As the AFC Champions League Elite finals begin on Thursday evening, there are now just eight teams in contention to become this season's kings of Asia.
From here, a whirlwind set of quarterfinal, semifinal and final fixtures -- brought about by the introduction of the finals format since last season -- will see the champions crowned by next Saturday.
This is also the stage when East finally meets West.
Due to the vast area of the continent, Asian club football has long been divided into two regions. For a long time, the East and West regions collided only in the final.
But with the quarterfinals, semifinals and final now being hosted in a centralised venue -- with Jeddah in Saudi Arabia holding the rights at least until 2029 -- it is logistically more sensible for these paths to cross at an earlier stage.
The Saudi Pro League boom over the past few years has understandably resulted in a West supremacy in recent times. Or just a Saudi Arabian dominance.
Three of the four semifinalists in 2024-25 were from the SPL, although it is worth noting that the East was ultimately still represented in the decider in the form of Kawasaki Frontale -- who were valiant in a 2-0 final loss to Al Ahli.
This season, the SPL is not as well represented in the finals.
Al Hilal's shock loss to Qatar's Al Sadd in the round of 16, albeit only on penalties, means Saudi will have just two representatives in Al Ahli and Al Ittihad.
They remain the favourites to go all the way, while Al Sadd, especially after triumphing over Al Hilal, and Emirati outfit Shabab Al Ahli should not be ruled out.
But if a team is to fly the flag for the East, the likeliest candidate might be Vissel Kobe.
Vissel are one of Japanese football's most famous clubs after a rise that began towards the end of the 2010s, when their big-spending ways saw them lure the likes of Andrés Iniesta, David Villa and Lukas Podolski to the J1 League.
Still, it was only just under two and a half years ago that they finally won their first league title.
Their pedigree on the continental stage speaks for itself, given they are the only one of the East's four contenders to have previously reached the ACL Elite semifinals.
Buriram United have never made it further than the quarterfinals previously, while Johor Darul Ta'zim and tournament debutants Machida Zelvia both find themselves in the last eight for the first time.
Curiously, in stark contrast to the West Asian clubs, who boast some famous names in world football, Vissel's fortunes are largely dictated by their Japanese brigade.
None more so than the attacking duo of Yuya Osako and Yoshinori Muto, a duo with experience at the FIFA World Cup as well as playing in Europe's top five leagues.
Osako turns 36 in May, while Muto is just two years younger. Time is gradually slowing them down, yet, on their day, they both still have the ability to win a game on their own at this level.
Just two seasons ago, Muto was named Player of the Year in the J1 League -- still widely regarded as the continent's most competitive domestic competition. This calendar year alone, he has three goals from six league appearances. Osako has featured a lot more from the bench, but is a player who thrives on the big occasion.
Vissel coach Michael Skibbe, who took over only at the start of the year, is certainly pleased he has players of such experience to call upon.
"I'm very happy that nearly all the players in the squad are ready to play tomorrow, especially a lot of experienced players who have played in Europe," Skibbe said in his pre-match news conference, ahead of Thursday's meeting with an Al Sadd outfit coached by the famous Roberto Mancini.
"They are back and this is very important for us. They are leaders of our group and I'm very happy we have a very strong team.
"Hopefully we will see that we are competitive against Al Sadd."
These former Europe-based stalwarts also include the evergreen Gōtoku Sakai, who spent seven and a half seasons in Germany and even captained Hamburg, and former Leeds United and Celtic man Yosuke Ideguchi.
Vissel have good recent form.
They are the runaway leaders in the western half of the J1 100 Year Vision League, holding an eight-point lead at the top with seven games to go in the regular season.
The one-off tournament, which started in February and will conclude in June -- introduced to help to facilitate Japanese domestic football's transition to an autumn-spring calendar -- will see teams from both regions in corresponding positions contest for the final standings.
Simply put, only the teams that finish top of their respective tables stand a chance of winning the title. Vissel are currently well on course to be contending.
Before then, they have some continental matters to attend, and Japanese football has a rich history in the ACL Elite.
South Korea boasts a record 12 titles but, in the past decade, Japan's three triumphs (two for Urawa Red Diamonds, one for Kashima Antlers) is matched only by Saudi Arabia.
Vissel will now be hoping this is their turn.