Erik straightened his posture and replied confidently to Leo's challenge, his voice echoing through the air. "So what if I am? Just make your choice and be done with it!"

Leo and Erik locked gazes, each sizing the other up. The silence was palpable, and neither was budging. The only change in either of their faces was the occasional beads of sweat rolling down Erik's forehead. After a moment, Leo spoke again.

"Fine. It's settled, then. I'm forming a team with Zeke. You two are welcome to join."

Erik's eyes flicked towards Lena and Edmund, hopeful. His heart swelled with relief when he saw Lena's smile, but her next words dampened his spirits.

"I think you may have overplayed your hand this time, Erik," she said.

From her words, it was clear that she would stay with Leo.

Edmund said nothing, but his stance was clear. He would stay with the team. Erik felt a twinge of regret, but he wouldn't back down now. With a nod, he turned to leave, but before he could take a few steps, a voice called after him.

It was Leo, who had not taken his eyes off Erik the whole time. In a loud voice, he declared.

"Erik Feuerkranz, I will look for you. No matter what team you join, I guarantee that you will not make it to the finals."

Erik stiffened at Leo's declaration, his foot freezing in midair for a moment. But in the next instant, he spun to face Leo, anger etched upon his features.

The fact that one of the top teams was targeting him made it unlikely for any other teams to accept him. Erik started to collect mana in his body, about to lash out. However, before he could unleash a spell, a sabre appeared on his shoulder, the movement too fast for him to react.

Leo stood before him, a mere half step away, his smirk challenging. "Try me, firecracker," he teased, "and you might not even make it to the start of the event."

Erik paled, but his fear was quickly replaced by determination. Summoning a flame spear over each of his shoulders, he was ready to trade blows with Leo.

A voice pierced the tension, and an unseen force separated the two combatants.

"That's enough, you two," the man bellowed. "Save it for the competition."

Leo nodded to the old man who had stepped between them and returned to his previous position. Erik backed down as well, but his rage was still noticeable. But only a few moments later he had already vanished into the crowd. He was clearly still going to try to form or join a different group.

The old man addressed the crowd.

"In a few minutes, you'll be allowed into the arena. You'll have five minutes to reach a position of your choice before the fighting begins. You can either try to fortify a position or roam. The event will end when only sixteen students remain standing."

He seemed to remember something else and addressed the crowd once more.

"And one more thing. There will be hidden observers throughout the arena. Their job will be to declare students disqualified after a loss and take them to the healers if necessary."

Some students began asking trivial questions about the rules of this round. Zeke was no longer paying attention. Instead, he approached Leo, eager to talk to him.

"There was no need for all of that, Leo. I would have been fine on my own." Zeke said, his voice carrying a note of confusion.

Leo gave Zeke a stern nod.

"I believe you. The reason I got so angry with Erik had nothing to do with you in the first place. I got angry because he was trying to use his position to force my hand. If he had a legitimate reason, as Lena did, I would have backed down. But not like that. There's nothing I hate more than nobles who abuse their power."

Zeke saw a glint of hatred in Leo's eyes as he spoke. He couldn't help but wonder what experiences had fueled such a deep resentment. But instead of dwelling on it, he simply smiled and nodded at Leo in gratitude.

"Either way, I appreciate the help. It's made things a lot easier for me."

Leo's friendly demeanor returned, and he clapped Zeke on the shoulder. "It was nothing. With our team, I have no doubt we'll advance to the next round."

Lena interjected with a teasing grin. "Gentlemen, enough with the bromance. We've got limited time, let's come up with a strategy."

The girl's words were met with serious nods from both Leo and Zeke as they shifted their focus to strategy. Leo rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish.

"I have a good sense for the flow of battle, but strategy is not exactly my strong suit," he admitted.

Zeke chuckled at the change in Leo's demeanor. A minute ago, he had been like a wild beast, angry and ready for battle. Now he was acting the part of the embarrassed teenager.

But there was no time for Zeke to marvel at Leo's quick changes in mood. He had to think of something for their team, as he considered it partly his fault that they were down a strong Fire Mage. He was determined to come up with the best possible strategy for their unique combination. This was his way of making up for his perceived blunder.

"I think we should play the role of Ambushers," Zeke said after only a moment, grabbing the attention of the others.

"Explain." a new voice said.

It was Edmund who spoke up, his deep and gravelly voice matched his serious appearance.

Zeke gathered his thoughts. In order, he started to explain the mental steps he had taken to arrive at his conclusion.

"We have no Wind Mages in our team, so that means we have nobody who specializes in scouting. We would have to charge ahead blind, were we to act as hunters. It is also likely that we would be met with traps in that scenario. The lack of a designated Fire Mage also means our long-range damage potential is subpar. This would make it much harder for us to attack fortified positions head-on."

Zeke took a moment to gauge his teammates' reactions. He was relieved to only see an intense focus on their faces rather than any blame for the loss of their Fire Mage.

"That means we would be at a disadvantage in a standard combat scenario," Zeke continued. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, figuring out how best to explain his idea.

"What our team excels in, though, is extreme close-range damage," Zeke said, starting to highlight their strengths.

"Me and Leo are probably the hardest hitters in the entire year if we manage to get close enough to the opponents."

Leo's ears reddened slightly at the praise. He was putting a lot more importance on Zeke's assessment than the boy had realized. He wondered why his opinion was so important to Leo. But now was not the time to consider this. He merely smiled and shook his head at Leo's overreaction.

"We need to couple our close-range damage with the battlefield control that Lena and Edmund can bring to the table. There's probably no other team that can escape if we manage to get the drop on them."

Zeke finished his analysis of their team and waited for their reactions. Lena was the first to agree, but her face was still troubled.

"That is very true, IF we manage to catch our opponents by surprise, we could probably secure an easy victory," she said.

"I don't suppose you have a plan for that as well, wonder boy?" she asked Zeke with a teasing grin.

Zeke returned her smile with one of his own. "I might have something in mind that you'll probably enjoy," he responded.

Zeke leaned close to Lena and whispered something into her ear. At first, she was taken aback by his close proximity and seemed flustered. But as she listened to his plan, her expression shifted to one of deep contemplation. Finally, a radiant smile settled on her face.

"This might actually work! If we can pull it off, we could take out a couple of other teams with ease. Even if the plan doesn't work, we would still be basically untouchable," she said, clearly excited by Zeke's proposal.

After explaining his plan to the other two boys, they all agreed to implement Zeke's strategy. Leo, for some reason, seemed even more proud of the idea than if he had come up with it himself. He constantly reminded the others how great of an idea it had been to add Zeke to the team. The others initially agreed enthusiastically, but as Leo continued to bring it up, even Zeke couldn't take it anymore.

He tried to hit Leo over the head when the boy brought it up once again. However, Leo dodged the strike with ease and shot Zeke a challenging smirk. He seemed to have gotten the message, though and stopped praising Zeke.

It was at this moment that the overseer called for the contestants to get ready. "Everyone, prepare yourselves. The event will start any moment now. You will only have five minutes to get into position before you must fight," the overseer commanded.

Zeke's companions shared a look and a nod, their understanding of their mission clear. However, Leo's gaze was fixated on Erik, who against all odds, had found a new group to align with. It was comprised of powerful students in their own right. But Zeke was confident that their team could triumph over Erik's new group in battle.

Leo cast a piercing gaze upon each member of Erik's group and bellowed, "Dead man walking, all of you!" With a final disdainful look, Leo said no more, ignoring them for the remainder of the waiting period.

Though Zeke found Leo's theatrics to be excessive, he couldn't help but feel a thrill. The artificial rivalry that Leo had single-handedly created was a powerful motivator. The impending showdown with Erik's group left Zeke giddy with anticipation.

Finally, the gate to the arena swung open. The first to react was the old man who had told them to get ready only moments earlier. With a shout, the old gatekeeper signaled the start of the event, his withered arms swinging wildly.

"Go, go, go! Into the arena with you all!"

The students needed no further encouragement. Zeke and his team were among the first to race through the gates and onto the sandy arena floor.

Zeke scanned the surrounding terrain, taking in the jagged rock formations to the east and the clear pond to the north. He knew the terrain of the arena well enough, having memorized the layout from a bird's-eye view, and he was eager to put his plan into action.

With a confident smile, Zeke turned to his teammates.

"I know the way," he declared.

He set off in a sprint toward their predetermined destination. The rest of the group followed close behind, their hearts pounding with excitement.

As they reached the marshy area, Zeke couldn't contain his grin. He surveyed the swampy surroundings, then turned to Lena with a gleam in his eye.

"Are you ready?" he asked, a hint of anticipation in his voice.