The competition went on to proceed into its next and final phase without much spectacle or flourish, it just kinda started, no grand speech, no chance to recoup or even relax, kicked into the highest gear with the denoting fanfare of a lone trumpet.
Tyler expanded a brief bit on the inner workings of the duel to get us up to speed. Fights would be chosen on a last-to-first basis, which meant the fourth-place pair of Preston and Gael are to don their war faces and put on their best gladiator impersonation because it would seem that the coliseum crowd was a rather bloodthirsty bunch.
They remained behind in the arena battlegrounds, while the rest of us champions were led to a spot in the stands where we could better see all around.
Now could it be just coincidence that our place within the crowd just so happens to be situated right below the judges' panel? Just a strange happenstance that their royal highnesses were but the slightest glance away in the corner of our eyes?
