The Gap in Realms

The battle had already entered its most intense phase.

Erza pushed both her focus and magic power to their limits. Fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, and her crimson hair had long since been drenched, clinging to her cheeks. She controlled dozens of flying swords as if they were extensions of her own arms, launching an endless assault on Zoro from every conceivable angle.

Yet the more she attacked, the greater the shock in her heart became.

His defense was like a perfect circle, flawless and impenetrable.

The speed she had always taken pride in seemed laughable before his instinctive reactions.

The slashes she imbued with immense magic power were like a child's punches against his pure, heavy blocks.

She could clearly feel that every one of his blocks did more than merely stop her attacks. The force transmitted through that half of a blade was as heavy as a mountain. Every collision violently shook her magic power, and even controlling the flying swords was becoming difficult.

What terrified her even more was his Sword Intent.

It was neither killing intent nor fighting spirit, but something purer, something that stood above everything else: Sword Intent. It was an absolute confidence that declared, "As long as I stand here, nothing shall pass." Before that will, her swords, her magic, and all her pride seemed so insignificant.

Finally, after a fierce collision, one of the longswords Erza used as her main weapon let out a mournful cry under the terrifying recoil, and a fine crack appeared along its blade!

"Crack..."

That faint sound of breaking was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, leaving a tiny opening in Erza's mind.

And Zoro precisely seized that instant of weakness.

"It's over."

He said it calmly.

His body, which had remained still all this time, finally took a step forward.

The half of Wado Ichimonji in his reversed left-hand grip no longer blocked. Instead, it slipped through a gap in the sword net along an unfathomably elegant trajectory, aiming straight at Erza herself!

The strike was so fast that Erza had no time to react at all!

She only saw a snow-bright flash expanding endlessly before her eyes. She could even feel the icy chill of the blade, as though it were about to cut through her armor and touch her skin.

The shadow of death enveloped her in an instant.

Yet the excruciating pain she had expected never came.

The snow-bright blade stopped abruptly less than a centimeter from her throat.

The fierce sword energy stirred the hair before her forehead, but the blade itself remained as steady as a mountain, utterly motionless.

With Zoro's thrust, the flying swords filling the sky seemed to lose all power. They clattered to the ground, turning back into pure motes of magic light and vanishing into the air.

The entire world seemed to fall silent once more.

Erza stared blankly at the blade so close to her, then at the calm, deep-pool-like single eye behind it. Her body trembled slightly from lingering fear.

She had lost.

She had lost completely, without the slightest suspense.

From beginning to end, he had used only one hand and half a blade. He had barely moved a few steps, yet he had thoroughly defeated one of her strongest armor forms.

This was no longer a gap in technique. It was a chasm-like gap in realm.

Zoro slowly withdrew Wado Ichimonji and sheathed it completely. Looking at the red-haired woman before him, defeated yet still filled with defiance, he gave a rare appraisal:

"Your sword is somewhat interesting. It may be a toy, but at least... it's an interesting toy."

Having said that, he seemed to feel that this "warm-up" was over. He yawned again, looked around, and asked the people who had completely turned to stone, "So where exactly is this place? Is there any alcohol?"

Erza took a deep breath, dismissed all her magic power and armor, and returned to her usual outfit. She walked up to Zoro, ignored his question, and gave him a deep bow as she said in a heartfelt, incomparably solemn voice:

"I lost... Your swordsmanship is on a realm far beyond mine. Please forgive my earlier rudeness."

Zoro felt a little uncomfortable at her sudden seriousness. He scratched his head. "Ah... right. So, is there alcohol or not?"