She didn't know exactly what was happening.
But Silverna had already kicked off the ground, cutting through the darkness as she dashed forward.
The bloodline of the Primordial.
Moreover, he was currently in a severely wounded state.
'I can't miss this opportunity!'
Silverna had seen firsthand how much havoc Black Hound had wreaked on the battlefield before he suddenly disappeared.
His rampage, which was nothing short of a wild beast let loose, had even instilled fear in the brave soldiers of the Malidan Wall.
Whoosh!
A long spear shot forward with deadly precision.
It aimed directly for his heart, but Black Hound snatched the spear shaft with his remaining right arm.
Crunch.
'His response is definitely slower due to the heavy bleeding from his left arm.'
Though the attack had been futile, Silverna didn't hesitate in her judgment.
Perhaps the bastard thought some strange insect had bothered him in an already unpleasant situation.
His red eyes flared even more intensely as he ripped the spear from her grasp and flung it to the ground.
How many Transcendentals had she fought by now?
Ironically, pushed to her limits, Silverna was undergoing rapid growth.
"Milady!"
Silverna had already reached out her hand.
A spear thrown by her comrade and close friend, Anna, flew through the air and landed firmly in her grasp.
She had anticipated losing her previous spear, so there was no hesitation or retreat.
Seizing the opening, she reversed her grip on the weapon and thrust the blade into his left shoulder.
"Graaahhh!"
Once, she wouldn't have been able to pierce their skin at all.
Gritting her teeth, Silverna drove the blade in deeper, putting all her strength into it.
Black Hound, in a desperate attempt to neutralize her, swung his right fist at her with full force.
If he could land just one clean hit, he was certain he could kill her instantly.
"Transcendent or Primordial bloodline—!"
At that moment, aura flared from Silverna's empty hand.
The spear that had been knocked away responded to her aura, flying straight back toward her.
Thunk!
The spear pierced straight through Black Hound's swinging right arm, impaling it.
"If you get stabbed, you'll die just the same!"
"Grrrgh?!"
His left shoulder had already been stabbed, and now a spear was embedded in his right arm.
Due to his violent movements, the bleeding intensified, further slowing his reactions.
Silverna's spear, infused with aura, resonated with a chilling energy.
Black Hound's right arm gradually began to freeze.
Despite maintaining his guard in close quarters, Black Hound suddenly lashed out with his right leg.
It wasn't a kick meant to strike—rather, it was meant to push her away.
Thud!
The attack landed squarely on Silverna's abdomen.
"...!"
Her body lifted off the ground and was sent rolling backward.
"Milady!!"
The Primordial Transcendents were beings capable of killing a human with a single blow.
The fact that she had allowed even one hit meant her life was now in grave danger.
"Cough! Cough!"
Clutching her stomach and coughing up blood, Silverna grimaced.
She had been so close to victory, and it was frustrating that a single mistake had put her in this situation.
Still, his kick had lacked proper force, so her life wasn't in immediate danger.
"Haa, huu…"
Standing on the uneven ground, Black Hound steadied his breath.
He wobbled as he reached for the spear lodged in his body, intending to pull it out.
But with blood gushing from his left arm and a prolonged battle against Silverna, his body was pushed past its limits—
"Gurk—!"
Foam bubbled at his mouth as he collapsed onto the ground.
Excessive blood loss had finally made him lose consciousness.
"Even Transcendents are the same."
Silverna bit her lip as she approached the fallen enemy with Anna supporting her.
"Anna, you heard it earlier, right?"
"…The black-haired dual swordsman?"
Anna answered cautiously. A faint smile formed on Silverna's lips. It had been a long time since she had genuinely smiled like this.
"He's here."
A wave of emotion surged within her.
"He's come to save us."
The battlefield had been bleak and despairing just moments ago, but now, it felt like they could finally breathe.
"He will definitely come."
***
"Oh."
Isaac swung his arms around, testing his movements. He was amazed to see that his previously broken shoulder bone had been completely healed.
"Magic really is a fascinating skill."
He nodded in satisfaction at the healing magic performed by the Tower Mage accompanying the unit. However, the mage frowned and retorted sharply.
"A skill? It is truth and wisdom. Do not insult our magic."
"…If that's what you believe, then so be it."
"Hah. This is exactly why I didn't want this assignment."
The mage clicked his tongue irritably and stormed out of the tent. Isaac couldn't help but think that all mages from the Tower were arrogant elitists obsessed with their own abilities.
'Come to think of it, what happened to Vivian?'
Vivian, a mage dispatched to the Malidan Wall, was another of those eccentric magic supremacists. But over time, Isaac had gotten to know him, sharing drinks and conversations.
"Magic or whatever, isn't it ridiculous? Are mages immune to getting their heads chopped off?"
The Grandmaster scoffed, shrugging her shoulders. Her tail stood stiffly against her back, a clear sign of her irritation.
"This time, I'll let it slide since it was partly my fault for your injury. But if he says something like that again, I might not hold back."
"There aren't many mages. You should bear with it."
"Are you taking his side now? He may be one of the few mages, but I am your one and only master."
"…"
Isaac gave her a look of disbelief. The Grandmaster coughed awkwardly and turned her head away. Her tail, which had been stiff with tension, gradually relaxed.
"…I apologize. I got a bit too worked up. I was trained to always eliminate mages first in battle."
"…?"
In the past?
Could this be related to her search for her old comrades?
As soon as the mage left, Liana entered the tent. Earlier, when the healing magic was being performed, the mage had ordered everyone except for the patient's guardian to leave, forcing Liana outside.
"Are you okay?"
She looked quite dejected. It seemed she was blaming herself for failing to protect Isaac despite being right there with him.
"I thought… I almost lost you again."
"Liana, I am no longer someone you need to protect."
"…"
"So don't make that face."
Isaac had meant to comfort her, but his words didn't seem to have the intended effect.
Just because he was handsome didn't mean his words always worked. Feeling a bit awkward, he quickly changed the subject.
"What did Sir Eisenwolf say about the Black Hound? What's the unit's decision?"
Liana immediately regained her composure and responded.
"There's a lot of talk about how it suddenly appeared from the sky. We checked with the mages, but we couldn't figure anything out. It seems like sorcery, just as you said."
"Hah, so those bastards' sorcery can even distort space now?"
The Grandmaster clicked her tongue. A heavy atmosphere filled the tent.
Despite suffering such a brutal ambush, they had no means of countering it. It was a frustrating situation, to say the least.
The only silver lining was that the Black Hound itself seemed unaware that it would end up here.
As the two women fell silent, deep in thought, Isaac finally spoke up.
"In other words, this might be the key to understanding how the Malidan Wall was destroyed."
"...!"
"Hmm, you're right. If they can manipulate space like this, then that method would certainly be possible."
Of course, it would require an enormous scale of effort. But if their goal was to erase the Malidan Wall, the cost would have been justified.
"You're amazing, Isaac. Even in such a grim situation…"
Liana murmured, her voice tinged with emotion. Feeling awkward under her gaze, Isaac cleared his throat and stood up.
"How's the morale?"
"Not great. Especially among the noble troops of the Blue Wave Society—their spirits have been significantly shaken. Some are even suggesting…"
Liana hesitated before finally continuing.
"Some have proposed a retreat."
"That's nonsense."
"But Sir Eisenwolf is actually considering it seriously. If the enemy can launch surprise attacks like this, he believes our current forces won't be enough to reclaim the north."
"Sir Eisenwolf…?"
A commander of his caliber was long past the stage of being driven by personal ambition or fear.
Having seen firsthand how strong the Primordial Bloodline Transcendents was, he likely realized—
'If even one or two more of those creatures appear… the command structure would collapse instantly.'
The Black Hound's ambush must have shaken them more than they cared to admit.
Isaac felt the need to clear his head.
"I should check on my shoulder and cool my mind a bit. How about a spar?"
Still bitter about his defeat yesterday, Isaac suggested the idea, hoping for a rematch.
"No way!"
"Have you lost your mind?!"
The two women shouted in unison.
Startled by their fierce reaction, Isaac hesitated.
"Even with magic, healing isn't instantaneous. You need at least two full days of rest."
"Did you not hear what the mage said? You were a hair's breadth away from permanent disability. Do you want to abandon the sword completely?"
"…I still have one good arm. As long as it's not my legs, I can swing a sword just fine."
Isaac's response made the Grandmaster clench her fist as if she wanted to smack him.
"You really have no filter, do you?"
"Honestly, I'm just feeling stifled. And besides—"
"Besides?"
"I want to talk to the Leviath siblings."
When they fought the Black Hound, their swordplay had seemed ordinary at first glance. But Isaac had sensed something deeper.
Even after sparring with Marlin multiple times, he hadn't noticed it before. But now, it made sense.
'No wonder… I always felt something was off when dueling with Marlin.'
That lingering feeling had made him prolong their fights, as if waiting to uncover something more.
Seeing Isaac's unwavering resolve, the Grandmaster suddenly smirked.
"Is it not a woman's duty to please a man?"
"…Excuse me?"
"…?"
Both Isaac and Liana looked at her in confusion.
Still grinning, the Grandmaster made an unexpected proposal.
"What do you say, Lianna? Shall we spar for his sake?"
Liana's eyes widened in surprise. But without much hesitation, she nodded and stepped out of the tent.