ElaraFiction

B3 - Chapter 2: A Brewing Storm

Zeke stared at the mansion in front of him. He was still deliberating on how to act in this situation. The atmosphere seemed to only get more oppressive with every passing second. Finally, the silence was broken as somebody called out from behind him.

“I am going to take a look,” Margret announced as she motioned for a couple of other members of the guard to join her. “Are you going to stay here and keep an eye on things, David?”

The butler nodded in reply. His tone was se...

B3 - Chapter 1: Arriving at Tradespire

An elegant ship was silently gliding through the air just above the cloud layer. The sun had just risen, bathing the world in the first light of the morning. The usual hustle and bustle of the craft were still absent as most of the crew and passengers were asleep at this hour. The entire scene had an otherworldly feel to it. On the prow of the vessel stood a solitary figure. His crimson hair was the first feature that anybody would notice when looking at him.

Upon closer inspection, one...

Prologue: A New Start

In one of the main halls of the Alexandria von Hohenheim, a peculiar scene was taking place. An important gathering was being held. The only ones missing from Maximilian’s subordinates were the crew flying the ship.

“I never agreed to this,” a man whispered to his wife in an agitated tone. “Not only did I never agree to follow a child, but I also never meant to flee the empire like a criminal. I’ve served in the army for decades! This is not what I’ve signed up for. This is ...

Epilogue

“Out of my way,” a girl demanded in a cold voice.

“My lady, we are under strict orders not to let anyone through,” the guard tried to explain, “I was instructed b-”

“I don’t care who ordered you to do what, soldier,” she insisted, “I am ordering you now to make way.”

The man was hesitant to comply with the command but also didn’t dare to outright defy her orders. His eyes flitted over to his comrades for help. His plea remained unanswered as all the o...

Chapter 110: Betrayal

“Zeke, are you coming?” Leo yelled from in front of the door. “We want to go down to the city.” Upon receiving no response, Leo entered the room. He found Zeke sitting behind his desk with his eyes closed. One might assume that he was sleeping, but over the past weeks, Leo had learned that was not the case.

He walked over and slightly shook his friend’s shoulder. Zeke’s eyes immediately snapped open. He looked around and found an exasperated Leo looking back at him.

�...

Chapter 109: Saying Goodbye.

“Come on, Zeke,” Viola begged, “You promised!”

“I promised to buy you one, not 100!” Zeke exclaimed, exasperated.

“Ok, this is the last one, I swear,” Viola said with a sly smile.

“Thats what you said a minute ago!” Zeke yelled.

While the two of them were bickering, Sophia quietly sipped her drink. She sat across from the two and watched the back and forth with a twinkle of amusement.

“Pleaaaaase,” Viola begged once more.

“Why do y...

Chapter 108: Award Ceremony

Zeke opened his eyes and blinked away the drowsiness. His surroundings were wholly unfamiliar to him. He had woken up on a hard mattress. He found himself in a large room that was filled with empty beds. The walls were yellowish brown, reminiscent of sand. This fact alone made him sure of one thing: Zeke was still in the arena.

The last thing he remembered was Leo’s rapier closing in on him. He recalled the feeling of dissatisfaction and indignance that had risen within him before pas...

Chapter 107: The Victor Emerges.

Zeke did not intend to dodge Leo’s blade. If his friend wanted to trade injuries, then he was more than willing to abide. The iron head of his staff was whistling towards Leo’s chest. The blunt weapon would easily crush bone if he managed to land a direct hit.

Leo had decided to go for a piercing strike aimed at Zeke’s heart. In the remaining second, Zeke shifted slightly so he would be hit on his shoulder instead. His [Perfect Spatial Awareness] was unmoored from his body. It alw...

Chapter 106: Ezekiel vs Leo

Zeke made his way to the changing room. His fists were clenched and his mouth set in a determined line. He had managed to get Maximilian’s promise! All he needed to do now was follow through with his part of the deal.

He arrived at the changing room and put on his armor for the final time. He sat on one of the luxurious benches and reviewed his plan for the fight. Fighting Leo would not be easy, even under these favorable conditions.

Zeke would be unable to use any of his normal...

Chapter 105: Marking a Deal

Zeke arrived at a section of a stadium he had never been to before. He came to a halt in front of a large wooden door. The guards on either side scanned his figure. After they had deemed him not to be a threat, the leader of the two spoke up.

“Mister von Hohenheim has already been informed of your coming,” the man said in a matter-of-fact tone. “You have been permitted to enter.”

Zeke nodded at the man and stepped up to the door. He had come to the most luxurious viewing b...

Chapter 104: Zeke vs Edmund

Zeke found himself in the changing room for contestants. Even though his fight was about to begin, his thoughts were not on the upcoming battle. His thoughts were occupied by Leo. Leo had suffered severe injuries during his last fight. On top of that, Leo’s core was exhausted and had even started to crack. It was anyone's guess if he would be able to fight at full strength in the final.

A cracked core was nothing to be worried about. However, it did mean that Leo would probably not be...

Chapter 103: Leo vs Felix

Zeke watched the coliseum intently from the private viewing area, flanked by Sophia and Viola. Edmund had returned to his own family’s area. Zeke’s heart was pounding in his chest as he watched Leo and Felix enter.

The two strode confidently into the arena. Leo didn’t seem to be worried in the slightest. However, Zeke didn’t share his friend’s confidence. Leo would have to forgo his Fire Magic completely and fight with nothing but his Earth Magic and physical prowess. He wasn�...

Chapter 102: Only Four remain.

Tanya was the first to make a move. She used her [Wind Dash] spell once more to close the gap. However, Edmund was prepared this time. A dust cloud traveled outward in a semi-circle from his position. Wherever the wave passed, the ground rose up into sharp stakes. Tanya almost impaled herself. In a last-ditch effort to avoid the spears, she jumped upward. The Wind Mage managed to successfully transform her momentum into a graceful glide. She passed over Edmund’s head.

Zeke recognized ...

Chapter 101: The Quarterfinal IV

Roland found himself getting closer and closer to the invisible barrier Ezekiel had created under his own feet. He had been trying to attack the insolent peasant with [Earth Spikes]. However, his attempts had remained fruitless so far. He had underestimated the strength of Ezekiel’s defenses. Still, he wasn’t worried, being defensive would only get you so far.

Roland noticed movement up above. Through his [Earth Sense] ability, he observed Ezekiel sitting down on the ground. He didn...

Chapter 100: The Quarterfinal III

Felix stood in place, his arms splayed wide. A crown of flames had formed on his head. The thin whisp of fire could not compare to the spell of legends Zeke had read about. According to the texts on the four great families, the [Crown of Fire] of the Feuerkranz family was as imposing as the ornament of a king. Still, a scaled-down version was already impressive for a mage on Felix's level. Zeke had not anticipated him to be able to cast it at all.

Katja’s face also turned serious. She...

Chapter 99: The Quarterfinal II

The crowd was in an uproar. Leo’s nonchalant demeanor had awoken a new hope in the spectators. A single attack like that was far from enough to take him out. It seemed he was made of sterner stuff.

“As you wish,” Emil said. “Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance to surrender!”

This time, it was Leo who moved first. The line of sight between the two was broken as a pillar of stone shot out of the ground. In the next moment, the earth shifted. The ground of the stadium ...

Chapter 98: The Quarterfinal I

Viola’s laughter was all that could be heard in the room. She could barely stay upright in her seat anymore.

“D-did you guys see that?” she asked while pointing at the screen. On the display, Emil Gluthand was trying to justify himself. He had tried to explain to the crowd why nobles truly were superior. Zeke almost felt bad for him. He could tell that the boy didn’t mean to be malicious with his words. This was likely what he had been taught his entire life.

Emil had like...

Chapter 97: The True Face of the Nobles

Zeke and Maximilian were sitting in a private room. They were both silent as they sipped on their cup of tea. Zeke thought about how to start but could not find the words.

“What did you want to talk about, my boy?” Maximilian asked after putting down his cup.

“Aren’t you mad?” Zeke asked instead of responding.

“Because of what you said in the interview?” the old man questioned. Zeke merely nodded before lowering his head. Had he gone too far? He had not just at...

Chapter 96: The Interview

Zeke nodded and followed Jorgel out of the room. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Maximilian scooping up Maya and bringing her back to his parents. Zeke was certain that he could count on the old man to keep an eye on his family while he was gone.

Jorgel seemed to notice that Zeke was thinking about something and decided to leave him alone. Zeke appreciated the sentiment and started to digest all that he had learned just now. He had no idea that adopted members were treated so ...

Chapter 95: The Gathering II

Instead of answering Roland’s question right away, Zeke looked the Earth Mage up and down. Roland had a smug grin on his face as he returned the gaze. He was leaning against one of the tables and was casually sipping on a drink. The slight flush on his face made it clear that it was an alcoholic beverage.

“Are you sure you should be drinking?” Zeke asked. “You’ll be fighting me in the next round.”

“Yeah, whatever! I’ll have a healer purge the effects before the fig...

Chapter 94: The Gathering I

David pushed open the giant gate to the hall. The doors swung open with a loud creak. He  stepped to the side with an elegant bow, waiting for Maximilian’s group to enter.

Zeke stepped into the luxurious hall right behind the old man. Leo was only slightly behind him and his family entered right after. Despite being commoners, Zeke and Leo had gotten used to the opulent surrounding while studying at Elementium.

Mia and Maya on the other hand were staring with open-mouthed w...

Chapter 93: A Welcome Surprise

Zeke was not surprised by Leo's request. The moment he had seen Maximilian’s handwriting on the letter he had known what his friend would ask of him. Personally, Zeke had instantly decided to accept Leo’s request.

Was there any reason to turn Leo down? He was thrilled by the idea of having Leo become a part of his family. But there was one problem. Zeke was certain that Maximilian would be against it. The question was less about if Zeke was willing to help Leo and more about if he e...

Chapter 92: Leo's Request

Zeke and Leo arrived at a deserted hallway. Here, the yelling of the crowd was only a muted noise in the background. Leo looked around and stopped, content with the location. He turned and waited for Zeke to catch up. The other boy trailed a couple of steps behind him.

"So, why are you down here, Leo?" Zeke asked after joining his friend a moment later. "I mean, I most certainly have no problem with spending time with the common folk, but all your friends are up there. Not to mention, t...

Chapter titles

So, I have used this system for naming chapters of the same arc as: I, II, III, IV... 

It was originally meant to show that certain chapters are connected, but I find the system to be somewhat silly now. 

What do you guys think?

Chapter 91: The Finals VI.

The atmosphere changed the moment the three of them stepped out of the private area. The lounge was filled to the brim. Some of the students had been at the bar, drinking. Others had been standing in line at the betting table. Most had been relaxing with their friends in one of the separate seating areas.

However, the moment Zeke entered the site, the chatter started to die down as people turned to stare at him. He had gotten used to people giving him looks occasionally, but this was on...

Chapter 90: The Finals V

Ezekiel didn't even know how he had returned to the private area. He was in a complete daze since the fight had started. He was only awakened from his trance-like state when Viola slapped his cheeks with a bit of force.

His eyes snapped into focus, taking in the worried gaze of the silver-haired girl looking up at him. He noticed another figure behind her and found Sophia looking at him as well. The Mind Mage had a serious look on her face, as she studied him.

"What happened, Zeke...

Chapter 89: The Finals IV

Zeke got up and made his way to the changing room without saying a word. He forced a smile for the two girls and waved them goodbye. By leaving now, he would arrive way ahead of time. But he felt like he needed a moment alone to come to terms with his turbulent emotions.

His mood had soured upon witnessing Rona's loss. Zeke had not expected that he would be affected by the outcome of the fight. He was neither especially close with Peter nor Rona. Somehow, the thought of both of them bei...

Chapter 88: The Finals III

Viola looked pleased with Zeke's change in attitude. The slowly emerging smirk on her face made it clear that she was about to start teasing him again. Before the tiny Wind Mage could get started, though, Sophia cut into the conversation. "We will have time enough to pool our knowledge later. Let's first all collect our winnings and make bets for the next fight."

Zeke also agreed with Sophia's judgment, and the two of them got up, leaving a pouting Viola behind. The girl was left with n...

Chapter 87: The Finals II

Sophia just nodded mutely as both of the girls let themselves be dragged along. Zeke made a big show out of counting his winnings. The money was paid out in smaller bags containing a hundred gold coins each. He put ten of those back into the same pouch Sophia had handed to him only about an hour earlier.

Zeke passed the bad to her with a thankful expression on his face. She had only ended up lending him the money for a short time. This did not distract from the trust the girl had shown ...

Chapter 86: The Finals I

Zeke walked through another empty hallway beneath the sands of the arena. He turned to his left at the intersection and stepped into a guarded corridor. He was making his way to the seating area that Sophia owned.

The guards only nodded at him as he passed the checkpoint, the two men were already familiar with his face. Zeke nodded back absentmindedly. He was deep in thought about the pairings that had just been announced for the upcoming matches.

He stepped into the same lounge w...