Oran Knight is out (2/3 chapters for today)
Second Semester Competition (1): First Day’s Match
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*Today’s Diary*
The competition finally starts tomorrow.
We, the Catrap team, are going to take it easy, without forcing ourselves. But this time, for some reason, people have high expectations or there are some grudges, so it’s not like I have no thoughts about it.
It seems I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. We all discussed and planned our strategy.
I also made a suggestion.
Whether we use “that” or not depends on the situation, but when the time comes, I won’t hesitate.
Hmm. Writing this in my diary makes me realize that I’m actually quite excited about it.
It’s a little strange, considering these are my own feelings.
I’ve kept this diary going for quite a while. A lot has happened since I enrolled.
Maybe I should go back and read through it all slowly sometime.
—
The morning of the second round of the competition arrived.
Our first match was the final match of the first day. The area had been decided by lottery the day before. The lottery itself was a bit interesting.
There were a lot of balls in the box, some labeled “Practical Area” and others labeled “Mock Urban Area.” Each team’s Knight (Rtter) drew three balls, and the area with the most balls was chosen. If the number was tied, they would keep drawing until it was uneven.
As a result, we were set to face off in the mock urban area. This would be our first real team battle in the mock urban area. The first match of the day was a battle between third-year teams.
During the first semester of the year, I was just focused on defeating Zess’ team, not caring about the other matches, but this time, I listened carefully to the commentary being broadcasted through the loudspeakers.
Maybe we’ll face them in the third round. But only if we win, of course.
The match between the 3-C and 3-B teams, held in the practical area, was quite exciting. The aggressive 3-B team launched a fierce attack with all kinds of strategies, but the defensive 3-C team responded by exploiting weaknesses and creating chaos.
Instead of just huddling together to fight, the 3-C team tried to outflank the enemy while keeping up pressure. In the end, 3-B managed to take the initiative and strike their opponent’s base, leading them to victory. However, if the situation had been different, the outcome might have easily gone the other way.
The next match was between the 1-B and 2-A teams.
Emotionally, I was cheering for my classmates in 1-B, but in the end, 2-A’s team won by a fair margin. After watching the third-year match, it was clear that there was a difference in level.
Then, the third match. While we prepared, we listened to the commentary.
If we win our first match, we’ll face the winner of this match next.
The match was between the 3-B and 1-B teams, though a different lineup from earlier. As expected, 3-B’s team dominated and won the match. The commentators mentioned that their team was called Shepal.
“Alright, let’s go.” (Heinz)
At Heinz’s lead, we headed to the urban area. The opposing team, the 2-C team Rackers had not yet arrived. The instructors were already gathered. As we greeted them, the Rackers arrived.
“Nice to meet you today.” (Maria)
Maria greeted on our behalf.
“Oh, same here. Nice to meet you.” (??)
A man who seemed to be one of their Knights (Ritter) replied.
At least they were friendlier than Zess’s team. Though Zess was pretty extreme, anyway. As I looked around, I suddenly felt a strong glare behind us. Two boys were glaring at us. I had seen those two before. They were part of Zess’s team, the members of Gentis that we defeated last time. Before the previous match in the first semester, they had joined Zess in mocking us.
Hmm, I see. It’s hard to say there’s no bad blood. But we’re not at fault here…
While I was thinking about this, the instructor raised his voice in the center.
“Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s start the match. First years, this is your first urban battle, right? I’ll explain the rules. The basic rules are the same as the previous semester. The Knight (Ritter) is out, the match ends. Also, just like in the practical area, moving outside the designated area is a foul. Starting areas will be from the east and west. The starting area ranges from the edge of the area to a third of the way toward the center. There is a red line drawn along the main street, so use that as a reference. If you have any preferences, let me know, but generally, the team on the right of the tournament bracket will start from the west, and the other team from the east. Any preferences?” (Instructor)
This was all information we had already reviewed. Neither team spoke up. After confirming this, the instructor nodded once.
“The match will begin when both teams’ Knights (Ritters) notify their respective supervising instructors and referees that they are ready, and the moment both instructors fire blank shots, the match starts. Of course, if either team wastes time unnecessarily, there will be a penalty. Any questions?” (??)
Neither team had any questions.
“Alright, that’s all. Disperse! Head to your starting areas!” (Instructor)
Following the instructor’s announcement, we all rushed to the starting points!
—
As we ran, I spoke to Heinz.
“Are the roles still as planned for reconnaissance? What about our base?” (Lux)
I had already checked the composition of the enemy team, the Lakers, ahead of time.
The composition of their team was as follows:
- Knight (Ritter): 1
- Engineer (Tect): 1
- Heavy Trooper (Armor): 2
- Spearman (Lancer): 2
- Scout: 2
- Sniper: 1
- Shooter or Raider (Commander): 3
They had a fairly balanced lineup. From Zess’s team, they had 1 Lancer and 1 Scout who joined the Lakers, making their team of 12. They had 2 more people than us.
“They have two Spearmen (Lancer), so they might try to push with firepower in the end, but at the start, I expect the Scouts and Raiders (Commander) to focus on checking for traps. The real offensive might come after that.” (Heinz)
Heinz analyzed.
Right, last time we pushed Zess’ team off the hill with some tricky tactics. The Rackers probably have that in mind as well. On the other hand, they might be planning to carefully avoid traps and then rely on a fair contest if it comes down to that.
“As we decided earlier, let’s have Sonia and Hana scout at the beginning, and we’ll adjust based on the enemy’s movements.” (Lux)
“I agree.” (Heinz)
As we had this conversation, we saw the red line drawn on the main street up ahead, signaling the starting point.
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