Mifune looked down and, after all the Sword Testers had collected their numbered tags, directly announced, "The sword testing begins."
There were quite a few participants in this tournament. Nearly two hundred smiths had entered the competition, so naturally there were just as many Sword Testers. The plaza was large enough; otherwise, it truly could not have accommodated so many people fighting at once. Without the use of ninjutsu, the plaza would not suffer widespread damage either.
The moment Mifune announced the start, the vast majority of Sword Testers began fighting. They immediately attacked the people beside them, and the clang of metal rang out one after another. The test this kind of melee posed for the blades was obvious. Enemies surrounded you on all sides, and your blade had to clash with others without pause. Even if it was not cut in half, chips were unavoidable. The quality of the blades would quickly become apparent. It had to be said that this was a highly effective method.
Sasuke immediately leapt backward, landing at the edge of the plaza. Any farther back, and he would have run into the armored samurai behind him. His arrival made the armored samurai tense for a moment, but they were not afraid. There was no reason for a Sword Tester to attack them. If anyone truly did so, they would immediately be disqualified and arrested by the Land of Iron. Sasuke stood there to gain a wider view of the battles across the plaza. All the Sword Testers were fighting, competing through their own strength and speed. This was the most chaotic stage. Most people relied on speed, especially the speed of their swings. Once their blades collided, it became a contest of strength. It looked utterly disorderly, but this was the most suitable