Zeke forced himself to tear his gaze away from Jaihar. Despite being caught off guard, the little shit had somehow survived the first round of attacks and was now hiding behind the soldiers he was supposed to be leading. It was a shame, but Zeke would deal with him in due time.

For now, he had a battle to win.

A frown slowly spread across his face as he surveyed the plaza in its entirety, the cacophony of battle sounds filling his ears from all directions. His gaze swept across each distinct battle: the left flank, the right flank, and the center. Each battlefront had stalled after the surprise attack, thwarting his plan for a rapid victory.

His eyes narrowed in annoyance. He could have brought twice as many troops if he had had more time. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.

“Didn’t go as you hoped, did it, whelp?” the Dragon’s voice sounded in his mind. The small reptile seemed in a good mood as it observed the battle from atop Zeke’s shoulder.

“Not really,” Zeke admitted. “I thought the element of surprise would be enough to break their formation. However, they regained their composure much faster than I had expected.”

The Dragon bobbed his head. “It’s because of their commanders. Look.” It nodded in a particular direction.

Following his gaze, Zeke found a middle-aged man exuding a military aura. His complexion, the deepest shade of black Zeke had ever seen, rendered his light grey eyes all the more striking in contrast. Zeke recognized him; he was none other than the head instructor of the Firebrand school.

The man stood at the back of his troops and only gave out orders every now and then. Yet, his men followed them with swift efficiency. They seemed the most composed company on the entire battlefield. On top of that, they had sustained almost no losses so far.

Zeke swiftly discerned the reason behind their resilience: their commander was a Life Mage. He orchestrated a seamless rotation of troops, adeptly tending to injuries of varying severity while preventing fatigue from taking hold. Observing this strategy for some time, Zeke gained a newfound appreciation for the immense value of a healing Mage on the battlefield. Though not formidable in combat himself, the Life Mage acted as a force multiplier for his troops.

Zeke's musings were interrupted by the impatient thumping of a tail against his back. Glancing at the creature perched on his shoulder, he realized its attention had already shifted to the other side of the battlefield. Following its gaze, Zeke spotted a young man with dark hair and a resolute expression. The man unleashed one Fire spell after another, enveloping the left flank in an ominous orange haze.

Zeke’s brows rose. His gaze traveled from the young man to the Archmage in the middle of the plaza. They looked more than just a little bit alike. “Another one of his sons?” he asked nobody in particular.

To his surprise, somebody still answered. “He is Raavan, eldest son of Mahesh.”

Zeke turned his head slightly to acknowledge the speaker, Kruul. The brother of the horned sibling pair that had aided him in his battle against their former Master. With the help of the triplets, he had already recovered from his injuries. Zeke nodded in thanks, turning his attention back to the battlefield.

This time, he eyed the most crucial battle: the center.

Other units avoided this area altogether, wisely steering clear of the intense conflict between fire and lightning. The two Archmages were engaged in combat, refusing to yield even a step of ground. Thankfully, they showed some restraint in not drawing the regular troops into their skirmish, preventing a much higher casualty count. However, that would most likely no longer hold true if the tide of battle changed to favor one side over the other heavily.

Zeke felt a cold sweat trickle down his back as he observed the fight. The Mana fluctuations he sensed from this battle were on an entirely different level from the rest. He realized how lucky he had been in his fight against the Master of the Ember Scar Cartel. If any single one of his measures had been absent, he could just as well have ended up as a charred body.

Initially, the Fire Mage appeared to have the upper hand, but in a sudden twist, lightning struck, seizing back the advantage. At present, neither side had a decisive edge, yet Zeke couldn’t calm down. The victory of either Archmage would likely determine the fate of the battle.

Zeke surveyed the flanks, searching for a way to turn the tide. Yet, both flanks remained firm. The enemy troops demonstrated superior coordination to the Lion’s Den and Ember Scar Cartel. It was evident that they had honed their group tactics, while his side was comprised primarily of duelists and ruffians. Even their numerical advantage amounted to little in such a scenario.

Zeke furrowed his brow, unable to discern a solution to his predicament. He had kept his most trusted subordinates - Ash, Vulcanos, Gravitas, and the horned siblings, Kruul and Kraal - in reserve. However, given the current circumstances, their intervention wouldn’t likely shift the tide in the immediate future.

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He needed something else. Something more.

Zeke's focus shifted to a notable Mana fluctuation coming from the left flank. It was Raavan. The young man unleashed a torrent of flames, pushing Zeke's line back by several steps. This wasn't the first instance of such a display; Raavan had previously executed similar maneuvers, providing crucial moments for his comrades to regroup and recuperate.

While the act itself wasn't something out of the ordinary, Zeke noticed something peculiar. The Archmage's focus consistently veered towards the left flank whenever those Mana fluctuations occurred. Zeke's gaze remained fixed on the Archmage, observing him attentively. There it was again. And again. Once more. Every time the slightest shift in his son's Mana occurred, the Archmage would briefly glance over in response.

“So that’s how it is,” Zeke murmured, the corners of his mouth curling up. He had found it—the key to victory. A plan was already forming in his mind as he turned to the reptile sitting on his shoulder.

“Do you want to join the fun?” he asked the Dragon.

“About time you asked, whelp,” it replied in his mind. “Where do you need me to go?”

Zeke’s eyes landed on the figure of a certain Life Mage. “How about you put some pressure on that guy?” Zeke asked with a devious grin. The Dragon locked onto the distant target, its gaze sharpening. Without another word, it leaped off its perch, vanishing into a blur of motion with just a single beat of its wings.

Zeke then turned to the rest of his crew, a peculiar glint in his eyes. “Listen carefully…”

***

Mahesh cast a glance at his son, a swell of pride filling his chest. His trust had not been misplaced; the boy had single-handedly stabilized an entire flank. A while ago, the opponent had dispatched one of their elite members to counter him, yet Raavan still stood resolute.

Mahesh quickly created a pillar of flame to block a surge of lightning aimed at his chest. With a deep breath, he collected an enormous amount of Mana and sent it out in the form of a [Wall of Flame], stopping any other attacks for a moment.

His gaze then shifted to the opponent his son was facing. Mahesh recognized the dark-skinned Chimeroi immediately. The luminous lines traversing his body were undeniably eye-catching. It was Vulcanos, a Slave Mahesh had been eyeing for some time. Unfortunately, he had been unable to secure the purchase during the last Veergatti, a fact that he still regretted to this very day. He had never come across a Chimeroi with such a unique fire ability.

Even so, his son didn’t cower before this renowned fighter, matching the liquid fire with his own flames without losing ground. At just a little over 60 years, the boy was a genuine prodigy in his mastery of flames, even more gifted than Mahesh or his brother had been at that age. There was not a shred of doubt in his mind that Raavan would successfully ascend to the rank of Archmage. And who knew? Perhaps the boy would even surpass his father in due time.

Before his [Wall of Flame] scattered completely, Mahesh glanced at the opposite flank, where his head instructor was holding the line.

No additional enemies had appeared on that side, yet the commander seemed to be approaching his limits. Mahesh noticed a sheen of sweat covering the man’s brows as he forced a calm facade. Curious. When had things gotten so dire?

In that instant, a crimson blur descended from the sky, catching one of the Slaves off guard. Before anyone could react, the figure disappeared again, leaving a shattered body in its wake. Mahesh immediately recognized the crimson blur as the little reptile that had been perched on Blood Dragon's shoulders. He continued watching the scene play out with the little time he had left.

Miraculously, the victim remained alive, though writhing in agony from numerous broken bones and profusely bleeding wounds. His comrades swiftly pulled him to safety, where the head instructor was compelled to tend to the severely wounded man, straining his already exhausted Core even further.

Mahesh's eyes narrowed at the sight. What a devious strategy. If only he had a moment to deal with that cocky wyvern. However, that was a luxury he couldn't afford, for the first glimmers of pale blue lightning began to pierce through the numerous cracks in his Wall of Flames. Instantly, his attention snapped back to his own adversary.

Once again, lightning and fire clashed in an unrelenting battle for supremacy. Mahesh couldn't seize the advantage no matter how hard he exerted himself. Accursed Lightning Mages and their absurdly high attack power! Nevertheless, he remained confident that he would have the last laugh.

Suddenly, he noticed a change in his opponent. Ravi’s expression shifted for the first time, a deep frown emerging on his face. What was happening? He received his answer a moment later when the Lightning Mage cast a displeased glance at the young man standing alone atop a distant building.

***

“That might cost me my life, Pete,” Ravi said, the reluctance clear in his voice, even through the telepathic link.

“I know,” Zeke replied seriously. “Not just yours, but everybody’s life, including my people and me. Don’t forget that we will not survive this fight if you fall.”

“Then why? I might win even without taking such a risk,” Ravi replied.

“But it isn’t certain, is it?”

Ravi remained silent.

“I would not suggest such an action if I wasn’t confident, Ravi.”

There was a pause, and Zeke was beginning to think the Archmage wouldn’t agree to follow his plan. Just when he was about to continue his persuasion, the man replied, “Fine… I’ll do it. I just hope you know what you are doing.”

Zeke immediately cut the telepathic link with the Archmage and turned his attention to Vulcanos instead. “Get ready, Vulcanos. It’s almost time.”

Zeke noticed the Chimeroi nodding in the distance, preparing himself. He had been fighting against Raavan for the last couple of minutes. The two seemed evenly matched, at least on the surface.

At that moment, the sound of a thundercrack echoed through the plaza, drowning out all other noise. A second one followed, and then a third. It had finally started. Ravi was going all out, forcing the Fire Mage to do the same while being continuously pushed back. This was the moment.

“Do it now,” Zeke sent.

With a loud bellow, Vulcanos charged into the enemy lines, eyes locked onto his target. Molten stones splashed all around him, forcing the enemy soldiers to choose between retreat and death. As the soldiers backed off, it became clear what he was after, as there was now a straight path toward Raavan.

Raavan, for his part, didn’t panic. He appeared calm, even after the Chimeroi tore through the frontline and headed straight for him. There was even a slight smirk on his face, the challenge clear in his eyes.