Chapter 227: Round four

Still, Nova had no choice but to participate properly. He could not simply seize the secret realm passes by force. Compared to the true powerhouses of this world, he was still far too weak.

Coming back, next match was between Asia Frost and a young man named Elias Crowe, the son of a Duke from the Varkhess Kingdom. Soon the match began.

Asia approached the fight with the same mindset as Rieka. Even though she knew she was stronger, she refused to underestimate her opponent.

Although her level was lower than Elias Crowe’s, by now almost everyone understood that Asia possessed a special physique.

Only the true experts among the audience had begun to suspect that her bloodline was equally extraordinary.

Asia did not take long to finish the match.

She had no need to use her domain skill. Her refined battle skills, combined with the overwhelming pressure of her icy aura, were more than enough to decide the outcome.

During the months she had spent training inside the system space, both Asia and Rieka had primarily been guided by Velena, with Nova assisting as well.

Velena had sparred with them personally, forcing them to gain real combat experience. She had also taught them how to apply their skills and potential in more unique and overwhelming ways.

Both Asia and Rieka — and even Nova — had been surprised to learn that Nyxara herself had once been trained by Velena. To Nyxara, Velena was like a mother figure.

While training the two younger women, Velena had occasionally found herself reminded of the old days when she used to train a certain mischievous little red-haired girl.

Returning to the present, the match concluded with Asia’s clear victory. The audience erupted into cheers.

With that, the top ten contestants who would advance directly to the next round were decided. Round Four would determine the final sixteen.

However, six more spots still needed to be filled. The losers’ bracket began shortly afterward. Although it could have been postponed until the next day, the organizers decided to finalize the top sixteen on the same day.

The contestants were given one hour of rest.

Slickmouth soon explained the structure of the losers’ bracket. Eight matches would be held, and two contestants would receive a form of bye based on their previous performance records.

Although a few people raised objections, everyone understood that the organizers only wanted the strongest to remain.

The two who received byes were Mira Vance and Kael Aster. Most of the remaining fighters already knew they stood little chance against those two.

The losers’ bracket matches began, and after several hours of intense fighting, the final six contestants who would advance to the top sixteen were decided.

[With that, our final top sixteen contestants have been decided. From this point onward, they will fight for first place, and the top five will be the main winners of the tournament.]

The audience was already in high spirits. Although night had fallen, large mana formations that produced light as bright as day had been activated throughout the Colosseum.

The entire capital was decorated with lights and formations as well, so the fact that it was nighttime made little difference.

[From now on, every match will be a pure elimination match. There will be no second chances and no losers’ bracket. Your opponents will be decided by the organizers so that only the most worthy fighters remain in the top five.]

[With that, today’s event is concluded. We will meet again tomorrow.]

Round Three officially came to an end.

The next day arrived quickly. Contestants, audience members, and special guests alike were filled with anticipation for the upcoming matches — and especially for the new pairings.

Soon, Slickmouth welcomed everyone with his usual overwhelming excitement. The entire Colosseum waited patiently, eyes fixed on the large mana projection as it prepared to reveal who would face whom.

Most of the remaining contestants were of similar levels, with only a few clear exceptions whose strength stood far above the rest — namely Nova, liam, Asia, Rieka, and Celine.

Because of this, those five were already being called the most outstanding geniuses of the tournament. Asia and Nova, in particular, drew special attention. Both were only eighteen years old, yet they stood among the strongest contestants present.

Many of the remaining contestants silently prayed that they would not be matched against those monsters — especially not against Nova, Liam, or Asia.

When the names finally appeared on the projection, every contestant quickly searched for their own pairing. Some let out quiet sighs of relief upon seeing opponents they believed they could still handle.

Others, however, looked clearly disappointed.

Rieka’s expression stiffened when she saw her name paired against Nova Valencrest.

Her heart sank for a brief moment — but Nova did not allow that feeling to linger. He raised his voice and called out toward Slickmouth, his words echoing across the entire arena.

"Hey. She still has that privilege from the second round. What is it?"

Slickmouth paused for a moment.

[Ah... yes. I was just about to mention that. Unlike Asia Frost, she does not receive the first option where her opponent would be automatically eliminated if she chose to advance. That privilege was only for the first-place finisher.]

[However, she does receive the second option. She may choose to change her opponent.]

Rieka’s face immediately brightened.

[Would you like to change your opponent, Rieka Vargirth?]

"Of course," she answered without hesitation.

There was no way she would fight her darling— not when both of them intended to enter the secret realm together.

Nova cursed inwardly.

These bastards...

He understood the organizers’ little game. By pairing Rieka against him, they had nearly forced her to use her privilege early and cancel it out.

Still, it did not truly matter. In a way, it was even convenient. After this round, most of the remaining weaker contestants would be eliminated.

A short while later, the pairings were reshuffled.

Rieka received a new opponent, while Nova was assigned someone else — a young man who was already sweating heavily like a pig and quietly cursing his terrible luck.

Soon, Round Four began.

Liam Everhart was the first among the notable fighters to step onto the platform. Facing a young man of decent strength, he still defeated his opponent with relative ease, showing the same sharp and overwhelming battle skill as before.

One after another, the matches continued.

The intensity of the fights had clearly risen. The rules remained largely the same as the previous round, but the atmosphere had changed.

With no more losers’ bracket and pure elimination now in effect, most contestants fought with real killing intent.

Forcing a concession was still possible, though it was only possible for contestants who had a clear advantage over their opponents, like Nova and a few others.

As a result, the matches became more fierce and relentless. Even so, the majority of the fighters still kept cool heads. Those who panicked or lost their composure at critical moments were quickly eliminated.

The audience cheered even louder than before. Betting continued across the entire Human Continent, adding to the excitement.

In the high platform, Vaorak and the other special guests watched with clear interest as the young men and women poured everything they had into their fights.

Before long, Nova, Asia, Rieka, and Celine all secured their victories as well.

Nova and Asia defeated their opponents without much difficulty. Rieka and Celine, however, were forced to put in noticeably more effort than in their previous matches.

Their opponents this time were no pushovers, and both women had to fight seriously to advance cleanly.

After several hours of intense matches, Round Four finally came to an end. The final eight winners had been decided.

**

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