‘That’s actually quite smart’ I thought, as I finally figured out the reason behind the structure of the fights.

Looking back, it was quite obvious. I should have realized it sooner. But alas, I was not expecting something like this.

The first two rounds were extremely boring. The audience had high expectations after seeing the demonstrations, only to be disappointed, when they only saw one sided fights.

After looking into the matter, I could determine three clear divisions between the fighters, each in its own magnitude of power. Due to the massive difference in prowess in between them, jumping levels was nearly impossible. Therefore, whenever fighters were not on the same level, the matches would end without a real fight. Because of that, there was not much to see. However, everything was purposefully arranged that way.

In the first round, the weakest group faced the other two groups. And as expected, they were unable to stand a chance. Taking this into consideration, I dubbed them: the fodder. They were also responsible for the demonstrations before the main event, to show the audience the strength they wield.

In the second round, no fodder remained. The only ones left were the filler and the favorites, who were far superior in strength. Yet the fate of the filler was the same as their brethren. They were mercilessly defeated, without being able to put up a fight.

But everything served a purpose. Most people could just barely imagine the strength of the fodder. Shredding concrete like paper was already incomprehensibly difficult to imagine for someone without any experience, yet any nen user worth their salt could do it. Even the fodder. Yet, to the truly powerful nen users, concrete might as well not exist. In front of them, just a pulse of aura can annihilate it. The disparity was clear.

At first, the fodder might seem weak in comparison and would be eliminated without being able to put up a fight. This would normally boot them out of the competition. Yet this time, it was a double elimination tournament, so everyone had a second chance. Only when they could finally face opponents of equal strength, would their true prowess show. And with that, the evaluation of the other two groups would rise as well.

The same thing repeated with the filler, just a level higher. While they were still swiftly eliminated in the winner’s bracket, they dominated the fodder, before having a glorious fight with the others of similar strength.

With every round, the viewer’s horizons wound spread, just enough to glimpse at the towering giants in the distance. And at the end of the second round, they could finally gaze at the favorites. From here on out, only the truly powerful remained. And with the setting of the sun, the third round began.

***

“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome our two fighters! In one corner of the ring, we have Grizzly, a man who contracted the werebear curse and is now able to turn into a ferocious monster! On the other side, we have Crystal! Her beauty is unmatched and the shine of her crystals is only rivaled by the radiance of her eyes!”

I rolled my eyes, cringing at the introductions, yet the crowd sucked it up and erupted in excitement. ‘Well, I can’t blame them’, I thought as I felt my racing heart.

“Without further ado, BEGIN!”

In the instant the match started, Crystal threw hundreds of pink beads on the ground, which rapidly started expanding and covering the floor. Not even a minute later, they would cover the entire arena.

But her opponent didn’t sit idly. The middle aged man immediately started growing fur, indicating his transformation. Where previously stood a human, now stood a beast!

And not wasting a single second, it pounced on its prey, with all the expected savigary.

But unlike the other fights, the ‘prey’ was prepared. The seemingly unstoppable behemoth was halted before a wall. It swung its claws at the wall, shattering it. But the action was not instantaneous. A slender figure appeared behind the vermont and shot several crystal blades at its back. The hunter now became the hunted! The crystals started spreading and clawed their way deeper inside of the monster! A horrific cry, filled with agony resounded in the stadium.

The cry wasn’t only for show. It was a powerful sonic attack, targeted at the girl. And judging from her reaction, it was clear that it had worked. She stumbled backwards a bit and even some blood trickled out of her ears. But she still stood tall.

It took her several seconds to recover, during which time, the bear pulled out the crystals from its back, leaving behind gaping holes, constantly spewing out blood.

The clash resumed, as booms echoed through the stadium. They moved several dozen meters each second and even the massive stage didn’t look that big anymore.

In minutes, both figures were covered in fresh blood, yet that didn’t stop them.

The now crimson bear had grown to over 4 meters and its strength had increased at the cost of the rational. The previously sharp eyes were now but dull beads and even the fur started glowing with malice.

Both competitors were already filled with injuries, yet the rampage continued.

However, the tides were shifting. The entire floor was already covered in sharp crystals, which repeatedly pierced the feet of the crazed beast. The sustained injuries took their toll, as the behemoth slowed down. Yet a cornered beast was the most dangerous.

Or it would be, when it wasn’t already too late. The ground started trembling, as pillars of glass-like material sprouted around the crimson terror and imprisoned it. With every second, it grew and in no time, the monster was encased in a cage of pink amber.

Stunned silence permeated the stadium. Not even the sounds of breathing could be heard. Everyone was holding their breath, unsure of how to react. But then, a decision was made, as the building started shaking from the thunderous cheers.

“Crystal advances to the next round!”

*

After the fight, there was a thirty minute break. To clear my mind, I went outside and gazed at the starry sky in thought.

‘I must admit, this was an awe inspiring fight. Their strength was beyond my current level and it will take me years to catch up. It's easy to forget that there are still many monsters in this world. Just because they don’t stand a chance against Netero, that doesn’t mean they are weak. At least for now…’

‘If I had to compare it with the story, it would be somewhere around the early Greed island arc, not including their hatsu. With them, they stand a chance to fight the late Greed island Gon. Still, they are quite a distance away from fighting Genthru and their hatsu aren’t that suited for it. {1}. Too bad their abilities are suited purely for combat.

I still have a way to go’, I thought as I looked at my hand, reaching for the moon.

{1} Able to fight late Greeds island Gon but still far from Genthru - The only reason Gon won was because of a lot of planning, advantages of Greed island cards, Biscuie’s analysis of the opponent and a lot of luck. Without any of these factors, Gon would have long been defeated.