His hair began to turn gray. Then the black slowly faded away, leaving him with a head of white hair.
His body, already aged, visibly shriveled at astonishing speed. In the end, only a thin layer of skin remained, stretched tight over his gaunt bones.
In mere moments, the audience watched a man age and die before their eyes.
Then Shadow Stinger collapsed with a thud.
An assistant referee hurried onto the Competition Ring and was shocked to discover that Shadow Stinger had already stopped breathing.
He became the first contestant to die in the finals.
In a contest of this caliber, deaths were almost inevitable if the contestants were to fight to their full potential.
The contestant had hardly been likable, but when the referee announced his death, an uproar swept through the stands.
Some spectators now looked at Night Owl with deep wariness and fear.
Night Owl had undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the audience, but it was hardly a good one.
From his eerie, unpredictable powers to his mysterious persona, everything about him carried a distinctly dark air.
The superheroes the audience admired, on the other hand, were bright and inspiring figures.
So few spectators sincerely hoped Night Owl would advance much farther.
When Night Owl stepped down from the ring, he was met with the awkward sound of only a few scattered claps.
After a contestant's death, the atmosphere in the stands grew much more subdued.
The matches that followed brought few surprises.
The contestants favored by the public advanced one after another, with hardly any underdogs pulling off an upset.
After several long hours of competition, the first half of the opening elimination round finally came to a close.
This round had brought both thrills and regrets, from clean, overwhelming victories to hard-fought battles