Melee

The Melee is a annual Rithmatics competition run by Armedius Academy.
Lots are drawn before the match to determine the positioning of the different students in the arena, with the middle being the worst position, as it allows the group or person to be surrounded. A combatant is considered eliminated if their circle is breached, whereupon they leave the arena. The last person or team left with their circle intact wins the Melee.
Those who win the melee get assigned important posts at Nebrask, and are more likely to become squadleaders or captains. All of Melody Muns' siblings have won the Melee at least twice, with William Muns winning it all four years he was eligible.
It tests the skills of Rithmatic students. Each professor is able to enter a team consisting of up to twelve students, and must send at least one student. Having had one's students win in the Melee is a point of pride for many professors at Armedius. Professor Fitch considers the Melee to be largely meaningless, and has never had a student win the Melee before Melody and Joel.
== Notable Melees ==
=== 1888 Crew-Choi duel ===
Paul Crew and Adelle Choi were the final two Rithmatists remaining in the 1888 Melee. Paul's team had been able to protect him for most of the match, leaving him with an almost pristine circle. Adelle's team had been eliminated during the first few minutes. She was heavily bombarded by Lines of Vigor and chalklings from Paul and her defense was almost gone when she bounced a Line of Vigor off of three Lines of Forbiddance to reach a weak point at the rear of Paul's circle. This won her the match. 
=== ~1908 Melee ===
This Melee is unusual in that, not only did a non-Rithmatist (Joel Saxon) compete, but he was also part of the winning team. He exploited a loophole which limited the entrants to students of Rithmatic professors, rather than barring all non-Rithmatists. The match was adjudicated by Exton L. Pratt, who correctly stated that Joel was legally allowed to do as he did. As Joel was a research assistant to Professor Fitch, he counted as a student. He and Melody Muns shared the same defense and combined both of their strengths (Joel's precision line-drawing and Melody's chalkings) to great effect. Joel would draw their defenses and attacking Lines of Vigor/Revocation, which Melody would then trace. This technique had never been attempted before and its legality was hotly debated by the spectating professors. Due to their poor position (at the very center of the arena, surrounded by opponents), Joel chose to employ a complex nine-point defense. Nine-point defenses are typically very difficult to draw precisely and quickly, but Joel and Melody's teamwork allowed them to accomplish it, and the inherent strength of the defense enabled them to survive the initial barrage of attacks. Joel's drawing allowed Melody to focus her efforts on drawing intricate chalklings. They also deployed the newly-discovered Line of Revocation, which was very effective against the unsuspecting students. Despite the considerable odds against them, and being targeted by Professor Nalizar's hand-picked team of twelve, they were victorious.
== Arena ==
The Melee arena at Armedius Academy is a large open area that resembled a ice skating rink. It is located in the center of Making Hall, and takes up most of the central space in the building. It has a rough black surface in order to maximize the visibility of the chalk drawn by the participants. Above the playing field is a seating area for professors and local dignitaries, since Rithmatic duels are best viewed from above. The ceiling consists of glass squares with metal supports in between them. Along the perimeter of the playing field are seats for the general public. Even though there are a lot of seats, there still aren't enough for everyone who wants to attend. Every year, before the Melee, the arena floor is thoroughly cleaned. A finish is then applied, which keeps the floor dark. 
The viewing lounge above the arena is quite nice, with maroon colorings, dim lighting so as not to distract from the action below, and steel girders running between the glass paneling in the floor to avoiding giving too much of a sense of vertigo.
== Notes ==