I was gonna expand on duelling but I guess now is as good of a time as any to answer some of the questions.
Magical duelling rules are mostly simple. Here's a sample of the MDC's duelling regulations:
- Duellists, though are permitted to use large quantities of force, may not intentionally mutilate, grievously-harm, or outright murder their foes. Duellists must also take precaution as to not accidentally cause any of the above. Any incident of death or mutilation at the hands of a duellist will result in the match being ended in a tie and the offender(s) will be subject to legal action.
((tl;dr bruises, bleeding, and minor damage to limbs and torso are fine. Anything above that is risky or outright banned. The goal is to make the opponent submit or KO them. Not kill them.)) - Duellists can use any manner of spell and techniques as long as said method:
- is not outright banned by the MDC or by any global duelling associations.
- does not allow the duellist to render themselves: fully invincible/immune to damage for extended periods, able to escape the ring/battleground, and/or in a condition that may be deadly to themselves or the public.
- does not destroy MDC property, the ring, or harm members of the public.
((tl;dr you can use most of your spells. But please don't be an idiot and blow the place up or make yourself OP.)) - Usage of weapons is permitted in the ring in non-elemental league divisions. Weapons may only be permitted if they are used in conjunction with the duellist's magic and doesn't break any of the other rules. As such, weapons and implements such as surgical equipment, explosive devices like C4 and grenades, any form of gun/rifle/ranged ballistic weapon, etc. are not permitted.
((tl;dr swords, spears, bows, and some other weapons are fine. But you're here to perform magic! If you're gonna simply swing a sword around with little mana, you should just be a gladiator.)) - If a duellist has surrendered or has submitted, the opponent must cease fighting with them. Any excessive force after the duellist has conceded defeat will result in a penalty and possible disqualification.
((Be modest. Don't kick your enemy when they're already down.))
Anything I missed? I can add more if you think there are loopholes or something missing.
As for Kristia's other question:
The foes that Oneira fights in the MDC range from being as strong as a well-trained mage (think someone who passed TSU with good grades and has been continuing to hone their skills since) to as powerful as Daichi or stronger. The MDC gets quite a number of powerful competitors on the international level. And this is only talking about the leagues she partakes in. I have no clue as to who the MDC's World Champion is nor could I imagine how powerful they may be. In MDC, Oneira only partakes in the MDC Light Magic and Alternate Magic Divisions, MDC Europe Continental Championship, and will partake in the World Cup. There's a whole lot of duellists that are more powerful than her in the more brutal leagues like the Fire, Dark, and Earth Element Divisions.
To give a further scale, though Oneira is rather famous, she is far from all-powerful. She's strong, no doubt, but there's a large number of duellists in the MDC that outmatch her. It's why she rarely wins MDC Europe Continental and the Light Magic Division. Even the TSU teachers could give her a run for her money if they can outsmart her (assuming they need to).