Takeshi's recent attack seemed fierce, but looking at the arena, everyone had only lost consciousness and hadn't sustained any real injuries.
In an instant, over a hundred people, at such speed, yet precisely knocked out without harming them.
This level of precise control...
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't even dare to imagine it.
This was no longer a human, it was a god. This man was a Sword God.
"Minister!"
"Your Majesty! I'm coming!"
Hearing Reno's urgent shouts, the minister rushed over.
"Within ten minutes, I want all the information on this man. Quickly!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The minister quickly ran off, wailing in his heart. 'Serving a king is like accompanying a tiger.'
Reno could feel that if it was this man, this dragon-slaying plan would definitely succeed.
—
"Wh-what… what just happened?"
"I think I saw a fire dragon pass by, and then everything ended."
"Allen was actually instantly defeated like that? He was a Nine-Star Swordsman!"
"Who exactly is this man?!"
Gradually, the people in the audience came to their senses, looking in shock at Takeshi in the arena.
Nine-Star Swordsmen—the entire Kingdom of Sobelia had no more than ten of them.
A Nine-Star Swordsman represented the pinnacle of swordsmanship. They had never heard of any Nine-Star Swordsman being instantly defeated.
When two Nine-Star Swordsmen fought each other, even if there was a difference in strength, it would definitely be a very intense struggle, requiring all their techniques to be used before one could defeat the other.
And for a Nine-Star Swordsman to be instantly defeated, that meant one thing: the opponent's swordsmanship was too strong, and they were not on the same level at all.
"The victor has been decided! Winner, Tsugikuni Yoriichi!"
"This man is too powerful"
"In an instant! Just an instant! Over a hundred contestants, all high-star swordsmen, and even a Nine-Star Swordsman, were all instantly defeated!"
"And to make these people only dizzy, not harmed—this control, this swordsmanship..."
"This man is not human! He is a god!! A God of Swordsmanship!!!"
The commentator was also quite skilled, an Eight-Star Swordsman with keen insight.
"Sword God! Sword God! Sword God!" The audience in the stands all cheered.
To them, those with higher skill in swordsmanship were more worthy of respect, and the swordsmanship Takeshi displayed was truly unparalleled.
'Next, there will be a one-hour break, after which the semifinals will commence! During this time, please enjoy the wonderful performance of our Swordswoman Idol Group!"
Many beautiful girls in cute outfits rushed into the arena and began to perform.
—
Takeshi returned to his contestant area. There were four contestant areas, A, B, C, and D, with one person in each, allowing for undisturbed rest.
After returning to the D-area contestant lounge and locking the door, Takeshi released his transformation.
"Hoo..."
He let out a sigh of relief.
Yoriichi was different from Ulquiorra. If he used Take Over Magic to transfrom to Ulquiorra, his magic power would rapidly deplete as soon as he transformed.
But with Yoriichi, as long as he didn't circulate his breathing technique or use combat moves, it didn't consume much magic power. He could maintain the transformation for three or four hours or more.
However, if he used powerful techniques or engaged in intense combat, this time would be greatly shortened, possibly to three or five minutes.
He needed to take advantage of this time to rest well, as this was about the 20 million Jewels prize money, and he didn't want to mess up at a crucial moment.
Takeshi didn't know that his performance had already caused a huge uproar. Everyone was discussing where the strong Yoriichi had come from.
Some said he was a hermit who practiced alone in their own country, others said he was an experienced swordsman from another country. There were many different opinions, with everyone saying something different.
In the Royal Palace.
"No such person found?! What do you mean, no such person found?!" Reno looked at the Minister in front of him and frowned.
The Minister wiped his sweat and said, "Your Majesty, no such person found means no such person found. I have already sent people to check the list of those who entered the city recently, and there is no one named Tsugikuni Yoriichi. Not only that, but the guards have never seen this man either."
"..."
"Is it transformation magic?" Reno speculated.
Transformation magic was a relatively common magic, but it was useless in combat, so most people disdained learning it.
But whether it was transformation magic or not, his swordsmanship was real. No matter who he was, he must be included in his dragon-slaying plan.
The Minister asked, "Your Majesty, how should the semifinal matches be arranged?"
"Hmm... let it be this way."
Reno arranged the matches.
A short while later, an hour passed.
"Everyone! The exciting semifinals are about to begin! The matchups have been arranged! Please look at the big screen!"
Everyone looked towards the big screen.
[Semifinal Match 1: Arthur VS Erza]
[Semifinal Match 2: Clay VS Yoriichi]
"Ohhhhh!"
Seeing the match schedule, the audience in the stands became excited. They had all seen the preliminary rounds, each of these four were a powerhouse.
Arthur was the strongest Nine-Star Swordsman in the Kingdom of Sobelia, and Clay's strength was said to be on par with Arthur's.
Erza was the only swordswoman to reach the semifinals.
As for Yoriichi, his transcendent swordsmanship was simply that of a Sword God. Everyone wanted to see his miraculous swordsmanship again.
"Now, please welcome contestant Arthur and contestant Erza to the stage!"
"Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!!"
"Erza! Erza! Erza!"
The audience in the stands all cheered their names.
Erza and Arthur walked out from their respective lounges, and the two stood in the center of the arena.
Arthur looked at Erza and asked, "Fairy Queen Erza?"
Erza was startled. "You know me?"
"Not exactly know, I just heard your name during my travels in the Kingdom of Fiore."
"So that's how it is."
"You're a Mage, aren't you? You'd best use your magic."
Erza frowned in confusion. "Magic? Isn't this a competition to compare swordsmanship?"
Arthur explained, "It is and it isn't. Those who can become star-ranked swordsmen are all magic swordsmen with magic power. My swordsmanship is also my magic."
"If you intend to defeat me with swordsmanship alone, then you are underestimating me. Bring out all your strength, and let me see the full power of you, who is called the Fairy Queen."