Needless To Say, This Was A Waste of Time. (15.4)

…

If no plan survives first contact with the enemy, then what one needs to do is be the enemy. Plans are too damned useful to simply throw out of the window. I was sure that whoever said that tactics are useless in a fight was either incompetent, idiotic, or both. Going into battle without a plan or with the plan to "wing it" is pretty much the same as saying you'll just "do your best." Well, I hate to say it (lol), but the truth is that the average person's "best" equates only to "there was an attempt."

Human beings, in the end, all start as trash and will stay trash if nothing is done to work against it.

A finger poked my cheek.

"Hikigaya-kun~." Oi, stop that, Orimoto. You do not have the required appeal to pull off lengthening words, especially while wearing the armor set I've given you. The only way you can pull that move off in the anime would be if we were suddenly all turned into poorly drawn and comedic cutouts. I know that the anime studio's budget for Zaimokuza's atrocity would be low, but at the very least I'm sure that they can afford to show the three of us standing still and looking down at the Coliseum! "The fight's already started, why aren't we helping your friends out?"

"On the contrary; it doesn't seem like Cranel-kun and the others need help. Cranel, Arde, and your other two students are effectively mitigating the Ishtar Familia's skirmishing and allowing the rest to counter the tactics which the Apollo and Soma Familias employed through magic." Ryu—Lyon decided to speak in my stead. At the very top of the Coliseum, the elf peered over the edge to take in the battle. Man it sure must be nice to have the vision of a Level 4. At Level 3, the most that I can do is see that the battle is going well down below. Anyway, Laulos had employed the tactics I expected her to use, and the Brat and everyone else seemed to be faring well. "However, the Level 5 has yet to make a move and is protecting a cloaked individual, which is disturbing. I'm unsure as to the reason why they would keep her in reserve… or why they would bring someone along who requires protection."

"The same reason we're here instead of down there. They want to see if they need to show off all their cards or if they can get away with just what they have now." Orario, being a terrible place, was competitive to the extreme. If you show off your entire hand in a battle then in the next you'll find your previous tactics and secrets countered. Apollo and Soma were pretty much showing off that even weaker Adventurers can stand up to those with higher levels and better training with the right tactics and equipment. Ishtar revealed that she had a core group of well-trained high-level warriors and two aces up her sleeve or wherever it is prostitutes keep what they want to hide. Overall, if you had a gimmick, you wanted to keep it hidden until the last moment unless you wanted it to blow up in your face. "They're waiting to see if they need to go all-in or if they can make do with what they have."

"Neh, Hikigaya-kun, are you sure you don't just want to be the hero and charge in at the best moment?" Oi, Orimoto, stop that. That most definitely isn't the case. I'm here, as I already said, to attack the enemy when they are at their weakest. Naturally, that means I'll have to attack them when they believe that they have achieved victory and that defeat is impossible. "Shouldn't we at least deal with their secret weapon? That cloaked girl in the back seems too important to ignore, you knooww~."

"A preemptive strike seems prudent, but given that a decisive victory is needed, it may be pertinent to allow the enemy to grow to their full strength before striking them down." I don't know whether to be thankful or scared by your support, Lyon. Preemptive strikes is just a fancy way of saying attacking first, y'know? I'm Japanese. The last time we tried that, it didn't work out too well. Americans have it as their MO nowadays, but last time I bothered to check it wasn't working out that well for them either. Don't think I'm not watching out for those Familia-Destroyer traits you confirmed you had! "However, I'll leave the decision to you, Hachiman." She turned to me for a second, looking over her shoulder from her crouch, and gave me a nod. "Just keep in mind that if we're too late Cranel-kun and the others might get hurt."

"…I'll put them through the wringer if they get hurt by anything besides that Level 5." The group of Amazons that Ishtar had skirmishing and doing what I'd believe the Level 5 would do were all in the 3 and 4 range. The brats shouldn't have trouble against them. In fact, why weren't those Amazons down for the count yet? Did they see through Ishtar's plan and know that the Level 5 would be sent in only when those guys fell? I mean, it was obvious from my perspective, but I wasn't sure if my brats could see through the plan. Battle had a way of creating mono-focus. This was a good way to test whether or not they had decent battlefield awareness if nothing else. "We'll attack the moment the Level 5 or that 'secret weapon' of Ishtar makes a move."

Orimoto gave a nod but kept her bow at the ready. Lyon said nothing because she already said she'd follow my orders. As far as compromises went it was the best one I'd ever had. I mean, for the most part, I compromised very little while Orimoto's plan was almost summarily rejected. So, really, it wasn't a good compromise since those would have everyone unhappy. Since I was happy and Orimoto simply assented, I technically won. So, in the end, it wasn't even a compromise (lol).

I looked over the battle in earnest, focusing as much as I could to discern who was who among my students and taking in just how effective the pike formation was. Given that their uniforms were similar and they moved properly, I could only tell the difference between Erisuis, Nelly, Arde, and Cranel by the way they fought. Arde fought with her hands gauntleted, Nelly with her claymore and shields, Erisuis like a madwoman, and Cranel was the most average of the four. They engaged the group of Amazon Warriors again and again. I could tell they were holding back, buying time, and slowly wearing their opponents down. They could have easily rushed the Amazons one after another. Challia and Yamato offset both the Soma and Apollo Familias on their lonesome. Yamato, as expected of an anime katana user, was parrying incoming arrows and guarding the mage. Challia, being moderately skilled, was actually able to use concurrent chanting. Overall, the two were doing a good job of kiting the mass of pikes and bows while picking them apart.

Cranel had taken my words too seriously. If the enemy was this weak and unorganized, he should have definitely changed tactics and focused on taking them down. Sure there was the danger of Jamil coming in to engage them along with the mysterious, cloaked, and not-at-all-special figure that she was guarding. The Soma and Apollo Familias were getting whittled down, but the casualties were very light due to the fact Challia was holding herself back from firing at the formation at point-blank range and allowing Yamato to cast her gravity spell to destroy the whole block.

Though I hadn't wanted to look at this War Game like a way to teach my students, mostly because I'd already spent so much money since I believed that it was a true threat, I was seeing what Orimoto must have realized at first glance: despite being incredibly outnumbered and outgunned, the group I had would've already won if I hadn't told them to hold back. Why? Well, because I'd made the mistake of thinking the Ishtar, Apollo, and Soma Familias had anything besides an alliance of convenience. To put it simply, instead of fighting against three veteran forces working together, there were three different groups of decent individuals with a vague understanding of tactics with their own separate goals.

Meaning, of course, that I had wasted time and money over a battle that could've been won decisively with just what I had available. Hell, from what I was looking at, I could've probably just sat in the audience, provided commentary, and gotten screen time explaining how much stronger Cranel had gotten while I was in my coma! Goddammit! Overall, I wasted an opportunity to become a more important character, money, time, money, and —most importantly—money!

Goddammit, I hadn't needed to buy these extra Crozzo swords and weapons forged from the Asura from Under Resort at all!

And I was sure that Orimoto knew all of that already.

I stood up, bit my tongue, and as calmly as I could I turned to Orimoto and Lyon.

"Change of plans; we're attacking now and ending this joke of a battle right now." I needed to get a telescope or something. If my eyes had been able to see what was happening at the Arena without concentration I was sure that my Skill would've been able to process the situation. Wait, no, that would have just had me jumping in right away. It wouldn't have saved my money! So, in the end, the fault lay in the fact that Apollo, Soma, and Ishtar were trash! If they were better gods they would've had decent Familias who could actually put up a fight! Those bastards made me expect too much of them, dammit! "You two engage Jamil. I'll handle the one in the cloak and the pike block."

"Got it, Hachiman." Lyon, thankfully, just pulled up her mask and hefted the quarterstaff I'd purchased for her. The pitch-black weapon didn't fit with the rest of her attire, but I doubted that she'd shelve it in favor of the stick she'd been using earlier. Made from the bones of the Asura, Bors told me that the weapons I purchased seemed to exhibit properties of Durandal enchantments. They were indestructible and only needed sharpening ever so often. If not for the fact the Asura was terrifying and could easily kill dozens of Adventurers, he would be tempted to try and have another of the Cataclysms come into being. "I will see that brute on her knees."

With that curious phrase, the elf launched herself off the ledge straight down.

Though I was glad that Lyon chose against commenting, I knew better than to think Orimoto would be nearly as gracious. Looking upon her, I never thought a plain, white face could look insufferably smug, but it appeared I was wrong once more.

"You really worry too much, Hikigaya-kun~." Orimoto sauntered over to my side and gave a slight laugh. My former classmate gave me a cheery series of pats on my back. Please, Orimoto, this sort of treatment is inhumane. Stop this instant. There is no need to rub salt in the wound, even if I'm sure you noticed how smug I was moments ago! Be the better person, the nice girl you're supposed to be. I get teased way too much already in this damned world! "But I suppose that's just how a teacher would react when they think their students are in danger, right? Or, with how much Valis you spent, is it more of a father buying the very best for his kids?"

There was only one response to those words.

"No. Go die."

I grabbed Orimoto and threw her at the battle.

She was laughing as she made her way down.

Dammit.