A chill lingered in the air.
Helik suddenly recalled the first time he had laid eyes on the Wall of Malidan.
'Truly, it felt like a wall born of fate.'
In order for the Transcendents to win, they needed to sow confusion.
And the most efficient way to achieve that was by using the magical beasts that lived on this land.
Bringing down the Wall of Malidan, which stood as the kingdom's firmest defense, was the most crucial strategic point.
That had been Helik's belief—and in the previous life he could no longer remember, that strategy had indeed worked efficiently.
This time, too, he had succeeded.
Though he had erased the Wall of Malidan itself, the problem was the damage—it had been far worse than expected.
If there was one key difference…
It was that he hadn't been able to destroy it completely.
Not their spirit.
Not their convictions.
"…Haa."
Helik raised his head to look at Uldren Caldias, who stood silently at the highest point of the royal palace, and gave a slow nod.
"It wasn't Malidan."
He had no choice but to admit it.
Malidan had only ever been a wall. And the guardian who stood atop it—was, strictly speaking, a different kind of being.
A presence that turned whatever ground he stood on into the Wall of Malidan.
Arandel Helmut—whom the Transcendents hadn't even dared consider confronting in battle from the start.
And the man who had long stood in competition with such a being, even since Arandel's prime.
Perhaps it was precisely because he had walked a different path from them that he could now wield such might and majesty.
Crack!
Uldren gripped another spear. The moment it flew from his hand in a perfect throwing stance—
BOOOOM!
One of the Primordial Transcendent rushed forward, just barely managing to block the spear.
"Kh…!"
Though the attack was deflected, the Transcendent was flung far back. Blood dripped to the ground, and smoke rose from scorched wounds.
He had blocked it.
But that was all.
No more than that.
"..."
Uldren's expression didn't change in the slightest. He gripped another spear—as if this was only the beginning.
"…This won't do."
Helik glanced toward the other Transcendents. At his signal, they nodded and immediately sprang into action.
Leaping high into the sky, they shot toward Uldren.
'Arandel Helmut once faced five.'
Rapid calculations ran through Helik's mind.
The Uldren they had seen before in the Abyss Realm had been worn down by a complex web of circumstances.
'This time as well—five…'
Measured by current strength, that was a significant number—practically more than half of their total force.
But Uldren was worth it.
"Huup!"
Uldren unflinchingly hurled his spear at the incoming Transcendents.
And from the ground, a surge of crimson aura shot skyward.
The overwhelming force wasn't refined—it was brute, massive, and thunderous.
"Graaaaahhhh!!"
"Argh! You brute!"
Lohengrin shouted like a wild beast, his power on full display. Behind him, Clarice backed away in a hurry, muttering under her breath.
"Here and now, I declare the return of Helmut—!"
"…Hah. What a savage."
Even Helik clicked his tongue at Lohengrin's reckless display of strength.
To think such a thing came from his own blood.
"You must've gotten that from her, damn Silver Clock."
Helik clicked his tongue again.
Still, he had no reason to worry about the frontlines.
Because the father of the Sword Demons was standing there.
"…Endure it, if you can."
Kangwoo's sword was unwavering.
As calm and composed as the emotions that filled him, even in this chaos.
KLANG!
"Guh?!"
Lohengrin's body was hurled violently backward.
He had been hit.
He had definitely been struck somewhere.
Or had he been slashed?
He wasn't sure.
But judging from how the surging crimson aura had suddenly warped in bizarre patterns, it was clear the opponent had swung a sword—
'…But I didn't see it.'
A chill climbed from the soles of Lohengrin's feet.
"…Tch. That crimson aura… it's sturdier than I thought."
Kangwoo clicked his tongue, but his piercing, icy-blue eyes never wavered.
His gaze landed on Lohengrin's nape—as if saying, I'll strike there next time.
"...!"
A chill ran down Lohengrin's spine, and he hurriedly raised his greatsword to guard his neck.
He had trained extensively with Isaac and learned well how to counter stances.
Though, in truth, it had been more of a learning through being beaten down kind of education.
'But this… how am I even supposed to respond?'
He wondered what his father would've done in this situation.
Whenever Lohengrin found himself in danger, that question always surfaced without fail.
"Don't become a mere imitation."
His father's voice still lingered in his ears like a curse.
"What's so wrong with admiration?"
Clenching his teeth, Lohengrin answered in his heart.
"To me, you were a being so great that I just wanted to follow in your footsteps."
If it were his father—
If you were in this situation—
In that moment of torment, Lohengrin stepped forward.
"Your foolish son has no clue what to do."
So let me follow behind you.
And one day—on the day I finally feel I've made it—
I'll tell you I'm leaving your shadow.
So for this one time… forgive me.
A fierce surge of crimson aura burst from Lohengrin.
It filled the gap left by his previous wound and rose even more violently—like it could blot out the silver stars above.
"Helmut's eldest son, is it?"
Kangwoo murmured quietly.
There was no particular reaction.
Just a calm voice, as if stating a simple fact.
"If it were Father—!"
That blade would never have even touched him.
Kangwoo wouldn't have been able to pierce through Arandel Helmut's crimson aura.
So Lohengrin would follow behind him—
Fiercer. Stronger.
And then—!
"…Ah?!"
Like someone had doused a bonfire with cold water, the raging energy rising into the sky instantly collapsed.
The soaring crimson aura scattered like dandelion seeds, disintegrating without a trace.
At the same moment, Lohengrin felt a burning sensation at his neck—
And then he couldn't breathe.
"Kh… gah?!"
A strangled cry escaped him.
As he toppled backward, Lohengrin realized—
I died.
So easily, and so hollowly.
His eyes still couldn't track the sword.
And the Sword Demon with the icy blue eyes simply stood, gazing up at the fading crimson aura.
"Will. Effort. Skill. I don't think you forged those things falsely."
A show of respect for his opponent.
"But… to stand on this stage, you're still lacking."
A cold, honest evaluation.
Thud!
Lohengrin collapsed to the ground, clutching at his neck in desperation.
His body, once overflowing with strength, now struggled with even such a simple act.
"Young master!"
Jonathan, who had been fending off other Transcendents, momentarily turned toward Lohengrin.
As a knight loyal to Helmut's firstborn, he couldn't stand by while his master lay dying.
"Sir—Sir Jonathan!"
Heirad's urgent voice rang out.
"Hrk!"
At the same time, the weeping woman's crescent blade swept forth, conjuring a heavy storm.
"I'm right here! Sniff! Where do you think you're looking?!"
"Gaaahhh!"
And it wasn't just Jonathan and Heirad who screamed.
The ground trembled, and the crumbling shield wall of the royal guards collapsed without resistance.
Boom!
The woman's crescent blade stood still, like a conductor's baton marking the end of a performance.
Tears streamed down her face as she slowly lowered the blade and bowed her head.
"Sniff… It was… a good match."
"..."
The momentum had clearly been in their favor.
But Clarice bit her lip hard as she watched the scene unfold before her.
"I knew it wouldn't be easy."
But she hadn't expected this kind of overwhelming power.
The battle still raged atop the royal palace.
Uldren Caldias continued to hold back the majority of the enemy's forces alone.
She wanted to believe defeat was unthinkable—but if he fell, everything would crumble in an instant.
Thinking that, Clarice glanced sideways.
There stood the Tower Master, Regant, now beside her.
He approached Lohengrin and placed a hand on his neck.
"Just stay still. I'll heal you with magic. You're going to need to fight again, aren't you?"
"Khff! Gahk!"
"Thanks to your crimson aura, it didn't cut all the way through. If it had been severed completely… even magic couldn't have saved you."
A warm green light began to envelop Lohengrin's neck.
In truth, Regant had put his own life on the line too.
He had fully expected that if Kangwoo moved again, his own head would be the next to fall.
But—
"..."
Kangwoo was no longer looking in their direction.
He had turned completely away, gazing beyond the royal palace.
His expressionless face somehow carried a hint of melancholy—
As if he had finally received a long-awaited gift… only to find that it no longer brought him joy.
Following Kangwoo's lead, the other Transcendents also shifted their gaze.
"Has Mugan… died?"
Accepting the death of an old comrade, Helik looked out beyond the palace one last time.
Three people had arrived in front of the palace.
Isaac Logan.
Liana.
And Silverna.
"Lohengrin… he's dead."
Liana muttered quietly, eyes wide as she looked at Lohengrin's fallen body.
"..."
"That's all you're going to say?"
Silverna asked, startled. She thought being under subjugation spell would let her hear Liana's inner thoughts more vividly.
"…What else is there to think?"
"I'm not dead yetttttt!!"
"Oh, come on! I just finished patching that!"
The Tower Master urgently laid Lohengrin back down and resumed treatment as Lohengrin coughed and convulsed violently.
Liana chuckled lightly at the reaction.
"Stubborn to survive. That's his strength. I'm glad he made it."
Silverna gave her a dumbfounded look at the honest remark.
And yet, amid all this…
Isaac locked eyes with only one man.
The father of all Sword Demons—Kangwoo.
"I've come to challenge your sword."
Kangwoo spoke plainly, and Isaac narrowed his eyes, asking sharply:
"…Is this the result of some kind of sorcery?"
"As a swordsman, one must never let emotion sway the blade."
"That sounds like an excuse."
"..."
Kangwoo neither confirmed nor denied it.
Isaac, who had long awaited this duel with Kangwoo, felt a bitter disappointment at how unexpectedly quiet and subdued the confrontation felt.
"You may not understand, but I now wield a sharper blade than ever before."
Kangwoo stepped forward slowly.
"A blade forged from having let go of everything… except the sword."
"…I know someone else like that."
At Isaac's words, Kangwoo merely looked at him with a blank stare—
As if he held no curiosity, no interest at all—
Just waiting for Isaac to finish speaking.
That alone made it painfully clear how much Kangwoo had changed.
A man who had cast aside everything except the sword.
"Arandel Helmut… was like that."
Isaac took a deep breath and placed a hand on his sword.
"He gave up everything for the sake of the sword… and because of that, he became stuck."
A life lived in silent devotion to the blade.
Days spent analyzing, pondering, and studying endlessly.
And the answer Isaac had given to Arandel in the Five Principles of the Sword—
"To give up everything for the sword."
There was only one thing he could say as someone who had once abandoned it all.
"That is why you won't go any further."
For a swordsman, it was a death sentence.
The most humiliating provocation imaginable.
Especially to someone like Kangwoo, who possessed a near-fanatical obsession with the sword.
And yet—
Even in the face of such provocation…
"Is that so."
Kangwoo simply responded, as emotionless as ever.