Mage Squad 6

(A/N: This chapter will basically be, well, a montage to showcase their training sessions without spending too much time on them as well as progressing the plot.) 

"So boring…" Zane whined as he played with the mana in his hands, consisting of a few blue strings.

"Well, if you were experienced with mana control, you could learn spells like us." Lisa retorted as she and Lanius threw various spells at a target in the distance.

Currently, the three of them were sitting in the training field, completing the tasks given to them by Vincent. They had skipped introductions since they met Vincent the day before, and Zane was already familiar with Lanius and Lisa, so they went straight to training.

Lanius and Lisa already had great mana control, so Vincent tasked them with mastering the spells they already knew even further, while he set Zane (who was still pretending to be an average Mage) on mana control exercises. 

To get a reference point on how to be average, Zane had Gunther spy on the other squads to get an idea on how fast the average Novice Mage learns compared to others.

'I don't wanna have to fake being terrible at mana control forever, so I'll just pretend to have an epiphany or something before today's session ends.' Zane thought.

A few hours later…

"Ohh! It's just like strings, connected strings!" Zane acted as if he was having a huge realization, spouting some nonsense as he showcased good mana control, playing with some mana in his hands.

Vincent looked at his control before nodding. "This level of control is good enough. I can teach you a new spell tomorrow. By the way, at the end of this week we'll have a training exercise with another squad. Try to learn to cooperate better by that time. Dismissed."

"Hey, Zane, wanna go to the game room with us?" Lanius asked Zane, who was surprised at the offer.

"Sure, I guess."

They walked across campus and entered the game room, which was full of neon lights and loud music. Zane saw the other Mages of their batch enjoying themselves and playing games.

"Here we go." Approaching a billiards table, Lanius handed out pool cues to Zane and Lisa. "Let's play a little of this and get to know each other more!"

Lisa rubbed her forehead while Zane shrugged. 

"Fine."

"Why not?"

As they set up the table, Zane planned to act as a kind, innocent teammate with an unfortunate past.

******

"How the fuck do you hit the ball like that!?" Zane exclaimed as Lisa struck the cue ball, making it bounce off the sides twice before knocking two striped balls into the pocket.

"Precision." Lisa said as Lanius stepped up, casually getting another striped ball into a pocket.

Turns out, Zane was absolutely terrible at billiards. He was playing solids, and had only gotten in 2 balls while Lanius and Lisa had already gotten 5, needing only two more before they could aim for the 8-ball.

'I'm cheating.' Zane decided. 'Gunther, you know what to do!'

As Lisa aimed her pool cue, her shadow, specifically her foot's shadow, began to darken, becoming more viscous, so that just as she struck the cue ball.

"Damn it!"

Her foot slipped on the thick shadow, sending the cue ball spinning slowly towards the middle, not hitting anything. 

"My turn!" Zane, now being a shameless cheater, held the pool cue behind his back, aiming uncomfortably. 

"What are you doing?" Lisa frowned at him, but Zane only closed his eyes and smiled.

"Boom!" 

He struck the cue ball, hitting it at a terrible angle, making it move only an inch… until the shadow of the ball darkened, pushing off against the surface of the table, making it bounce against the sides twice, thrice, four times before hitting a ball lined up in front of two others, getting 3 solids in one pocket.

"What!?" Lanius widened his eyes as he just saw what happened, Lisa similarly shocked.

"Heh heh." A glint appeared in Zane's eye as he cheated again with Gunther, winning the game after 2 more moves.

"Again!" Lanius said, grabbing the balls from the pockets and setting the game again. 

"If you insist." Zane shrugged and smiled.

******

The next day…

"You could have told us you were some sort of billiards genius!" Lanius whined as he destroyed a wooden target with a small blast of mana. After the initial game, Zane destroyed them over and over.

"Well, that was my first time, so I didn't really know I was that good." Zane shamelessly bragged, aiming a finger at his own wooden target in the distance, mana the size of a golf ball resting on its tip.

This was the spell Vincent assigned him to learn, called Mana Bullet. It was a basic spell that consisted of compressing a small amount of mana on one's finger to the point of solidity, making it an effective projectile.

He fired the bullet, watching it quickly reach the target and chipping off some wood. Of course, he already mastered the spell, but was casting it weaker on purpose to keep his cover.

Vincent watched the trio train, silent but vigilant, watching out for something only he knew about. Suddenly, he sensed what he was looking for, his eyes darting to the forest that encircled the training field.

Without his students noticing, Vincent disappeared from his spot, appearing next to a tree branch, upon which sat a tall creature made of shadow with a cape billowing behind it.

Vincent immediately gathered white energy in his palm before blasting it at the creature, lighting up the area around him. When the light died down, the creature was gone.

"Damn it." Vincent leaned against the tree. What Zane had said was true. He had caught the Deathrider the day before also, watching Zane from within the forest. It really followed him always.

"They better find out how to deal with this creature soon." Vincent said to himself. "I can't always be 100% ready for when it appears, especially during the training exercise this weekend."

Back in the field, Vincent reappeared in his previous spot, his students none the wiser, except for Zane.

'Sorry you got to do this every day, Gunther.' Zane spoke through their mental link as he fired another Mana Bullet. 

[It's quite alright. I enjoy being able to explore other shadows and feel the fresh air.] Gunther replied within his shadow.

'Thanks, Deathrider.'