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BOOM!
The grand arena of the Sobeya Kingdom practically detonated with sound.
"OH! OH! OH! OH! OH!" "So cool, Arthur!" "Mr. Arthur~~~!!" "Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!" The commentator was a man possessed, his voice cracking with excitement: "The victor has been decided! Contestant Arthur, with just one strike! He has defeated all other opponents!"
He paused for a dramatic, echoing breath. "Truly worthy of being our Sobeya Kingdom's strongest Nine-Star Swordsmanâ!!!"
Qi Yan stood in the roaring crowd, a knot forming in his stomach. "No... wait, that's magic, right? Isn't that against the rules?"
The burly, enthusiastic man next to him slapped his knee. "Magic? No, no, this is swordsmanship! A Mage Swordsman is still a Swordsman, and all high-star Swordsmen are Mage Swordsmen. Where did you crawl out from, a bumpkin who doesn't even know that?"
Qi Yan could only offer a weak smile. The man was right; he was a bumpkin. He had come from a world without magic. He'd expected magic to only enhance strength or maybe launch a few arcane slashes. He hadn't expected it to be a completely integrated component of swordsmanship itself.
"So strong!"
In the waiting area, Erza Scarlet's expression was deadly serious as she watched Arthur's display. To defeat a whole group with a single strike? That was the realm of a true powerhouse. She mentally ran the numbers. With her Re-equip Magic, she could likely withstand the blow, but without her armor? She was uncertain.
"Tch! Still such a show-off!" Clay grumbled, annoyed by the sheer volume of Arthur's cheers.
Meanwhile, in the King's viewing box, satisfaction reigned. "Excellent!" The King beamed. Arthur was a homegrown genius, constantly pushing his limits. If only the Magic Council defined Swordsmen, the King mused. Arthur would easily rank among the Ten Great Mages.
The Final Group
"Next is Group D, the final group. Contestants, please enter!!"
As the defeated were carried off for treatment, the commentator announced the last segment.
My turn.
Qi Yan pushed off the wall and walked toward the arena entrance.
As soon as he stepped out, a fresh, explosive wave of cheers erupted.
"Allen! Allen! Allen!"
Qi Yan looked back and saw a young man with bright, fiery red hair, about his age, entering behind him. The young manâAllenâsmiled and waved brightly to the screaming audience.
"Wow! It's Allen!" "He's so handsome!" "Go, Allen! Defeat them all!"
Allen was a magnet for the young girls. He was a nineteen-year-old genius, making him the absolute dream lover compared to the 'half old geezers' like Arthur and Clay, who were a decade older.
"Tch! Just a stinky brat," Clay muttered, green with jealousy over the kid's popularity.
"It's the genius Swordsman Allen!" the commentator roared. "He is the youngest Nine-Star Swordsman in our Sobeya Kingdom! He is the only Nine-Star in this group! Can he sweep the field like the others? Let's wait and see!"
Qi Yan gave the flamboyant youth a quick, appraising glance, then walked to his starting position.
Once inside the ring, Qi Yan noticed the strategy immediately: everyone was ignoring the high-star levels and zeroing in on the perceived weak linksâthe lower-star swordsmen. He felt no fewer than ten calculating gazes fall upon him, identifying him as the 'soft persimmon' to be squeezed first.
Let them think that.
A faint smirk touched the corners of Qi Yan's mouth. After all, once he won the prize money, this low-key persona would be discarded. He might as well give these people a shock that would echo across the kingdom.
"This match is a foregone conclusion!" one spectator declared. "Yeah! Allen is a Nine-Star genius!" "Just sit back and enjoy the show!" The audience was relaxed, confident in their country's strength. The gap between a Nine-Star and an Eight-Star Swordsman was a chasm.
"Now for the final group showdown, begin!"
CLANG!
The gong rang, signaling the start of battle.
God of Sword
It happened in the very instant the sound died.
"Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form: Halo Dragon, Head Dance!"
ROARâ!!!
A high-pitched, ancient dragon's roar echoed through the arena, silencing the crowd more effectively than any gong. In the next moment, a winding, fiery giant dragon erupted, moving faster than the eye could track.
The crimson inferno instantly passed through every single contestant.
"Ugh ah ah ah!" "Wah ah ah ah!"
All the Swordsmen, including the vaunted genius Nine-Star, Allen, were sent flying, bodies smoking, slamming into the perimeter walls.
The fire dragon vanished, leaving behind only the scent of ash and ozone. Where its head had been, a man with long, crimson-tipped hair stood perfectly still, a red haori draped over his shoulders, the contestant number '0556' on his back. Qi Yan's breathing was steady, his sword sheathed.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
All the contestants fell to the ground, unconscious.
...
The entire massive venue fell into a silence so profound it was deafening.
In the waiting area, Erza, Clay, and Arthurâthe three great Swordsmenâall shot to their feet, staring at the calm man in the ring with expressions of abject shock.
Clay's jaw dropped. "Th-this... how is this possible?! How can anyone's swordsmanship reach this level? No! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Arthur, his face grave, spoke with authority. "It has already happened before our eyes. That man is standing right there."
Erza could barely find the words. "So strong! Truly too strong!" Her eyes were locked on his solitary figure. Shock, astonishmentâthey weren't enough. A single, terrifying word popped into her mind: God.
If there were a God among Swordsmen, this man was it.
In the royal palace, the King slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet. He was an experienced Nine-Star Swordsman himself, a former champion. While he'd retired, his insight was absolute.
The common audience might see Qi Yan's and Arthur's attacks as both a 'one-strike sweep,' but to a true master, the difference was not just a little bit.
It was a world of difference.