Hey, guys, I apologize for the delay. There was an error regarding Adam's age. It was previously mentioned as 13, but it's actually 15, and I've already corrected it.
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All of the students found themselves teleported to a vast arena enclosed by a translucent blue magical barrier. They were bewildered since, traditionally, the first round was a written test, the second round a survival test, and the third round a one-on-one duel.
"What?"
"Did he just say 'battle royale'?"
"Shouldn't it be a written exam?"
"Yeah, what's going on?"
"You can't do this."
"No, they can."
"So, that's why the instructor said it would be different."
Most of them argued and protested, but a few remained silent because they knew that schools could make such changes with the town mayor's permission for valid reasons.
One of them voiced this concern, but everyone chose to ignore it.
"Silence! We have the right and reasons to do this," the examiner shouted. "Now, the first round of the graduation examination begins."
"Here are the rules: You can start right now. Everything is acceptable except killing and intentionally injuring your fellow classmates severely."
Upon hearing this, most of them engaged in combat with the person closest to them. Some formed alliances to challenge the strongest opponents, while others chose to remain non-confrontational but still held their ground when approached.
"Sam, cover my back, and I'll do the same," Adam said to Sam. "Many of them will team up to eliminate us."
"Yeah," Sam agreed.
After a few seconds, two teams rushed towards them, intending to eliminate them instantly and avoid a one-on-one duel.
"It's been a while since we fought like this, huh?" Adam commented, feeling nostalgic.
"Yeah, but we don't have time to talk about it now," Sam replied, struggling against his opponents.
"Switch with me," Adam said to Sam.
"Okay," Sam agreed, and they quickly changed positions.
Now, a scythe appeared in Adam's hand, imbued with fire. He swung the scythe at his opponents, but they easily dodged the attack.
"Idiots," Adam laughed. "Fire swipe." He mumbled, and a fire slash left the scythe, burning some of their enemies. Without wasting a second, Adam swung the mighty scythe once again at the nearest opponent, aiming for his shoulder. The attack almost severed the opponent's hand, causing unconsciousness due to blood loss.
"That's one down," Adam commented.
Seeing this, some of their opponents backed off and decided to maintain a longer range and take a slower approach, while others continued to engage in direct combat.
A duo, consisting of a male and a female, rushed toward Adam, followed by another girl. Even while running, the duo kept attacking Adam, which he easily blocked and countered with his scythe.
"Water bullet," the male among the duo muttered while forming a shape resembling a gun with his hands. Two water bullets shot toward Adam at great speed.
Adam dismissed his scythe and used both hands to create a magic barrier, initially blocking both bullets, but soon, cracks appeared, and the barrier shattered. The duo got closer, while the girl stood behind them, waiting for her opportunity.
"No, I shouldn't use too much mana," Adam thought.
"Weapon magic, weapon summoning," he mumbled in a cold tone, and his daggers appeared in his hands. He instantly imbued them with lightning and attempted to attack the female in the duo, but it was instantly blocked by a strong wall of water. The male used his water magic to make things more challenging for Adam.
"Water pistol," the male muttered, and water bullets flew toward Adam. He created a sturdy barrier to protect himself, which effectively blocked the attacks. He coated his legs with lightning and started running toward the male. He dismissed his daggers and coated his hands with lightning. He dodged another water bullet and punched the male in the gut, followed by a strong blow to the face, causing the opponent's tooth to fall out. With an axe kick, he rendered his opponent unconscious and eliminated him.
He looked at the female and planned to use the same strategy, but the chances were slim as she appeared stronger than the other one.
"I need to end this quickly; it seems like Sam is having trouble too," he thought while glancing at the lady.
He instantly unleashed a ball made entirely of lightning, which she blocked with a very strong barrier. Seeing this, Adam unleashed a lightning bullet that shattered the barrier and headed straight for her stomach. Frustrated and unable to react, the bullet caused her to bleed and experience immense pain.
"Aah... I'll kill you," she shouted angrily and rushed forward, drawing her sword.
"That was the worst move you could make right now," Adam commented. Just as she entered his range, Adam muttered, "Weapon magic: weapon manipulation, spikes." Spikes grew on the handle of her sword and stabbed both her arms, causing multiple small and large wounds.
She screamed in pain but remained determined to defeat Adam. She ran toward him and engaged in hand-to-hand combat, but with each blow, her hands bled more and more.
"You're good, but you should surrender," Adam advised her while kicking her arm, causing more bleeding.
"I'd rather die," she shouted.
Hearing this, Adam kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying. She coughed up even more blood but still managed to stand on her feet. Seeing this, Adam sighed and shot a lightning bullet that caused her to fall down and scream in pain. She still had no thoughts of giving up, but realizing her condition and situation, the examiner intervened, stopped her, and disqualified her.
"No, I can still fight," she argued.
"No, child, you've lost. But there's one thing I can say: you have talent and determination. If you work hard, you'll definitely make it. One of the faction representatives has taken an interest in you, so you may still have a chance. Now, come," he said to the girl, his words sounding calm and wise.
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On the other side, Sam struggled against a horde of enemies. He countered with his sword and occasionally cast magic barriers to block the attacks. It was challenging to keep up with all his opponents alone, and due to the multiple attacks, he was forced to use magic more frequently.
Suddenly, a large fireball appeared out of nowhere, but he sensed it too late. He reacted quickly, kicking his opponent and moving out of the way while using lightning to speed his escape.
However, it was just a distraction, and he sensed an even larger fireball waiting for him. It came flying towards him.