The dimensional chamber looked like a gladiatorial arena this time. Where there had been grass, trees, and wildlife before, now only white and gold marble was visible, except for the packed dirt of the fighting ring.

The class spread out across the arena, chattering excitedly about what the upcoming duels would be like. Taking on the second-year apprentices was likely to end in a quick defeat for many, but everyone seemed determined to give it their best, even if not many dared to hope for the big prize.

And a big prize it was. The winner of the seventeenth Battle Magic tournament would receive personal instruction from Master Lasazar on any topic of their choosing, even Prestige-tier magic. Not that any of them could cast it, but even just exploring the theory might be enough to significantly advance their paths.

Since this tournament would have thirty-two participants, only five duels stood between anyone and what was essentially a winning lottery ticket.

Even as an apprentice to Archmage Tholm, Nick wasn't allowed to request specific instruction in advanced topics. There was always some basic subject he needed to learn first, or some technique he needed to practice.

It reminded him of his time under his grandfather's care.

Hell, even the senior apprentices aren't allowed to just ask the old man to teach them something. They each have a specific project they're working on, but Tholm only points them in the right direction, rather than guiding them all the way.

Considering that the purpose of an apprenticeship was to turn mages into masters of their craft, it made sense. However, that didn't mean a small part of him didn't wish for a quick solution to all his problems.

I don't doubt there is some kind of magic specifically developed to fight demons, and that's what I need. Tholm will teach me everything I need to take on an artificer, but what my last encounter with the abominations showed me is that I lack a way to hurt them. And I really don't want to turn to religion for this.

Not that Nick would have let anyone else win here, even without being desperate for a solution, but this glimmer of hope wasn't something he could give up.

His attention was drawn when a door on the opposite side of the arena swung open, and several teenagers entered. They weren't necessarily older, with some appearing around Tim's age, but they seemed more experienced.

Even if Nick hadn't been able to see their mana, which was smooth and felt much more in tune with specific schools than his own classmates', he would have known who they were from their confidence alone.

These weren't just ordinary mages that could be found even in the deep frontier, no. They had been receiving training from the Tower's Masters for a full year, something that set them head and shoulders above most new recruits.

Still, not all was lost quite yet. For one, there were fewer of them.

"Only twelve?" Bellamy asked, glancing at the newcomers.

"They have known each other for a year now. Understandably, those who knew they had no chance wouldn't bother joining, and Master Lasazar mentioned he would only bring those with similar reserves to ours," Eona replied, her eyes never wavering from a specific group.

To his surprise, Nick actually recognized two of them. It was Drusilla and Penelope, the heiresses he'd met when he first arrived in Alluria, who had given him a few hints about the entrance exam.

A young man stood between them, the focus of their complete attention.

At first glance, it was easy to see why he was so popular. His thick blonde hair fell in waves over his shoulders. Bright blue eyes crinkled with amusement, while his lean, muscular build, expensive robes, and aristocratic features revealed him as someone important.

Nick, however, could see deeper and noticed the surprising amount of mana the guy possessed. In fact, it was so much that it even exceeded his own, and not by a small margin.

Level sixty? No, maybe even higher. How is that supposed to be a second-year student? Why is this guy even allowed here? Damn it, did Lasazar never intend for any of us to win?

During the three weeks he'd spent in the Tower, Nick had done quite a bit of research, and he was confident in saying he had gained a solid understanding of the power levels of its inhabitants.

An archmage's apprentice was usually the best of the best, and considering that Willow, Tholm's only female apprentice, who stood just a few feet from the blonde, was weaker, he must have been either the personal apprentice of another Archmage or someone very, very important.

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"Alright, children!" Master Lasazar called, clapping his hands. "I have already prepared the brackets for this year's tournament, so there is no need to draw lots. Yes, it might seem unfair, but trust me, it would have been worse to leave it up to fate. Now, get comfortable in your seats while I call the first round!"

Clearly, the man wanted to get moving. Today was mostly set aside for Battle Magic, but Nick knew firsthand how unpredictable magical duels could be. Some would undoubtedly end very quickly, but that wouldn't always be the case. If two mages were evenly matched or their specializations didn't align well, they were liable to end up in a slugfest that could last until one or both were exhausted.

The students sat on opposite sides, while their teacher floated down the marble stairs until he reached the center of the ring.

"Very good. Now, I won't repeat myself. You all know the stakes, so let's get this started!" A loud bang echoed behind him as multicolored sparks arched across the fake sky, twisting like fireworks.

Nick spotted the poor apprentice who had been given the role of assistant, sweating as he rushed to disperse the smoke and cast another projection spell.

Two names, written in fiery letters, appeared above Master Lasazar's head, revealing the first dueling pair.

"Eona Sadie vs Claus Santee"

A bulky young man with dark hair and complexion stood up from the other side and walked down the stairs, while Eona jumped off the balcony, landing on her knee, almost striking a pose, before walking up to the teacher without a hint of exertion.

"So cool," Tim murmured, eyes shining as he watched their classmate walk away.

Nick snorted softly. He didn't need to check with his spiritual sight to recognize the start of a one-sided crush, and one fueled equally by fear and admiration.

Luckily, Tim knew better than to bother the tall girl about it, so Nick wouldn't have to explain how foolish it would be to bother the second-best mage in their batch.

Claus Santee, when he arrived, didn't seem particularly impressed by her display of athleticism, but then again, he didn't seem to be impressed by anything, considering the general apathy that clung to him.

"Wonderful way to start, yes." Master Lasazar chortled. "A duel between two scions of knightly houses should set the mood just right, if I say so myself. Now, you two, remember to keep this within the bounds of acceptable magic. Do not worry about lethal blows, as the wards will interfere long before, but know that I will harshly penalize any attempt to get around them or to inflict extreme pain on your opponent with non-lethal means."

Both duelists nodded and stepped back, each taking a position on opposite sides.

For a moment, silence took over. Nick could sense some hesitation even among the older students, who probably knew about Eona's family and her personal strength.

"Begin!" Lasazar called as he stepped back onto a marble platform.

The moment he spoke, mana erupted from Eona in a golden wave, then gathered around her into something akin to a full plate armor. A second later, she was holding a long spear in her right hand and began to move.

The ground beneath her feet cracked as she roared, thrusting her spear forward, aiming to end the fight right away.

Claus didn't move, just snapping his fingers. A hexagonal shield appeared in front of him moments before he would have been hit, causing a shockwave to burst out as the golden spear cracked and shattered.

Nick blinked in surprise as he watched Eona be thrown back and quickly realized that Claus had created some kind of kinetic shield, similar to his own [Force Barrier], but capable of redirecting energy back.

Eona backflipped and came to a stop, looking no worse for wear, but it was clear she hadn't expected her assault to be so easily dealt with. She clenched her hand, and a new spear appeared.

This time, instead of attacking directly, she maneuvered around Claus, thrusting her spear from a distance and causing secondary lances to burst forth.

These attacks were noticeably weaker than her original one, but they were much more effective, forcing Claus to move for the first time because his barrier couldn't absorb the spells as quickly as needed.

Still, the force mage managed to avoid the barrage, flying back as if pulled by an unseen hand through another use of kinetic magic.

With the distance once again set, he finally took the offensive and waved a hand as if to swat a fly away.

"[That which is taken, is given back]" he intoned, and all the kinetic energy of the spears Eona had thrown at him erupted at once in a single, invisible bolt, rupturing the ground where it passed and slamming into her before she could move away.

Eona was slammed into the far wall with enough force to make the arena shake, though Nick saw it was mostly for show, as no real damage was done to the structure.

Even more surprisingly, Eona got back up, looking no worse for wear. She used the dust cloud Claus had caused, hiding in it with more stealth than he expected from her, before emerging from an unexpected angle and swinging her spear down, transforming it into a greatsword mid-move.

A gong-like sound echoed as it was blocked by another hexagonal shield, but this time, no explosion followed.

Claus was visibly stunned by this turn of events, standing there expecting something to happen. Meanwhile, Eona casually disengaged and then threw her sword at him, detonating it just before it could hit the shield.

In the chaos that followed, as everyone's sight was blinded by the sudden appearance of a second sun, Nick and a few others were treated to the sight of Eona becoming wreathed in that same glow, which flickered and fanned like a flame, and smashed hard into the unprotected Claus, who was saved from a messy death only because the wards materialized at the last second, halting Eona's attack.

A single clap echoed, and the light returned to acceptable levels, while the dust settled. Master Lasazar suddenly stepped between the two duelists with a wide smile, seeming pleased with the outcome.

"How wonderful! I so love it when the tournament isn't just a beatdown from the upper years. Yes, this edition promises to be great!"

Claus picked himself up from the ground with the same bored expression he had been showing since the beginning, but Nick could see more than a little annoyance behind it, especially as he looked up at the upperclassmen and noticed their disappointment.

Soon enough, the ring was clear once again, and Lasazar called for the second pair, as their names appeared in fiery letters.

"Timothy Poules vs Drusilla Boer"

"Oh, Sashara, help me," Tim groaned, while the noble girl skipped down the steps with a mean grin.

"Hey," Nick said, giving him a pat on the back, "remember that you don't need to hold back. The wards are way better than the training grounds, so you can go all out."

That seemed to restore some of his friend's confidence, and he walked down the stairs looking less like a prisoner about to be executed and more like a poor man begging for mercy from a king.

Once the duel was called, a thick mist began spreading through the ring, faster than Nick had seen during the entrance exam, which showed how much Tim had grown in the past three weeks.

Unfortunately, it still wasn't fast enough to stop Drusilla.

"[Chain Lightning]" she intoned, and the ring rumbled.