Outside of Alana in the north near the desert of decay edge the first year student gather in the military training camp. The camp consist of a few small building, one large warehouse, a shooting range on the northside where a stray bullet shot into a vast empty desert and high mesh fence surrounded the camp edge. A few truck drive up and down the road to deliver supplies but most of the camp is an open area for exercise and practice formation.

“I hope you all finish setting your tent. Now I will tell you what are we doing here” Miss Hellen speak in front of the student who standing in lines under a burning sun.

“This is too dam hot just get it over already” Brant complained.

“Silent! Or would everyone like to do more push up?” Prof. Leon shouted and everyone shut their mouth even though Brant want to ask about the point of this training.

“This group assignment will test your focus, planning and teamwork. You’ll need to divide your team into two group, First group consist of three people for transporting this” one city guard push a four wheel steel cart up to the front by himself, on the cart is ten white sack filled with black sand, weight few kilograms each .

“We have several path already prepare, your team leader will draw lot to choose the path you got. Your team will have to deliver all ten sack to your assign destination to get a full score but it won’t be just simple delivery since this is where the second group come in, The three person of other team will have a role of attacking the other team cart. We score by weight of the sand that made it to destination. The missing weight will give half point toward the attacking team who success in preventing the shipment of supplied.”

‘so the priority is to protect our cart’

Each of the team leader come out to the front line and pick a draw from Miss Hellen. Amy got pair with Blake while Marco pair with Brant.

“You’re quite unlucky.” said Blake.

“On the opposite” she replied.

“Prof. Rio” Brant asked “There must be some mistake. This assignment is clearly intend for martial class, most of us don’t even know how to fight.”

“There is no mistake and there are many way to complete this assignment without fighting.” Rio explained. “We also have a few day for you to prepare your equipment and a short lesson from Prof. Leon about self defend and how to use these wooden sword and shield if you want.”

“We are not fighter. You can’t make us do stuff outside our curriculum, my parent...”

“Your parent already know all about our class curriculum.”

“then” Brant face filled with hope.

“They all agree before you were even sent here.” Rio have no plan to explain all the messy demand about the various subject each parent from all six nation want their children to learn, not to mention from which teacher. They combine class on some of these subject to appease the parent and for the sanity of teacher who have to manage each and every student. Most of these extra lesson is good for these elite kid to know anyway.

Brant face look quite shock “by the way all of you are not allow to use real sword, claw, any sharp object, gun or magic that could kill other student. Knock your opponent out is all that allow. Us three along with several city guard will be monitoring all of you while you race to the finish line. Do your best now.”

Rio then let’s all the student to go to form a plan with their team. Him and Leon go out to check the race track one more time while Miss Hellen gone with the city guard.

Amy walk back to the team with two pieces of paper in her jaw “Look like we get to beat your brother Josh”

Josh smiles but he look a little sad “It’s been a long time since I fight against Blake. He’s not to be underestimate, among all our classmate he properly the smartest one.” Josh then straight up his head “let me see the map.”

Amy place the map down and everyone look at the map on the ground for a moment before Bill and Biscuit give up “I have no idea what I’m looking at.”

“me too”

“It’s a Topographic maps, the line show the shape of Earth’s surface, this number is the height of the hill or dune in the area.” Josh explained.

“From the size it would take about full day to reach our destination from where we start since we also need to take a brake.” said Eirian.

"This line is the road right so we just need to follow it?” Bill suggested.

“The road might get us to finish line fastest but Blake will definitely plant a trap and ambush us there...then again he might know I won’t choose the road so he plant a trap elsewhere and the main road could be safe.” Josh thinking out loud for his friend.

“Is your brother strong? We can just beat him if he show up.” Amy asked Josh opinion.

“He is decent at fighting but hardly in the top bracket. Beside Blake his team consist of one goat, one tiger, one ant, and two bird, a blue jay and another raven.” Josh’s wing tap his beak “We need to guess who will he sent to attack and defend but let decide our team first. Who do you want on attack and defend team Amy?”

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“I think Eirian and I should be on defend team at least since it’s the most important. With Eirian magic we should be able to react to any attack and I will personally take care of our cart so that it’s reach destination.”

‘This way I will be under her command and won’t get to make any achievement compare to me leading attacking team but I do agree with her.’

“I agree” said Eirian. “Calamity is the strongest fighter among us if we put him on defend our cart safety is guarantee but our attacking team...would have no hope.”

Bill and Biscuit look ashamed but Josh speak up “Don’t worry we don’t need to fight them, just dig a trap or destroy their cart wheel is enough. Too bad there aren’t many tree around here surrounded them with fire is not a bad idea as well.”

Bill and Biscuit seem more panic but Calamity speak up “I’m much better on the move than struck guarding a slow cart. You can put me on the attack team.”

“Well he’s not wrong...” Josh seem to be in deep thought.

“Very well Calamity will be on attacking team then who should we put on the defend?” said Amy.

Eirian look around and realize he will have to be the one who push the cart if Amy will walk in front ‘I hope it not too heavy.’

“I think we should put Biscuit on the defend” Eirian suggested.

“Why?” Amy question this decision “you are not trying to sabotage our team right?”

“What? No! Biscuit is too timid. She won’t be able to attack anyone so she is better trying to defend herself. Can you do that Biscuit? You won’t have to attack anyone just focus on defending the cart.”

“I...I” Biscuit heart races at the thought of fighting “yes...I can defend the cart at least.” She seem to try her best just to answer Eirian.

Amy look at her teammates and Blake’s team “Fine, we need to stop other team cart if we want to score higher anyway. This way our attack team has higher chance of success”

As everyone settle on the plan Josh is still deep in thought.

“Do you have anymore suggestion Josh?” Eirian noticed and asked.

“There are many way to deliver the supplies, Blake team have three bird they can just ditch the cart and carry most if not all of supplies by air and there will be little we can do anything about it”

“What but that...” Amy stop in her track and realize Josh is right. Each team composition allow for different tactic depend on each member skill and characteristic.

“Can’t we do the same” said Calamity.

“All ten sack? Not with this wing” Josh waves “I won’t able to even lift off but I do think there is a possibility Blake won’t use this tactic though.”

“Why? It’s an assure win.”

“Sure but he also want a chance to test his strength and wit against other races, we used to talk about tactic to fight each races I’m sure he like to test some.”

“Oh really? Do tell” said Amy.

Josh evade the question “We need to guess how he will assign his teammate first before we can guess his tactic. Honestly I’m not even sure does he want to match with me or avoid me.”

“Does anyone know any of his teammate?” asked Bill.

Eirian remember Rusul “I knew the goat, his name is Rusul, happen to be my roommate. He’s...interest in astrology, voodoo magic stuff, reading fate that sort of thing. I don’t think he can fight but I don’t know about his ice magic skill.”

“Voodoo? But Father Pan ban all contact with all paganistic for us.” said Biscuit.

“Oh...err he just testing thing out.” Eirian try to remember how the church of Amalthaea deal with heretic only to vaguely remember someone being drown “You’re not going to report Rusul to the church right?”

“No” Biscuit try to remember where she heard his name before but for her who didn’t interact with other goat and sheep much she can’t figure it out where she heard of him.

“I knew the ant, her name is Levana. She came from the Second colony near the border of Amalthor, like me she’s a royal ant. Talk with her a few time but never spar with her so I don’t know about her skill.”

"The blue jay, is she the one with camera?” Calamity look at Eirian and Bill.

“Camera?”

“Oh that right we saw her trying to take a photo of the bomb site.” said Bill.

Eirian then remember the one bird who are trying to run from city guard when they were on hospital roof “She is quite fast if I don’t recall wrong.”

“Then we left with the tiger and raven does anyone know them?” asked Amy but it’s clear this is all the information they have.

“So this one is their map huh” Josh use his claw to move the map closer “Their path has a bit more dune and slope even more tree in the middle section, easy for us to hide on top and ambush so Blake will properly use one or two bird on defend team to scout ahead.”

“If Levana is a royal ant than she should be able to use earth magic, would be easy for her to dig a hole for trap.” Eirian look at Amy “Not that I would suggest you be on attacking team of course.”

“Right” Amy nod “Their main fighting force should be the tiger and Blake so do you think he would focus on defend Josh?”

“That up to the tiger skill. If Blake judge his skill to be good he would leave him to defend and try his luck with us but if the tiger is not sufficient then he would defend the cart himself.”

“That tiger is strong” Calamity look at Blake team not far from them.

“So the tiger is strong” everyone add this new info into the plan without questioning further.

“What is Rusul doing?” Biscuit confused when Rusul start shuffle card on the ground.

“Is that a tarot card?” said Bill.

“Oh boy” Eirian remember all the time Rusul play with his exotic toy in the room while chanting which eventually creep out even Marco whom as a son of Fenrir should fear nothing.

“I think he trying to guess which of us will be in which team” Calamity eye meet with the tiger who look this way.

“Is your brother superstitious Josh?”

“Not really...but he might just go along with Rusul for fun.”

“His prediction is actually quite accurate too but he doesn’t seem to like that he’s right for some reason” Eirian now try to remember if Rusul know any curse spell.

“So let’s assume Blake know our team arrangement how will he react Josh?” Amy look at the only one who know Blake best.

Josh look at Blake who smiles when their eyes meet “...brother won't come after me, he will be on attacking team with ant and either Rusul or the raven. On defend will be the tiger, blue jay and either Rusul or raven...properly the raven.”

Amy think for a moment before agreeing with Josh “I believed your judgement. I’ll now tell you all our strategy to beat them.”