The Nexus Arena had undergone a dramatic transformation overnight. Where once three separate rings had accommodated the preliminary rounds—one each for Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 competitors—now a single massive circle dominated the center of the stadium. The combined arena measured almost fifty meters in diameter, its surface a seamless blend of impact-absorbing materials and energy-conductive alloys that gleamed under the morning light filtering through the retractable dome.