The flames Izumo unleashed spread across the world, which had become overgrown with magical plants, turning it into a wasteland that had looked abandoned for three days. The flames licked through Blade Flowers, grass, and what seemed to have been an academic facility, burning everything to ashes.

The grass growing on the ground burned nicely like kindling, and turned into ash along with the magical plants that had been growing as if to block Izumo and his comrades’ path. 

Izumo grinned, satisfied, feeling the result.

“Alright, this should work. As expected of the 20 billion Ele spirit armor. The power is on a whole different level compared to the ones we’ve used before.” (Izumo)

“Captain, no need to show off that you can use Old World language, ye know.”

“Right, let’s burn everything down as planned.”

His subordinates laughed and teased him as they used high-level fire magic to continue burning the magical plants. The performance was just as expected from their previous battle assessments, and Izumo was satisfied with the results.

The spirit armor Rokumonsen was the latest model, having just been rolled out, and cost 20 billion for a single unit. The cost would come down once mass-produced, but for now, it was the highest-class spirit armor available.

Its silhouette was that of a warlord’s armor draped in red cloth, with six units of coin-like bits attached to both shoulders. These six Rokumonsen bits were infused with the Artificial Spirit Plasma Wisp, and when deployed, they could form a plasma field. The AI of the Artificial Spirit automatically defends the wearer, offering auto-protection. The spirit armor itself was incredibly high-performing, boosting physical abilities to superhuman levels.

The weapon it was equipped with was a magical spear, specialized for using high-level fire magic, amplifying power by 50% more than any spirit armor previously used by the national army.

For long-range attacks, it could use wide-area spells like Flare or Flare Lance. In close combat, the spear could transform and pierce enemies with superheated strikes.

The performance of Rokumonsen made previous generations of spirit armor obsolete.

“Alright, burn everything down so the squads coming behind us can move easily. All squads, form a wedge formation and cut through the weeds.”

Izumo gave his orders as the captain of this 200-man unit.

“Roger, we’ll enter from the right side.”

“Save some for us, will ya?”

When he looked at his subordinates disembarking from the helicopter, some had suffered minor injuries and retreated, but none were lost. 

Izumo sighed in relief, reassured by the elite members of the Sanadamaru Corps and the advanced spirit armor Rokumonsen, which allowed them to withdraw safely even amidst surprise anti-air attacks.

The squads quickly began to move and take their assigned positions, starting their attacks. 

Blade Flowers moved their roots, emerging from the flames, but their bladed petals were blocked by the Rokumonsen bits’ auto-protection, never reaching their targets. Claymore Sunflowers’ bullets were also easily deflected by the all-around field formed by the Rokumonsen bits.

The Sanadamaru Corps continued burning their enemies with counterattacks and high-level fire magic, advancing smoothly.

“This is too easy. Rokumonsen’s performance is so exceptional, we didn’t even need this much preparation.”

A faint sense of awkwardness settled in as they advanced through the ruins around them. It felt more like a routine task, and it was clear this had been set up as a demonstration for the Rokumonsen.

“This dramatic debut is probably to sell this spirit armor to other areas too.”

“This machine must have cost a fortune after all~. I heard it was made by Onodera and Yoroizuka. They probably want to recover the development costs.”

“Nah man, I want nothing to do with the political world.”

Izumo continued to move forward while grimacing bitterly. According to the map displayed inside his helmet, they had covered about five kilometers. They were nearing the halfway point to their destination.

“We should be seeing monsters capable of anti-air attacks soon. … Is that it?” 

He checked the energy orbs still flying from the distance and noticed a dense forest with towering giant trees. Next to one of the giant trees, there was a monstrous flower about ten meters tall, swelling its bud as if preparing to release a light orb toward the sky.

The speed of the projectiles was slow enough that Rokumonsen could easily evade or block them with its bits, but for the following units, they could become a significant threat.

“Should we push ahead and charge straight to the forest? No, that’d be dangerous if we get surrounded. We should advance carefully.” (Izumo)

A captain should be cautious. Many monsters were still spread out in front of the forest. No need to rush. His subordinates’ lives were in his hands. Izumo chose the safer option with some hesitation.

━━━ But that assumed the monsters’ battle tactics remained the same, and that they would only charge recklessly. In the back of his mind, he assumed they lacked intelligence.

That assumption was soon overturned by a message from another squad.

<<Uh, Captain? Aren’t the Blade Flowers that resist fire starting to increase?>>

Izumo furrowed his brow at the suspicious voice from the squad leader, then looked toward the flames in front of him.

“Hm? Is that so? … You’re right. There used to be just a few, but now there are more than ten left unburnt?” (Izumo)

The Blade Flowers should have been reduced to ashes with Flare. They were low-level monsters, so they naturally shouldn’t have been able to withstand the spell.

That’s when Izumo realized something was wrong.

(Wait, none of them should have survived the Flares. Why did one remain from the start? Something feels off… I’ve got a bad feeling about this!) (Izumo)

Izumo, who is experienced in combat, immediately sent a message to the rear.

“This is Lieutenant Izumo, captain of the Sanadamaru Corps. Who’s commanding the rear?”

<<This is Captain Toyomi of the Tank Corps. I-Is something wrong?>>

Hearing the shaky, fearful voice, Izumo clicked his tongue, sensing there was something they didn’t know.

They should have investigated in detail, but he accepted the words of the commander without much fuzz after hearing about the type of enemies. 

“Something’s off. The enemy is withstanding our Flare, and the number of resistant monsters is increasing. Do you know anything about this?” (Izumo)

<<!!! That’s bad! They’re adapting far faster than expected! Lieutenant Izumo, advance quickly! We’ll rush to meet you at full speed!>>

“Adaptability? What are you talking abou—” (Izumo)

Izumo tried to press for an answer, but before he could finish, a sudden explosion echoed from his obstructed right front in the ruined mansion. He cut off communication and raised his spear, readying himself.

“What happened? What’s going on?” (Izumo)

Explosions continued from the right front. It was clear they were under heavy counterattack.

<<T-This is the third squad! The squad leader has been killed by a sudden ambush! I’m taking over—uwaaah!>>

Another explosion, and the communication was cut off.

“Everyone, stay alert! It seems we’ve been ambushed. Identify the attack and report back!” (Izumo)

“Roger! Whoa—”

One of his subordinates cried out in surprise. 

Izumo turned to look at him. The Rokumonsen bits had automatically deployed in front of him, distorting the space to block the attack and discharging a violent amount of electricity.

“That was close! If it weren’t for the Rokumonsen bits, I’d be dead. These things are lifesavers.”

“What happened?” (Izumo)

“It seems to be an invisible sonic beam. Its power is immense, so it’s likely that’s what hit the squad.”

“Tch, so they had that up their sleeve.” (Izumo)

From the shadow of the collapsed mansion, a plant with a stalk resembling a tuning fork swayed gently. It distorted the space as it gathered mana between the prongs of the fork, releasing a sonic beam. The ground it passed through formed deep grooves, kicking up clouds of dust.

“This is bad. That thing’s power is massive. If we take a direct hit, even the Rokumonsen’s spirit barrier might not hold. Code Two, Three, take it down!”

“Code Two, engaging the target.” 

“Code Three, moving to support Code Two from the rear.”

His subordinates dashed across the grass, trampling it and smashing through abandoned vehicles as they closed in on the hidden tuning-fork creature.

Just as Izumo was about to launch a fire spell with his spear, a nearby Blade Flower began to swell, transforming into a young tree.

“What? Is this Blade Flower evolving?”

The Blade Flower’s roots twisted together, its branches morphing into arms. In no time, it turned into a wooden humanoid, and attacked with its now larger, razor-sharp petal blades.

“Whoa, this thing!”

The Rokumonsen Bits automatically shielded the petals, but one of the stunned subordinates tried to recover his stance. The Blade Flower, now a humanoid figure resembling a finely crafted western knight, rapidly closed the distance, its arm transforming into a sword as it slashed at him.

“It won’t go like you want! W-What?!”

The subordinate spun his spear to block the sword, but a thin sonic beam from the opposite side struck his side, gouging out a chunk of flesh.

Staggering from the unexpected attack, he was then hit by a flurry of strikes from the Blade Flower and sliced apart.

“Damn you! You’ll pay for that!”

Code Three swung his flame-wreathed spear at the creature. The Blade Flower, now more accurately called a Blade Treant, blocked it with brute strength. It managed to parry Code Three’s attack despite its clumsy movements.

“Fall back, Code Three! That position is—damn it!” (Izumo)

Izumo leaped away as another sonic beam passed by. The other Blade Flowers were also evolving into Blade Treants, closing in as Izumo thrust his spear to maintain the distance.

Meanwhile, the battle for Code Three continued, but…

“No, stop! Rokumonsen Bits, that attack can be blocked with a spear! Don’t defend against it, it’s an obvious trap—gah!”

The Rokumonsen Bits automatically blocked the incoming petal blades, and during that brief moment when his spear was blocking the sword of the Blade Treant, Code Three was impaled by a sonic beam and exploded into pieces.

“C-Captain, this is bad. The enemy has figured out how to counter our automatic defenses! They’re learning!”

The enemy was deliberately triggering the Rokumonsen Bits with light attacks, creating openings to strike. Meanwhile, the Blade Treants were closing in to disrupt movement, making it almost impossible to avoid the barrage of sonic beams.

“Damn it, their coordination is insane. No human could pull this off. It’s a trap! We’ve foolishly shown them our combat capabilities! That damn commander knew the enemy had this level of adaptability!” (Izumo)

Izumo now understood why the Tank Corp’s commander had been so pale and why they hadn’t advanced. His allies had already been defeated!

Izumo’s face twisted in frustration while unleashing a Flare. Even under the intense flames of the spell, the Blade Treants continued their assault, not even singed.

(Fire resistance! Where is it? Where’s the monster casting support magic hiding?) (Izumo)

They had clearly adapted to their use of fire spells. This was a fatal blow. Specializing in fire magic had backfired on them.

No matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t spot the creature granting the Blade Treants their fire resistance. It was likely enhancing their physical strength as well.

Izumo roared like a beast with mana bursting out from his whole body while clashing intensely.

“Uoooo! If fire doesn’t work, I’ll just beat you down!” (Izumo)

[Shura Quad Strike]

Izumo clad himself in an aura and split into four copies of himself, each one thrusting their spear. All four spears pierced the Blade Treant, reducing it to splinters.

He surveyed his surroundings while panting. His subordinates were struggling to fight back, overwhelmed by the coordination of the enemy and the relentless attacks from the Blade Treants.

The situation worsened as explosions echoed from behind them. The Tank Corps that intended to join were definitely ambushed as well.

“…Everyone, retreat! There’s no chance of victory here anymore. Don’t worry about formations, just fall back!” (Izumo)

Izumo gave the regretful order to his subordinates with a bitter expression.

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