The moment Jayden's and Lucien's names simultaneously froze on the enormous projection screen, the entire Central Arena erupted into cheers even more intense than before.
Whether it was Jayden, who had long since made a name for himself throughout the First Layer by crushing every opponent in his path with a single longsword, or Lucien, who had always appeared gentle and low-key yet carried the elite surname of Vilhart, both had already been listed by countless people as among the contestants most likely to win this year's Chosen Tournament.
"Jayden against Lucien!"
"Holy crap, they're serving the main course right from the start?"
"No matter which one of them loses, a championship favorite is going to be eliminated early!"
"Lucien has barely fought seriously before. No one even knows how strong he truly is."
"Could he really be stronger than Jayden?"
"Did you forget his surname?"
"Vilhart…"
