"Tsugikuni Yoriichi."
That's right! The person signing up at this moment was Qi Yan. Originally, Qi Yan had planned to sit in the audience, eating popcorn and drinking a beverage, to simply watch the tournament.
But plans couldn't keep up with changes. As soon as he heard the person in front mention that the champion's prize money was 20 million J, he couldn't sit still.
20 million J—that was enough to complete two S-Class Mage quests or twenty A-Class quests. Faced with such a generous prize, he naturally couldn't remain indifferent. If he missed it, he would regret it to death. So, he found an empty corner, received Tsugikuni Yoriichi, and then came to participate.
"Here is your participant number."
Qi Yan took it. '0556'. So, besides himself, 555 people had already signed up?
"This way is the contestant's passage."
Qi Yan stepped inside and quickly arrived at the contestant's lounge, which was already packed with people.
"Hey! That's Seven-Star Swordsman Horn! Is he also participating?"
"Look over there, Eight-Star Swordsman Salt. I heard he slayed the Eight-Star monster Viper."
"That's Eight-Star Swordsman Skarlem. It's said he's already slayed three Eight-Star monsters."
"As expected of the World's Strongest Swordsman Tournament hosted by His Majesty the King; so many famous Swordsmen have come to participate."
Just then, a voice rang out.
"Hey! Little lady, if you're looking for a man, go outside. This isn't a place for ladies like you."
"Hahahahaha!!"
Qi Yan looked in the direction of the voice and saw a familiar figure.
"Erza!!"
Qi Yan hadn't expected to encounter Erza here, whom he hadn't seen at the hotel. But thinking about it, it made sense. Erza herself was a Swordsman, and given her competitive nature, it would be strange if she didn't participate in such an interesting tournament.
"So beautiful! Let me cherish her properly!"
"Little lady, do you have a boyfriend? If not, what do you think of me? Come and have some fun with me."
A man lecherously reached out his hand towards Erza's backside.
Seeing this, Qi Yan couldn't help but rub his forehead. Seriously, to even dare to tease Erza? Was he hanging himself on his birthday, tired of living?
Slap!
Before the man's hand could touch Erza, her palm clamped onto his wrist. Then, Erza swung him with force.
"Haa—!!"
Boom!!!
The man's body was slammed onto the ground, shattering the floor. He didn't even have time to scream before his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
"Eh—?!"
Everyone was stunned by this scene.
"Hey! Who is that woman?!"
"That man was actually taken down!"
"How is that possible! He's a Six-Star Swordsman!" ...At this moment, a voice spoke up, saying, "Alright! All of you, settle down! This tournament is hosted by His Majesty the King, without distinction of gender. If you're not convinced, then settle it in the arena."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice.
They saw a blond man in his thirties sitting not far away.
"It's Nine-Star Swordsman Arthur!!"
Seeing this man, everyone gasped in surprise.
Qi Yan also looked at him. A Nine-Star Swordsman, according to the Guild Master, was equivalent to an S-Class Mage in the Guild.
"Arthur, I didn't expect you to be here too."
Soon, another young man walked over.
"It's Nine-Star Swordsman Clay!"
The crowd gasped again.
Arthur glanced at the other person: "Clay, you're here too, aren't you?"
"Of course. This is a tournament hosted by His Majesty the King. The prize money is secondary; becoming the strongest Swordsman in Ishgar is an unparalleled honor for us."
At this moment, the arena administrator walked over.
"Group A's battles will begin shortly. Group A participants, please enter the arena."
Clay stood up and said, "It's my turn to enter. Arthur, I hope to see you in the final."
Arthur snorted: "Hmph! That's if you can even make it to the final."
Qi Yan glanced at his number plate, which had a 'D' written on it. This meant he was in Group D.
Then Qi Yan also glanced at Erza's, which had a 'B'. That meant she was in Group B.
He wondered what format this tournament would take.
Soon, a magic screen appeared in the contestant's lounge.
The screen projected the situation in the arena.
"Next up is the Group A battle!"
"The rules of this tournament are simple."
"Over 100 contestants will engage in a survival competition in the arena, where only the fittest survive!"
"Only the last one standing will advance to the next round!!"
"What?!"
"So, only four people can advance to the next round?"
"This is too cruel!" ...Many people in the lounge changed their expressions. They had planned to show off their strength to the audience, and even if they weren't the final champion, they could still gain many fans. They hadn't expected only four people to remain.
"Now, Round One, Group A showdown, begin—!!!"
Dong—!!!
With the sound of a gong, everyone in the arena began to fight.
The weakest participants in the tournament were Five-Star Swordsmen, who were usually highly respected individuals. But here, they were merely at the bottom.
One by one, Five-Star Swordsmen were defeated like mere fodder.
In a blink of an eye, most of the battlefield was cleared, with at least Seven-Star and Eight-Star Swordsmen remaining.
At this moment, Nine-Star Swordsman Clay said, "Hmph! Boring! All of you, get out!"
Saying this, he also moved swiftly, his entire body enveloped in lightning. In a flash, he struck down the Eight-Star Swordsman closest to him.
"It's Nine-Star Swordsman Clay!!"
The audience in the stands became excited when they saw him make his move.
Qi Yan was also surprised. The opponent should be a lightning-attribute Mage, capable of using lightning magic to greatly enhance his strength and speed. Combined with his superb swordsmanship, his power was formidable, definitely S-Class. Even ordinary S-Class Mages might not be his match, as his speed was simply too fast.
This world was indeed much larger than what he had seen in anime.
Erza's expression also became serious when she saw Clay. She did have armor specifically for lightning-attribute Mages, but this was a swordsmanship competition. If she used her armor and won, it would be an unfair victory.
In a short while, everyone in the arena had fallen, and only the Nine-Star Swordsman Clay remained standing.
"Oh, oh, oh! The winner has been decided!!"
"The winner of Group A is the pride of our Sobeya Kingdom! The Nine-Star Swordsman, 'Thunder Sword' Clay!!!"
"Strong! Unbelievably strong!!"
"Clay! Clay! Clay!" ...The audience in the stands all shouted Clay's name. Clay waved in acknowledgment, which made many girls in the audience shout even louder.
Soon, all the injured people on the field were carried off for treatment, and the arena was cleared again.
"Next up is Group B! Contestants, please enter the arena!!"
Erza stood up and walked towards the entrance.
"Erza is about to make her appearance."