Kwaang!
The moment Isaac clashed with the Black Hound, his body was sent flying backward.
He barely managed to steady himself, preventing an undignified tumble across the ground, but the force still pushed him back. Thanks to that, he was able to resist the Black Hound's follow-up attack.
Kaaang!
"Ugh!"
This time, the Black Hound swung its arm downward as if to crush him.
Isaac barely managed to block it by crossing his twin blades, but the impact forced him down onto one knee. He lowered his head and braced the flat of his sword against his shoulder to endure the pressure.
It felt as If he would be crushed under the Black Hound's overwhelming strength.
At that moment, crimson energy erupted, forcing the Black Hound back.
"Issac!"
Liana called out urgently.
Having left her greatsword behind, she had no choice but to counter with the crimson energy extending from her hand.
A crimson aura, resembling the claws of a beast from their sparring match the day before, formed around her hands.
"Are you alright?"
Liana rushed forward to shield him. Isaac took a deep breath, steadied himself, and got back on his feet, albeit with some difficulty.
"I'm fine… Just a little numb."
"That thing—"
"It's a Primordial—a descendant of the first Transcendents."
"That thing is…?"
This was Liana's first encounter with a Primordial Transcendent.
The sheer presence exuded by the Black Hound was so overwhelming that even she hesitated.
"My father fought against five of those…"
As the current head of the household, she recalled the former head's achievements and bit her lip.
Then, a thunderous shout echoed through the battlefield.
"Ambush!"
Turning her head slightly, she spotted Jonathan, his voice straining as he yelled at the top of his lungs. Thanks to his urgent warning, people began pouring out of the command tent one by one.
The Blue Wave Society and Eisenwolf, along with soldiers wielding spears and swords, quickly mobilized.
At a glance, they seemed to have an overwhelming advantage, and in reality, they did.
The Black Hound didn't even seem to understand why it had ended up here.
"Liana, we can't afford to lose soldiers here."
"…I understand."
Liana immediately grasped his meaning.
For the upcoming Northern Reclamation, every single soldier was invaluable.
Reaching the Malidan Wall wasn't the end of their journey—they would have to defend and hold the position.
If they suffered heavy losses on the first day against a Primordial Transcendent, the entire operation could fail.
"The Grandmaster will be here soon. Until then—"
However, the Black Hound did not hesitate.
It was a hunting dog without a leash.
It bared its fangs at the surrounding humans indiscriminately.
Its first target was Jonathan.
Perhaps because he was a Transcendent's hybrid, he stood out more.
"For the glory of Helmut!"
A dark crimson energy surged up around him.
Unlike before, his Aura Blade now had a distinct form and color, showcasing its refined nature.
But—
Kwaa-jik!
With just a single swing of its claws, the Black Hound shattered Jonathan's aura.
The follow-up attack struck his chest, leaving three deep wounds and sending him rolling across the ground.
"Guh-ack?!"
A single strike.
Even though Jonathan hadn't been able to use his full power, the difference between him and a Primordial was overwhelming.
The Black Hound's next target was the command tent.
A hunter's nose.
It instinctively knew who to target and didn't seek battle—it sought prey.
That was why it intentionally avoided Liana, who had attacked it earlier.
"Hmph! So, I'm being ignored because I'm old?"
Eisenwolf drew his sword from his waist.
The warriors of the Blue Wave Society followed suit, unsheathing their weapons one by one.
Among them, a particularly spirited young man stepped forward.
"I am Reian of Leviath!"
Reian Leviath brandished his sword, releasing his Aura—a radiant, powerful energy befitting the name Magic Sword.
The Black Hound's crimson eyes didn't even glance at Reian.
Instead, it lunged at Eisenwolf.
"You dare ignore me when I stand before you?!"
Reian's aura, shining like an aurora in the dark night, was impossible to ignore.
Faced with the oncoming energy, the Black Hound finally shifted its attention toward him.
Crash!
Reian couldn't endure even a single exchange.
"Ugh?!"
"Graaaargh!"
As the Black Hound stepped on Reian, attempting to crush him with a roar—
In the brightest light, within that moment.
Someone moved, veiled in darkness.
A faint line was drawn across the Black Hound's back.
Shortly after, red blood trickled down from the line.
Just as Marlin Leviath was about to swing her sword once more, expressionless—
The Black Hound seized her wrist and hurled her far away.
"...!"
Crash!
Marlene was thrown into the soldiers' tent.
However, thanks to the brief opening created by the Leviath family, Isaac and Liana managed to stand before the commander.
Liana's hand extended roughly. The claws of Red Steel clashed against the Black Hound's fist.
The key point was that it wasn't a greatsword.
Though she endured well, in the end, crimson aura, which was forged with bare hands, lacked durability and quality.
As the Black Hound shattered crimson aura and reached for Liana, a chilling sensation wrapped around his nape.
"...!"
For the first time, the Black Hound retreated.
Drooling, baring his sharp teeth, he glared at the swordsman who had aimed for his throat.
"Isaac...?"
Even Liana looked at him in bewilderment.
Because something eerie was flowing from Isaac's entire body.
That blue light resembled a waterfall flowing in reverse.
Unlike an aura that fiercely asserted itself, this light exuded a quiet yet ominous presence.
A power Isaac had gained after taking countless lives in Volten.
"Spectral Aura [Gwigi (귀기)]...?"
Even the Black Hound, who had only growled until now, was startled and fixed his gaze on Isaac.
He was shocked that the power wielded by the bloodline of the Sword Demon was now within Isaac.
"Hoo."
His breath carried a chilling touch.
That coldness was as sharp as a blade. The Black Hound slowly lowered his stance, becoming wary.
'The Grandmaster will arrive soon.'
He was told not to use Spectral aura recklessly, but if not now, when would he use it?
'I'm still not ready to wield both swords at once.'
He sheathed both swords.
Slightly bending his waist, he extended his right leg far back, scraping the ground as he assumed a stance.
At that moment, the Black Hound was already airborne, leaping toward him.
"That power belongs to us!"
'I can react to it.'
The moment his enemy, who had been overwhelming him moments ago, entered his sight, Isaac drew one sword, unleashing a Spectral-infused Iaido strike.
Boom!
A sound like an explosion rang out.
Isaac, eyes wide, realized he was being sent flying.
Only then did he realize the explosion had come from the Black Hound's strike.
"Ghhk…!"
A searing pain coursed through his shattered shoulder.
His eyes widened in agony, his lips pressed tightly together.
"Isaac!"
Thanks to Liana catching him just in time, he didn't crash onto the ground.
Even as he groaned in pain in her arms, his eyes remained locked onto the Black Hound.
"Grrr…."
A low, growling whimper.
The Black Hound furrowed his brows as he looked down at his left arm, which had been severed up to the elbow.
Both had inflicted fatal wounds upon each other.
However, his body was far superior in resilience.
Unlike Isaac, the Black Hound could still fight.
He picked up his severed arm and bit into it.
Just as he prepared to lunge at Isaac again, Liana stepped in front of him, scattering crimson aura.
"How dare you—!"
A storm of crimson aura rained down.
Even without a greatsword, her sheer force was like a calamity.
The Black Hound hesitated for a moment.
And then—
"As a teacher, I have no excuse for my lack of virtue."
The Grandmaster arrived in haste.
Clutching her massive sword tightly, she seemed to chastise herself for her late arrival.
"Grrr."
The Black Hound fixed his gaze on the two women.
Even if he died here, he was determined to take at least one of them with him.
"I will kill you, Black-haired dual-swordsman."
He bared his teeth at Isaac, believing that the swords—an exclusive weapon of the Transcendents—had been stolen.
As he lunged forward with murderous intent—
A swirling change occurred in his body, and just as he had appeared—
He vanished.
***
A sky filled with nothing but darkness.
At first glance, it resembled the night sky, but there were no stars, no moon, and no clouds—just an endlessly stretched black expanse.
Not a single blade of grass could grow properly, and the land was barren, covered in drifting dust.
There, an enormous and eerily out-of-place wall stood.
The wall bore countless scars from past battles.
Even now, the Malidan Wall was fiercely releasing freezing air, its defense mechanism against dire situations.
"If it weren't for that, we'd be in serious trouble."
Behind the wall, Silverna muttered bluntly, resting her spear on her shoulder.
Her expression had long since become clouded, devoid of vitality, with a dull emotion pooling in her eyes—an emotion most fittingly called despair.
"My lady, you should rest a little."
Anna approached Silverna.
Unlike before, her voice was lifeless and subdued, but no one could blame her.
After all, smiling in a situation like this was unthinkable.
'No supplies, no light, and the air is suffocating.'
The air was the worst part.
It felt like it was burning her lungs, and there was no mana in it.
Because of this, Silverna, despite all her training, couldn't even use her Aura.
'If that were the only problem, it would be manageable…'
The real issue was the Malidan Wall.
The freezing air it emitted was a form of magic.
If the stored mana were to run out, it would become nothing more than an ordinary wall.
And when that happened, the Transcendents would resume their onslaught.
'Is reinforcements coming? No… could reinforcements even find us?'
They didn't even know where they were.
All they could do was struggle daily against the grotesque beasts and the Transcendents that relentlessly attacked them.
'I never thought I'd miss the sky this much.'
Even when she looked up, there was only darkness—an empty space with no meaning.
The only things increasing every day were worries, sighs, and the graves of fallen comrades.
'Does anyone even know we're fighting here?'
'I'm sorry, Isaac.'
She didn't want to say this.
But… she might never see him again.
She had wanted so badly to show him how much she had grown.
"My lady, what do you think happened to that Transcendent earlier?"
Anna deliberately changed the subject.
Silverna nodded and let out a sigh.
"That's what I'm wondering. It was definitely of the Primordial Bloodline, wasn't it? It was no ordinary being."
"Absolutely. Could its sudden disappearance have been due to an ability of its bloodline?"
"I don't know. In fact, I'm only here because of that thing. It disappeared around this area."
The Transcendents had breached the wall earlier.
Though they had retreated for now, the black beast's presence had been overwhelming—almost terrifying.
"What on earth—"
Buuuuuuuuung!
Without any warning, a tearing sound split the air.
Silverna and Anna instinctively looked up.
A distorted space spat something out before vanishing again.
KWAANG!
A heavy impact shook the ground, kicking up a wide cloud of dust.
Despite their confusion, Silverna and Anna instinctively assumed combat stances.
At the center of the crater formed by the impact—
"KRAAAAAAA!"
A black hunting dog roared in fury.
"Its arm…"
"What… is this?"
They had no idea where it had come from, but even more puzzling was the fact that its left arm had been severed.
They couldn't make sense of the situation, but recognizing an opportunity, they began moving forward.
"BLACK-HAIRED DUAL-SWORDSMAN!"
The beast howled with rage, and Silverna's eyes widened in shock.
Black-haired dual-swordsman.
Only one person came to mind.
"…Isaac?"