Everyone in the arena cheered for the Sword God.
The number of people cheering for Clay was negligible, their voices drowned out by the wave of shouts for the Sword God.
Clay shouted, "Hey! You bastard, don't just give people nicknames!"
Originally, Clay thought his nickname 'Thunder Sword' was quite cool, but compared to the opponent's 'Sword God', it seemed too petty. Comparing himself to others only made him angry.
He usually loved to be in the spotlight, but this guy named Yoriichi had stolen all his thunder.
Unforgivable!
He had to teach this guy a good lesson.
To let these guys know who was the strongest.
"Now, please welcome both contestants!"
Takeshi and Clay both stepped into the arena.
Boom!
After Takeshi appeared, the venue erupted in cheers once again.
Watching everyone cheer for him, a special feeling welled up in Takeshi's heart.
'Is this what it feels like to be a star? No wonder those people fight tooth and nail to become stars, it really does feel good.'
Clay said, "Hey! Your name is Tsugikuni Yoriichi, right? Your swordsmanship is impressive. But victory isn't just about swordsmanship. If you don't want to lose too badly, surrender early. Once I start, it's very difficult for me to hold back."
Takeshi looked at Clay and said, "Your talent is good. Thunder magic can greatly enhance your basic abilities, but you can't control yourself, which means your training isn't up to par. Don't get lost in the powerful strength that magic gives you. Hone your swordsmanship properly."
Being lectured by Takeshi in front of everyone made Clay's face flush.
"Don't be so nosy. If you want to lecture me, do it after you've defeated me."
"Semifinal Match Two!"
"Nine-Star Swordsman 'Thunder Sword' Clay VS 'Sword God' Tsugikuni Yoriichi!"
"Now!"
"Begin!!!"
Dong!
The gong sounded, officially starting the match.
Crackle!
Clay moved rapidly around Takeshi, creating streaks of afterimages around Takeshi's body.
"So fast!"
Clay's speed was so fast that many afterimages appeared, making it impossible to distinguish his true body.
"It's here!"
"Clay's Thunder Clones!"
"Clay is so fast that it creates clones, making it indistinguishable. It's unknown from where Clay will launch his attack."
Clay laughed. "Did you see that? This is my speed! Speed is power!"
Transparent World!
Takeshi activated Transparent World. In an instant, the entire world seemed to slow down. Clay's extremely fast speed became incredibly clear in his eyes. He could even clearly see Clay's blood vessels, the muscles moving on his body, and the fluctuations of his heartbeat.
He saw Clay's heart beating rapidly and his body's muscles beginning to change. He knew that the opponent was about to launch an attack, so he tightened his grip on his sword.
At this moment, Clay appeared behind Takeshi, preparing to attack from his blind spot.
'Even if Yoriichi reacts quickly, he certainly won't have time to strike.'
'It's over!'
Clay rushed towards Takeshi, but just as he was about to approach, he felt a great terror.
All the hairs on his body trembled, and his body instinctively stopped dead in its tracks, rapidly retreating, and finally, his entire body even pressed against the inner wall of the arena.
"Huh? Why did Clay retreat?"
"Yeah. Wasn't that a good time to attack? Why did he retreat?"
"Was he scared away by just a glance from the opponent?"
The audience was utterly bewildered by this scene.
Erza and Arthur also didn't understand what had happened.
Clay, however, was covered in cold sweat and full of terror. The moment he was about to make his move, he felt a great terror. If he had acted then, he might have died.
That's right. He would have died.
In fact, he even felt as if he had already died once. He seemed to have just seen his own neck being severed, an incredibly real image, and a lingering sensation of pain at his neck.
"What kind of monster are you!!!" Clay frantically shouted at Takeshi.
This left everyone present a bit confused, not knowing what madness had seized Clay. The opponent was clearly standing there, doing nothing.
But the panic-stricken expression on Clay's face didn't seem fake at all.
Could it be that something they didn't know about had happened just now?
"Such keen intuition." Takeshi praised.
The moment Clay was about to attack him, several ways to deal with it flashed through Takeshi's mind. The simplest and most habitual was to cut off the opponent's neck.
After all, besides being exposed to sunlight, the only way to kill a demon is to cut off their neck.
As a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, Yoriichi's swordsmanship was almost entirely related to slaying demons.
The killing intent generated by a single glance almost terrified Clay out of his wits.
However, Clay was a Nine-Star Swordsman after all. Having experienced countless battles, he quickly regained his composure.
But the calmer he became, the more he felt the terror of the man in front of him.
He was merely standing there, seemingly full of openings, but when he imagined how to attack in his mind, a glance from Takeshi once again made him experience the illusion of his neck being severed.
Once, twice, thrice...
Clay tried several times in his mind, but each time his neck was severed by a single move.
This constant beheading made Clay want to go crazy.
Was this bastard a pervert with some special fetish? Why did he always cut his neck? Couldn't he cut his arms or legs or something?
At this moment, everyone in the audience was bewildered. They couldn't understand what was happening in the arena.
Weren't these two supposed to decide the victor? Why was one standing still while the other was scurrying around?
And Clay's gaze at Takeshi was as if he had seen some terrifying monster.
Soon, the commentator provided an explanation.
"Perhaps everyone doesn't quite understand the current situation. Clay was just about to attack, but he was stopped by Yoriichi's gaze."
"Clay wanted to find a weakness in Yoriichi. But every time he was about to strike, he was seen through by Yoriichi, who prepared to counterattack. Yoriichi is impeccable. In the ideological confrontation, Clay was defeated every time, which is why he is scurrying around. In a clash between masters, a single glance often determines victory."
Hearing the commentator's words, everyone suddenly understood. So that's what happened.
"You bastard! I don't need you to explain!" Clay shouted at the commentator, somewhat exasperated.