The stadium lights dimmed, then burst to life with golden radiance as the tournament resumed the next day. Only 20 warriors remained. Each match from here would be one-on-one elimination—raw Essence vs. Essence. The crowd roared as the screen flashed:
TOP 20 MATCHES: ROUND OF 10Matchups randomly selected. Winners move to the Final 10.
Match 1: Toru Kurotaki vs. Ayaka Shinomiya
The girl known for her Thunder Beast Form charged first, lightning snapping off her limbs like whips. But Toru stood calmly, his Titan Essence humming with pressure.
He ducked the first strike, then caught her second mid-air. "Not bad," he grinned.
With a mighty stomp, a shockwave blasted Ayaka backward. In three punches, her transformation cracked. The crowd gasped.
Winner: Toru Kurotaki
Match 2: Yumi Aoyama vs. Shun Arata
Shun activated his Pressure Field Essence, trying to trap Yumi's movement. "You won't move," he said with a grin. "My zone's unbeatable."
But Yumi stayed calm, whispering, "Lunar Chains: Lightstep."
Her chains extended and wrapped around empty air—then suddenly pulled her forward, skating across the battlefield. She zipped behind Shun, tagging his shoulder gently.
"Checkmate," she whispered. His pressure field flickered, broken.
Winner: Yumi Aoyama
Match 3: Riku Hayashi vs. Mizuki Reina
Mizuki summoned Phantom Arms, a set of six floating spectral limbs made of energy. She struck from all directions at once.
Riku didn't even flinch.
He held out his hand.
CLAP."Essence Reinforcement."
His arms glowed violet-blue as he moved through the storm of phantom strikes, weaving, dodging—then striking once.
A pulse of Essence erupted, blowing all six arms away like smoke.
He caught her before she hit the ground. "Good technique," he said.
Winner: Riku Hayashi
Match 4: Hina Mori vs. Akira Taiga
Hina's Ice Essence formed a glacier across the floor. Akira's flame strikes melted portions of it, but she was smarter. Using mirrors of reflective ice, she created afterimages that confused him—until a shard of freezing mist wrapped around his legs and ended the match.
Winner: Hina Mori
Match 5: Kazuki Tao vs. Ren Yuuta
Kazuki wasted no time.
"Essence: Gravity Crush."
Ren couldn't stand. The pressure doubled, tripled—his knees buckled. Kazuki stood still, hands behind his back.
Ren tried to crawl. Kazuki gave a small sigh.
With a flick of his wrist, the arena floor cratered around Ren, knocking him out cold.
Winner: Kazuki Tao
Match 6: Reina Aozora vs. Takumi Wataru
Reina, the shy wind support user, was clearly nervous. But Takumi underestimated her.
She whispered, "Essence: Gale Spiral."
Winds shot forward in a narrow funnel, precise and controlled. Takumi blocked the first—then got lifted and slammed into the barrier by a second, unseen stream.
She bowed politely.
Winner: Reina Aozora
Match 7: Hiroto Kaname vs. Daichi Morino
This was brute force vs. defense. Hiroto's Flame Essence clashed with Daichi's Shield Wall repeatedly.
"You're strong, old man," Hiroto grinned.
Daichi nodded. "But you burn out faster."
He let Hiroto wear himself down before delivering a body-check with a glowing shield, knocking the fire user out of bounds.
Winner: Daichi Morino
Backstage, Yumi walked up beside Riku, cheeks a little pink again. "You weren't even trying against Mizuki…"
"I didn't need to," Riku said softly, eyes on the screen. "But I will soon."
Toru leaned against a wall nearby. "Let's hope we're not paired next."
Riku smirked. "Why? Afraid of losing again like middle school?"
Toru cracked his knuckles. "Nah. Just saving the best match for last."
Remaining Matches: 3 to goOnly 10 warriors will remain after the next three fights.