A Knight Who Eternally Regresses-Chapter 315

Ah, this is fun.

Having wandered the battlefield herself, she had heard every insult, from curses about her parents to those too vulgar to repeat, but this was a kind she had never heard before in her life.

To have her people’s blood treated with such contempt in words like this was truly something new.

More than anything, Ayada was a knight and loved her skin.

She was proud of being Eastern.

"...What?"

Ayada tilted her head in confusion.

"It stinks.

Go take a bath."

Ragna was just doing as he had been taught.

Enkrid had always been good at targeting his opponent's weaknesses.

Especially when it came to provoking them, Enkrid was undoubtedly the best on the continent.

Though he wasn’t his direct disciple, Ragna had learned a lot from him over the years.

"...Did you just say I smell?"

Ayada was a knight, and also a woman.

The brown shit and the smell—it was a series of words that grated on her.

But what really bothered her was how calmly Ragna had said it, as if it were true and factual, without the slightest hint of emotion.

That irritated her even more.

"No.

It doesn't stink.

It smells nice.

Like flowers."

The squire quickly chimed in, but it was already too late.

Ayada’s face hardened.

Her teeth clenched.

Her jaw muscles tensed, revealing the strain across her face.

"Shit, bastard?"

Ayada was angry, but she didn’t lose her composure entirely.

She had a lot to uphold.

She converted her fury into power.

She was going to kill him.

"I’ll cut your tongue out."

Ayada unsheathed her sword.

Ting.

Two swords, one short and one long, both in her hands.

The sword in her left hand was closer to a regular longsword, while the one in her right hand was shorter.

"You better not, or—"

The squire hesitated, then pulled out his weapon as well.

Swish!

Ragna could tell from the sound of the sword being drawn that his opponent held a longsword.

At the same time, his eyes scanned Ayada’s weapon.

From behind, the squire subtly pressured him.

He pointed his sword and closed the distance.

Ragna was now faced with enemies both in front and behind.

How should he deal with this?

His front and back were blocked.

The engagement started with Ayada.

With a swift move, she closed the distance.

A rapid thrust came next.

Ragna raised his sword to block it.

Thud!

The enemy’s attack was just a feint.

The real strike came from behind.

The squire’s sword fell from above, heading straight for the back of Ragna’s head.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

His trained senses immediately woke him up.

Ragna bent his knees and thrust his sword upward.

The longsword style relies on strength.

Naturally, Ragna knew how to put real power behind his strike.

Even with this short movement, the impact was enough to send a jolt.

The squire didn’t finish his downward strike.

He had only intended to make it look good before retreating.

Ragna thrust his sword upward and immediately spun his body to the side.

From the spot he had just vacated, Ayada’s sword shot up in a violent upward cut.

It was a quick strike, like a bird snatching a fish out of the air.

Swish!

The sound of the blade cutting the air was chilling.

It was a fast, no-hesitation attack.

"My name is Ayada, the fragrant Ayada of the Royal Knight Order of Azpen."

Ayada introduced herself, creating her own nickname, then charged forward.

Ragna sensed another deadly strike coming from behind.

Even without seeing it, he felt the air shift and the murderous intent.

His front and back were locked down.

‘Inhale.’

Ragna spun his sword in a circle.

If he couldn’t block it, then he would deflect it.

His sword, longer and larger than a typical blade, traced a spiraling arc.

The trajectory was faster than usual.

In that arc, the squire’s sword and Ayada’s sword both met.

Clang!

This time, only Ayada’s sword met his.

In battle situations, Ragna was quicker than anyone at assessing the circumstances.

‘Backwards, counterattack.’

That was his plan, one that incorporated ‘Will’ into his counter.

Though the squire was a knight-in-training, someone like him had the strength to overpower.

Their intent and will carried them through the actual attack.

After that, a phantom blade shot toward him.

There was no way to dodge it.

Distinguishing between real and false was difficult.

If he relaxed for even a second, it would slice him.

It was a phantom blade, but it had the potential to cut through flesh and bone at any moment.

Ayada’s swordplay was brilliant.

It was fast, yet it carried weight.

It was a style somewhere between the longsword and the quick sword techniques.

It looked like it had been honed through years of training.

She seemed to have inherited a swordsmanship lineage.

But above all, their attacks were perfectly synchronized.

It was a crisis.

An imminent, dangerous crisis—if he misstepped, he could die in an instant.

But it was in this very crisis that Ragna found satisfaction.

Hadn’t he been waiting for a moment like this, when his inner voice would push him forward?

This situation filled him with a profound sense of fulfillment.

"You’re smiling?"

Ayada saw the expression on his face and opened her mouth in disbelief.

The emotions on his face were more disturbing than the swing of his sword.

Ayada, dumbfounded, let out a small laugh.

But Ragna smiled genuinely.

He was enjoying this moment.

"Do you scream in joy when you’re stabbed with a sword?"

Ayada asked, incredulously.

Ragna quietly relished the moment.

A crisis was both a trigger and an opportunity.

In this moment, all he had to do was leap forward to what came next.

Ragna realized this was the moment he had been waiting for.

He needed a trigger.

"Shut your mouth.

It stinks."

In the middle of it, he used the sword technique that Enkrid had taught him—a cut of the tongue.

"Yeah, yeah, I’ll kill you.

I’ll make sure to grind you to pieces."

Ayada’s sword moved again.

The blade swished through the air, leaving afterimages.

It was a different style of quick sword compared to Lykanos’s.

Ragna realized his earlier mistake.

It wasn’t just a combination of longsword and quick sword techniques.

‘It’s mixed with phantom blades.’

It was an overall well-executed swordsmanship.

And it was all the more appealing to him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Ayada’s sword was blocked countless times.

Thud!

He blocked a strike coming from behind.

He found an opening and countered.

Clang!

Thud!

Swish!

At times, the clash of steel created sparks.

Swish!

He pushed off the ground with his feet, his body never stopping its movement.

No, he had to keep moving.

If he stopped to catch his breath, he’d be hit with a sword.

So he minimized his breaks to the absolute minimum.

He endured.

"Ha!"

A battle cry came from behind.

The moment he sensed the attack coming with undeniable momentum, Ragna reacted.

He held his sword vertically and spun to block.

Bang!

The largest noise erupted after their clash.

It was the squire’s strike that he had blocked.

The squire had a mix of phantom blade and longsword techniques.

He had to lift himself after the block, but the shock hadn’t dissipated properly.

His knee throbbed.

After that, Ayada’s sword dropped again from above.

It was a swift overhead strike, like a bird diving to catch its prey.

Ragna didn’t have time to lift his sword; instead, he twisted his body.

The blade scraped across his shoulder.

Blood spurted into the air.

Despite the armor, his shoulder was cut.

Ayada’s blade was no ordinary sword.

Its cutting power was exceptional.

With that, Ragna swung his sword.

His sword, about half the length of a typical longsword, whipped through the air like a whip, cutting the front with the speed of light.

Bang!

The sound of thunder erupted from the swing.

Ayada didn’t block; she dodged.

She knew.

This wasn’t the kind of attack that could be blocked.

Her eyes, sharper than most, could see it all.

"Ha."

Ragna, taking a small breath after the brief pause, knew what he had to do.

Having unleashed everything he had learned, a stab found its mark on his thigh, and his left shoulder had been nicked.

His resolve remained strong.

Despite everything, Ragna didn’t retreat.

He never considered the possibility of losing.

Instead, he was consumed with the thought of drawing closer to something he couldn’t quite grasp.

And it wasn’t a delusion.

Ragna had a wall before him, one that only he could perceive, and now he had found the trigger.

"Ah, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ this is fun."

Ragna muttered as the battle continued.

"You crazy bastard!"

Ayada’s anger flared even more.

Though Ayada was winning, she was the one who felt anxious.

It made sense.

Ayada had ‘Will’ on her side.

To her, Ragna was someone who, in real-time, was closing in on her.

‘Monster bastard!’

Ayada could feel the changes in Ragna’s sword.

She saw it.

And naturally, her anxiety grew.

"Shit."

Squire Bill spat out a curse.

He was usually calm, but when pressed, he became ferocious.

For Bill to speak such harsh words meant that something in the atmosphere had shifted.

A man who should have died long ago was still holding on.

And while he held on, his superior, the knight-in-training, made a subtle signal.

Things were turning really bad.

Bill’s insides churned.

Ayada was in a similar state.

‘What the hell is this guy?’

The two swords in Ayada's hands moved faster.

In an instant, it felt as though she had four arms, fooling her opponent’s eyes.

The illusion created by speed.

Ragna’s eyes followed it.

Thud!

He couldn’t block everything, so one strike landed on his abdomen.

But it wasn’t a clean hit.

The thrust only partially connected.

The enemy staggered back, twisting his body to avoid a fatal blow.

‘He’s retreating while taking a hit?’

As Ragna twisted his body, he extended his sword.

Ayada couldn’t continue her follow-up attack.

Her opponent’s intentions were clear—why let herself get caught by the enemy's fangs?

She, too, pulled back.

The strike aimed at exploiting an opening only grazed the skin.

Squire Bill shifted his position again, trying to regain his stance.

While Ayada briefly pulled back, Ragna wobbled a few times.

It wasn’t a feint to deceive someone.

It was simply a result of trying to absorb the last blow.

Ayada’s body instinctively reacted.

She saw the opening in her opponent.

Her eyes locked onto it.

Squire Bill adjusted his grip on his sword.

‘This time, I’ll end it.’

That’s how it had to be.

It had to be.

A foreboding sensation flowed through Ayada’s body.

She felt that if she didn’t kill him now, she never would.

What the hell was happening?

‘Is he getting better as he fights?’

It didn’t make sense.

What kind of talent could do this?

Right before Ayada and Squire Bill charged forward, Ragna realized.

‘So this is it.’

It had been a short fight, but in Ragna’s mind, it felt long.

He reflected on the battles he had fought up until now.

He recalled the sword he had wielded.

Since he was young, Ragna had always seen where his sword should go once he took it in his hand.

He knew exactly where to swing his sword.

It wasn’t something he could explain.

He just swung it as he saw it, and his enemies either died or were wounded.

This was the natural instinct of Ragna, a genius.

But now, between Ayada and Squire Bill, the path was cut off.

It didn’t continue.

He was forcing his way through the broken path, holding on.

And then, it dawned on him.

He realized that until now, he had only walked the path that had been given to him.

He had just followed the path shown by his talent.

That was a passive and defensive posture.

So what was the opposite of that?

‘With the sword I wield.’

He carved out a new path.

The swords Ayada wielded began two separate arcs in the air.

At the same time, a thunderous pressure came from behind.

Between these two skilled warriors, Ragna didn’t connect the broken paths.

Instead, he walked a new road.

Crunch.

His arm muscles reacted, his whole body tensed, and his heart thudded.

Boom!

Ragna’s body moved in sync with his heartbeat.

To carve a new path, the first step must be taken.

And Ragna did just that.

He blocked Ayada’s first sword with his right forearm.

Thud!

He powered through, pushing his muscles and absorbing the blow.

Then, a short blade came up from below, aiming at his abdomen.

He lifted his knee and struck the enemy's hand holding the sword, deflecting it.

Plick!

The blade grazed his side, but it slid down his back.

At the same time, he used his knee.

Ragna gripped the sword in his left hand and spun his body.

Ragna was also a human with superhuman strength.

The longsword technique required strength training.

Ayada’s sword lodged itself into his forearm.

Ragna pivoted on his right foot, swinging his left hand backward.

It was a backslash.

‘Bend.’

He poured ‘Will of Severance’ into the strike.

Whoosh.

The sword cut through the air, making a sound that was sharp and powerful.

Before Squire Bill’s sword could land from behind, Ragna’s strike, which had absorbed the sound, met Bill’s torso.

Clang!

Wham!

The body split in half mid-air.

Blood and guts spilled out.

Bill’s sword was just about to touch Ragna's shoulder when it hit.

With the last of its force, his blade struck Ragna’s shoulder.

Thud, a short impact sound rang as the shock rippled through Ragna’s body, but it didn’t matter.

The path he had carved was still open.

Thud!

With his right arm, he blocked the sword and pinned the sword-wielding hand with his knee, then spun to cut through his opponent’s torso.

The blade that had met Ayada’s shoulder soon found its mark.

Ragna’s forehead collided with Ayada’s helmet.

Thanks to the face guard of Ayada’s helmet, Ragna’s forehead was split open, and blood poured out.

It didn’t matter.

Thud!

Ayada struggled, yanking her sword out of Squire Bill’s corpse.

Ragna relaxed, letting her do as she wished.

He quickly pulled his left hand up and positioned it.

The sword that had split Squire Bill sank downward.

Ayada’s eyes darkened.

‘Crazy.’

For a moment, the opponent in front of her showed abilities that were similar to her own.

It was like the Will that shone in his eyes.

He had found the best moves in every battle.

Ayada crossed her swords, but Ragna’s fallen sword was heavy.

Bang!

An explosive sound erupted where their swords met.

Crack!

"Ugh!"

Ayada’s arms shattered.

Thus, the outcome of the fight was decided.

"Ah."

Ragna, bleeding from his right arm and shoulder, let out a short exclamation.

He staggered, as though about to fall.

He slowly shook his head from side to side, trying to steady himself and catch his breath.

He was still half-leaning, indicating just how exhausted he was.

In that state, Ragna spoke.

"Thank you."

It was heartfelt.

Ayada realized that her opponent was truly insane.

"You, you, this..."

This isn’t over.

Do you think I’m alone?

I didn’t come here alone.

But she didn’t finish her sentence.

Instead, Ragna’s sword hit Ayada’s helmet with precision.

Bang!

The helmet was crushed, and Ayada’s skull shattered.

Thus, one knight-in-training from the Royal Knight Order of Azpen was killed.

***

Enkrid didn’t think this was the end.

Even as he cut through the dust and followed the path, he was preparing for what might come.

Just moments ago, a rope had flown at him, almost trapping him.

It had been futile.

The technique of isolation, making oneself appear larger.

With a swift motion of his muscles, he expanded them and spread his arms wide, using the Heart of Might.

Crack.

As soon as he was grabbed, the rope scraped his skin and snapped.

Afterward, the frequency of arrows coming at him decreased, but he still wasn’t letting his guard down.

Just because he could repeat today doesn’t mean he would slack off now.

If he didn’t give his best, what would become of him?

He would stop being Enkrid.

So he gave it his all.

The footsteps of the soldiers pursuing him grew fainter.

But he still didn’t let his guard down.

‘Until the end.’

He kept moving forward.

Whether he found his allies or discovered some signal, he was looking for change—no, he was chasing it.

Six quarrels had lodged in his back.

He’d been stabbed in the thigh.

But that wasn’t all.

His right boot had been torn off, and he even took a stone to the forehead.

He had bled quite a bit.

The half-dried blood on his forehead began to spill again with the violent movements.

Every muscle in his body was trembling.

He had already reached his limit.

Did it matter?

No, it didn’t.

So, Enkrid kept running.

He believed this wasn’t the end.

Because letting his guard down was out of the question.

He ran and ran.

Suddenly, a four-legged beast lunged from ahead.

Enkrid took a defensive stance.

He dropped his sword in his right hand and thrust with the one in his left.

A quick response followed.

Along with the beast, a man with a long sword was charging in.

Enkrid instinctively tried to draw his sword but stopped.

The man spoke.

"Let’s save the duel for later.

I’ve sprained my arm."

It was Ragna.

Clang.

Beside him stood Lake Panther, Esther.

They had broken out of the encirclement.

Enkrid couldn’t tell when that had happened.

And frankly, he didn’t need to know.

He wasn’t thinking about stopping until he either died or escaped.

He had no intention of halting.