The morning sun cast long shadows across the arena as thousands of spectators filled the stands for the quarterfinals.
The atmosphere crackled with raw electricity. Only eight candidates remained from thousands who had started this journey, and today would carve their names into academy records.
Ren stood in the candidate waiting area, his analytical mind already processing what he knew about his potential opponents.
The random selection system meant he couldn't prepare for specific matchups, but he could review general tactical approaches for each remaining fighter.
This was what he'd been working toward. The culmination of everything.
Last night with Lia felt like valuable perspective now, a reminder that there was life beyond combat and competition.
After their market adventure, he'd spent hours in the evolution forge, methodically burning through all eleven evolution crystals to optimize his capabilities.
