As soon as that voice rang out, the crowd erupted into chaos.
Looking toward the source of the sound, a massive beast—resembling a wild boar over five meters tall—emerged from the edge of the forest. Flames blazed from its hooves and back.
The guards' faces changed instantly when they saw the creature.
"Not good! A five-star beast! The Blazing Razorback!!"
"Prepare to attack, now!"
The guards immediately sprang into action.
"ROAAAAAR—!!"
The Blazing Razorback let out an enraged roar and charged straight toward them.
Boom!!
"Uwaaaaah!!"
"Aaaaaaah!!"
With a single savage charge, the Blazing Razorback sent all the guards flying.
Just as it was about to crash into the crowd—
A figure dashed forward.
Squelch—!!
That figure and the Blazing Razorback crossed paths in a blur, and a massive gash suddenly appeared on the beast's body, blood spurting from the wound.
Thud!
The five-star beast, the Blazing Razorback, collapsed to the ground.
Erza sheathed her sword. She had been the one to strike. Seeing that the crowd was about to suffer heavy casualties, she had intervened.
"That was amazing!!"
"That was a five-star beast—the Blazing Razorback! And she took it down in a single blow! Who is she?!"
"Could she be a six-star... or even a seven-star swordmaster?!"
The crowd, stunned by Erza's overwhelming strength, burst into applause, exclaiming in admiration.
The guards rushed over, now looking at Erza with deep respect. "Honored swordmaster, thank you for stepping in just now. If you hadn't, the consequences would've been unimaginable."
"I only acted because people were in danger. As long as I didn't get in your way."
The guard quickly waved his hands. "No, not at all!"
"If it's possible, could you please finish the inspection quickly? We're still waiting to enter the city."
"No need, no need! Welcome to Sword City. Please go right in! We hope you enjoy your time here!"
The guards didn't even bother to check them—they immediately let Erza and Kaien through.
"Thanks!"
"Seems like people here really respect swordmasters!" Kaien could clearly sense the change in the guards' attitudes toward Erza.
Erza explained, "This is Sword City. Everyone here reveres swordmasters. The higher a swordmaster's star rank, the greater their status. I've always wanted to visit, but never had the chance until now."
The two of them walked through the massive gate built into the city wall.
The first thing they saw was a towering statue rising from the city center. It stood roughly two hundred meters tall.
It depicted a man in armor, both hands resting on a giant sword as he stood tall, his deep-set eyes gazing at the sky.
"That statue is huge!"
Kaien stared up in awe. For the first time, he truly felt like he had stepped into a fantasy world.
"Who's that?"
"Saint Noah," Erza said, looking up at the statue. "Legend has it that his swordsmanship was so incredible that he was honored with the title 'Sword Saint.'"
Her gaze carried a mixture of longing and reverence. Though she wasn't a pure swordmaster, she used swords more than anything else—and she deeply respected those who had mastered the blade.
"'Sword Saint' huh…"
Kaien didn't know how strong this so-called Sword Saint was, but when it came to swordsmanship, he couldn't believe anyone could surpass Yoriichi.
"Let's go."
The two continued down the main road.
The street was bustling with people, and nearly everyone carried a sword—including children.
Weapon shops lined both sides, and they even passed a school named Swordmaster Academy.
The whole city practically oozed the scent of swords. No wonder it was called Sword City.
They followed the main street straight to the royal palace of the Kingdom of Sobea—the home of their client for this mission.
"Halt!"
The palace guards blocked Kaien and Erza's path.
Erza stepped forward and said, "We're mages from Fairy Tail. We're here in response to a request."
"Mages? Please wait a moment."
One of the guards went to confirm their claim.
A few moments later, a man in his fifties walked out.
"You two are mages from Fairy Tail?"
"That's right."
"I'm Lamen, a minister of the Kingdom of Sobea. Please, follow me."
Kaien and Erza followed the minister into the palace.
The palace wasn't particularly grand—if anything, it was quite modest for a royal residence.
Soon, they arrived at the throne room.
"Your Majesty, the Fairy Tail mages are here."
The minister bowed toward the man on the throne.
Kaien and Erza looked up at the king. He appeared to be in his late fifties, with sharp features and a muscular frame. If anything, he looked more like a general than a monarch.
King Renault smiled and said, "Welcome, mages of Fairy Tail."
"Your Majesty, we've come in response to your request."
King Renault nodded. "Yes, I've already been informed."
"Could you explain the mission in more detail? The request form didn't say much, and the more we know, the better our chances of success."
"Of course—that's exactly what I planned to do. Let me start with a story. You both know who founded this city, don't you?"
Erza nodded. "It was Saint Noah."
"Correct! Sword Saint Noah—my ancestor. Three hundred years ago, he slew the dragon Alazham and founded Sword City. People honored him as Hero Noah."
"Yes, I've heard the legend."
"But the legend isn't entirely true. My ancestor didn't slay the dragon Alazham—he sealed it. He built Sword City to stand guard over that seal, passing down the duty through generations."
"Now, three hundred years have passed. The power of the seal is fading. No one knows when the dragon will break free, but when it does, the entire Kingdom of Sobea could be reduced to ashes."
"So I planned to retrieve my ancestor's sacred sword to suppress it again. But that monster seems to have sensed our intentions and has stationed countless beasts around the temple. Anyone who gets close is attacked and killed."
"By now, I've lost count of how many brave souls we've lost to those beasts."
Kaien spoke up. "So you want us to break through the beasts and retrieve the sword, right?"
The king shook his head. His gaze turned solemn.
"No… I want to slay the dragon for good."