Chapter 25 - 24: Second Match Begins
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.
One by one, groups of eleven formed around Juhwa Gyeongcheol, Seoryeon Baekho, Eunwon Jinseong, and Do Sangin. The coordination was too smooth, too precise for it to be coincidence. There were no wasted movements, no clashing, no confusion among the forty-four. It was like they already knew where they belonged—even before the match had begun.
So they’ve chosen their sides.
Each of the Four among Five Great Young Masters stood like immovable pillars amid their growing alliances. None had even drawn their weapons yet. Jinmu watched as Juhwa stood bare-chested, arms folded, battle robes flowing behind him like twin embers ready to ignite. The molten aura around him seemed to blaze hotter with each step taken toward him by his new allies.
Baekho, cloaked in a thick fur-lined robe and shrouded in frost-like ki, didn’t move. He merely stood in still, dignified silence, as eleven figures formed a loose circle around him, eyes full of reverence.