Cold Moon
One month after his fight with Lugh, Kir was in good shape.
He'd finally figured out how to harness his mana internally and to good effect.
Problem was, his fight with Lugh had revealed to the Arcane Knights that Kir's ability to cast was sealed away. He had all of one week of peace before the first third year came around, trying to provoke him.
Chancellor Lumis' announcement that wagers for expulsion and crippling were now banned due to the coming war prompted a rash of new duels. The obvious loopholes were to take away a student's supplies and money, which wouldn't be immediate but would hit poorer students harder.
Kir felt bad that he might have set the example for that, having demanded gold as compensation for dueling him.
After refusing the first attempt, he now had first-years challenging him every other day. Someone had started spreading a rumor that a first-year defeating a second-year could allow you to take their place.