creature listed among the top ranks of danger in the monster compendium, notorious for its lethal threat.

“Why don’t you stop hiding behind your puppets and fight me yourself?”

“This is my skill.”

As irritating as the summoner’s words were, Luke couldn’t deny the truth. From low-tier to high-tier monsters, the summoner had complete control, wielding them with unnerving ease. Frankly, Luke had never seen someone manipulate monsters so effortlessly. Sure, this world’s setting was designed to feature powerful magic users, but seeing it in action was a completely different experience from merely reading about it.

“You seem exhausted.”

“Well, as you can see, I don’t have any minions to order around, so I have to run around on foot myself.”

“In that case, let’s end this now.”

Luke surmised that the summoner’s orders were likely to infiltrate the Empire’s eastern division via this route, a mission paralleling the 5th Division’s strategy to ambush their rear lines. After all, war strategies tend to echo each other.

“Fine.”

In other words, there was no way Luke could allow this monster to proceed. For the sake of ending this war, he had to stop it here.

Nothing can be gained from war. During the heat of battle, both allies and enemies revel in hating and fighting each other, but once the dust settles, all that remains are blood-soaked scars. Luke knew this truth as a soldier all too well.

He stared intently at the monster, which let out a deafening roar as it opened its jaws wide. Around it, a massive concentration of magical energy began to gather. Even an untrained eye could tell it was preparing a devastating strike.

“Do you know what the most important thing in a fight is?” Luke asked.

The summoner tilted his head, puzzled by the sudden question.

“It’s striking first.”

Luke charged at the monster with astonishing speed, a swiftness that seemed impossible for someone who had been fighting nonstop until now. Kicking off a nearby ancient tree, he leapt high into the air, landing squarely on the monster’s back.

The monster, in the middle of preparing its attack, was caught off guard, as was the summoner. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and with a bright flash and deafening roar, lightning struck. An enormous bolt of concentrated magical energy crashed down directly onto the monster.

The energy was on a completely different level than what the monster had been preparing. With an earth-shattering explosion, the creature let out a harrowing cry of agony that echoed through the forest. When the light finally dissipated, the monster’s massive body collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. Luke, too, landed heavily, his gaze fixed on the summoner.

“H-How…?” The summoner stammered, falling to the ground in disbelief as he stared at his dying summon. It wasn’t just any monster—it was a high-tier beast, one summoned with power pulled from the ongoing battles against the Empire’s forces. And yet, it had been taken down in a single strike.

“I hate to break it to you, but if you’re leading an Imperial division, this kind of thing is nothing special.”

Though he spoke confidently, the truth was that Luke was at his limit. He had poured all his remaining energy into that final, decisive blow. Straining to maintain composure, he slowly approached the summoner.

“S-Stay back!”

The summoner scrambled to his feet, hands trembling as he pulled a dagger from his robes and lunged at Luke.

Blood dripped onto the dirt-strewn battlefield. The summoner’s blade had pierced Luke’s right palm. Yet Luke showed no signs of pain, his unwavering gaze fixed on the summoner.

“Ugh…”

The summoner let out a strangled groan, as though paralyzed by fear. Black energy began to rise from the dagger embedded in Luke’s hand—a manifestation of the summoner’s magic. Luke moved to counter it, but before he could act, something whistled through the air, striking the summoner’s shoulder.

“Gah…!” The summoner cried out, his face contorted in pain as he collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding shoulder. Luke yanked the dagger from his hand and tossed it aside, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the weapon that had flown in.

Etched into the hilt was the emblem of the Imperial Army. It was a standard-issue weapon for captains, though each hilt was custom-designed to reflect its owner’s preferences. Unlike most captains, who adorned theirs with unique flourishes, one person had always insisted on a plain and utilitarian design.

And Luke recognized it instantly.

“…Captain Luke.”

Turning, Luke saw Theo approaching, his eyes unusually wide with a mix of shock and anger.

“What are you doing here?” Theo demanded.

If possible, Luke had intended to carry out his actions in secret, without anyone noticing. Operating during his suspension was a blatant violation of military law. But it seemed that plan had already gone awry—perhaps ever since he had taken the risk of involving Seth earlier.

“Well, you see…”

While Luke fumbled for a response, Theo’s sharp eyes scanned him. His tattered black robe hung in shreds, no longer serving its purpose, and his battered appearance spoke volumes about the ferocity of the battle. The surrounding area was in complete disarray, a testament to the intensity of the fight. Blood dripped steadily from the wound on Luke’s hand.

Theo’s body tensed at the sight.

“It’s a long story, but—”

“Is your record that important to you?” Theo interrupted.

“…What?”

Luke looked up, startled by the unexpected remark. Theo’s voice was calm, but there was a subtle edge to it, as though he was holding back anger.

“Did your desire for achievements matter so much that you’d defy orders, abandon your suspension, and act on your own accord?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Theo snapped. “Even during the naval war against Mambern, you acted without consulting anyone. The Harnus incident? Same thing.”

Luke flinched. He had a sinking feeling he knew where this conversation was heading.

“And now, once again, you disregard military principles and do as you please. Clearly, rules and duty as a soldier mean nothing to you. As long as you rack up achievements to climb the ranks, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”

Luke clenched his fists. Theo’s words hit home. After all, they perfectly aligned with the role of the villain he had been assigned. This kind of confrontation, with the protagonist condemning the antagonist, was standard fare. He should have laughed it off with his usual sarcasm, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to respond.

Why had he come here? Was it really just to outshine Theo as a rival, to fulfill his role as the antagonist?

“…I’ve lost all respect for you, Luke,” Theo said coldly, turning his back.

Even as Theo secured the summoner and called for reinforcements to tend to Seth, Luke remained silent. He didn’t say a word as Theo descended the mountain and disappeared from sight.