Chapter 21: The Swordsman's Gauntlet
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
That's right! The person signing up at this moment was Ren. Originally, Ren had planned to sit in the stands, find a quiet spot to eat popcorn, and enjoy watching the tournament.
But plans change.
As soon as he heard the man in front of him say that the champion's prize money was 20 million Jewel, he couldn't sit still. 20 million J—that was enough for three S-Class Quests, or twenty A-Class Quests, based on their rewards. Faced with such a generous prize, he naturally couldn't remain indifferent. He would regret it deeply if he missed out.
So, he had found a secluded alley, activated his Full Take Over for Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and then came to compete.
"This is your contestant number."
Ren took the wooden plaque. '0556'. 'Does that mean 555 people had already signed up besides me?' he thought, surprised by the sheer number of participants.
"This way leads to the contestant passage. Good luck," the attendant said, not giving him a second glance.
Ren stepped inside and soon arrived at the contestant lounge. It was a massive, cavernous stone room beneath the arena, and it was already packed with people. The air was thick with the smell of steel, sweat, and nervous energy. Unlike the chaotic, boisterous energy of the Fairy Tail guild hall, this was a heavy, tense atmosphere. Hundreds of warriors, mercenaries, and swordsmen were gathered, all sizing each other up.
Ren, in his Yoriichi form, immediately drew attention. His simple red haori, the long ponytail, and the hanafuda earrings stood out in the crowd of armored brutes.
"Hey! That's Seven-Star Swordsman Horne! Is he competing too?"
"Look over there, Eight-Star Swordsman Solt. I heard he slayed an Eight-Star Monster, a Rock Viper, all by himself."
"That's Eight-Star Swordsman Skarim. It's said he has already slain three Eight-Star Monsters."
"As expected of the World's Strongest Swordsman Tournament hosted by His Majesty the King. So many famous Swordsmen have come to participate."
Ren walked through the crowd, his face impassive, his senses heightened. He was already using Sun Breathing, a slow, steady rhythm that kept his body in a state of perfect readiness. His 2-Star magic container was slowly draining to maintain the Take Over, but the cost was far, far less than Ulquiorra's Resurrección. He could maintain this form for hours if he needed to.
Just then, his eyes landed on a familiar figure standing alone, her arms crossed, radiating an aura of calm authority that separated her from the rest of the rough-looking crowd.
"Erza!!"
Ren hadn't expected to run into Erza here. He'd assumed she had gone shopping for cake. But on second thought, it made sense. Erza was a swordswoman at heart. With her competitive nature, it would be strange if she didn't participate in such an interesting tournament.
He walked over to her. "Erza? I didn't expect to see you here."
Erza turned, her serious expression softening slightly when she saw him. "Ren! I... I didn't recognize you. What is this... outfit?"
"It's another form of my Take Over magic," Ren lied smoothly. "And I heard the prize money was 20 million Jewel. I couldn't pass that up."
A competitive fire instantly lit in Erza's eyes. "I see. Then I suppose we are rivals. May the best Fairy Tail member win."
Before Ren could reply, a lecherous voice cut through the air.
"Hey! Little lady, if you're looking for a man, go outside. This isn't a place for ladies like you."
"Hahahaha!!" A group of burly swordsmen laughed.
Ren looked over. A man with a greasy, smug look on his face, clearly drunk, was swaggering toward them. He was focused entirely on Erza.
"So beautiful! Let me properly cherish her for a moment!"
"Little lady, do you have a boyfriend? If not, how about me? Come and have some fun with me."
The lecherous man stretched out his hand, his grimy fingers reaching for Erza's backside.
Seeing this, Ren couldn't help but rub his forehead. 'Seriously... to dare to flirt with Erza? This guy isn't just tired of living; he's practically begging for a funeral.'
Slap!
Before the man's hand could even get close, Erza's gauntleted palm clamped down on his wrist.
"Haa—!!"
With a roar of effort that was entirely for show, Erza swung the man with force, lifting him clean off his feet and slamming him head-first into the stone floor.
Boom!!!
The ground shattered, sending a spiderweb of cracks through the stone. The man didn't even have time to scream before his eyes rolled back, and he fainted, a small crater marking his impact.
"Eh——?!!"
Everyone in the lounge, who had been watching with amusement, was dumbfounded by this scene.
"Hey! Who is that woman?!"
"That... That was Borgo! He was taken out in one hit!"
"How is that possible! He's a Six-Star Swordsman!"
At this moment, a new, authoritative voice spoke up, cutting through the stunned silence. "Alright! Settle down! This tournament is hosted by His Majesty the King, regardless of gender. If you're not convinced of her strength, then prove yourselves on the tournament grounds."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. They saw a blond man in his thirties, handsome and clad in regal blue armor, sitting calmly on a bench.
"It's Nine-Star Swordsman, Arthur!!"
Seeing this man, everyone gasped in surprise. A 9-Star Swordsman. According to the Guild Master, that was the equivalent of an S-Class Mage.
Ren also looked at him, his gaze analytical. The man was strong, no doubt about it.
"Arthur, I didn't expect you to come too."
Soon, another young man walked over. He had spiky, dark hair and wore lighter, black armor, with a massive greatsword strapped to his back.
"It's Nine-Star Swordsman, Clay!"
"Both of them are here!"
The crowd gasped again. These were two of the kingdom's greatest heroes.
Arthur glanced at the newcomer. "Clay. Didn't you come too?"
"Of course. This is a tournament hosted by His Majesty the King. The prize money is secondary; becoming Ishgar's Strongest Swordsman is the highest honor for us."
At this moment, an arena administrator walked into the center of the room. "The Group A battles will begin shortly! Group A contestants, please proceed to the stage!"
Clay smirked and stood up. "It's my turn to go on. Arthur, I hope to see you in the final match."
Arthur snorted. "Hmph! You'll have to make it to the finals first."
Ren glanced at his number plate, which had a 'D' written on it, meaning he was in Group D. Then Ren glanced at Erza's, which had a 'B' on it.
'Good, we're in different brackets,' Ren thought. 'I won't have to face her until later. This gives me time to see what she can do.'
He wondered what format this tournament would take.
Soon, a large magic screen appeared in the contestant lounge, flickering to life. The screen projected the situation in the arena.
"Next up is the Group A competition!" an announcer's voice boomed.
"The rules of this tournament are simple!"
"Over 100 contestants will participate in an elimination survival competition in the arena!"
"Only the last one standing will advance to the next round!!"
"What?!"
"A battle royale? Does that mean only four people can advance to the next round?!"
"This is too brutal!"
Many in the lounge changed their expressions. They had planned to showcase their strength to the audience, and even if they didn't win, they could gain fans. They hadn't expected this.
"Now, the first round, Group A showdown, begins—!!!"
Dong——!!!
With the sound of a gong, the 100+ contestants in the arena began to fight. It was instant chaos.
The weakest participants in the tournament were 5-Star Swordsmen. These 5-Star Swordsmen were usually highly respected, but here, they were at the bottom. They were defeated like mere fodder, one after another, in a blur of clanging steel.
In a blink of an eye, the battlefield was largely cleared, with only 7-Star and 8-Star Swordsmen remaining at the very least.
At this moment, the 9-Star Swordsman, Clay, who had been standing in the center with his arms crossed, finally moved.
"Hmph! Boring! All of you, get out of my sight!"
Saying this, he quickly made his move. His entire body was suddenly enveloped in crackling yellow lightning.
"Lightning Magic: Thunder Body!"
In an instant, he vanished, reappearing directly in front of the 8-Star Swordsman, Solt. Before Solt could even raise his blade, Clay's sword, now wreathed in lightning, flashed. Solt collapsed, unconscious.
"It's Nine-Star Swordsman Clay!!"
"The 'Thunder Sword'!"
The audience in the stands cheered excitedly as they saw him make his move.
Ren was also surprised. 'He's not just a swordsman; he's a Magic Swordsman. He's using Lightning Magic to greatly enhance his strength and speed. That speed is on par with my base Sonído.' Combined with his superb swordsmanship, his power was formidable. This man was definitely S-Class.
This world was indeed much larger than what he had seen in the anime.
Erza's expression also became serious upon seeing Clay. She, too, had armor specifically designed against Lightning-attribute Mages—her Lightning Empress Armor—but this was a Swordsmanship competition. If she used that armor and won, it would be an unfair victory. She would have to rely on her skill alone.
In a short while, a blur of yellow lightning flashed across the arena. One by one, everyone else fell. Only the 9-Star Swordsman, 'Thunder Sword' Clay, remained standing.
"Oh oh oh oh! The victor has been decided!!"
"The winner of Group A is the pride of our Kingdom of Sobelia! Nine-Star Swordsman, 'Thunder Sword' Clay!!!"
"Strong! Incredibly strong!!"
"Clay! Clay! Clay!"
The audience in the stands all chanted Clay's name.
Soon, all the injured people on the field were carried off for treatment, and the arena was cleared again.
"Next is Group B! Contestants, enter the stage!!"
Erza stood up, her face a mask of determination.
"Erza is going to enter the stage," Ren said to himself, his eyes glued to the screen.
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