"Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
That's right—the one registering was Kael Vane.
He'd originally planned to sit in the stands with popcorn and a drink and just enjoy the spectacle. But plans changed the moment he heard the champion's prize.
20,000,000 J.
That amount was basically the equivalent of two S-Rank mission rewards, or twenty A-Rank missions. There was no way he could pretend he hadn't heard it. If he let this opportunity pass, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
So he found an empty corner, used Take Over: Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and walked straight to the registration desk.
"Here's your number."
Kael accepted the tag.
0556.
So that meant at least 555 people had already registered before him.
"The contestant entrance is this way."
Kael followed the corridor and soon arrived at the contestant waiting room. It was already packed, noisy with voices and tension.
"Hey! That's the seven-star swordsman, Horn! He's here too?!"
"Look over there—the eight-star, Solt. I heard he killed an eight-star Viper!"
"That's the eight-star, Skalium. People say he's taken down three eight-star beasts!"
"This tournament's insane… so many famous swordsmen showed up."
Just then, a loud voice cut through the room.
"Hey, little girl! If you're looking for a man, go outside. This isn't a place for pretty little things like you."
"Hahaha!"
Kael looked over—and immediately spotted a familiar figure.
"Erza!"
He hadn't seen her back at the hotel, but finding her here made perfect sense. Erza used swords more than anything else, and she was competitive to the bone. There was no way she'd miss an event like this.
The men around her, however, were clearly less interested in swordsmanship.
"She's gorgeous. Let me go say hello."
"Hey, little lady—got a boyfriend? If not, how about me? Come on, let's have some fun."
One man with a greasy grin stepped closer, reaching out shamelessly toward Erza.
Kael sighed.
Seriously? Hitting on Erza like that? This guy had to be begging to get buried.
Smack!
Before the man's hand could even get close, Erza caught his wrist—clean and fast—then yanked.
"Hah—!"
BOOM!
She slammed him into the floor so hard the tiles cracked. He didn't even have time to scream; his eyes rolled back and he went limp.
"Ehhhhh?!"
The entire waiting room froze.
"Hey! Who is that woman?!"
"He got dropped in one move!"
"No way… that guy was a six-star swordsman!"
Then another voice spoke—calm, firm, and carrying weight.
"That's enough. Settle down."
Everyone turned.
A blond man in his thirties sat nearby, arms relaxed, expression bored—but his presence was unmistakable.
"This is the King's tournament," he continued. "It's open to everyone—men and women. If you've got a problem, prove yourself in the arena."
Someone blurted it out like they couldn't believe their own eyes.
"It's the nine-star swordsman, Arthur!"
Kael's gaze sharpened.
A nine-star swordsman… according to what the Master said, that was roughly on the level of a Fairy Tail S-Class wizard.
"Arthur. I didn't think you'd show up."
Another young man walked over, his tone casual—like he belonged at the top.
"It's the nine-star swordsman, Kray!" someone shouted again.
Arthur glanced at him, eyes half-lidded. "Kray. You're here too."
"Of course." Kray's smile was thin. "This is the King's tournament. Prize money is nice, but becoming the strongest swordsman in Ishgar… that's real honor."
Before the tension could thicken any further, an official entered and raised his voice.
"Block A is about to begin! Block A contestants, head to the arena!"
Kray stood. "That's my cue. Arthur—try not to disappoint me. I'd like to see you in the finals."
Arthur snorted. "That's if you make it to the finals."
Kael glanced down at his own number tag.
A D was stamped on it.
Block D.
Then he peeked at Erza's tag.
B.
Block B.
So the tournament was divided by blocks… but what exactly were the rules?
As if answering his question, a large magic screen flickered to life in the waiting room, showing the arena live.
『Next up is the match for Block A!』
『The rules are simple!』
『Over a hundred contestants will enter a battle royale!』
『Only the last one standing advances to the next round!』
"What?!"
"So only one person moves on from each block?!"
"That's brutal!"
Several contestants' faces darkened. A lot of them had probably come hoping to put on a show—win or lose, gain some reputation, maybe attract supporters.
But with rules like this, there was no room for "showing off."
It was survive—or go home.
『Block A… BEGIN!』
GONG—!
The fight erupted instantly.
Everyone on that field was at least a five-star swordsman. In most places, a five-star was considered an expert.
Here, they were the first to fall.
One after another, five-star fighters went down like they were nothing—knocked out, tossed aside, driven into the dirt.
In only a short moment, half the arena was already cleared. The ones still standing were mostly seven-stars and eight-stars, moving with real control and killing intent.
Then Kray spoke, his voice carrying even through the screen.
"Hmph. Boring."
His body crackled with lightning.
"All of you—get out of my sight."
He surged forward.
In the blink of an eye, an eight-star swordsman nearest to him collapsed, hit so fast the strike was almost invisible.
"It's Kray!"
"The nine-star swordsman, Kray!"
The crowd in the arena went wild, their roar spilling through the magic transmission.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Lightning. Not just sword skill—he was using magic to push speed and power beyond normal limits, then layering it onto technique.
That kind of burst speed would be lethal in a duel.
This world really is bigger than what I saw in the anime.
Erza's expression turned serious too. She had armor that could counter lightning, but this was a sword tournament. If she relied on specialized armor here, even if she won, it wouldn't feel clean.
In just a few more exchanges, the result became inevitable.
The arena was littered with fallen contestants.
Only Kray remained standing.
『Unbelievable! It's over!!』
『The winner of Block A is the pride of Sorbear—the nine-star "Thunder Sword," Kray!』
『What overwhelming strength!』
"Kray! Kray! Kray!"
The chanting shook the stands. Kray lifted a hand in acknowledgement, and the screams—especially from the women—got even louder.
Soon, attendants began dragging the injured off the field while staff rushed to reset the arena for the next block.
The screen flashed again.
『Next up is Block B! Contestants, please enter the arena!』
Erza stood.
She walked toward the entrance without hesitation, her steps steady and calm.
Kael watched her back and exhaled quietly.
"Time for Erza's debut."