Maria actually managed to suppress the Blood Knight.
She had completely abandoned her shield, her former fighting habits, and the familiar image people held of Maria Nearl of the Nearl family.
Everyone had thought she was a proper knight. Everyone had thought she was the youngest daughter of the Nearl family, a well-behaved girl, a knight who faithfully inherited the Nearl family's traditional swordsmanship.
But Maria shattered all of those expectations.
She was not a decorative knight. She was not a symbol of light, beauty, and youthful purity molded to satisfy the crowd's imagination.
Wielding a two-handed sword, Maria wore a bright smile. Her speed now matched the Blood Knight's perfectly. Her strikes were fierce and unrelenting, each blow aimed at his blind spots, forcing him into constant defense and stripping him of the initiative.
The Originium Arts he had always taken pride in were reduced to paper before her blade. Against other knights, they were nearly invincible, but before Maria's brilliance, they crumbled. Perhaps this was the natural restraint between Originium Arts. Before true light, everything else instinctively retreated.
Beneath his helmet, a faint smile curved at the corners of the Blood Knight's mouth.
His words had once pulled the Nightmare Knight back to his feet. Now, they had guided the confused Maria out of the cage she had unknowingly built for herself. This, too, was a way of repaying a debt he could never truly return.
In the future, Maria would surely follow in His Highness's footsteps and walk this land alongside him.
The Blood Knight believed that hardship could temper ambition. What he could and should do now was to support the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi and the Infected Knights of Kazimierz. This was his responsibility and his duty as an Infected knight. Naturally, he also wished to travel this land under His Highness's banner and witness its vastness firsthand.
But he bore the weight of an Infected knight's obligations. There were paths he could not walk.
All he could do was help Maria understand which road lay ahead, then stand firmly behind her sister and His Highness.
"You're still too early to defeat me!"
The Blood Knight roared. His giant axe spun into an airtight defense. With both strength and speed on his side, he carried the pride and dignity of a Blood Knight. If he were to fall so easily, he would despise himself.
The arena erupted. The cheers were deafening.
No one had expected the match to become this intense. Most had assumed the Blood Knight would overwhelmingly suppress Maria and eliminate her quickly. In her previous matches, Maria had shown promise, but not enough to overturn expectations and rise as a true dark horse.
A championship victory by Maria Nearl was almost unimaginable to the audience.
Even though both sisters bore the Nearl name, Margaret had once been far stronger and widely regarded as the most terrifying dark horse of her era.
Those who had placed everything on the Blood Knight before the match now felt a growing unease. Watching the back-and-forth struggle, they silently prayed that he would regain control and turn the tide.
In the VIP room, Zofia rose from the sofa, eyes wide as she stared at Maria's fighting style.
"This…"
"She looks a lot like Grandpa Kirill."
Felix straightened as well, a hint of delight in his voice, as though he had discovered a treasure. "It's not just Grandpa Kirill's style. It's Maria's own."
"I never expected that Maria, who looks so gentle, would fight with a presence somewhat similar to Margaret."
"No. We shouldn't compare her to her sister." Felix smiled. "The Maria standing there now is simply Maria. Her style is unique. She is completely different from who she used to be."
"Not even close."
Młynar delivered his judgment coolly, though the faint curve at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
This was a genuine surprise.
Felix knew that in his previous life, Maria had been nothing more than an ordinary defender operator after joining Rhodes Island. Her performance had been unremarkable, far overshadowed by her sister's overwhelming strength. Whenever Maria was mentioned, Margaret inevitably followed.
In this life, whether due to Tomorrow's Development efforts or the letters Margaret never stopped sending, Maria's path had diverged completely from before. She had grown into a knight with a style uniquely her own.
This Maria truly delighted Felix.
He sighed again, marveling at the strength of the Nearl family.
Even when Grandpa Kirill was still alive, his skill had been extraordinary, and his body had shown no sign of serious illness at all. Uncle Młynar, the strongest combatant of the Nearl family, was naturally formidable as well. Zofia had once participated in Kazimierz Major and achieved impressive results, proving her own strength. And then there was the Radiant Knight, Margaret, whose power needed no further explanation. Now, as the youngest of the Nearl family, Maria had also demonstrated remarkable talent.
She was also exceptionally good at landing decisive blows.
The clash of weapons on the battlefield made it clear to everyone that Knight Maria was no longer merely the Radiant Knight's younger sister. She had completely stepped out from beneath her sister's shadow and now shone with a dazzling brilliance of her own.
Boom!
The two-handed sword tore into the Blood Knight's chest, while the giant axe slammed into Maria's arm. She grimaced in pain, her beautiful features twisting in agony. Yet no one thought she looked anything less than magnificent.
She was a pegasus on the battlefield, a valkyrie in the midst of war.
"The victor is Maria!"
Greatmouth Mob knew all too well the background of this young knight. She was not only the sister of the Radiant Knight, but also closely connected to that king. Under such circumstances, there was nothing he could say that might offend anyone. In fact, he had been instructed to comment freely on this match and the ones to follow. After all, the Chamber of Commerce was more than willing to curry favor with Felix.
"Let us congratulate this young knight! In one week, she will face the Radiant Knight, Margaret Nearl! Will the Radiant Knight defend her throne, or will Knight Maria successfully challenge the Great Demon King? Let us wait and see!"
Zofia leapt up in delight, yet still bowed politely to Felix before hurrying to the lounge to pick up Maria and celebrate with her. Maria also needed immediate treatment. Every strike in that final exchange had landed solidly on her body, and the fact that she had managed to remain standing was already remarkable. Any hidden injuries would be unacceptable.
Młynar said nothing, but Felix could tell from his expression that he was quite satisfied. Maria had not disgraced the Nearl family. There was even a trace of pride, the quiet satisfaction of an elder witnessing the rise of an outstanding younger generation.
Felix stepped into the corridor and dialed Degenbrecher's number.
"Hey, boss~"
"Degenbrecher, did you watch the match just now?"
"I did. I'm in the VIP room next to yours." As she spoke, Degenbrecher appeared before Felix, her blonde hair swaying and the faint fragrance of a mature woman filling the air. He blinked. "That look on your face… you look happy."
"Maria truly surprised me."
Felix nodded. "Do you think she still has room to grow?"
"There's plenty of room," Degenbrecher replied. "She only grasped this new fighting style today. To truly master it, she'll need hundreds, even thousands of battles. That's exactly what she lacks right now."
"True, she needs to be trained more, to get used to her new fighting style and become a true knight."
"Your Highness… you want me to train Maria?"
"Hmm. Is that feasible?"
"Of course." Degenbrecher smiled charmingly. "It's not just you who's excited. I am too. I've sparred with Margaret many times. Her Originium Arts are troublesome, but in other aspects we're evenly matched. I thought she would be one of the few knights capable of truly igniting my fighting spirit. I didn't expect to find another."
"There are still a few days until the finals," Felix said. "Maria suffered serious injuries today. Let the medical team focus on her recovery."
"Hehe."
Degenbrecher blinked and quickly walked off. She already understood Maria's position in Felix's eyes. A high-ranking talent.
It would be a waste to let such a powerful operator remain an ordinary knight. Who could have imagined that Maria would defeat the Blood Knight and advance to the finals, where she would face her own sister, the Radiant Knight Margaret?
Felix followed Degenbrecher to visit Maria, who lay in a ward within the arena. The room was equipped with the most advanced medical devices, and given the severity of injuries knights could sustain in competition, there was an astonishing number of doctors on hand. Felix glanced around and thought it would be ideal to have Tomorrow's Development's Medical Department handle the final stages of treatment.
Maria lay quietly on the bed, her face pale from blood loss, yet she was smiling, showing no sign of pain or distress. Zofia sat beside her, her expression a mix of joy and reproach, still speaking softly to Maria.
When Maria saw Felix, her cheeks flushed, and then her smile widened even further.
"Brother Felix!"
"I watched the match just now. It was incredible."
Zofia shifted aside to make room. After Felix sat down, Maria reached out and took his hand.
Degenbrecher, standing behind him, raised an eyebrow slightly at the boldness of the gesture, but she said nothing. Her expression remained perfectly composed, revealing nothing at all. In truth, she felt both amused and impressed. His Highness truly had a talent for stealing hearts. She had once said that the knights of the Chamber of Commerce joined Tomorrow's Development after careful consideration, yet most of them were young women in their prime. After being captivated by Felix's appearance at first sight, nearly all of them applied as devoted admirers and fans.
Some knights had even secretly asked Degenbrecher how many lovers Felix had, saying they would not mind being one more.
It left Degenbrecher both irritated and amused, but when she thought of her boss's charm, it all seemed perfectly natural.
"Is the injury serious?" Felix asked.
"Mmm. The doctor said I only need one day of rest, and I'll be able to fully focus on the next round of training tomorrow." Maria smiled warmly, like the girl next door, the kind people instinctively liked. "By the way, my sister came to visit me earlier. We didn't talk much, but we agreed to go all out in the finals."
"Good. You should rest well today, Maria."
Felix gently patted her head. Maria blushed and smiled even more brightly.
"Hehe… Brother Felix, if I really defeat my sister, the Radiant Knight, in the end, can you give me a reward?"
Felix laughed softly and shook his head. "What kind of reward do you want?"
"Hm… how about one reasonable request?" Maria said with a smile, her eyes sparkling.
"Alright, I promise." Felix placed his hand lightly over hers. "Now all you need to do is rest properly."
"I understand."
Maria kept her gaze fixed on Felix. Even Zofia, who usually paid little attention to such things, could clearly see the longing and admiration in her eyes. As she watched Felix leave, a trace of complexity and unease surfaced in Zofia's expression. After all, Margaret's letters had mentioned that she, too, seemed to harbor special feelings for Felix.
Zofia could not tell whether this was a blessing or a problem. Both sisters had fallen for the same person. If either of them were hurt, she had no idea how she would handle it. Grandpa Kirill had asked Felix to take care of Margaret, but that did not exactly mean… well, that.
Felix cast Zofia a puzzled glance. Degenbrecher, however, understood perfectly what was going through the mind of a concerned elder. She found it faintly amusing and chose to stay silent, sighing inwardly instead. It seemed another competitor would appear in the future. Still, they were used to being close. The memories of the carnival at the Siesta Villa were still vivid. In any case, Felix was in excellent condition. One more person would not make much difference.
"Ah-choo!"
Felix sneezed and frowned in surprise. He was not invincible, but he was certainly resistant to illness. Who on earth was talking about him behind his back?
Degenbrecher stayed behind to discuss training matters with Maria, while Felix stepped into the corridor alone to enjoy the cool air. Along the walls hung portraits of knights from every generation. The Black Knight, the Radiant Knight, the Blood Knight, and many other renowned champions gazed back at him.
At that moment, a machine vibrated and reported, "Your Highness, the subject in the cryogenic hibernation chamber has recovered to ninety-eight percent and may awaken at any time."
Felix looked out over the neon-lit city and let out a quiet laugh. It seemed he would soon be returning to Kazdel.
Theresa, my Sarkaz King, you have slept long enough. It is time to wake up.