The examiner's face was one of authority as he addressed the fifty kids.
"Every group gets a unique test. For you, it's a duel tournament. You'll face off in pairs, one against one. The winner advances to the next round. I'll be judging each fight, and the two weakest winners will duel for the twenty-fourth spot to keep the numbers even. Understood?"
The kids nodded, some with clenched jaws while others shifted uneasily.
"The rules are simple and canon No magic, not even a flicker. No killing or crippling your opponent. I'll stop any nonsense before it goes too far. You can use any weapon you like, but no enchantments. I'm inspecting every single one before we start."
Adrian's breath hitched for a moment. 'No magic?' His gun wasn't enchanted — it channeled mana through a mechanical crystal matrix, only emitting when activated. Still, a sliver of doubt gnawed at him.
