Chapter 86
When Zeke returned to the waiting room, Farrell exclaimed excitedly.
“Sir Zeke! You’re in the semifinals. Just two more wins until victory.”
Zeke nodded at Farrell’s words.
“It’s all thanks to you, Sir Farrell.”
Smiling as he answered, Zeke looked at the dejected Felix and Liam beside him.
“Why are you both gloomy?”
While he understood Liam being gloomy after losing to Reina, he couldn’t understand why Felix was acting the same way when he’d advanced to the semifinals.
Felix raised his head and said to Zeke.
“Uhuuh— Master. My next opponent is Elin Sabrina. How can I fight someone who was nearly even with you?”
Felix groaned about having to face Elin.
Zeke hit Felix’s back hard.
“Arghhhh! Master, your palm seems to be getting harsher by the day!”
Zeke clicked his tongue and said to Felix.
“Go show all your skills. If you do it halfheartedly, it’s closed-door training.”
Felix jumped up at Zeke’s words.
“No! Liam lost but doesn’t have to do closed-door training! You’re only making me do it! Master, aren’t you being too biased?!”
Instead of an answer, Felix got another smack on his back from Zeke and writhed in pain.
After the designated break time ended, Zeke and Felix went back to the arena.
The semifinals were about to begin.
The first semifinal match was between Zeke and Reina.
Zeke and Reina faced each other on the arena with their swords raised.
When the two stepped onto the arena, the cheers were tremendous.
The Tourn family’s standard-bearers beat huge drums to cheer for Reina.
In response, the Agamemnon and Graham families frantically waved their family banners to pray for Zeke’s victory.
Zeke spoke while looking at Reina.
‘This is our first match since the cradle evaluation.’
Since then, Zeke had surpassed Reina several times faster.
The youngest Blue Knight appointee and youngest Valhalla graduate in the continent.
Reina silently gripped her sword and pointed it at Zeke.
Zeke also drew Bahamut and pointed it at Reina.
As soon as the match began, Reina charged at Zeke first.
Swoosh!
Using incredible elasticity, Reina swung her sword at Zeke like a flash of light.
Clang!
Sparks flew as Reina’s sword clashed with Zeke’s sword.
“Haaah!”
Reina unleashed a fierce assault on Zeke while emitting tremendous fighting spirit.
Even without using aura, the power of each sword strike was enough to shake the surrounding air.
Zeke calmly deflected Reina’s sword while maintaining solid defense.
He sometimes softly, sometimes forcefully deflected the strongly swinging sword and counterattacked without fail when he saw an opening.
Whoosh!
When Zeke’s sword flew toward her side, Reina leaped back greatly to retreat.
Zeke didn’t miss that opening.
Dragon Slaying Technique
Wind Storm Technique
Wind Slash
Zeke’s Wind Storm Technique unfolded toward Reina.
Reina clenched her teeth and likewise unleashed an application technique.
Tourn Style Dragon Slaying Technique
Counter Technique
Bull Horn Breaking
After deflecting Zeke’s air-splitting sword with all her might using her two-handed sword, Reina rotated her body and immediately swung her sword toward Zeke’s body.
It was an application of the Dragon Slaying Technique that adapted the counter technique of deflecting a charging bull’s horns and immediately diving in to pierce the bull’s heart.
Zeke’s body wavered for a moment at Reina’s powerful counter technique.
Wind Storm Technique
Phantom Step
Shifting Phantom
It was an upgraded version of the high-speed movement skill Zeke had learned before.
As Shifting Phantom unfolded, Zeke’s figure disappeared leaving only afterimages, and Reina’s sword cut empty air futilely.
‘Wh-where?’
Reina couldn’t see Zeke anywhere as she looked around.
That’s when Zeke’s shadow flickered above.
Reina hurriedly raised her sword to block Zeke’s attack.
Crash!
But Zeke descended without striking Reina with his sword.
As a result, Reina’s sword raised above her head stopped in a floating state.
Zeke, who had crouched low to the arena floor, dove into her opening.
Zeke, in his lowered stance, pointed Bahamut at Reina’s exposed neck.
It was Reina’s complete defeat.
“Zeke Draker wins!”
Once again, Reina failed to overcome Zeke.
She lowered her sword and said while looking at Zeke.
“Next time, I absolutely won’t lose.”
She sheathed her sword and walked down from the arena with dignity.
Zeke grinned while watching Reina.
‘Befitting the Flash Knight. She might even become stronger than in her previous life.’
Zeke came down from the arena amidst tremendous cheers.
And immediately the next match began.
Felix went up to the arena looking like death.
Helen was looking not at Felix but at Zeke sitting in the waiting area behind.
Seeing Helen sending gazes his way, Zeke laughed inwardly.
‘This isn’t the time to be looking at me.’
Though he always picked on Felix, his potential was extraordinary.
If they could use aura, it would be difficult to last ten seconds against Helen, but in a sword fight alone, an unexpected result could occur.
“Felix Valencia! Elin Sabrina!”
The two pointed their swords at each other and prepared for battle.
The bell announcing the start of the match rang.
That’s when it happened.
Surprisingly, Felix charged forward towards Helen first.
Whoosh!
Helen, who hadn’t paid much attention to Felix’s skills, was startled by the sudden sharp sword strike and swung her sword.
Clang!
Helen was surprised by the heavier-than-expected sword strike.
She had seen Felix’s sword in the previous quarterfinal match and knew his fundamentals were solid.
But she thought it would be difficult to use effectively against her.
However, after actually clashing swords, her thoughts changed.
‘If I had taken a direct hit, my wrist might have given out.’
She had only been thinking about the battle with Zeke and thought she would easily beat Felix. Helen corrected her stance at the unexpected strong sword.
At the same time, Helen’s demeanor changed.
Felix also pulled his sword towards his chest and steadied his breathing at Helen’s aura that reminded one of a solid steel wall.
Both Felix and Helen used orthodox swordsmanship, so their offense and defense were well-balanced.
This time Helen attacked first.
Whoosh!
A heavy sword strike flew low towards Felix’s lower body.
Felix maintained his basic stance, moved clockwise to avoid Helen’s attack, and swung his sword while rushing forward.
Again, it was a clean movement like one from a Technique.
Zeke could sense traces of Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship in Felix’s sword technique.
‘Though he complained, he properly absorbed the elders’ techniques.’
Helen regained her stance and deflected Felix’s sword strike.
Both Felix and Helen’s wrists ached from the intense rebound force.
“Hoo.”
Felix steadied his breathing and regained his stance.
Helen furrowed her brow seeing Felix’s defense that was as solid as her own.
‘Now I somewhat understand how my previous opponents felt.’
Sharp counterattacks were hidden within what appeared to be monotonous defense.
If she recklessly charged in, her attack would likely be blocked and immediately countered.
If she could use aura, she could break through that defense with Steel Force, but it seemed difficult with swordsmanship alone.
Helen also held her sword and steadied her breathing.
‘I shall become a strong steel sword that breaks through walls.’
Zeke, who was watching this, was shocked.
‘To think Helen Draker is already approaching the realm of sword-self unity.’
Becoming one with the sword meant she had opened the entrance to rising from Blue Knight to Red Knight.
Helen tried to become a steel sword herself to break through Felix’s defense.
Her body shot out in an instant.
Whoosh!
It was as if a giant sword was flying towards Felix.
Felix focused his mind and extended his sword towards Helen.
Agamemnon-style Golden Swordsmanship
Counter technique
Rainbow Reflection
It was the strongest counter technique he learned from the elders of the Agamemnon family.
Helen clenched her teeth seeing Felix’s sword pushing in after deflecting her own sword, and unleashed her counter technique.
Dragon Slaying Technique
Steel Force
Armor splitter
Crack!
A counter came against Felix’s counter.
“Kuhek!”
There was no room to control power. In the end, Helen’s sword struck Felix’s side.
Felix collapsed while holding his sword, bleeding.
That’s when the medical staff waiting outside the arena quickly came up.
They immediately poured the potion they were holding on Felix’s wound.
Hiss!
Being an effective potion, the wound from Helen’s sword quickly foamed and healed.
Helen felt her sword-holding hand trembling as she looked at the fallen Felix.
‘If I had made a mistake, I could have been the one struck.’
Felix’s counter technique was that sharp.
Felix was soon carried out by the medical staff and Helen claimed victory in the semifinals.
Even after the match ended, the arena was filled with cheers calling out Elin and Felix’s names.
“Elin! Elin!”
“Felix! Felix!”
The spectators were moved by the magnificent display of martial arts from both fighters.
Gareth came up to the heated arena.
He called out to the audience.
“The final championship match of the Draker Tournament will be held next week at the Grand Stadium!”
Every year, thousands of spectators gather at the Grand Stadium that marks the end of the Draker Tournament, including key figures from the Draker blood alliance families.
Gareth pointed to Zeke and Helen and called them to the arena.
He pointed to Zeke first.
“Zeke Draker!”
As soon as he was called, cheers erupted from the families supporting Zeke.
And this time Gareth pointed to Helen.
“Elin Sabr…”
That’s when she raised her hand and stopped Gareth’s words.
Then she stepped forward and called out to the spectators in the arena.
“My name is not Elin Sabrina.”
The audience began to stir at those sudden words.
She opened her mouth again.
“My name is Helen Draker. One of the pureblood awakeners of Draker, one of the direct bloodline, and one of Draker’s Blue Knights.”
One of the spectators stood up and shouted.
“Helen Draker! The Steel Knight!”
“My goodness. You mean the Steel Knight who completely wiped out the outlaws in the central region?”
“To think the Steel Knight, famous for not showing their face, would appear in the tournament!”
The audience stirred at Helen Draker’s appearance.
She drew her sword and shouted.
“I, Helen Draker, will give my all in the battle with Zeke Draker at the Draker Tournament. For this, I request that the rule prohibiting aura use in the championship match be reconsidered!”
The audience cheered at Helen Draker’s words.
It made no sense to prohibit aura in a battle between two pureblooded Drakers who had shaken the continent.
Zeke inwardly admired Helen.
‘Heh, I thought she was just a rigid practitioner, but I didn’t know the Steel Knight had this side to her.’
Helen had succeeded Kali after her death in his previous life.
She had hidden qualities of a politician that even she herself didn’t know about.
The audience shouted towards Gareth.
“Allow aura! Allow aura!”
“Save the aura prohibition for monsters!”
As the atmosphere heated up, the tournament organizers quickly held a meeting.
Since the rule was made to favor Edward Jiemens anyway, there was no need to maintain the aura prohibition rule after his elimination, so the committee decided to follow public opinion.
Receiving news from the committee, Gareth nodded and announced.
“The championship match has been changed to allow aura use!”
The audience cheered at those words.
Zeke and Helen exchanged sharp glances.
“It won’t be easy.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
The semifinals ended with the audience’s heated enthusiasm.
And there were those who quietly watched all this from the farthest corner of the arena.
“So who do you think will win, Arthur?”
Duke asked Arthur Draker, who had his robe pulled low.
Arthur stood up and said.
“It doesn’t matter who wins. Only the winner is important.”
Watching Arthur walk away after saying that, Duke clicked his tongue.
“Acting all cool while his mouth keeps twitching in excitement.”
Duke grinned while looking at Zeke in the arena before following after Arthur.
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