A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 27

“Do you mean the promotion exam?”

“Yes. A cadet as exceptional as you fully qualifies to take the promotion exam.”

The idea of skipping grades was something Zeke had considered to some extent.

In his previous life, Reina had completed the academy’s six-year curriculum in just four years by advancing through promotion exams and graduating early.

Howard stroked his well-groomed Kaiser mustache as he looked at Zeke.

“There’s no need to overthink it. Someone like you can easily…”

“I’ll do it,” Zeke replied before Howard could finish speaking.

His eyes burned with fierce determination.

‘Any chance to graduate from the academy faster is more than welcome.’

Howard smiled in satisfaction at Zeke’s resolute answer.

“Excellent. Alright, I’ll arrange for the promotion exam. Show us an outstanding result.”

Zeke nodded and left the principal’s office.

Once alone, Howard opened a drawer and retrieved something hidden securely in a small safe—a communication crystal linked to a secure channel.

He turned the dial and initiated a call to someone.

Bzzt―

The crystal emitted static as only a blank screen appeared.

Soon, a light indicated that the connection had been established.

Howard spoke into the receiver in a hushed voice.

“Both Pureblood Awakened candidates have agreed to take the exam.”

Someone on the other end gave Howard specific instructions.

Howard quietly listened, nodding as he received the directives.

“Understood. I’ll handle it accordingly.”

When the call ended, the light on the crystal faded, and Howard returned the device to the safe.

Standing up, he stroked his Kaiser mustache again while gazing at his reflection in the window.

“Things are getting interesting.”

999

Three days after his meeting with the principal, Zeke was notified about the promotion exam.

Without knowing what the test would entail, he headed to the advanced cadets’ aura training hall for the evaluation.

Inside, Reina Draker was already waiting.

She radiated intense combat energy as her eyes locked onto Zeke.

Since the aura evaluation test, Reina’s sense of rivalry with Zeke had only grown stronger, fueling her fighting spirit.

Zeke deliberately avoided Reina’s gaze.

‘What a hassle.’

Ordinarily, Reina would have been celebrated as a prodigy destined to go down in the academy’s history.

However, being placed on the same level as someone like Zeke, who was considered beyond any standard measure, seemed to dull her brilliance.

However, Reina herself seemed less concerned about such matters. Instead, she burned with determination, regarding Zeke as her rival.

As the subtle tension between Reina and Zeke persisted, someone entered the training hall.

Thud!

It was the supervising instructor accompanied by a knight dressed in the formal attire of the Draker Household.

Zeke’s eyes widened momentarily as he recognized the knight standing behind the instructor.

‘The Wooden Blade?’

The knight was Owl Draker, known as “The Wooden Blade.” He was one of the few individuals from the Draker Household with whom Zeke had a connection before his regression.

Owl had a massive, muscular build, with a large scar running across his face, giving him an imposing presence. Even without knowing his reputation, it was clear from his aura alone that his skills far exceeded the level one would expect for an academy promotion evaluator.

The supervising instructor stepped forward to explain.

“Zeke Draker, Reina Draker. Today, Sir Owl Draker, a senior knight of the main family, will oversee your promotion exam.”

Both Reina and Zeke bowed their heads respectfully toward Owl.

Owl, however, said nothing, his gaze fixed silently on the two cadets.

The instructor continued his explanation.

“The exam will consist of a sparring match. You are to use all your skills and abilities for ten minutes. Understood?”

Reina responded loudly, while Zeke simply nodded.

The instructor turned to Owl and asked, “Shall we begin?”

Owl gave a brief nod and pointed to Reina first.

Reina drew her sword and stepped forward to face him.

“Phew…”

A senior knight of the Draker Household was required to be at least of the Blue Knight rank. This rank was the minimum, and each knight was a seasoned expert, having accumulated over a decade of real combat experience. These knights were the true backbone of the Draker Household.

As Reina assumed her stance, Owl unsheathed his weapon.

However, Owl’s sword was unusual. It wasn’t a standard arming sword but a blade with a distinctive design.

Zeke’s eyes narrowed as he observed Owl’s weapon.

‘Even back then, he used the curved blade from the Eastern Empire.’

It was an unconventional weapon, with a single-edged blade and a shape distinct from standard swords. Moreover, its length surpassed that of typical blades.

With his towering frame and powerful build, Owl wielding the massive curved blade exuded an overwhelming sense of intimidation.

Despite this, Reina, renowned as a genius among the Draker’s prodigies, quickly overcame the oppressive aura and regained her composure.

She was the first to attack, swiftly closing the gap toward Owl.

Swoosh!

A clean thrust aimed precisely at Owl’s thigh streaked through the air toward its target.

Owl swiftly stepped back, effortlessly avoiding Reina’s incoming sword strike.

Whoosh!

Reina’s sword cut through empty air.

Without missing a beat, she adjusted her stance and launched another attack using the Dragonslaying Art.

Yet Owl didn’t counter with his curved blade. Instead, he merely twisted his body and stepped back, dodging Reina’s strikes with minimal effort.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Reina moved with astonishing agility, her attacks remarkable for a first-year academy cadet. However, her limits were apparent.

Owl evaded her onslaught, maneuvering deftly to her blind spot. With a calculated move, he slid his foot between Reina’s legs.

Thunk!

“Ugh!”

That alone was enough to throw Reina off balance, causing her to collapse onto the ground.

She quickly scrambled back to her feet, gripping her sword tightly.

“Huff… huff…”

Her breath came in short, ragged gasps. Attacking someone as imposing as Owl with such unrelenting intensity had rapidly drained her stamina.

Then, for the first time, Owl raised his curved blade.

Thud!

Stepping forward, he swung the blade with immense force.

Reina hastily raised her sword to block it.

Crunch!

The impact sent Reina flying across the training hall, slamming her into the wall with a resounding crash.

Boom!

The force of the blow was so overwhelming that cracks began to form on the training hall’s sturdy walls.

“Urgh…”

Reina struggled to rise, but her body refused to cooperate. She trembled uncontrollably, unable to regain control.

Moments later, she finally succumbed, losing consciousness.

Healers, who had been on standby, rushed in, placing her on a stretcher and swiftly transporting her to the infirmary.

‘Brutal.’

A man who didn’t know the meaning of mercy—he was exactly as Zeke remembered him. The stoic, unyielding image of Owl Draker, the Wooden Blade, remained unchanged from his previous life.

Returning to his original position, Owl pointed at Zeke next.

Zeke drew Bahamut and addressed Owl calmly.

“Are there specific evaluation criteria I should be aware of?”

As expected, Owl gave no response.

‘What a frustrating man to deal with.’

Compared to Duke, who was easy to read, Owl was like an iron-clad tree—impossible to penetrate.

The same had been true when Zeke faced Owl during the Third Continental War in his past life.

Though unreadable, Owl had been a paragon of integrity, embodying the essence of a true knight.

Even as an enemy, Zeke had admired him for being unlike the typical Draker.

‘It was a waste for someone like him to die in such a pointless war.’

Shaking off his emotions, Zeke tightened his grip on Bahamut. With a steady breath, he pointed his sword at Owl, ready for the test to begin.

At that moment, Zeke’s figure disappeared.

Swish!

Using Swift Wind Technique and Phantom Footwork, Zeke surrounded Owl with afterimages, creating an illusion of being in multiple places at once.

Slash! Slash!

Zeke’s sword darted toward the openings in Owl’s defense.

Just as he had done with Reina, Owl twisted his body, narrowly avoiding Zeke’s attacks.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Zeke increased the speed of Phantom Footwork, multiplying the number of afterimages from three to five. Simultaneously, five swords appeared to strike at Owl’s vital points.

Whoom!

In an instant, Owl raised his curved blade, blocking Zeke’s strike from behind.

Thud!

Owl turned and pushed Zeke’s sword away with immense force. Zeke deflected the curved blade and sidestepped, barely avoiding being thrown back like Reina had been.

The timing had been razor-thin. A moment’s hesitation, and he would have met the same fate.

Every seemingly simple movement of Owl’s curved blade carried immense, overwhelming power.

‘I can’t afford to let my guard down.’

Unable to unleash his full strength due to the circumstances, Zeke had to carefully balance his output. Overexerting could reveal too much, but showing a lackluster performance might result in failing the promotion exam.

He stepped back to steady his breath.

Unlike his fight with Reina, Owl assumed a proper stance with his curved blade this time.

He took a single step forward.

Rumble!

Just that one step exuded such pressure that the air in the hall seemed to vibrate.

Zeke couldn’t help but smile. It had been a while since he faced a true opponent worthy of clashing swords.

Battling a strong opponent was like opening a door to new possibilities.

Vrrrrm!

Zeke’s sword hummed with energy.

Utilizing Phantom Footwork, he executed the Dragonslaying Art.

Dragonslaying Art
Third Chapter, First Verse
Crescent Slash

A crescent-shaped strike imbued with aura flew toward Owl.

Thud!

Owl tilted his curved blade to deflect the incoming attack.

Zeke took advantage of the rebounding force from the deflection, spinning to execute his next move.

Dragonslaying Art
Fourth Chapter, First Verse
Full Moon Slash

Zeke’s sword traced a large arc, channeling centrifugal force as it descended toward Owl’s crown.

Owl grounded his lower body firmly and raised his curved blade from below to intercept the strike.

Boom!

The clash of Zeke’s Full Moon Slash and Owl’s upward slash reverberated through the hall with a deafening crash.

The impact of the counter wasn’t fully absorbed, and Zeke was forced backward, his footing disrupted.

‘Phew… Holding back my aura makes this a real challenge.’

At that moment, Owl spoke for the first time.

“Zeke Draker.”

He pointed his curved blade at Zeke.

“Use your full strength.”

Owl had realized that Zeke wasn’t fighting at his maximum capacity.

At the same time, Owl moved.

Swoosh!

Unlike before, he now took an aggressive stance, swinging his curved blade with full force.

Whoosh!

The blade came at Zeke from all directions, its trajectory fierce and relentless.

Clang!

Zeke raised his sword to block the strike, but the attacks didn’t let up.

The curved blade twisted at strange angles, targeting Zeke’s openings from completely unexpected directions.

Zeke gritted his teeth as he blocked Owl’s blade.

‘He used this peculiar Eastern swordsmanship back then too.’

Memories of battling Owl on the warfront before his regression flashed through Zeke’s mind. That same unpredictable swordsmanship had been a nightmare to deal with.

A strike seemed to come from above, only to veer sideways at the last moment. An upward thrust would suddenly transform into a downward slash. The ever-changing movements made it nearly impossible to defend.

Observing Owl wield his blade at full capacity, Zeke realized he needed to step up his efforts if he wanted to pass the promotion exam.

Vrrrm!

Zeke’s body began to vibrate with power, rather than just his sword.

Dragonslaying Art, Applied Technique
Swift Wind Technique
Shadowless Footwork

In an instant, Zeke accelerated to the point where he was almost invisible.

Vrrrrm!

Using a technique that enveloped his entire body with aura to enhance his muscles and joints, Zeke maximized his agility and reflexes. This was an advanced application of Swift Wind Technique.

Zeke, now moving at an accelerated pace, evaded Owl’s curved blade and darted into his inner range.

Swoosh!

Zeke’s sword shot upward, targeting Owl’s vital points with precision.

It was then—

Thump!

Owl instinctively took half a step back, creating space, and in the same motion, unsheathed his blade with a lightning-fast draw.

Boom!

The immense force behind Owl’s strike sent Zeke flying. Like Reina earlier, he slammed into the training hall wall, only this time the impact was even greater.

Crash!

The sheer force drove Zeke through the wall, leaving a gaping hole.

Once again, the healers sprang into action, hurrying to attend to him.

Owl lowered his blade and silently watched as Zeke was carried off to the infirmary.

It was at that moment—

“You scoundrel! Are you trying to destroy my apprentice?”

A loud voice rang out as Duke Draker descended into the training hall. Landing directly in front of Owl, Duke glared at him.

Owl immediately bowed his head in respect.

“I greet you, Duke Draker.”

“You’re still as stiff as ever, Owl.”

“It’s good to see you in good health.”

“Well, a lazy man like me has nothing else to do but stay healthy. But more importantly…”

Duke grinned mischievously, slinging an arm around Owl’s shoulder.

“So, what do you think of my apprentice?”

Owl pressed his lips together, hesitating briefly before responding in a slow and measured tone.

“He is disqualified.”

Duke’s eyes widened in shock.

“What? Are you saying he’s disqualified?”

Owl shook his head.

“No. I mean, I am disqualified—as an evaluator.”