After over half an hour, the open space near the cover was filled with people lying in all sorts of positions. Those who hadn't fallen were sitting on the ground, either groaning while clutching their wounds or gasping for breath.
"Hehe, it looks like I'm the victor of this chaotic battle," the only person standing declared, planting his scythe into the ground and crossing his arms.
"Foul play! Captain, what you did is foul play," protested Pentacle Four, one of the team members who had a close relationship with Shinji.
As soon as these words were uttered, they received immediate support from the teammates who had been beaten by Shinji.
"They're right."
"You weren't here when the match started, so you don't qualify to participate."
"Yeah, no qualifications."
"That doesn't count."
...
Listening to the constant stream of protests, Shinji wasn't angered. He calmly listened until the exhausted and injured teammates grew tired of shouting. Then, with no hurry, he asked, "Are you finished?"
... No one answered.
"If you're not finished, you can continue."
... Still, no one answered.
"It seems you're finished. Then, let me speak—"
Shinji raised his right hand and extended a finger.
"—Is there a rule that states members who weren't present before the match cannot participate?"
"W-Well... there isn't," Pentacle Four seemed to realize something, and his voice weakened significantly.
"So I qualify to participate."
With that sentence, Shinji silenced everyone.
Everyone present was among the elite of the new generation of magus. No one would utter foolish words like "this is unfair" because magecraft itself was inherently unfair.
Why couldn't ordinary people become magus?
Why did some people have more magic circuits while others had fewer?
Why did some people have ordinary attributes like 'water,' while others possessed all five major attributes of 'earth, water, fire, wind, and void'?
Why did some people struggle their whole lives without achieving a high rank, while others could become top-ranking at a young age?
If they couldn't understand this, they were not qualified to join the Brigade.
As for the so-called glory of magus and the rules of combat between magus adhered to by the Clock Tower, Shinji didn't need to explain. The veteran members of the team would naturally take on the responsibility of teaching the young ones. They had been tormented by Chariot and Judgment in the past, and now that they had the chance, they would naturally "avenge" themselves on the newcomers. The eight recruits had also faced their fair share of hardships since joining the team, which was inevitable in any military unit. Shinji saw this as a positive development.
Of course, they were all young people, and even if they understood this principle, there would still be complaints from time to time.
In a slightly eased atmosphere, Shinji heard several people quietly grumbling:
"The captain disappeared for so long, and when he finally returns, he bullies us. Not cool."
"If we had known the captain was back, the whole team would have united against him."
After thinking for a moment, Shinji felt it was the right time to add fuel to the fire.
"I know you're all unhappy. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be happy either. But along with that unhappiness, I hope you remember today's lesson. Anything unexpected can happen on the battlefield, so we must always remain vigilant under any circumstances. Understand?"
"Understood," the crowd responded with scattered voices.
"Speak louder, I can't hear you!"
"Loud and clear!" The voices instantly amplified tenfold.
"Oh? Quite spirited, it seems you still have some energy left. Well then, since you're unhappy, I'll give you a chance to vent. Anyone who can still fight can join in, and I'll be the only opponent—how about it, are you up for it or not? Opportunities don't come twice, you know? Though I don't think even if you all gang up on me, you can win."
It was tempting and provoking, and the young and ambitious elites couldn't bear it any longer.
The most restless one, Pentacle Four, was the first to stand up. "Captain, although I admire you, I don't believe what you just said."
"I don't believe it either." Another newcomer, who hadn't completely lost their arrogance, stood up. The eight newcomers who had recently joined the team were not yet fully integrated, so they were temporarily referred to as "New One" to "New Eight."
"And me, I want to see if I can stand firm before the captain this time." Pentacle Three, who had been standing at attention for several months, stepped forward.
With a few people taking the lead, the rest followed naturally. Almost everyone who could move stood up, ready to strike back at the captain's arrogance. It would be even better if they could remove that skull mask.
After dealing with the Hideo Hayama, Shinji developed a liking for wearing masks. So this time, when he returned to the base, he specially prepared a sturdy, durable mask with some special features to wear on his face, giving him a more Death God-like appearance, reminiscent of characters from movies and TV shows.
The reason why it was "almost" everyone, not everyone, was because two individuals had indeed regained some of their combat abilities but still sat with the severely injured personnel.
"Chariot, Judgment, aren't you two coming together? Without your command, their coordination might be problematic."
"Captain, I've taken so many of your attacks. I'm in pain all over now, and I'm powerless."
"Same here. My secret technique requires a certain cost, so I can't move for the time being."
Looking at the lackeys lying on the ground, feigning death, Shinji could only inwardly curse, "You two cunning fellows."
The "Topple the Captain Alliance" that had formed on the open space urged incessantly:
"Captain, are you ready?"
"Captain, are you afraid now?"
"Captain, it's not too late to surrender."
...
Facing the provocation from his brigade, Shinji raised his head and deliberately said in a disdainful tone. "I should be saying these words to you. It's not too late for you to surrender now. Once I make a move, there will be no turning back."
"Captain, we're all waiting for you to make a move."
Pentacle Three, standing at the forefront of the team, beckoned to Shinji.
However, before the hand gesture was completed, Shinji's "skull face" had already appeared in front of him.
"Well, you said it."
With a response, a palm shining with golden light imprinted itself on the chest of Pentacle Three, directly blasting him out of the "Topple the Captain Alliance" team. Two unfortunate fellows who couldn't dodge in time suffered the same fate.
Then, amidst the radiant Buddhist light emanating from Shinji's "Vajra's Left Arm," he charged into the crowd with the momentum of a descending dragon and pouncing tiger. Wherever he went, cries of pain echoed.
Five minutes later, the scene repeated itself, and no one except Shinji remained standing.
"I told you, even if you all attack together, you can't defeat me."
"The captain has become even stronger, he's a monster!" Someone couldn't help but curse.
"Thank you for your kind words. I will continue to work hard and become even stronger."
"But with this, we might be able to complete the mission entrusted by the family."
Whispered the captain of the Scepter squad, King.