Everyone in the arena cheered for the Sword God.
The number of people cheering for Clay was negligible, their voices drowned out by the waves of shouts for the Sword God.
"Hey! You bastard, don't just give people nicknames!"
Originally, he thought his 'Thunder Sword' Clay was quite cool, but compared to the opponent's God of Swordsmanship, it seemed too petty. Comparisons are truly infuriating.
He usually loved to be in the spotlight, but this guy named Tsugikuni Yoriichi actually stole all his thunder.
Unforgivable!
He had to teach this guy a good lesson.
Let these guys know who was the strongest.
"Now, please welcome both contestants to the stage!"
Qi Yan and Clay both stepped into the arena.
Boom—!
After Qi Yan appeared, the venue erupted in cheers once again.
Watching the crowd cheer for him, a special feeling welled up in Qi Yan's heart.
"Is this what it feels like to be a star? No wonder those people fight tooth and nail to become celebrities. It really does feel good!"
"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 now. Once I start fighting, it's very hard for me to hold back."
Qi Yan looked at Clay and said, "Your talent is good. Lightning 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 magic gives you; properly hone your swordsmanship instead."
Being lectured by Qi Yan in public made Clay blush: "Mind your own business! If you want to lecture me, do it after you've defeated me!"
"Semifinals, second match!"
"Nine-Star Swordsman 'Thunder Sword' Clay VS God of Swordsmanship Tsugikuni Yoriichi!"
"Now~~~!"
"Begin—!!!"
Clang—————!
The gong sounded, officially starting the match.
Crackling—!
Clay's body moved swiftly around Qi Yan, creating streaks of afterimages around Qi Yan.
"So fast—!"
The audience saw Clay's speed was so fast that so many afterimages appeared, making it impossible to distinguish where his true body was.
"There it is!"
"Clay's Lightning Clones!"
"Clay's speed is so fast it's creating clones, making it hard to tell. We don't know where Clay will launch his attack from."
"See? This is my speed! Speed is power!"
"Transparent World!"
Qi Yan activated the Transparent World. In an instant, the entire world seemed to slow down, and Clay's extremely fast speed became incredibly clear in Qi Yan's eyes.
He could even clearly see Clay's blood vessels, the muscles moving on his body, and the fluctuations of his heartbeat.
Qi Yan saw Clay's heart rapidly fluctuating and his body's muscles beginning to change. Qi Yan knew the opponent was about to launch an attack, so he tightened his grip on the sword in his hand.
At this moment, Clay's figure appeared behind Qi Yan, preparing to attack from Qi Yan's blind spot. Even if the opponent reacted quickly, he definitely wouldn't have time to strike.
"It's over!!!"
Clay rushed towards Qi Yan, but just as he was about to approach Qi Yan, he felt a great terror.
All the hairs on his body trembled, and his body instinctively stopped abruptly, like a startled rabbit. He rapidly retreated, eventually pressing himself against the inner wall of the arena.
"Huh? Why did Clay retreat?"
"Yeah! Wasn't that a good time to attack? Why retreat?!"
"Was he scared off by just a glance from the opponent?!" ... The audience was utterly confused by this scene.
Erza and Arthur also couldn't figure out what had happened.
Clay, however, was drenched in cold sweat, his face filled with horror. The instant he was about to make his move, he felt immense 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 had just seen a vision of his own neck being severed, an incredibly realistic image, and a phantom pain still lingered in his neck.
"What kind of monster are you!!!"
Clay frantically shouted at Qi Yan.
This left everyone present a bit bewildered, unsure why Clay was acting crazy. Qi Yan was clearly standing there, doing nothing.
But the panic-stricken expression on Clay's face didn't seem fake at all. Had something they didn't know about really happened just now?
"Such keen intuition!"
Qi Yan praised. The instant Clay prepared to attack Qi Yan, several counter-strategies flashed through Qi Yan's mind. The simplest and most habitual one was to sever the opponent's neck.
Because besides sunlight, the only way to kill a demon is to sever its neck.
As a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tsugikuni Yoriichi's swordsmanship was almost entirely related to slaying demons.
The killing intent generated by just a glance almost scared Clay out of his wits.
However, Clay was a Nine-Star Swordsman after all, having experienced countless battles, and he quickly regained his composure.
But the calmer he became, the more he felt the terror of the man before him.
He merely stood there, seemingly full of openings, but every time Clay mentally rehearsed an attack, a single glance from Qi Yan made him experience the illusion of his neck being severed again.
Once, twice, thrice... Clay tried several times in his mind, but each time his neck was severed in a single move.
This constant beheading made Clay want to go mad. Was this bastard a pervert with some special fetish? Why always cut his neck? Couldn't he cut an arm or a leg or something?
Meanwhile, everyone in the audience was completely bewildered.
They couldn't understand what was happening in the arena. Weren't these two supposed to decide a winner? Why was one standing still while the other ran around everywhere?
And Clay's gaze at Qi Yan was as if he had seen some terrifying monster.
Soon, the commentator provided an explanation.
"Perhaps everyone doesn't quite understand the current situation. Swordsman Clay was just about to attack, but he was stopped by Mr. Tsugikuni Yoriichi's gaze."
"Swordsman Clay tried to find an opening in Mr. Tsugikuni Yoriichi. Every time he was about to strike, Mr. Tsugikuni Yoriichi saw through it and prepared to counter. Mr. Tsugikuni Yoriichi is impeccable. In this ideological clash, Mr. Clay was defeated every time, which is why Mr. Clay is scurrying around like a startled rabbit. In a match between masters, often a single glance can decide the outcome."
Hearing the commentator's explanation, everyone finally understood. So that's what was happening.
"You bastard! I don't need you to explain!"
Clay shouted furiously at the commentator.