Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 339

The capital's nights were once dazzling, alive with energy that never seemed to wane.

But since the Court Duke had seized power, a strict curfew had been imposed. The streets were now eerily empty, devoid of their usual flow of people. The only sounds in the night were the clinking of the patrolling guards' armor and the occasional whisper of the wind.

Tonight, however, was unusually loud—so much so that one might have thought a war had broken out. The cacophony was jarring, an uproar unlike anything the capital had heard in recent memory.

The Second Apostle was the first to notice.

With his exceptionally sharp ears, he had no difficulty discerning that the racket was the sound of the Mad Dragon locked in an intense battle with someone. He also knew, almost immediately, that someone had been eavesdropping from the ceiling earlier.

Yet, he had chosen to let them live—for a reason.

“I don’t care who wins,” he muttered.

In short, the goal was chaos. He had calculated that the Mad Dragon would sense the intruder and pursue them, creating the necessary disruption.

The Second Apostle had already instructed the Court Duke not to make a move, no matter the commotion tonight. If the military, who were at odds with the Court Duke, decided to act, so be it. If they didn’t, the plans would proceed regardless.

The Second Apostle turned his gaze toward the auxiliary palace, a sly smile playing on his lips.

“Shouldn’t they be crawling out any moment now?”

***

A Ripple of Tremendous Mana

Theo had grown attuned to the flow of mana since he had truly grasped its essence. Now, he could sense even the faintest disturbance in the swirling currents around him.

And this—this was no faint disturbance. The ripple of mana was intense, almost electrifying, and even without sensing the flow, the sheer noise of the situation would have been enough to tell Theo what was happening.

‘Someone’s fighting.’

A fierce battle was raging near the outskirts of the capital. Judging by the deafening sounds and the surging mana waves, it was clear that formidable individuals were clashing.

‘Should I go check?’

But Theo hesitated. This was the capital. Heading straight for the source of the disturbance could put him at risk of being mistaken as the perpetrator by the city guards. For now, he decided it would be wise to observe the situation a bit longer.

The urgency came from the fact that he already had a strong suspicion about who was involved in the fight.

‘Felix.’

Felix had set out earlier, tasked with ensuring the Emperor’s safety. It was clear to Theo that one of the combatants must be him.

Someone capable of detecting and pursuing Felix, despite his extraordinary skill at concealing his presence, had to be highly proficient—likely someone within the palace. Felix, after all, knew the secret passages into the palace like the back of his hand, especially after aligning himself with the Emperor.

There was no doubt Felix was in danger, and Theo had to confirm it with his own eyes. He could feel the immense pressure emanating from Felix’s opponent. This wasn’t an ordinary foe.

Despite the risks, Theo decided it was worth the trouble to investigate.

“Loddy, let’s get ready,” Theo said, his voice steady with resolve.

Finding out who could challenge the Commander of the Knights was crucial. Equally important was ensuring Felix’s survival—it was almost non-negotiable.

“Understood.”

Without further delay, Theo and Lodbrok cloaked themselves in invisibility magic and headed toward the source of the commotion.

***

Arcs resembling moonlight and flashes of radiance erupted in succession.
With each movement of the combatants, the wind sharpened, and the surrounding area trembled under the sheer force of their clash.

The Mad Dragon's punches accelerated, leaving afterimages that blurred into a chaotic whirlwind.
It was as though he had grown countless arms, striking from every angle, a grotesque display of overwhelming power.

Yet, Felix, through his refined swordsmanship and footwork, skillfully adjusted the distance, dismantling the Mad Dragon's onslaught with precision.

Clang! Clang!

“Hahaha! This is exhilarating!” the Mad Dragon roared, his face lit with a grin that refused to fade.

Every cell in his body quivered with excitement, his blood boiling hotter with each exchange.
He had faced many renowned warriors in his time, from the famed to the overrated, but Felix was undoubtedly among the best.

What thrilled him even more was the knowledge that Felix was the Commander of the Knights, a figure whose role rarely allowed for battles like this.

‘It’s like watching a boulder dance.’

Felix couldn't help but feel an eerie sensation as he faced the Mad Dragon.
His opponent’s agile movements were unsettling enough, given his massive frame, but what truly unnerved him was the raw power behind those movements.

Boom!

Every charge felt like a gigantic boulder rolling toward him, forcing Felix to steel his resolve.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Blinding thrusts rained down on Felix—toward his throat, his brow, his solar plexus.
The Mad Dragon’s relentless aggression left no opening, and Felix had to employ every ounce of his skill to fend off the attacks.

The Mad Dragon, too, found the precision of Felix’s counters frustratingly difficult to deal with.

‘There’s no way I’ll get through that without taking a hit,’ they both concluded simultaneously.

The combatants took a step back, each adjusting their strategies.
The Mad Dragon was the first to act.

Whoosh!

‘He’s fast!’

The Mad Dragon’s movements had nearly doubled in speed, forcing Felix to fall back and focus on defense. His enormous frame barreled toward Felix with increasing ferocity, arms raised high, preparing to unleash his devastating Mad Dragon’s Fist Sword Style.

However, instead of attacking directly, he scattered his strikes in multiple directions—above, to the sides, and even behind.

Felix’s spine went cold.

‘This is a trap—a net designed to restrict my movements!’

If he retreated now, he would be caught in a pincer attack. The only viable path was forward.

Dash!

Felix charged toward the Mad Dragon, fully aware of the danger. There was no other way to escape the net but to break through it.

The Mad Dragon felt a familiar thrill at the sight.

‘He figured out the solution in that brief moment?’

He was impressed, but only slightly. Every opponent who had faced him had made the same choice.

‘But can you truly break through me?’

The path forward was only viable for those who could overpower the Mad Dragon head-on—a feat no one had achieved, save for Kyle Ragnar himself.

Felix was no Kyle. The Mad Dragon felt victory was assured.

Whoosh!

Felix accelerated, his form hurtling toward the Mad Dragon like a moth to a flame.

“You’re impressive!” the Mad Dragon bellowed as their collision sent shockwaves rippling outward.

Boom! Crack!

The ground splintered beneath them, and the battlefield filled with dust.
In the ensuing storm of debris, their furious exchange began anew, a whirlwind of relentless strikes and counters.

The Mad Dragon’s fists sought Felix’s head, but Felix evaded, countering with precise thrusts of his blade.

Clang!

The Mad Dragon deflected Felix’s sword with his left gauntlet, spinning to deliver a heel kick that Felix narrowly blocked. The impact sent Felix flying backward, only for the Mad Dragon to close the distance instantly, unleashing a massive palm strike imbued with aura.

Felix responded with his own technique: Lion’s Paw, a giant aura-laden slash designed to counter overwhelming force.

BOOM! BOOM!

Their powers collided, sending ripples through the battlefield.
The Mad Dragon’s attack began to crack under Felix’s overwhelming aura, shattering into fragments of energy that scattered in all directions.

Clatter!

Felix’s eyes widened in surprise.

‘Damn it!’

The Mad Dragon seized the moment of disarray, launching a relentless barrage of fists.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, his fists inches from Felix’s chest.

Felix twisted desperately, redirecting the strike with his blade, but one of the blows grazed his left shoulder.

‘...I’ve lost my left arm.’

Despite deploying his aura to mitigate the impact, it was too late. Blood gushed from the mangled remains of his shoulder, soaking the ground beneath him.

Yet, the blood that pooled wasn’t his alone.

“...I’m impressed,” Felix muttered.

A final desperate slash from Felix’s sword had caught the Mad Dragon’s side, leaving a deep gash that oozed blood.

‘Lucky,’ the Mad Dragon thought, feeling the sting of the wound.

If the strike had gone deeper, it might have pierced his lungs—a potentially fatal injury.

For the first time in a long while, the Mad Dragon felt a chill of fear.

“You’re a worthy opponent. I’ll send you off without pain.”

He raised his fist for a finishing blow, but Felix’s gaze hadn’t dimmed.
With his remaining arm, he lifted his sword, determination unyielding.

The Mad Dragon couldn’t help but admire him.

‘What a waste to kill someone like him.’

Felix’s tenacity and skill made him a rare opponent, one the Mad Dragon had truly enjoyed fighting.

“I’m still alive, aren’t I?” Felix taunted, his voice weak but defiant.

The Mad Dragon laughed.

He had felt it throughout the battle—Felix shared a kindred spirit with him. That fiery will, the refusal to give in, made the fight all the more exhilarating.

“Then let’s continue,” the Mad Dragon said, lowering his fists.

This time, he abandoned his Mad Dragon’s Fist Sword Style, opting for pure hand-to-hand combat.

“Ugh!”

Felix grunted in pain. With his injuries, his movements were sluggish, and he struggled to fend off the Mad Dragon’s relentless strikes.

“You’ve done well.”

The Mad Dragon’s hand found Felix’s throat, gripping it tightly.

Even as his life hung by a thread, Felix raised his sword, attempting a final thrust.

“Still so stubborn,” the Mad Dragon muttered, catching the blade effortlessly.

“I thought you were just another dog wagging its tail for the Emperor, but you’ve earned my respect,” he admitted.

As he pondered how best to honor such a noble adversary, Felix suddenly released the hilt of his sword.

Bang!

Smoke erupted from a hidden grenade at Felix’s waist.

Seizing the opportunity, Felix kicked the Mad Dragon in the chest, breaking free of his grip.

“...”

The Mad Dragon stood frozen in shock.

After all the honor and respect he had afforded Felix, this crude, instinctive move felt like a betrayal.

“Disappointing,” he muttered, his voice cold with fury.

Boom!

With a powerful leap, the Mad Dragon dispersed the smoke, his eyes locking onto the figure that had appeared before him.

“Why are you here?”

The icy voice chilled even the Mad Dragon’s blood.

“Theo... Ragnar.”