[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses":3,"chapter-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-795":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","A Knight Who Eternally Regresses",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},428502,689,"Chapter 791","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-795",795,"\u003Cp>A Knight Who Eternally Regresses\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your skills...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint smile that usually played on Oara's face faded a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn't someone who smiled all the time, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although she didn't seem completely shocked, the way she blinked repeatedly made it obvious to anyone that she was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after exchanging just a few blows, it wouldn't be hard to see how much had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way Enkrid now wielded the never-drying Will-Uske, his mindset, and how he made use of Will—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid was a world apart from the man Oara had met back in the city that once bore the name Thousand Stones and had since inherited her name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment ago, Oara had struck down with her sword, and Enkrid had deflected it with a powerful thrust, knocking her sword aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Oara caught her sword, stopping its movement with brute force, and then shifted her stance to redirect the rest of the blow's energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knight who had given the city a new name hadn't lost any skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid saw that clearly, just as Oara realized the man standing before her now was nothing like the one from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A smile flickered across Oara's face again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was more fun than she'd expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Enkrid change, and clashing swords with this man like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was probably the only time she had genuinely smiled since being captured by Beelrog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn't I once advise you to let this matter go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked, lost in memories of the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid answered casually, as if opening his mouth right away was hardly worth thinking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, I didn't take it seriously.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara smiled, responding to Enkrid's remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…This bastard really knows how to provoke someone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara had also just learned something new about him—something she hadn't noticed when they'd met in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This guy's tongue was as sharp as a Ghoul's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that face and manner—someone you wouldn't expect it from—when he needled you, it was twice as effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara, who knew her way around a battlefield, understood that well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Oara thrust forward, but Enkrid closed the distance and brought his sword down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their blades met lightly, then parted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a spark flew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if they were sparring by agreement—swinging, dodging, blocking, deflecting each other's blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this wasn't Oara's intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was just following Enkrid's lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I can see he's improved a fair bit, enough to get this far, but…'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he always this good?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara was surprised, again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, she hadn't intended to spar like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't want to sap this man's strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's why she had planned to ditch the duel and just have a conversation instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, she was only indulging him because he wanted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Oara knew that this wouldn't be enough to get past Beelrog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'But is there really anything I can say?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wouldn't be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she moved, Oara looked into her opponent's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What she saw was a gaze as clear as a sky without a single cloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes holding a light rarely seen in this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look that revealed a will that would not back down, no matter what happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's why she couldn't stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing here on his own accord, wielding his sword—who was she to tell him not to, by what right could she stop him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the end was already determined, even if she already knew how this story would finish, Oara had to see it through to the last page.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if that ending was destined to be a tragedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'It's not enough.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew it because she had fought him many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelrog was not simply a monster who happened to be good at fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always, time is finite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether outside or within the Labyrinth, everything with a beginning must have an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara decided that, tragedy or not, it was time for things to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara batted the sword away, as if pushing it aside, and was about to say that the time had come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid, who had yielded without resistance, slid his sword into the scabbard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a sense of discipline in his movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed he could have gone straight into a formal military salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara recited to herself,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, you must know your time has come, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as she was about to speak, Enkrid beat her to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you any good at hand-to-hand combat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without warning, he thrust out a hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara dodged his punch, which aimed quickly for her upper eyelid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it wasn't something she could simply dodge with a smile like before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She twisted her waist, shifted her center of gravity, and sharply turned her neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, she opened her palm and struck back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this kind of attack, it doesn't end just by dodging—one must counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The insight and habits of a Knight, honed by training, kicked in reflexively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid aimed his left fist at Oara's face, then followed up by striking her outstretched palm with his right elbow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound was loud—a clear sign of how hard he'd hit her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara, whose palm had been blocked, sprang back twice like a startled rabbit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her specialty had always been a continuous, flowing sword style that relied on nimble footwork, so her movements were anything but ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even to a Knight's trained eye, her ability to shift her center of gravity was impressive, and her reflexes were exceptional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…What was that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara, having retreated, asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A warm-up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid replied matter-of-factly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, I'm just your warm-up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara was reminded once again of how sharp Enkrid's tongue could be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really knew how to get under someone's skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Battlefield prowess aside, it was an infuriating skill he had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story about Beelrog that had been on the tip of her tongue slipped from her mind for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why? Is an Oara who doesn't smile third-rate? Just some nobody? A small fry? Is that what you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And although Oara—who always smiled—was a Knight with a steel heart, she wasn't the type to just brush off provocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what her opponent said, she was the sort of person who responded with skill, crushing them through sheer ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's not exactly it, though.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He replied calmly, his blue-eyed stare unwavering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That serenity of his gradually got on people's nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara reacted, and Enkrid smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even that smile, Oara took as a provocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All right, let's see if you can kill me, then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, she had ruled the battlefield with just a single sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was her life before becoming a Knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come at me, all of you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her name had spread far and wide because of the time she single-handedly defeated the famed Ten Mercenaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, all ten had ambushed her, hoping that if they could kill her—a small, elite force could turn the tide, losing one battle to win the war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll have you crawling between my legs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who kept provoking her was the first to lose his legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She never tolerated provocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was she remembering that now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara pushed aside her fractured thoughts and gripped her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no longer Laughter that had been her Engraved Weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the 'me' who wielded Laughter still existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether this was a fragment of the soul, mere scraps of memory, or a Fragment of Lingering Thought—she didn't know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked if she ever fought empty-handed, but she ignored him and reached for her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Srring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drawn sword flowed like water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword was an unstoppable line—a surge that never broke, a wave that never ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara's blade traced a diagonal arc, and Enkrid's sword mirrored that motion with an identical diagonal slash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like looking in a mirror, their blades coming down in perfect opposition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two blades met in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sparks flew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force behind both their swings was real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara's robe, with its wide sleeves, was pushed all the way up to her elbow by the clash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath that, the fine cords of muscle rippled along her arm like rolling waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So smooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the briefest instant as their swords met, Enkrid grasped the nature of Oara's blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reading the true character of her sword so quickly wasn't a matter of skill alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had known her for a long time, and he had trained by using parts of her sword techniques as his benchmark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pressed forward, pushing his opponent's sword aside with force—a heavy, powerful shove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ka-ga-ga-gang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just before locking in a Bind, Oara realized she'd been forced back in the diagonal slash and immediately retreated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as swiftly as she stepped back, she lunged forward again, slashing diagonally once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the sound of her feet striking the ground rang out—ta-dak!—her dull-colored blade traced the same slanted path downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If her last strike had been smooth, this one was full of grit and aggression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid raised his sword, meeting her blow with a gentle upward push.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ki-gi-ging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their swords crossed and they switched places.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment before, Oara had the campfire at her back, but now it was Enkrid standing with the fire behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The torch stand's fire was far, but the campfire's flame was close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their shadows overlapped between the two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as their swords and bodies crossed, so did their gazes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His inscrutable blue eyes were as straight, clear, and pure as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, Oara realized why she had thought of the Ten Mercenaries from so long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had noticed the mercenaries' ambush far in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their tactics hadn't exactly been sophisticated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even knowing this, she had played along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a sparring match by agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara knew that if she fought with all her strength, she could leave at least one wound—even if she was just a Fragment of Lingering Thought—but she chose not to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've really improved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's all thanks to letting things slide back then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Did you always talk like that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, it seems you let this one slide, Dame Oara. I've always been like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there were a contest for the most irritating way of speaking, this guy would have to be the best on the Continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara had wanted to spend time with Enkrid and help him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She meant to pass on some of the experience she'd gained from fighting Beelrog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'…How do you know everything?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to use the wings, how to break free from intimidation, even those surprise kicks that flew in from outside the range of calculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'You know it all.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Enkrid had fought Beelrog more than a hundred times lately, so it wasn't strange, but from Oara's perspective, it was hard not to tilt her head in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that she could complain, anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that point on, Oara understood what Enkrid wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without speaking directly, just crossing swords was enough for them to understand each other's intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She swung her sword, ignoring all defense, while Enkrid easily parried, deflected, and blocked every strike Oara threw at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was still an iron sword with several teeth missing, gripped in Oara's hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their spar dragged on for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So long, in fact, that a band of madmen went searching for the chief of their crazy group and found him before they were finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, let's stop here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oara called it off after a long exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid naturally drew back his sword and settled into a ready stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no time for words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Oara's body was flung to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a puppet on a string, she went flying, yanked sharply sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, from within the shadow where she had just stood, a foot covered in dark crimson hide shot out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, their positions had shifted—Oara now had the campfire at her back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their shadows had overlapped, and just as they did, the foot lunged out at Enkrid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This happened right before their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time stretched out in Enkrid's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air pressed heavily on his shoulders, and his vision, extending far beyond human limits, caught the form that had surged up from the shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he hadn't seen it, he would have known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The insight gained from experience let him instinctively realize what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The foot that burst out belonged to Beelrog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the drawn-out moment, Beelrog's foot left a faded afterimage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how he stretched out his thoughts, there was no way to dodge—it was a trajectory and speed that couldn't be avoided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn't just the foot that came out; there was overwhelming force mixed in as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An intangible pressure, manifesting as chains burning with fire, gripped his arms and legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enkrid was kicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body shot backwards with a whoosh, hurtling as though he would slam straight into the Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn't happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large hand—truly as big as a Bear's paw—caught Enkrid's back as he flew and redirected the force to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The huge figure that had caught him spun around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact, enough to not just break the Wall but crash straight through it, scattered in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ringing buzz echoed in Enkrid's ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he had protected his body with Will, the sudden flight made them ring—that sensation quickly faded, thanks to his sturdy body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The very person who had helped him train his body to this point was now the one supporting his back.\u003C\u002Fp>",2260,"2026-05-30T08:28:35.107Z","2026-06-01T04:30:45.896Z",1,"novelbin.me","fcf71470e32aa9ee97cfbdac47f912866297fc82d131f6b15271b02063b79c72","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-796","a-knight-who-eternally-regresses-chapter-794",882,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-knight-who-eternally-regresses-cover.jpg"]