Before the second round began, the contestants had a day to rest. It gave them time to recover and prepare for the matches ahead.
There were no matches that day, but the public's enthusiasm was scarcely lower than on a competition day.
Matches from every division had flooded nearly every major social media platform.
Though the tournament had only been underway for a day, eager netizens were already debating "who's the strongest newcomer?" and "which division is the strongest?"
With forty divisions in all, the level of competition varied widely. California had the most contestants, but its first day had produced fewer exciting matches than many other divisions.
Some video editors compiled highlights of the best fights from across the divisions and posted them online. Within hours, the videos had drawn tens of millions of views.
Some people even ranked the clips in "top ten" or "top five" lists. The most popular fights really were fierce, and in one or two matches, talented contestants had delivered stunning comebacks and last-second wins.
While people cheered for the winners, many viewers felt sorry for the losers. Some had been good enough to reach the top eight in their divisions, only to draw a top contender too early through bad luck. Fights worthy of a divisional semifinal or even a final had taken place ahead of time.
At the urging of concerned viewers, netizens began appealing to Vought International through its official website, demanding a change to the rules to prevent such unfair outcomes.
Vought International took the tournament seriously, so it responded promptly to the calls.
In a public statement, it firmly rejected requests from some netizens for a second-chance round.
Vought International gave the following reason.
Luck was part of a contestant's strength. Those who lost could only blame their own