Zeke and his group had finally reached the swamp. As they had expected, there were no other teams in sight. Zeke and Leo began scanning the surroundings while Lena and Edmund got to work.

Only moments passed before a thin layer of fog started to descend upon the swamp, obscuring the distant scenery. Zeke remembered that Lena was a specialist in using fog and mist. He knew that she had engraved the spell [Water Manipulation] on her core. She liked to use it to create fine water particles in the air, creating chaos on the battlefield by robbing enemies of their vision.

While everyone else was blind, she alone retained a limited awareness of movement within the fog. This fact meant she always had the upper hand, given enough time to set it up first.

However, the spell had its downsides. First, the cost of mana was high. Zeke's team sought to mitigate this by using the ambient water in the swamp, instead of creating the water using mana. This method also had the added benefit of fooling other students into thinking that the fog was natural.

Another downside was that if Lena used the spell while in a team, they would all be blinded as well. There was no readily available solution to fix this flaw either.

Zeke was determined to still use the fog idea. He had come up with multiple countermeasures to work around this limitation. His first idea involved Edmund, who was creating raised pathways through the swamp. According to Zeke's strategy, the team would utilize these raised pathways to silently navigate the swamp. They would then wait for enemy teams to enter one of the many fog-free pockets within the marsh.

These pockets were arranged by Lena. They were mere meters in diameter, just enough for a group to gather and regroup. But they had not enough space for any effective maneuvering when Zeke and Leo emerged from the mist.

This left their opponent with only two options. The ambushed team could either stay and fight or flee into the swamp through the veil of fog.

In the case of the former, Zeke and Leo would engage in close combat. They would wreak havoc, while Edmund and Lena provided backup.

In the event they chose the latter, Zeke and Leo would give chase. Lena and Edmund would also utilize their abilities to prevent the enemy team's escape. The combination of fog and the strategic use of their abilities would give Zeke's team the upper hand.

As the mists of the swamp thickened, Zeke's confidence strengthened in equal measures. Despite the shroud of fog that surrounded him, his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] allowed him to see meters ahead with clarity. He kept an eye on his teammates. He had to make sure none of them got lost. He moved to take Lena's hand, the two of them standing vigilant at the heart of the swamp.

As agreed, Zeke would stay by Lena's side. His fledgling telepathic abilities would be used to silently inform the team. They waited for other teams to enter the fog. The four of them stood together, nerves taut with excitement.

Zeke cast his gaze upon Lena, the only one near enough for him to make out in the hazy surroundings. She stood with her eyes closed. Her features were etched with intense concentration. She focused all her efforts on sensing movement through her connection to the fog.

Her eyelids fluttered and Zeke started to smile. At the next moment, her eyes snapped open. She returned his smile and held up all five fingers of her free hand, then gestured towards the south. The stage was set, and the moment had come for Zeke and his team to strike.

He nodded in response to Lena's gesture, indicating that he had understood. He focused his mind and telepathically spoke to his teammates.

"Five foes to the south, let's go!"

Lena, with her hand still clasped tightly in Zeke's, took the lead down the raised pathway, her senses honed on the source of the disturbance.

They had traveled for only a short time when Lena suddenly came to a stop, indicating for Zeke to take the lead. He acknowledged her signal with a nod and stepped past her, sending a telepathic message to the team.

"The enemy is right ahead. We proceed as planned. Leo and I will advance, with Lena and Edmund ready to respond to their actions."

Leo moved to stand beside Zeke, ready to join the charge at a moment's notice.

He took a deep breath and readied himself, relying on his senses to guide him. The ever-thinning fog was a clear sign that they were getting closer to the enemy. As the two frontline fighters made their way forward, Zeke soon started to hear voices from ahead.

Zeke and Leo shared a glance and crept toward the sound of the voices. They were driven by the knowledge that their quarry had been located. Ahead, Zeke could make out two figures, one male and one female, deep in conversation. As he drew closer, he overheard the boy exclaiming.

"This swamp is a golden opportunity for us. We can probably hide in here for the longest time without being found. Let the other teams fight it out and weaken themselves. By the time we emerge, there will be nobody left strong enough to oppose us!"

The girl, however, seemed less confident. "I don't know, Bert," she said, "something about this swamp is giving me the creeps. I think we shouldn't stay here for long. Don't you guys also think that it's weird that there are pockets in the fog? There's even solid ground below our feet. I don't like this. I think we should..."

Her words trailed off as she suddenly fixed her gaze on Zeke. The moment stretched taut as Zeke realized that they had been discovered. With a roar, he charged forward, with Leo hot on his heels.

Zeke pushed the limits of his physical ability. He bolstered his strength to its utmost without risking harm to himself. He lunged forward, charging directly at the girl, who was now eyeing him with recognition. She scowled in frustration at her team's failure to prevent Zeke from getting so close. Nevertheless, she acted quickly and summoned a blazing [Flame Pillar] to bar his way.

But before the pillar could fully materialize, a deluge of water flooded the area, dousing the flame.

With a single bound, Zeke was upon her. He preferred not to use his staff in this fight. He was still mindful of the devastating damage the heavy, metal-reinforced weapon could inflict. But in the heat of battle, he wouldn't take any chances. Zeke delivered a fierce punch to her gut that left her gasping for breath and doubled over on the ground.

Zeke pivoted and unleashed his [Mind Fog] spell on the enemy furthest in the rear. The boy was in the midst of gathering mana for a [Pressure Lance] spell. In close combat, this was one of the few spells that truly frightened Zeke. This was one of only a few spells that he would not dare face head-on.

Zeke used his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] to take quick stock of the battle situation. Leo had just taken down his own opponent with a combination of two [Earth Pillars] and an uppercut. A third opponent, another Fire Mage, was being pinned down by Lena. Edmund was busy raising the earth toward the back of the fight, making it even harder for the remaining opponents to flee.

That left two opponents for Zeke and Leo to take care of. Zeke looked between the Wind mage from earlier and an earth mage who looked to be on the verge of having a panic attack. Zeke guessed that this was the guy who had spoken earlier.

He had nothing but pity for the boy who had led his team into this situation. Zeke decided that he would leave this guy to Leo. Instead, he charged towards the Wind Mage he had hit with his [Mind Fog] spell a second earlier.

The way Zeke's new mind spell worked was that it would slow all thoughts and reactions of the target. But as the target regained clarity, the effects of the spell would wear off. It usually only took a True Mage a couple of seconds to regain full control over their senses.

However, In the first one or two seconds, the reaction time of an affected Mage was severely restricted. Zeke used that window of opportunity to get as close to his chosen opponent as possible. The enemy Mage seemed to have exceptionally weak willpower. By the time Zeke arrived at his side two seconds later, the poor guy seemed to be still pretty dazed.

Zeke felt a pang of guilt as he prepared to attack the Wind Mage, who was still out of it from his [Mind Fog] spell. Zeke struck the spindly mage with a precise blow to the side of his forehead, rendering him unconscious.

As Zeke scanned the battlefield, he realized with surprise that there was nothing left for him to do. Leo had just dispatched Bert, the earth mage, with a swift blow from the flat side of his saber. Lena had overpowered her fire mage opponent with water tentacles that had forced their way down the mage's throat. Zeke watched with a mixture of awe and trepidation as the mage's struggles grew weaker and weaker. Finally, he collapsed. He was unable to fight against the watery prison that held him captive any longer.

Zeke shot a wary glance at Lena, not wanting to find himself on the receiving end of such a disturbing spell. With the battle over, the only thing left to do was to tend to the wounded and assess the damage.

The group convened in the center of the battlefield. Each silently assessed their own and the team's condition before Leo broke the silence.

"That went better than we could have hoped," he said with a note of pride in his voice. "Five down, and no casualties on our side. Not a bad start."

Lena, while also elated, was more reserved in her enthusiasm.

"It was a good performance," she agreed, "but keep in mind, those five were just second-rung competitors. They didn't even make it to first place in their group. We may not be so fortunate against one of the truly elite teams."

Edmund nodded. His demeanor was as methodical and measured as ever.

"We shouldn't let our guard down," he said, echoing Lena's caution.

Zeke chimed in, his voice firm and confident.

"Whether this was a strong team or not shouldn't be our focus," he began, "we have just proven that our strategy works. Let's head back to the center and wait for the next team to fall into our trap."

The trio nodded in agreement and followed Lena back to their starting point. A quarter of an hour later, the next team stumbled into their trap.

With a swing of his arm, Zeke unleashed his [Blood Whip], sending two opponents to the ground. The final foe was left for Leo to handle. Leo took down the last enemy.

Zeke was forced to showcase a new trick he had been working on. The [Blood Whip] had one significant drawback - the excessive use of blood. However, Zeke had found a way to rectify this.

With a flick of his wrist, Zeke began to draw the blood back into his body, the wounds on his hands closing in its wake. Leo gazed at Zeke in disbelief, staring from his face to his hands and back again.

"Yuck! That looks disgusting, like a snake crawling into your body!" He said with a twinkle in his eye. "Jokes aside, you've actually figured out a way to fix one of the major downsides of your spell in just one month? You must be a genius when it comes to spell theory. No wonder someone as great as Maximilian would take you under his wing."

Zeke basked in the praise from Leo, but he felt like he could hear a weird undertone in Leo's voice. Before he could inquire further, Lena interjected.

"You two can fuss over each other later," she said. "Let's get back to the center and await the next group."

Zeke and Leo followed her and Edmund, returning to their starting position in silence. For a while, they remained still and quiet. But after half an hour of waiting, Lena squeezed Zeke's hand. He turned to see her raise two fingers and nod in a direction, indicating the position of the group.

Just as Zeke was about to relay the message, Lena squeezed his hand again. Confused, he looked at her to see her face scrunched in concentration. After a moment, she leaned in and whispered.

"I think those two guys were chased into the swamp by a larger group. This wasn't part of the plan, and I am not completely sure what our best move here is. But I trust you to make the right call. This is your plan after all."

Zeke's heart swelled with gratitude at the trust Lena placed in him. He felt a sense of responsibility to live up to it and make the right decision. Zeke considered the situation at hand, considering every possibility. With a firm decision in mind, he turned to his team, ready to share his plan.

"Two individuals are being pursued into the swamp by a larger force," he began, using his telepathy. "I propose we wait for an opportunity to ambush the larger group. The two stragglers pose no threat to us, four against two. But the larger force could be a formidable challenge."

He paused, looking at each member of his team, searching for any objections or concerns. But all he found was silence, and Lena rising from her seat, taking his hand. It seems the team was in agreement in trusting Zeke's judgment. He was moved by the gesture, but also started to feel the weight of their trust upon him. He could only hope he would live up to their expectations.

As Zeke and his team approached the nearest pocket in the fog, they heard the sounds of voices nearby. To his surprise, Zeke recognized one of the voices. It belonged to the young woman who had taken second place in his group.

"Do you think they'll be able to find us in here?" the frightened voice asked.

Her companion sounded a little more confident as she replied, "I'm not sure, but it won't be safe for long. There's also something strange about this fog. I can't seem to disperse it with my wind magic. I think it was created using..."

Before she could finish her thought, another voice interrupted her.

"Hah! finally found you. Did you really think you could escape forever because you're both Wind Mages?"

Zeke's eyes widened as a group of five emerged into the clearing, it turned out to be Erik and his new team. Their leader, a girl with light blue hair and a cruel smile, was Martina Bachlauf. The girl was a talented Water Mage from a renowned family. She was second only to Lena in terms of mastery of the water element in their grade.

Zeke could sense the tension radiating from Lena and Leo as they saw their rivals. He hoped they would wait for the optimal moment to strike rather than recklessly charging forward. As the team started to circle the clearing according to Zeke's instructions, the other groups didn't stand still either.

The two Wind Mages had resigned themself to their fate. They were clearly exhausted already and didn't have the energy to continue running. The bolder of the two girls decided that if she was going to go down either way, she might as well try to cause some emotional scars on her way out.

"Well, it doesn't matter if you've managed to catch us. You wont be far behind us. You clowns should not have accepted Erik into your group. All of you are already..." she paused for dramatic effect, before repeating Leo's words from earlier, "...Dead! Men! Walking!"

Her companion nodded in agreement, adding her own warning.

"Dumb move to pick a fight with Ezekiel as well, you guys should have seen what he did to Samuel in the group stage. The only reason I even managed to advance was because of the massacre he caused. Last I heard, they were still trying to put him back into a shape that resembles a humanoid!"

The words hit their mark, causing unease to ripple through Erik's group. But their leader, Martina, silenced the unease with a cold, hard voice.

"Good for you for finding your spine," she sneered. "But those guys aren't here. It's just you two, and us, in this fog. And nobody will hear your screams."

There was a moment of silence, and then a voice spoke from right behind the group of five, accompanied by the sound of wet footsteps. It was Leo, his voice as cold as the surrounding fog.

"Nobody will hear you scream, indeed," he said, as he sprang into action.