The Greatest in the Multiverse

Round Zero: Top 16 across all existence

"LADIES! GENTLEMEN! EVERYONE! WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THE GRANDEST STAGE IN THEHISTORY OF EVERYTHING!"

The entire arena was filled to the brim with roaring spectators. Logically nothing would be heard this far out in space, but when you're in a subspace pocket there's no logic to apply to anything. So constructing an arena to allow 16 warriors to duke it out while over 250.000 people from across the multiverse can safely watch is child's play. People who are capable of crossing dimensions in the first place, that is.

"MY NAME IS GOOGLORP, AND I WILL BE YOUR ANNOUNCER FOR THIS GLORIOUS OCCASION: THE MULTIVERSAL TOURNAMENT!"

The loud and bombastic, yet humorously shrill, voice came from a tiny blue blob made up of sentient slime. He had only two dripping tentacles for arms and no face to speak of, but he didn't need one to see the packed stadium and hear the roar of the crowd. Plasmoids are known for their strange biology after all. Googlorp continued his excited speech from his booth overlooking the main arena.

"BUT BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SPONSOR FOR HOSTING THIS TOURNAMENT! ANTITJEX™ WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THEIR-
(This advertisement has been removed for all our sakes. We here from the Tournament Recording Team would like to apologise for being affiliated with this company.)
"AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IT'S TIME TO GO OVER THE RULES!"

The grand viewing screen, previously showing the crowd from different angles, now showed a simple layout of 16 brackets. 8 in different shades of red, 8 in different shades of blue.

"THE FIRST ROUND WILL CONSIST OF 8 ONE-ON-ONE BATTLES BETWEEN OUR 16 CONTESTANTS, AND THE ONE LEFT STANDING IN THE END WILL BE DECLARED THE VICTOR! THE ENTIRE AREA IS SAFELY WARDED BY OUR TEAM OF MEDICS, SO REST ASSURED: NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU GET HIT, THERE WILL BE NO DEATHS IN THIS TOURNAMENT! BUT EVERYTHING ELSE? THAT'S FAIR GAME! ALL WEAPONS, TECHNIQUES, MAGIC, TACTICS... IF YOU THINK IT CAN GIVE YOU THE WIN, IT'S ALLOWED! AND AS FOR THE BATTLEFIELD..."

The viewing screen switched back to showing the middle of the arena, turning everyone's attention to the centre.

"TO MAKE THINGS AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE, ALL CONTESTANTS WILL BE FACING EACH OTHER ON AN OVAL-SHAPED DIRT FIELD! BUT TO MAKE THINGS A BIT MORE INTERESTING..."

Suddenly the whole field started to mildly shake as several previously hidden hatches, about 5 on each end of the arena, opened up. Out of them rose several short walls made out of solid concrete, each one only about a meter tall.

"...THESE PROTECTIVE WALLS WILL PERIODICALLY RISE OUT OF THE GROUND TO PROVIDE SOME COVER FOR EITHER SIDE! BUT I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF ME, FOLKS! WHAT DO YOU SAY WE WELCOME OUR 16 CONTESTANTS?"

Another deafening roar from the audience. And with commentator Googlorp's latest dramatic exclamation, a gate on the left side of the arena slowly opened.

"Oh, it's opening up? Took 'em long enough."

"Yeesh, that's a lot of people. And we're supposed to go out in front of them?"

"What's the matter, turtle boy? Gettin' stage fright from THAT?"

"Oh be quiet, lady. The audience wants warriors? Then let's give them one!"

The group of strangers had been waiting for what had felt like an eternity, but now it was time to stop the awkward banter and step out onto the arena. And as they did the cheering got louder than ever. The fact that no eardrums were ruptured was a true miracle.

"16 FIGHTERS! 16 PEOPLE FROM A MULTITUDE OF UNIVERSES! BUT ONLY ONE WINNER TO TAKE IT ALL!