Chapter 43: The Conqueror's Gambit
Winner takes all – Round Three: Capture the Flag
The final round is here, and the Grand Arena shakes with anticipation.
This time, it's not puppets.
This time, it's real.
20 vs. 20. Capture the Flag.
The students, spectators, and nobles all lean forward in excitement. Even King Alan and Queen Elsa are in attendance, watching silently as history unfolds.
MC steps forward, raising the mic with a grin.
> "This is it! The final round! 20 warriors on each side, using their strength, their minds—and their bond as a team! The goal? Seize the enemy's flag—and protect your own! Let the best team win!"
---
Team Lux:
Formation: 10 in center defense, 5 on flanks, 5 hidden in ambush.
Strategy: Solid defense, controlled aggression.
Team Synoh:
Synoh, Edward, Mina, and 17 others stand ready.
Edward cracks his knuckles. Mina ties her hair back, eyes focused.
Just before the whistle, Synoh steps forward and speaks.
> "Everyone's expecting us to defend… because defending makes winning easier."
"But we're not here to play it safe. We're here to conquer."
"Today, we flip the board—we'll take the risk, we'll take the fight to them."
"We're not defenders. We're warriors."
The team roars, fired up by Synoh's words.
---
Synoh splits the team:
5 scouts head out… but only 1 returns, panting.
> "The rest… ambushed! They're expecting an attack."
Synoh's eyes narrow—but he smirks.
> "Good. That means we know where they're waiting."
New orders:
Edward and Mina lead 10 members straight toward Lux's center—but cautiously, spacing out, baiting the ambush traps.
Synoh and the remaining 5 members begin the long route—circling the arena's outer perimeter, flanking from behind Lux's flag.
---
Tension rises.
Lux, Yuta, and their team brace for an all-out assault.
Their ambush is triggered—but Edward's group keeps distance. They strike, retreat, strike again, forcing Lux's team to stay occupied.
> Yuta: "They're not coming in… they're just testing us."
Lux: "They're buying time."
He looks toward the rear.
> "No... they're doing something else."
---
Meanwhile, Synoh's squad moves silently through the terrain, climbing, ducking, and crawling through hidden paths and debris.
They reach the rear edge of the arena—right behind Lux's flag.
The final question hangs in the air:
> Can Edward and Mina keep the heat up long enough…
for Synoh to strike from the shadows?