Chapter 3: Do You Like Me? (3)

“By the way, how did you do that, Kayron? Not only did you dodge all of my strikes, but you also managed to grab me right in front of my face!”

“Uh, well….”

What could I even say?

I just… saw it happen, and my body moved on its own.

“Just… like that?”

“...What does that even mean?”

At my vague response of “Just,” Avelin bit her lip hard, trembling with frustration.

“So you’re saying… I’m supposed to believe that your skills suddenly skyrocketed overnight, Kayron?”

“It’s the truth. Would you believe me if I said I don’t even know how I did it?”

The Black Iron Brigade, who had been watching us, began murmuring among themselves.

“As expected of our captain! Avelin doesn’t stand a chance against him!”

“Serves her right for charging in so boldly after disrespecting our captain. Look at her now!”

But the Silver Guard quickly jumped to her defense.

“This is just because Avelin-nim wasn’t feeling well today!”

“Exactly! She held back because she didn’t want to inflict any critical injuries on a comrade!”

While the subordinates argued based on their interpretations, Avelin and I knew the truth.

In the past, we were evenly matched, but now, I had clearly surpassed her.

Avelin stood there silently, glaring at me for a long time. Finally, she spoke slowly.

“I concede.”

“What? Hey, Avelin, you only got blocked once during a proper attack. How can you just….”

“Silver Guard”

Ignoring my protests, Avelin shouted firmly and turned around.

“Let’s head back. But remember this, all of you. This isn’t the defeat of the Silver Guar. It’s my loss alone.”

Though we came here for a sparring match, it hadn’t even turned into a proper fight. Even so, the Silver Guard followed her without question.

The Black Iron Brigade and I quietly watched them leave.

Then, one of my subordinates shouted.

“We won!”

“Yeah! Look at those pale-faced folks retreating! Since our captain defeated their commander, it’s as good as us winning overall… Ow!”

“Shut up, you idiots.”

Grabbing the heads of the two shouting subordinates, I knocked them lightly together.

“Why, why, Captain?! We won, didn’t we?”

“I saw it. You didn’t dominate the Silver Guard. You fought them evenly at best. So….”

As I trailed off, the Black Iron Brigade braced themselves, knowing what was coming next.

“Today’s an all-day special training session! Head to the training ground, now!”

“Yes, sir!”

Despite my abrupt order, the Black Iron Brigade responded loudly and immediately ran to the training ground in formation.

“…What’s going on with you, Captain?”

My trusted lieutenant, Plymouth, had clearly noticed my change.

“Your improvement is undeniable, Captain. But what just happened wasn’t something that could be chalked up to mere luck.”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. But there’s one thing I’m certain of.”

I raised my hands and stared at them.

“I’ve gotten stronger.”

“Huh… To suddenly become this strong… could it be…?”

Plymouth’s expression grew serious.

He always had a sharp intuition. He could analyze demons’ weaknesses just by observing their appearance and movements, and he had contributed significantly to the unique combat strategies of the Black Iron Brigade.

If anyone could figure out the cause, it might be Plymouth.

“Do you have any idea, Plymouth?”

“Sleeping in.”

“…What?”

Plymouth nodded solemnly.

“The only change is that you overslept, Captain. Perhaps we need to reevaluate the sleep schedules of the entire unit.”

“That’s… really what you think?”

“As you know, Captain, my instincts are rarely wrong. I’ll revise everyone’s schedules starting tomorrow!”

“Somehow, this doesn’t feel right… but let’s head to the training ground for now. As their commander, I’ll sweat alongside them as usual.”

I hurried my steps.

Still, something lingered in my mind.

Avelin’s defeated expression. Her lips, bitten so hard they nearly bled.

***

“Here I come! Block this well!”

“Bring it on anytime!”

With a massive club in hand, I charged forward, and the Black Iron Brigade moved in perfect unison, shouting in unison.

“Black Iron Shield Wall!!”

“Raise it!!”

Bang!

The shield wall shook violently under the impact of my heavy attack. However, thanks to their coordinated effort to distribute the shock, the wall held its ground firmly.

What followed next was a seamless counterattack.

“We held it!”

“Then, strike!!”

A calculated gap appeared in the shield wall, and through that opening, countless spears thrust toward me.

Dodging the spears with ease, I shouted, “What’s wrong with you? The timing on your spear thrusts is too slow! If I weren’t your commander but a demon, you’d all have been torn to shreds by now!”

“Apologies, sir!”

“Let’s go again! This time, focus properly!”

The Black Iron Brigade’s combat strategy was simple.

Against demons, much larger and stronger than humans, they relied on teamwork. They blocked the demons’ attacks together and exploited the openings created during the defense to counter with precise spear thrusts.

This method, known as the Black Iron Shield Wall, was straightforward but effective.

However, if even one person failed to hold their position or maintain coordination, the entire formation could collapse, putting everyone in danger.

To prepare for this, we trained daily, pushing ourselves to the brink of exhaustion. We worked together to strengthen our bonds, ensuring we could trust one another implicitly.

Critics often dismissed it as crude and unrefined, but that didn’t matter.

Despite the casualties that came with every battle, the Black Iron Brigade consistently suffered the fewest losses.

As for those who dared to criticize us? The demons usually silenced them before we needed to bother.

“Alright, block this one too! Here I come again!”

“We’re ready, sir!”

The subordinates braced themselves and successfully held off my attack once more. But this time, I put more force behind the swing, far more than before.

Bang!

“Arghhh!”

The shield wall shattered completely under my club, and my subordinates were sent flying.

“Uh… uh…?”

To think the Black Iron Shield Wall could be destroyed so easily.

Sure, I put a bit more strength into it, but something like this had never happened before.

Instinctively, my gaze returned to my hands.

From catching Avelin’s sword with my palm to now breaking the famously resilient shield wall like it was nothing—something about my strength wasn’t normal.

Usually, even after being knocked down, my subordinates would spring back up and reform their positions. But this time, they were trembling, unable to get up.

“Ugh… ugh…”

“We apologize, Captain. We weren’t strong enough to block it.”

“No, you gave it your all. That’s enough for now. Take a break!”

As soon as I declared a rest period, the subordinates helped each other up, sharing food and drinks as they recovered together.

“Great work, Jeff. You held out better than before.”

“Same to you. Look at these arms! I’ve trained so hard, even the ladies would be impressed!”

“Ha! Don’t forget, I’ve got a wife and daughter at home!”

The camaraderie within the Black Iron Brigade was one of the key reasons for their resilience. Their bonds strengthened the shield wall, making it an unbreakable force when united.

“But seriously, Captain Kayron, you’re incredible,” one subordinate remarked, staring at my hands.

“You keep getting stronger, sir. We’ve trained with you so many times, but it’s the first time you completely obliterated us.”

“Thanks for the compliment, but I don’t know…”

I clenched and unclenched my fists, trying to sense if anything felt different. But apart from this surge of power, there was nothing unusual.

“I know something’s on your mind, but don’t let it show,” said Plymouth, patting my shoulder.

“If the captain looks troubled, it’ll lower the morale of the troops.”

“You’re right, Plymouth.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. If the captain gets stronger, it just means we’re safer.”

“How do you always know the right thing to say, Plymouth? Hm?”

Over Plymouth’s shoulder, I spotted someone approaching the training ground.

The subordinates noticed as well and immediately stood up, readying themselves.

“Isn’t that Avelin? What’s she doing here?”

“She doesn’t look happy… Could she be here for revenge?”

Avelin walked straight across the training ground with her head lowered.

When she reached me, her voice trembled slightly.

“Kayron, follow me. Now.”

“You can’t just order me to follow you out of nowhere. As you can see, I’m in the middle of training….”

“Then I’ll wait! Just make time for me!”

“I have plans after this. I’m eating with the subordinates who trained with me….”

“Say one more word, and I swear—just come with me!!”

Her voice, firm and burning with determination, left no room for argument.

There was something about Avelin that felt unshakable… almost fiery.

--- The End OF The Chapter --

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