The moment the gong thundered across the arena, a heavy silence fell like fog. The second match of the Grand Open Tournament had officially begun, and with it, the tension that had been simmering throughout the crowd reached a palpable boil.
It begins, Jinmu thought, his gaze scanning the massive field before him. It was a larger battleground than the first. A rough estimate placed the number of fighters at just above fifty—excluding Haria, Jinmu, and the infamous Five Great Young Masters.
But there was something else.
He narrowed his eyes.
Something strange was happening.
Within moments of the match beginning, nearly all of the other participants—forty-four in total—began shifting across the wide arena floor. But instead of charging at random or finding the nearest opponent like most chaotic matches, they each moved toward one of the four corners of the field… toward the young masters.
No, Jinmu's brow creased beneath the mask. Not toward them to attack.
It was unmistakable.
