We are at a disadvantage here.

I can count at least three major problems.

One, we are outnumbered.

Although it seems as though we have the greater number, that is only an illusion. A single Cadre 5 Magivore could take all of us on with no problem.

But we're facing three.

Two, we don't have enough information.

Not only are all the abilities of these Direwolf Kings a mystery to me, but I also do not know the various effects of everyone's Armaments to create an effective strategy to counter them.

There's also no time to start asking them one after the other.

I'll have to learn on the fly.

The same applies to the Special Abilities of our opponents.

Three, and perhaps most importantly, none of us is in top condition. I can't count the number of Magivores I have already faced and how many times I have used Frontflow. Even if I mostly used it in short bursts, the stacked effects have begun to seriously wear me down.

The Royal Knights have suffered backlash as well, placing them in weakened positions.

I also can't forget about Ciel.

If she is also operating behind the scenes and her use of Prophecy has returned, she will be able to easily detect our next moves and series of abilities. Once she relays that information to the Direwolf Kings, it will drastically increase the already insurmountable danger of our predicament.

There are simply too many things to consider.

'Our only advantage is that the Direwolves are not built for warfare, which means they won't be as stubborn or battle adept as other Cadre 5 Magivores. But they've already overcome this weakness with their numbers. By having three of them here, any window of opportunity or vulnerability we could have exploited has been covered.' I sigh deeply, trying my hardest to assess the facts while also clinging to hope. 'Being realistic, we can't even hope to kill them. Our greatest win will come from limiting their movements and successfully stalling them.'

Thus, it doesn't matter that these Direwolf Kings will be easier to take down once they are dealt fatal damage compared to other Cadre 5 Magivores.

That isn't the priority.

It's just as I told my students during sparring sessions.

When outnumbered and overwhelmed, it's far riskier to expose yourself by focusing on offense.

Defense and evasion should be the top priority.

"For now, let's stick with a basic formation. I'll draw its attention to me since I have the greatest mobility of everyone present. Deputy Dwain will assist me from the ground while also serving as the core of the formation. The rest of you will be split into three teams, and each team will go after one of the Magivores. You will aim to draw their attention away from the pathway and confuse them. Try to limit their movements as much as possible, but always ensure your safety and retreat after acceptable intervals. If your taunts and attacks don't work and any of them are near the escape route, everyone should gather to cast the Barrier Spell while I buy the time you need. Is everyone's role clear?"

"Yes, sir!" They all respond without hesitation.

Although these men are higher than I in terms of seniority and overall battle experience, none of them has ever faced a Cadre 5 Magivore before.

I have.

None of them also has as much information about the Direwolves and the one behind them as I do. As such, although I am lacking in many areas, I'm still the best fit when it comes to leading this group in this fight.

'Just in case it would work, I tried compelling them, but nothing worked.'

Ciel's hold on them must be really strong.

"Charge!"

I immediately take flight, my dark horse diving into the air as my shrill voice fills the air.

"Understood!" They all yell out.

The moment everyone begins to fan out, the Direwolf Kings let out an earth-shattering cry.

"HOWWWWWWLLLL!!!"

The ceilings crack, and more of the jagged crystals start to descend in multiple areas.

VWOOOSH!

I expertly evade all of them while keeping steady control over Obsidian Steed. My gaze is calm despite the overwhelming anxiety that threatens to consume me whole.

If I show anything short of confidence, how can I expect these men to trust in my leadership?

I need their absolute trust.

They need to heed my commands, even at the cost of their lives.

Otherwise, we all die here!

Thankfully, although the sudden howls of these beasts disrupted our momentum, none of the ten lost focus and continued their advance. All of them are experts, and I quickly see it reflected in their rapid movements.

They all evade the falling stalactites and other debris scattered everywhere from the howls. While they do this, I approach the closest Direwolf King, activating Frontflow as I do so.

'Here goes nothing…!'

Swinging my blade the hardest that I can, I slash at the thick fur of the beasts.

What I find… is an absurd outcome.

CLANG!

My blade is deflected, and the icy burst emanating from it disperses almost immediately.

T-this… this is too difficult!

Despite such a discouraging outcome, I am not overwhelmed.

In fact, I somewhat expected it.

Normally, A Grade Armaments are the required Armaments required to even face a Cadre 5 Magivore, with S Grade Armaments recommended for defeating them. Frost Bite is only a B Grade Armament, and its specialty doesn't dwell in slashing or hacking, but instead in its additional cold damage and frost attributes.

It doesn't meet the minimum threshold required to even harm this thing.

What now?

'I can only approach these things with Frontflow due to their terrifying speed, and even my strongest weapon is ineffective against them…'

I'm almost convinced to give up.

But how can I?

So many people are relying on me right now.

Besides, this isn't the first seemingly impossible challenge that I have traversed.

As a mere mortal, did I not defeat a Leviathan?

At first, it seemed impossible, but who was it who eventually conquered Zarius and cut off his head while he begged for his life?

That's right!

Nothing is impossible for a man who has chosen to bear hope in his heart.

Experience tells me so.

'Right now, I shouldn't focus on the impossibility of the situation and instead contemplate what I can use to my benefit.' As I'm having these thoughts, the three Direwolf Kings suddenly open their mouths again, a bright light rushing from within them.

'Oh no!'

Before I can even do anything, a blinding ray of destruction suddenly proceeds from their open maw. To escape, I quickly ascend as high as I can with Obsidian Steed, blocking my only exposed eye from the overwhelming radiation.

Thankfully, it only lasts for a moment, which I quickly recover from.

However—

"A-ah…!" The moment I open my eyes, I am greeted with horror. "This is…"

Death!

All ten of the guards are dead, their shattered bones barely visible amidst the countless debris that fills the dusty ground. They couldn't even offer a moment of resistance before perishing in an instant.

Right as I observe their corpses, I also notice something else.

'The entrance… it has been blocked!'

My eyes bulge.

The kind of debris covering it is unreal. It's like the ceiling and surrounding walls collapsed on themselves, completely sealing it. Looking at the mass of the debris and the sheer scale of the collapse, even if I use all of my strength, I won't be escape.

That's when it dawns on me—

'This is all a part of her arrangements!' I nearly scream once I have this realization.

Ciel intended for me to rescue everyone and have them escape. Why else would the Direwolf Kings not use that Blinding Ray of Destruction earlier? It didn't seem like they required a lot of preparation to activate it, and even if they did, they had more than enough time to prepare it while hiding inside the walls before making their appearance.

No… she wanted them to wait.

'She knew I would prioritize saving everyone and try to stall for time. While doing this, she would seal my escape and prevent me from leaving.'

Now the only way I can escape is by using Tracing… but it will take an hour to switch.

'Hold on, how does she know that limitation?' I ask myself quickly. 'Even though she must have figured out that I'm not a Leaper, she still doesn't know about Harbingers. How would she—?'

Before I finish asking this question, it dawns on me.

Vision… and Clairvoyance!

If Ciel used Clairvoyance to check the present, she would know about my use of Frontflow. She likely already knows the cooldown period. However, she must have also thought it strange that I was able to find out her plan so easily.

She would then realize that I can somehow use multiple Conceptions and am likely part of a different Pathway.

She saw me use Tracing using Vision when we first met.

Now, I'm using Frontflow.

The fact that I knew of her plans early would mean I somehow had access to her Seeker Conception, likely Clairvoyance. With those clues, she has likely already figured out all my Fragmented Conceptions, including how to counter them.

She might not know exactly how long it takes for me to switch, but she knows it will definitely take some time. During that period, I'll be vulnerable, unable to use any Conception. This will be the perfect opportunity to kill me.

If I don't switch to Tracing, I'll be stuck with these Direwolf Kings and will also likely die.

During that period, she could easily kill the escapees.

It was all a trap.

No matter how hard I try to fight, it seems she has all kinds of contingencies in place.

My abilities are also too limited to compete.

But… does that mean I'll give up?

No way!

Although Ciel can see my present with Clairvoyance, which I doubt she can do for an extended period since she is also at her limits, she can't see my future or past.

According to what she said, a Witness Seeker can only see pasts and futures related to themselves.

That rule applies to her.

If she could see my past or future, she would have already known of my Harbinger status. She would have also known of Obsidian Steed, and most importantly…

… She would have known about my own trump card!

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