Chapter 21: Erza Takes the Stage
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
That's right. The person registering was none other than Ren. His original plan was to sit in the stands, eat popcorn, drink, and just watch the fights.
But plans change. The moment he overheard someone mention the champion's prize money was 20,000,000 J, he couldn't sit still.
Twenty million J! That was enough to equal two S-Class missions, or twenty A-Rank missions. Faced with such a massive prize, he couldn't just walk away. He'd regret missing this for the rest of his life. So, he found an empty corner, "Took Over" Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and came to enter.
"Here is your contestant number."
Ren accepted it: '0556'. Did that mean 555 people had already registered?
"The contestant's passage is this way."
Ren walked through and quickly arrived at the contestant waiting room. It was already packed with people.
"Hey! That's the Seven-Star Swordsman, Horn! He's here, too?"
"Look over there, that's the Eight-Star Swordsman, Solt! I heard he slayed an Eight-Star Viper!"
"And that's Sclarm, another Eight-Star! They say he's taken down three Eight-Star beasts!"
"As expected of the king's tournament. So many famous swordsmen have shown up."
Just then, a crude voice cut through the noise.
"Hey, little chick! If you're looking for a man, go outside. This is no place for a pretty little thing like you."
"Hahahaha!"
Ren looked toward the voice and saw a familiar figure.
"Erza!"
He hadn't expected to run into her here after she'd been missing from the inn. But, thinking about it, it made perfect sense. Erza was a swordswoman through and through. With her competitive spirit, there was no way she would miss a major event like this.
"She's a real beauty! Let me be the one to 'comfort' her!"
"Hey, little lady, you got a boyfriend? If not, how about me? C'mon and play with me for a bit."
A man with a lecherous grin on his face spread his hand and reached out to grope Erza's rear.
Ren couldn't help but facepalm. Seriously? Harassing Erza? Do these guys have a death wish?
Smack!
Before the man's hand could even get close, Erza's hand clamped down on his wrist like a vice. With a sharp cry, she flipped him.
"Hyaa--!"
BOOM!
The man's body was slammed into the stone floor so hard that it cracked. He didn't even have time to scream before his eyes rolled back and he was knocked out cold.
"Wha----?!"
Everyone in the room was dumbfounded.
"Hey, what's that woman's deal?!"
"He... he got taken out!"
"No way! That guy was a Six-Star Swordsman!"
Just then, another voice spoke, quieting the room. "That's enough! Show some respect. This tournament is hosted by His Majesty, and it's open to all. If you have a problem with her, settle it in the arena."
Everyone turned to see a blond man in his thirties sitting not far away.
"It's the Nine-Star Swordsman, Arthur!" someone gasped.
Ren looked him over. A Nine-Star Swordsman... according to the Master, that was the equivalent of an S-Class Mage.
"Arthur. I didn't expect to see you here," another young man said as he walked over.
"It's the Nine-Star Swordsman, Cray!" another wave of whispers went through the crowd.
Arthur glanced at him. "Cray. You're here, too."
"Of course. This is the king's tournament. The prize money is secondary. The chance to become the strongest swordsman in Ishgar... that's a true honor."
Just then, an arena official walked in.
"The match for Group A is about to begin. Will all contestants in Group A please proceed to the arena!"
Cray stood up. "My turn. Arthur, I hope to see you in the finals."
Arthur just scoffed. "Hmph. That's assuming you make it to the finals."
Ren glanced at his own number. It had a 'D' on it. He was in Group D. He then peeked at Erza's number; hers was 'B'.
He wondered what kind of format this competition would have.
A magical projection screen appeared in the waiting room, showing a live feed of the arena.
"Next up is the preliminary round for Group A!" the announcer's voice boomed. "The rules for this round are simple!"
"Over one hundred contestants will engage in a survival competition! A battle royale!"
"Only the last one standing will advance to the next round!"
"What?!"
"Does that mean only four people in total will move on?!"
"That's brutal!"
The mood in the waiting room soured. Many of them had been planning to show off their skills, and even if they didn't win, they'd hoped to gain some fans. They hadn't expected it to be a free-for-all with only four survivors.
"And now... the Group A preliminary... BEGIN!"
GONG----!
As the gong rang, the arena erupted into chaos.
Everyone who had entered was, at minimum, a Five-Star Swordsman. On any normal day, these were powerful, respected figures. Here, they were just fodder.
One after another, the Five-Star swordsmen were cut down like small fry. In the blink of an eye, the field was cleared by more than half, leaving only the Seven and Eight-Star combatants.
At that moment, the Nine-Star Swordsman, Cray, spoke. "Hmph. How boring. All of you... get off the stage!"
He moved. His entire body was wreathed in lightning. In a flash, he had struck down the nearest Eight-Star swordsman.
"It's the Nine-Star Swordsman, Cray!"
The crowd in the stands went wild, ecstatic to see him in action.
Ren was also surprised. He must be a Lightning Mage, using his magic to boost his speed and power. Combined with that high-level swordsmanship... he's incredibly strong. Definitely S-Class. A normal S-Class Mage probably couldn't even beat him; his speed is just too great. This world is even bigger than I thought...
Erza's expression also turned serious. She had Requip armors that could counter lightning, but this was a swordsmanship tournament. If she used her magic armor, it would be a victory without honor.
In just another few moments, it was over. Everyone else in the arena was on the ground. Only Cray was left standing.
"Ooooooh! It's over! The winner of Group A is the pride of the Kingdom of Soar! The Nine-Star Swordsman, 'Thunder Sword' Cray! He's unbelievably strong!"
"CRAY! CRAY! CRAY!"
The entire stadium chanted his name. Cray raised a hand to acknowledge them, which only made the girls in the crowd scream louder.
The injured were quickly carried off for treatment, and the field was reset.
"Next up, Group B! Contestants, please enter the arena!"
Erza stood up and walked toward the entrance.
Looks like it's Erza's turn, Ren thought.
~~~
let's go!
We cross the 100 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Wanna more bouns chapter
Next goal 200 power stone, good luck guys.
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 2 extra chapters
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter