I won't lie, I totally forgot about this arc.
The Ace Tournament happened right after our dear heroes returned from the Noctveil Wilds, arriving on the Ascent Isles only to find Academy City completely changed.
Why? Because there was a surge of unrecognizable faces. New Cadets had transferred to Apex from all around the world.
In their absence, all those who were lost in the Noctveil Wilds were presumed dead. One of those unfortunate souls was Michael, the Ace of Apex in the game.
Long story short, following that declaration, the title of Ace was then up for grabs. As such, every first-year Cadet in the Academy pounced at the chance.
So to avoid all that potential chaos and mayhem, Apex arranged a proper tournament and decided to broadcast it as a testament to the world, showing how their Cadets still stood strong even after such a crushing tragedy.
The decision was a hit.
After all, who wouldn't want to see a bunch of Awakened kids fighting each other bloody?
