I was able to impart the Wave technique to every member of the Special Task Force.
Since they were all exceptional talents handpicked by Irena for the Special Task Force, they picked it up remarkably quickly.
Once they began combining Aura Energy techniques with the Wave technique, their combat power increased by nearly four times.
But it was still not enough.
The Wave technique had to spread widely enough in the future to surpass Aura Energy techniques entirely.
Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to avert the destruction fated for this world.
"I admit defeat. Thanks to you, I've learned a valuable lesson."
"I've learned from you as well."
This time, too, I was sparring with the regular knights of the knight order.
But there was one small difference from before—they were now addressing me with respect.
Seven years had already passed since I arrived at the Northern Frontline.
I'd endured for so long that the knight order's roster had changed.
After the Radiata subjugation battle, all the knights more senior than me—with the exception of Irena and her adjutant—had been replaced.
Sir Dolphin, with whom I'd grown close, had lost a leg in the last great beast subjugation and retired.
They were young regular knights fresh out of the academy, brimming with hot-blooded vigor.
That made 21 consecutive wins.
Having grown through countless brushes with death, I could now guarantee a 100% victory against regular knights.
"Ian, sir, may I ask you one question?"
"Of course."
"In today's sparring, were you using that secret technique your unit has been discreetly passing down?"
"Yes. It's a technique called the Wave method. It hasn't been fully verified yet, so we're only employing it within the unit for now."
The young knight who'd lost to me asked with shining eyes.
"Could you possibly teach it to me as well?"
Starting with that knight, the others who'd been listening nearby swarmed over.
"W-Would it be possible for me too?"
"If it's feasible, I'd be most grateful!"
"Me too!"
Word among the soldiers was that the Wave technique had become famous as a special secret art taught only to Special Task Force members.
This was likely because the unit members who'd mastered it began pulling off feats like subjugating high-rank great beasts.
Of course, I had no intention of treating the Wave technique like some esoteric secret art.
"It's still too tricky to spread widely. We need to systematize it further before we can teach it to more soldiers."
To impart the Wave, Rie and I had to pull all-nighters—sometimes for over a day.
Even then, it wasn't guaranteed they'd sense the Wave.
Sometimes it took more than a month.
That was exactly why we'd only taught the Special Task Force so far.
To equip the Northern Frontline with the Wave technique, we needed a proper system and to gradually increase the number of Wave practitioners.
"Ah..."
"Don't look so disappointed. I'll definitely teach you."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After wrapping up a high-rank great beast subjugation, Irena sat astride its corpse and casually remarked,
"Ian, I heard you've been teaching that Wave technique to your unit members. Is that the Wave you told me about two years ago, refined further?"
"After extensive research, we found a way to impart it."
"But it still lacks a proper system?"
"Yes. Even if Rie and I stay up all night, we can barely manage one or two at best."
Irena yanked her frost spear free and stepped down from the corpse.
"Good."
She turned to me, her silver bob fluttering.
I caught sight of her blue eyes curving in a gentle arc.
Irena continued with a playful smile.
"Ian, I'm handing over all the Special Task Force authority I held to you."
"...Pardon?"
"You gather the promising ones."
"What is this out of the blue?"
Irena grabbed my hand without a word and pulled me to my feet.
She raised her frost spear at my side.
In that instant, the mischief in her expression turned deadly serious.
"In the name of Irena Krause, Captain of the Empire's 1st Knight Order, I command thus: Effective immediately, Special Task Force Captain Ian is hereby delegated full authority over the Special Task Force—including all operational, personnel, and organizational rights previously held by this captain."
"W-Wait just a moment. What is—"
"From this point forward, the Special Task Force will move according to your will. I, Irena Krause, raise no objections."
I was caught off guard by Irena's sudden move.
Wasn't the Special Task Force originally her personal combat unit, assembled from talents she favored?
Why hand it to me now—
Irena added softly with a gentle smile.
"It means I trust you. That Wave technique... I believe it's the key to turning the tide of this war."
"...You're serious?"
"Yes. Deadly serious."
I met Irena's gaze.
Her eyes—the knight captain's unyielding stare fixed on the future—overlapped with those of a mere human, hesitating and faltering yet pressing onward.
Instinct told me no words of mine could sway her decision.
Scratching my head, I looked her straight in the eye.
"Understood."
I dropped to one knee before her and bowed my head.
"Special Task Force Captain Ian accepts your command."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I put the authority delegated from Irena to active use right away.
First, I disbanded the six-member Special Task Force and reorganized it into six seven-member Special Task Platoons.
Rie snarked upon hearing the news.
"Captain, don't tell me you've gotten promoted again? This is why you gotta charm the ladies."
"I didn't charm her. It's pure, 100% friendship—no romance."
"Yeah, yeah, figured you'd say that. Anyway, since I backed the right horse early, my road to glory's wide open now, eh?"
"...No, it's not."
Rie grinned ear to ear, ignoring me completely.
"Heh—see, this is why you pick the winning side. Promotions are a cinch for you, Captain—just one snap of the fingers."
"...Don't say stuff like that where others can hear."
"Obviously. I'd get reamed behind my back."
"Then why say it to me?"
"'Cause a guy who's enchanted the young lady and the knight captain oughta have the generosity to brush off a little teasing... or so I figured?"
"What bullshit."
After that, I scouted the frontlines.
New recruits to veterans with over two years under their belts—I examined them all closely.
Time on the frontlines hones a special instinct.
This one's a long-term survivor; that one's got three months tops.
It wasn't groundless intuition.
Judging people didn't mean reading faces.
It was spotting the posture and gait common to the talented.
They instinctively discovered and refined the most efficient stances.
Those traits stood out starkly in the northern snowfields.
I prowled the skirmish lines like a stroll, slaying monsters and great beasts.
All the while scouting for talented soldiers.
"Join the Special Task Force."
The soldier I pointed to frantically wiped blood-masked eyes with his sleeve.
"Y-Yes? What did you say—"
"Return to your unit, then report to the Special Task Force barracks."
Next, I tapped a soldier grappling a monster.
He sprawled atop the decapitated beast, face blank with shock.
"You too. Join the Special Task Force."
"...Special Task Force? For real? The one handing out secret techniques?"
"Me?"
"Heh... Rumors say you soloed a great beast. This'll let me verify if it's true."
"I've only been posted here two months— Er, no, forget I said that..."
The Special Task Force filled its ranks in under a month.
Veteran members took command of each platoon.
The platoon leaders passed on the Wave technique to their squads using the methods they'd learned.
With a system in place and more Wave practitioners, transmission sped up.
I planned to scale up gradually and propagate the Wave technique.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Five months passed like that.
At last, the position of the prime great beast was pinpointed.
Northern Frontline Command, underground operations room.
The heavy iron door thudded shut, and the meeting commenced.
At the center of the gray stone chamber stood a vast map strewn with miniature pieces.
An Imperial Intelligence Agency staffer stepped forward for the briefing.
"The great beasts' origin—the entity presumed to be the first—has surfaced."
"Location?"
The staffer raised his right hand to a red dot.
"Here. Northernmost northern mountain range, deep cave zone in the Hailem Fault. Ancient demonic energy detected near the old Belgas sulfur mines, followed by three identical amplitude signals."
Acting Supreme Commander Captain Brian Selb turned.
"Certain? It's been dead land for a century. No recon until last year."
"Exactly—no cause for suspicion."
The staffer pressed on.
"Amplitude cycle, density, and crucially, visual distortion. Signals beyond any standard great beast."
"This isn't some manifestation. It's the primal source, predating every great beast we know."
The true genesis.
A being that warps the very laws of battle.
Every prior emergence was but its derivative.
"Wave technique deployment—how many units?"
"43 fully trained now. 22 combat-ready. More need time."
"Ian, form a strike team around the Special Task Force. First chance in 120 years. We can't miss it."
She stared at the red dot alone atop the map as she spoke.
"We will subjugate the first great beast, Erebeon."