"We won!"

Kuro plopped down on the ground and shouted. He looked completely exhausted. Kuro exhausted the most energy from amongst the team. It was no easy feat to carry around a large tree with psychokinetic energy for a long period of time.

"Kuro, you did well."

Han said with a face covered in soot. They got out their water bottles to drink. They rinsed the unpleasant aftertaste of smoke that lingered in their mouths.

"My head feels empty. I wouldn't have been able to hang any longer even if you begged me to."

Kuro spoke while receiving a water bottle from Han.

"We won! You B*****! Are you watching?"

Jose looked to the camera and flipped everyone off. The second years who had been watching expressed various reactions. There were some who said it was funny; there were also those who felt frustrated. Some cursed at the thirteenth squad for using cowardly tactics.

"In a way, it's pretty cowardly."

"Military strategies to begin with, are crude. There is no such thing as a legitimate way to win in war."

"That's true."

The drill instructors who had been watching laughed at the creativeness of the battle tactics. Squad 13 had used different methods, but nothing had gone against the rules.

"But that rascal Han. He's pretty malicious. He didn't relax his focus even when victory was pretty much theirs. He continued to finish the battle."

"The other squad had been put in a state incapable of fighting back, but he continued to fire his gun while hiding behind the tree trunk while only having the point of his gun sticking out."

"He looks like an adult, but if you account for his real age it's a pretty chilling realization."

The instructors agreed simultaneously while they nodded. Han, the leader of squad 13, had begun to attract the drill instructor's attention.

"Ow, ow, oow."

Canute screamed. The doctor fished out the bullets stuck in his skin with a set of tweezers.

It didn't have enough power to kill someone, but the places the bullets dug into had blood flowing out from them. Canute put on some ointment and wrapped his injuries with bandages.

"It's done. The wounds will close soon."

The doctor said as he exited the squad's dorm. Han saw the doctor out and entered Canute's room.

"You worked hard, Canute."

"We won, right?"

Canute asked again. He had fainted during the squad battle. He was having a hard time believing that they had won after awakening.

"Yes, it's all thanks to you. The time you bought us was very useful. It took longer to take down the tree than we originally thought it would."

"So I made the right judgment."

Han nodded. But his expression remained grim.

"But out in real battle, please never make those calls. Even if there is a tiny sliver of chance that you will live, make that choice. If this had been real war, you would have died."

"But I was right tactically. Even if I were to join you guys, I wouldn't have been able to fight. I would probably end up revealing our location to squad 9."

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"..."

Han stopped pressing Canute further. In the end, Canute made the right choice and contributed greatly toward their victory.

"Anyway, we won. Let's celebrate."

Canute sat up. He used Han's shoulders to join the gathering in Jose's room. The party had already started in Jose's room. Jose and Kuro toasted their drinks.

"Hey! How's your body holding up?"

Jose asked Canute.

"I feel like I'm dying. But, there's no way I could miss out on this feast."

The winning squads are awarded special feasts. This special feast is one of the greatest motivations for the students to win. In this place, everyone's meals are strictly controlled, and so these special feasts are the few enjoyments that could be found in Ark. Usually, they can't enjoy greasy foods like this at all.

"Canute, come eat. This is really delicious."

Kuro spoke with a mouth full of food. Canute found a comfortable spot and quickly moved his hands.

"Congratulations for squad 13's first win!"

"We will continue winning, so get used to winning."

"Squad leader Han, hurrah!"

Everyone put in their congratulatory message. Han held up his cup with an embarrassed smile.

"Everyone, thanks. This tactic was pushing it a bit, but our squad pulled through together. If a single member in our team didn't do their part, we couldn't have won."

"It wasn't pushing it at all. It was a great battle plan."

Kuro added his two cents. Han waved his hand and answered.

"It was just luck. Our opponents were easy to read because they were so strong. Squad 9 who specialize in marksmanship would deploy their best for the 4 member squad, I could read their plans like an open book. If our opponent had not been talented in marksmanship, and instead depended on psychic and close combat powers this plan would not have worked."

"That's the amazing part. You have the skills to read your opponent."

"Squad 13 will gain lots of attention from now on. The winning rates for newly appointed squad leaders are very low. This is more so if all the members of the squad are new. Still, we won. This is our chance. We must show others that we are superior."

Their fighting spirit rose high. Squad 13 had been inferior in all aspects, but had a overwhelming victory. Nobody thought they would be able to win through sheer battle tactics.

'Psychic soldiers' traits are like a unique spear. There had never been a squad of this type. The tactical elements are about to greatly evolve.'

A trained psyker has the equivalent strength of a mid-sized squadron. Depending on how one uses that power, it's possible to become much more powerful.'

Han understood this aspect the best amongst all the squad leaders of year 2. He resolutely used Kuro and Jose's psychic abilities as support rather than as the main attackers.

"This means we will become very popular. Haha, ugh."

Canute began to roar with laughter then immediately grasped his chest from the sheering pain from his injuries. Canute was plainly ecstatic.

'I didn't join because I had friendly ties like Kuro or Jose. I joined squad 13 because of the possibilities of this squad and it won my curiosity.'

Canute decided he made the right choice. Han showed concrete results for them.

The party continued deep into the night. Jose ate until his belly was about to burst, then fell asleep on his bed. Canute had returned earlier to rest up due to his injuries. Kuro and Han stayed behind to clean up and left the room.

"Thanks Han. I never thought a day like this would come for me in Ark."

"You gained your strength through your own power. Kuro. You should be proud of yourself."

"Yes, Squad leader."

Kuro gave a light salute and returned to his room. Han also returned to his room. Han laid down on his bed from fatigue. Drowsiness overwhelmed him. He organized all the elements of today's match carefully.

'I can think of many immature mistakes we made. At the same time, there is no such thing as a perfect battle plan. It's just the winner had the better battle tactic. History will be my witness.'

The wars that had changed the world had many mishaps and weaknesses to their battle tactics. From a third party's perspective, there is nothing more easy to breakdown than past events.

What if they did it this way instead- assumptions such as these are pointless. Everyone can point out the mistakes of others.

'That is why I must maintain my objectiveness. I must continue to observe the battle as objectively as possible. I can't compromise for myself either.'

Though young, he was capable of thinking in this way. 'Things will work out somehow in the end.' In his life, if he lived with such a light heart, it would mean starvation and possibly death.

The optimistic brightness of life is a luxury. If mistakes were made, or if he failed, a life of tomorrow was not guaranteed.

Uuoooo.

Han used his telekinesis to bring over the holographic photo frame from his desk. His younger siblings' faces flashed past in order.

"I can't take pictures of myself to send them anymore. I grew up like this all by myself."

Han was one of the best students in class. Major Kang joyously promised hefty sponsorship for Han's younger siblings.

"I had said that I would become the best before I came to this place."

He mumbled to himself. At the time, he had more fighting spirit than his current self. He felt like anything would be possible after living through the hell-like land.

'I can't think easily of Ark. Only the best of the best amongst the world's children are gathered here. A normal child like Kuro is considered very weak in this place. It's the other children who have such a strong mind who are out of place and strange in reality. In Ark, the unusual becomes normal and the usual becomes unusual. If one doesn't stand out, it's not possible to rise in rank.'

Han thought of his past. He could still remember it like yesterday.

'I came to a place where it's not possible to survive through normal means.'

South Korea was one of the top richest countries in the world, but the Korea Han had lived in was straight hell.

Starvation overwhelmed the lands outside of the cities, it was common for people to commit murder over a bag of rice. To Han, defeat or a mistake was equivalent to death itself.

Han held his breath. He paused and waited for his opponent.

'If we win this round, we will have four wins.'