Extra Of The Magus Academy

BOOOOOM!!!

As expected, the stage trembled due to the clash of powers.

Spells of all kinds were cast, with attacks getting hurled at adversaries and several glows of fortitude glimmering all over the battlefield. Amidst all of this madness, a certain blur zoomed past a lot of the students engaged in serious combat as it zigzagged through the battlefield with immense speed and precision.

This blur was none other than Ashfelt Zephyr.

With his Enhancement Spell active, and his Familiar's energy circling around him, he was much faster than normal, and since he had a very high cognitive process and had taken his time to study the full layout of the stage and the students on it, he was able to easily navigate through the chaotic battlefield.

The reason he opted to be mobile like this, rather than creating a firm foundation for battle, was not simply because he was trying to outlast the other students by simply running around.

No, it was simply a much different strategy that could best guarantee his victory.

'Just as I expected, most students opt for large attacks, but the key is using small and swift attacks that help in evasion and small offensive maneuvers.'

In essence—

WHUUM!

Ash was able to hit someone in the jaw, while using his legs to knock him off balance and his second fist to punch him away from the stage; all of this while being aided by the immense velocity that he had accumulated.

That was his first opponent down, but he didn't stay stagnant for too long.

He was mobile a few breaths after.

Compared to him, most people would rather use explosive and flashy moves to get rid of as many competitors as possible, or try to outlast everyone by creating a fortified defense.

Both of these plans were too inefficient for Ash.

'Too much emphasis on defense will cause a lot of attention to be drawn on you, which means a lot more people will target you. Plus, it takes too much time to create incredible defense. In the same vein, too much emphasis on the offensive eats up one's focus and creates too many blind sides that any random adversary can exploit.'

In essence, one's defense was bound to be lacking.

'My method of evasion and small offensive moves is the most efficient… though it is exhausting in its own way.'

Constant movement ate at stamina and drained physical energy, so it was easier to employ the basic tactics that the students around him were utilizing. Most people wouldn't even be able to use his method.

However, as someone who constantly trained his body, Ash had no issues.

"I'm sure I can keep this up until all 24 students are eliminated…"

"Out of my way!" A certain roar echoed in the battlefield as several students were sent flying, revealing the enraged expression of one red-haired student.

It was Kellion, his entire body covered in ripples of crimson energy.

His muscular skin seemed to gleam like metal, and veins appeared all over his face as his red hair floated and he kept his enraged gaze focused on only one person.

'Looks like I spoke too soon.' Ash sighed. 'He found me rather quickly.'

Apart from the central benefits attached to his present tactic, there was another reason why he chose to employ it rather than resorting to an easier measure.

'Kellion… he's targeting me.'

He had to remain mobile in order to lose the boy. If he used the other students as his shield, he could use Kellion to eliminate more students while also avoiding a direct confrontation with him for the entirety of the Preliminary Round.

However, it seemed Kellion took note of this plan and did not cause any of the students in his way to get thrown off the stage. Even the ones who were flung out of the way only landed a couple meters from their previous positions, so they were still on the stage.

"You're not running from me, Ashfelt!" Kellion roared. "You better not throw yourself off the stage until I get you!"

'Why would I do that?' Ash reasoned amusedly.

Kellion was indeed a threat in the Preliminary Round, but it wasn't like Ash was scared of him—at least, he wasn't to the point that he would intentionally lose.

Instead, he simply found him to be a nuisance.

'Since he isn't helping in thinning the herd, I might as well take things into my own hands…'

Ash increased his pace, rushing to even more students while setting basic traps in order to set them up for failure. For example, he cast [Flash] on one particular student who was trying to send a fiery Spell to his target, which temporarily blinded the boy and made him lose concentration on the Spell.

Ultimately, the Spell exploded prematurely, and the blast sent the caster off the stage.

Then, there was his use of [Grease] to cause his opponents to lose their defensive footing, allowing them to break concentration and leave them vulnerable to external attacks.

Once in a while, Ash would directly eliminate an opponent—especially if they were close to the stage's edge—but he often laid the groundwork and let others finish the job. He did all of this while being pursued by Kellion.

'So far, so goo—!'

BAM!

Kellion suddenly landed right in front of Ash, causing the ground beneath the both of them to tremble.

'Oh shit!' The latter's eyes widened in shock. 'He caught up already…'

Ash looked around to see if he could find a leeway to escape, or a fellow student to act as his shield, but no one was closeby. This was a problem Ash had foreseen, but he never expected it to be so frustrating.

'The longer the Battle Royale, the less the participants that will be on the stage.'

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'It means there will be less meat shields and distractions that I can utilize to my advantage.' Ash wanted to look around and count how many students were left so he could have a good idea of how long he would need to last against Kellion.

Unfortunately, he couldn't take his eyes off the crimson barbarian before him.

'One mistake and I'm out.'

"You think you can get away with fooling me?!" Kellion yelled, hurtling a powerful fist at Ash.

FWUSH!

Ash mitigated the strike by creating a push of wind in the opposite direction of Kellion's fist, using the momentum to send himself back as well, perfectly evading the attack and getting rid of any persistent shockwaves.

'Close one!' He sighed in relief. 'But here comes another one.'

Ash carefully analyzed Kellion's movements, and despite the tough spot he was in, he couldn't help but break into a smile.

'He's just like the novel describes, thank goodness…'

"You're laughing at me?!" Kellion's rage intensified. "How dare you?!"

BOOOM!

More energy rose from his body, causing even Ash to shudder as he felt the boy's speed increase as he charged in one straight motion.

'Shit!' Ash's eyes displayed panic. 'Looks like I pissed him off too much.'

The hair on his skin stood on all ends, and he quickly understood that he couldn't completely evade this strike or completely defend against it—not without revealing a hidden card that he was saving for later.

'Will I have to…?!'

Thankfully, Ash didn't have to consider for very long, as a blaring sound echoed throughout the hall, which was promptly followed by Beatrice's voice.

"24 Students have been eliminated. The Apprentice Stage Preliminary Round is over!"

"Tch…" Kellion stopped his fist mere inches from Ash's face, his eyes burning with intense anger as he gritted his teeth in frustration.

Even someone as unruly as Kellion knew to control himself in this situation.

If he dared to attack Ash even after the Preliminary Round was over, he would be disqualified and bring shame to his Academy. There was no way someone like Kellion would do something that led to that.

"This isn't over, snake…" He growled. "If we are ever placed in the same stage in the main tournament, I'll crush you so much that you'd wish you lost here."

After saying this, he walked away from Ash and went to the center of the stage with the rest of the students.

"The qualified Apprentice Students should get off the stage now and leave for the Registration Room where you'll also be offered refreshments and also be briefed about the Main Tournament."

Beatrice Lampshade's words echoed in the background.

'Whew…' Ash smiled in relief, stopping his trembling hand. 'Looks like this body instinctively knows the meaning of danger.'

Even though his mind was calm, his body displayed fear.

After a few seconds of catching his breath and subtly glancing in the direction that Raven Nightshade previously sat, he made his way to the center of the stage as well.

'I wonder when he left…' His fleeting thoughts echoed in his mind as a small smile tugged at his lips.

Despite the intensity of the situation, he was still glad,

After all, he won.