Episode 84
Rumble!
The vibrations shook the ropes, causing a few knights to lose their balance and fall.
Zeke and Helen were flung to opposite ends, landing atop the pillars where the ropes were anchored.
Helen raised her sword, assuming a battle stance.
Without hesitation, she leaped into the air, swinging her sword toward Zeke.
Dragon Slayer Technique: Steel Strike - Armor Splitter
Helen’s sword descended with the intent to cleave Zeke in two.
Zeke raised Bahamut to block Helen’s attack.
Clang!
A sharp sound echoed as Bahamut clashed with Helen’s sword.
Zeke gritted his teeth, feeling the force behind Helen’s strike.
“If it weren’t for Bahamut, my sword would have been cut in half.”
Thanks to Bahamut’s indestructible nature, it withstood Helen’s powerful Steel Strike.
“Haah!”
With a shout, Zeke deflected Helen’s sword.
He then launched himself off the pillar, charging at Helen with his own attack.
Dragon Slayer Technique: Gale Force - Wind Slash
The Gale Force technique, taught by Duke, wasn’t just about footwork.
It combined footwork with the Dragon Slayer Technique, unleashing swordsmanship powered by a body trained to its limits.
This was the true essence of Gale Force.
Helen, still airborne, twisted her body, gripping her sword tightly.
She spread her aura throughout her body.
Dragon Slayer Technique: Steel Strike - Wall Defense
In his past life, Zeke knew Helen Dreiker for her defensive swordsmanship rather than offensive.
True to her reputation, Zeke’s Wind Slash dissipated against Helen’s solid defense.
Both Zeke and Helen returned to their positions on the tightrope, swords drawn, facing each other.
The audience was captivated by their high-level duel.
“As expected of Zeke Dreiker. Truly the continent’s greatest genius.”
“Who is this Helen Sabrina? Was there another knight of such skill besides Reina Dreiker?”
Ignoring the murmurs of the crowd, Zeke and Helen closed the distance between them.
Just as their swords were about to clash again—
Bong!
A loud gong signaled the end of the match.
Gareth stepped into the arena to announce the conclusion.
“The second round of the finals is over. The third round will proceed with the remaining eight participants.”
Zeke’s group of four, Helen, and three from Siemens, including Edward, would compete in the quarterfinals.
Zeke and Helen lowered their swords, acknowledging each other.
After a moment’s thought, Zeke spoke to Helen.
“I look forward to meeting you again in the third round, Helen Dreiker.”
Helen was taken aback by Zeke’s use of her real name.
”…You knew?”
“Well, we are siblings. I should at least recognize your face.”
In truth, he wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t seen a portrait of Helen Dreiker in his past life.
Helen nodded at Zeke, sheathing her sword.
“See you in the third round.”
Amidst the cheers of the spectators, Zeke and Helen left the arena.
The Agamemnon faction chanted Zeke’s name in celebration.
“Zeke! Zeke!”
Zeke waved to the crowd as he exited the arena.
After the second round, Zeke and his companions gathered at their residence for some much-needed rest.
The next day, Catherine brought news about the third round.
“As expected, it’s a tournament.”
Farrell nodded, as if he had anticipated this.
Zeke agreed with Farrell’s assessment.
“With eight participants left, it seems they’ll conclude with quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final match.”
Catherine nodded in agreement.
“Yes, the third round will be open to the public, so a tournament format is best for drawing interest.”
Farrell smiled at Zeke.
“In a tournament, Sir Zeke’s victory is almost certain. There’s no one who can defeat the Blue Knight in a one-on-one match.”
Zeke tilted his head, puzzled.
“That’s what surprises me. I thought Siemens would choose a format more favorable to Edward.”
Catherine then spoke up.
“Actually, there’s a specific rule for this tournament.”
Zeke nodded, as if he had expected something unusual.
“What rule?”
Catherine looked slightly uncomfortable as she explained.
“Well… the rule is that the use of aura is prohibited. The matches will rely solely on physical strength.”
Farrell jumped up in disbelief.
“What? That’s absurd! How can they ban the use of aura?”
While it was an unspoken rule not to use aura blades, outright banning aura was unheard of.
Yet Zeke remained unfazed.
Catherine noticed his calm demeanor.
“It seems you anticipated this, Sir Zeke.”
He nodded.
“I didn’t think Siemens would opt for a straightforward tournament. But I didn’t expect them to ban aura use.”
It was a clear move to counter the Blue Knight, Zeke.
Edward, being six years older than the seventeen-year-old Zeke, had the advantage in physical maturity and development.
Without aura, Edward calculated that his physical prowess would give him the upper hand.
Zeke reassured the agitated Farrell, rising from his seat.
“Sir Farrell, don’t worry. Even without aura, I can defeat Edward’s spear techniques by applying the traditional swordsmanship we’ve practiced together.”
Farrell, encouraged, stood up eagerly.
“Sir Zeke, I’ll assist you with training until the match! Leave it to me!”
“Thank you, Sir Farrell.”
After the strategy meeting for the tournament, Zeke slipped out of the mansion late at night.
He had received an urgent message from Kay.
He discreetly made his way to Kay’s hidden base in Atlas.
The base was an enormous mansion.
Kay had quickly risen to become the boss of the southern cartel’s syndicate, reaching a higher position than in his past life.
Upon Zeke’s arrival, he was first greeted by Fainan.
“Welcome, Master.”
Zeke shook hands with Fainan warmly.
“Have you settled into your new role?”
Fainan smiled sheepishly at Zeke’s question.
“It’s overwhelming to take on such a big role suddenly, but I’m learning diligently to avoid being a burden.”
Fainan had been appointed as the head of a new pharmaceutical company Zeke was establishing.
In the shadows, Kay managed the syndicate, while Fainan handled public affairs.
“Are you facing any difficulties in the preparation process?”
Fainan laughed.
“Kay probably has more challenges than I do. Let’s go inside.”
Zeke followed Fainan into Kay’s office.
The office was a mess, with papers piled everywhere.
Amidst the chaos, Kay was reviewing documents with a weary expression.
“Kay, what’s all this?”
Kay looked up at Zeke.
“Ugh.”
Upon meeting Zeke’s eyes, Kay let out a strange noise and slumped over.
Fainan, accustomed to this, approached and handed Kay a recovery potion.
Kay downed the potion in one gulp, catching her breath.
“Ahh, thanks, senior. Without this, I’d have died from overwork.”
“Good thing my minor is alchemy.”
As fellow mages, it seemed Fainan and Kay had adopted a senior-junior relationship.
Kay drank another potion and addressed Zeke.
“You must be busy with the tournament. How did you find the time?”
“You said it was urgent, so I came as quickly as I could.”
“Ugh. Right. Let’s take a break. I’ll have some tea brought in.”
Zeke, Kay, and Fainan moved to the lounge, settling on the sofas.
As Zeke savored the aroma of the tea, he asked Kay.
“Did you send the urgent message because of all the paperwork?”
Kay shook her head.
“That’s a problem too, but there’s something more pressing.”
“Is there an issue with the cartel?”
“No, Simon is managing it well. The reconstruction of the Cusco Kingdom is also on track.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Kay pointed at Zeke.
“It’s you.”
She handed Zeke a document.
As Zeke read it, his expression hardened.
”…The Empire’s intelligence agency and the Dreiker’s Black Stage are both investigating the south?”
Kay nodded.
“To be precise, the intelligence agency is looking for whoever destroyed the Pavela cartel’s camp, and the Black Stage is after the one who took down Don Juan.”
In essence, both groups were hunting for Zeke.
Zeke had an inkling about why the Empire’s intelligence agency was after him.
‘Kain Siemens Constantinus.’
A member of the imperial family and a suspicious figure who possessed an ancient Hershion.
Zeke had killed him and taken the Hershion at the Empire’s human experimentation site in Pavela’s camp.
Given his imperial name and possession of a unique Hershion, he was likely an important figure in the Empire, providing ample reason for the intelligence agency to pursue Zeke.
However, Zeke was puzzled about the Dreiker Black Stage’s interest in him.
‘Why is the Black Stage after me?’
As Zeke scrutinized the Black Stage’s documents, Kay spoke up.
“You don’t need to worry about why the Black Stage is after you. That’s just how they operate,” Kay said.
Zeke nodded in agreement. The Black Stage, the eyes and ears of Dreiker, was an unrelenting group that dug up every piece of information across the continent.
Knowing that both the intelligence agency and the Black Stage were on his trail, Zeke frowned. “This is going to be a hassle,” he thought. He hadn’t left any traces, but if they kept digging, they might stumble upon some evidence he accidentally left behind. If they followed that lead, it could eventually lead them to him.
Kay turned to Zeke. “If it’s bothering you, should I tell Simon to take out any spies he sees in the south?”
Fainan, standing nearby, looked a bit shocked at Kay’s suggestion, clearly not used to such talk. Zeke clicked his tongue at Kay’s remark. “We’re not some cartel. Just because they’re tailing us doesn’t mean we should kill them all.”
Fainan breathed a sigh of relief at Zeke’s words. For someone who had become an associate of the underworld’s empress, he seemed a bit faint-hearted. Kay nodded in agreement with Zeke. “True, even if we deal with the intelligence guys, the Black Stage won’t back down that easily. They’ll just come after us even harder.”
“Just keep me updated on the situation. If they find any evidence that could point to me, then we’ll act.”
“Got it. I’ll let Simon know.”
“What about that Black Yacha guy? Is he settling in well in the south?”
“Actually, he’s the one who brought us this intel. Being a former intelligence agent, he’s good at picking up information from the Empire. Simon’s quite pleased with his work.”
“Glad we didn’t kill him and brought him over instead.”
Then Kay mentioned, “There’s one more issue.”
“What is it?”
Kay nudged Fainan, who looked uncomfortable as he spoke to Zeke. “Well, there’s a bit of trouble with the alchemists we hired.”
“The alchemists?”
“Yes. We brought them in to develop a new drug using soma, but now they’re suddenly threatening to strike and have stopped all research.”
“Really?”
Zeke knew alchemists could be difficult, but he hadn’t expected them to go on strike. He asked Fainan, “Do you know why they suddenly decided to strike?”
Fainan replied cautiously, “Actually, I brought in some new alchemists, and their personalities are a bit… challenging.”
Zeke shook his head. “What’s their problem?”
Fainan answered awkwardly, “Well, it’s not just one alchemist. It’s alchemists, plural.”
“Alchemists?”
Something clicked in Zeke’s mind. “Don’t tell me they’re twins.”
“How did you know?”
Zeke’s expression turned thoughtful at Fainan’s response. “It must be them. The genius twin alchemists, Al and Jeff.”