"Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
That's right! The one registering at that moment was Kaien Blaze. Originally, Kaien had planned to sit in the audience, munch on popcorn, sip a drink, and enjoy the show.
But plans never keep up with change. The moment he overheard someone in front say that the champion's prize was 20 million J, he could no longer sit still.
20 million J—that's enough for two S-Class missions, or twenty A-Class ones! With a reward this generous, how could he possibly stay indifferent? He'd regret it for the rest of his life if he let this slip by. So he found a quiet corner, used Take Over Magic to take in Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and then went to sign up.
"This is your participant number."
Kaien took the card—'0556.' That meant there were already 555 participants registered before him.
"Just head down this way to reach the contestant passage."
Kaien stepped forward and soon arrived at the contestant lounge, which was already packed wall-to-wall.
"Hey! That's Seven-Star Swordsman Horne! He's participating too?!"
"Look over there! Eight-Star Swordsman Salt—I heard he took down an Eight-Star magical beast, the Viper."
"That's Eight-Star Swordsman Skarem. Rumor has it he's already slain three Eight-Star magical beasts!"
"No wonder they call this the Continental Swordmaster Tournament hosted by His Majesty the King. So many famous swordsmen are here."
Just then, a voice called out.
"Hey! Little missy, if you're here to find a boyfriend, try outside. This ain't a place for girls like you."
"Hahahaha!!"
Kaien turned toward the voice—and spotted a familiar figure.
"Erza!!"
He hadn't expected to bump into Erza here, especially since she hadn't shown up at the inn. But thinking about it, it made perfect sense. Erza was a swordswoman, after all—and with her competitive streak, there's no way she'd miss a tournament this exciting.
"She's gorgeous! Let me pamper her a little!"
"Hey, miss, got a boyfriend? If not, how about me? Come hang out with me!"
One guy, eyes gleaming lecherously, spread his arms and reached for Erza's rear.
Kaien couldn't help but facepalm. 'Seriously? Even daring to mess with Erza? That's like an old man tying his own noose—you must have a death wish.'
Smack!
Before the guy's hand could touch her, Erza clamped down on his wrist and with a forceful twist—
"Haah—!!"
Boom!!!
The guy's body smashed into the floor, shattering the tiles. He passed out cold, eyes rolling back, without even a scream.
"Eh——?!!"
Everyone stood frozen, completely stunned by what just happened.
"Hey! Who the hell is that woman?!"
"That guy went down in one hit!"
"No way! He's a Six-Star Swordsman!"
At that moment, another voice rang out:
"Alright! Enough! This tournament is hosted by His Majesty the King. Gender doesn't matter here. If you've got a problem, settle it in the arena."
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
It was a man in his thirties with golden hair, sitting not far away.
"That's Nine-Star Swordsman Arthur!!"
Gasps filled the room.
Kaien looked over as well. According to the guild master, a Nine-Star Swordsman in this country was equivalent to an S-Class Mage in the guild.
"Arthur. Didn't expect to see you here."
Another young man walked over.
"That's Nine-Star Swordsman Clay!"
More gasps erupted.
Arthur glanced over. "Clay, you're here too?"
"Of course. This is a tournament hosted by His Majesty, after all. The prize is secondary. Becoming the strongest swordsman in Ishgar—that's an honor above all else."
Just then, a tournament official approached.
"A Group, prepare for battle! A Group contestants, please head to the arena!"
Clay stood up and said, "My turn. Arthur, I hope I see you in the finals."
Arthur snorted. "Hmph. That's only if you make it there."
Kaien glanced at his own number card—it had a 'D' on it. So he was in Group D.
He also peeked at Erza's card. Hers said 'B', meaning she was in Group B.
'I wonder what the format of this tournament is.'
Soon, a magic display screen appeared in the contestant lounge.
The screen projected a live view of the arena.
『Next up is the A-Zone Match!』
『The rules for this round are simple!』
『Over a hundred contestants will battle in a brutal survival free-for-all!』
『Only the last one standing advances to the next round!!』
"What?!"
"So only one person can move on?"
"That's way too brutal!"
Many contestants' expressions changed. They'd planned to put on a good show for the audience—maybe even gain some fans, even if they didn't win. But now? Only one person could advance?
『Now, let the first round—A Group Showdown—begin!!!』
DONG——!!!
With the sound of a massive gong, battle erupted across the arena.
Everyone here was at least a Five-Star Swordsman—and even that was considered the weakest tier. In everyday life, Five-Stars were seen as elite, but in this tournament, they were cannon fodder.
One after another, Five-Star contestants fell like flies.
In no time, the battlefield was cleared of half its participants—only Seven-Star and Eight-Star swordsmen remained.
Then, Nine-Star Swordsman Clay stepped forward and said, "Hmph! Boring! All of you—get out of my sight!"
In a flash, he moved. His body was wreathed in lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he knocked out the nearest Eight-Star Swordsman.
"It's Nine-Star Swordsman Clay!!"
The crowd in the audience roared with excitement at the action.
Kaien was shocked too. 'He must be a lightning-element mage. Using lightning magic, he's massively enhancing his power and speed. Combined with his already elite swordsmanship—this guy's ridiculously strong. He's definitely S-Class level. Heck, even some regular S-Class mages wouldn't be able to keep up with him. His speed is insane.'
'This world… is way bigger than what I saw in the anime.'
Even Erza's expression turned serious as she watched Clay. She had armor that specifically countered lightning-element mages, but this was a swordsmanship tournament. If she used armor now, even if she won, it wouldn't be a fair victory.
Before long, the arena was littered with fallen contestants. Only Nine-Star Swordsman Clay remained standing.
『OHHHH! It's over!!』
『A Group's victor is the pride of the Kingdom of Sobea—Nine-Star Swordsman, the "Lightning Blade," Clay!!!』
『He's strong—unbelievably strong!!』
"Clay! Clay! Clay!"…
The crowd erupted into chants. Clay waved in acknowledgment, sending the girls in the audience into a frenzy.
Soon, the injured were carried off, and the arena was cleaned up.
『Next up is Group B! Contestants, please enter the arena!!』
Erza rose to her feet and walked toward the entrance.
"Looks like it's Erza's turn."