"Welcome esteemed guests, to Arcadia's annual combat tournament." A short figure garbed in a crimson robe stood ten feet in the air above one of the arena platforms, his red bushy beard glistening in the sun.

His voice was calm and confident, magically dispersing around the arena through some mystical means. The attendees were silent, showing just how much respect the breaded man garnered.

"As the 103rd headmaster, this is the third year I've had the pleasure of hosting our prestigious tournament—but even I can tell that there will be many surprises revealed in this tournament." He said, a small smile forming on his lips.

His gaze moved to a certain part of the crowd where the students were seated. Michael felt as if the man was looking at him, but he couldn't be sure from such a distance.

Surely he doesn't mean me right? He thought, feeling the pressure mounting.

Just to be sure, he turned around to look in the vicinity, only to see Magnus's shining blond hair and handsome features just behind him. His expression dulled considerably as a self deprecating chuckle escaped his lips.

I must be getting conceited, he remarked, inwardly feeling a little better.

Unaware of Michael's musings, the headmaster continued with his speech. "The tournament is a single elimination format."

The man then went on to explain the smaller details of the tournament that Quinn had already covered some time before. No one seemed surprised, which was rather unsurprising since the tournament had been a long-standing tradition for over a thousand years.

"If any of you wish to inquire about the origins of any of our students, I ask that you contact one of the faculty and refrain from speaking to them directly. Please be respectful at all times, otherwise we will not hesitate to step in." The headmaster said calmly, yet the veiled threat was well received.

Bartholomew Arcadius was a two-ringed Violet mage, someone on par with King Maxwell—the strongest mage in Hyperia. While no one was aware of which circle he'd reached, this alone was enough of a deterrent for many present, unless they had a death wish.

"Well, if no one has any objections," the headmaster said with a smile, "then let the annual Arcadia combat tournament begin!"

As he clapped his hands together, a violet magic circle appeared in an instant, causing his figure to blur out of existence a moment later. The instant casting of the spell was an exclamation point, a brief insight into the man's overwhelming strength.

A wave of applause echoed within the arena, sounding like rain falling from the heavens.

A figure jumped onto the arena floor from one of the spectator seats, performing an agile somersault with effortless grace. The landing was sublime, causing the woman's curves to jiggle enticingly beneath the skintight black bodysuit.

Out of all those present, perhaps only the students and the women were unable to truly appreciate the sight.

Professor Quinn straightened up, wearing a fierce grin as she addressed those present. "The first three matches: Lloyd Waters vs Amaya Iasco, Tristan Nyah vs Blake Mortimer and Stephanie Harrosh vs Jennifer Black."

Unlike the headmaster whose voice was calm and enhanced by magic to be heard throughout the arena, Quinn's voice was loud and filled with excitement. Yet no one had trouble hearing her in the packed arena.

Michael saw movement in his group and could feel the nervousness of the poor souls who would be fighting first. While he didn't interact with his classmates besides Melody, Rudy and Lilly—he was at least aware of these people.

His eyes locked onto Jennifer Black, the final name called. She had long black hair and pale skin and her eyes were a verdant green. The Black family were an up and coming noble house who had ties to the Bishop and Thomas families through marriage.

This had all but solidified their position at the upper echelons of the noble society—yet they lacked a violet mage to be considered an elite house.

Jennifer was a woman, therefore even if she had potential to become a violet mage, she would be married off to one of the other houses.

But Michael doubted that the Black family cared about such a thing, since she had a fraternal twin.

His eyes moved further down to where Darcy Black was seated. The guy had slicked back black hair and green eyes much like his sister, yet his angular features gave him a shrewd appearance.

He was not handsome in the conventional sense, but he certainly wasn't ugly. Michael believed that he looked like a typical snooty aristocrat, despite the guy only being thirteen—the same age as him.

I think he was also seeded and gets a bye this round, Michael commented inwardly.

"Who do you think will win?" Rudy's disinterested voice called from beside him, knocking him out of his reverie.

"I think it's pretty obvious with these match ups, but I guess anything can happen in a duel." Michael commented, turning his attention back to the platforms where the first-years were getting into position.

"Yeah, I don't know who did the fixtures, but it seems a little unfair. Amaya and Blake probably won't even break a sweat in their matches, but I'm not sure about the last match…"

Rudy seemed honestly annoyed when he first spoke, but by the end of his sentence, his tone had grown more intrigued.

"Jennifer will win." Melody added her two cents, sounding rather confident.

Instead of arguing, Rudy shrugged with nonchalance, "we'll see."

"The fight will end once you've subdued your opponent or they surrender," Quinn announced, standing akimbo on the center platform where Jennifer and Stephanie were about to fight.

"If any lethal spells are detected, the mage who cast it will be instantly disqualified and possibly expelled. Should you run out of mana and cannot defend yourself, you will lose via forfeiture," she explained.

"Any questions?"

No one spoke up, causing the smile to grow wider on her face.

"BEGIN!"

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