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On Sebastian's side, the Maze Puppet walked in front, and the Goblin Chief followed closely behind, with the Blastoise being the slowest. As the Astra Militarum had an all-terrain off-road vehicle, the Humvee, it also possessed a tank, the M60 Patton. Both the M60 Patton and the Humvee moved at full speed, and neither was slower than the Supernatural. The Demonized People stayed at the rear. These guys were gigantic, but their defense was a little too low, so they were at least protected by the Astra Militarum.
The entire group of tens of thousands moved forward slowly, while above in the sky, 20 Typhoon Fighters swept by. To guard against surprise attacks, they kept their altitude high above. However, at that distance, the rotary cannons could not function effectively.
"First jet, fly down to observe, while the other jets cover from the rear," Yuuki ordered.
The first warplane swooped down and rushed toward the group on the opposite side. The outermost was a mega tree over 30 meters tall. Not only tall, but the tree was also very wide, with branches spreading out and covering other plant races within it. Against plant races, armor-piercing bullets were not very effective; bombs were a better option. The Typhoon Fighter swept over these mega trees and dropped a Mark 84 bomb.
When the bomb hit the ground, explosions rang out one after another. The branches and leaves of the super-large trees blocked a considerable portion of the blast, causing the bomb to explode primarily on the tree.
From the MQ-1 Predator footage, Yuuki and Yamamoto could see the branches and trunks of these mega trees. The smaller ones were blown apart, while the larger ones were only charred; not much damage was done.
"The bombs are ineffective; they can't penetrate these large Supernatural trees," Yamamoto said, somewhat helplessly.
"This kind of Supernatural tree itself does not have much combat power; they are used mainly for defense. If the defense isn't strong, what's the point?" Yuuki said calmly.
In the sparring chamber, Sebastian and the others had also anticipated this. These mega trees belonged to a Super-Civilization category. Their movement was slow, and their attack power was limited, but they could be recognized as a Super-Civilization by their formidable defense. To break through, the Astra Militarum would need more powerful weapons. However, since this was only an exchange match, such measures were unnecessary.
"Yeah, they are stopping," the five players at Summit Academy looked uplifted. In their opinion, as long as they defended against the powerful plane from Hope's Peak Academy, they still had a chance.
The second plane flew over again, continuing to drop bombs. There was little they could do about it. Although the earlier attacks were ineffective, they kept dropping bombs, hoping that eventually, enough would land to have an effect. Anyway, the Astra Militarum was not short of ammunition.
Suddenly, Terrell shouted, "Be careful!"
After his warning, the others saw an unidentified object flying straight toward the plane in the sky from beneath the super-large trees. Its speed was very fast.
In the chaos, the pilot panicked slightly but immediately reacted, pulling the plane higher.
The unidentified object initially moved quickly downward. However, as it ascended, gravity and air resistance slowed it. Eventually, it stopped at a height of over 300 meters before falling back down.
From the MQ-1 Predator camera, Yuuki and Yamamoto saw the object clearly. Surprisingly, it was a huge leaf, about half a meter long, shaped very much like a willow leaf.
"Willow Grass," Terrell recognized the plant and said. "This is also a Super-Civilization plant race. Although it's a grass, it's very strong. It can fire its leaves as projectiles."
"This must be a new race created by Tod," Clifford speculated.
"Fortunately, the plane flew high, so there was no danger," Jane said.
"Even if Sebastian's plane hadn't pulled up so high just now, this leaf wouldn't have hit," Otwin added, laughing and shaking his head.
Jane froze, then immediately understood. The speed difference between the willow leaf and the plane was too great for it to hit.
"It's a pity," Summit Academy members sighed in relief.
"Let's fight defensively and look for opportunities to eliminate the opponent," Tod ordered helplessly.
"Let's use the Supernatural Incendiary Bombs," Yamamoto proposed.
These bombs were similar to ordinary incendiary bombs but contained a Supernatural ingredient obtained from other planets. Adding this ingredient gave the bombs terrifying power. Once ignited, they burned quickly and were difficult to extinguish.
"Use the Supernatural Incendiary Bomb," Yuuki decided. They had already equipped the Typhoon Fighters with these bombs.
Meanwhile, above the ground, the Astra Militarum and its allies approached the enemy position but did not get too close. The opposition was not just Mega Trees; there were other aggressive plant races like Willow Grass.
"Blastoise and the Demonized People prepare to attack, and the Goblin Chief is on standby," Sebastian commanded.
In this battle, there was little to do but attack from multiple directions.
The 20 Typhoon Fighters returned, dropping the incendiary bombs. One by one, the bombs fell on the Mega Trees, igniting them immediately. Thick smoke billowed upward.
"Is this an attack?" Tod and the others were stunned.
These were Supernatural trees, so they were not afraid of ordinary flames. But surprisingly, the flames ignited the branches and trunks, causing them to burn.
"No, these are not ordinary flames," Tod said, his face changing. "Hurry and put out the fire!"
Other Supernatural plant races rushed to help, but the Typhoon Fighters remained overhead. As the plants below sprouted, bullets and bombs rained down. The defenses of these Supernatural plants were not very strong, making the attack very dangerous, especially for the Musketeers and Demonized People, who took this opportunity to strike.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
Blastoise, after storing power, unleashed a powerful water pillar. Spiraling with force, it was extremely potent. The water pillar, fully charged, was more powerful than the Demonized People.
However, the Demonized People posed an even greater threat to the Mega Trees, as their attacks could penetrate and transfer energy into the opponent's body.
Sebastian's team launched various attacks, bullets, bombs, water pillars, and Demonized People's assaults, all shaking the Mega Trees, especially the Demonized People and incendiary bombs.
Over this period, Summit Academy also launched several counterattacks, but they were ineffective. Tod's Willow Grass was still too small in number and easy to target by the warplanes overhead.
After three minutes of relentless assault, the Mega Tree finally fell. The members of Summit Academy sighed helplessly. Had they been ineffective? Surely there was some output.
They weren't weak, but their long-range, high-powered attack capabilities were lacking, mainly because the Willow Grass was newly created and easily targeted by the Typhoon Fighters, forcing them to hide beneath the Mega Trees.
"We admit defeat," Tod said, scratching his head. Always wise, he chose to surrender.
"The Summit Academy team surrenders. The Hope's Peak Academy team wins this match!" The referee's voice rang out. The underdog team from Hope's Peak Academy, which no one had expected, reached the final, creating the best result in their history.
The crowd's cheers were subdued, but their eyes shone with pride. They embraced each other and left the sparring room, noticing the members of Summit Academy had also exited.
"You must be Sebastian," a chubby boy said, looking at him.
"You're Tod, right?" Sebastian guessed.
"Go for Xinghe Academy!" Tod waved enthusiastically.
"Why Immortal College? Do you have a grudge against them?" Clifford asked curiously.
"In the last final, we lost to Immortal College," a team member explained.
"Immortal College has dominated the exchange tournament for two years running, and this year's lineup is even more formidable. They aim to win three consecutive titles," Tod said somewhat helplessly. "We can't stop them, so let's see if your pilot can give us some hope."
After Sebastian's team left, a team member asked, "Is there hope for Hope's Peak Academy?"
"It's difficult," Tod shook his head. "Immortal College has no weaknesses. They are balanced offensively and defensively, with both melee and long-range capabilities. They have enough long-range firepower to deal with planes."
"Good job, everyone," the vice principal said, smiling broadly. Though he had little actual power and ranked low among vice principals, leading the team to the finals was enough to make his name remembered in the academy.
They wished they could go further, but even dreaming of victory seemed far off.
"The opponents in the finals are either Shining Light University or Immortal Academy; they're both very powerful," Prokopy and the coaching staff said, less relaxed than after the last match. Summit Academy was decent, but they lacked a solution for Sebastian's issues.
"Neither of these two academies has weaknesses, both have long-range output and balanced lineups, with almost no flaws," Prokopy explained, watching the projections.
The image displayed the two top contenders: Shining Light University and Immortal College. Both had five Mythical Level teams, with eight players in the Rankings, making their strengths quite comparable.
Their match was ongoing, with both sides cautious.
"The two schools each have five Mythical Level teams. Even across the Federation, they're ranked first," Clifford noted, shaking his head.
"Of course," he added with a slight smile, "they also consider us in the rankings."
A freshman from another academy scoffed, "If it weren't for luck, you wouldn't even make it to the finals. If you face either of these teams in the top 4 or 8, you'd be gone long ago."
"Watch your tone," Otwin snapped, but Sebastian pulled him back.
"Focus on the game," Sebastian said.
"Humph," Otwin snorted and stopped arguing.
In the void of Hope's Peak Academy, the gray-clothed old man smiled and said, "Luck played a part, but strength matters more. If we'd faced Immortal or Shining Light earlier, we'd probably be eliminated."
The elders around him nodded, their mood light.
"Luck is part of it," another old man said, "but our strength is also crucial. Summit Academy, Sirius Academy, they're not weak."
"Getting to the finals is already an achievement," an old man in black added.
"This year, Immortal and Shining Light are exceptional. Both have all Mythical Level lineups. Immortal is nearly on par with the top powers," the old man in gray said, sighing helplessly.
"Let's see who makes it to the final. If it's Shining Light, maybe we still have a chance," another added.
In front of the crowd was a large projection showing the final match: Immortal Academy versus Shining Light Academy. The battle was intense and meticulous.
"Sebastian, who do you think will win?" Clifford asked.
"I guess it's Immortal Academy, don't you?" Sebastian replied.
"Although I hate to admit it, Immortal seems stronger. Shining Light is stalemating now, but they probably can't hold out much longer," Clifford analyzed.
Most others agreed. Immortal Academy was stronger overall, and victory seemed inevitable. They wondered if Shining Light had a secret weapon, like Sebastian's unexpected pilot. But not everyone had a secret card, by this stage, most had been revealed.
After resisting for an hour, Shining Light's defenses finally broke, giving Immortal the victory.
Reluctantly, Shining Light conceded defeat, ending the match at what many considered the peak of the "early championship" stage. Immortal Academy claimed the final laugh.
"Our next opponent is Immortal Academy," Clifford and the others gritted their teeth, knowing they could do little else.
On the field, strength determined the outcome. The finalists were set: Hope's Peak versus Immortal Academy. Few had expected such an underdog story, sparking widespread discussion.
"Is this the biggest underdog ever?" someone asked.
"It seems so. Hope's Peak has a Mythical and a Legendary Level, plus three Epics. They're barely comparable to the second team of another academy, yet they made it to the finals. It's like a dream!"
"It's mainly because Sebastian, the Great Mythical Level pilot of Hope's Peak, is too powerful, creating a terrifying new race, pilots."
"Don't go overboard," others countered. "Opponents like Sirius, Summit, and others lack long-range attacks and can't restrain them. But Immortal College is different."
"The final won't be one-sided, will it?" some wondered. "What's there to see?"
"They expect it to be a blowout. If Sebastian's teammates were stronger, say, even one more Mythical, they might have a chance."
Many discussed and sympathized with Hope's Peak, considering Sebastian the strongest freshman, or at least one of the best. He reached the finals almost alone, with a modest team, an unprecedented feat.
"The strongest freshman?" The Immortal Academy's representatives, overhearing the chatter, showed a flicker of displeasure.
"I'll handle that later, Sebastian," said a young boy in white.
"Don't let these comments influence you. Sebastian's pilot is tricky; we need to plan a strategy," said the captain of Immortal Academy.
Meanwhile, Hope's Peak coaching staff, including Prokopy, grew tense, quickly devising tactics. They had only recently gathered information on Immortal and hadn't studied them thoroughly. Who would have imagined they'd reach the final and face Immortal?
An hour-long break ensued before the final match officially began.