Adrian stood in the silent arena, the weight of every gaze on him, but his mind was calm. He knew the Gun's power and its ability to end fights before they began.
This duel tournament was child's play for him. The knights-in-training around him, despite their disciplined stances and practiced grips, were unascended, their bodies no stronger than a baseline human's.
They'd come to the Royal Zarion Academy to awaken their potential, to learn Ascension and rise above mortal limits.
For now, they were skilled but vulnerable, and Adrian's gun was a predator in a field of prey.
His eyes flicked to the ground, where the girl lay, clutching her shoulder, her face twisted in pain.
The singed bruise marked where his low-intensity shot had struck, disabling her without breaking the rules.
'I hope she's not hurt too bad,' he thought, a twinge of guilt surfacing. 'Next fight, I'll dial it down further.'
