The official tournament display board updated with a satisfying chime, logging the results of the latest round. The sixty fighters who had started just two days ago had been whittled down significantly, and now the tournament was entering its most competitive phase.
Round 1 had separated the truly skilled from those who had merely been fortunate in their academy selections. Round 2 had been even more brutal, with only the top thirty advancing, plus two "lucky losers" whose performances had been deemed exceptional despite their defeats.
Now, as the board displayed the sixteen remaining competitors, a pattern emerged that surprised no one familiar with the academies' reputations. Academy 12's dominance was evident—all five of their third-years remained, led by Lucas Grey whose devastating victory over Zahir Orlov had become the tournament's most viewed highlight. Their second-years had performed admirably as well, with three still in contention.
And then there were the first-years.
