With so many people entering the Swordsmanship Tournament, the first two elimination rounds alone lasted a full eighteen days.
The battles went on without pause, day and night.
At last, the tournament's official roster was set.
One thousand and twenty-four swordsmen had overcome obstacle after obstacle and proved their strength, earning their places in the tournament.
Their photos, numbers, names or aliases were compiled into profile cards and displayed on the big screens inside the Sky Arena for everyone to see.
The truly powerful had yet to make their moves.
Even so, several swordsmen had already sparked heated discussion with their performances.
Some had been unknown before the elimination rounds, but their battles had drawn attention and made them star contenders.
Their emergence brought new possibilities to the tournament.
The second round in particular was far more intense. Once the weaker entrants were eliminated in the first, the level of combat rose dramatically.
For most ordinary people and weaker fighters in the world, it provided one spectacular battle after another.
Notably, all one thousand and twenty-four swordsmen had reached the Iron-Cutting Realm and become Swordsmen.
The number seemed large, but across the entire sea, it was entirely possible.
There was no shortage of deadly swordsmen at sea. Countless Kendo Dojos also trained them, sending a steady stream of new swordsmen into the world.
Even in the Kronos Kingdom, gathering dozens of Swordsmen was no difficult task.
Plenty of people practiced the sword.
And on a stage as grand as the Sky Arena, quite a few had broken through to become Swordsmen.
Anyone who stood out among tens of thousands of entrants had to possess considerable strength.
But even among Swordsmen, the gaps in strength were clear. Combat instincts, mastery of Swordsmanship, physical ability and the Color of Two Haki all