Chapter 760: Feng Ye's Sword Strike
Chapter 760: Feng Ye's Sword Strike
"Impressive aura. It's indeed challenging to face the two of you at the same time," said Hotaru, standing tall with a Japanese longsword in her hand. Her graceful posture and elegant words gave her an air of sophistication.
Her words caused Erza to pause slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. Then, realizing something, she glanced to the side and saw Feng Ye ascending the stairs step by step.
Feng Ye looked up, then turned to Erza and said calmly, "Go on ahead, Erza. The enemy above is a perfect match for your training."
Due to his interference, Erza and Jellal had barely interacted up to this point, and they didn't even know each other.
Suggesting that Erza face Jellal wasn't out of any ill will or desire to pit a potential love interest against him; it was simply that Jellal was a suitable opponent for her to hone her skills.
"Feng Ye..." Erza looked at him.
Feng Ye nodded slightly and added, "The enemy above is one of the Ten Wizard Saints. Your strength is only a hair's breadth away from their level. What you lack is the will, and he is the perfect adversary for you."
Because of his interference, Erza's strength had almost reached the pinnacle of an S-class wizard, barely a step away from the level of the Ten Wizard Saints. While Jellal wasn't the weakest among them, he hadn't attained the power of the Four Kings yet, and his strength was still on par with a regular member of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Feng Ye didn't particularly care how strong Erza could become. With just a bit of the life energy he could bestow upon her, she could transcend and become mightier than a phoenix.
But such growth held no appeal for him.
He had watched Erza grow from a little girl, and every step of her progress was worth witnessing. The journey of growth was the most important thing.
"Alright!" Erza's eyes sparkled with determination upon hearing Feng Ye's words. Without much hesitation, she proceeded up the stairs next to them, heading for the top of the Tower of Heaven.
Hotaru made no attempt to stop her because she knew that even with her abilities, it would be impossible to hold off both the Queen of Fairies and Fairy's Night at the same time, especially the latter. According to the information she had gathered, this man's strength was unfathomable!
"I never expected to encounter the legendary Fairy's Night, said to be no weaker than the Ten Wizard Saints, in this place. My respects to you, sir," Hotaru said, maintaining her elegant smile as she addressed Feng Ye.
Technically, she wasn't a wizard but a swordsmaster, or even a pure swordsman. Her discipline was not magic but swordsmanship.
And because she was a swordsman, even knowing that Feng Ye was incredibly powerful and possibly superior to her, she didn't deny her own abilities. She still dared to face him with her sword!
"It's been a while since I've encountered a swordsman," Feng Ye said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. Indeed, it was quite rare to come across a pure swordsman in a world dominated by magic.
Despite the sense of being insurmountable that Feng Ye's tone conveyed, Hotaru didn't feel angry. She gently gripped her sword hilt and drew it out slightly, saying, "I am grateful for this opportunity."
Swish!
As her words fell, a gleam flashed in her eyes, and she stepped forward, her figure crossing paths with Feng Ye's in an instant.
One second...
Two seconds...
Three seconds...
Hotaru slowly straightened her body and looked back, only to see Feng Ye still standing in his original spot, a plain sword appearing in his hand at some point.
It was this sword that had perfectly blocked all of her attacks in that fleeting moment. What she had sensed from Feng Ye in that instant wasn't an overwhelming magical power but a swordsman's sword intent similar to her own!
And compared to her own sword techniques, Feng Ye had barely moved, almost as if he were a towering sword peak piercing the clouds, an insurmountable presence!
"This is... the way of the sword..." Hotaru's eyes widened in utter astonishment, her voice carrying a slight tremor. She had never expected Feng Ye to employ swordsmanship instead of magic.
Hotaru took a deep breath and slowly spoke, her voice steady.
'I can't win!'
Just from that brief exchange, she knew she stood no chance against Feng Ye. The gap between their skills was immense. Feng Ye's swordplay was far beyond hers, and the restrained yet powerful sword intent he exuded filled her with a sense of impending doom, as if she were about to be sliced in two.
Even so, despite the fear that had taken root in her heart, she did not retreat. As a pure swordsman, the opportunity to witness a grander path of the sword far outweighed the importance of victory or defeat, or even life and death.
"Very well."
A hint of appreciation flashed in Feng Ye's eyes.
Had they been in the world of One Piece, he wouldn't have shown such a look, as any swordsman there would be a match for Hotaru's skill.
But here, in the world of Fairy Tail, in a world of magic, to find someone with the determination to pursue the path of the sword was akin to swimming against the tide—an incredibly rare occurrence.
And the fact that this swordsman was a woman, one with grace and charm no less, made it all the more extraordinary, like a tiny gem shining among countless grains of sand.
Feng Ye gripped his sword.
His sword intent coalesced but remained unreleased.
Without any superfluous movements or flashy poses, his sword strike was devoid of any pomp and circumstance. It appeared incredibly plain yet reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship!
Swoosh!!!
In that moment, his sword light brushed past Hotaru's raised sword, sliced through her body, and descended from above, coming to a halt just beneath her.
Hotaru froze, and a silent crack appeared on the blade of her sword. It then broke into two pieces, one of which fell to the ground.
"This is... the path of the sword beyond..."
At that moment, she felt no pain, only awe, joy, and a hint of regret. She slowly closed her eyes.
One second...
Two seconds...
Three seconds...
But the expected pain didn't come.
She blinked, slightly dazed, and slowly opened her eyes, reaching out to touch her body.
Swish!
As she moved, the cherry-colored kimono she wore silently split in two from top to bottom, the hair ornaments and ribbons that held her hair also snapped and slid down to either side.
However, to her surprise, as she felt her body, she found no wounds. From the middle of her forehead down, her skin showed no signs of injury, nor did she feel any pain or see any blood flowing.
"How could this be..."
Her eyes widened in confusion as she looked forward, but Feng Ye's figure had already disappeared, as if he had left immediately after delivering that strike.
She closed her eyes slightly, her mind racing as she recalled the strike she had just received, and finally, a look of shock appeared on her face.
Feng Ye's sword had cut through her sword, sliced through her clothes, and had truly pierced her body, from top to bottom.
Yet, that strike had caused her no harm!
No, to be precise, Feng Ye's sword had passed through the very gaps between her cells, cutting through her body without damaging any of its fundamental structures.
If not for the fact that her sword had broken and her clothes and hair ribbons had split in two, she might not have even realized she had been cut!
To pierce the body and then withdraw without leaving a trace...
Such swordsmanship, such a path of the sword...
It was a divine technique!
As this realization struck her, Hotaru's mind went blank. This was a level of swordsmanship that she couldn't even begin to comprehend. The man's swordplay had reached such incredible heights!
(End of Chapter)
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