The final match to determine who will earn a ticket to the world stage.
Now, the stage shifts back to the competition. The knockout round has finally begun. An atmosphere distinctly different from the preliminaries fills the venue, and a sense of tension runs through both the dancers and the audience. As everyone held their breath, waiting for the music to start, the battle finally kicked off with the MC’s signal and the DJ’s breakbeats.
"BODY CARNIVAL" faces off against "Kyoto." The atmosphere on the dance floor heats up even more as these two crews, both named after their hometown, go head-to-head. With the crowd cheering them on, they advanced with a unanimous decision from the judges. They then swept aside South Korea’s “EEIGHT” 4–1 in the semifinals and carried that momentum all the way to the finals.
Their opponent is “Ⅻ AFTER OURS,” led by Shigekix, who placed fourth in the world at the 2024 Paris competition and served as the flag bearer for the Japanese delegation.
The first to leap onto the dance floor was OUKI. In time with the DJ’s deep bass, his massive body floated gently into the air, and the moment he landed, the entire dance floor shook with a thud. A spontaneous murmur and applause welled up from the audience.
Next up is TAKE. With supple movements, he glides into his routine. Showing not a trace of nervousness, he breaks with genuine joy. TOA is powerful and steady, perfectly syncing his moves with the beat.
HARUTO’s movements are bold yet supple, and his improvisational skills are second to none. While AYUMI’s style isn’t as flashy as the men’s, she stands out with her own unique approach—her movements are meticulously controlled from head to toe, and she weaves in subtle details throughout her performance that captivate the audience.
And then, a combo move performed by all five of them—one of the highlights of a crew battle. Despite having only a week to prepare, they execute it with perfect timing and synchronization. HARUTO, with his hand on OUKI’s shoulder, leaps into the air, and the moment he lands, TOA and TAKE join in, executing the move at lightning speed. When AYUMI joins them as well, and the five of them move in perfect unison, the venue erupts in cheers loud enough to shake the building.
It was a part they had repeated countless times during practice, saying, “Let’s do this one more time!” The moment it all came together, the athletes instinctively looked at one another on the floor. Their expressions revealed joy rather than tension.
We gave it our all, and now it's finally time for the results to be announced.
In a close call, the judges declared "Ⅻ AFTER OURS" the winner.
