It was the first weekend of the second semester. 0

Finishing a quick lunch, Jake stepped out of his dorm and hopped on the light rail, looking around his surroundings.0

“Have you decided on your minor yet?”0

“Yeah, it’s all set. At first, I was only looking at those in Gehenna, but I found some intriguing options over at Paradise, too.”0

“Really? Maybe I should also check it out…”0

All around him, students were buzzing with energy since it was still early in the semester. Later on, when they were in the thick of the term, their conversations would be weighed down by the endless assignments, harsh classes, and upcoming exams. For now, though, topics like minors and the special district dominated the chatter. 0

But there was one among the many topics that was drawing the most attention—an upcoming tournament scheduled for two weeks from now.0

“I heard they aren’t going to group the competitors by year in the tournament. Are any sophomores even joining?”0

“You know? I heard more people have signed up than expected. Just making it to the main round gives bonus points and some decent prizes, so I think people are just going for it.”0

“There are only 256 spots, right? That’s tough competition.”0

Many were skeptical about entering, and with good reason. After all, it was basically impossible for those with merely average skills to advance to the main rounds.0

Yeah, it’s no surprise the participation rate is low for an unrestricted tournament, Jake thought, agreeing.0

Like they said, the tournament being held in...0