Seeing Arthur's performance, the entire arena almost exploded.
"So cool!"
"Arthur!"
"Arthur-san!"
"Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!"
The commentator stood up, shouting excitedly, "The winner has been decided!"
"Contestant Arthur, with just one strike! Defeated all other opponents!!!"
"As expected of the strongest Nine-Star Swordsman of our Sobelia Kingdom!"
Takeshi was a bit confused at this moment. "This is magic, right? Isn't this cheating?"
The enthusiastic man next to him explained to Takeshi, "Magic? No, this is swordsmanship. Magic Swordsmen are also Swordsmen, and all who become high-star Swordsmen are Magic Swordsmen. Where are you from, that you don't even know this?"
"…"
Takeshi was a bit speechless.
Originally, he thought that at most, magic here would only be used to enhance physical abilities and then gather magic power to release some slashes. He didn't expect magic to be counted within it.
"So strong!"
Erza's expression was very serious as she saw Arthur's attack.
With one strike, he defeated so many people. Was this the strongest Nine-Star Swordsman of the Sobelia Kingdom?
If she were to use Requip magic, she should be able to withstand that strike. But without it, she wasn't sure.
"Tch. Still so fond of showing off."
Clay felt a bit displeased seeing that Arthur's popularity was so much higher than his own.
"Excellent." Reno looked at the screen and nodded in satisfaction.
Arthur was someone he had watched grow up since childhood. He was a swordsmanship genius from a young age and was never arrogant or conceited, always striving to improve his sword skills, and his strength was rapidly increasing.
If the Magic Council had not been limited to Mages, he would definitely have a place among the Ten Wizard Saints.
"Next up is Group D, also the final group! Contestants, please enter!"
After all the defeated Swordsmen were carried off for treatment, the commentator announced the entry of the final group of contestants.
"Is it my turn?"
Takeshi stood up and walked towards the contestant entrance of the arena.
As soon as he entered the arena, another round of enthusiastic cheers erupted.
"Allen! Allen! Allen!!"
Takeshi looked back and saw a young man with fiery red hair, about his age, entering. The young man smiled brightly and waved to the audience.
"Wow! It's Allen!"
"So handsome!"
"Go, Allen! Defeat them all!"
Many girls in the audience screamed.
Allen was very handsome, his swordsmanship was superb, and most importantly, he was young. At only nineteen years old, he was the dream lover of many girls.
Although Clay and Arthur were not that old, they were still more than ten years older than Allen, which in the eyes of fourteen or fifteen-year-old girls, made them uncles.
"Tch. Just a stinky brat."
Seeing that Allen was so popular with young girls, Clay felt a bit jealous.
"It's the genius swordsman Allen."
"He is the youngest Nine-Star Swordsman in our Sobelia Kingdom."
"And also the only Nine-Star Swordsman in this group. I wonder if he can sweep through like the other two Nine-Star Swordsmen. Let's wait and see."
Takeshi glanced at the other party, then walked into the arena.
After entering the arena, he realized that these people were all avoiding those with higher star ratings than themselves, prioritizing eliminating those with lower star ratings.
After he entered, he felt no less than ten gazes fall upon him. It seemed they were treating him as an easy target. He couldn't help but let the corners of his lips curl up slightly.
Since this persona would be shed after winning the prize in the competition, he might as well give these people a little shock.
"This match is definitely without suspense."
"Yeah. Allen is a Nine-Star Swordsman."
"As expected, the swordsmen of our Sobelia Kingdom are the strongest. Only that swordswoman is a bit powerful, but she still can't compare to our country's Nine-Star swordsmen."
"We just need to enjoy Allen's performance."
"Exactly."
Everyone in the audience felt that this round was already without suspense. The gap between a Nine-Star Swordsman and an Eight-Star Swordsman was enormous, and the difference between a genius and an ordinary person was also completely different.
"Now for the first round, Group D's showdown, begin!"
Clang!
With the sound of the starting gong, the fourth battle immediately began.
Almost at the instant the gong sounded—
Sun Breathing: Ninth Form: Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!
"Roar!!!"
A high-pitched dragon roar echoed in the arena.
The next instant, a giant flaming dragon winding and dancing instantly passing through all the contestants.
"What is th—Ahhhh!!"
"Argh!!!"
...
All the contestants, including Allen, were all sent flying by this one strike.
As the fire dragon disappeared, a man with deep red long hair, wearing a red haori, stood where the dragon head had vanished, with a contestant number plate '0556' on his back.
Thump... Thump...
All the contestants fell to the ground, having lost their fighting capability.
"…"
The entire venue instantly fell silent.
The three people in the contestant resting area, Erza, Clay, and Arthur, all stood up, looking at the calm man in the arena with shocked expressions.
Clay's eyes widened in disbelief. "This…how is this possible?! How can anyone's swordsmanship reach this level? No, impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Arthur said with a solemn expression, "It has already happened before our eyes, why do you still say it's impossible? That man is standing right there."
"So strong!"
Erza couldn't utter any superfluous words. Her eyes were fixed on the man's figure in the arena. Shock and awe were not enough to describe it.
A word popped into her mind: God!
In the royal palace.
Clap!
Reno slammed the table and stood up, staring at Takeshi on the screen with a shocked expression.
He was an experienced Nine-Star Swordsman, once revered as the strongest Swordsman in the Sobelia Kingdom. Later, as he gradually aged, he slowly retired, and the young Arthur became the strongest Nine-Star Swordsman.
However, although he was older, his insight was even greater.
Those who didn't understand swordsmanship might see Takeshi's and Arthur's attacks as both clearing the field with one strike, seemingly without much difference. But in the eyes of true top-tier Swordsmen, the difference between the two wasn't small. In fact, there was a world of difference.