113. A Woman’s Duty?

She didn’t know what was going on, but…

Silverna was already kicking off the ground, slicing through the darkness as she charged forward.

Blood of the Primeval.

And it was seriously injured, no less.

‘I can’t let this chance pass!’

Silverna had witnessed firsthand the black hound’s rampage on the battlefield just before it vanished.

Its unbridled, bestial fury was enough to instill fear even in the valiant soldiers of the Malidean wall.

Whoosh!

A long spear stabbed, sharp and invasive.

Aiming true for the heart, yet the Black Hound caught the shaft with his remaining right arm.

*Thwack.*

‘His left arm’s severe bleeding has clearly slowed his reactions.’

A meaningless attack, yet Silverna didn’t cease her calculations.

As if some bizarre gnat had begun to pester him in this already unpleasant situation.

The brute’s red eyes blazed hotter as he tore the spear away and flung it to the ground.

Here, against who knows how many of these Transcended ones, they fought.

Ironically, Silverna, pushed to the brink, was currently experiencing a surge in growth.

“Milady!”

Silverna had already stretched her hand back.

The spear of Anna, her comrade and friend, flew in and settled firmly in her grip.

She’d anticipated losing the first spear, so there was no retreat, no hesitation.

Exploiting an opening, she thrust the second spear, held in a reverse grip, into his left shoulder.

“Kroaaah!”

Before, she wouldn’t have even pierced their thick hides.

Teeth gritted, she put her all into driving the blade deeper, right into the flesh.

The Black Hound swung his right arm, desperately trying to subdue Silverna with a blow.

He was certain that one solid hit would instantly kill her.

“Transcended or not, primitive bloodline or not-!”

Then, energy shimmered from Silverna’s empty hand.

The first spear, the one flung aside, responded to her aura and flew back to her.

*Thwack!*

It pierced through the Black Hound’s right arm, the one swinging towards Silverna, and stuck fast.

“Getting stabbed still means you die!”

“Grrr…?!”

His left shoulder was pierced by a spear, and another was lodged clean through his right arm.

His reactions were even slower now, thanks to the heavy bleeding from his violent movements.

Frost Gleam resonated with her aura, radiating a fierce chill.

Even as the Black Hound’s right arm gradually froze over.

Though she was wary at this close range, the Black Hound still took aim, and his right foot slammed out.

Not a kick meant to wound, but a shove intended to create distance, struck Silverna squarely in the abdomen.

“…!”

Her body lifted off the ground for a moment, then she tumbled backward, rolling across the earth.

“Miladyyy!”

These primitive Transcended could kill a human with a single blow.

Giving him even one chance could be enough to jeopardize Silverna’s life.

“Cough! Cough!”

Silverna spat blood, clutching her abdomen, and grimaced. It was frustrating to let it get to this, just as she was about to get the upper hand, even with the fact that the force of the kick had been lessened, her life was still at risk.

“Hiss…wheeze…”

Upon the cratered earth.

A black hound, standing and catching his breath.

Staggering, he had tried to wrench the spear from his body to flee, but-.

Blood poured from his left arm like a torrent, and amidst all that, he had even fought Silverna-.

“Gurgle-!”

Foaming at the mouth, the black hound collapsed to the ground. He had lost consciousness from excessive bleeding.

“Transcendents, they’re all the same, I tell you.”

Silverna, biting her lip, approached him, supported by Anna.

“Anna, you heard it just now.”

“…The black-haired dual swordsman?”

Anna answered cautiously.

A faint smile bloomed on Silverna’s face.

Since coming to this place, it was the first time she had truly smiled from the heart.

“He’s coming.”

A wave of emotion washed over her.

“He’s coming to save us.”

The dire and hopeless war situation, which had seemed so bleak just moments ago, now felt like it had room to breathe.

“Surely, he will come.”

* * *

“Hm.”

Isaac flexed his arm this way and that.

He couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that his broken shoulder blade had reattached.

“Magic is certainly a fascinating art.”

The Grandmaster nodded in satisfaction at the healing performed by the mage from the Magic Tower who was traveling with the unit.

However, the mage frowned and retorted.

“An art? It is truth and wisdom! Do not insult our magic.”

“…If you so believe, then so be it.”

“Ha, this is why I didn’t want to be dispatched.”

The mage stormed out of the tent, agitated. Did the mages from the Magic Tower only consist of talented individuals with a superiority complex when it comes to magic?

‘Speaking of which, what happened to Vivian?’

Vivian, the mage who had been dispatched to the Mallidrian Barrier.

A rather eccentric mage, one could say she believed talent was everything. Eventually, they had become somewhat close, even sharing drinks and conversations.

“Magic this, magic that, is it not absurd? Is a mage not capable of having his head lopped off?”

The Grandmaster shrugged as if she found it absurd. Judging from the way her tail stood straight up and pressed against her back, she was quite displeased.

“I will overlook it this time, as your injury is largely due to my own shortcomings. But if you speak such words again, I might not be able to restrain myself.”

“He is one of the few mages. Please, restrain yourself.”

“Are you taking his side now? He may be one of the few mages, but I am your one and only mentor.”

“…”

The Grandmaster averted her gaze, clearing her throat, after being met with a dumbfounded expression.

Her tail, as if relieved, softened with the release of tension.

“My apologies. I got rather carried away. I was taught from a young age that the mage must be dealt with first.”

“…?”

From a young age?

Could this be related to his search for his companions?

The moment she saw the mage leave, Rianna entered the tent.

During the healing magic, the mage had barked at everyone except the guardian to leave, which led to Rianna’s departure.

“Are you alright?”

Rianna, too, appeared quite dejected.

She seemed to be blaming herself for failing to properly protect Isaac, even while by his side.

“I thought, you-.”

“Rianna, I am no longer someone you need to protect.”

“…”

“So, don’t make that face.”

It was meant as comfort, but Rianna’s expression remained unchanged.

Being handsome didn’t guarantee that words always worked.

Isaac, feeling awkward, changed the subject.

“What did Lord Eisenwolf say about the Black Hounds? What’s the consensus within the unit?”

At Isaac’s question, Rianna immediately composed herself and replied.

“There’s a lot of talk about them appearing out of nowhere. We checked with the mages, but we couldn’t figure anything out. It seems like you’re right, it’s some kind of sorcery.”

“Hmph, their sorcery even warps space, does it?”

The Grand Master clicked his tongue.

A heavy feeling filled the tent.

To be caught so off guard by such a fierce assault, and to be so unprepared for it, was frustrating beyond words.

The only positive aspect was that the Black Hounds themselves seemed surprised to have been dropped here.

Watching the two women ponder in silence, Isaac spoke.

“On the contrary, isn’t this a clue as to how the Malidian Barrier was lost?”

“…!”

“Hmm, that’s right. If space can be warped like this, such a method would be possible.”

Of course, the scale would be enormous.

But, to erase the Malidian Barrier, wouldn’t such an effort and expenditure of resources be justifiable?

“Amazing, Isaac. Even amidst all the gloom…”

Rianna murmured in a tender voice. Feeling awkward once more, Isaac cleared his throat and stood up.

“Is the atmosphere that bad?”

“Yes. The morale of the Azure Stream nobles who saw it up close has been especially affected. Even-“

Rianna paused, hesitating.

She seemed to be wondering if she should say it, but eventually, she revealed,

“There has even been a proposal to retreat.”

“Nonsense.”

“But Lord Eisenwolf is seriously considering it. He believes that if such an absurd surprise attack is possible, retaking the north with the current forces is out of the question.”

“Eisenwolf…the Lord Eisenwolf…”

He was a commander past the point of judging by performance. Fear, the kind that made you flinch, had long since ceased to be a factor.

I’d seen the strength of his primal lineage with my own eyes.

Only one had fallen now, but the instant that number doubled…

‘He must have judged that the de facto leadership would be decimated.’

The Black Hound’s ambush seemed to have left quite the impression.

Isaac wanted to air out his head, catch a breeze.

“Check on my shoulder, see how the healing’s going, clear my thoughts. Maybe a spar?”

He wanted to avenge his defeat from yesterday, that’s why Isaac spoke like that.

“Absolutely not!”

“Have you gone mad?!”

The two women shouted in unison.

Isaac, taken aback by their vehemence, hesitated.

“Even with magic, it doesn’t heal instantly. You need at least two days of rest.”

“Didn’t you hear what the mage said? You nearly crippled yourself for good. Are you so eager to hang up your sword?”

“…A single arm is enough to wield a sword, isn’t it? It’s not like it was my leg.”

At Isaac’s words, the Grand Master clenched a fist, as if wanting to rap him on the knuckles.

“There’s no end to what you’ll say, is there?”

“Frankly, I’m a bit stifled. And-“

“And?”

“I’d like to speak with the Levis siblings.”

The display they showed when fighting the Black Hound might have seemed unremarkable at first glance.

But Isaac had noticed that their swords were rather…special.

He hadn’t been able to discern it while sparring with Merlin multiple times, and there was a reason for that.

‘That explains it. Every time I sparred with Merlin, I felt strangely…unsatisfied.’

Which was why he’d drawn it out for so long. He kept feeling like there was something more.

Seeing Isaac’s unwillingness to yield, the Grand Master smiled slyly.

“Isn’t it said, that it is a woman’s duty to please the hearts of men?”

“Huh?”

“…?”

Toward the perplexed Isaac and Rianna, the Grand Master grinned and proposed.

“What do you say, Helmont? For this one, would you be willing to cross swords with me?”

Rianna’s eyes widened.

Then, without much consideration, Rianna nodded and stepped out of the tent.