As the names of all sixteen successful qualifiers gradually appeared across the enormous projection screen that covered nearly half the sky above the Central Arena, the spectators, who had already watched sixteen consecutive battles and were beginning to show signs of fatigue, displayed no intention of leaving.
Instead, the announcement that the next round was about to begin only made them even more excited.
Everyone knew that during the Round of 32, overwhelming mismatches were still possible due to large gaps in strength. However, once the tournament reached the Round of 16, every remaining contestant had already proven themselves to be genuine prodigies selected from countless young players. No matter who was matched against whom, there would no longer be any battle that could be won easily.
In the center of the arena, the staff responsible for restoring the battlefield quickly cleared away the remaining rubble, shattered ice, and flames that had yet to completely die out.
