Zeke couldn't see Leo's face, but he noticed that after his shout, the blonde speck in the distance paused. There was a moment of stillness before a squeak was heard. Then, out of nowhere, the shaggy blonde mane raced directly toward him.
Moments later, Leo emerged from the crowd, a disgruntled Maya held under one arm. If the boy had a tail, it would be wagging furiously right now. "Can I really?"
Zeke stepped closer, freeing Maya from her pitiful situation. He placed her on his shoulders, one leg dangling down each side of his neck. Through his field of awareness, he could see her glaring at Leo, as she held onto his hair for support.
"You can," he finally said with a smirk.
"What about the suit? Wasn't it really expensive?"
Zeke sighed. "Yes, it was. But you hate it anyway, so what's the point of keeping it?"
Leo nodded along, already starting to strip as he listened. He only stopped when he was down to pants and a shirt. He had a content smile on his face, as he began to stretch, limbering up his body. Despite everyone staring at him, Leo was unhurried as he prepared himself.
"Ahhhh, this is better," he eventually said. "So, who am I fighting? Or do you all want to come at me together?"
Zeke smirked. Leave it to Leo to set the mood. "I told them they had to earn the right to challenge me..."
"…by defeating me?" Leo finished for him, a smile emerging on his own face. "I like that. We should make that an official rule or something."
"I think we've waited long enough," Philip cut in. Out of all the youngsters, he seemed the most eager to prove himself. He probably was trying to impress a certain girl with his brash attitude. This could be interesting.
"Who will be the referee?" Zeke asked.
"I will. If that is acceptable to both parties," Vanessa offered.
Philip nodded right away and Leo merely shrugged. He probably wouldn't care no matter who it was.
"Perfect," Zeke exclaimed. "Now the only thing that is left are the stakes."
"What stakes? Don't try to weasel your way out now!" Philip retorted angrily.
"Calm down. Nobody is trying to weasel their way out of anything," Zeke stated. "I'm merely demanding that you wager something of equal value in this fight."
"Of equal value to what exactly," Philip asked suspiciously. "You're not putting up anything either."
Zeke shook his head in disappointment, clicking his tongue while doing so. "You can't be seriously thinking that, Philip. I'm putting up nothing? Really? Then what do you think would happen if you actually managed to win? Will you remain quiet about it? Or, and this is just me thinking out loud, will you tell everyone how you defeated the champion of the empire? What I am wagering is the most valuable thing I own — my reputation."
"Big deal," Philip snorted. "We all are putting up our reputation as well."
Zeke burst out laughing. He was trying hard to get his shaking shoulders back under control. He didn't even have to act this time. The boy's suggestion was just that ridiculous.
"Y-your reputation?" Zeke gasped.
"AND WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT THAT?!" Philip yelled.
Zeke held up his hand, bidding Philip to wait while he forced himself to stop laughing.
"So you don't see why this is funny?" Zeke eventually said, a massive smile on his lips. "Well let me lay it out for you then." He raised his left hand. "If you win against me, you'll stand victorious over the number one talent of the empire, the Blood Dragon, the rising star of Tradespire, and patriarch of the von Hohenheim household."
He deliberately paused for a second, letting the weight of his words settle in, before slowly raising his other hand. "And if I win… I've defeated Philip."
Zeke slowly swayed his hands up and down, pretending they were weights on a scale, while he fixed the other boy with a mocking gaze. However, his act was interrupted by an unexpected source. From atop his head, a high-pitched voice chimed in, "Don't be mean, Zeke."
Maya gently pulled on his hair as she reprimanded him. Her cute actions and adorable voice completely dispelled the menacing atmosphere Zeke had tried to create.
Zeke cleared his throat. "…Anyway, you get my point."
It was Vanessa who spoke up. "Yes, we get it, you are famous. I agree that some sort of compensation would be appropriate. However, I won't stand for any unreasonable demands."
Zeke raised his hands placatingly. "Don't worry, it's not like that. I don't want any money or riches from you guys…"
"Come out and say it already."
"Fine," Zeke said. "I want you to teach me about Blood Magic."
"You… you want our spells?" Vanessa asked. A trace of hostility had crept into her gaze. This was not a small ask and would need the permission of the patriarch at least.
Zeke immediately shook his head. "Nothing that drastic, no. I just want you to tell me about the spells being used. No secrets, just common knowledge, of course. That should be easy enough, yes?"
"Is that all you want?" There was still a hint of suspicion in her voice.
Zeke sighed. "Is that so strange? I've never received any proper teaching, you know? My entire knowledge is from the empire's libraries and most of those books described Blood Mages as savages, little better than beasts. All I want is to get some guidance on the proper use of my affinity."
Vanessa's gaze softened as he spoke. By the end, she was almost looking apologetic. "I guess there wouldn't be any Blood Mages in the empire, huh? If that is all you want, we will naturally agree to it. I'll go and find someone else to oversee the matches so that I can personally—"
"No need," he interrupted hurriedly. It was true that as a Grand Mage, she would know more than most. However, Zeke preferred somebody less guarded. Somebody who might unintentionally let something slip. "I appreciate the offer, but I really only want the most rudimentary explanation of the spells. There is no need for a Grand Mage like you to do it. Anybody would be fine."
Zeke swept his gaze over the crowd of youngsters, his eyes settling on the figure of a certain girl. "How about it, Mina? Will you do me the honor?"
The girl was clearly surprised at being called out. "M-me? I don't know much…"
Zeke was undeterred as he extended a hand toward her. "That's perfect. Because I don't want to know much."
Hesitantly, the girl took the offered hand. Zeke gently guided her to the spot next to him. But even then, he did not let go. When their shoulders touched, an adorable blush spread across her face, causing her to avert her eyes. With a teasing grin, he turned toward a fuming Philip. "So, who wants to go first?"
The boy stomped off, taking his spot on the training field with Leo only a step behind. They stood about ten steps from each other. Leo had borrowed a training sword from somewhere. He was casually swinging it around to get used to the weight. Philip, on the other hand, appeared completely unarmed.
"Philip, are you ready?"
The boy nodded.
"What about you, Leo?"
Leo's eyes were sharp, he didn't even avert his gaze for a moment as he signed his readiness.
"Very well. Both contestants are ready, " Vanessa announced. "3, 2, 1… FIGHT!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Leo moved. He shot straight toward his opponent. The earth under his feet had rushed up to give him an extra boost. Even Zeke, who fought against his brother regularly, was surprised by the move. This had to be something Leo had prepared for their next fight.
Philip remained unflustered. He slightly shifted his position, both of his hands raised in a boxing stance. It was the only thing he had time for, as Leo descended on him the very next moment. The dull blade of his training sword cut down in a vertical line and Zeke could tell how much force was behind that blow — Leo was not holding back.
Philip crossed his arms over his head. Just before the weapon collided with his bare skin, two blood-red blades extended from his hands in a reversed grip. The straight-edged daggers were crossed in a perfect parry position. But instead of the expected collision, the blood knifes cut cleanly through Leo's weapon.
The sword shattered, leaving Leo defenseless against his opponent. He instantly pivoted his strike into a swift step back. From there, he surged forward with a powerful front kick aimed at his foe's midsection. The kick connected, pushing his opponent back and buying him precious time to regroup.
Leo looked at the shattered fragments on the ground, and then at the hilt in his hand. He tossed the now useless remains of his weapons aside. Meanwhile, Philip was playing with his knives, the blades dancing across his fingers with trained precision. He was clearly trying to show off.
"And here I thought this would be a challenge," he mocked. "It's honestly kind of disappointing after all that talking."
His words were clearly meant as a barb. However, not the slightest bit of nervousness could be seen on Zeke's face. "I suggest you save your bragging until after you have actually won."
"Pah! Fine," Philip scoffed. "Just. One. SECOND!" At the last word, he tossed one of his weapons. The blade was not aimed at a vital area but toward the stomach. Still, if those daggers were as sharp as Zeke suspected them to be, the blade would punch through cleanly. Leo swayed. It was only the tiniest movement, but the throw completely missed.
"This is interesting." Leo's eyes were shining. There was a wide smile on his face as he approached his opponent with deliberate steps. Both of his arms were stretched wide as if inviting another attack. Philip didn't disappoint; another dagger was already forming in his hand while he threw his remaining one. Leo dodged with a spin and used the momentum for another sprint.
Philip fell back, as his new weapons were not properly formed yet. However, his retreat was halted by a stone pillar that hit him in the back. The blow was so unexpected that he stumbled forward, right into Leo's descending fist. It was a brutal hit, sending him rolling across the ground.
However, Leo didn't chase. Instead, he stepped back just in time to dodge a blade that struck the spot he had just stood in. Philip was back on his feet momentarily, a dark blue bruise now covering the left side of his face. His face was already beginning to heal. The process was so fast that it could be observed by the naked eye.
Zeke lightly squeezed the hand of the girl he was holding, eliciting a muted squeak. "Mina, can you tell me about the spells Philip is using?"
When the girl heard his request her own face also turned serious. She had probably only just remembered that this was the actual reason she was standing with him.
"Ermm…" Mina said. "But Leo- hasn't won yet."
Zeke leaned in. He brushed away the girl's hair and whispered into her ear.
"Yes, he has," Zeke said, before she could protest, he quickly gave her one more hint. "Earth is not his only affinity."
Mina was so surprised by his words, she didn't even blush. After carefully observing the flow of the fight for a moment, she nodded. "What do you want to know?"
"What's the name of the spell Philip uses?"
"It's called [Blood Armaments]. It can be used to create weapons of any shape and size, but for True Mages like us, daggers and knives are usually the best choices," the girl explained.
Zeke's interest was peaked. The girl had said that this only applied to True Mages. So they had a method to circumvent the limited supply of blood at higher stages. However, there was something Zeke was more interested in. "But that's not the spell he has engraved on his core, is it?"
"No, it's not," Mina agreed. "In the Bloodsword family, everybody has one of two spells engraved. We either get [Blood Compression] like Philip, or [Blood Generation] like me."
"Is it ok for you to tell me that?" Zeke asked. He had wanted to get some additional information out of the girl, but not to the point that she would get in trouble for it.
"Yes, that much should be fine. Most people in Valor are aware of the two different styles of Blood Mages."
"So, [Blood Compression] allows you to store additional blood in your body, and [Blood Generation] allows you to replenish your blood faster?"
Before Mina could answer, there was an excited murmur going through the crowd. Zeke focused back on the fight. Philip looked like he had taken quite the beating. His armor was tattered, and his face was swollen and bruised. However, this was not what had excited the crowd. For the first time, Leo had been hit. A fine line extended along his left arm. The cut was bleeding excessively for how thin it was.
Leo was looking down on his arm, a frown on his face. "I guess playtime is over."
Leo approached his opponent head-on. While he walked, multiple layers of stone were starting to encase his right fist. His feet picked up speed and he was soon sprinting. Philip, noticing how hard it would be to dodge in this state, threw one of his two weapons at him. Zeke was impressed by the boy's reserves. Were he in Philips's place, he would have long since passed out from blood loss.
Instead of dodging, Leo motioned with his right hand, causing a pillar of stone to divert the projectile. Philip knew by now that he had to hold on to at least one weapon in order to match Leo in close-quarter combat. So he took up his stance, the second dagger held securely in his right.
Leo arrived in front of him. His right fist was now encased in a sturdy layer of stone. Philip smirked, already in a position to block the attack. His [Blood Armament] would cut right through Leo's [Earthen Armor]. But the smile was quickly wiped from his face when felt himself falling. Leo had aborted his feint and instead swept the legs from under him with a swift kick. Philip's expression turned desperate. He had focused all his attention on the stone-encased fist, certain in the knowledge that Leo would try to end the fight with it.
Now, that very same fist was closing in on his face. Without any footing, there was nothing he could do. However, the bone-shattering impact never occurred. Instead, he just fell on his ass. A quick glance revealed that Leo was already walking away, having stopped the punch at the last moment.
"Victor of the first match: LEO!!!"