Trinity of Magic

Chapter 48: Combat Classes II.

Zeke laid down on the grass in an empty area of the training field, taking a break after his devastating loss against Leo. He surveyed the other students, watching as they sparred and trained with their various forms of magic. They moved with a precision only repetition could teach, their spells and movements honed by countless hours of practice.

As he watched, Zeke felt a twinge of insecurity. His status as an outcast at the academy had led to more than just social isolation; it seemed that being disconnected from the other students had also put him at a disadvantage in the combat training. Despite his confidence in his abilities as a Blood Mage, Zeke couldn't shake the feeling that he was lagging behind. In a world where fast-paced, long-ranged combat was the norm, his affinities and instincts seemed to fall short. The sense of inadequacy he felt was palpable, and he couldn't help but wonder how he would fare against the other students in combat.

Just as Zeke was beginning to sink into a state of deep contemplation, someone approached, casting their shadow over Zeke's form on the ground. The tall, brown-haired student sneered down at him. "What's the matter, farm boy? Can't keep up with the rest of us?"

Zeke felt a surge of anger, he had immediately recognized the person who spoke to him by his voice alone - It was Samuel. He still remembered the day when Samuel had come to him in order to taunt him with his betrothal to Lilly. But with an effort of will, he pushed down his anger and relaxed his clenched fist. He had learned long ago that letting his emotions get the better of him was a sure way to lose a fight. He stood tall, meeting Samuel's gaze with a steady one of his own. "How about we find out?," he said, his voice steady and calm.

Zeke made his way to a nearby training field without hesitation, eager to put his skills to the test against the brash Samuel. His gaze briefly met Lilly's as he walked, noticing that she was observing the exchange from a distance. Though she had once been a close childhood friend, Zeke struggled with how to interact with her now. The pain from their past was a constant reminder of why they could never return to their former closeness. The emotions that welled up within him at the mere thought of Lilly were so intense and painful, it was almost as if they had a physical presence, leaving Zeke certain that they would never reconcile.

As they arrived at their positions, Zeke banished all distractions and got ready to face the sneering boy on the opposing side of the field. After a referee gave the signal, they both sprung into movement and the fight between Zeke and Samuel had begun. It was clear from the first move that the Wind Mage had the upper hand. He moved with extreme speed, darting away and harassing his opponent with a barrage of spells and attacks that left Zeke struggling to keep up.

The young Blood Mage tried his best to fend off the attacks, summoning his magic to boost himself and strike back. But it was no use, he didn't even manage to reach his opponent. His spells were too slow and clunky in comparison to Samuel's. When Zeke tried to use his [Spatial Freeze] spell, Samuel would just use a small gust of wind to create a dust cover and disrupt Zeke's line of sight. The Wind mage was able to dodge and deflect each of Zeke's attempts with ease, staying far enough away to invalidate almost all of Zeke's strengths.

Even with his lacking experience, Zeke realized that this was a bad matchup for him: Samuel was faster than him and was specialized in long-range attacks. This left Zeke with no other choice than to either turtle up using [Spatial Barrier] consistently or try to catch his opponent with a lucky [Spatial Freeze] for long enough to land a blow, but he was not optimistic in either scenario working out.

As the fight stretched on, Zeke's strength began to wane. His magic core was depleted, and he knew he couldn't keep up the pace much longer. His Blood Magic and perfect core would have given him a huge advantage in terms of sustainability under normal circumstances. But the constant need for healing was draining his core at an unbelievable speed.

"Dammit!" Zeke cursed, as he blocked another [Wind Blade] with his forearm. His right arm was already packed with recovering cuts. A testament to how often this same scene had already repeated itself. Zeke knew that he had to act now, or this fight would be over.

Just as he was about to cast one final spell, Samuel delivered a devastating blow that sent Zeke crashing to the ground. Dazed, Zeke tried to rise, but the many cuts on his body bled freely and he felt lightheaded. In defeat, Zeke lay his head back, surrendering his attempts to continue the fight.

"As expected," Samuel sneered, "a waste of time. Stay down, peasant. It's where you belong." He turned and strode away, as if Zeke was beneath his notice.

Zeke lay there, bruised and beaten, his body aching from the relentless attacks. He felt a sense of defeat wash over him, but he would not let this feeling consume him. He had to get up, to keep fighting. After a couple of minutes, he managed to push himself to his feet, determined to show Samuel and the others that he was not someone to be underestimated.

As he stumbled over to where the healers were, he could see the other students staring at him with a mixture of pity and amusement. They had all expected him to lose, and he had done just that. But Zeke was determined to prove them wrong. He knew that he had to find a way to improve, to adapt his Blood Magic to the long ranged, agile combat of the academy.

The rest of the combat class was a blur for Zeke. He was still reeling from his defeat at the hands of Samuel, and it seemed that his luck wasn't going to change any time soon. He fought several more students, but he was unable to defeat any of them. He was outmatched and outclassed, and it was becoming increasingly clear that he was not going to excel in this class as he was right now. Zeke couldn't quite pinpoint the reason for this string of defeats, but he was starting to believe that he was missing something that all the other students here seemed to have. What that was, he couldn't rightly say.

Exhausted and frustrated, Zeke left the class early and headed home. He walked through the grounds of the Elementium academy, lost in thought. He couldn't shake off the feeling of inferiority that clung to him like a cloak. He had been aware that he was different, that his focus on Blood Magic set him apart from the rest of the students at the academy. But it had been a while since he felt so alone and out of place as he did now.

He found himself wandering aimlessly until he came across a small pond. He sat down on the bank, staring at the water as it rippled in the gentle breeze. He couldn't help but reflect on his weakness and his inability to keep up with the other students. If Olivia had been right and Blood Magic was just as strong as Elemental Magic, then why was he beaten so badly? Didn't that mean that he was the problem?

Just as he was about to sink deeper into despair, someone approached him from behind. She sat down next to him, her warm smile and kind eyes a welcome sight. "What's on your mind, Zeke?" she asked softly.

Zeke let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair as he looked into Sophia's eyes. "I just can't seem to keep up with the other students in combat class. I feel like I've fallen behind."

"Tell me what happened in class today," Sophia prompted, her gaze steady on his.

"I got beaten by Samuel, badly," Zeke admitted, his shoulders slumping. "He was just so fast and agile with his magic, and mine just feels useless in comparison."

Sophia placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up too much, Zeke. The students here are being trained to fight Blood Mages, you know. You must be aware that the focus on Elemental Magic means we do not have any kind of elite troops that focus on melee combat. To compensate for that, all our mages must be able to protect themselves in a close combat scenario."

"But I'm not just a Blood Mage," Zeke protested. "I also have space and mind magic."

"Of course, but you're just starting to duel other mages," Sophia pointed out. "This is very different from fighting monsters, and it's going to take some time to adjust. Plus, you're a tri-affinity mage, which makes it even harder to find a working combat style for you. It's something that many mages struggle all their life with."

Zeke let out a sigh. He knew she was just trying to make him feel better, but it was working. "I guess you're right. It's just hard to shake this feeling of inadequacy."

Sophia gave him a small smile. "I understand. I'm always here for you, Zeke."

Zeke looked at her, a question in his eyes. "Sophia, I always wondered, why are you being so nice to me? Since the beginning of the first year, you always went out of your way to cheer me up."

Sophia tilted her head to the side, considering her words. "Why do you think that is, Zeke?"

"I don't know," Zeke admitted. "I've just always wondered. You're part of the Emperor's family, and I was just a nobody from a small village."

Sophia's expression softened. "I didn't like how you were caught up in the political games and schemes of the nobles, despite not being equipped to deal with either. I wanted to help you out since I felt responsible for how you were treated by the nobility in this country. I know it's not much, but I wanted to make sure you had someone to rely on."

Zeke let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "Thank you, Sophia. That means a lot to me."

Sophia placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch warm and comforting. "You just have to find your own way, Zeke. You are a true mage now, and you have more power than you realise. You just have to trust yourself and your abilities."

Zeke felt a new sense of motivation rising within him. Sophia was right, he had to find his own way. He couldn't keep trying to conform to the traditional ways of combat.

Zeke stayed by the pond after Sophia had left, his mind still heavy with thoughts of the day's combat class. With a wave of his hand and a silent incantation, he cast his [Perfect Sensory Recall] spell, replaying the fights in his mind one by one.

He watched himself clash with Samuel, his opponent's movements lightning-fast and precise as he expertly dodged and escaped, always staying out of Zeke's reach. He felt the frustration and inadequacy all over again as he remembered the crushing defeat.

But he didn't give up. He went through each fight, searching for any exploitable weaknesses that he could have used to turn the tide. But try as he might, he couldn't find any glaring vulnerabilities in his opponents' strategy.

Feeling defeated, Zeke slumped against the tree beside the pond. But as he sat there, a thought came to him. He didn't have to focus on exploiting his opponents' weaknesses, he needed to focus on his own strengths. He had a unique combination of magic affinities, something that not many people possessed, and he needed to learn how to harness that power effectively.

Zeke sat by the pond, replaying the fights in his mind over and over again with his [Perfect Sensory Recall] spell. He focused on himself, searching for any hidden talents he might have, that could give him an edge in future battles. But as he watched the fights again and again, he couldn't help but notice how much more skilled and composed his opponents were, especially Leo.

Leo seemed to know exactly how to move and how to catch Zeke off guard, while Zeke stumbled around aimlessly, trying to hit his opponents in a straight forward manner. He couldn't find anything he was particularly good at.

Feeling defeated, Zeke decided to just focus on what he could determine about himself objectively. He realised that while he may not have a natural sense for combat, he had a strong will and determination, bolstered by his incredible self-healing ability. Zeke began to notice something peculiar. Despite being amongst the most heavily injured in almost every fight, he had the endurance to fight seven battles in one morning. He also realised that he had improved a little from every fight to the next. He had no idea how to move in his fight against Leo, but by the time he had fought his seventh and final fight, he had a rudimentary grasp of positioning.

It dawned on him that he could substitute for his lacking combat sense and instincts by gaining an over-proportional amount of experience through repetition. He made a vow to always take time after combat classes to review the fights and devise strategies to improve. He knew it would be a long and grueling process, but he was determined not to be humiliated again and become a formidable opponent in the eyes of his classmates.

As the sun began to set, Zeke rose to his feet, feeling a renewed sense of hope. He would focus on his strengths and work tirelessly to improve on his weaknesses. He had a long road ahead of him, but he was ready to face the challenges head-on. With a smile on his face, he walked back to the academy, ready to begin his journey of self-improvement.

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