The Feint Attack - Part 1- L

Autumn had passed, as the winter winds continued to blow in. Nevertheless, the unseasonal rains persisted, creating days of gloom with gray clouds covering the sky, perhaps signaling an approaching storm.

In the Organization's command tent, after the failures in the plan to disperse Nation's forces at the second perimeter, Lunamaria felt increasingly pressured to design a perfect plan. For her, even a small failure in one step of the plan could very well lead to the complete collapse of the strategy. Lunamaria quietly observed the simulation map on the large screen on the table. It had been two days since the impeachment meeting, and she understood that only a successful general offensive could help her weather the stormy days ahead. She tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with strategic insight, her lips slightly curved as if holding the secret to the entire situation. Her breathing was slow and steady, evoking an elusive calmness.

Javis, with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, like a warmth in the winter cold, stepped beside her and gently placed the cup on the table.

"Take a break, Luna. You're overexerting yourself!"

"Thank you!" Lunamaria reached for the warm cup of chocolate on the table and gently sipped it bit by bit.

Javis's gentleness made Lunamaria feel comfortable, at least before the pressures imposed by headquarters. For her, this mission was her last opportunity. Despite years of campaigning, she understood that no matter how many victories she brought back or how much she was recorded in history, just one small mistake could destroy her entire career. She continued to strategize, her slender hands lightly gliding over the screen, selecting suitable areas while constructing a complete general offensive plan.

"A large-scale attack, showcasing all the Legions, artillery, strategic equipment, and logistical support. All aimed directly at the center of the second perimeter." Javis glanced over the strategic map, paying attention to her troop movements.

"We will make Nation believe that we intend to strike straight at their heart, forcing them to gather their troops, weapons, and all their defensive elites here." Lunamaria pointed at the map and explained, while taking a sip of chocolate to warm herself.

"But it's not the main campaign?" Javis voiced his thought.

"Exactly!"

Javis stood slightly to her left, arms crossed, eyes contemplative. His voice was hoarse but sincere.

"Luna, do you really think he'll be easily deceived like that? Throwing out such a grand 'main campaign,' aren't you afraid they'll suspect something?"

"You know well that they've crushed more sophisticated plots many times." Javis shook his head, a hint of skepticism.

She smiled lightly, a smile carrying an enigmatic calmness that made one feel she was hiding something. Her voice was even but confident as she explained to him that the issue wasn't whether the enemy suspected or not, but that they couldn't afford not to react to the current situation. She analyzed that when a massive force with heavy equipment advances thunderously, no one would dare ignore such an obvious threat. Even if Stratos is cautious and strategic, he has no choice but to send troops to the center to respond. If he chooses to remain stationary, it's akin to exposing his flank for the enemy to strike when the opportunity arises. As she spoke, she tapped lightly on the spread-out map in front of her, each gesture emphasizing the key points in her plan. Her eyes swept over the critical positions, as if each touch of her finger was ingraining her strategy into the situation. The calmness and insight in her every word made the space seem to still, each phrase carrying the weight of a true commander.

He leaned back in his chair, a faint smile fleeting across his face, a blend of irony and barely concealed interest. His voice carried a sarcastic tone but couldn't hide his curiosity as he remarked that he quite liked this idea. According to him, what Lunamaria was setting up was akin to a grand feast about to be laid out, but the main courses were all illusory treats, serving to mislead the enemy. However, Javis's eyes sharpened, as if he had seen through something. He continued, his voice drawn out with a playful yet serious undertone, saying he was certain this wasn't all Lunamaria was aiming for.

"What is the real main course in this feast? The thing you promised to unleash at the moment the enemy falls into the trap. The thing that, until now, you've kept secret like a final strategic card." Javis asked her, his voice both challenging and expectant.

"Leon and the 12th Legion will take care of that!" Lunamaria's words were vague, as if challenging Javis to grasp her implication.

"You and I, we will be the main menu for this feast, Javis." With her hand, Lunamaria grabbed Javis's collar, pulled him close to her, and whispered in his ear.

"Since you've staked your reputation, I won't let you down!"

Then, she pushed him back into his chair. A feeling of excitement was evident on his face, his cheeks gradually reddening, unclear whether from the winter climate or from the boldness of the 4th Legion's commander. Perhaps for the first time, he felt something new burning in his heart, a warm flame like the first rays of spring after a cold winter night. He realized that the woman before him was not as predictable and inexperienced as he had thought.

"So if... they react faster than we think and defend the flanks. I think you've also considered this," Javis stammered slightly, still not fully recovered from the earlier moment.

"That's why we're concentrating all our forces on the center of the perimeter." A light smile appeared on Lunamaria's lips, followed by sounds as soft as feathers.

She glanced at him lightly, a smile still lingering on her lips, but within it lay an enigmatic calmness. Her voice was gentle, like the babbling of a small stream winding through rocky banks, yet each word carried the weight of profound calculation. In this campaign, the secondary operation would be deployed in silence, like a shadow moving stealthily under the cover of night. While the enemy concentrated all its attention on countering the main force at the center, elite troops would quietly circumvent weaker defensive points, like a wind slipping through crevices, then converge from two directions to form a tight pincer. She continued, her fingers lightly gliding over the map, as if sketching each step of the plan. When Nation realized this stratagem and hastily redeployed troops from the center to shore up the flank defenses, that would be the defining moment. She paused slightly, as if to underscore the idea unfolding before him. The main force, initially just a feint, would transform into a genuine strike, delivering a direct blow to the newly vulnerable position. Her words were light but resonated like deep, majestic notes, leading the listener into a tactical tableau full of fluidity and audacity, where everything was arranged with impeccable perfection.

"Even if they react in time, the situation is entirely in our hands. We can actively shift strategies, turning feints into reality and reality into feints, continuously pushing them into a passive position." Lunamaria leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of hot chocolate to keep warm.

"Luna, you're like a circus artist juggling three or four balls. If you miss, the ball drops, and we lose the battle. But you just keep going until they no longer know what to believe." Laughter burst from Javis, but it was not mocking; rather, it was a compliment.

She gently placed her hand on the map, her eyes blazing with the fire of determination. Her voice, light as the wind, conveyed a weighty command: preparations were to begin. Their colossal army was planned to close in on Nation's center in the coming days. Meanwhile, elite forces were assigned to move through hidden paths in silence, awaiting the opportunity to tighten the pincer. With that, she sent a message to Leon, confident that he would excellently execute this surprise raid—a clean, swift, and deadly strike to be unleashed when the enemy's mistake was uncovered. A true sword entrusted to Leon to wait and deliver the blow at the precise moment. Furthermore, she and Javis would personally prepare and construct a massive war machine to ensure Nation dared not be negligent.

Lunamaria's chest was filled with vitality, her eyes shining with unshakable confidence. The rope she envisioned was perfect; it only needed the opponent to be ensnared. When they struggled, the rope would tighten around them. The order to act had been issued, like an undeniable command. Her words spread, igniting strength and excitement in the space, drawing everyone into the intense focus of a decisive battle.

In the quiet night scene, her words resonated like a sacred command. Then, she stepped out of the command tent. Above her now was the full moon, as if illuminating her faith in the plan that she and her Legion would execute on the fierce stage of war. However, she was unaware that inside, Javis was secretly copying all her documents—perhaps to analyze her.