Chapter 206: Steel As Iron Of A Team

The next morning, Noah arrived at the training grounds to find a crowd gathered around the central noticeboard.

Eric stood in front of it, reading the latest exercise schedule with an expression of deep concern.

"Bad news," he announced.

Damien looked up from tightening his gloves. "Are we fighting five squads at once?"

"No."

"Is the training hall being demolished?"

"No."

"Then how bad can it be?"

Eric pointed at the noticeboard. "Our next opponent is Squad Six."

Sophia folded her arms. "And?"

"They finished third in yesterday’s evaluations."

Luna blinked. "We finished second."

"Exactly. Which means they’re probably going to be very motivated to knock us down a few places."

Noah stepped closer to read the schedule himself.

FRESHMAN SQUAD EXERCISE

Next Match: Squad Seven versus Squad Six

Location: Eastern Training Grounds

Evaluation Focus: Independent Judgment and Tactical Adaptation

The last line caught his attention.

"They’re testing the same weakness Astrid mentioned yesterday," he said.

"Which means we can’t just repeat our previous strategy," Sophia replied.

"Correct."

Eric looked between them. "I preferred it when our biggest concern was whether Damien could cook."

"I can still cook," Damien protested.

"That’s not the reassurance you think it is."

Noah studied the notice a moment longer. Squad Six had earned its position through the initial evaluations, but their exact fighting style remained unfamiliar to him. He had learned enough from Squad Four to understand that a good formation could become a liability if the team failed to recognize when it needed to change.

This time, he wanted everyone to take responsibility for that decision.

"Let’s watch them train before we make a plan," he suggested.

Squad Six occupied one of the eastern practice arenas.

Four students were working through a coordinated exercise under an instructor’s supervision. Unlike Squad Four’s compact formation, they maintained considerable distance between one another. One student wielded a spear, another carried a pair of short blades, while the remaining two used a staff and a practice sword.

Their movements appeared disconnected at first.

The spear wielder advanced, forcing the opponent to retreat. The swordsman circled toward the exposed flank, while the staff user remained several steps behind. Their fourth member moved between positions whenever an opening appeared.

Noah narrowed his eyes.

"They’re controlling the space between them."

Sophia nodded. "If we focus on one person, the others can punish us. If we split up, they’ll have more room to isolate us."

"It’s a formation built around distance," Luna observed.

"And flexibility," Damien added. "They’re not staying in fixed positions."

Eric watched another exchange before speaking. "So, how do we beat them?"

"First, we stop thinking about beating them the same way we beat Squad Four," Noah answered.

He pointed toward the arena.

"Look at their rear member. Every time the spear wielder advances, she moves closer to the center. She’s covering the gap between their two flanks."

Sophia followed his gaze. "If we force her to choose which side to support, their coordination could weaken."

"Possibly. But we need to test it."

Noah turned to his squad.

"During the match, everyone calls out what they notice. Don’t wait for me to give permission. If you see an opening, act on it, and make sure the rest of us understand what you’re doing."

Eric grinned. "Finally, I get to shout orders."

"You’ve been doing that since breakfast."

"And now it’s a tactical responsibility."

Their laughter eased the tension, but the squad’s attention returned to Squad Six as the opposing students finished their practice.

One of them noticed Noah watching.

She was a tall girl with dark auburn hair tied into a high ponytail. Resting her spear against one shoulder, she approached the boundary between the arenas.

"You’re Squad Seven, right?"

Noah nodded. "That’s us."

"I’m Rhea Solberg, Squad Six’s field coordinator." She offered a friendly smile. "We watched your match against Stellan yesterday. You work well together."

"Your squad does too," Sophia replied.

Rhea glanced toward the training arena. "We’ll see how well we work when someone starts disrupting our rhythm."

"That’s the point of the exercise," Noah said.

"Exactly."

She returned to her squad, leaving Noah with a clearer idea of what they would face and a new question to consider.

Rhea had called herself the field coordinator rather than the squad leader. That suggested Squad Six might distribute its decisions differently from Squad Seven.

He would need to find out how.

Later, as Squad Seven began its own practice, Noah deliberately stayed quiet.

When Eric spotted a gap in their formation, he called it out. Sophia suggested a change of direction. Damien adjusted his position without waiting for Noah, and Luna identified a weakness in their defensive coverage.

Their first attempt fell apart within minutes.

Their second lasted longer.

By the fourth, they were beginning to recognize one another’s intentions before anyone needed to speak.

Noah watched them reset, a small smile appearing on his face.

They weren’t perfect, but that wasn’t what mattered.

For once, he wasn’t the only one figuring out what to do.

And when Squad Six’s match bell rang in the distance, Noah knew their next challenge had already begun.

The following afternoon, Squad Seven gathered at the Eastern Training Grounds, where the second round of the Freshman Squad Exercise was about to begin.

Unlike the previous arena, this one contained several raised platforms, narrow passages, and scattered stone barriers. The arrangement offered plenty of opportunities for students to exploit the terrain, but it also made it difficult to keep track of every opponent.

Eric surveyed the field.

"Whoever designed this place clearly hated straightforward combat."

"Or wanted us to think before charging forward," Sophia replied.

Eric looked at Noah. "You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"No."

"You answered too quickly."

Before Noah could respond, Professor Astrid Veyr stepped onto the instructor’s platform.

"Today’s exercise will test your ability to adapt when your opponents control the distance between you. The first squad to earn three valid points wins. Leaving the designated combat area counts as a point for the opposing squad. All attacks must remain within the limits of supervised training."

She glanced toward the two teams.

"Squad Seven. Squad Six. Take your positions."

Across the field, Rhea Solberg held her spear loosely at her side. Her teammates spread out without needing to exchange instructions.

Noah noticed the difference immediately.

They weren’t simply standing apart. Each student had positioned themselves where they could support another member while remaining difficult to approach.

Rhea caught him studying their formation.

"Ready to learn something?" she called.

Noah drew his training sword. "I was hoping you would be."

Astrid raised her hand.

"Begin!"

Squad Six moved first.

Rhea advanced through the center, her spear keeping Eric and Damien at a distance. Meanwhile, the dual-blade wielder slipped behind a stone barrier, disappearing from Sophia’s immediate line of sight.

The staff user took the raised platform on the left, while their swordsman remained near the rear.

Four positions. Four overlapping angles of attack.

Noah stepped forward, but Rhea immediately redirected her spear toward him.

The point stopped just short of his chest before he could close the distance.

"Too eager," she remarked.

She withdrew and shifted sideways, maintaining the gap between them.

Noah changed direction, attempting to approach from her blind side. Rhea adjusted again, using the length of her weapon to prevent him from getting close.

Meanwhile, Eric tried to move around the opposite flank, only to find the staff wielder waiting above him.

A controlled strike forced him to retreat.

"I’m beginning to dislike this squad!" Eric shouted.

"You’ve known them for less than a minute!" Damien replied.

"And they’ve already made a terrible impression!"

A warning whistle sounded as the dual-blade wielder emerged from behind the barrier. She moved toward Luna, forcing her away from the center.

Squad Seven’s formation began to stretch.

Noah recognized the danger. If they continued responding to each attack separately, Squad Six would gradually push them toward the boundaries.

"Don’t follow their movements!" he called. "Watch what they’re protecting!"

Sophia glanced toward the rear swordsman.

"The center?"

"Not exactly. Look at Rhea."

Every time Rhea moved, her teammates adjusted their positions to preserve a clear path between her and the rear of their formation. They weren’t merely protecting one another. They were protecting their ability to reposition.

Their strength lay in maintaining those connections.

Luna understood first.

"They’re keeping their escape routes open."

"Exactly," Noah said. "If we chase them, they’ll keep controlling the distance."

Damien shifted his stance. "So we make them come to us?"

"We give them a reason to."

Noah deliberately moved toward the right-hand boundary, making it appear as though Squad Seven was losing ground. Eric followed his lead, while Sophia and Luna adjusted behind them.

Rhea’s eyes narrowed.

She had noticed the change, but the formation seemed to be doing exactly what Squad Six wanted. Their opponents were retreating, leaving the center increasingly exposed.

She raised her spear.

"Push forward!"

Squad Six advanced together.

That was the moment Noah had been waiting for.

"Switch!"

Damien moved toward the center while Eric cut across the opening left behind him. Sophia stepped away from the boundary, drawing the staff wielder down from the platform to maintain pressure.

Luna intercepted the dual-blade fighter before she could reach the rear.

For the first time, Squad Six had to choose between maintaining its formation and supporting individual teammates.

Rhea turned toward the center, but Noah was already moving.

Their weapons met with a sharp crack.

Rhea redirected his blade with the shaft of her spear and tried to create distance again. Noah didn’t force the exchange. He stepped back, allowing her to retreat while Eric approached from the side.

Rhea shifted to defend against Eric.

Noah tapped her shoulder with the flat of his sword.

"Point to Squad Seven!"

The instructor’s announcement rang across the arena.

Eric immediately raised his free hand.

"I would like the record to show that my presence was essential."

"You were the distraction," Noah replied.

"An essential distraction."

Across the field, Rhea recovered her stance and smiled.

"One point. Now we know what you’re trying to do."

Noah tightened his grip on his sword.

"Good. That means the next exchange will be more interesting."

Squad Six began repositioning, abandoning the exact arrangement they had used at the start.

Noah watched them carefully.

They had earned their first point by disrupting the connections between their opponents. The next point would depend on whether Squad Seven could adapt before Rhea found a way to turn that same lesson against them.