"Apollo, you were awesome!" Ninth Prince Leon and Seraphina both approached him with shock and excitement on their faces, not expecting him to be this good. The other participants also looked at him with interest, wanting to know more about him as they might face him in the competition.
Apollo smiled modestly, nodding at his friends. "Thanks; it felt good to get through that."
As the preliminary selection drew to a close, the arena buzzed with energy. In an hour, the final count was tallied: a staggering eighteen hundred geniuses had cleared the selection. The sheer number of talented individuals present was a testament to the intensity and competitiveness of the upcoming battles.