Chapter 22: Nine-Star Swordsman
Ren, in his Yoriichi Take Over, looked at the magic screen with anticipation. Erza was a true genius, especially in swordsmanship. In Fairy Tail, she was able to teach herself and practice swordsmanship to a super-strong level on her own. He was curious to see how her raw skill compared to the "swordsmen" of this kingdom.
Soon, all the Group B contestants appeared on the arena floor. The massive circular field was packed with over a hundred warriors.
With Group A's brutal demonstration, the Group B contestants knew the rules in advance. There was no fanfare, no one-on-one duels. This was a battle royale, a free-for-all. They all spread out, vigilantly looking around, while also searching for their targets.
As a woman, and a particularly beautiful one in armor, Erza was naturally targeted by many people.
In the stands, the crowd was already placing bets and making predictions.
"Who do you favor in this group?"
"It has to be Kaiman! He is an 8-Star Swordsman, and I heard he's very close to 9-Star. Swordsmanship master Rossa said that Kaiman only needs three more years to become a 9-Star Swordsman."
"I'm more optimistic about Balto. He is a veteran 8-Star Swordsman and has the power to fight even against a 9-Star Swordsman. His greatsword is said to have cut a 7-Star beast in half!"
The audience members were all eagerly discussing who could win this match. In this match, no 9-Star Swordsman participated, so everyone speculated that the winner would emerge from among the 8-Star Swordsmen.
At the same time, many people also noticed Erza. Her blood-red long hair, coupled with her beautiful face, and the fact that she was one of the very few female contestants, naturally attracted attention.
"Now for the first round, Group B showdown, begin—! !"
Clang—! !
With the sound of the starting gong, the second battle immediately began.
"Little girl! You should get out of here first! !"
A group of 6-Star swordsmen, who had clearly decided to team up, immediately rushed towards Erza, seeing her as an easy first target.
A flash of silver light was their only warning.
"Requip!"
Erza didn't move from her spot. She simply requipped a single, elegant silver sword into her hand. As the men charged, she became a crimson blur.
Pfft—!
As a sword light flashed, the several men who attacked Erza were immediately struck down, their swords shattered and their armor dented. They collapsed, unconscious. She hadn't even used the flat of her blade; she had defeated them with the sheer concussive force of her speed and strength.
Then Erza began to attack the people around her. It was a dance. While the rest of the arena was a chaotic mess of wild swings and desperate brawling, Erza was a point of calm, surgical precision. She flowed through the crowd, her blade a silver ribbon, and very few were a match for her.
"That red-haired girl is amazing! !"
Soon, many swordsmen present were eliminated, leaving only three 8-Star Swordsmen and Erza. The four of them stood in the center of the now-empty arena, surrounded by the groaning bodies of their fallen opponents.
The three men—Kaiman, Balto, and a third, wiry man—looked at each other, then at Erza. The battle was in a stalemate. All four were master sword-wielders, all displaying powerful and superb sword skills.
Erza was very excited at this moment. It was indeed right to participate in the competition. Being able to spar with so many master swordsmen, her sword skills could be greatly improved. This was a true test of her skill, not just her overwhelming S-Class magic.
The other three also noticed this situation.
"She's strong," Kaiman said, breathing heavily.
"Let's take her out first," Balto growled, raising his greatsword.
They couldn't help but all abandon their individual fights and siege Erza.
The three of them besieging one, and a girl at that, yet they were unable to defeat her. Erza, using only her standard armor and a single sword, was holding her own against three 8-Star masters. She was not flustered at all, fighting steadily, her blade parrying, blocking, and redirecting their attacks as she looked for her opponents' weaknesses.
The fact that they couldn't defeat her for a long time made the three of them anxious. And impatience would lead to openings.
Erza seized an opportunity. Balto, the greatsword user, overswung, leaving himself open for a fraction of a second. Erza ducked under his blade, her own sword flashing, and struck the hilt of his sword, shattering his grip. At the same time, she spun, using the pommel of her sword to strike the wiry man in the temple, sending him down.
Pfft!
Another person was defeated by Erza. She had now dispatched the speed-user, Balto, leaving only Kaiman.
Erza spent a little time on the last remaining person, but he was outmatched. She disarmed him and, with a final, decisive strike, knocked him out as well.
"Victory and defeat have been decided! ! Winner! Erza Scarlet! !"
The arena was silent for a moment, stunned, before erupting in a deafening roar.
"That's truly amazing! It's truly unexpected that such a beautiful woman possesses such powerful swordsmanship!"
"Facing the siege of three 8-Star Swordsmen, she actually steadily defeated all three! That's truly amazing! Could it be that a female 9-Star Swordsman is about to be born?! Let's cheer for Erza!"
"Erza! Erza! Erza!"
"Miss Erza! You're so cool!"
Many girls in the audience were captivated by Erza's cool, powerful display. Everyone present had a high level of swordsmanship cultivation. Although Erza did not display any flashy moves, the more basic it was, the more it could show a person's true swordsmanship level.
In the contestant viewing area, Clay, who had won the Group A match, saw Erza's performance. He couldn't help but stroke his chin, looking at Erza's beautiful face magnified on the magic screen. "What a remarkable woman! Such skill. She would be a fine addition to my collection..."
Many other men in the lounge, seeing Erza's strength, felt a chill. They suddenly felt very sorry for the guy who had courted death earlier, daring to flirt with a woman who was clearly at the 9-Star level.
The other 9-Star Swordsman, Arthur, simply frowned. "Erza... Scarlet... of Fairy Tail. Interesting."
In the royal palace, a huge magic screen was displayed in front of the King.
"Indeed! Swordsmanship that can easily cut down a 5-Star Monster with one strike is definitely not simple." The King smiled as he watched Erza's performance. He had already obtained the information on both Erza and Ren.
The two files were placed on the table in front of him.
"Erza Scarlet, Fairy Tail S-Class Mage, epithet: Titania. Specializes in Requip Magic, can fight by summoning various armors, which can greatly enhance her attack power, defense, and physical abilities."
"Ren, Fairy Tail rookie Mage, no epithet yet, record: single-handedly annihilated the Phantom Bandit Gang led by King of Assassins Camille."
The King tapped Ren's file. "This one... is the true dark horse."
Back in the lounge, Ren smiled as he looked at Erza returning from the arena. "As expected of Erza."
"Next up is Group C! Contestants, enter the stage!!"
"Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! !"
Just as the commentator announced the contestants' entrance, the audience began to cheer, their volume even louder than it had been for Clay.
"Such high popularity!" Ren couldn't help but be startled.
Arthur stood up and walked towards the entrance. When he appeared, the audience all cheered.
Ren asked the person next to him, "I saw the 'Thunder Sword' Clay earlier. He's also a 9-Star Swordsman. Why is this Arthur so much more popular?"
The person he asked looked at him, incredulous. "You don't know Arthur? Clay is a 9-Star Swordsman, that's true. But Arthur... Arthur is the 9-Star Swordsman."
"What do you mean?"
"Other 9-Star Swordsmen are at that rank because their strength reached 9-Star," the man explained. "Arthur is a 9-Star Swordsman because the swordsman's rank only goes up to 9-Star. Arthur is the strongest 9-Star Swordsman in the kingdom."
This time, all the contestants who appeared in Group C did not look around. They all focused their attention on Arthur. They understood that if they did not defeat the strongest, they had no hope of winning.
"Now for the first round, Group C showdown, begin—! !"
Clang—! !
With the sound of the starting gong, the third battle immediately began.
"Charge! !"
Just as the match was announced, all 100+ contestants rushed towards one man: Arthur.
"Flash of Light! !"
Arthur didn't even move. The sword in his hand emitted a soft, golden light. He rapidly thrust his sword forward—once.
FWOOM!
A wave of golden sword energy, compressed to an incredible degree, surged like a tide towards everyone.
"Ugh ah ah ah! !"
"Wah ah ah ah! !"
All the contestants in the arena tried their best to resist, but the attack was too fast, too dense. In an instant, everyone was blown off their feet and slammed into the arena walls, unconscious.
With one strike, hundreds of contestants were all defeated.
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