Happy Easter guyz!
Time passed amidst the crowd's excitement and anticipation. The next day arrived quickly.
There were no more winner's bracket matches; all that remained were loser's bracket matches.
Currently, 45 contestants remained in the loser's bracket. One would be randomly selected to receive a bye, advancing directly to the next round. The remaining 44 contestants would engage in one-on-one battles, with the 22 victors proceeding to the next round.
This fifth round would eliminate 22 contestants.
The drawing of lots commenced swiftly. A from the Region of Lightning drew the bye, directly advancing to the sixth round.
He was indifferent to this outcome, by now he was confident in his ability to defeat any remaining opponent.
The others, however, breathed a sigh of relief.
With one of the strongest contenders removed, their chances of advancement had increased.
The battles quickly ignited. The loser's bracket matches remained as bloody and violent as ever, with each participant fighting tooth and nail to reach the next round.
After all, defeat meant the end of their journey.
No one knew when the next Outstanding Youth Tournament would be held, or whether it would offer such lavish rewards.
Furthermore, several among the remaining 40 contestants were already 27 or 28 years old. For them, this might be their last chance.
Thus, for glory and opportunity, everyone fought desperately.
A day passed, and 22 matches concluded, leaving 22 individuals to depart the stage in disappointment.
The sixth round was scheduled for the following day.
23 contestants remained in the loser's bracket.
Among them were notable figures such as Rasa, Ranzuki, A, Tetsu, Sarutobi Hoshi, and others. They were all exceptionally fortunate in this round, avoiding direct confrontations with each other.
These 23 individuals now had a significant chance of entering the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
The day's matches ended, sparking heated discussions throughout the world.
Another day passed.
Today, the 6th round would commence.
One contestant from the loser's bracket would receive a bye again. The remaining 22 would face off in pairs, with the victors directly securing a spot in the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
The defeated contestants, along with the one who received the bye, would proceed to the seventh round.
Unlike the previous bye, this time, not everyone desired it. In fact, almost no one wanted it.
They all yearned to determine their fate in a single battle and directly enter the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
Therefore, when Tetsu saw his bye slip, his face darkened.
However, he was powerless to protest. He couldn't question the organizers of manipulation.
If yesterday's matches were merely bloody and violent, today's were utterly ferocious.
This was the final battle.
Victory meant a place in the Outstanding Youth Ranking!
Consequently, everyone fought with their lives on the line.
While every match in the loser's bracket demanded unwavering effort, this one was particularly desperate.
The result of such desperation was that many contestants ended up bloodied and critically injured.
If not for Hui's presence, this tournament might have crippled numerous participants.
Another day of relentless fighting from dawn till dusk concluded, adding twelve more names to the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
Rasa from the Region of Wind, A from the Region of Lightning, Kitsuchi from the Region of Earth, Rinto from the Region of Earth, Sarutobi Hoshi from Hidden Sage Village, Han from Hidden Sage Village, Uzuki from Hidden Sage Village...
Among the 11 new additions, 7 were from Hidden Sage Village.
Combined with the previous 10, 17 out of 22 outstanding youths hailed from Hidden Sage Village.
The audience could only react with numbness, inwardly marveling at the dominance of Hidden Sage Village.
Thus, another day passed, and the 7th round began.
The loser's bracket now consisted of the 11 defeated contestants from the previous round, plus Tetsu, who had received the bye, totaling 12 individuals.
These 12 would engage in pairwise battles, with the 6 victors securing positions in the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
The 6 defeated contestants would have one final opportunity.
By the 7th round, the remaining 12 contestants lacked exceptionally powerful individuals.
There were only two standouts. One was Tetsu, who had received a bye in the previous round. His strength was not to be underestimated; if he hadn't received the bye, he would have had a 70% chance of entering the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
The other was Ranzuki.
He had been incredibly unlucky to encounter A in the previous battle.
Thanks to Hui's healing abilities, A had begun experimenting with his own Lightning Release Sage Chakra Mode during these battles.
Any side effects or after-effects would be resolved, allowing him to use it without reservation.
After several uses, A's mastery of Lightning Release Sage Chakra Mode had improved significantly, enabling him to activate it for short periods.
Consequently, Ranzuki suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of A, who was wielding Lightning Release Sage Chakra Mode.
Originally, Ranzuki also possessed a 70% chance of directly entering the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
It was unfortunate; he simply had bad luck.
However, it wasn't a complete loss. At this stage, defeat in the loser's bracket no longer meant immediate elimination.
They had two more chances.
Therefore, in the 7th round, both Ranzuki and Tetsu successfully advanced.
The day's battles concluded.
Out of 12 participants, 6 advanced, entering the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
Currently, the Outstanding Youth Ranking held 28 individuals, with only two spots remaining.
Six contestants remained in the loser's bracket.
Logically, these 6 could have been divided into three pairs for matches, with the three winners advancing. Then, one contestant could receive a bye, leaving the remaining two to battle for the final spot. This would decide the last two spots
However, this was deemed too cumbersome.
Moreover, it would provide excessive opportunities.
Therefore, the final 2 spots would be decided through an 8th round free-for-all among the six remaining contestants from the 7th round. The final two victors would enter the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
If there were no victors, the 29th and 30th places in the Outstanding Youth Ranking would remain vacant.
If there was only one victor, the 30th spot would remain vacant.
In short, everything would be decided in this final round.
The final day of the First Sage Shinobi World Elite Youth Tournament arrived. The last 6 contestants would engage in their final battle.
This was a free-for-all, a six-way battle royale.
These 6 could have formed alliances to eliminate those who didn't.
However, they all possessed immense pride, being the top geniuses from their respective regions and having reached this stage.
Therefore, all 6 disdained such tactics.
Furthermore, this was a global broadcast, with everyone watching.
Forming an alliance to eliminate isolated individuals would likely result in disdain, even if they entered the Outstanding Youth Ranking.
It would be utterly shameful.
Thus, this was a genuine free-for-all, a battle of unimaginable ferocity.
Ultimately, two individuals persevered.
They didn't need a final duel; their victory was clear.
With this, the 30 Outstanding Youths were determined.
However, the tournament wasn't over yet. The selection of the "Best of the Best," the individual recognized by everyone, including Hui, remained.
Following that, an award ceremony would mark the tournament's official conclusion.
Both the selection and the award ceremony were scheduled for three days later.
It was undeniable that the 30 Outstanding Youths held expectations for the "Best of the Best" title.
Naturally, those who had emerged from the loser's bracket knew their chances were slim. Their anticipation stemmed from a sense of unwillingness to accept defeat.
join my patreon for 150+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL