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Using his own wind magic, he altered the fireball's trajectory, causing it to veer away before it could reach him.
At the same time, he continued moving forward without slowing down.
Lith quickly created another patch of ice in Ash's path, hoping to make him lose his footing. However, Ash simply adjusted his stance and kept sliding forward. His balance remained steady despite the changing terrain.
Seeing that Ash was getting closer, Lith fired several small fireballs in quick succession. Ash dodged the first one, redirected the second with wind magic, and stepped around the third while continuing his advance.
Within a few seconds, the distance between them had shrunk to only a few meters.
Lith tried to retreat while casting another spell, but Ash had already anticipated it. During his training with Saber, he had learned how to close the distance against opponents who relied on ranged attacks. More importantly, he had learned how to read movement and take advantage of small openings.
The moment Lith shifted his weight to move backward, Ash changed direction and accelerated.
Before Lith could complete his next spell, Ash reached him.
The blunt metal wedge lightly touched Lith's chest.
"Stop."
Professor Trasque raised his hand.
"Direct hit. Ash wins."
Ash lowered the wedge and stepped back.
Lith nodded. He understood that once Ash had entered close range, the fight had already become heavily one-sided. First Magic was useful, but it was difficult to cast effective spells when an opponent was already within arm's reach.
Professor Trasque looked at the class.
"Did everyone see what happened?"
Several students nodded.
"Ash did not waste time trying to overpower Lith's magic. He focused on his objective, which was reaching the target. He used simple spells only when necessary and kept moving forward."
The professor then looked at Lith.
"And Lith made a common mistake. He kept creating distance and casting attacks, but he never changed his strategy when it became clear that his opponent could handle them."
Trasque pointed toward the ring.
"This exercise is not about showing who is stronger. It is about understanding the situation and making the correct decisions. Sometimes the best spell is not the strongest one. Sometimes it is simply the one that creates an opportunity."
Both Ash and Lith left the ring while the next pair prepared to enter.
The lessons continued as the students faced one another in different scenarios. Some won, some lost, and most had mixed results.
However, one exception stood out.
Ash.
Thanks to the training he had undergone since the age of five, he had adapted to a wide variety of combat situations. No matter what handicap Professor Trasque gave him, Ash always managed to find a way to win.
Sometimes he started in a disadvantageous position. Other times he was forced to take a longer route or given fewer options than his opponent. Yet he consistently adapted and overcame the challenge.
His performance quickly caught the professor's attention.
"And Ash wins again."
Professor Trasque stopped the match as the blunt metal wedge in Ash's hand rested against a noble student's neck.
The noble sighed and lowered his hands in surrender.
"Another excellent fight," Trasque said. "Which makes me wonder, kid, do you have a master?"
Ash shook his head.
"No. But I do have a training partner who believes muscles are better than magic. Because of that, we spend a lot of time sparring, either hand-to-hand or with swords. So I'm simply more familiar with fighting than most people here."
Professor Trasque nodded.
From Ash's movements alone, he could tell that his skills were built through extensive practice rather than talent alone. His footwork was steady, his reactions were sharp, and his decisions were made without hesitation.
Those were not traits someone developed by reading books.
They came from experience.
"A good training partner is worth more than a dozen instructors who only know theory," Trasque said. "Keep it up."
Ash simply nodded before returning the training wedge and stepping out of the ring.
Next came the Advanced Spell Casting class. There, all students were required to learn Hexacasting—the ability to cast six spells simultaneously.
For Ash, the exercise was surprisingly easy.
Thanks to Raphael's assistance and his own mental training, he passed the class with flying colors while many of his classmates struggled and failed.
Quylla, Lith, Yurial, and Friya also managed to pass, along with a few other students whose names Ash didn't know.
Quylla succeeded with a little help from Ash, and the same was true for a few others. Lith, however, passed entirely on his own and finished second only to Ash.
During the exercise, Lith helped Yurial while Ash assisted Quylla and Friya.
Soon, the class ended.
Now Ash was sitting in the cafeteria, eating lunch with Lith, Quylla, Yurial, and Friya.
He had decided to make a few friends. He understood the importance of having reliable allies in a world where there was no utility system to solve problems for him. Still, he didn't act desperate for companionship.
Instead, he found himself dragged into ordinary teenage conversations.
Ash was reminded of his own school time as he listened to their ramblings. Most teenagers spent their time talking about boys, girls, or complaining about their teachers.
"Seriously..." Friya stabbed her lasagna as though it had personally offended her.
"...what kind of professor just throws you into a room and expects you to figure everything out by yourself? How much of a jerk can she be?"
"I bet your family hired a tutor for you," Yurial said, shaking his head.
"Yes. Why?"
"Because only tutors spoon-feed magic. My father never explained anything unless I was completely incapable of figuring it out myself. He would hand me a stack of books and demand results."
Lith asked looking at Yurial.
"By the way, why didn't your father teach you those exercises beforehand? It would have given you quite an advantage, and I doubt the academy would care."
Yurial sighed and shook his head.
"Oh, sure. Just because my father is an Archmage, that means I have all the knowledge in the world at my fingertips."