Chapter 83: Betrayers see Betrayal.
After the announcement was made, a group of hidden observers converged on the site of the final battle. Zeke and his team watched with bated breath. One of the approaching mages utilized his Wind Magic to dispel the dust cover that had previously obscured the view of the scene.
What was revealed was the result of a bloody conflict. Amidst the tense mages, ready for action, lay a bloody figure that Zeke could not recognize. The boy was lying face down on the ground, unmoving.
Zeke had expected this outcome the moment he saw the sinister glint in Roland's eyes. The Mage had used his mastery over the earth to blind his surrounding comrades with a cloud of fine sand and gravel. Zeke could only guess at what happened next. It seemed as if Roland had used the element of surprise to attack a member of Rona's team. By doing so, he managed to eliminate the last person necessary for all of them to advance to the finals.
The moment the body on the ground was revealed, a girl from Rona's team ran over to him with tears in the corners of her eyes.
"What happened? Oh no, is that peter!?" she cried out.
Zeke didn't know how to react to the situation. He had known that the moment after the fight was the most likely for a betrayal to occur. With the finish line already in sight, betrayal became that much more tempting. But he had still hoped that their three groups would remain united until the end.
Rona was so enraged by the sight that she immediately started to cast. There was no way she would accept this result!
However, before she could actually retaliate, a man stepped in front of her. He shook his head and spoke with a calm but firm voice.
"Stand down. The round has ended and there will be no more fighting."
The man's words incited Rona even further. She replied with no small amount of venom in her voice.
"What are you saying? I have to let him get away with this? He can attack his own allies and there are no consequences?"
The man remained unfazed by Rona's tone or accusations.
"This stage of the tournament was a battle royale," he explained. "There are no allies in the eyes of the judges. You formed your groups on your own, and that has nothing to do with the tournament. Roland did not break any rules by attacking his so-called 'ally'. There was no such thing in the first place. The only thing he broke was your trust, not the rules. I would suggest you calm down first and think carefully about your next actions. If you really want to pay Roland back for what he has done, do it in the finals."
The man's words didn't seem to calm Rona down much. The chance to compete in the finals had been snatched away from her teammate. She balled her fist and stomped her feat in impotent rage. But deep down, she knew that there was nothing she could do anymore.
Zeke watched the exchange from the side. He was saddened by how everything had turned out in the end. Even so, he couldn't claim that he was surprised by this outcome.
Another man approached Zeke and his group and told them to follow him out of the arena. Wordlessly, the group of four fell in line behind the man and made their way away from the tragic scene. After a while, Lena was the first to break the silence.
"How did you know that was going to happen, Zeke?" she asked, looking deep in thought. Zeke was glad to find no sign of blame on her face, only curiosity.
This was not a subject he was eager to talk about. Still, he had known there would be questions. Zeke sighed but answered her question honestly.
"I could see it in Roland's eyes the moment before he attacked. That's not the only reason, though. I had feared this might happen from the moment I came up with the plan."
"How could you have predicted this?" Leo asked. "There was no reason for Roland to act like that. We could have won the round without any problems!"
Zeke sighed again. He was sure that this turn of events would be hard for someone like Leo to understand. Leo was not only one of the strongest students in their grade, but he also had a straightforward personality. Those two factors combined meant that he didn't waste time on plots or intrigues.
Zeke thought about how he could make his agitated friend understand.
"Well, he was probably afraid," he started.
This statement got him disbelieving looks from his three teammates. He continued before he could be interrupted.
"Afraid of being betrayed first, I mean. Roland had just lost a member of his team and got injured himself. This did make him an easy target for the rest of us. Instead of attacking the team in the lake, we could have just turned on Roland and secured an easy victory that way."
Leo was incensed by the suggestion of this course of action and loudly interjected with heat.
"I would never do something like that! He is the one that has betrayed his teammates, not the other way around. You can't pin this on us!"
Zeke remained calm, even while Leo was screaming at him. With a firm voice, he explained.
"That might be true in your eyes, but not in his."
Leo calmed down upon hearing Zeke's tone. His expression turned a little sheepish. He recognized that he had been venting his anger on the wrong target. He took a couple of deep breaths and continued with a much calmer tone.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"You are a straightforward and honest person, Leo. In your mind, it is out of the question to betray your team," Zeke explained.
He paused and waited for Leo to give a sign of agreement and understanding of his deduction up to this point. Leo nodded easily, a smile on his face, as he said: "Of course!"
Zeke had to suppress a smile at this upright and straightforward attitude. He wished more people were like Leo. The world would surely be a better place. He went on with his explanation, aware that all three of his team members were watching him closely.
"Consequently, you assume that other people would act the same way. That they would behave above board and honorably. And here comes the important part. Roland was wounded and weakened after the fight. He was afraid of betrayal because he himself would definitely take advantage if he were in our situation. It was a logical conclusion in his mind that we would also act the same and betray him."
His three teammates were all deep in thought after listening to his explanation. After a moment, Leo spoke up.
"How can you be so sure about that? We were with you the entire time, and none of us suspected a thing."
Zeke pondered for a moment, unsure of how to answer. It had always been easy for him to deduce the motives behind other people's actions. His mother had told him that this was because he was such a caring child. But he now assumed that it had something to do with his mind affinity.
Hesitantly, he started to explain his theory.
"I guess that's mostly because of my Mind affinity. It lets me analyze situations easily, in a very detached manner," he said.
Zeke didn't want his teammates to overthink this. A smirk spread across his face as he went on in a teasing tone.
"I also read a lot of books, might wanna try that out yourself once in a while, Mr. muscle head."
Leo turned a little red at the comment, and the three others chuckled. It was widely known that Leo never read anything, and his theoretical score had been terrible. With a sour look on his face, Leo replied.
"What kind of books can you even read that will let you understand how people will act? I bet you made that up to get me to read more."
Zeke shook his head with a smile on his face. He then quoted a paragraph from one of his favorite books, "The Heart of Men".
"Betrayers see betrayal in every shadow, for they know the darkness of their own hearts. They live in constant fear of being exposed for the duplicity they themselves embody.
"They project their own treachery onto others, always suspecting that those around them are just as untrustworthy as they are. But in doing so, they only perpetuate the cycle of deceit and perpetuate their own misery.
"For true peace of mind and happiness, they must first face the demons within themselves and strive towards redemption."
As Zeke finished reciting the famous quote, he let out a deep breath. Repeating the words from his favorite book always brought clarity to his mind. But upon getting no reaction even after a long moment from his team, he looked around.
He noticed that the others had stopped and were staring at him. Even the staff member who was escorting them was giving him weird looks. Leo's expression was the most exaggerated as he stared at Zeke with an open mouth.
"What are you, a walking library? How come you just had the perfect quote ready?" He asked with an incredulous look on his face.
Zeke got a bit defensive after being stared at by everybody.
"Hey, what's with the looks? It's from one of my favorite books, alright? You guys should all read a little more!" he replied in a testy voice.
The uncharacteristic outburst from the usually ever-so-composed Zeke made the others chuckle. They continued on their way. His outburst had broken the tension, and they all continued on their way, more relaxed and at ease.
Lena was the next to speak up. Zeke had noticed that she had wanted to ask her own question several times, but never managed to muster up the courage before.
"Why didn't you stop it, if you've seen the betrayal coming? You promised earlier that you would stop this from happening, no matter who was responsible."
Zeke sighed again. He had expected this question, but he was still caught off guard by how guilty he felt upon hearing it. With a conflicted expression, he turned his head to look up at the fake sky of the arena. After a moment, he tried to explain his reasoning.
"I could tell you that I would have been too late anyway. Or that I would have been the one to break the peace if I had attacked him first. Or even that the alliance was doomed the moment he tried to attack his teammates, which is all true by the way.
"However, the real reason I did not act was that I never considered them to be my teammates in the first place. I promised to look out for you guys, and that was my first priority."
Zeke turned to face Lena, fixing her with an intense gaze as he went on.
"In all the plans that I suggested and with every action I have taken since entering this stage, I have always put the success of our team first. The moment I realized Roland was going to attack, my first thought wasn't 'I have to stop this.' Instead, I was thinking, 'This is probably for the best.'"
Zeke had a guilty look on his face after his confession, and Leo looked expectantly shocked by his words. Lena, however, had remained calm. As a member of the Wellenrufer family, she was no stranger to intrigue. She nodded her head and only asked for clarification.
"Why did you think that it was for the best?" she asked.
Zeke didn't have to think about the answer. He responded immediately.
"Because the member of Roland's team that was lost in the attack on the hill was their Water Mage. If we had still tried my initial strategy, then that would have put all the risk on you. How could I send you into the pond with such odds?
"The possibility of losing a member of my own team because someone else had fucked up was not something that I wanted to risk. Not in the final battle. And not if I was given the choice. And well... I was given the choice."
Lena smiled and nodded. Edmund also seemed to agree with Zeke's decision, judging by the slight smile that appeared on his face for a moment. Leo, on the other hand, was harder to read. He seemed to be deep in thought after listening to the explanation. Zeke couldn't tell how the boy felt about his actions.
Zeke's explanation had eased the mood of the team. By the time they had reached the exit, they were talking animatedly about who they hoped to meet in the finals.
In typical fashion, Leo proclaimed that he wanted to fight everybody! His statement lightened the mood even further, and they all laughed, excited about what the future held.
Chapter 83: Betrayers see Betrayal.
After the announcement was made, a group of hidden observers converged on the site of the final battle. Zeke and his team watched with bated breath. One of the approaching mages utilized his Wind Magic to dispel the dust cover that had previously obscured the view of the scene.
What was revealed was the result of a bloody conflict. Amidst the tense mages, ready for action, lay a bloody figure that Zeke could not recognize. The boy was lying face down on the ground, unmoving.
Zeke had expected this outcome the moment he saw the sinister glint in Roland's eyes. The Mage had used his mastery over the earth to blind his surrounding comrades with a cloud of fine sand and gravel. Zeke could only guess at what happened next. It seemed as if Roland had used the element of surprise to attack a member of Rona's team. By doing so, he managed to eliminate the last person necessary for all of them to advance to the finals.
The moment the body on the ground was revealed, a girl from Rona's team ran over to him with tears in the corners of her eyes.
"What happened? Oh no, is that peter!?" she cried out.
Zeke didn't know how to react to the situation. He had known that the moment after the fight was the most likely for a betrayal to occur. With the finish line already in sight, betrayal became that much more tempting. But he had still hoped that their three groups would remain united until the end.
Rona was so enraged by the sight that she immediately started to cast. There was no way she would accept this result!
However, before she could actually retaliate, a man stepped in front of her. He shook his head and spoke with a calm but firm voice.
"Stand down. The round has ended and there will be no more fighting."
The man's words incited Rona even further. She replied with no small amount of venom in her voice.
"What are you saying? I have to let him get away with this? He can attack his own allies and there are no consequences?"
The man remained unfazed by Rona's tone or accusations.
"This stage of the tournament was a battle royale," he explained. "There are no allies in the eyes of the judges. You formed your groups on your own, and that has nothing to do with the tournament. Roland did not break any rules by attacking his so-called 'ally'. There was no such thing in the first place. The only thing he broke was your trust, not the rules. I would suggest you calm down first and think carefully about your next actions. If you really want to pay Roland back for what he has done, do it in the finals."
The man's words didn't seem to calm Rona down much. The chance to compete in the finals had been snatched away from her teammate. She balled her fist and stomped her feat in impotent rage. But deep down, she knew that there was nothing she could do anymore.
Zeke watched the exchange from the side. He was saddened by how everything had turned out in the end. Even so, he couldn't claim that he was surprised by this outcome.
Another man approached Zeke and his group and told them to follow him out of the arena. Wordlessly, the group of four fell in line behind the man and made their way away from the tragic scene. After a while, Lena was the first to break the silence.
"How did you know that was going to happen, Zeke?" she asked, looking deep in thought. Zeke was glad to find no sign of blame on her face, only curiosity.
This was not a subject he was eager to talk about. Still, he had known there would be questions. Zeke sighed but answered her question honestly.
"I could see it in Roland's eyes the moment before he attacked. That's not the only reason, though. I had feared this might happen from the moment I came up with the plan."
"How could you have predicted this?" Leo asked. "There was no reason for Roland to act like that. We could have won the round without any problems!"
Zeke sighed again. He was sure that this turn of events would be hard for someone like Leo to understand. Leo was not only one of the strongest students in their grade, but he also had a straightforward personality. Those two factors combined meant that he didn't waste time on plots or intrigues.
Zeke thought about how he could make his agitated friend understand.
"Well, he was probably afraid," he started.
This statement got him disbelieving looks from his three teammates. He continued before he could be interrupted.
"Afraid of being betrayed first, I mean. Roland had just lost a member of his team and got injured himself. This did make him an easy target for the rest of us. Instead of attacking the team in the lake, we could have just turned on Roland and secured an easy victory that way."
Leo was incensed by the suggestion of this course of action and loudly interjected with heat.
"I would never do something like that! He is the one that has betrayed his teammates, not the other way around. You can't pin this on us!"
Zeke remained calm, even while Leo was screaming at him. With a firm voice, he explained.
"That might be true in your eyes, but not in his."
Leo calmed down upon hearing Zeke's tone. His expression turned a little sheepish. He recognized that he had been venting his anger on the wrong target. He took a couple of deep breaths and continued with a much calmer tone.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"You are a straightforward and honest person, Leo. In your mind, it is out of the question to betray your team," Zeke explained.
He paused and waited for Leo to give a sign of agreement and understanding of his deduction up to this point. Leo nodded easily, a smile on his face, as he said: "Of course!"
Zeke had to suppress a smile at this upright and straightforward attitude. He wished more people were like Leo. The world would surely be a better place. He went on with his explanation, aware that all three of his team members were watching him closely.
"Consequently, you assume that other people would act the same way. That they would behave above board and honorably. And here comes the important part. Roland was wounded and weakened after the fight. He was afraid of betrayal because he himself would definitely take advantage if he were in our situation. It was a logical conclusion in his mind that we would also act the same and betray him."
His three teammates were all deep in thought after listening to his explanation. After a moment, Leo spoke up.
"How can you be so sure about that? We were with you the entire time, and none of us suspected a thing."
Zeke pondered for a moment, unsure of how to answer. It had always been easy for him to deduce the motives behind other people's actions. His mother had told him that this was because he was such a caring child. But he now assumed that it had something to do with his mind affinity.
Hesitantly, he started to explain his theory.
"I guess that's mostly because of my Mind affinity. It lets me analyze situations easily, in a very detached manner," he said.
Zeke didn't want his teammates to overthink this. A smirk spread across his face as he went on in a teasing tone.
"I also read a lot of books, might wanna try that out yourself once in a while, Mr. muscle head."
Leo turned a little red at the comment, and the three others chuckled. It was widely known that Leo never read anything, and his theoretical score had been terrible. With a sour look on his face, Leo replied.
"What kind of books can you even read that will let you understand how people will act? I bet you made that up to get me to read more."
Zeke shook his head with a smile on his face. He then quoted a paragraph from one of his favorite books, "The Heart of Men".
"Betrayers see betrayal in every shadow, for they know the darkness of their own hearts. They live in constant fear of being exposed for the duplicity they themselves embody.
"They project their own treachery onto others, always suspecting that those around them are just as untrustworthy as they are. But in doing so, they only perpetuate the cycle of deceit and perpetuate their own misery.
"For true peace of mind and happiness, they must first face the demons within themselves and strive towards redemption."
As Zeke finished reciting the famous quote, he let out a deep breath. Repeating the words from his favorite book always brought clarity to his mind. But upon getting no reaction even after a long moment from his team, he looked around.
He noticed that the others had stopped and were staring at him. Even the staff member who was escorting them was giving him weird looks. Leo's expression was the most exaggerated as he stared at Zeke with an open mouth.
"What are you, a walking library? How come you just had the perfect quote ready?" He asked with an incredulous look on his face.
Zeke got a bit defensive after being stared at by everybody.
"Hey, what's with the looks? It's from one of my favorite books, alright? You guys should all read a little more!" he replied in a testy voice.
The uncharacteristic outburst from the usually ever-so-composed Zeke made the others chuckle. They continued on their way. His outburst had broken the tension, and they all continued on their way, more relaxed and at ease.
Lena was the next to speak up. Zeke had noticed that she had wanted to ask her own question several times, but never managed to muster up the courage before.
"Why didn't you stop it, if you've seen the betrayal coming? You promised earlier that you would stop this from happening, no matter who was responsible."
Zeke sighed again. He had expected this question, but he was still caught off guard by how guilty he felt upon hearing it. With a conflicted expression, he turned his head to look up at the fake sky of the arena. After a moment, he tried to explain his reasoning.
"I could tell you that I would have been too late anyway. Or that I would have been the one to break the peace if I had attacked him first. Or even that the alliance was doomed the moment he tried to attack his teammates, which is all true by the way.
"However, the real reason I did not act was that I never considered them to be my teammates in the first place. I promised to look out for you guys, and that was my first priority."
Zeke turned to face Lena, fixing her with an intense gaze as he went on.
"In all the plans that I suggested and with every action I have taken since entering this stage, I have always put the success of our team first. The moment I realized Roland was going to attack, my first thought wasn't 'I have to stop this.' Instead, I was thinking, 'This is probably for the best.'"
Zeke had a guilty look on his face after his confession, and Leo looked expectantly shocked by his words. Lena, however, had remained calm. As a member of the Wellenrufer family, she was no stranger to intrigue. She nodded her head and only asked for clarification.
"Why did you think that it was for the best?" she asked.
Zeke didn't have to think about the answer. He responded immediately.
"Because the member of Roland's team that was lost in the attack on the hill was their Water Mage. If we had still tried my initial strategy, then that would have put all the risk on you. How could I send you into the pond with such odds?
"The possibility of losing a member of my own team because someone else had fucked up was not something that I wanted to risk. Not in the final battle. And not if I was given the choice. And well... I was given the choice."
Lena smiled and nodded. Edmund also seemed to agree with Zeke's decision, judging by the slight smile that appeared on his face for a moment. Leo, on the other hand, was harder to read. He seemed to be deep in thought after listening to the explanation. Zeke couldn't tell how the boy felt about his actions.
Zeke's explanation had eased the mood of the team. By the time they had reached the exit, they were talking animatedly about who they hoped to meet in the finals.
In typical fashion, Leo proclaimed that he wanted to fight everybody! His statement lightened the mood even further, and they all laughed, excited about what the future held.
