The battle between Maria and Nathaniel has been raging for ten minutes, and no one is giving away an inch of ground. It’s the opposite, the two of them don’t take a single step as they keep hurling hundreds of projectiles. At least it’s not boring to watch, the eruptions of wild Mana when two projectiles collide are like a firework show.

Despite the stalemate, everyone is watching with bated breath. A Manifestation User is already enough to warrant such attention, especially when they’re as powerful as Maria. But I would argue that the man who holds his ground against such an individual also deserves scrutiny.

Let’s focus on Nataniel. He’s wearing something akin to skin-tight light steel armor covered in carbon fiber. The faint green sheen on the fiber shows that it contains Mithril, so he can take a beating. I pegged him as a close-range fighter since Mages usually prefer robes made of material with great Mana conductance. Metals tends to have the inverse effect. If I recall my high-school physics class, it has something to do with how Mana behaves like radiation. I shrug, it’s not like it matters to me. My base Mana conductivity is too low to be an effective spell slinger. That’s why I never bothered learning any powerful spells, I couldn’t use any even if I knew them.

Maria is the opposite of her adversary, she’s wearing an attire that screams, ‘I’m a Mage.’ Her purple robes are brimming with power, the air distorts around her with each of her hand gestures. Thick golden lines also flow from her body to her Manifestation. It roars in anger as an ethereal dagger changes direction at the last moment and wedge itself into its eyeball.

She staggers as she flinches while her Manifestation whines in pain. I should have brought popcorn, this is getting interesting! Maria growls as she slams her hands together, causing a bright light to erupt. I obscure my eyes as I wince, it’s like someone poured hot sauce all over my eyes! The entire coliseum is now dead silent, and I understand why once I regain my vision. I blink a few times to make sure that I’m not seeing things, but—There are two lions hovering behind Maria.

“Two Manifestations?” someone covered from head to toe in black leather-like material erupts as he stands from his chair. Everyone else, me included, share his surprise. How is that possible? Information about Manifestations is scarce, but I’m pretty sure that having two Manifestations is impossible.

“It’s illusion magic, right?” a tall woman mutters as she tilts her head to the side. Her armor rattles as she adjusts her staff, the fear in her eyes is plain to see. I can understand her. If Maria has two Manifestations then she will beat whoever ends up fighting her.

While hard to control, Manifestations do have major benefits. A massive increase in Mana capacity and Mana regeneration are the first ones that come to mind. And if someone has a high affinity to a powerful element and a Manifestation, then they could fire massive spells all day long. I’ve heard that these people do exist, and they always end up joining special units in the military.

If Maria also has a good affinity then she’s a living nuke. Thinking of nukes, I’m once again reminded that I still can’t produce any radioactive materials with my Power. And it isn’t for a lack of trying!

Back to the battle, which falls into a lull as the two contestants stare at each other. Props to Nathaniel; he hasn’t given up yet. Hell, I would even go as far as to say I have a modicum of respect for the guy. But we all know that Maria will wipe the floor with him, although—Maria doesn’t look so confident. She does her best to hide it, but I spot a few tremors in her hands, and sweat covers he forehead.

Huh, maybe that armored woman was right. Perhaps the other Manifestation is an elaborate illusion. That would explain why Maria looks so strained. Maintaining a Manifestation along with such a complex copy must take a lot of Mana. Still, the next few seconds are bound to spell the end of this fight. If Maria is bluffing and Nathaniel stays on the defensive, then he wins. But if she isn’t, then I don’t know what trick he can pull to take her down.

We’ll have to wait and see, even now I can’t tell who will end up on top. If I suppose that the second Manifestation is an illusion, it’s still terrifying. If Maria can replicate a Manifestation to such a degree of perfection, then what else can she do? She would be impossible to defeat in a tournament setting. However, if I assume that her second Manifestation is the real deal, then—that haughty woman is a once in a century prodigy. I tighten my fists, how is that fair? I have no hopes of beating her.

I scratch my nose, a smell similar to ozone fills the area. I bet it’s lingering residue of the earlier Mana collisions. There are even a few glowing blue particles falling onto the sandy floor before fading. The ambient glow combined the tense atmosphere while the two contestants wait to spring into action makes the scene look like straight out of a movie. My lips curl upward in a derisive sneer, my battles were never so glamorous. I always ended up covered in blood and guts. Or with dangerous burns. Over-exposure to unsafe levels of Mana radiation is not a joke.

A peek at my wrists reminds me that I have more scar tissue than skin on my arms. I pull up my sleeves and focus back on the epic showdown unfolding in front of me. It’s a rare opportunity to observe a Manifestation User, so I’d better pay attention. With a bit of luck, I could find something that would help against Manifestation Users down the road.

“How impressive,” Nathaniel speaks for the first time. His voice is hoarse and his attempts at hiding his ragged breath fool no one. “May I ask why you stopped attacking? Perhaps this overgrown cat is nothing more than smoke and mirrors?”

Maria snorts, “Impudent!” her single word drips with venom and sends a chill down my spine. Did the Mana react to her remarks, or am I imagining things? The distortions in the air become more numerous, more chaotic as the two stares at each other. A few gasps from the crowd confirm that I’m not going insane. The Mana in the air is roiling, crackling with energy as Nathaniel and Maria both prepare to unleash their trump cards.

Nathaniel frowns before twisting his foot. The athletic man turns into a blur in the next moment. Maria clicks her tongue as she steps back while the sound—of a small electric motor echo. I can’t help but pay even more attention to the battle. Was Nathaniel hiding something like me? Is there truly another person whose Power makes engine noises?

My hopes of a kindred spirit shatter when I notice that a part of the armor covering his forearms opens up. It reveals rows of One-Time-Use Wands loaded in tubes. My eyes bulge, there must be fifty Wands in there! Even Maria panics as her two Manifestations roar together before intertwining. The lions spin into a maelstrom of energy headed towards Nathaniel. The resulting Mana vortex rattles the entire building. Each shockwave is strong enough to make some candidates yelp; they can’t handle so much Mana at once. I grit my teeth as I force myself to keep my eyes open.

Then, the world turns blank. I’m blind, and I can’t hear anything other than a faint buzzing as an unimaginable amount of Mana saturates the air. I cough, doing my being not to spill the content of my stomach over the floor as the air gains a syrup-like texture. From the unpleasant smell wafting over the air, some people already vomited.

I massage my eyes, but it serves no purpose. Everything is white, and my hearing shows no sign of recovering. Coldness spreads over my body, am I—Am I blind? This can’t be happening, no! I roar in frustration before a soothing, minty breeze washes over me and restores my senses. I struggle to breathe as my eyes dart around. I spot one of the unassuming clerks I hadn’t noticed before standing behind the old man. She’s a woman in her early thirties, and she keeps snapping her fingers. Tiny green tornadoes erupt above her hand and rush towards the groaning candidates, who all look around in surprise.

It takes a lot of effort not to let my mouth hang wide open. External healing is a tough task, usually reserved for dire situations due to insane Mana consumption. Magical healing is a sped-up version of the natural recovery process, so I should faint because of the stress put on my body. But I didn’t feel a thing! That woman healed close to a hundred people in a second and only used her Mana. I take another whiff of the minty scent, and it paints a clearer picture. Basic Mana is odorless, but affinities change its scent. The better the affinity, the stronger the aroma the Mana radiates. There are a few variations within a given affinity, but I remember what mint symbolizes.

Mint means nature, and with how strong the smell is, it’s a very strong affinity. That woman must be a Power User because I can’t explain what she did in any other way.

On my end, My Mana smells like a mix of oil, fuel, and metal. As far from nature as you can be.

The groans stop as I focus back on the battle, and my heart skips a beat. Nathaniel is on one knee, his now useless Wands are littering the ground while the gem on his harness blinks red. One of his hands rests over his knee while the other holds an empty handgun. His armor is in pieces, and there’s a large pool of dark blood beneath him.

The young man’s breathing is irregular, but I can’t help but notice a faint smile on his blood-covered face. His black hair is soaked with blood, and he looks in pretty rough shape. Still, he should survive.

My eyes then dart to Maria, and she’s in a similar condition. Her torn robes reveal a thin layer of silvery fabric underneath. The garment resembles electrodes glued together so it must be something to improve her Mana conductivity. She’s lying on her back, struggling to breathe as a spent One-Time-Use Wand rolls out of her hand. Her gem is also blinking, meaning that they both received a deadly attack.

“Ahem,” the old man coughs in his hand to gather everyone’s attention. “It’s been a while since it happened, but—It’s a draw!” he shouts in the mind of everyone at once. I wince, can he keep it down? My head is still sore from whatever the fuck happened. “Both contestants will progress to the next round!”

The woman who healed everyone taps on the old man’s shoulder and whispers something in his ear. His impassible smile turns into a frown. “Nevermind, due to certain circumstances,” A long pause follows. “Due to a display of exceptional prowess, these two contestants pass the entrance exam.”

“What!” an indignant voice erupts. The owner of the voice, a large warrior wearing a battered exoskeleton, stands up. “This is ridiculous!” I have to agree with the beefcake, that’s blatant bias. And, from the loud murmurs echoing in the arena, most people agree with the sentiment. I was expecting something like this since the Academy is a den of snakes, but I thought they would at least pretend to conduct a fair examination.

“Stand down!” the woman sneers and snaps her fingers, causing the warrior to slam to the ground with a grunt. “Know your place.” She clicks her tongue as silence spreads. Did she—she did. She paralyzed someone with a snap of her fingers, and I didn’t feel the slightest surge of Mana. I gulp before shaking my head, there’s no point in despairing now. My gaze hardens, nobody is invincible. I will have to face a lot, if not all, of the Academy elites at some point. So I have to become better, to prepare myself to fight against monsters of the mysterious woman’s caliber.

Meanwhile, the two winners and their escort already rush out of the room. Nathaniel is on a stretcher while one of the field nurses supports Maria. Where are the field nurses even coming from? It’s like these people appear out of thin air. The Manifestation User clicks her tongue as she wipes the blood off her face, and I can’t help but sigh. Of course, she’s wearing blood-resistant makeup.

The mere existence of blood-resistant makeup makes me weep for the future of society.

A loud cough snaps me back to reality as the frowning old man announces the next battles. I don’t pay attention and from the look of things, I’m not the only one. The jaw-dropping display from Maria and Nathaniel’s battle is still fresh in my mind. If there are other hidden monsters here, do I still stand a chance? My low Potential Level is already a severe handicap, not to mention —

I grab my e-cig, the flood of nicotine washes away the creeping doubt. I’ve come too far to give up now. Who cares if some of these bastards have two Manifestations? Hell, they can have a whole fucking herd of them for all I care! I vowed to never give up until the leaders of the Academy are all six feet under and their monopoly on the Tower is but a distant memory.

I tighten my fists as I lean back on my chair, time to recover before the next round starts.