The crowd erupted with roars as Ezra and Sam stepped out of the backroom and entered the arena. Some cheered for Ezra while others took jibes at the young boy beside him.“The Red Devil is back!”“No one can stand in the devil’s way!”“Look at that fledgling. I bet the Red Devil is going to use him like cannon fodder!”“We want to see blood today!”“The Red Devil will crush his foes!”Hearing the cries of the spectators, Sam felt both nervous and excited at the same time. Although a few people were booing him, it still felt good to know they had finally noticed him.To make the event more exciting, the organizers had deliberately decided to raise the stakes for this duel. Instead of randomly selecting an opposing pair through a lucky draw, they had made their own selection.“Ladies and gentlemen, the Grand Dueling Tournament has witnessed a soaring success this year, all thanks to His Majesty’s incredible vision and the efforts of our organizers. I welcome you to the second round of th

The clever use of the Spectral Wraith’s Dark Possession ability shifted the scales in favor of Lamier and Rasher. Ezra had not only lost his dueling partner but was now forced to retaliate against Sam to prevent an early disaster.“Sam, I know you are still there. Fight the wraith!” Ezra yelled.But Sam did not bother replying. Instead, he fired his submachine gun, peppering him with magic bullets.Ezra’s Reflexive Armor flickered as it deflected the bullets, but he chose not to attack the rookie. Fortifying the magic shield around him, Ezra tried to talk some sense into his partner.“Get a grip on yourself. We are on the same team!” He said, straining hard to keep his shield active as it continuously drained his magic power to deflect the bullets. “Damn it, Sam. You leave me with no choice!"After emptying the whole magazine in one go, Sam tossed the submachine gun away and pulled out his dual five-shot revolvers. “Die! Die! Die!”Another flurry of rapid shots lit up Ezra’s magic shie

Everyone gathered at the Arcadium was stunned by Ezra’s surprise victory. At one point, it looked like his opponents had him completely cornered. But despite being outnumbered and outgunned, he had managed to come out on top and prove all his critics wrong.“Loris Lagerlof and his teammate Sam Wilrug have qualified for the third round, where they will be taking part in a dungeon raid,” the announcer informed. “For winning this match, Loris and Sam will be rewarded five hundred Sovereigns each. Once again, congratulations to the Red Devil and his partner in crime!”Marquis Desmond looked furious as he stared at the masked Gunner who had just defeated his son. He wanted to order his guards to have Ezra arrested that very moment, but somehow controlled his temper.“You will never qualify for the final round, Loris Lagerlof,” he mumbled to himself. “And I will find out who you really are behind that mask.”Once the match officially ended, the Chief Court Mage, Servius, cast a spell to thaw

“Master Lagerlof, is someone there with you?” a voice asked from outside before another round of loud knocks rapped the wooden door. “You know, participants are not allowed to bring their friends here. This establishment has been booked exclusively for the Gunners who are taking part in the tournament.”Ezra picked up the white paper and flipped it over. Scribbled on its smooth side were the following words:Meet me under the Blue Apricot tree in the Royal Garden tomorrow at sundown if you decide to reconsider.You are free to refuse, but the consequences will be severe.Ezra crumbled the paper into his fist and shoved it inside his pocket before picking up the scroll.[Lesser Teleportation Scroll added to inventory!]“Master Loris, please try to abide by the rules. The organizers will be fur—”Ezra hurriedly opened the door and glared at the caretaker standing outside. “Can I have two moments of privacy, please? Or is it too much to ask?”The caretaker looked into Ezra’s room and was

As Ezra locked eyes with the Marquis, his heartbeat quickened. Despite taking every precaution, Marquis Desmond’s keen gaze had discerned that one little slip. “What happened to your hand?” Marquis Desmond enquired, feigning concern. “That looks painful.”Before Tanya could see the blisters, Ezra pulled his left hand back. “It’s nothing. I just had an accident while experimenting with magic potions.”“I think you should always keep a healing tincture at hand while performing such dangerous experiments,” Marquis Desmond replied in a taut voice, never taking his eyes off Ezra’s hand. “If you wish, I can send my physician to treat you.”Tanya became concerned by the discussion and turned to Ezra. “What happened? Did you hurt yourself? Why didn’t you tell me?”Ezra realized he could not get out of this situation so easily, so he decided to surprise the Marquis with a bold move.Instead of hiding his hand, he put his left arm on the table and pulled his sleeve back. “I was trying to brew a