Kael Vane watched the screen with growing anticipation. Erza was a genius—especially with a sword. Within Fairy Tail, she had honed her blade through sheer talent and relentless practice, climbing to the top without relying on anyone to carry her.
Soon, all the Block B contestants entered the arena. After witnessing what happened in Block A, they didn't waste time. They spread out immediately, keeping distance, scanning for targets, and watching everyone else just as carefully as they watched the battlefield.
As one of the few women, Erza became an obvious target.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Definitely Kayman. He's an eight-star—practically a nine-star. Master swordsman Rossa said Kayman would be nine-star in three years."
"I'm betting on Barto. He's an old eight-star. They say he can even trade blows with nine-star swordsmen."
The crowd buzzed with predictions. With no confirmed nine-star fighters in this block, most people assumed an eight-star would take it.
And a lot of eyes kept drifting back to Erza. Crimson hair, a striking face, and the rarity of a woman standing among seasoned swordsmen—she stood out whether she wanted to or not.
『Round One—Block B… BEGIN!』
GONG—!
The second match started.
"Little girl—you're out first!"
The men who had been circling Erza finally committed and rushed her together.
Slash—!
A single flash of her sword—and the attackers dropped. No flourish. No wasted motion. Just clean, decisive cuts.
Erza didn't stop. She stepped forward and cut into the crowd around her, turning the opening into momentum. Almost no one lasted more than a single exchange.
"That red-haired girl is insane!"
Soon, the arena thinned out. One by one, fighters fell until only three eight-star swordsmen—and Erza—remained.
The four of them collided.
The battle turned vicious. All of them were masters, each movement sharp with experience, each strike aimed to end the match in one clean line.
Erza felt her blood heat with excitement.
This was exactly why she had come.
Fighting strong opponents back-to-back—this was how your sword sharpened.
The three men noticed it too. They stopped wasting energy on each other and shifted in unspoken agreement.
All three attacked Erza at once.
Erza didn't panic. She stayed measured, guarding tight, footwork precise—giving ground only when she chose to, waiting for the smallest crack in their coordination.
Three against one, and they still couldn't put her down.
Frustration crept into their swings. Their timing slipped. Their breaths got louder.
And frustration always leads to mistakes.
Erza caught the first mistake and ended it with one clean cut. One opponent dropped instantly.
Then she focused on the other two.
Slowly, she read their rhythms. Their habits. The way they lifted a shoulder before a feint, the way one of them always overcommitted on the second step.
Slash!
Another man went down.
With only one left, Erza took her time—not because she needed it, but because she could. She closed the distance, broke his guard, and finished it.
『It's over! The winner is… Erza Scarlet!』
『Incredible! It's hard to believe such a beautiful woman has sword skills this terrifying!』
『She was ganged up on by three eight-star swordsmen—and she calmly dismantled them! Amazing! Are we witnessing the birth of a female nine-star swordsman?!』
"Erza! Erza! Erza!"
"Miss Erza! You're so cool!"
Girls in the crowd were practically swooning.
And the swordsmen in the stands understood what they had really seen. Erza hadn't relied on flashy tricks—her fundamentals were simply overwhelming. Clean footwork. Perfect timing. Efficient cuts.
In the contestant stands, Kray watched Erza's face on the screen and rubbed his chin. "Not a bad woman at all."
In the waiting room, several fighters swallowed hard. The guy who had tried to hit on Erza earlier really was a fool. If this wasn't the waiting room—if this was anywhere else—he might've died before he understood what he'd done.
The nine-star swordsman, Arthur, frowned. "Erza… could she be that Erza?"
…
In the royal palace, a giant magic screen broadcast the matches for the king.
"I knew it," the king said with a satisfied smile. "A swordsman who can kill a five-star beast in one strike isn't ordinary."
And that was only her swordsmanship. The king now had files on both Kael and Erza laid neatly on the table before him.
「Erza Scarlet. S-Class mage of Fairy Tail. Nickname: Titania. Uses Requip Magic to summon various armors and weapons. Can greatly increase her attack, defense, and physical stats.」
「Kael Vane. New mage of Fairy Tail. No nickname. Record: Defeated the King of Assassins, Kamil, and the Phantom Lord guild, by himself.」
Kael Vane smiled at the screen. "That's Erza, alright."
『Next up—Block C! Contestants, please enter the arena!』
"Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!"
The crowd started cheering before the fighters even walked out.
"He's really popular," Kael said, surprised.
Arthur stood up and walked toward the entrance.
The moment he appeared, the crowd roared.
Kael leaned toward the person next to him. "Isn't he a nine-star too? Why is he so much more popular than the last one?"
The person stared at him like he couldn't believe the question. "You don't know Arthur? The others are nine-star because they reached that level. Arthur is nine-star because the ranks stop there. He's the strongest nine-star swordsman."
This time, the contestants didn't size each other up.
They all stared at Arthur.
They knew the truth: unless Arthur fell, none of them had a chance.
『Round One—Block C… BEGIN!』
GONG—!
The third match started.
"Get him!"
The instant the gong rang, every contestant charged Arthur at once.
"Shining Light!"
Arthur's blade flared with golden radiance. He stepped forward and thrust—simple, direct—
And a wave of golden sword energy exploded outward, washing across the arena like a storm.
"Aaaargh!"
"Waaaaah!"
They tried to block. They tried to resist.
It didn't matter.
In an instant, the arena floor was littered with bodies.
With a single attack, he had beaten over a hundred fighters.