Chapter 694 - React
The man armed with six swords watched Enkrid throughout the fight, noting how he kept smiling.
Inwardly, he nodded.
'He's got an exceptional temperament.'
It wasn't just that he was smiling as he attacked.
The way he welcomed the pressure from the family head was something rarely seen, even among the children such as Odincar or other Yohan members.
It was rare, peculiar, and captivating—but it wasn't unheard of within Yohan.
So, he left it at that.
But Enkrid's words immediately after his defeat were different.
"One more round?"
The emotions carried in those words sent a tingling sensation through his heart.
The owner of the six swords didn't even know exactly who this man was, yet he found himself hoping the family head would grant his request.
Look at those blue eyes beneath the black hair—filled with such desperation.
'Family Head, isn't this exactly what you always emphasize?'
Hadn't he just said it moments ago?
Desperation in the present is always a step behind, and only the efforts accumulated before can respond to the urgency of now.
And yet, even while being praised for his skills, this black-haired man poured out an overwhelming sense of urgency.
To swing his sword more.
To fight just a little longer.
It wasn't over yet.
He shouted, his emotions surging.
'Acknowledging defeat is admirable, and enjoying swordsmanship is commendable…'
But possessing desperation is on another level.
This was one of Yohan's teachings—one of the family head's creeds.
A genius without desperation could not truly be called a genius.
That was why Ragna had been sent out into the world.
And yet, the man who had accompanied him showed something that struck deeply—burning hot within his chest.
"…A rare temperament."
Yohan valued temperament.
It was the blond middle-aged man standing beside him who spoke.
The man with six swords didn't even turn his head as he scoffed.
"Rare? It's a precious trait. You need to refine your eye, Heskal."
His long years of wielding a sword had honed his instincts, allowing him to recognize something special in the man before him.
Perhaps it was because his own specialty lay in the concept of waves, but right now, his instincts were screaming.
The middle-aged blond man, however, seemed less convinced.
His eyes showed traces of surprise, but his demeanor remained composed.
"As I always say, hearing you talk about discernment is unpleasant."
Heskal, as he was called, retorted, but the man with six swords didn't respond.
Because what did that matter right now?
Not at all.
Many eyes were on the scene.
One of them belonged to Anne, who was also struck by Enkrid's sheer desperation, her chest tightening as she watched.
Against all reason, she found herself hoping the man who had slain her master would rise again.
Naturally, she turned her gaze toward the one who would answer Enkrid's request.
She thought she saw faint wisps of black smoke dissipating from the family head's lips.
It was fleeting, almost a trick of the eye.
And then there was the scent.
A scent that only an alchemist, someone who had handled herbs and medicines for a long time, could detect.
She had been too shocked to notice before.
Anne snapped out of the emotional wave Enkrid had transmitted to her.
Her alchemist's instincts, combined with what she truly desired, brought her mind into sharp focus.
'Ah.'
She realized something and was about to speak—
But the family head's wife moved first.
"I'll take over from here."
She stepped forward without even seeking permission from her husband, but no one objected.
After all, when it came to skill, there wasn't a single person here who didn't know that Alexandra was the family head's equal.
Even Enkrid, still kneeling on one knee with fierce determination in his eyes, could sense the sheer presence and force radiating from her.
Some in the gathering knew, while others did not—but among those who did, there was an undeniable truth:
The swordsmanship teacher of Schmit, the imperial recruiter, was none other than Alexandra.
Schmit's sword was built around speed.
And that was only natural—Alexandra's sword had been fast even before she bore the name Yohan.
When the legend of the 'Knight of the Gale' spread across the continent, she, too, had earned a similar title.
Blitzkling.
In the continental tongue, that meant Lightning Blade.
Her weapons were two slightly elongated shortswords—her engraved weapons.
Even on this particularly dark day, the area around her blades seemed to shimmer with a cold light.
'The family head is heavy…'
But his wife was fast.
Perhaps it was only natural that Ragna, having grown up watching his father's heavy sword and his mother's swift strikes, had developed a style that combined both.
The words had barely left her lips, yet before Enkrid could even take a breath—
One of Alexandra's twin blades had already become a dot, aiming straight for his forehead.
—Ziiiiiiiip!
A sound like lightning being drawn in followed the tiny dot, the sword slicing forward at incredible speed.
Enkrid, fully focused, tilted his head at the last possible moment.
—Flick!
His cheek was cut.
A bead of blood spun into the air.
Before it even touched the ground, over fifteen strikes had already been exchanged.
—Tatatatatatatang!
Enkrid had risen from the ground, standing with his sword angled slightly forward, as if using it to shield his body.
Alexandra had retreated four and a half steps, gripping the hilts of her twin swords with both hands.
—Rumble.
Dark clouds gathered in the distance, thunder rolling ominously.
It looked as if the skies would soon break into a storm.
—Drip.
His cheek had been cut deeply.
Blood trickled down Enkrid's face, gathering at the tip of his chin.
"I'll finish this before the rain comes," Alexandra stated.
"Is that so?"
Enkrid exhaled a breath, excitement coloring his voice.
How had he blocked those attacks just now?
He asked himself.
Searched for the answer.
But it didn't come.
Was it just luck?
As if granting him a moment to steady his breath, Alexandra spoke again.
"The weather's unusual. Storms do roll in around this time, but this one seems… different. Almost unnatural. I don't know which god is playing tricks today, but it's definitely not the god of swords. That one only cares about blade work."
"Is that so?"
Alexandra smirked.
"This brat… You're not even listening to me?"
No one in the world is perfect.
Ragna knew his mother's shortcomings.
She was generally gentle, but the moment a certain line was crossed, the honorifics in her speech would vanish.
That was a warning sign.
***
'What is this?'
Enkrid focused on the sensation of something almost within his grasp, yet elusive.
It was like seeing a mirage in the desert—if he concentrated, it felt as though he might be able to catch it.
That was why, without realizing it, he exuded desperation.
A yearning he usually kept buried deep within him had surfaced.
Beyond mere exhilaration, an intense desire boiled within him—he wanted this, now.
He wanted to swing his sword fiercely.
He didn't know how.
He had no path forward.
He simply wanted to wield his blade.
So, he added one more element to it.
'For as long as possible.'
He wanted to swing his sword again and again, while maintaining his current state.
How could he do that?
'Endure.'
His Will wouldn't falter.
For now, he put Samcheol forward as his defense and concealed his body behind it.
He stepped forward with his right foot, using his big toe as an axis to draw an upward line, then blocked that line with his sword.
That placed his blade between him and his opponent, making it the only thing visible in their line of sight.
'What's next?'
From the earlier clash, he had recognized similarities between his opponent's swordsmanship and One-Killer's style.
It alternated between instinct and calculation, but at its core, it was rational.
What if he twisted that rationality just a bit?
He had once tried this approach against the demon known as One-Killer, attempting to break his own calculations in the process.
'No meaningless movements. The goal is disruption.'
Wave-breaker tehnique was active.
His tactical thinking told him what to do.
Enkrid lowered his left hand, bringing it near his Penna.
He didn't draw it.
No, he wouldn't even grip it.
But even that movement alone would create an error in his opponent's calculations…
Snap!
Suddenly, two crescent-shaped blades descended toward him.
They appeared out of nowhere—two swords arcing down like twin moons.
He thrust Samcheol upward at an angle while shifting his left foot back, tensing his entire body.
Everything slowed in that moment.
If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to block the strike.
The moons were falling.
Mishandling his sword could result in cutting himself instead.
If he lost to the Crescent Slash, he might end up performing the absurd feat of slicing his own body with his own blade.
Clang! Kaaang!
The two moons struck Samcheol.
Enkrid judged it was too late to deflect with his blade, so he used the Valaf-style martial arts to absorb the force with his body instead.
Thud, thud.
As a result, both of his feet skidded sideways.
Alexandra, who had unleashed the twin crescent slashes, widened the distance once more.
"You joking? I'm faster than you, and you're trying stunts like that? What kind of idiot does that?"
Your daughter.
Enkrid swallowed the provocation.
Now was not the time.
Alexandra was undoubtedly holding back against him.
His body had already taken a hit from the family head.
It was hard to argue he was in peak condition.
Was she going easy on him because of that?
No.
Ragna knew that his mother's bad habit had surfaced.
A cornered rat would bite a cat.
But what if its opponent was a tiger?
In sparring, Alexandra Yohan enjoyed cornering her opponent.
Her lips curled in a twisted smile, revealing her delight.
"Hey, keep that up and you'll die."
Enkrid could feel the truth in her words.
The killing intent she radiated was no joke.
The oppressive force she exuded had taken shape, just as his own had.
If her earlier presence was like a greatsword, then now, her killing intent was an arrowhead, drawn back on a taut bowstring and aimed right at his face.
The moment she let go, the arrow would pierce him from mere inches away.
The sheer tension electrified his mind, igniting his thoughts.
His Will surged through his body.
His mind accelerated, calculations multiplying.
'If I keep making movements that disrupt her calculations, I'll have to expose that many openings in return.'
Which meant that, against someone with hands as fast as hers, it was suicide.
'That was a stupid move.'
Acknowledged.
Enkrid concluded his brief review.
It had taken only an instant.
Alexandra pushed off the ground again.
Thunk!
The moment her foot struck the dirt, her body blurred—she was moving so fast that she seemed to disappear.
'React.'
Enkrid commanded his body.
A pinpoint thrust followed by a flurry of high-speed attacks, then another slash—
He didn't think before blocking.
His body simply moved on its own.
Thud!
Alexandra's diagonal slash was deflected by Enkrid's Samcheol, but—
She wielded two swords.
The blade in her other hand let out a sharp hiss as it stabbed toward the top of his right thigh.
Right at the gap his armor couldn't fully protect.
Enkrid used the momentum from his deflection to spin his body halfway around.
Alexandra's sword still grazed his thigh, but he avoided a fatal wound.
Blood trickled from the cut on his torn pant leg, but it was just a scratch.
"A sword is wielded with the entire body, idiot! Strengthen your core first!"
When was it?
Back when he earned krona without hesitation—mercenary, guide, bodyguard, even a noblewoman's ornament.
One instructor had taught him the fundamentals of swordplay.
"Don't just swing with your arms. Use your whole body."
And so, he had trained his body relentlessly, every single day, without fail.
Later, Audin had taught him how to make his muscles thicker, tougher, and more flexible.
And he had done just that, following his guidance.
'My body reacts well enough.'
He had also learned how to choose the right path without making mistakes.
Ragna had taught him that.
So there was no hesitation.
Instinct and intuition rose to the surface.
Alexandra's sword moved outside the bounds of perception and calculation.
That was why his senses opened up first, responding instinctively.
A chill brushed past his ear.
Every fiber of his being stood on edge, even the fine hairs on his skin reading her movements.
Alexandra's body now held a faint glow, as did her sword.
She hid her left hand behind her, raising only the sword in her right hand at an angle.
'React.'
Enkrid spoke to his body once more.
Something hazy settled into his grasp, taking form.
His senses reacted first, moving before he could consciously perceive it.
In that process, his Will was naturally invoked.
Even though he had performed this motion hundreds, maybe thousands of times, it felt as if someone had pulled his strings, making his body move in his stead.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, Enkrid was sent flying once again, like a puppet with its strings cut.
This time, however, he did not roll across the ground.
Thud—someone caught him mid-air, stopping his motion.
Thanks to that, instead of tumbling disgracefully, Enkrid ended up sitting at an angle on the ground, one knee down just as before.
Ironically, he had landed in the same stance as he had during his sparring sessions with the family head.
"What did you just do?"
It was Ragna.
His eyes clearly reflected his shock—a rare sight.
"I don't know."
Enkrid answered.
"Alex, were you trying to kill him in a sparring match?"
Someone called out to Enkrid's opponent, a swordsman carrying six blades.
"Ah, I really almost did. You okay?"
Alexandra, who had now regained her composure, asked.
"Oh, but you seemed fine. You blocked it pretty well."
She quickly added with a grin.
Enkrid nodded and said,
"Yes, I blocked it. And it was fun."
His words were filled with genuine excitement.
Ragna observed Enkrid, replaying the moment he had just witnessed.
It was hard to believe.
He coated his sword with Will.
For a brief moment, that was what it had seemed like.
Will was an intangible force.
Ragna had internally defined his next step as materializing that intangible force into a tangible form.
In essence, manifestation.
He had even demonstrated it when breaking through Enkrid's Wave-Breaking style.
To add to that, the foundation of this technique came from his father's sword.
Ragna had used his father's overwhelming pressure as a basis to grasp the concept of manifestation.
That was why he wielded a greatsword.
All that remained was to compress it and release a more refined Will.
And just now, the Captain did it.
For a fleeting moment, Enkrid had taken a step ahead of Ragna in his own path by receiving the sword of his mother.
"Try it again."
"Huh? Hmm, I don't think I can."
At Ragna's words, Enkrid shook his head.
Then, he added,
"There's always another time."
Talent was cruel.
For some, a single stroke of luck was enough to grasp it, while for others, dozens of similar moments were necessary.
Even when faced with such cruelty—
"This is fun."—few would still smile like that.
Truly, they were rare.
Ragna, who had briefly supported his captain's back with his palm, thought so.
***
"When did it start?"
Anne, who had remained an observer through all of this, suddenly approached the family head and asked.
The family head silently gazed at her.
Her expression carried the weight of her seriousness.
"Tell me."
She was bold, even speaking as if ordering the family head.
But to Anne, it was only natural.
No matter who the person was—if they were a patient suffering from a serious illness and death loomed over them—she would do whatever was necessary to save them.
That was the conviction of one who called themselves a healer.
"Let's talk inside."
The family head finally spoke, and Alexandra gestured to dismiss the gathered onlookers.
"If the show's over, go on your way. If you saw something good, train hard to make it yours.
***
If you enjoy the series and want to get more chapters early, head over to https://payhip.com/Samowek
or head over to https://brightnovels.com/series/a-knight-who-eternally-regresses
[SHOP BEST BUY] - 50e - Every chapter translated - Latest WN-845 + daily chapters from monday to friday for a month
-KNIGHT - Cost 20e - Chapters 780-850 + daily chapters from Monday to Friday for a month
Please be sure to join the discord :)