[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 86
As Zeke returned to the waiting room, Farel exclaimed excitedly,
"Sir Zeke! The semifinals! Just two more wins and you'll be the champion!"
Zeke nodded at Farel's words.
"It's all thanks to you, Sir Farel."
Smiling, Zeke looked at Felix and Liam, who were slumped next to him.
"Why are you both acting like that?"
He understood why Liam was gloomy after losing to Reina, but he couldn't understand why Felix, who had advanced to the semifinals, was also acting that way.
Felix looked up at Zeke and said,
"Ugh... Master, my next opponent is Elin Sabrina. How can I fight someone who was almost on par with the Master?"
Felix groaned about having to face Elin.
Zeke smacked Felix hard on the back.
"Ouch! Master, your hand seems to be getting spicier day by day!"
Zeke clicked his tongue and said to Felix,
"Go and show them all your skills. If you do it half-heartedly, it's closed-door training for you."
Felix jumped at Zeke's words.
"No! Senior Liam lost, but you're not making him do closed-door training! You're only making me do it! Master, aren't you being too biased?!"
Felix, who received another smack on the back instead of an answer from Zeke, writhed in pain.
After the designated break time, Zeke and Felix went back to the arena.
The semifinals were about to begin.
The first match of the semifinals was between Zeke and Reina.
Zeke and Reina faced each other in the arena, swords in hand.
The cheers were tremendous as the two entered the arena.
The standard-bearers of the Turunn family beat a huge drum and cheered for Reina.
In response, the Agamemnon and Graham families frantically waved their Clan banners, praying for Zeke's victory.
Zeke looked at Reina and said,
"It's the first time since we faced each other in the Cradle evaluation."
Zeke had surpassed Reina many times over since then.
The continent's youngest Blue Knight and the youngest graduate of Valhalla.
Reina silently gripped her sword and pointed it at Zeke.
Zeke also drew Bahamut and pointed it at Reina.
As soon as the match started, Reina charged towards Zeke.
Whoosh!
Using her tremendous elasticity, Reina swung her sword at Zeke like a flash of lightning.
Clang!
Reina's sword and Zeke's sword clashed, sparks flying.
"Haaaa!"
Reina unleashed a fierce attack on Zeke, exuding tremendous spirit.
Even without using Aura, the force of each sword strike was enough to shake the surrounding air.
Zeke calmly parried Reina's sword and defended firmly.
He deflected her powerful downward strikes, sometimes softly, sometimes strongly, and counterattacked whenever he saw an opening.
Whoosh!
As Zeke's sword flew towards her side, Reina jumped back and retreated.
Zeke didn't miss the opportunity.
Dragon Slayer Art, Applied Form
Gale Force
Atmosphere Splitter
Zeke's Gale Force unfolded towards Reina.
Reina gritted her teeth and also unleashed an Applied Form.
Turunn Style Dragon Slayer Art
Counter Skill
Bull Horn Breaker
After deflecting Zeke's Atmosphere Splitter with all her might using a two-handed sword technique, Reina rotated her body and immediately swung her sword towards Zeke.
It was an application of the Dragon Slayer Art, mimicking the counterattack of deflecting a charging bull's horns and immediately digging inside to pierce the bull's heart.
Zeke's body momentarily flickered at Reina's powerful counterattack.
Gale Force
Phantom Step
Shapeshifting
It was an upgraded version of the high-speed movement skill he had acquired before.
As Shapeshifting unfolded, Zeke's figure disappeared, leaving only an afterimage, and Reina's sword cut through empty air.
'W-where?'
Even as Reina looked around, Zeke was nowhere to be seen.
At that moment, Zeke's shadow loomed over her.
Reina hurriedly raised her sword to block Zeke's attack.
Crash!
However, Zeke didn't strike Reina with his sword and simply descended.
As a result, Reina's sword, raised above her head, stopped in mid-air.
Zeke, crouching low to the ground, exploited her opening.
Lowering his stance, he pointed Bahamut at Reina's exposed neck.
It was a complete defeat for Reina.
"Zeke Draker wins!"
Reina failed to surpass Zeke once again.
She lowered her sword, looked at Zeke, and said,
"Next time, I will definitely not lose."
She sheathed her sword and walked down from the arena with dignity.
Zeke grinned as he watched Reina.
'Just like the Flash Knight. Perhaps she'll become even stronger than in my past life.'
Amidst thunderous applause, Zeke descended from the arena.
And soon, the next match began.
Felix went up to the arena with a mournful expression.
Helen was looking not at Felix, but at Zeke, who was sitting in the waiting area behind him.
Seeing Helen's gaze directed at him, Zeke inwardly chuckled.
'Now's not the time to be looking at me.'
Despite always nagging Felix, his potential was extraordinary.
If he could use Aura, it would be difficult for him to last more than ten seconds against Helen, but with only swordsmanship, an unexpected result could occur.
"Felix Valencia! Elin Sabrina!"
The two pointed their swords at each other and prepared for the duel.
The gong signaling the start of the match rang out.
That was when it happened.
Surprisingly, Felix was the first to charge towards Helen.
Whoosh!
Helen, who hadn't paid much attention to Felix's skills, was taken aback by the sudden sharp sword strike and hurriedly swung her sword.
Clang!
Helen was surprised by the unexpectedly heavy blow.
Felix's swordsmanship, which she had seen in the previous quarterfinal match, was fundamentally sound.
However, she had thought he wouldn't be able to use it properly against her.
But after actually clashing swords with him, her thoughts changed.
'If that had landed properly, my wrist might have been injured.'
She had only been thinking about her match with Zeke and assumed she would easily defeat Felix. Helen corrected her posture after the unexpectedly strong attack.
At the same time, Helen's atmosphere changed.
Seeing Helen's stance, reminiscent of a solid steel wall, Felix also pulled his sword towards his chest and regulated his breathing.
Both Felix and Helen were skilled in orthodox swordsmanship, so their balance between offense and defense was excellent.
This time, Helen was the first to strike.
Whoosh!
A heavy sword strike flew low towards Felix's lower body.
Felix, without breaking his basic stance, shifted his position clockwise, dodging Helen's attack, and charged forward, swinging his sword.
As expected, it was a clean movement, like something out of a textbook.
Zeke could sense traces of the Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship in Felix's swordsmanship.
'He may have complained, but he properly absorbed the elders' techniques.'
Helen regained her stance and parried Felix's sword strike.
Both Felix and Helen's wrists throbbed from the intense impact.
"Huff..."
Felix caught his breath and regained his stance.
Helen frowned as she saw Felix's stance, which was as solid as her own defense.
'Now I understand a little how my opponents must have felt.'
A sharp counterattack was hidden within the seemingly monotonous defense.
If she recklessly charged in, her attack was likely to be blocked, and she would be vulnerable to a counterattack.
If she could use Aura, she could break through that defense with her Steel Technique, but it seemed difficult with only swordsmanship.
Helen also held her sword and regulated her breathing.
'I myself shall become a strong steel sword that pierces through walls.'
Zeke, who was watching this, was surprised.
'Helen Draker is already aiming for the realm of Sword-Body Unity?'
Becoming one with the sword meant opening the gateway to ascend from Blue Knight to Red Knight.
Helen tried to break through Felix's defense by becoming a steel sword herself.
Her body shot forward in an instant.
Whoosh!
It was as if a giant sword was flying towards Felix.
Felix concentrated and extended his sword towards Helen.
Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship
Counter Skill
Rainbow Reflection
It was the most powerful counter skill he had learned from the elders of the Agamemnon clan.
Seeing Felix's sword deflecting her own and pushing through, Helen gritted her teeth and unleashed a counter skill.
Dragon Slayer Art, Applied Form
Steel Technique
Armor Overturn
Clang!
A counter to a counter.
"Cough!"
There was no time to control his strength. In the end, Helen's sword struck Felix's side.
Felix collapsed, bleeding, still gripping his sword.
The paramedics outside the arena quickly rushed up.
They immediately poured the potion they were carrying onto Felix's wound.
Sizzle!
Thanks to the highly effective potion, the wound inflicted by Helen's sword quickly foamed and healed.
Helen felt her hand holding the sword trembling as she looked at the fallen Felix.
'If I had made even a small mistake, I would have been the one who fell.'
That's how sharp Felix's counterattack was.
Felix was soon carried out by the paramedics, and Helen became the victor of the semifinal match.
Even though the match was over, the arena was filled with cheers calling out Elin and Felix's names.
"Elin! Elin!"
"Felix! Felix!"
The audience was moved by the incredible match the two had shown.
Gareth stepped onto the heated arena.
He shouted towards the audience, "The final match of the Draker martial arts tournament will be held next week at the Grand Stadium!"
The Grand Stadium, which hosted the final match of the Draker martial arts tournament every year, was filled with not only key figures from the Draker blood alliance clans but also thousands of spectators.
Gareth pointed at Zeke and Helen and called them up to the arena.
He pointed at Zeke first.
"Zeke Draker!"
As soon as he called out his name, cheers erupted from the families supporting Zeke.
Then, Gareth pointed at Helen.
"Elin Sab..."
At that moment, she raised her hand and stopped Gareth from speaking.
She stepped forward and shouted to the audience in the arena,
"My name is not Elin Sabrina."
The audience began to stir at her sudden words.
She spoke again.
"My name is Helen Draker. I am one of the pure-blooded Awakened of the Draker clan, a member of the direct bloodline, and one of the Blue Knights of Draker."
One of the spectators stood up and shouted,
"Helen Draker! The Steel Knight!"
"Oh my god, you mean the Steel Knight who wiped out all the outlaws in the central region?"
"The Steel Knight, famous for not revealing her face, appeared in the martial arts tournament!"
The audience buzzed with excitement at the appearance of Helen Drake.
She drew her sword and shouted,
"I, Helen Draker, will put all my effort into the duel with Zeke Draker in the Draker martial arts tournament. To this end, I ask that you reconsider the rule prohibiting the use of Aura in the final match!"
The audience cheered at Helen Draker's words.
It didn't make sense to prohibit Aura in a duel between two pure-blooded Drakers who shook the continent.
Zeke inwardly admired Helen as he looked at her.
'Huh, I thought she was just a rigid practitioner, but I didn't know the Steel Knight had this side to her.'
After Cali died in his past life, Helen was the one who succeeded her.
She had the qualities of a politician hidden within her, which even she herself didn't know.
The audience shouted at Gareth,
"Allow Aura! Allow Aura!"
"Give the Aura prohibition to the monsters!"
As the atmosphere heated up, an urgent meeting was held by the organizers of the martial arts tournament.
The rule was created to give Edward Siemens an advantage, and since he was eliminated, there was no need to maintain the Aura prohibition rule. The committee decided to follow public opinion.
Gareth, receiving the news from the committee, nodded and made an announcement.
"The use of Aura will be allowed in the final match!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Zeke and Helen exchanged sharp glances.
"It won't be easy."
"I'm looking forward to it."
The semifinals ended with the audience's fervent enthusiasm.
And there were those who quietly watched all this from the corner of the arena.
"So, who do you think will win, Arthur?"
Duke asked Arthur Draker, who was deeply buried in his robe.
Arthur rose from his seat and said,
"It doesn't matter who wins. Only the one who wins matters."
Duke clicked his tongue as he watched Arthur walk away.
"The corners of his mouth are twitching, he's happy as can be, but he's putting on an act."
Duke grinned as he looked at Zeke in the arena and then followed Arthur.
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]