Chapter 49: Combat Classes III.

It was the next morning and Zeke found himself standing once again on the training field, he was still a little embarrassed from the previous day's defeat at the hands of Samuel. The class had already finished their daily dose of physical training and the other students were starting to pair up and begin their sparring.

Zeke couldn't completely shake off the sense of defeat that had lingered since his lackluster performance the day before. He was determined to demonstrate his determination and prove to Samuel and others that he was not someone to be underestimated. As he scoured the training grounds, he noticed a striking absence. Samuel, the brown-haired wind mage who always seemed to be causing trouble, was nowhere to be found. Zeke was taken aback, he had anticipated that the cocky wind mage would come seeking a confrontation, but it appeared that Samuel had elected to maintain his distance.

Leo approached Zeke, observing the latter's scan of the training field with a glint in his eye. With a smile that betrayed his excitement at the chance to share some juicy gossip, Leo leaned in to whisper to Zeke, "Word is that Samuel's been in hot water, my friend. Seems like someone put the squeeze on his family and he won't be attending classes for a while."

Zeke couldn't help but feel a sense of both satisfaction and annoyance at the news. He had been bullied and belittled by Samuel, and to know that the wind mage was now getting a taste of his own medicine was a small victory. On the other hand, this also meant that Zeke could not get back at the cocky bastard himself. It might even look to other people as if he had told on Samuel for bullying him, like a little child, instead of facing him like a man. But at this time, there was nothing Zeke could do about either of those things. All he could do was get ready to set the record straight for the next time he had a chance to fight Samuel.

With a newfound sense of resolve, Zeke began to train harder than ever. He fought every student he could get his hands on, determined to improve himself. He didn't care if they were wind mages, earth mages, fire mages, or water mages, he was going to fight them all. Furthermore, he knew that the only way to get better was to fight and learn from his mistakes.

The morning was a blur for Zeke, he was in a zone, fighting one student after another. He fought with all his might, summoning his blood magic to boost himself and strike back. He fought with a ferocity that he didn't know he had.

Exhausted and covered in bruises, Zeke made his way back to the pond where he had first reflected on his defeat. He sat down on the bank, staring at the water as it rippled in the gentle breeze. As he sat there, thinking about the results of today's fights, he began to realize that his struggles in combat class were not due to a lack of skill or power, but rather a lack of experience and compatibility. On further analysis, it became immediately clear that he had the hardest time against Wind mages because they could outrun him and chip away at him with their spells. Water mages had too many ways to restrict his movement and keep him at bay, but at least he had a chance against them. Fire mages did a lot of damage to him, and the fight was decided by whether he could reach them before he couldn't go on anymore. Earth mages, on the other hand, were the most advantageous style for him. They weren't fast and didn't do a lot of damage, so he had a 50/50 chance against them. It always came down to a battle of attrition, and he was at least confident in those.

Zeke knew that in order to improve his win ratio, he had to understand his strengths and weaknesses, and find ways to adapt his blood magic to the long-ranged style of the Elemental Mages. He began to contemplate his mistakes during the fights that day and how to improve. He knew that he had to find a way to make his blood magic stronger and more versatile, to integrate his other magic schools into his fighting style, and to outsmart his opponents and turn their strengths into weaknesses.

Zeke continued to sit by the pond, contemplating his mistakes and ways to improve. He was deep in thought, and the sound of the water and the chirping of the birds were the only things that could be heard. That is until he heard a commotion coming from behind him. He turned around and saw Sophia walking toward him, trailed by two guys who looked like typical spoiled nobles. The presence of the two tagalongs immediately dampened his excitement upon seeing Sophia.

Sophia didn't look pleased to have them following her around either, it seemed to Zeke as if she was looking for a reason to tell them to leave. She came over and sat down next to Zeke, but the two guys followed, standing behind her.

"So, how did today go?" Sophia asked, her eyes fixed on Zeke.

"It was...tough," Zeke admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I learned a lot. I've been thinking about how to improve my blood magic for long-range combat, and I think I've got a few ideas."

The two guys standing behind Sophia couldn't help but snicker. "Oh, please. You think you can keep up with the real mages, do you now, blood boy?" one of them sneered. "You'll never be able to match the rest of us."

Zeke's jaw clenched, but he refused to be baited. "I may not have come from one of the great families, but that doesn't mean I can't improve. I'm not giving up just because it's difficult."

The other guy rolled his eyes. "You'll never be more than a second-class Mage, with your mismatched set of affinities. You should just accept your place and stop trying to be something you're not. Go home and learn how to till the fields with the rest of the commoner-born scum."

Sophia's expression grew dark. "That's enough," she said, her voice firm. "Zeke is working hard to improve, and he deserves respect for that. You two can leave now."

The two guys, taken aback by Sophia's sudden assertiveness, hesitated for a moment before turning and walking away, their tails between their legs. Sophia smiled happily as she watched them leave, but as she turned to Zeke, her smile turned rueful as she said, "I'm so sorry for those guys."

"It's fine," Zeke said, sitting back down next to her. "But I have to ask, why were they following you around in the first place?"

Sophia let out a sigh, "They're just some brats trying to ingratiate themselves to me because of my family's status. They think that by being close to me, they'll gain some sort of advantage."

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Zeke nodded, understanding all too well the games that nobles liked to play. "I see. And you don't want anything to do with them?"

Sophia shook her head firmly, "Not at all. I don't like spending my time around nobles if I can avoid it. I came here to study and become a better mage, not to be a pawn in their political game."

Zeke couldn't help but smile at Sophia's mindset. It reminded him of his own. "I know how you feel. The nobles around here always seem to be playing some kind of game. It's almost like they didn't come here to become mages, but politicians."

"So, tell me," Sophia said, her voice light and curious, "how did today go? I saw you out on the training field with the others from your class, but I didn't want to interrupt your focus."

Zeke let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "It was rough," he admitted. "I had a hard time against the wind mages, they were just too fast and agile for me. And the water mages had too many ways to restrict my movement. I managed to hold my own against the fire and earth mages, but it was a close call."

Sophia nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I can imagine. It's not easy to adapt to the different styles and techniques of the other students. But you're making progress, and that's what's important."

Zeke nodded, a small smile crossing his face. "Yeah, I know. And speaking of progress, I heard that Samuel got in trouble with his family. Do you know what happened?"

Sophia's expression turned a bit mischievous. "Oh, I might have an idea. You see, Viola came out of her secluded training with her grandpa yesterday, and I happened to mention what you told me about Samuel's behavior in class. And let's just say, she didn't take kindly to Samuel's actions. I think she might have sent someone to the Luftschloss family to make trouble."

Zeke's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I don't like the idea of Viola getting involved in my fights. I want to handle them on my own."

Sophia shook her head. "It's not just about you, Zeke. Samuel went against the Windtänzer family by following Alexander's orders to provoke you. That's a betrayal, and Viola had to do something about it. Samuel's probably going to have a bad time for a while."

Zeke let out a sigh, understanding the reasoning behind Viola's actions. "I see. Well, I guess I'll just have to work harder and become stronger, so I can handle my own battles in the future." Sophia just nodded, but didn't say any more on the topic. After that, the two of them talked about a piece of news that Sophia had heard regarding a new magical invention that was now available in the capital, before she had to excuse herself for the day.

As Sophia left, Zeke sat there for a moment longer, lost in thought. He couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards Viola and Sophia for standing up for him and for understanding his situation. He knew that they had his back, and it filled him with a certain warmth when he thought of what the two of them were doing for him.

Zeke turned his attention back to his own problem, determined to find a way to improve his battle style. He had to find a way to adapt his battle style to counter the fast-paced, long-ranged combat of the academy. He thought back to the fights he had earlier that day and realized that he still had the hardest time against Wind mages. They could keep him at a distance and fight the battle at their own pace, making it almost impossible for him to get close enough to strike back.

He thought about his [Perfect Body Control] spell, which allowed him to control every aspect of his body, from his blood flow to his muscle movement. He realized that he could use this spell to boost his strength and agility by a much higher amount when he was not as concerned with safety, even if it meant causing some minor damage to his body. He knew that it would be a gamble to damage himself by over taxing his body, but he was willing to take that risk if it meant improving his chances in combat.

With renewed determination, Zeke got up from the pond and headed back home. He had a lot of work to do if he wanted to improve, and he was ready to put in the effort. He planned to dive into his research in order to develop new spells that would shore up his weaknesses and give him an edge in combat. It wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to show the other students at the academy that he was not to be underestimated.

A day passed and Zeke was stumbling out of combat class again, his body aching and covered in bruises. His injuries were healing quickly as he walked, but he still felt drained and a little wobbly from repeated blood loss. He had been pushing himself harder than ever, fighting every student who would agree in an attempt to improve his skills. He was determined to prove to himself and everyone else that he was not a quitter, to show that he was not someone who was just going to accept his lot in life.

As he left the training field, Zeke was drawn to the tranquil pond where he had first ruminated on his defeat. He settled onto the bank, gaze fixed on the calm waters. Despite the serenity surrounding him, his thoughts and heart raced, the fire within him refusing to be quenched. His heart still pounded from the earlier fights, a phenomenon that he had grown all too familiar with, it had even become challenging to calm down using [Perfect Body Control] at times.

Sitting there, Zeke meticulously dissected his mistakes from the day's battles, seeking ways to improve as he had vowed after each passing day. He realized that the best avenues for improvement right now were to find new ways to use his blood magic, integrate his other schools of magic into his combat style, and outmaneuver his opponents using combat experience. But all of that was easier said than done.

As he sat there, lost in thought, he heard steps approaching from behind him. "Zeke, you're back early," Sophia said, her tone concerned. "Are you alright?"

Zeke turned to see Sophia and Viola approaching, both of them looking at him with worried expressions. He forced a smile, trying to brush off their concern. "I'm fine, just a little banged up," he said.

"You've been pushing yourself too hard," Sophia said, her tone stern. "You need to take care of yourself, or you'll burn out. There is no need for you to catch up with the others today or tomorrow, you should take all the time you need and do this the safe way."

Zeke knew she was right, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of urgency. "I have to get better," he said. "I can't just stay like this forever."

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone," Viola said, her voice gentle. "You just need to focus on improving yourself and your abilities a little each day."

Zeke knew that they were both right, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to agree with that statement. He had the feeling that he did have something to prove, if not to the rest of them, then at least to himself. He chatted with them for a bit longer, promising to take it easy in the future, without having the intention of actually following through. After a short conversation, he said his goodbyes before making his way home, his mind already turning to new ways to enhance his abilities and strategies.

Once home, he spent the rest of the evening researching Elemental Mages and working on new spells to counter them. He was determined to get better, to become the strongest mage in his grade. He knew it would take time and effort, but he was willing to do whatever it took.

And so, he fell into a routine, a cycle of going into combat class to fight as much as possible, reflecting by the pond about ways to improve, chatting with Sophia or Viola, sometimes both of them, and then going home to spend time researching magic and working on new spells, only to repeat the same cycle the next day. He was driven by a constant, burning need to improve, and deep down he was starting to question where this new drive, this feeling of not wanting to be beneath anyone came from. He did not waste much time questioning his own motives though, as the drive to be better today than he was yesterday seemed like something anybody should aspire to have in his opinion.