Trinity of Magic

Chapter 21: A One-Sided Beat Down.

After Miranda talked, there was an anticipatory silence for a moment, the crowd waiting for Alexander's response. All eyes were on the private box of the fire mages, where the scions of the prominent mage families had gathered. In the middle sat Alexander, a sour look on his face. He stood up and addressed Miranda and the crowd: "Puppet show? I don't know what you're talking about. I am also here to watch a duel. NOTHING ELSE!" His last words had been said while he was looking straight into Martin's eyes. It seemed he was not very pleased with Martin's performance so far.

Alexander's words were cold, and the crowd could see that he was not happy. He gave a brief look of displeasure towards Martin, and the crowd understood that something was amiss. Alexander, being the leader of the Feuerkranz family, had gathered all these people to watch the match, but he was not expecting this kind of scenario. Alexander sat back down, his face impassive. The crowd understood that he was not going to say anything else, and the atmosphere turned tense. They knew that this match was not just about two students competing, but also about the power struggle among the prominent mage families.

Zeke looked up at Miranda, watching her expression, he had been surprised that she would speak up for him. But after he thought about it, it seemed that she had not spoken up to help him out; she had simply wanted to oppose the Feuerkranz family. It seemed the position of the water mages was clear, they stood in opposition to the Feuerkranz family. Zeke was not surprised that they didn't support him directly, he had not proven his worth yet, after all.

The fire mages and the Water mages had a long-standing rivalry, and it was well-known that they were not on friendly terms. The Feuerkranz family controlled the fire mages, which had the most destructive potential of the elements, and the Wellenrufers controlled the water mages, which were the most versatile and supportive of the elements.

Zeke knew that he had to prove himself if he wanted to gain the support of the Water mages. He knew that he couldn't count on their support just because he was a student of Elementium. He had to show them that he was a powerful mage and a worthy ally. The stage was set, and it was time for him to show his worth.

Before Zeke was able to look at the private boxes of the other two factions, Martin yelled out: "If you want to fight, then you'd better be prepared to get burned." Without waiting for any signal that the fight had started, Martin threw a firewall right at Zeke's face.

The crowd held their breath as they watched Martin unleash his spell, a mass of flames headed straight toward Zeke. They were expecting to see Zeke dodge or deflect the spell, but instead, Zeke stood his ground, his eyes fixed on the incoming flames. He channeled his blood magic to manipulate the blood flow in his body, he was able to enhance the functions of his entire body simultaneously, but he put special focus on his brain and eyes to not miss a single thing happening around him.

Martin's spell seemed to have hit Zeke right in the face. Martin began to laugh like a maniac and threw fireball after fireball. Zeke was not even visible anymore, the area where he once stood was covered in fire. Martin stopped using magic, he was panting, and he was close to the limits of his core. He had a self-satisfied grin on his face, sure of his victory. Martin looked up to Alexander, expecting to receive a smile in return. But Alexander's face was grim, looking at the place where Zeke was standing.

Martin's confidence slowly turned to fear as he realized that there was no sign of his opponent, no painful screams coming out of the flames - nothing. The only sound was the crackling of the flames and the sound of Martin's heavy breathing.

Just as the crowd began to murmur among themselves, a voice could be heard coming out of the flames: "Is this it?"

The crowd gasped as they saw Zeke emerge after the flames died down, unscathed and unharmed, his staff casually resting on his right shoulder again. Martin couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had put his all into that barrage and Zeke was completely unhurt. How was this possible? Didn't Zeke only have trash affinities? Martin just stared at Zeke unsure of how to continue. He had almost spent all his Mana and Zeke still seemed to be in peak condition.

The crowd watched in silence, as they realized that Zeke's abilities far exceeded their expectations. He had not only survived the onslaught but also remained unharmed and untouched by Martin's spells. Martin, on the other hand, was standing there, his face contorted, he was breathing heavily and was covered in sweat.

Zeke's eyes displayed his disappointment as he surveyed Martin, who was still reeling from the realization that his magic had not been able to harm Zeke. "Is this your limit already?" Zeke asked, his voice tinged with a hint of disdain. "Honestly, I had expected more from the Feuerkranz family. It seems the rumors of your family's fire magic were greatly exaggerated." There was laughter from the stands of the water mages and Zeke was sure he could make out Miranda's voice, but he didn't turn to check. He had not even been putting on a show just now, he truly was disappointed by this display. Maximilian and Zeke had given it their all for a week: Brainstorming and drilling anti-fire magic maneuvers and tactics. He knew about all the spells the Feuerkranz family used, standard tactics, habits, everything. And what did Martin end up doing? He spent his entire Mana pool throwing fireballs at his [Spatial barrier]. Zeke just now realized how much Martin and the Feuerkranz family must have underestimated him.

Martin's face contorted in anger and embarrassment, but before he could respond, Zeke began walking towards him with measured steps. The crowd watched on in silence, unsure of what to expect next. As Zeke loomed over Martin, he looked down at the young noble with a mix of pity and disdain. He lifted the end of his staff, resting it against Martins's throat, and declared: "I am done here, Martin," Zeke said his voice firm. "You are no longer worth my time."

Without waiting for a reply, Zeke turned and began walking towards the changing rooms. Martin couldn't accept this outcome, so he began to silently gather all of his remaining fire Mana into one last spell. He threw both of his hands forward, his palms overlapping, and let out a scream: "Fire lance!" A spear of fire shot out from his palms, hurtling towards Zeke's back. But the spell didn't hit its mark, as Zeke had started to move the moment Martin began casting. It was almost as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

Zeke turned his body in a swift motion, making the spell barely miss him. He glanced back at Martin with a look of disappointment and disgust, shaking his head. The audience watched in shock as the spell flew past Zeke and crashed into the wall behind him, creating a loud explosion and leaving a large, smoldering crater in its wake. Martin fell to his knees, exhausted and defeated.

Zeke, meanwhile, let his eyes roam over the arena and the crowd, his gaze finally settling on Alexander. He took a deep breath, and said in a cold, clear voice: "You should have made a more prudent choice." The crowd was unsure of who he was speaking to exactly, for his words seemed to apply to both Martin and Alexander. Was he talking about Martin's choice to attack him from behind or was he talking about Alexander's choice of adopting Martin into his family? But before they had the time to think any further on this, Zeke rushed towards Martin to finish this fight for good.

Martin was caught off guard by Zeke's sudden attack and was unable to defend himself. The force of the blow sent him crashing to the ground, the breath was knocked out of him. The sound of a sickening crack echoed throughout the arena as Martin's sternum was fractured. Martin struggled to breathe and groaned in pain as he lay on the ground, unable to move. The audience watched in shock as Zeke stood victorious, his expression was now devoid of any trace of mercy. The realization that the fight was over set in, Martin had been bested, and in such a brutal manner.

As Zeke turned his back on the arena and the spectators, the crowd erupted in a mixture of shock and excitement. Some stared in awe at the victorious mage, and others jeered and cursed his name. But Zeke paid them no mind, his focus solely on his next task - informing his mentor of the events that had transpired. He strode out of the arena with purpose, leaving behind the chaos and noise.

Meanwhile, the crowd's attention turned to Martin, who lay motionless on the ground. The sight of the fallen student sends a wave of concern and panic through the stands. A team of Life Mages rushed towards him, their expressions grave as they assessed the severity of his injuries. Martin's sternum had been shattered by Zeke's powerful strike, leaving him struggling to breathe, but his life was not in immediate danger. The mages worked quickly and efficiently, but it was clear that even with their help, Martin would take a while to recover from this.

As the healers worked to restore Martin, the crowd in the stands erupted in chaos. The Fire mages were incensed at the savage nature of Zeke's final attack, while the Water mages were just as fervent in their defense of Zeke and condemnation of Martin's underhanded tactics. The Earth and Wind mages, meanwhile, looked on with a mixture of amusement and bemusement, occasionally interjecting their own opinions to fuel the fire of the argument. The cries of outrage and the heated exchanges were so loud that they could be heard even from outside the arena. It was clear that this duel had caused a rift in the student body, and it would be a long time before the factions could reconcile.

Alexander's face was grim, clearly not pleased with this turn of events. The crowd fell into a hush as Alexander stood, his domineering presence commanding the attention of all in attendance. His eyes scanned the sea of faces before him, and with a grave tone, he spoke. "It should be clear to all here that Ezekiel poses a danger to us all. His unorthodox magic cannot be allowed to remain in this school. We do not know where he learned such spells, but, certainly, they were not taught by the Academy."

A wave of murmurs and exclamations swept through the crowd at his words, but before the uproar could fully build, another voice spoke out. Miranda, the leader of the water mages, stood, her clear, melodic voice cutting through the noise. "And I say this is ridiculous. Ezekiel's skill is undeniable, and his worth as a mage should be judged on his abilities, not on whether he learned them in this school or not."

The crowd was torn, some supporting Alexander and others siding with Miranda. But both sides fell silent as they waited for the verdict of the leaders of the other factions. Would the Earth and Wind Mages support Alexander's call for Ezekiel's expulsion or Miranda's defense of his abilities? But to everyone's surprise, Miranda spoke up once more.

"And let's not forget that the only one here who is a danger to us all, is you, Alexander! It was not Ezekiel who was scheming against his fellow students, that was you! Don't think that we are unaware of what you had planned to happen here today. Also, didn't you hear him introduce himself earlier? He called himself the student of old man von Hohenheim. Don't tell me that your Feuerkranz family has the guts to pick a fight with that old monster just so you can bully a junior?" Miranda's voice cut through the commotion like a sharp blade, slicing through the noise and gaining the attention of all those present. Her words, spoken with a tone of authority and conviction, silenced even the most vocal of the crowd. Her eyes, like pools of deep water, seemed to bore into Alexander, challenging him to refute her claims.

Alexander grimaced at those words, but went on regardless, he looked towards the earth section and said: "Theodore, what are your thoughts on the matter?"

Theodore, the muscular youth of the earth mages, stood tall among his fellow earth mages. Alexander had directed his question to him, looking for support amid the commotion caused by Miranda's accusations. Theodore took a moment to look around the arena, taking in the emotions of the other mages before speaking. "I believe," he began, his deep voice carrying across the arena, "that Ezekiel's actions today were done in self-defense. Martin brought this upon himself and got what he deserved. But my Steiner family and the earth mages faction want to have nothing to do with this entire affair, deal with it as you see fit." Theodore's words were met with murmurs of agreement from his fellow earth mages and some of the wind mages, while the fire and water mages remained divided. Alexander's expression twisted into a scowl, it was clear he did not like Theodore's answer.

Theodore, without hesitation, stood from his seat and made his way out of the arena, with many of the Earth mages following in his wake. Alexander, not deterred, turned his gaze towards the wind faction and addressed their leader, Viola Windtnzer. "Surely you understand the danger Ezekiel poses to us all, Viola?" The eyes of the crowd turned towards Viola, the petite girl with silver hair who floated gracefully above her seat. With an impish grin on her face, she looked between Alexander and Miranda, her voice carrying a hint of amusement as she spoke, "It seems your two factions are at a stalemate, and it's up to me to make the final decision."

As Alexander glared at Viola, she basked in the tension she had created with her words. Her mischievous grin only seemed to infuriate the Fire mage further, but he knew better than to lose his temper in front of so many powerful people. Suddenly she began to snicker, confusing everyone. The head of the Wind mages, however, was in no rush to explain her behavior and only stopped once she was satisfied with the confusion she had created. She let the silence linger for a moment, relishing in the weight of her words before finally speaking again. "You see, Alexander," she said, her voice light and airy, "It doesn't matter what any of us say or do here. Expulsion decisions are ultimately up to the Headmaster, and I happen to know for a fact that my grandfather will not be expelling young Ezekiel."

"How can you be so certain?" Alexander asked, now a little unsure of his plan, but for a long time, there was no reply. Alexander's eyes narrowed as he watched Viola put on a show of deep contemplation. The crowd waited in silence, eyes locked on the petite wind mage as she weighed her response. But the grin that slowly stretched across her face revealed that there was no deep contemplation going on at all. She had known the answer all along and was just stalling for the sake of drama.

As the tension in the arena began to mount, Alexander couldn't contain his frustration any longer. He opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but before he could speak, Viola beat him to it.

"It's because my grandfather owes his life to Ezekiel's mentor," she stated, her voice steady and serious. The crowd erupted into murmurs as they tried to make sense of this revelation. Even Alexander found himself at a loss for words.

For a moment, the arena was filled with the sounds of hushed whispers and speculation. The Feuerkranz family had always been powerful and influential, but even they knew not to trifle with those who had saved the headmaster's life.

Alexander realized that his attempts to expel Ezekiel had been futile. The decision was out of his hands, and there was nothing he could do but accept defeat. As the crowd began to disperse, Viola's impish grin returned, nobody knew about the role she had played today. Anonymously, she had her people also spread the word about today's fight, but the goal was not for them to watch Ezekiel get humiliated. She had known that if the stories her grandfather told her about Maximilian were true, there was no chance for Ezekiel to be defeated by the likes of Martin and she had been right. Lazily she laid back in mid-air, stretching and grinning like a cat that got the cream, before saying to nobody in particular: "Ahh, today was fun!"

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