Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 212

After Theo sat down in the seat that had been specially prepared for him by the Central Military District, the atmosphere of the Dragon Ascension Tournament quickly intensified.

• Wow, I thought I was going to suffocate!
• Were those two having a little power struggle just now? I didn’t think Theo would care much about this.
• But I guess Theo couldn’t ignore it. Both of them are serious about the throne.
• For Kincarnon, winning this tournament is a must.

The audience whispered cautiously, eager to see who would come out victorious in the competition between Theo and Kincarnon.

Those predicting Theo’s victory spoke of the weight of the Young Lord's position, while those backing Kincarnon mentioned the weight of his accumulated achievements.

Yet, one thing was certain for everyone.

• The person who seizes the advantage in the Dragon Ascension Tournament will gain the upper hand.

All eyes were drawn to that stage.

And then,

‘Here we go again.’

Lezé couldn’t stand the situation unfolding before her.

She had loudly proclaimed that she would be joining the stage soon, but no one seemed to care about her.

Not even the elite Grim Reaper Corps.

Everyone was casting anxious glances.

"Just a moment ago, Ansio Ragnar announced his surrender. Again, Ansio Ragnar has declared his intention to surrender, stating that someone more capable than him should take the seat of the Dragon. Therefore—"

Though she had always walked her own path without worrying about the judgment of others, the disappearance of all the attention now felt unsettling to her.

It meant she hadn’t been receiving the attention she once had.

"—Lezé Ragnar and Anonymous will now face off. Please come to the stage."

At moments like this, she wished that the Grim Reaper would at least encourage her.

To tell her that everything would be alright. That she could do it somehow.

‘But that’s not going to happen.’

"Once again, Lezé Ragnar and Anonymous, please come to the stage."

A bitter smile appeared on Lezé's lips.

The Grim Reaper was silent, as silent as ever.

"Lezé Ragnar, please come to the stage now. If you don’t, it will be considered a surrender. Lezé Ragnar—"

As she touched the hilt of the Grim Reaper's scythe, memories of her childhood rushed through her mind.

Back then, she hadn’t understood the weight on her shoulders and lived however she wanted, achieving everything she set her mind to.

Now, she wondered if she needed that same mindset again—the drive to run forward without looking back.

"Lezé Ragnar, there are only 30 seconds left before the match begins. We will start the countdown now."

Amidst these thoughts, her mind began to clear.

Lezé!

Master! What’s wrong? Is something the matter?

Lezé was finally able to hear the loud chatter in her ear.

The audience, and even her fellow Grim Reapers, were all calling out to her, but the words seemed incomprehensible.

She furrowed her brows.

What were they saying?

They were gesturing and speaking, but she couldn’t understand any of it. It all just sounded like noise, and she felt frustrated.

She was about to open her mouth to speak, when—

Lezé.

A voice cut through the noise, clear and sharp, reaching her ear amidst the confusion.

Then,

Wooooo! Woooooo!

The Grim Reaper's scythe began to tremble.

After clashing with Theo and falling silent, this was the first time it moved.

It seemed like it wanted to say something.

Wooooo!

It was urging her to get up. To stop wasting time.

‘Ah.’

Lezé snapped back to her senses.

What she had thought was noise now began to make sense.

"Lezé Ragnar, if you do not come to the stage now, it will be considered a surrender—"

Just as the referee was about to announce the end of the match, it happened.

Fwoosh!

Lezé leaped onto the stage with ease.

The small figure standing opposite her—the masked challenger, who insisted on being called Anonymous, but everyone knew it was Amore Tan—grinned lightly.

"Ah, too bad. I thought I’d be making it to the finals easily."

"I’m sorry, I got lost in my thoughts for a moment. My apologies."

"Have you cleared your mind?"

"Yes. Thanks to you."

The laughter that echoed through the mask sounded even more amused.

Lezé was almost overwhelmed by how cute it sounded.

"Though you’re late, Lezé Ragnar has successfully arrived on the stage. The match will begin now!"

The announcer’s words kicked off the second semifinal match.

The winner of this match would face Kincarnon in the final showdown.

Lezé gripped her Grim Reaper’s scythe tightly.

An indescribable confidence filled her chest.

***

"Good work."

'I should be the one thanking you.'

Magara's voice echoed in Theo's mind, carrying a trace of bitterness.

Though he was glad to be able to encourage Lezé again, there was a tinge of regret because he couldn't be by her side. It was a bittersweet feeling.

His affection for Lezé remained unchanged.

Theo had noticed Lezé's gradual loss of will and had decided to lend her Magara's power.

'But why did you help us?'

'What do you mean?'

'If you think about it, it would have made more sense to support that masked woman who is technically our ally.'

Theo chuckled softly.

'You’re the one misunderstanding. I never do anything that results in a loss.'

'Misunderstanding? Me?'

'Yes. Why would I think only of Amore?'

'...!'

'Lezé is someone I need to support as well. That's why I helped.'

'I see...'

Magara finally realized that he had misunderstood Theo all this time. It seemed that Theo’s capacity was far beyond what he had expected.

'I don't need to give up on either Amore or Lezé.'

Theo hadn’t forgotten Lezé's attitude when she had faced him in the Valley of Dragons.

Despite being in a position to oppose him, she had openly acknowledged her defeat, showing a level of magnanimity.

Even when at a tactical disadvantage, she had refused to surrender.

Among all the brothers and sisters Theo had encountered, Lezé had been the most honorable when it came to competition.

It meant she was someone he could trust his back to.

More than that...

'If Magara thinks of her this seriously, that’s even more of a reason to trust her.'

Theo’s experience with the Dragonbloods had led him to conclude that they were always honest with their emotions.

They never lied, always revealing their true intentions. Gaining their favor was enough of a reason to hold Lezé in high regard.

A thought flickered in his mind, one that Julius had once had about Theo. It was the first time such thoughts rose within him.

'If she’s going to be yours... then it only makes sense that I’ve helped.'

Magara asked carefully, as though reading Theo’s thoughts.

Theo nodded, affirming it was natural.

'Thank you, Master.'

Magara smiled brightly.

At that moment,

Fwooosh!

The scythe Lezé held began to tremble violently, and a pillar of light shot up from it.

Lezé was startled by this, but soon regained her composure and harnessed the overflowing power within her body.

"Huh? What’s going on? This is against the rules!"

Amore quickly spun around to glare at Theo, protesting.

Theo smiled softly.

'If you lose to someone much younger, do you take off your mask and announce it to the world?'

"…What the hell?"

Her voice, which usually sounded cute, was now laced with irritation, cursing for the first time.

Through the mask, her expression seemed to tighten with frustration.

"I can’t believe you’re doing exactly what he would do!"

Amore had a very simple reason for participating in the Dragon Ascension Tournament undercover.

• “Let me give Julius a piece of my mind.”

She had found him insufferable, especially after the way he treated Team 1 during their training.

Even after their grueling experience in the war against Troyban, the response she received when she complained was infuriating:

• "If you don’t like it, you can become the commander. Until then, you know what’s going to happen, right?"

That grin of his had been so infuriating.

That’s why Amore had made a resolution.

She’d become a Dragon, on the same level as Julius, and fight him.

Then, it wouldn’t be considered insubordination, right?

Of course, she had no intention of leaving the White Steel Vanguard, but she was just going to challenge Julius for the sake of challenging him.

Ah, and it didn’t matter that the person who would become the Dragon would be 'Anonymous' and not 'Amore Tan'.

As Amore mulled over these thoughts, she couldn't help but notice how much Theo’s behavior resembled Julius’s.

Of course, this was the future leader of the White Steel Vanguard.

Had that position always been for those with such "strong characters"?

Whoosh!

As Amore let her imagination run wild, Lezé swiftly swung her sickle down, cutting through the air.

With the sound of paper tearing, the space split apart, and dozens of orbs of energy poured out.

Clang!

Amore quickly deflected the orbs using her sword, but then, the shattered energy blurred her vision.

Thump!

At that moment, the scythe’s blade—now engulfed in black flames—targeted Lezé’s neck.

The blade, cloaked in hellfire, seemed to be an embodiment of death.

"Purgatory Road – The Reaper’s Blade"

The scythe descended as if the Grim Reaper himself was coming to harvest her soul.

"If I lose to something like this, won't I seem pathetic?"

Amore laughed as she spun around like a top.

Her tone, almost like a mentor teaching a younger colleague, betrayed her strong competitive spirit toward Lezé.

She believed Lezé had the skills to challenge her.

As the two’s attacks collided...

"This is tiresome. Let’s finish this now—"

Suddenly, a sword dropped between them with a loud crash.

Boom!

The ground trembled as the force of the impact spread.

Both Amore and Lezé hastily stepped back, widening the gap and observing the center of the explosion.

"What the hell is this?!"

"You!"

In the middle of the stage, Kincarnon stood, his expression bored as he adjusted his grip on his sword.

"I’ve been watching this low-level fight, waiting for it to end, and it’s become dull. Let’s finish this quickly. Everyone, join in."

"...!"

"...!"

Kincarnon tightened his grip on his sword.