Almost everyone was chanting for the "Sword God."
Only a handful of people were cheering for Kray, and their voices were swallowed by the roar.
"Hey! Stop giving people stupid nicknames!" Kray shouted at the announcer.
He'd always thought "Thunder Sword" sounded impressive—until it got put next to "Sword God." Now it felt cheap, and the comparison made his blood boil.
He loved being the center of attention. But this Yoriichi guy had stolen it from him.
Unforgivable.
He had to teach this man a lesson.
He would show them who the strongest really was.
『And now, please welcome our contestants!』
Kael Vane and Kray walked into the arena.
BOOM—!
The moment Kael appeared, the crowd erupted again.
Hearing that wave of cheers, Kael felt a strange thrill in his chest.
The roar of the crowd hit him like a wave. So this is what it feels like… Yeah. Now he got it.
Kray pointed his sword at him. "You're Yoriichi, right? Your sword skills are decent. But a fight isn't just about skill. If you don't want to be embarrassed, you should surrender now. Once I get started, I don't hold back."
Kael Vane looked him over calmly. "You have talent. Lightning magic boosts you a lot. But you can't control it."
Kray's brows twitched.
"That means your training isn't finished," Kael continued, voice steady. "Don't get drunk on borrowed power. Polish your fundamentals."
Being lectured in front of the entire stadium made Kray's face burn. "I don't need you to tell me that! If you want to lecture me, do it after you beat me!"
『Semi-final, Match 2!』
『Nine-star "Thunder Sword" Kray! Versus… Yoriichi Tsugikuni!』
『Begin!』
GONG—!
The gong rang, and the match began.
Zzzt—!
Kray vanished—then reappeared—then vanished again. Lightning crackled as he tore around Kael, leaving afterimages in every direction.
"So fast—!"
From the stands, it was impossible to tell which one was real.
『There it is!』
『Kray's lightning-speed footwork!』
『He's moving so fast it looks like there are clones—no one can tell where the attack will come from!』
Kray's voice echoed from somewhere in the ring of afterimages. "See that? This is my speed! Speed is power!"
"Transparent World."
Kael activated the Transparent World.
In an instant, everything slowed.
What had been a blur became readable—clean lines, clear intent. Kray's high-speed movement separated into precise steps.
Kael could see more than motion. He could see the body behind it: blood vessels pulsing, muscles tightening, the rhythm of the heart.
Kray's heartbeat spiked. A shoulder dipped. The hips shifted.
He's coming.
Kael tightened his grip.
Kray appeared behind him—right in his blind spot—blade ready to strike.
Even with speed like that, no one should have been able to react in time.
"It's over!"
Kray lunged—
And stopped.
A chill ran through his spine. Every hair on his body lifted. His instincts screamed.
He jerked back like he'd touched a hot blade, retreating so hard his back hit the arena wall.
"Huh? Why did Kray retreat?"
"Yeah! That was the perfect timing—why'd he back off?"
"Did he get scared off by a look?"
The crowd buzzed, confused.
Erza and Arthur stood as well, eyes narrowed. Even they couldn't tell what had just happened.
But Kray could.
He was drenched in cold sweat.
At the exact moment he committed to the strike, he had felt it—pure danger.
If he'd followed through, he would have died.
Not "might." Not "maybe."
Died.
He'd seen it in a flash so vivid it made his throat ache: his neck opening, his vision tilting, the world going dark.
"What kind of monster are you?!" Kray yelled, voice cracking.
The spectators stared. Kael Vane hadn't moved an inch. He was still standing there—calm, almost relaxed.
But Kray's fear was real.
Did something happen that they couldn't see?
"Sharp instincts," Kael said.
The moment Kray moved, several counters had surfaced in Kael's mind.
The simplest—most natural—was a clean cut to the neck.
It wasn't cruelty. It was habit.
Yoriichi's sword style was built to end fights cleanly. To end monsters before they could strike again.
And even that single thought had carried killing intent strong enough to crush weaker men.
Kray wasn't weak.
He was a nine-star swordsman who had survived countless battles. He forced himself to breathe. He forced his hands to steady.
He calmed down.
And the calmer he became, the worse it got.
Kael was standing there wide open. No guard. No defensive stance.
And yet every time Kray pictured an approach—every angle, every feint, every burst of speed—his mind served him the same ending.
A blade. A neck. Darkness.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Every plan ended with him dead.
It was driving him mad. Why the neck? Why always the neck? Couldn't this freak aim for an arm? A leg?
The crowd was completely lost.
Weren't they supposed to be fighting?
Why was one man standing still while the other kept circling like he was trapped?
And why was Kray looking at Kael like he'd met something that shouldn't exist?
Finally, the announcer tried to put words to what everyone was seeing.
『If you're confused, here's what just happened!』
『Kray tried to strike—but he pulled back at the last instant. He felt the counter waiting for him.』
『Every opening he imagines… Yoriichi sees first. Every approach… Yoriichi is already there.』
『This isn't a clash of techniques—it's a clash of nerve. And right now, Kray can't find a single safe step forward!』
The explanation only made Kray angrier.
"You idiot!" he snapped at the announcer. "Who told you to explain that?!"