Chapter 25 - Chapter 25 : The Queen's Defeat and the God of Swords

💖 If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.

--------------------

Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V

---------------

"Semi-finals! First match!" The announcer's voice, amplified by stadium magic, vibrated across the massive arena. "Introducing the Nine-Star Swordsman, Light Swordsman Arthur! Facing off against her, the pride of the Fiore Kingdom and S-Class Mage, Super Swordswoman Erza Scarlet!"

The roar of the crowd was a physical wave.

"Now—!" The announcer held the tension in the air. "Begin—!!!"

Clang—!

The gong hadn't finished echoing before a blur of golden light shot across the arena floor.

"Flash Sword!"

Arthur, a figure of lethal precision, was no longer a man; he was a beam of focused power, rushing directly toward Erza. The speed was terrifying. It wasn't just fast; it was instantaneous.

Clang—!

The sound was sharp, metallic, and sickeningly final. Erza, moving on pure instinct, had blocked the attack, but the result was devastating. She was thrown backward, skidding a significant distance with her twin blades plunged into the ground to arrest her momentum.

A gasp went through the crowd. But the real shock came when she stopped.

Crack!

The longsword in her right hand snapped clean in half.

"What?!" Erza's composure, legendary among the guilds, wavered for a split second. She hadn't just been repelled—her primary weapon had been cut down as if it were glass.

The audience erupted. "Oh oh oh oh oh!!" The cheer was a mix of awe and terror.

Arthur stood in the center, his expression bored. "I was just saying hello, Fairy Queen. If you don't go all out, this match will end before the dust settles."

His words, arrogant and absolute, were like a gauntlet thrown at the feet of the strongest woman in Fairy Tail.

He wants a real fight, Erza realized, instantly re-focusing. He's not treating this like a duel; he's treating me like a warm-up.

Arthur's true obsession was palpable even from across the arena. He was here for one person, and one person only: Tsugikuni Yoriichi. His ambition, a burning desire to test his perceived 'limits' of swordsmanship against a legend, overshadowed everything else. The man was hungry for a higher battle.

"Since you've said so," Erza replied, her voice now steel, "then as you wish."

She wouldn't be pedantic about 'swordsmanship' rules. Arthur's 'Flash' techniques bordered on magic anyway. She was a Magic Swordsman—it was time to deploy everything.

"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"

A blinding, holy light enveloped her. When it dissipated, the Super Swordswoman stood transformed: gleaming silver armor, a majestic winged mantle, and four massive steel wings on her back. She looked like a Valkyrie, imposing and cool.

From the stands, the Dragon Slayers and Mages of Fairy Tail watched with bated breath. Even Qi Yan, who knew Erza's magic from an old-world anime, felt the difference. Seeing her in reality, the sheer power of her Requip was overwhelming.

"What? She actually changed her armor!" "Requip Magic?!"

Erza rose slowly into the air. "Heaven's Wheel: Sword of Scattering!"

She released her power, and a spectacular volley of dozens of conjured swords rained down, seeking to overwhelm the golden swordsman.

"Flash of Light!" Arthur countered.

His move, the same one that cleared the preliminaries, manifested as a hurricane of golden blades. The two volleys met in the center of the arena—a deafening symphony of colliding steel and magic.

Boom boom boom—!

The swords shattered, filling the air with dust and shrapnel.

"Heaven's Wheel: Circle Sword!"

Next, a rapidly rotating circle of swords slashed towards Arthur, a swirling buzzsaw of destruction.

"Flash Sword!" Arthur moved with the speed of thought, a golden blur cutting the entire circle into pieces before it could close on him.

---

Too fast. His primary attack speed is faster than my fastest defense. Erza didn't hesitate.

"Requip: Black Wing Armor!"

The shining silver was instantly replaced by an intimidating black armor, complete with bat-like wings. The speed of her Requip left the audience gasping.

Erza plummeted toward Arthur like a hawk diving for prey. "Black Wing: Moon Flash!"

A powerful cross-slash shot from her sword.

"Flash: Cross Slash!" Arthur's own golden cross-slash met it head-on.

Boom—!

The shockwave blasted their hair back, forcing both to leap backward.

"Requip: Flight Armor!"

Another change! She was now clad in sleek, animal-suit armor, holding two short blades. The armor designed purely for speed.

"Flight: Sonic Claw!"

Erza's figure vanished, reappearing instantly behind Arthur. She launched a relentless flurry of dagger thrusts, a sound barrier-breaking torrent of attacks.

"Flash: Thrust!"

Arthur gripped his sword with both hands, his body a monument of defensive speed, blocking every single lightning-fast thrust.

The two fought in a furious, blinding exchange. Neither gained an inch. They clashed one last, powerful time and separated, breathing hard.

Arthur lowered his sword, a flicker of appreciation in his eyes. "As expected of the Fairy Queen. Your strength and talent are truly formidable. You are the strongest swordswoman I have ever seen."

He tightened his grip. "But it's time to end the battle."

Magic power surged into his sword, faster and denser than anything he had shown before. The light on the blade shot up into the sky, consolidating into a giant, terrifying golden light sword—a true manifestation of his power.

Erza's eyes widened. She knew this was the end.

"Requip: Adamantine Armor!"

She switched to her ultimate defense, two massive shields appearing in her hands, merging into a single, giant green magic barrier.

"Adamantine Barrier!"

Arthur's roar drowned out the cheers. "Judgment of Light!"

The giant light sword descended like a falling star, aimed squarely at the legendary Fairy Queen.

Boom————!

The impact was deafening. The barrier groaned, light fracturing across its surface.

Crack————!

A jagged line spider-webbed across the green shield.

Bang————!

The barrier shattered. The great sword slammed into the main shield, and Erza let out a cry of agony as the sheer, insurmountable force sent her flying backward, skidding across the demolished arena floor.

She struggled to stand, her most powerful defense in ruins. As she looked up, the golden blade of Arthur's sword was pointed directly at her throat.

"I surrender!" Erza conceded without hesitation.

She had lost. But the fire in her eyes was not defeat; it was ambition. She had witnessed a higher level of swordsmanship, and she would absorb this defeat and come back stronger.

Arthur withdrew his blade. "You are very strong and very talented. Perhaps in a few years, I won't be able to match you. But that time is certainly not now."

He turned and walked away. The battle was over. The warm-up was complete. His true target was about to take the stage.

"Victory has been decided!!!" the announcer screamed, electric with excitement. "Winner: ARTHUR!!!"

The audience was a chaotic symphony of cheers and gasps.

"Next up is the second match of the semi-finals!"

The stadium held its breath.

"Nine-Star Swordsman 'Thunder Sword' Clay VS the man of myth, the unstoppable legend, the… Sword God Tsugikuni Yoriichi!!!"

Boom————!!!

The atmosphere in the arena didn't just explode—it was utterly annihilated by the sound of a thousand voices calling out one name.

"Sword God! Sword God! Sword God!"