"What?!"
"Kill a dragon?!"
Kaien and Erza were both stunned by the king's audacious declaration.
That was the dragon race they were talking about. Even the weakest of dragons, according to legend, could annihilate a nation with ease.
For Erza, the existence of dragons wasn't surprising—after all, Natsu had been raised by Igneel, the Fire Dragon. Dragons were real.
But for Kaien, who had seen Fairy Tail mostly through the anime, the idea of facing a dragon was staggering. Dragons—any of them—were beings humanity could barely hope to defeat. Without Dragon Slayer Magic, human spells were nearly useless. Dragons were nature's ultimate favorites.
They were born with immense vitality, naturally powerful bodies, and the ability to wield devastating dragon magic.
A strong Dragon Slayer might be able to slay one, but an ordinary mage? Nearly impossible.
The greatest obstacle was the dragons' inherent resistance to magic—most spells had little to no effect on them, and even those that did were drastically weakened.
"That's right! Kill the dragon!" the king said solemnly. "After being sealed for three hundred years, its strength must have greatly weakened. Instead of waiting for it to break free and recover, it's better to strike first—break the seal ourselves and destroy it, once and for all!"
Kaien and Erza couldn't help but be shocked by the king's boldness and resolve.
Erza said, "Your Majesty, slaying a dragon is far beyond the level of an S‑Rank mission."
The king nodded. "I know. That's why I'm raising the request to SS‑Rank, and increasing the reward from 15 million J to 30 million J!"
"30 million J?!"
Kaien's jaw dropped. His mind immediately started calculating. 10 million J was roughly five hundred thousand RMB—so 30 million J meant about one and a half million.
One and a half million for a single mission. Even if he split it with Erza, that was still seven‑hundred‑fifty thousand each.
He had thought the 6 million J he'd earned from the last mission was already incredible, but this was on another level.
Truly— the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
And more importantly, an SS‑Rank mission meant his system would reward him with 20x Draws instead of 10.
If he kept doing A‑Rank missions nonstop, it would take half a year to get the same result. Too much time wasted.
Erza said seriously, "I need to discuss this with my companion."
The king nodded, gesturing politely for her to proceed.
Erza turned to Kaien. "Kaien, this mission is far too dangerous. I didn't expect the request to involve not just finding a legendary sword, but fighting an actual dragon. My advice is to give it up."
An S‑Rank mission she could attempt—but SS‑Rank was something else entirely. Courage was one thing; recklessness was another.
A dragon, even a weakened one, was a creature of myth. Humans couldn't stand against it. For her own safety—and Kaien's—the wise choice was to withdraw.
Kaien looked toward the king and asked, "Your Majesty, if you're planning something this drastic, I assume you're not going in unprepared, are you?"
The king's brows lifted slightly, impressed. "You're quite perceptive. Of course, I wouldn't risk my kingdom's fate on a whim. But tell me, how did you know?"
"Because when Your Majesty spoke earlier," Kaien replied, "it didn't sound like a proposal—it sounded like something that was already decided."
The king nodded approvingly. "Indeed. Even if you hadn't come, I intended to proceed with the dragon‑slaying operation."
As he spoke, the king twisted a lever built into the throne's armrest.
Click!
The floor beneath him split open, and a magnificent longsword slowly rose into view. A crimson gem was embedded in its hilt.
"A sword?"
Kaien and Erza exchanged glances—this was his grand preparation? How very fitting for a kingdom of swords.
"This isn't an ordinary weapon," the king said proudly. "It's a Dragon‑Slayer Sword forged by a master craftsman. You see this gem? That's not just any jewel—it's a Dragon‑Slaying Magic Lacrima."
"Dragon‑Slaying Magic Lacrima?!"
Kaien's eyes widened. 'So this is what one looks like…'
"Kaien, you know about Dragon‑Slaying Magic Lacrimas?" Erza asked, surprised by his reaction.
Kaien nodded. "Yeah. They're made from a dragon's heart. If you implant one into a human body, it allows you to use Dragon Slayer Magic of the same element."
The king smiled approvingly. "You're well‑informed, young man. Exactly right. This is a Fire Dragon Slayer Magic Lacrima. I purchased it at great cost from the northern continent of Gilthina. If implanted, a human mage could learn Fire Dragon Slayer Magic—but mastery takes years. And we don't have that kind of time.
"Normal human magic can't hurt a dragon at all, so I commanded the royal artisans to forge this Dragon‑Slayer Sword. Only attacks made with this blade can actually wound the creature."
As he gripped the sword, the blade suddenly ignited, blazing with fierce flames. The heat was so intense that the entire throne hall felt like a furnace.
"So hot!"
After a moment, the flames vanished, and the king carefully sheathed the sword again.
Kaien frowned. "Such a crucial weapon… I assume you wouldn't just hand it to anyone?"
"Of course not," the king replied. "This sword is the key to victory—and to the survival of the kingdom itself. Only the strongest swordsman is worthy of wielding it."
"The strongest swordsman?"
"Yes. You've come at the perfect time. For this very purpose, I have decreed the Continental Swordmaster Tournament, to select the mightiest swordsman across the entire Ishgar Continent!"
"The Continental Swordmaster Tournament?!"
Kaien and Erza were both dumbfounded. This king certainly had a talent for surprises.
Then the king's gaze shifted to Erza, his tone warm with admiration. "You're quite the swordswoman yourself, aren't you? To defeat a five‑star Blazing Razorback in one strike—your strength must be at least six‑star, perhaps even seven. Would you like to participate?"
At those words, Erza's eyes lit up. As a swordswoman, who could resist the call to prove herself as the strongest?