[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
Chapter 87
The Grand Stadium, one of the landmarks symbolizing Atlas.
Thousands of people flocked to this place.
They were spectators who came to see the final match of the Draker martial arts tournament.
This final match, in particular, attracted attention from all over the continent, as it was a duel between pure-blooded Awakened Drakers and those who had achieved the rank of Blue Knight.
Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker clan, appeared in the stadium filled with thousands of spectators.
He shouted to the audience,
"We will now begin the final match of the Draker martial arts tournament!"
Tremendous cheers erupted, and brilliant lights illuminated the arena.
At the same time, Zeke Draker and Helen Draker entered the arena.
Zeke wore light armor, while Helen wore heavier-looking armor.
What was unusual was Helen's sword.
She was carrying a long, massive sword on her back.
The audience murmured as they saw Helen's armament.
"Is that the famous Dragon Buster of the Steel Knight?"
The promotion gift Helen received from the head of the clan when she became a Blue Knight was the Dragon Buster.
Made from dragon bone from the blade to the hilt, it was shaped more like a Japanese sword than a typical Western sword.
Heavy armor and a sword as massive as an adult's body.
It was no wonder her title was Steel Knight.
Arthur Draker descended from the arena, and Zeke and Helen faced each other.
Zeke drew Bahamut, and Helen drew the Dragon Buster.
The tension between the two was palpable, even reaching the audience.
Soon, the gong signaling the start of the match rang out.
Clang!
Simultaneously, Zeke and Helen swung their swords.
Crash!
Instead of the sound of swords clashing, it sounded like an explosion.
Zeke and Helen gritted their teeth, their swords locked, and glared at each other.
Crack!
The floor of the arena cracked from the sheer force of their struggle.
Clang!
A moment later, they both deflected each other's swords and jumped back.
Zeke tightly gripped Bahamut and assumed the starting stance of the Dragon Slaying Art.
Dragon Slaying Art, True Dragon Sword Art
Chapter 3, Verse 2
Half Moon Slash
A half-moon-shaped Aura flew from Zeke's sword.
Helen held the Dragon Buster vertically and met the half-moon attack head-on.
Crash!
The half-moon Zeke launched was neutralized.
It seemed the Dragon Buster served not only as a sword but also as a shield.
'As expected, her defense is solid.'
Zeke changed his stance and unleashed Gale Force Technique.
Dragon Slaying Art, Applied Form
Gale Force Technique
Wind Control
Zeke started circling Helen at high speed.
Combined with the Phantom Step, it looked as if multiple Zekes were surrounding Helen.
Helen closed her eyes, holding the Dragon Buster.
Then, she held the Dragon Buster horizontally and shouted.
"Haaaa!"
There was no technique or anything.
She simply swung the Dragon Buster and cut through Zeke's afterimages.
Crash!
The surroundings were instantly devastated.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Zeke leaped onto the Dragon Buster and dashed towards Helen.
Swish!
Zeke swung his sword at Helen.
Helen let go of the Dragon Buster, drew the arming sword she was wearing at her waist, and blocked Zeke's attack.
Clang!
After blocking Zeke's attack, Helen lowered her stance, picked up the Dragon Buster again, and swung it.
Whoosh!
A strange sound echoed as the Dragon Buster tore through the air with its power.
Screech!
Zeke leaped into the air and dodged the Dragon Buster's attack.
As the two faced each other from a distance, the audience, who had been holding their breath, finally erupted in cheers.
"Zeke! Zeke!"
"Helen! Helen!"
From the Agamemnon clan, Rufus Agamemnon, the clan elders, and even the head maid came to cheer for Zeke.
"The true successor of Agamemnon! Zeke Draker!"
Zeke pointed Bahamut at Helen.
'Her defense is solid. I need to shake her up a bit.'
Zeke's stance changed.
He took the stance of the Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship instead of the Dragon Slaying Art.
The Agamemnon clan, recognizing this, waved their banners even more vigorously in support.
Zeke charged towards Helen with his sword raised.
Whoosh!
As Zeke thrust forward like a lance, Helen tried to block his attack by holding the Dragon Buster to the side.
Whoosh!
But Zeke suddenly changed direction mid-charge.
He shifted his stance and launched a high kick towards Helen's head.
Bang!
Helen barely managed to turn her body and avoid the kick, but the shoulder plate of her armor was sent flying.
A knight's body, strengthened by Aura, was no different from a weapon.
Even a kick could inflict a fatal wound.
Helen caught her breath, disrupted by Zeke's unorthodox attack.
'Zeke, you're truly strong.'
She hadn't expected to be pushed back this much by her younger brother.
After catching her breath, she gripped the Dragon Buster and gathered her strength.
Woooong!
A clear Aura rose from Helen's body.
The Aura enveloped the Dragon Buster, and soon an Aura Blade was formed.
Seeing this, Zeke also activated an Aura Blade on Bahamut.
The two, having created clear, blue Aura Blades, simultaneously leaped into the air.
Flash!
Blue light filled the air of the arena.
Woooong!
Clang!
Flash!
The Aura Blades clashed, creating a loud impact and shockwaves.
The two, who had been engaged in aerial combat, landed back on the arena floor.
Immediately, they charged towards each other and clashed swords again.
Woooong!
Crash!
A powerful vibration and shockwaves tore through the arena floor.
Crash!
Thanks to the defensive barrier installed around the audience, the shockwaves were neutralized and dispersed, but the audience could still feel the intensity of the clash.
Zeke and Helen stood on the devastated arena floor, pointing their swords at each other.
However, unlike Zeke, Helen was breathing heavily.
"Huff... Huff..."
A prolonged battle against Zeke, who had infinite stamina, was meaningless.
Helen also noticed that Zeke's stamina was far superior to hers.
'Unbelievable.'
But this was reality.
Helen realized it was time to make her final gambit.
She gripped the Dragon Buster and raised her energy.
Woooong!
The Dragon Buster vibrated intensely.
Zeke also noticed that Helen was about to make her final move.
He also assumed the stance of the Dragon Slaying Art.
Woooong!
An immense tension filled the air between the two.
That was when it happened.
Helen raised the Dragon Buster high and swung it towards Zeke.
Dragon Slaying Art, Applied Form
Steel Technique
Wall Splitter
Terakan Draker, the founder of the Draker clan, was said to have split a giant wall in two with a single sword strike.
As if replicating the legendary Terakan Draker, a powerful energy surged towards Zeke like a tsunami, threatening to split the wall.
Zeke took a stance towards Helen's Wall Splitter and swung his sword horizontally.
True Dragon Sword Art Secret Technique
Tri-Junction Form
Great Roc Rising from the Water
Whoosh!
A massive energy in the shape of a bird emanated from Zeke's sword.
The energy split Helen's Steel Technique, which was surging like a tsunami.
As if it still had power left, the energy extended towards Helen, who was holding her sword.
Crack!
"Ugh!"
Helen tried to block Zeke's True Dragon Sword Art with the Dragon Buster.
But Helen, already exhausted from using Wall Splitter, couldn't hold on any longer.
That was when it happened.
Woooong!
Zeke charged towards Helen with Bahamut raised.
He leaped into the air and unleashed the Dragon Slaying Art.
Dragon Slaying Art, True Dragon Sword Art
Chapter 8, Verse 2
Dragon Scale Thrust
The technique that pierced through all ten iron plates was unleashed towards Helen.
Crash!
The arena was devastated, and a cloud of dust rose.
The audience stood up in surprise.
"W-what happened?"
A moment later, the dust settled, and the scene in the arena was revealed.
Zeke was pointing his sword at the fallen Helen.
It was Zeke Draker's victory.
Clang!
The gong signaling the end of the match rang out.
At the same time, cheers erupted from the audience.
Rufus Agamemnon and the elders shed tears of joy.
Zeke extended his hand towards the fallen Helen.
Helen took Zeke's hand and stood up.
"I lost."
"I was just lucky."
Helen knew better than anyone that it wasn't just luck.
She said to Zeke,
"Cali Draker said she has something to tell you, so she'll be looking for you soon."
Leaving those words behind, Helen briefly greeted the audience and left the arena.
The audience cheered for Helen, who, despite losing, had shown incredible skill.
She had proven her strength worthy of the title Steel Knight, and the cheers were well-deserved.
A moment later, Arthur Draker entered the arena.
He stood next to Zeke and spoke to the audience.
"The winner of this year's Draker martial arts tournament is Zeke Draker!"
The arena was filled with cheers and excitement.
Arthur personally placed the winner's medal around Zeke's neck.
He held Zeke's shoulder and said,
"You carried out the mission splendidly."
"I simply followed your orders, sir."
Arthur chuckled at Zeke's words.
Although he was the head of the Draker clan, who held sway over the continent, he found it difficult to grasp his youngest son's inner thoughts, as Zeke always remained calm and unafraid of him.
Arthur said to Zeke,
"There are various privileges for the winner of the Draker martial arts tournament. I'll give them to you later, but as a father, I want to give a gift to my proud son. Is there anything you want?"
Zeke looked at Arthur and said without hesitation,
"I want to hear about my mother."
Arthur's expression subtly changed at Zeke's words.
"Your mother... Did you hear something from the Agamemnon clan?"
"I heard less than I didn't hear. That's why I want to hear it from you, sir."
"I'm curious why you want that out of all the many gifts you could have."
Zeke looked at Arthur and replied,
"I want to know about the prophecy of my mother, who was an Irregular."
Arthur's expression hardened slightly at those words.
After a moment of silence, Arthur nodded and said to Zeke,
"Laura often surprised me, just like you. There's rarely anything in life that hasn't gone my way, but Laura was the only one I could never control."
He looked at Zeke and said,
"Come to Four Seasons Castle. There's something I want to show you."
Zeke nodded at Arthur's words.
Arthur smiled at Zeke and said,
"Hold up your medal and smile. That's the only way this tournament, which cost thousands of gold, will have meaning."
Following Arthur's words, Zeke held up his medal and waved to the audience.
The audience chanted Zeke's name and cheered.
It was a warm gaze and response that he had never experienced in his previous life.
***
"So Zeke won in the end."
Abel said to William while sipping his black tea.
William said with a displeased expression,
"That incompetent Edward only brought shame to the clan."
William was greatly dissatisfied with Edward being knocked out by Zeke in one blow.
Abel put down his teacup and said with a smile,
"He'll become stronger once he receives the baptism anyway, so why are you so dissatisfied?"
William shook his head.
"Edward, that guy is hopeless. I'd rather have the youngest. At least he knows how to use his head."
Abel chuckled and said,
"By the way, how is the guardian knight matter going, William?"
William changed his expression and slowly spoke.
"It seems Cali Draker's side is continuing to persuade the elders. They're desperately trying to prevent you from receiving the guardian knight position."
"Can't we bring it to a vote now?"
"We're still about two votes short. There are many elders who claim neutrality, so we need to secure two more votes to safely put you in the position."
Abel tapped the table with his finger.
"Two votes... William, I'm tired of waiting. You know how long I've waited for this moment."
William nodded at Abel's words.
William said to Abel,
"If only the guardian knight matter and the Karus matter are resolved, things will go your way. Just be patient a little longer."
Abel slowly rose from his seat.
He looked at William with madness-filled eyes and said,
"I'm counting on it. But keep in mind, if the wait gets any longer, you'll have to be prepared as well."
With those words, Abel entered the torture chamber.
Soon, terrible screams leaked from the torture chamber.
Torture inflicted not to obtain information, but simply for pleasure.
William broke out in a cold sweat as he heard the screams leaking from the torture chamber.
The Knight of Slaughter was becoming a terrifying monster that didn't belong in this world.
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]