Chapter 24: God of Swordsmanship
The arena was utterly silent. The high-pitched, screaming roar of the fire dragon, a sound born not of magic but of pure, perfect technique, still echoed in the ears of the audience. They stared, unblinking, at the field.
Ren's recent attack had seemed fierce, but looking at the arena, everyone—all over one hundred contestants—had only lost consciousness. They were scattered across the field, their armor seared and smoking, their swords broken, but they were breathing. They hadn't sustained any truly life-threatening injuries.
In an instant, over a hundred people, at such an incredible speed, were precisely knocked out without being killed. This level of precise control... if the King hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't even dare to imagine it.
This was no longer a human. This was a god.
This man, "Yoriichi Tsugikuni," was simply a Sword God.
"Minister! Minister!!"
"Your Majesty! I'm coming! I'm coming!!"
Minister Ramen heard the King's urgent, frantic shouts and rushed back into the royal box, his face pale.
"Within ten minutes, I want all the information on this man!!!" the King roared, pointing a shaking finger at the screen. "Quickly!!!"
"Yes! Yes!!"
The Minister quickly ran off, wailing in his heart: serving a king is like accompanying a tiger!
The King could feel it. He could feel the hope, a dangerous, blazing hope. If it was this man, this dragon-slaying plan would definitely succeed.
Down in the arena, the crowd was slowly, painfully processing what they had just seen.
"Wh-what… what just happened?"
"I... I think I saw a fire dragon pass by, and then... and then everything just ended."
"The genius 9-Star Swordsman Allen... he was actually instantly defeated like that?! He was a 9-Star Swordsman!!"
"Who is this man?!"
Gradually, the people in the audience came to their senses, looking in shock at Ren in the arena. 9-Star Swordsmen—their entire Kingdom of Sobelia had no more than ten of them.
A 9-Star Swordsman represented the pinnacle of swordsmanship; they had never heard of any 9-Star Swordsman being instantly defeated. When two 9-Star Swordsmen fought, even if there was a difference in strength, it would definitely be an intense struggle, requiring all their techniques to be used before one could defeat the other.
And for a 9-Star Swordsman to be instantly defeated, that meant one thing: the opponent's swordsmanship was too strong, and their swordsmanship was not on the same level at all.
Finally, the commentator, who had been frozen in shock, fumbled with his lacrima.
『The... the victor has been decided!!!』
『Winner: Yoriichi Tsugikuni!!!』
『So powerful!! This man is truly too powerful!!』
『In an instant!! Just an instant!! Over a hundred contestants, all high-star swordsmen, and even a genius 9-Star Swordsman, were all instantly defeated!!!』
『And... and to make these people only dizzy, not harmed—this control! This swordsmanship!』
『This man is simply not human! He is a god!! A God of Swordsmanship!!』
The commentator was also quite skilled, himself an 8-Star Swordsman with keen insight. He was the first to give Ren a new title.
"Sword God! Sword God! Sword God!"
The audience, seizing the new name, all cheered. To them, those with higher swordsmanship were more worthy of respect, and the swordsmanship Ren displayed was truly unparalleled.
Ren, for his part, simply turned and walked calmly back to the contestant exit, his expression as placid and serene as ever, as if he had just taken a simple stroll.
『Next, there will be a one-hour break, after which the semifinals will commence! During this time, please enjoy the wonderful performance of our Swordswoman Idol Group!!!』
Many beautiful girls in cute outfits rushed into the arena and began to perform, a stark, cheerful contrast to the battlefield they were dancing on.
Ren returned to his contestant area. There were four private lounges, A, B, C, and D, with one person in each, allowing for undisturbed rest.
After returning to the D-area contestant lounge and locking the door, Ren released his transformation. The long red hair and haori dissolved, and he returned to his normal appearance, his own black hair and simple clothes.
"Hoo~!"
Ren let out a sigh of relief. Yoriichi Tsugikuni was different from Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra's magic power would rapidly deplete as soon as he transformed, a constant, massive drain on his 2-Star reserves.
Yoriichi's transformation, however, was different. As long as he didn't circulate his Sun Breathing or use combat moves, it didn't consume much magic power at all. In an extreme state, he could probably maintain the simple transformation for three or four hours or more.
However, if he used powerful techniques like the Solar Dragon Dance, or engaged in intense combat, this time would be greatly shortened, possibly to three or five minutes.
He needed to take advantage of this time to rest well. This was about the 20 million J prize money, and he didn't want to mess up at a crucial moment.
Ren didn't know that his performance had already caused a huge uproar. Everyone was discussing where the strong Yoriichi Tsugikuni had come from.
Some said he was a hermit who practiced alone in their own country. Others said he was an experienced, legendary swordsman from another country. There were many different opinions, with everyone saying something different.
In the Royal Palace.
"No such person found?! What do you mean, no such person found?!"
The King looked at the Minister in front of him and frowned.
The Minister wiped his sweat and said, "Your Majesty! No such person found means no such person found. I have already sent people to check the list of those who entered the city recently, and there is no one named Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Not only that, but the guards at the gate have never seen this man either."
"..."
"Is it transformation magic?" The King speculated. Transformation magic was a relatively common magic, but it had no combat power, so most people disdained learning it.
But whether it was transformation magic or not, the opponent's swordsmanship was real. No matter who he was, he must be included in his dragon-slaying plan.
The Minister asked, "Your Majesty, how should the semifinal matches be arranged?"
"Hmm... let it be this way!"
The King arranged the matches, a predatory, calculating look in his eyes.
A short while later, an hour passed.
『Everyone! The exciting semifinals are about to begin! The matchups have been arranged! Please look at the big screen!!!』
Everyone looked towards the big screen.
『Semifinal Match 1: Arthur VS Erza Scarlet』
『Semifinal Match 2: Clay VS Yoriichi Tsugikuni』
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!!"
Seeing the match schedule, the audience in the stands also became excited. They had all seen the preliminary rounds, and each of these four was a powerful warrior.
Arthur was the strongest 9-Star Swordsman in the Kingdom of Sobelia, and Clay's strength was said to be on par with Arthur's.
Erza was the only female swordsman to reach the semifinals. It was already incredible for her to stand in the arena as a woman, and she was also so beautiful.
As for Yoriichi Tsugikuni, this mysterious swordsman, his transcendent swordsmanship was simply that of a Sword God. Everyone wanted to see his miraculous swordsmanship again.
『Now, please welcome contestant Arthur and contestant Erza to the stage!!!』
"Oh oh oh oh oh!!"
"Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!!"
"Erza! Erza! Erza!"
The audience in the stands all cheered their names. Erza and Arthur also walked out from their respective contestant lounges, and the two stood in the center of the arena.
"Titania, Erza Scarlet?" Arthur looked at Erza and said, his voice respectful.
[Akarin's Note: "Titania" is Erza's official epithet, or nickname, in Fairy Tail, meaning "Queen of the Fairies."]
Erza was startled: "You know me?!"
"Not exactly. I just heard your name during my travels in the Kingdom of Fiore. The S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail, Titania."
"So that's how it is."
"You're a Mage, aren't you?" Arthur said, drawing his own blade. "You'd best use your magic."
Erza frowned in confusion: "Magic? Isn't this a swordsman competition to compare swordsmanship?"
"It is and it isn't," Arthur said, a golden magical aura beginning to glow around him. "Those who can become star-ranked swordsmen are all magic swordsmen. My swordsmanship is my magic. If you merely intend to defeat me with swordsmanship alone, then you are underestimating me."
He pointed his sword at her. "Bring out all your strength, Erza Scarlet. Let me see the full power of you, who is called the Queen of the Fairies!"
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