A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 86

When Sieg returned to the waiting room, Pharel shouted excitedly.

"Sir Sieg! You're in the semi-finals. Just two more wins, and you'll be the champion."

Sieg nodded at Pharel's words.

"It's all thanks to you, Sir Pharel."

Smiling, Sieg looked over at Felix and Liam, who were both slumped beside him.

"What's wrong with you two?"

He could understand Liam being down after losing to Reina, but he couldn't figure out why Felix, who was advancing to the semi-finals, looked the same way.

Felix lifted his head and looked at Sieg.

"Ugh― Master. My next opponent is Elin Sabrina. How can I fight someone who is almost as skilled as you?"

Felix groaned at the thought of facing Elin.

Sieg gave Felix a hard smack on his back.

"Kyaaah! Master, your palms seem to grow harsher by the day!"

Sieg clicked his tongue and spoke to Felix.

"Go show all of your potential. Slack off, and you'll be stuck in closed-door training."

At Sieg's words, Felix jumped up.

"No way! Senior Liam lost, and you didn't put him in closed-door training! You're showing favoritism, master!"

Receiving another smack on the back instead of an answer, Felix writhed in agony.

After the designated break time, Sieg and Felix headed back to the arena.

The semi-finals were about to begin.

The first match was between Sieg and Reina.

Sieg and Reina faced each other on the arena, each holding their swords.

As they stepped onto the arena, the cheers were deafening.

The knights of the Turunn family beat gigantic drums to cheer for Reina.

In response, the Agamemnon and Graham families waved their banners madly, wishing for Sieg's victory.

Sieg spoke as he looked at Reina.

"This is the first time since our match during the cradle evaluation."

Since then, Sieg had advanced far beyond Reina at several times the speed.

He was the youngest to be promoted to a blue knight in the continent's history and the youngest graduate of Valhalla.

Without a word, Reina gripped her sword and aimed it at Sieg.

Sieg, too, unsheathed his Bahamut and aimed it at Reina.

As soon as the match began, Reina charged at Sieg.

Whiisssh!

Using tremendous acceleration, Reina swung her sword at Sieg like a flash of lightning.

Clang!

Reina's sword clashed with Sieg's, sparking fireworks.

"Haaah!"

Reina unleashed aggressive attacks on Sieg, exuding immense bravado.

Even without using aura, the strength in each sword strike was enough to shake the surrounding air.

Sieg calmly parried Reina's sword, defending solidly.

He deftly softened or powerfully deflected Reina's swings, counterattacking whenever he saw an opening.

Whoosh!

When Sieg's sword aimed at her flank, Reina leaped back.

Sieg did not miss the chance.

Dragonslaying Art Application

Swift Wind Technique

Wind Slash

Sieg's Swift Wind Technique unfurled toward Reina.

Reina gritted her teeth and executed her application technique as well.

Turunn-Style Dragonslaying Art

Counter Technique

Bull Horn Break

Reina swung her two-handed sword with full force, deflecting Sieg's wind slash, then spun her body to strike at Sieg.

It was a counter technique applied to the Dragonslaying Art, striking down the charging bull's horn and immediately delving in to stab the bull's heart.

Sieg's body flickered momentarily in response to Reina's powerful counterattack.

Swift Wind Technique

Phantom Step

Evasion

It was an upgraded version of the fast-moving skill Sieg had learned before.

When the Evasion unfolded, Sieg's image vanished, leaving only afterimages, and Reina's sword slashed through empty air.

'Where, where is he?'

Even as Reina looked around, Sieg was nowhere to be found.

At that moment, Sieg's shadow shifted from above.

Reina hastily raised her sword to block Sieg's attack.

Boom!

However, Sieg descended without striking Reina with his sword.

As a result, Reina's raised sword hovered in the air, coming to a stop.

Keeping his body low to the arena floor, Sieg capitalized on her opening.

With his position lowered, Sieg aimed Bahamut at Reina's exposed neck.

Reina was utterly defeated.

"Sieg Draker wins!"

Once again, Reina could not surpass Sieg.

She lowered her sword, looking at Sieg, and said.

"Next time, I will not lose."

After sheathing her sword, she confidently descended the arena.

Watching Reina, Sieg smirked.

'A fitting title for the Knight of Lightning. She might become even stronger than in the previous life.'

Amidst intense cheers, Sieg descended from the arena.

The next match started promptly.

Felix wore a defeated expression as he stepped onto the arena.

Elin was looking at Sieg seated in the waiting area at the back, not at Felix.

Watching Elin's gaze directed at himself, Sieg chuckled inwardly.

'This isn't the time to be looking at me.'

Although he often scolded Felix, his potential was anything but ordinary.

If aura were involved, lasting beyond ten seconds against Elin might have been tough, but in a pure swordsmanship duel, unexpected results were possible.

"Felix Valencia! Elin Sabrina!"

The two faced each other, swords ready for combat.

The gong signaling the start of the match reverberated.

And at that moment, surprisingly, Felix was the first to strike at Elin.

Whoosh!

Elin, who hadn't paid much attention to Felix's skills, was caught off guard by a sudden sharp sword attack and swung her sword in a panic.

Clash!

The unexpectedly hefty strike surprised Elin.

The Felix she'd observed in the previous quarterfinal had solid basics.

However, she assumed he'd struggle to use them against her.

But clashing blades changed her perspective.

'If I had been hit properly, my wrist might have been injured.'

Elin had only considered her match with Sieg, thinking she'd easily defeat Felix. Adjusting her stance, she faced Felix's surprising strong attack seriously.

Simultaneously, Elin's demeanor shifted.

In reaction to her steel-like aura, resembling a solid iron wall, Felix, too, drew his sword closer to his chest and steadied his breathing.

Both Felix and Elin displayed orthodox swordsmanship, maintaining a well-balanced attack and defense.

This time, Elin initiated the attack.

Whoosh!

A weighty sword strike flew low towards Felix's lower body.

Without breaking his basic stance, Felix moved in a clockwise direction, avoiding Elin's attack, then lunging forward with a swing of his sword.

His movement was like a textbook example, clean and precise.

In Felix's swordsmanship, Sieg saw traces of the Agamemnon Golden Swordsmanship.

'Despite his whining, he's properly assimilated the skills of the elders.'

Elin steadied herself again, repelling Felix's attack.

The intense recoil caused both their wrists to throb.

"Hooo."

Felix regained his breath and reestablished his stance.

Elin frowned at Felix's posture, which was as solid defensively as her own.

'Now I understand how opponents who faced me felt.'

Within the seemingly monotonous defense lay sharp counterattack moves.

Blindly charging in would likely result in a blocked attack and immediate counter.

If they could use aura, Elin could break through that defense with her Steel Technique, but with only swordsmanship, it seemed challenging.

Elin steadied her breath while holding her sword.

'I shall become a powerful steel sword breaking through that fortress.'

Witnessing this, Sieg was astounded.

'Helena Draker is already gazing at the state of Sword-Body Unity.'

To become one with the sword was akin to opening the path from a blue knight to a red knight.

Helena intended to become a steel sword herself and break through Felix's defense.

Her body sprang forward instantly.

Whiisssh!

It felt as though a massive sword was flying towards Felix.

Felix concentrated deeply, extending his sword towards Elin.

Agamemnon-Style Golden Swordsmanship

Counter Technique

Rainbow Reflection

It was the strongest counter technique taught by the elders of the Agamemnon family.

Seeing Felix's counter and the sword advancing from Elin's deflection, she gritted her teeth and used her own counter.

Dragonslaying Art Application

Steel Technique

Armor Flip

Crack!

A counter followed Felix's strike.

"Kuheuk!"

There was no room for power adjustment. Ultimately, Elin's sword struck Felix's side.

Felix collapsed, bleeding while still gripping his sword.

Immediately, medical staff stationed outside the arena rushed up.

They quickly poured a potion onto Felix's wounded area.

Sizzle!

Thanks to the effective potion, the wound caused by Elin's sword soon frothed and healed.

Holding her sword, Elin felt her hands tremble, watching Felix, who had collapsed.

'I could have been the one down if things had gone wrong.'

Such was the sharpness of Felix's counter.

Ultimately, Felix was carried away by the medical team, and Elin claimed victory in the semi-finals.

Even as the match ended, the arena was filled with cheers, chanting the names of Elin and Felix.

"Elin! Elin!"

"Felix! Felix!"

The spectators were touched by the brilliant performances of the two.

On the fervent arena floor, Gareth stepped up.

He addressed the audience loudly.

"The final championship match of the Draker Martial Continent will be held at the Grand Stadium next week!"

The Grand Stadium, marking the culmination of the annual Draker Martial Continent, gathered not only key figures from the Draker Guild family but also thousands of spectators.

Gareth gestured towards Sieg and Elin, summoning them onto the arena anew.

He pointed at Sieg first.

"Sieg Draker!"

The moment he called the name, cheers erupted from the families supporting Sieg.

Next, Gareth gestured towards Elin's side.

"Elin Sabri—"

At that, she raised her hand, interrupting him.

Stepping forward, she shouted at the audience in the arena.

"My name is not Elin Sabrina."

Her sudden words stirred the audience.

She spoke again.

"My name is Helen Draker. I am one of the pureblood awakeners of Draker, a direct lineage member, and one of the blue knights of Draker."

One of the audience members stood up and shouted at her words.

"Helen Draker! The Knight of Steel!"

"My goodness. You mean the Knight of Steel known for wiping out outlaws in the Central Continent?"

"The Knight of Steel who is famous for never showing their face is competing in the tournament!"

The appearance of Helen Draker caused a buzz among the spectators.

She drew her sword and declared loudly.

"I, Helen Draker, will give my all against Sieg Draker in the Draker Martial Continent. For this, I ask that the rule prohibiting aura usage in the championship be reconsidered!"

The audience erupted in cheers following Helen Draker's statement.

Prohibiting aura in the duel of two pureblood Draker, who had shaken the continent, seemed nonsensical.

Sieg inwardly admired Helen as he watched.

'Ha, I thought her to be just a straightforward practitioner. Who knew the Knight of Steel had such wits?'

Helen, who had succeeded Kali after his demise in the previous life, harbored the qualities of a politician unbeknownst to her.

The crowd turned their cheers towards Gareth.

"Aura Permitted! Aura Permitted!"

"Scrap that aura ban and let the monsters have it!"

Given the rising fervor, the tournament organizers quickly convened.

Since the rule was initially made favoring Edward Zimmens, it was unnecessary to retain it after his elimination, leading the committee to follow public sentiment.

Receiving the committee's information, Gareth nodded and announced.

"Aura usage will be permitted in the final match!"

Cheers filled the arena at his proclamation.

With sharp gazes, Sieg and Helen eyed each other.

"I won't be easy."

"I am looking forward to it."

Thus, the heated and exciting semi-finals came to a close.

However, some quietly watched everything from the corner of the arena.

"So, who do you think will win, Arthur?"

Duke asked Arthur Draker, who was deeply slumped into his robe.

Arthur stood, responding.

"Doesn't matter who wins. What's important is the one who does."

Duke clicked his tongue as he watched Arthur swagger away, commenting.

"The way his lips quiver, he's enjoying this but putting on a facade."

He gave a sly smile towards Sieg in the arena before following Arthur out.