Banner tilted his head and frowned. "This feels different… Tony, what happened to your face?"
Tony Stark had a bandage stuck on his left cheek. With his usual flair, he tore it off, revealing the wound had already healed. "This? Just a graze from an energy sword, courtesy of a sorcerer," he said casually, as if it were nothing.
He scoffed. "But can you believe it? Malrick and J.A.R.V.I.S. ruled me dead over that little scratch and insisted on patching me up. This competition is rigged."
Banner smirked, trying to smooth things over. "Maybe it's because the rest of the sorcerers don't have your convenient self-healing. From their point of view, ruling you out probably seemed more reasonable."
"Reasonable? Then shouldn't you be disqualified the moment you turn into the Other Guy?" Tony shot back, shutting Banner up.
Banner scratched his cheek, realizing Tony had a point. "So basically, you're saying they care about you?"
"What? Please. I would never say that."
Tony's gaze shifted, and he spotted Malrick stepping into the center of the platform once more. "Look, Malrick is about to announce the results."
The crowd of sorcerers fell silent as Malrick raised his voice.
"The first round of preliminaries has ended. Twenty-five sorcerers have advanced to the second round. The list is as follows…"
After reading out the names, Malrick waved his hand, sending the advancing sorcerers toward the edge of the platform. Projection equipment activated, dividing the center of the arena into twelve separate rings.
"Next, we begin the second round—one-on-one round-robin battles. All advanced sorcerers, come forward to draw lots. The rest of you may remain and watch, or leave if you wish."
No one left. Every sorcerer present crowded around to witness the duels.
The second round unfolded quickly.
Among the matches, Wanda's stood out for their brevity. Nearly every opponent who drew her immediately surrendered. Even Tony, usually stubborn to the end, lost confidence after seeing her overwhelming display against Cassandra.
Still, Tony Stark wasn't Tony Stark without his bravado. When his third match paired him with Wanda, he marched into the arena fully armored.
Seconds later, his prized Vibranium suit had been transformed into a walking loaf of bread. He climbed down, munching on a piece.
"Unbelievable," Tony announced with deadpan seriousness. "She could solve the universe's food crisis. I guarantee it." He broke off a chunk of bread-armor and offered it to Banner.
Banner sampled it, eyebrows lifting. "Strawberry. Did she model this off bread she's eaten before?"
"It's not just strawberry. My helmet became a cream puff, my repulsors turned into donuts. Very gourmet." Tony chewed with an expressionless face, then turned toward the others. "Anyone want some bread?"
Hands shot up instantly.
"Me!"
"Let me try!"
"By the Vishanti, is this the mythical Midas Touch?"
In minutes, a mob of sorcerers had stripped every last crumb from Tony's "armor."
Wiping cream from his chin, Tony summoned a fresh suit, engaging the auto-clean functions to wash off inside the armor itself.
The duels pressed on.
Then came the match everyone had been waiting for—Tony versus Hulk.
When the two drew each other, Tony insisted Banner let the Hulk loose. He himself donned a reinforced Vibranium suit.
Memories fueled both fighters. Hulk still remembered Tony poking him relentlessly with the oversized fingers of the Hulkbuster during their clash in New York. Tony still hadn't lived that down.
Neither held back.
The arena shook as they went at each other with raw power. Sorcerers lining the edges gasped, captivated. Though this was supposed to be a test of sorcery, what they witnessed felt like the highest art of combat.
Fist met fist, shockwaves bursting outward.
Finally, Tony unleashed a devastating left hook, boosted by a starship-grade rocket thruster. His punch connected squarely with Hulk's jaw, launching the green giant out of the arena and knocking him unconscious.
Tony's left gauntlet crumpled under the strain, exposing his bloodied but rapidly healing hand beneath.
"This time, no chance for a rematch, big guy," Tony muttered, glancing at Banner as he shrank back into his normal form. He smirked. "Not everyone can walk off a punch like that."
In truth, even Malrick would have staggered if he'd taken that blow head-on. Tony knew it, and the thought gave him confidence.
The battles raged on until late afternoon.
At last, when Mordo's clash with Grandmaster Daniel ended, Malrick stepped forward to address the crowd.
"The second round is complete. Based on performance, the five sorcerers chosen to participate are: Mordo, Banner, Tony Stark, Pietro, and Wanda. The two reserves are Wong and Grandmaster Hamir."
He swept his gaze across them. "You have nine days to prepare. The rest of you, return to your posts, guard your Sanctums, and stand ready. Protect Earth."
The announcement sparked murmurs. Excitement lit the sorcerers' faces—Tony, Banner, and Wanda had already earned their admiration. None of them believed any longer that Malrick had brought outsiders with no stake in Kamar-Taj.
Even Pietro, armed only with a magical dagger, was half-accepted as one of their own.
Their confidence grew. Though they doubted victory against Asgard's gods, at least they believed they would not be swept aside without resistance.
"Master Malrick!"
As the crowd dispersed, the chosen sorcerers gathered around him again.
Grandmaster Hamir bowed deeply. "Do we need to prepare anything formal? Last time we appeared before Odin, we simply opened a portal. Shouldn't we show more etiquette this time?"
Wong nodded in agreement. "Yes. Perhaps we should bring gifts?"
Mordo folded his arms, scowling. "Forget gifts. Winning is the only way we show Kamar-Taj's honor."
Hamir looked unconvinced, but Wong pressed the point. "Hamir and I are only reserves, so it's our duty to prepare on all fronts. But you five—focus on the battles ahead. Use these days wisely."
Wong sighed, a touch of humor in his tone. Being a reserve didn't seem so bad, especially after seeing the nerves tightening around the five true representatives.
Nine days remained before the challenge.
For Pietro and Banner, the countdown had already begun to weigh heavy. By the final night, it was doubtful they'd get any sleep at all.
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