Chapter 29: Monster Siege
"How... how... how... how is this possible?!"
Arthur's voice was a choked, disbelieving whisper, his eyes vacant as he stared at the hilt of his sword, the shattered, dissolving remnants of his ultimate attack.
"It... it broke!!"
"Arthur's Judgment of Light... his strongest move... was actually cut down!!!"
"What in the world is going on here!!!"
The commentator was stunned, his voice stuttering, unable to comprehend the situation. Arthur's 'Judgment of Light' was his ultimate move, a technique that had brought him victory for years. Its power, while not world-destroying, was terrifyingly immense. He had never seen anyone able to withstand Arthur's attack until now, let alone shatter it as if it were glass.
"This... what exactly happened?"
In the contestant lounge, Erza was also unsure what was going on, her mind racing. As someone who had personally faced Arthur's attack, she had a lot to say.
She had tried her best, deploying her Adamantine Armor, her absolute strongest defense, and it had been shattered. Its offensive power was simply too terrifying. Yet, this man named Yoriichi Tsugikuni, standing there in a simple cloth haori, had actually blocked it with just a sword, and then... cut it. This was beyond her comprehension. It defied the laws of magic.
"This monster..." Clay stared at Ren, his body still trembling. To outsiders, he appeared to have been instantly defeated by Ren, but little did they know how many times he had probed him in that mental battle.
This guy was a complete, genuine, super monster. How could such a monster not withstand Arthur's attack? But Ren's effortless cutting of Arthur's strongest move truly startled him.
At this moment, Ren slowly regained consciousness. Although only an instant had passed, he felt as if he had experienced an hour. His mind was crystal clear.
"This must be enlightenment, right?"
As a man who had read countless cultivation novels in his past life, he had some understanding of the concept.
He must have just experienced enlightenment. In that moment of absolute focus, when he had infused his own Ethernano—his magic power—into the red blade while in the Yoriichi Take Over, something had clicked.
Through the Transparent World, he hadn't just seen Arthur's muscles and blood flow. For the first time, he had seen the magic itself. He saw the "flow" of the Judgment of Light, the chaotic, raging river of Ethernano that Arthur had gathered. And, in that same instant, he saw the calm, steady flow of his own magic, harmonizing with his Sun Breathing.
At this point, magic flowed incredibly smoothly when Ren used it, reaching a very high, intuitive level. Only a talent as heaven-defying as Yoriichi Tsugikuni could allow him to achieve enlightenment and quickly master this power the moment he first touched it.
Now it seemed, his previous way of using magic—the Cero, the Sonído—was like a child's play, just borrowing power. He hadn't understood it.
And just now, by instinctively applying the principles of Sun Breathing to his magic, rearranging the flow and concentrating it on the edge of his blade, he had achieved astonishing destructive power. He hadn't just blocked the attack. He had cut the magic itself.
Ren looked at Arthur, who was still kneeling in shock. He raised his red sword with one hand, and then, as a test, he casually swung it downwards.
Swish—!
A slash, silent and invisible, erupted from Ren's blade. It contained no fire, no light. It was just a cut.
The slash streaked past Arthur, who had no time to react.
Crack—!!
The massive arena wall, fifty meters away, was directly cut with a perfectly even, vertical incision, as if it had been sliced through like tofu. The two halves of the stone wall groaned and shifted, a clean, dark line now marring the stadium.
"!!!"
Everyone who witnessed this scene was terrified. The commentator's microphone even fell from his hand, the thud echoing through the silent stadium.
They all stared in horror at the giant cut, and the entire venue fell silent.
"What... what is this?"
Ren's attack had seemed silent, but the destruction it caused was real. Many people present could damage the arena walls. Arthur and Clay had done so. But their attacks were explosive, shattering the stone.
This... this was different. To cut the arena wall so evenly, so cleanly, like a surgeon's scalpel, without causing any other damage to the surroundings... that was beyond explanation.
Arthur stared blankly at the even cut, his expression a mix of shock and utter bewilderment.
He had originally thought his swordsmanship was only slightly inferior to his opponent's, that the gap was in magical power. But now he realized it wasn't just a little.
It was a world of difference.
Ren sheathed his sword with a quiet click and stood, his voice faint, yet carrying the profound sadness of Yoriichi. "You do not know swordsmanship. You see me as a frog in a well gazing at the moon in the sky. When you one day by chance become a 9-Star Swordsman, you will see me as a mayfly sees the azure sky!"
Boom—!!
Everyone was shaken by Ren's overbearing words. They were too domineering, yet among the top swordsmen of the entire Sobelia Kingdom gathered there, not a single person spoke to refute him.
No refutation meant acceptance.
Arthur's pupils constricted. He looked at the clean cut on the wall, then at his own magically-charged blade, and then at the man who stood there, a simple warrior. He understood.
He sank to his knees, his head bowed.
"I lost!"
The stadium was silent for a beat, then the commentator's voice, shaking with emotion, roared.
"The victor has been decided!!!"
"Winner: Yoriichi Tsugikuni!!!"
"Too strong!! Truly too strong!!"
"The World's Strongest Swordsman Tournament, the winner is: Yoriichi Tsugikuni!!!"
"The strongest swordsman on the Ishgar Continent!!! Yoriichi Tsugikuni, truly deserving of the title!!!"
"Sword God!! Sword God!! Sword God!!"
The audience in the stands cheered. For most people, they might not have understood how profound Ren's swordsmanship was; they only knew that Ren was incredibly strong.
But for the 7-Star, 8-Star, and 9-Star Swordsmen watching, the swordsmanship Ren displayed was truly heaven-defying. They listened to the crowd in the stands cheering Ren's new title.
A thought popped into their minds.
Is this man truly a Sword God?
They couldn't imagine who else, besides a Sword God, could possess such terrifying swordsmanship.
In the royal palace.
Clap!!!
The King excitedly slammed his hand on the table in front of him, shattering the solid oak.
As the strongest 9-Star Swordsman of the previous generation, he knew exactly what Ren's final, arena-cutting sword strike represented, and he remained in shock for a long time.
Regarding Ren's final words, many might have thought them exaggerated, but he felt no exaggeration at all. Between him and this "Yoriichi," there was an insurmountable chasm.
This was a realm he could never reach, no matter how long he diligently cultivated.
If he were a bit younger, no matter the cost, he would definitely take this man as his master. It was only a pity that he was now old.
But to be able to witness such swordsmanship in his lifetime was incredibly fortunate. As long as he could invite this person to join the expedition against the magic dragon, then this time, success was guaranteed.
Suddenly!!
BRRROOOOOMMM!
A low, vibrating horn sounded, shaking the entire palace. It was the city's alarm.
A voice rang out.
"Report!!! Urgent matter!!!"
A soldier, his face pale with panic, burst through the throne room doors, stumbling to his knees.
"What's the matter, why are you so flustered?!"
"Reporting, Your Majesty!! According to scout reports! There's unusual activity in the Demon Beast Great Forest! A... a tide! At least 100,000 demon beasts are surging towards the city!!!"
"What?! At this very moment?!"
The King's face instantly changed. He hadn't expected such a thing to happen at this time. 100,000 demon beasts was a massive, unprecedented number. If not handled carefully, the entire city was in danger of being destroyed.
The King, a warrior first, quickly calmed his panic. His mind became a steel trap.
"Minister!" he roared.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Immediately summon all soldiers to Level One alert! Get every man, including the reserves, to the walls!"
"Arrange for the city's populace to evacuate! Send them to the arena; its walls are the strongest! And at the same time, recruit all swordsmen in the city to participate in the battle!! Use my name! Enact the King's Draft!"
"Yes!!"
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
As a special offer, I've opened a few limited-time tiers at a discounted price! You will get all the benefits of "The Founding Pillars" (normally $20), but at a much cheaper rate.
These slots are extremely limited:
"The Plot Uncoverer": $4.99 (Save 75% / $15.01) - Only 3 slots
"The Dedicated Fan": $9.99 (Save 50% / $10.01) - Only 7 slots
"The Lore Diver": $14.99 (Save 25% / $5.01) - Only 15 slots
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]