The mid-terms loomed on the horizon like an ominous storm cloud, casting a shadow over every student's nerves. Whispers about the written exams—merciless gauntlets of theory, mana equations, and historical trivia—buzzed through the corridors. But it wasn't the written exams that truly terrified anyone. No, the real nightmare lay in the practical evaluation, a beast of its own making, carrying a staggering seventy percent of the weight in determining our rank.
Nero, ever the master of calm yet somehow soul-crushing announcements, stood before the class with his usual air of effortless authority. "For the mid-terms," he began, his voice as smooth as polished steel, "we will be conducting a non-elimination battle royale. No beasts this time."
The room stiffened. No beasts? That meant one thing: every threat on the battlefield would have a human face.
