The giant randomizer above the arena began to spin.
One hundred names appeared within the vast screen of light, each one glowing with a different intensity according to the participant's aura, identity, and pillar mark. The names moved so quickly that most people could not follow them with their eyes. They circled, crossed, separated, and merged again like golden stars caught inside a heavenly wheel.
Angelina Valerius stood calmly above the central stage, her silver-white robe moving softly in the air. She raised one hand, and the randomizer slowed down slightly.
"The first main round will now begin," she said clearly. "There will be fifty battles in this round. Fifty participants will advance, and fifty participants will be eliminated."
The moment her voice fell, the atmosphere around the one hundred pillars changed.
Even the relaxed participants became serious.
