How I Became the Strongest Sovereign

-Back to Zeref's POV-

"Everyone get in a straight line!" The instructor shouted and we all got in a single file line.

"I am impressed with all of your performances thus far and we are already close to the end of our time here. I just want to say you have all worked really hard and continue to do so till the end of your time here. The army will always be open to all of you to join us whenever you desire. 

"As it's the first day of the final week, the instructors as a collective have decided on several games we can play today-" As he said that all the boys broke out of character jumping up and down in joy. Everyday was filled with exhausting exercises, it might not have affected me much but I could tell, to ordinary humans this was hellish. A similar sight could be seen from the other side of the fences segregating the boys from the girls.

Mine and Malia's eyes locked each other's and we exchanged smiles, before looking back at the instructor.

"We have 3 options available: Capture the flag, 1v1 combat duels and lastly Elemental Basketball. We will be voting in a couple minutes. I'll give you all 2 minutes to discuss what you want to do."

Elemental basketball sounded fun but it wouldn't be as fun as I'd be dominating anyways.

"So what are we picking?" Jace looked at me, folding his arms.

"Elemental Basketball." Allefin replied for me and I nodded.

"Really? Do you enjoy dominating people that bad?" Jace punched my arm laughing. His question was rhetoric as he knew I'd be dominating any event we would be doing no matter the vote's outcome.

"Okay. Time's up. We will now vote. Raise your hand for Capture the flag." The instructor immediately started counting as 1/4 of the boys picked 'capture the flag'.

"Okay now Combat duels…" This time around half of the students put their hands up for some reason and they all glared at me with hatred. I wasn't surprised that it was all the noble kids. 

The recent news must have burnt a hole in their pride and they wanted to prove that I was actually cannon fodder. 

I sighed knowing what the outcome was going to be.

"The result is 1v1 combat duelling. I am guessing you all want to verse Zeref in a duel." The instructor sighed in disappointment at how selfish the royal and noble boys were. 

"If that's fine with you Zeref?" He asked.

"Yes sir. I don't mind." I replied respectfully, eyeing the tens of opponents, who all glared at me.

"Okay. Everyone head to the Combat field. Those who aren't fighting, go sit in the viewer's section."

"Sad. I knew something like this was bound to happen." Jace held my shoulder shaking his head, "Don't kill them okay."

**

It seemed like the whole camp had come to watch my duels. The girls sat on one side of the large platform my opponent and I were standing on whilst the other side was where the others sat.

"I'll kill you. Measly peasant." The boy in front of me smiled, clenching his longsword tightly with both his hands. His words were ironic as I was actually one of the richest in the Vrimeon Kingdom.

"3…2…1… Commence."

As the instructor commanded, the boy flash stepped towards me, imbuing his whole body with water mana. He swung his longsword desperately and executed several sword skills but I easily dodged them. 

'Almighty Push.'

My incantation sent the boy flying backwards; he smartly lunged his sword into the platform stopping himself from falling off the platform.

'Almighty Pull.'

This time the opposite occurred and he was being pulled towards me due to the Gravity Magic. He gritted his teeth flying towards me with the sword pointed outwards towards me.

I leaned back dodging his desperate lunge and uppercut his stomach. I could hear the cracks of his ribcage and could see his eyes roll back from losing consciousness.

The crowd cheered crazily. Even though the fight was quick they still felt a buzz of excitement every time I moved effortlessly and danced around the platform.

"Next opponent…"

Several battles like this passed and I ended each battle without breaking a sweat. I hadn't even taken a single scratch whilst my opponents always left on a stretcher. After the 10th battle I had already grown bored and only used kicks to finish my opponents.

After a 49 battle win streak an instructor decided to fight me and it wasn't any old instructor. He actually had a powerful role within the army and had almost the same authority as Miss Elena. When he volunteered to fight me, there was an uproar. He was actually a special guest here only for today. 

"Sir. You can't fight him. You'll end up killing the boy. Please sir, can't you feel it too sir, his mana pool stage is so low and he hasn't even used a single element yet." One of the instructors tried to stop him.

"You all still have a lot to learn. Can't you see he's masking his mana pool stage. He's at least at the 7th stage close to breaking into the 8th. These kids won't even let him use 5% of his power. Do you still think he's weak?" He shut all of the instructors up and looked at me with glowing eyes.

A smile appeared on my face as the well built man in his 30's appeared in front of me wearing Golden coloured Gauntlets. He had a big and sturdy frame. His face was tanned brown, along with his brown hair and well groomed beard, a large battle scar ran past his left cheek. Several small medals were strapped on his army coat. 

"Don't hold back." As he said that a burst of mana exploded from his body and his brown eyes glowed a Golden yellow. So he was a light Elementalist.

4 army soldiers stood on each corner of the platform making a barrier around it so we could go all out. The crowd's cheer was now muffled by the barrier but I could still see the hundreds of students cheer me on.

"3…2…1…FIGHT!"

The man charged towards me at an insane speed catching me off guard. I blocked his first punch, gritting my teeth. My arms felt numb from the impact. I then gathered ice mana around my left fist, ducking under his hook and throwing a liver blow at his body.

The man momentarily froze before kicking my chest and leaping back. I knew the liver blow did more than physical damage. It must have affected him mentally too, he definitely thought he was stronger than me but after feeling my raw strength could he still underestimate me?

I didn't give him time to rest and conjured several ice spears throwing them at him. He lifted his gauntlets up to guard against the onslaught of sharp ice spears. Blood started to drip from the grazes of the sharp ice spears.

I used this distraction to sprint around him in an arc before tornado kicking his side. He was sent flying into the barrier, causing a crack to form on it. The crowd's cheer died down as everyone was shocked at what was happening. A high ranking Military General was getting his ass handed to him?

How was he this weak?

"You're a monster kid. What's your name?" The man smiled, getting up from the ground. 

"Zeref Amara."

"I shall remember your name Ice Elementalist." As he said that a blinding light engulfed the whole area and I was momentarily blinded as so were the bystanders.

Thanks to my Seikuken that had become a part of my body's senses by now, I felt his mana imbued punch aiming for my head. At the last second I dodged it, with sparks of lightning flowing around me. I parried his gauntlet away from me and roundhouse kicked his head, making him grunt and move backwards.

"How did he- Lightning! I'm sure I saw lightning just now." One of the instructors who was wearing sunglasses gasped from within the crowd. The lightning element was rare so I hadn't shown it too much. Most instructors and people didn't know I used Lightning. They thought I could only use Ice Magic only.

"I think we should end it here sir. I'm feeling tired so I shall surrender." I said politely, bowing.

"Okay." The man replied, nodding. He glared at me with wide eyes as I stepped off the platform.

Did I show too much power?