Surprisingly, Liam appeared to be American rather than of Japanese heritage, standing out among the predominantly Asian competitors in this traditional martial arts tournament.
Despite his cultural background differing from most participants, Liam had demonstrated swordsmanship skills that Noah estimated at around level 8—genuinely impressive technique that explained his advancement to the semifinals. His fighting style had clearly caught his opponent off guard.
Liam's advancement meant the semifinals would feature diverse fighting and cultural approaches to swordsmanship.
With two quarterfinal matches remaining, Noah recognized that his own fight was approaching rapidly, along with the possibility of facing either Ichigo or the final unknown competitor in what promised to be increasingly challenging combat.
The third fight announcement came with clear bracket revelations that settled the remaining quarterfinal matchups.
