"..."
Even Isaac's declaration—that all the efforts once called meaningless had finally stacked up enough for him to challenge Kangwoo—was nothing more than a greeting to Kangwoo.
Having lost his emotions, Kangwoo was not moved by such sentimental words. What drove him was not passion but the burden of responsibility he carried for his race.
Kangwoo looked at Isaac again, making it clear that conversation was no longer necessary.
When facing a Sword Demon, there was only one thing to watch out for—only one thing to keep in mind.
'Where their gaze lands.'
That was precisely where the sword would fall.
Whether it was due to his lost emotions or simply his nature, no one could say for sure.
The moment Kangwoo's piercing blue gaze landed on Isaac's left shoulder, Isaac instinctively crossed both of his twin swords and raised them to shield it.
And then—
"Mmgh…!"
A crushing pressure made his body stagger. His knee hit the ground for a moment under the sheer weight.
Sparks flared, and the heat from the friction stung his cheek.
Only the smoke rising from both swords was proof that Kangwoo's massive blade had struck there just moments before.
"..."
Kangwoo wasn't surprised that his strike had been blocked. Nor did he hesitate.
He simply returned the massive sword to his waist. And immediately after, his gaze dropped to Isaac's waist.
Clang!
Isaac blocked again—this time stabbing his sword into the ground.
But could it even be called "blocking"?
He barely managed to shove his sword into the path of Kangwoo's strike at the last second.
"When are you going to stop just taking hits?!"
"Sir Isaac!"
Voices shouted from behind Kangwoo. Two people, desperate to help Isaac, hesitated, knowing if they stepped forward, they'd lose their heads.
Even if Kangwoo's eyes were focused on Isaac now, he could reach them in a blink.
And then—
"..."
Kangwoo rested his blade on his hip again, his gaze landing on Isaac's neck.
At the same time, Isaac lunged forward on instinct.
The swing intended for his neck missed its mark. His shoulder was cut open, but he didn't stop.
He knew: to break the one-sided rhythm of this fight, he'd need to offer up some flesh.
"..."
Still, Kangwoo showed no reaction.
Even though his blade missed and his opponent had broken into close range, he didn't think of it as a threat.
Kangwoo no longer bothered returning the blade to his hip.
Maybe he recognized that a clean sword draw wouldn't be enough against this opponent anymore—or maybe he just found it easier to fight with his blade already in hand.
His expression remained as stoic and unreadable as ever.
A long, clear metallic ring echoed.
Isaac's twin blades clashed with Kangwoo's massive sword at the center.
Perhaps because they were both masters of the sword, the sound they created was sharp and pure—like a jade marble falling onto stone.
However, the exchange did not last long.
Kangwoo, a member of the Primordial Transcendents, had blood far too powerful.
Pure physical strength alone created a vast difference between them.
Each time their swords collided, Isaac was driven backward.
"Huff…"
A numbing pain shot through his arms.
His forearms, waist, and thighs burned sharply. Looking closely, he saw blood trickling from where Kangwoo's sword had grazed him.
"So this is what happens even when I do block…"
"If you were a Transcendent, this might've been a proper fight."
"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?"
"I'm merely stating a fact."
And somehow, that made it feel more like praise.
Isaac's lips curled ever so slightly into a smile.
"Now I understand why you said this is the sharpest you've ever been."
"Your sword has no hesitation."
Isaac nodded. There was not even the faintest tremble.
Kangwoo's sword had always bordered on perfection. Unshaken by emotion, it remained constant.
"That's why I think there's a chance."
A calm declaration from Isaac.
Kangwoo's expression didn't change.
He still didn't understand what exactly Isaac had discovered in their previous exchange that made him think he had found an opening.
'Is it just bravado? Or a false revelation?'
Whatever it was, Kangwoo coldly calculated.
In his view, Isaac had no path to victory.
'I just need to continue as I am.'
Kangwoo tightened his grip on his massive sword.
The moment he leaned forward with both hands on the blade, dozens of formless slashes rained down on Isaac.
A sword dance meant to overwhelm, not to allow a single breath.
There was no concept of a decisive or final blow to Kangwoo.
He simply killed when the opportunity arose.
Every strike carried killing intent, aimed only at the enemy's neck.
"...!"
That was why this sword dance wasn't weakened or carelessly performed.
Yet—
Isaac's Ink-Blood Sword cleaved through the invisible slashes raining down upon him.
With a powerful forward step—
His other blade, Baekseol, followed in the wake of the path carved by Ink-Blood.
Kangwoo felt a sting in his chest.
"..."
For the first time, he stepped back.
And from his chest, blood began to flow.
Amidst the searing pain, Kangwoo couldn't understand.
'What did I just see?'
It happened in a mere instant.
At some point, Isaac's sword had abruptly surged upward and struck through his own.
'Was it a fluke?'
That was the only explanation that made sense. Determined not to disrupt the flow, Kangwoo stepped forward once more.
Again, the melody of the two swordsmen echoed. The clashing of blades, the stamping of feet, and even their labored breaths—
In that harmonious performance, it was Isaac Logan who was steadily retreating.
'As I thought.'
It had been a fluke.
A single blow, granted by the gods, as if they had briefly pushed him forward.
So there was no way—
Slice.
"...!"
A stinging pain flared at the nape of his neck.
Before his mind could even register the danger, his body reacted, and Kangwoo leapt back in a large motion.
He slowly brought a hand to his neck.
A shallow sword wound.
A thin line of blood trickled down.
Had he not twisted his body in time, that cold, silvery blade laced with frost would have pierced his throat.
At this point, even Kangwoo had to admit it.
And he couldn't help but question it.
"What is it?"
"..."
"There's a moment when your sword's path suddenly shifts."
If we liken it to a flame—
Just when it maintained a steady heat, it suddenly flared up. Anyone tending that fire would be caught off guard.
That was exactly what Isaac was now.
At some point, he would suddenly unleash a razor-sharp strike.
Ironically, that unpredictable move overturned the well-woven rhythm of their duel—a duel built on pure swordsmanship.
"A divine move."
His voice carried no intonation.
That's why it held no falsehood or exaggeration.
"Hah."
But it was Isaac who rejected that praise.
"On the contrary. It's the most human move."
The twin swords once again lowered into a calm stance.
Their breath, suspended on the edge of the blades, flowed quietly.
Had he ever poured so much of his heart into the sword before?
His eyes fell on the two blades in his hands.
One was Baekseol, forged from frost-silver ore.
A weapon infused with Silverna's love, gifted solely for him.
The other was Ink-Blood Sword.
Crafted from Jingol steel, a rare metal found only in Helmut, and forged by their finest blacksmiths—
It was the embodiment of the sincerity of Liana, his former partner and the swordswoman he admired.
Every time Isaac swung his sword, he felt as if those two women were right there beside him.
That sincerity—perhaps that's what allowed his sword to reach such an unpredictable level.
"And another thing… you've become too rigid in your form."
Who was Isaac?
He was one who could read and compose swords.
To him, a sword that repeated the same motion every time was no different than reading the basic grammar of a language.
Kangwoo's eyes flickered briefly, then calmed again.
He understood Isaac's words.
Having cast away his emotions and shouldered the burden of his race, he had become nothing more than a blade.
And in doing so, he had become far too easy to read.
"Before I let go of everything but the sword…"
Kangwoo slowly bowed his head.
Though he could no longer feel emotions, in that moment, he appeared faintly sorrowful.
"There were times I imagined what it would be like to cross blades with you."
"..."
"Back then, I brushed it off as a fleeting whim—"
He readjusted his greatsword.
"But now I remember… how like a child I waited for you."
"..."
"It's coming back to me."
He couldn't smile.
But he wanted to.
That was Kangwoo's only wish at the moment.
'How envious.'
The man before him, wearing a refreshing smile.
That smile—as if eagerly anticipating the final strike soon to come—
That smile was… unbearably enviable.
Before they knew it, the two swordsmen had returned to the distance where they first faced each other.
Kangwoo's sword came down without a trace of hesitation,
While Isaac's twin blades rested lightly at his waist, with only the slightest tremble.
In the moment when the world went silent—
The lofty sword, born from having abandoned everything,
And the magnificent sword, forged by embracing everything, collided.
A short, clean sound of metal tore through the air.
When the clash ended,
Neither of the two men bore a wound.
However—
"..."
Kangwoo looked down at his broken greatsword and let out a bitter breath.
"Because I let everything go—"
Was that why he ended up alone?
In contrast, Isaac's twin swords remained intact.
Those blades, each of a different hue, stood by their master, as if to protect him.
Kangwoo turned his head and looked at the shattered fragments of his blade lying on the ground.
And on his previously emotionless face, a faint expression flickered across.
Was it regret?
Realization?
Or perhaps yearning for something long lost?
No one could say for certain.
But Kangwoo quietly nodded.
Once again, Isaac raised his swords—
As if paying respect to the opponent who had shared this exquisite dance of blades.
"To have stood somewhere in your journey—"
Isaac's sword struck down the Father of the Sword.
"—was an honor."