With JacQuarius's defeat in the semi-finals, the tournament advanced towards its climactic end. Adalina, having secured her place in the finals, now awaited the victor from the loser's bracket. JacQuarius, nursing his wounds and his pride, prepared for the final matches. Since he lost the semi finals, he was instantly sent to the finals of the losers bracket, awaiting for the other losers bracket finalist. The first of these was the Losers' Quarter Finals, where Kiyomi faced a low-tier cultivator. The match was swift and decisive, Kiyomi's superiority evident as she effortlessly secured her victory within five minutes.
The following match pitted John Doe, the enigmatic clown-style cultivator, against David Garcia, a cultivator of the giant style. JacQuarius watched with a sense of unease. The thought of Kiyomi facing John Doe was unsettling; John was an unpredictable and a very potentially dangerous opponent. He did not want to make an enemy of John Doe, not out of fear, but because his list of enemies was already extensive. JacQuarius had enough enemies: the FBI, the GEI, Adalina, the continent of Japan, Daniel, and possibly even the Hoover gang, whose shop he had directly targeted.
As the day of the match dawned, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation. The crowd gathered at Mount Blackie, eager to witness the clash. JacQuarius, Tela, and Kiyomi took their places among the spectators, their eyes fixed on the stage. John Doe, as was his custom, arrived last. This time, however, his entrance was different. His usually jovial demeanor was replaced by a sinister anger, his gaze locked onto Adalina with a look of malice. As he walked towards the stage, he diverted his path to approach JacQuarius.
"Stay on point, watch this crazy ass nigga," JacQuarius transmitted to Tela and Kiyomi, his voice edged with caution. They tensed, prepared for anything. John Doe stopped in front of JacQuarius, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Watch this," he whispered, a chilling smile playing on his lips before he continued to the stage.
The match began with David Garcia launching into his Giant Style techniques. He hurled a massive boulder towards John Doe, who evaded them easily with his movement skill Tumbling Acrobatics, his body twisting and flipping out of harm's way. John countered with his own skill Explosive Pie, the projectile colliding with David's boulder and detonating in a fiery burst. The participants gasped at the spectacle.
David, undeterred, activated his transformation skill, transforming into a cyclops, his body growing to sixty feet tall, a massive warhammer in hand. He then activated one of his skills, Giant Style: Death Hammer, incredibly increasing the size of the face of the warhammer! Then he swung it down with a thunderous crash, the Death Hammer aiming to crush John Doe. But John, with a gleeful laugh, activated his enhancement skill Trickster's Veil, cloaking himself in illusion and slipping out of sight. The hammer struck the ground, missing its target.
From the shadows, John activated his ranged attack skill, launching Joker Cards, each one exploding on impact, forcing the cyclops to stumble back. With a series of acrobatic flips, John closed the distance, then activated his melee attack skill, Bouncing Hammer striking David's leg with a resounding clang. The giant cultivator roared in pain, swinging his massive fist, but John was already gone, a blur of movement.
JacQuarius watched with growing apprehension. John Doe's fighting style was bizarre yet undeniably effective. Each of his moves was unpredictable, a testament to his mastery of the clown style. As David struggled to keep up, John activated his terrain skill: Arkham Asylum, transforming the battlefield into a twisted version of the infamous institution. David found himself trapped in a restraint bed, his movements restricted.
John approached, his face twisted into a maniacal grin. "Let's end this, shall we?" he sang, activating his signature skill: Clown Prince's Decree. The chaotic melody filled the air, disrupting David's thoughts and leaving him vulnerable. With a final flourish, John unleashed his ultimate skill: Kōshin Laugh, a world-ending laugh that shattered David's mental and spiritual defenses. The cyclops fell, defeated and broken.
The participants were in mixed reactions—some cheering, others disturbed by John's ruthless display. JacQuarius felt a chill run down his spine as he watched John leave the stage. But John's demeanor shifted abruptly as he caught sight of Adalina. His smile vanished, replaced by a deep frown. Muttering incomprehensibly, he turned back towards the fallen David.
In a fit of rage, John began stomping on David's prone form, yelling "Stupid!" with each brutal stomp. The Platinum Rank Soldiers rushed in, pulling John off the stage as he continued to scream and struggle. David, now in a grievous state, was quickly taken to the tournament's medical house for urgent care.
JacQuarius felt a mix of relief and apprehension. He thought to himself," Damn this nigga got anger issues." John Doe's unpredictability made him a dangerous factor in the tournament. JacQuarius knew he had to stay vigilant. As the participants dispersed, the tension lingered in the air, a reminder of the chaos that had just unfolded. JacQuarius, Tela, and Kiyomi returned to their assigned house, their minds heavy with the day's events.
That night, JacQuarius lay awake, his thoughts racing. The tournament was reaching it's end, and the path ahead was fraught with peril. He resolved to grow stronger, to be ready for whatever challenges lay ahead. The fight with John Doe had shown him the depths of unpredictability and danger he might face. But JacQuarius was no stranger to adversity. He would face whatever came with the same determination and resolve that had brought him this far.
As dawn approached, the sky lightened, heralding a new day. The tournament would continue, and with it, the trials and tribulations of the cultivators seeking glory and power. JacQuarius knew one thing for certain: the fight was far from over, and it was time for Kiyomi to face off with John.