Neither gained a clear advantage.
After several minutes, both fighters jumped back.
Heavy breathing filled the clearing.
Not because they were exhausted.
But because they were enjoying themselves.
Aqua watched from the side.
"You're both idiots."
Neither paid attention to her.
Saber grinned.
"Again."
Ash grinned back.
"Again."
The battle resumed.
For nearly an hour, they fought without stopping.
Every exchange sharpened Ash's instincts.
Every clash improved his control over Body fusion magic.
This was one of the reasons he kept coming back.
Fighting magical beasts was completely different from training alone.
Not to mention that, despite being unawakened, magical beasts used magic on an entirely different level compared to humans. Their natural control over mana was often comparable to that of Awakened mages.
The main difference was that unawakened beasts usually had limited affinities, generally only two elements.
However, what they lacked in elemental variety, they more than made up for with their powerful physiques.
Their bodies were naturally stronger, tougher, and more resilient than those of humans.
That was why, despite both being at the Bright Green core stage, Saber was dominating most of the physical exchanges during their fight.
The Kroxy's massive body and natural strength gave him a clear advantage in close combat.
Of course, Ash wasn't truly fighting at full power.
If he started using his Spirit Magic seriously, the battle would have ended long ago.
But then it wouldn't be training anymore.
It would simply be one side overwhelming the other.
The whole point of these sparring sessions was to improve.
And for that, Ash needed a challenge.
Saber just happened to be one of the best challenges available in the entire Life Woods.
The fight eventually came to an end with Ash's defeat.
Ash let out a sigh as he sat on the ground.
"Losing again."
Saber laughed loudly.
The large Kroxy walked over and patted Ash on the shoulder with enough force to nearly knock him over.
He treated Ash almost like a younger brother these days.
"Cheer up."
Ash rolled his eyes.
"Easy for you to say."
Saber grinned.
"Come on. If this were the first time we met and I was still trying to eat you, I would've lost."
That was true.
Back then, Ash had relied heavily on magic and tactics to defeat Saber.
The Kroxy had nearly become a very unpleasant meal.
"Now you're trying to fight me at what I'm best at," Saber continued.
"Of course you're going to lose."
Ash shrugged.
"It's the only way to improve."
Saber stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! You're right."
That was exactly why he liked training with the human boy.
Most humans avoided their weaknesses.
Ash actively sought them out.
Saber pointed toward the lake.
"I guess next is your fight with Shiny over there."
Ash followed his gaze.
Aqua was standing near the water with her arms crossed.
The female Koa snorted.
"Don't call me Shiny."
Saber ignored her.
Ash nodded.
Unlike Saber, Aqua specialized in magic.
The Koa race naturally possessed excellent control over Water and Air mana.
Even though they only had two affinities, they could create incredibly complex spells.
And because they lived around the lake, Aqua was almost always fighting in an environment that favored her.
Near water, her spells became significantly stronger.
That made her the perfect training partner for Ash when it came to magical combat.
Aqua stepped forward.
"Ready?"
Ash stood up and stretched.
His bruises had already begun healing thanks to his Light Magic.
"Always."
Saber immediately backed away.
Unlike physical sparring, magical battles tended to create much bigger explosions.
He had no intention of being caught in the middle.
Aqua raised a hand.
Water from the lake immediately began floating into the air.
Dozens of spheres formed around her.
At the same time, streams of wind started circling her body.
Ash smiled.
Now this was his specialty.
Physical combat was useful.
But magic?
Magic was where he truly shined.
Across from him, Aqua narrowed her eyes.
The playful atmosphere disappeared.
For the next few minutes, they weren't friends.
They were opponents.
Then, without warning, Aqua launched the first attack.
A dozen water bullets shot toward Ash at high speed.
And the magical battle began.
The moment the water bullets shot toward him, Ash moved.
Instead of using all seven elements available to him, he limited himself to only Water and Air Magic.
That was the entire purpose of this fight.
If he started using Earth, Fire, Light, Darkness, or Spirit Magic, the battle would be over too quickly.
He was here to improve, not to win.
A gust of wind pushed his body sideways.
The water bullets narrowly missed him and exploded against the ground behind him.
Aqua immediately followed up.
More water rose from the lake.
This time, it formed dozens of sharp water blades.
With a wave of her hand, they flew toward Ash.
Ash responded with Air Magic.
A powerful gust collided with the incoming blades.
Some were knocked off course.
Others shattered entirely.
A few slipped through.
Ash quickly formed hand signs and created a wall of rotating wind in front of him.
The remaining blades were deflected away.
Aqua smiled.
"Not bad."
Ash grinned.
"You too."
The next moment, both began casting at the same time.
Wind currents appeared around Ash.
Water gathered around Aqua.
The lake became increasingly restless as more mana filled the area.
Aqua pointed forward.
Several water serpents emerged from the lake.
They rushed toward Ash from different directions.
Ash stomped his foot.
Powerful air currents formed around him.
The wind blades sliced through the water serpents and scattered them into harmless droplets.
Before the droplets could fall, Aqua took control of them again.
Thousands of tiny droplets hovered in the air.
Ash's eyes narrowed.
He recognized the spell immediately.
The droplets suddenly accelerated.
They became a deadly rain of water needles.
Ash jumped backward while controlling the surrounding wind.
The air currents pushed many of the needles away.
The rest missed him by centimeters.
Boom!
Aqua suddenly appeared above him.
Using Air Magic, she had launched herself into the sky.
A compressed sphere of water formed in her hands.
She threw it downward.