By the time the third round of the tournament began, the arena had undergone a transformation so profound that it was no longer recognizable as the same place where the competition had started.
At first glance, everything appeared unchanged.
The platforms were still arranged in perfect symmetry.
The instructors still stood in their designated positions.
The crowd still filled the surrounding stands.
And yet—
Something was different.
The atmosphere had shifted.
What once felt like an energetic, chaotic gathering of students eager to prove themselves had now turned into something far more serious.
Far more oppressive.
From the original two hundred and fifty-six participants who had entered the second round, only one hundred and twenty-eight remained.
That number alone carried weight.
But the meaning behind it was even heavier.
It meant that half of those who had already proven themselves in the first round—
Had been eliminated without hesitation.
And those who remained…
