"...?!"
It was a sight that made his eyes widen in shock.
Even though he had nearly lost his life in a single moment of carelessness, the feeling of relief from surviving was overshadowed by sheer bewilderment.
The disappearance of the Transcendents was as sudden as it was significant, carrying multiple implications.
"What the hell just—"
Before Marlin, who was standing beside him, could finish voicing her confusion, the other Transcendents attacked without giving them a moment to think.
As if they wanted to prevent them from properly processing what had just happened.
With the relentless onslaught came screams, groans, and tears.
The battlefield had naturally fallen into a grim pattern.
Even if one swung their sword first, they would only expose an opening and be skewered in return.
Given that, it was better to defend, to endure the Transcendents' attacks for as long as possible, or at least to delay them.
Whenever a Transcendent attacked someone, everyone else targeted the opening it left behind.
At first glance, it seemed like a simple defensive tactic that capitalized on enemy weaknesses.
But the reality of what unfolded before their eyes was entirely different.
"Hic!"
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"Fuck! Damn it all!"
It was a battle of waiting.
Waiting for the death of a comrade.
Sacrificing an ally's life just to land a blow on the Transcendents.
That was how they fought—offering their comrades to the enemy like tributes to a evil god.
This was the battle between humans and Transcendents.
Victory never came without bloodshed.
And even after victory, there were no cheers—only tears and regret.
That was why the Transcendents were a nightmare, a terror to humanity.
"Grrr…"
"Such useless resistance."
There was, however, one thing—
A fact that could be seen as both an advantage and a disadvantage: the Transcendents possessed intelligence on par with, or even superior to, humans.
The moment they understood how humans fought, hesitation and doubt took root in them.
Even the Transcendents couldn't help but feel fear and disgust at a combat strategy that required exchanging lives.
A group had naturally formed.
The humans huddled together, ever ready to thrust their swords and spears over the corpses of their fallen allies.
Meanwhile, the Transcendents instinctively distanced themselves, unsure of how to counter such a strategy.
Then, once again, an ominous gust of wind swept through the battlefield.
A distortion in space—another Transcendent vanished.
"..."
Breathing heavily, Isaac struggled to comprehend what he had just witnessed.
But his lack of oxygen clouded his thoughts, preventing him from reaching a conclusion.
"Damn it! Don't back down!"
"If we stay here, it's over!"
Moments ago, it had been the humans who were panicking. But now, as their comrades started vanishing one by one, the Transcendents charged forward in desperation.
"Stand firm! Don't retreat! Even if I fail to kill them, my comrades will!"
At Reian's shout, everyone roared in unison, brandishing their swords and spears like the spines of a hedgehog.
Humans were dying.
And in return, the Transcendents were dying too.
As the brutal cycle repeated, a deep, thunderous sound finally echoed across the battlefield.
"They're here! Reinforcements!"
"The red banner! It's Helmut! Helmut has arrived!"
The sheer weight and significance of the name Helmut were palpable on the battlefield.
At last, he understood why, in his past life, soldiers had revered Helmut with such devotion and near-religious awe.
Finally…
With Marlin supporting him, Isaac gasped for air.
Reian, buried under corpses, twitched faintly, showing signs of life.
"She… is here."
Marlin's way of encouraging him to hold on.
Wiping away the thick, dripping blood, Isaac steadied his breath.
"Damn it…"
"Grrr!"
"We should retreat—"
Even the name Helmut didn't just impact their allies.
It had an effect on the enemy as well.
As the crimson greatsword surged forward like a tidal wave, the Transcendents instinctively stepped back.
"Arandel is already dead! All that's left is a mere remnant of Helmut—"
The goat-like Transcendent never got to finish its sentence.
Like a bullet fired by a master marksman, a crimson greatsword flew through the air and sliced its neck in an instant.
The name "Blood Rose" wasn't exactly flattering title.
A rose drenched in blood.
Beautiful, yet unbearably cruel—laden with countless thorns.
Standing motionless, gripping her massive sword, was Liana Helmut.
Her crimson eyes, which had just cut down the Transcendents, swiftly scanned the remaining soldiers on the left flank.
The moment she saw Isaac, still standing in the foremost ranks and breathing, she let out a faint breath that no one noticed.
Srrng.
Silently, she lifted Ragnavel and advanced toward the Transcendents.
"Damn it—! Liana! I told you not to rush in alone! My sword is just as—!"
Lohengrin chased after her, aggressively urging his horse forward. He even leaped off the horse, causing it to stumble and crash to the ground.
'Madman.'
But thanks to that reckless move, Lohengrin managed to join Liana.
The soldiers on the right flank also surged forward.
Knights of Helmut, clad in armor.
Among them was Sharen, and even Jonathan, who, despite his injuries, paid no heed and joined the battle.
With Helmut's reinforcements, the tide of battle rapidly turned in their favor.
Those who had been standing on the corpses of their comrades just moments ago now shed both relief and tears.
"We… we survived."
"Goddess…"
"Ahh, Helmut!"
"Khugh, Daren! My dear friend, Daren!"
In death, rank and status meant nothing. Countless common soldiers and knights lay lifeless, and even noble members of the Blue Wave Society had perished in significant numbers.
"Brother."
As Isaac pushed forward, Marlin rushed to save her older brother.
She moved aside several corpses and found Reian, barely clinging to life.
"I thought I was going to be trampled to death."
Reian and Marlin approached Isaac.
Perhaps their shared struggles had fostered a sense of camaraderie, as Reian extended a fist toward him.
"The one who survives is the strong one."
"..."
Judging by how he could still talk, he wasn't entirely exhausted yet.
Without responding, Isaac simply watched as Liana clashed with the Transcendents.
Her greatsword, surrounded by crimson energy, slashed cleanly toward the enemy.
Perhaps she still felt bitter about her previous battle with the Black Hound, where she had been unable to accomplish much.
Now, she exuded an overwhelming presence reminiscent of Arandel Helmut.
Whoosh!
But her greatsword only cut through empty air.
The Transcendents were vanishing one by one, swallowed by swirling distortions in space.
Thus, despite the battle, very few of their corpses remained, and the fight was gradually coming to an end.
"They really do use strange magic. Or was it sorcery?"
"Something… seems off."
Reian even let out a string of curses.
"Those crazy bastards."
"...!"
More Transcendents appeared from various directions as the space around them twisted once again.
It was a truly bizarre sight.
They would suddenly appear, only to disappear again moments later.
What made it particularly unique was that even the Transcendents themselves seemed unable to control it.
Those who emerged were startled, fought in confusion, and then vanished just as bewilderedly.
Sometimes it worked in their favor, and other times, it was a detriment.
'Something doesn't add up.'
Isaac felt like he was grasping at a clue.
There were countless questions swirling in his mind, but he set them aside to calmly analyze the situation.
Boom!
A deafening explosion suddenly rang out, snapping Isaac out of his thoughts.
Now wasn't the time to be distracted.
"Master—!"
With bloodshot eyes, he sprinted forward.
"Isaac?!"
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!"
"I-Isaac—!"
The Helmut siblings shouted after him as he rushed past, but he was already running with everything he had.
'Please, please!'
The grandmaster had been fighting alone against the original bloodline of Helmut and to her comrade.
That alone was already the greatest achievement of this battlefield.
But—
"Master—!"
None of that would matter if she didn't survive.
It might be ironic.
He had demanded that soldiers sacrifice their lives, yet he now desperately wished for his master to live.
But to Isaac, the grandmaster was someone irreplaceable.
And now, she lay collapsed on the ground.
Her robes were torn and soaked in blood.
Her limp body no longer held even the faintest strength.
Her eyes were gently shut.
And a massive greatsword was impaled through her chest.
"M… Master…"
Standing over her body, one of the Primordial Helmut smirked as he looked at Isaac.
"Have you arrived? Ah, well, what else can be done? Death is the only fate for a traitor. We wished to show some mercy, in our own way."
"...."
Number Two slightly narrowed her eyes as she observed the twin swords gripped in Isaac's hands. Her gaze, as if measuring something, was nothing short of severe.
Unfortunately, Isaac had no time to concern himself with that.
"M-Master…"
A trembling voice, as unstable as a child's sobs.
He was terrified to approach, yet he couldn't afford not to.
By the time Isaac staggered forward and knelt before her, his unsteady steps barely carrying him—
The only thing that greeted him was a breath so weak, it seemed on the verge of ceasing at any moment.
Not yet.
She was still alive.
"Hmm, yes. Still alive."
As if reading Isaac's thoughts, the man chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
"I've never been fishing, so I don't know much about it. But when catching fish, they say you use live bait, don't they? Ah, by the way, once I conquer this land, fishing is one of the things I want to try. Doesn't it sound peaceful?"
"...."
Isaac, gripping his swords tightly, glared at the man.
The man, still smirking, planted the staff he had slung over his shoulder into the ground.
Kwaaaaaang!
In an instant, an enormous surge of Crimson aura erupted like a whirlwind, forming into the shape of a greatsword.
Even compared to Arandel Helmut, the sheer amount of Crimson aura here was clearly greater.
It was as if he could fill the very sky with it.
"Do you consider a worm hooked on a fishing line to be alive? Its fate is the same as the fish that will eventually swallow it."
Whether it was the Grandmaster or Isaac—
Their fates, in the end, would be the same.
Clenching both swords tightly, Isaac took a deep breath and spoke to the man before him.
"I had… several questions."
"If it's a final request, I regret to inform you that I have no inte—"
"Is your pride hurt because I called it an imitation?"
Slowly.
Ever so slowly.
The smirk faded from the man's lips.
His red eyes instantly filled with hostility, locking onto Isaac.
The mask of composure that had been on his face began to crack.
"The Primordial Helmut… What a nicely wrapped-up title. I suppose you thought no one would notice with Arandel gone?"
It was possible.
Even if Liana had seen it, she wouldn't have realized.
After all, his appearance truly did suit the name Primordial Helmut.
A child surpassing their parent.
A disciple surpassing their master.
The common thread between both was that the hierarchy had been reversed.
But the way they accepted it was different.
If it had been the Grandmaster, she would have smiled brightly upon seeing a disciple surpass her.
She would have embraced them, saying it was magnificent.
But—
This man was different.
"You must have realized it when you saw Arandel."
The progenitor of Helmut.
There was no denying that he was the progenitor of Helmut.
However—
"You knew you couldn't defeat him."
He must have realized.
That the power of the Primordial Transcendent alone was not enough to surpass Arandel.
When a child surpasses their parent—
The parent feels jealousy, denies it, and ultimately tries to imitate.
That was why he delayed his invasion, postponing it again and again.
Until Arandel was completely gone.
"You must have thought no one would notice."
But here stood someone—
A man who had admired and studied Helmut more than anyone else.
Someone who had even surpassed Arandel, one who had seen beyond Helmut itself—Silent Sword.
"Trying to imitate him, huh? Looks like you mixed in all sorts of things in a messy attempt."
By now, the man's expression had frozen—no, it was deeply twisted.
And to him—
"Even the way you hold your sword is wrong, you second-rate imitation."
Isaac delivered a cold, cutting verdict.