"Magical creatures!"
Hearing the shout, the crowd immediately became agitated.
Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a huge monster, like a wild boar, four or five meters tall, appear at the edge of the forest, with flames burning on its hooves and back.
The guards' expressions changed instantly when they saw the monster.
"Oh no! It's a five-star monster! The Blazing Boar!"
"Quickly prepare to attack!"
The guards immediately sprang into action.
"Roar!"
The Blazing Boar let out a furious roar, then charged towards them.
Bang!
"Ahhh!"
The Blazing Boar's savage charge sent all the guards flying.
Just as it was about to rush into the crowd, a figure swiftly rushed forward.
Swoosh!
The figure and the Blazing Boar passed each other, and a huge wound appeared on the Blazing Boar's body, blood gushing from it.
Thud!
The five-star monster, the Blazing Boar, fell to the ground.
Erza sheathed her sword. Seeing that the crowd was about to be attacked and suffer heavy casualties, Erza had made her move.
"So powerful!"
"That was a five-star monster, the Blazing Boar. She actually defeated it with one strike. Who is she?!"
"Could she be a six-star, or even a seven-star Swordswoman?"
When the crowd saw the monster defeated by Erza, they applauded, marveling at the strength Erza had displayed.
The guards quickly approached, their eyes now filled with respect. "Respected Swordswoman, thank you very much for your intervention just now. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Erza shook her head. "I merely acted because I saw people were about to get hurt. It's fine as long as I didn't get in your way."
The guard quickly waved his hand. "No! Not at all."
Erza said, "If possible, please check quickly, we are still preparing to enter the city."
"No need. Welcome to Sword City, please enter. I wish you a pleasant stay in Sword City."
The guards didn't even check, immediately letting Erza and Takeshi pass.
"Thank you."
"It seems the people here greatly respect people skilled with swords."
Takeshi could clearly feel the change in the guards' attitude towards Erza.
Erza explained, "This is Sword City. Everyone here reveres swordsmen/swordswomen. The higher their star rating, the higher their status. I've always wanted to visit, but I never had the chance."
The two walked through the city gate in the wall.
Upon entering, the first thing they saw was an extremely tall statue located in the city center, a giant statue about two hundred meters tall.
The sculpture depicted a man in armor, standing there with his hands resting on a greatsword, his profound gaze directed towards the sky.
"What a tall statue!"
Takeshi was deeply shaken when he saw the statue. Only today did he truly feel like he had entered a fantasy world.
"Who is he?"
"Sword Saint Noah."
Erza looked at the statue and said, "I heard his swordsmanship was so extraordinary that he was honored as a Sword Saint."
Erza's eyes held longing and admiration. Although she wasn't a pure swordswoman, she used a sword for most of her fighting, and she held great respect for those with superb swordsmanship.
"A Sword Saint, huh..."
Takeshi wasn't sure about the swordsmanship of this person honored as a Sword Saint, but in terms of swordsmanship, he didn't believe anyone could surpass Yoriichi.
"Let's go."
The two walked along the main street.
The streets were bustling with people, and almost everyone carried a sword, even children were no exception.
Weapon shops were everywhere on the streets, and the two also passed by a school called the Sword Academy.
It could be said that the entire city was filled with swords. It lived up to its name, Sword City.
Continuing along the main street, they arrived at the Royal Palace of the Sobelia Kingdom, which was also where their client resided.
"Halt!"
The palace guards stopped Takeshi and Erza.
Erza stepped forward and said, "We are Mages from Fairy Tail. We are here for a quest."
"Mages? Please wait a moment."
The guard immediately went to inquire.
After a while, a minister in his fifties walked out. "Are you the Mages from Fairy Tail?"
"Yes."
"I am Ramen, a minister of the Sobelia Kingdom. Please come this way."
Takeshi and Erza followed the minister into the palace.
The palace here was not particularly lavish. In fact, it seemed somewhat overly modest for a royal palace.
Soon, Takeshi and Erza followed the minister into the main hall of the palace.
"Your Majesty. The Mages from Fairy Tail have been brought." The minister bowed to the King on the throne.
Takeshi and Erza looked at the King. He was about forty or fifty years old, appearing sharp and muscular, more like a general than a king.
Reno smiled. "Welcome, Mages of Fairy Tail."
"Your Majesty, we have come for a quest."
Reno nodded. "Yes, I have already been informed."
"Then could you please explain the mission in detail? The content of the commission is limited, and the more we know, the greater our chances of completing the mission."
"Of course, that is exactly what I was going to say. Let me first tell you a story. You all know who founded this city, don't you?"
Erza nodded. "It was Sword Saint Noah."
"Yes. Sword Saint Noah, also my ancestor. Four hundred years ago, he slew the Magic Dragon Alazam here and founded Sword City. People also honored him as Hero Noah."
"Yes, that's what the legend says." Erza seemed to have heard this story as well.
Reno said, "Actually, legends are not always true. My ancestor did not kill the Magic Dragon Alazam, but sealed it, and founded Sword City to guard it for generations."
"Now, four hundred years have passed, and the power of the seal is gradually weakening. Who knows when the Magic Dragon will break through the seal? At that time, the entire Sobelia Kingdom may suffer immense devastation."
"So, I plan to bring out my ancestor's treasured sword to suppress it. But that monster seems to know of this plan and has controlled a large number of monsters to guard outside the temple. As soon as anyone approaches, it will control the monsters to kill them."
"Currently, I don't know how many people have already been swallowed by these monsters."
Takeshi said, "So, you want us to break through that group of monsters, enter the temple, and bring back the treasured sword, right?"
Reno shook his head, his expression becoming serious as he said, "No, not that. I intend to kill the Magic Dragon."
***
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