Back in the war tent of the red team, at the same time when Calculus was raiding the Orc's village, George assigned four teams under Kairos. In a way, it was a minor promotion after Kairos had proven his abilities.

His new mission is to take down 30 more of Luciette's teammates within four days, and this means more than seven per day.

For any other team captain it is a tall order, yet based solely on the efficiency they have shown George believed it achievable, and entirely necessary.

The tally now between the two groups has left the blue team slightly outnumbered.

With 15 of Luciette’s side expelled from this exercise, and 29 badges taken, only 135 active members remains.

Whereas for George’s side, ten scouts had been expelled in exchange for vital information, with 140 remaining. And because of Luciette’s initial raid, they had lost a total of 19 badges, but they are still faring slightly better.

However, the overall advantage lies with the Blue Team because of their troop deployment. Luciette had fortified both hill bases by stationing 30 men for each of them. With only 75 people left for her to mobilise at any given time, these troops are the ones carrying out the guerrilla missions under cover of the dense forest.

Kairos’ task to cut that number down to a more defensible amount. And should they succeed, George intends to lead a charge towards the East Hill Base.

For this ridiculous mission to have a chance of success, Kairos had successfully requested George to let him choose the four teams that will be joining his group.

He picked ten of the highest-ranking practitioners that are well-versed with diversion tactics, while the rest he chose from those with their forte in covert operations.

Kairos immediately began a crash-course training, making sure that everyone could be integrated into the group. Then, for the ten selected to be their diversion, he sent them ahead to act separately. Before they left, each member was given a large package to carry.

Meanwhile, after some additional training for those that joined his team directly, the now 15 strong group went into the forest in search for Luciette's scattered forces.

To ensure that this slipshod group could function as one, Kairos, the captain, and Alan his vice-captain, each had to lead a team of newcomers while the other three from their group acted as support.

A short while after they melded into the forest, they heard a loud bang, the signal to the start of the four days operation. Easily finding the direction it came from, they approached swiftly.

.....

An hour earlier, when the diversion teams are alone in the forest, they quickly found themselves on hostile grounds. Making use of the lack of information on how Kairos’ team look like, the first distraction team roamed around the forest, masquerading as the boys while the second supported from the shadows.

This bait and switch is only workable because by now the five have already been made into a high-value target for the blue's side. 

Just a short while of trudging in the forest and they were already discovered Luciette’s scouts, but their plan to lure out the Blue Team did not go as smoothly as they hoped. Their foes are far more prudent than expected.

Without them knowing, their enemies waited to gather in far greater number than they expected and moved together swiftly towards their position. And unfortunately, without Kairos’ team’s range of detection, they did not notice their adversaries were already dangerously close.

Only when the Blue Team were merely 50 meters away did the second diversion team discover they were surrounded. They quickly launch their counter attack, taking the fight in close quarters with an ambush they prepared.

The Blue Team were surprised by such a response, and it frustrated their attempts. In the dark of the woods, the second diversion team acted stealthily to ensure everyone’s safety.

However, in such close proximity, the Red Team’s preparation was carried out far too hastily, and they only countered with weak attacks. It is, of course, no surprise that they were the ones forced back.

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After experiencing the combat for themselves, these men assigned from George finally realised first-hand how savage the battles were for Kairos.

Therefore, it wasn’t long before they gave up the ambush and decisively retreated to the traps they had set up beforehand.

However, the moment they backed away the Blue Team scouts chose to disengage.

They had looked down on the cautiousness their opponents had.

They did not know that before the heading out, all team leaders had already been given strict orders to take extreme measures of precaution when engaging Kairos’ team.

It wasn’t that they did not want to give chase, in fact, they felt the Red Team are pushovers, but disobedience to a command will only result in a significant penalty to their score. After all, everything on the training ground is recorded.

For Luciette, her only two priorities lie in finding the flag and defending the bases. Everything else, even Kairos, is only secondary.

After disengaging from the diversion teams, the Blue Teams returned to their designated defensive zone and requested assistance from the nearby teams.

Very soon, more joined until they formed a group with numbers great enough to dare converge onto the diversion teams’ position.

This time, they armed themselves to the teeth, and approach with greater caution.

Previously, because of Jim and Edward’s explosives that did a number on Alucard's team, the Blue Teams dared not move forward in a tight formation. Instead, they spread out while using protective equipment like face masks and body length shields, as they surround their target.

Each person is dressed like a tin can, with very little exposed skin. Though they expected a trap, they quicken their steps, believing that they can handle anything thrown at them, and this will be the end of Kairos’ team. They will score ample points from this operation, once they expel this dreaded team from the match.

This assumption, is of course, incorrect. After all, Kairos’ team is only J ranked, and they did not know, ones they are targeting is only one of the diversion teams.

Almost everyone in the Blue Team, including Luciette herself, believed that they are facing against a high-ranking group that are veterans in counter-guerrilla warfare. If they had known that it is merely five boys that grew up together roaming the forest, and didn’t even attend many classes, they would turn red with shame.

The success that Kairos’ team enjoyed so far is because of their Soul Perception, allowing them to form effective pre-emptive strikes.

With preparation and numbers, the Blue Team are now confident that even should they be exposed to the traps that Alucard's team had faced, they are capable of ploughing through the bombardment and seize their targets.

However, all these are still within Kairos’ expectations.

They steadily approached the diversion teams, but in the process, they are unknowingly coming closer to the Red Team’s encampment.

When setting up the new base, George had the foresight to prepare certain areas useful for defeating a large number of attackers.

He commanded the extraction of timbers for their walls to be taken from locations where the trees are already sparse. Therefore, when uprooted and properly covered up, it would be difficult to notice the lack of forest for small stretches.

This creates a zone with a runway free from obstruction, and perfect for a particular trap.

When the Blue Teams had come close enough, one of the second diversion team’s members who is hiding on a large tree, prepared to snip off some of the taut ropes tied to a thick branch. Meanwhile, Kairos’ team of 15 had just entered the forest, and they silently made their way towards the target area.

With a wide grin on his face, he waited. Watching as their victims that are lured by the first diversion team, walk unsuspectingly in place then he cut loose the traps.

Immediately setting free a large trunk that fell from the treetops. It dropped freely downwards, but before it touched the ground, a thick, coarse rope that is fastened to it tautened and caused it to swing rapidly towards the Blue Team.

The log swung forward and upwards, like all falling objects in a pendulum motion would, and when it reached its highest point a blade that was installed in its path cleanly sliced apart the rope.

With unerring accuracy, the large trunk flew across the clearing towards their victims.

The Blue Teams that were carefully tracing the tracks after the elusive "Kairos' team" finally saw the massive object speeding towards them. They immediately scramble to get away in a panic, but before they can take half a step, they were struck down by the timber with great force.

But, before they were thrown back by the impact, the tree erupted with a tremendous explosion. The boom resounded throughout the forest.

The hollowed out trunk was filled up with ten bags of explosives that the two diversion teams carried. Its amount is far more than what Kairos' team had hit Alucard's team with.

With this much impact, no matter what protective gear the Blue Team had on them, they were flung off and blasted into delirium.

Unfortunately for them, this booming sound only the beginning. The signal that the Covert teams had been waiting for, and the start of their four days operation!

Kairos and his teams sprang into action immediately. They quickly joined the ten decoys that were already engaging in battle against the barely cogent enemies.

They easily subdued their foes, then Kairos lead everyone deeper into the forest, sweeping clean the now scattered Blue Team scouts.

His methods rapidly evolving to the situation, maximising the effectiveness of their ambushes. As more fell victim, Luciette increasingly tightened her control and forced Kairos’ progress to slow to a crawl.

As the day passed, the Blue Team’s scouts were forced to retreat and gather for safety in numbers. Though the shame caused their foes’ morale to pummel, Kairos judged that this tactic is truly unbreakable, even with the aid of the four additional teams. There was little more that they could do except to lure the blue teams out from their defensive zones.

As the efficiency of covert tactics had dropped so much, Kairos turn to use more brutish tactics, driving the enemy into their ambushes. Even so, it was difficult to capture even more people from Luciette.

.....

Three days later, a loud, ferocious roar thundered from the far side of the forest, a cry of rage induced by the Orcs which Calculus had raided.

The bloodcurdling animalistic bellow could be heard even from the ends of the training ground, and those who heard felt their blood runs cold.

"Something feels very wrong," Kairos says intuitively, as his Soul Perception ability is suddenly disrupted.

They had just finished subduing their 20th target, and distant away from completing their mission, but after thinking a little while, Kairos quickly made his decision and shouted, "We are returning!"

Without question, all the guys stood up and dispersed into the forest around them, disappearing from sight like a well-trained covert operation squad. Their movement is, in fact, a type of formation that Kairos had taught them during the past few days. Its array is strangely similar to a certain set of stars in the sky.

For quite a while now, the group had been training with different formations for both combat and movement.

With this formation, any enemies they met on the way back could be handled fluidly from any direction, and they could reinforce the position of anyone in their team.

When they finally arrived back at camp, George welcomed them with questioning eyes. Contrary to his orders, they have returned in only three days instead of four.