Chapter 43: Defending the Wall

[Bricalla.]

Unlike now.

Silverna, her voice calm and low, spoke those words.

[It was the name of the beast that Lord Wolfdren Caldias hunted when he established his base in the north.]

'Bricalla?'

[The Guardian of Frost Lightning? Well, that's what I remember it meaning. That's why the name was also used for the Great Colony Lord.]

[It was a calamity. Back then, I wasn't strong enough to even think about facing it.]

'That powerful?'

[If you had seen it yourself, you wouldn't be saying that.]

Groooaaar!

The beast's roar drowned out Silverna's voice from the memories.

The lightning pouring down from all directions seemed to protect Bricalla, and its eyes, perched atop the spire, reflected the weakened walls of Malidan.

"R-run away—!"

Isaac grabbed Sharen's back as she muttered those words.

Sharen, trembling with fear, clenched her teeth as Isaac shouted at her.

"If we run, who's going to fight that thing?!"

"...!"

"I know you're scared, but we have to do this."

If the wall falls here, the frontlines will be breached. And if that happens, there's no telling how far the damage will spread.

At the very least, the nearby villages would be annihilated.

The only silver lining was that the creature was injured.

Blood dripped down the spire, and its roars carried more pain than threat.

But on the other hand.

'If it's still this strong even with those injuries…'

This was its last struggle before death.

The sight of it squeezing out every last bit of its remaining strength made it seem like something beyond the realm of ordinary beasts.

"Where's the captain?"

Isaac looked for the captain, who was supposed to lead the remaining troops.

However, Jonathan, dazed, answered.

"H-he was over there, at that spire."

Even from this distance, the electric currents made their skin tingle and go numb.

If the captain was right beneath that monster, assuming he was already dead was the only logical conclusion.

"Raise your spears!"

Isaac shouted hoarsely.

Desperately clenching his veins to avoid being overwhelmed by Bricalla's thunder.

"Reinforcements are coming! Hold the line and don't let it breach the wall!"

Isaac, who had seen the battlefield against the Transcendent Clan multiple times.

In such a chaotic situation, it would be ideal if everyone could act according to the pre-established chain of command.

But with the captain's fate unknown and the next in command unclear,

In times like this, the one with the loudest voice had to take charge to quickly organize the troops.

"Raise your spears!"

"Defend the wall!"

"Reinforcements will be here soon!"

As Helmut's son-in-law and a comrade who had fought alongside them until now,

Isaac was trustworthy enough for everyone to start following his lead.

Bricalla, too, noticed the troops gathering around Isaac and snorted.

The electric currents in its breath crackled menacingly with a 'Zap!'

Lightning began to gather around its body again, and its thick muscles bulged as veins popped out.

"Spread out! Spread out—!"

At the urgent cry, the soldiers quickly scattered across the wall.

In an instant, like a falling bolt of lightning, Bricalla landed where the troops had been densely gathered just moments ago.

Kwaaaang!

Part of the wall was damaged, but not enough to collapse entirely.

Dust, debris, and electric currents scattered in all directions.

Amidst it all, Bricalla's gaze turned toward Isaac, who stood at the front.

"Grrr."

Crackle!

"Ugh!"

Being this close, the pain was more than just a sting.

It was unbearable to stand in front of it, and his eyes burned as if they were about to be seared.

But he couldn't close his eyes.

If he did, Bricalla's fist would mercilessly crush his entire body in that instant.

"Crimson Flame Wave!"

While everyone else was frozen by Bricalla's overwhelming pressure and the electric currents, someone unleashed a fiery attack.

Surprisingly, the first to move was the youngest girl present.

A crimson wave erupted from her greatsword, engulfing Bricalla.

The wave of crimson energy swallowed the surrounding electric currents and struck Bricalla, but—

"Kroooaaar!"

Bricalla swatted it away and, as if enraged, slammed its fist into the ground.

"Why is it reacting like that?!"

Sharen shouted, questioning the excessive reaction.

But Isaac had a guess.

"Liana and Helmut's knights were the main force. It's probably furious at you for using the same kind of power."

After all, among the wounds on its body, some were undoubtedly inflicted by Helmut.

Indeed, Bricalla's gaze was now fixed on Sharen.

Snorting electric currents, it charged forward on all fours.

"Jonathan, help!"

"Glory to the great Helmuuuuut!"

Jonathan hurriedly stood beside Sharen, driving his greatsword into the ground like a wall.

Seeing this, Sharen immediately took the same stance, bracing her greatsword with her shoulder.

Kwaaaang!

Bricalla's fist slammed into both of their greatswords at once.

"Kuaaaaang!"

"Cough! Ugh!"

They had withstood the monstrous strength head-on, but the two held their ground.

Their crimson energy flared separately, forming a sturdy barrier-like defense.

But Bricalla had four fists.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

As soon as the opportunity arose, a relentless barrage of punches followed.

"Do something!"

"I'm gonna die!"

Before the two could even finish shouting, Isaac was already leaping forward.

He stepped on Jonathan's shoulder and jumped upward.

Floating in the air, Isaac looked down at Bricalla's head. Despite the electric currents piercing his entire body, he drew the sword at his waist.

'I won't mess up this time.'

To make up for the mistake he made during the Nortemus incident, he had practiced over and over.

Isaac prepared his most powerful strike—one he had practiced tirelessly.

As the sword left its sheath, it carried the essence of finality—an attack known as 'Iaido.'

The sharp blade silently left its sheath, cutting through the electric currents as it flew toward Bricalla's thick neck.

Ssshk!

He definitely cut it.

Isaac didn't make a mistake.

It was a flawless 'Iaido' strike, precise enough to earn applause from a grandmaster.

Crackle!

But all that remained on the thick neck was a shallow wound, barely worthy of being called a scar.

'The blade was damaged by the electric currents…?!'

The sword couldn't withstand even the brief moment of drawing.

Made lightweight to meet Isaac's demands, it was incredibly light but, in turn, had abysmal durability.

"Kraaaaaa!"

Bricalla let out a furious roar.

It knew.

In that brief moment, its neck had almost been severed.

One of the fists aimed at the greatswords changed trajectory, flying toward Isaac.

For a moment, Isaac thought he was dead.

But just before the fist could reach him, it twitched and stopped.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

While Isaac had drawn its attention, other soldiers had stabbed their spears into Bricalla's back.

Thanks to that, Isaac, untouched by the fist, managed to land and let out a sigh of relief, wiping away cold sweat.

"Isaac, are you okay?!"

"Thank goodness!"

The two approached Isaac as he caught his breath, his hand on the ground.

Just as he was about to apologize through gritted teeth for wasting the golden opportunity they had created—

"…Doesn't it feel cold?"

Isaac muttered as he brushed his hand across the ground.

The lingering electric currents still tingled in his hand, making it hard to feel properly, but a chill was seeping into his skin.

"Of course it's cold—!"

Sharen, about to say something, suddenly fell silent.

The white mist spreading around them wasn't just from the chaos—it was deliberate.

"What's happening?!"

"Ah! It's so cold!"

The cold pierced through even the numbness brought on by the battle.

Isaac's eyes widened as he recalled the story he had once told the two of them.

'The first Caldias intentionally placed a climate-manipulating spell on the wall to protect the kingdom.'

What if there was more to it?

Perhaps the wall had sensed the crisis and activated some kind of magic.

Or maybe the spell had gone haywire, destabilized by the creature's electric currents.

Whatever the case.

"Get off the wall!"

It was dangerous to stay here.

Crackle! Crackle!

A chilling, freezing sound echoed from somewhere.

The soles of their boots stuck to the ground, refusing to come loose.

The sturdy boots of the north were tough and durable, so they could be pried off with some effort.

But if they didn't move away from the wall immediately, they would freeze solid.

"Kreeeeak!"

Bricalla's scream echoed from behind.

Turning his head, Isaac saw the creature struggling, its flesh tearing as it tried to pull its feet free.

Even Bricalla was suffering from the wall's freezing cold.

'Wait, if we can trap it here—'

They could stop it.

Not only that, but they could also freeze it solid and subdue it completely.

Going down below would be even more dangerous.

It would give the creature a wider space to rampage.

'This is unexpected.'

Always.

He had only ever seen the backs of his comrades charging into life-or-death battles.

Silent Sword Isaac.

Many praised him for his great wisdom.

But in truth, Isaac often stood helplessly behind, watching their struggles and feeling powerless.

He always asked himself.

Could I do that too?

If I were the one holding the sword, fighting on the front lines.

Could I step into the pit of danger without hesitation?

'It's really unexpected.'

Because now—

Without even the time to hesitate, Isaac was already running toward Bricalla.

'All I have is one sword and Pearlsun.'

He drew the Pearlsun.

The sword was useless against the electric currents surrounding the creature.

Gripping the Pearlsun with both hands, Isaac stood in front of Bricalla. The creature tried to leap off the wall into the fortress to escape, but—

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Isaac swung the Pearlsun, cutting deep into Bricalla's thigh.

A long wound opened, but no blood flowed.

The wound froze faster than the blood could spill.

"Grrr!"

Perhaps because of that?

The creature didn't seem to be in much pain, and it swung one of its arms to swat Isaac away.

Anticipating the reaction, Isaac quickly stepped back and aimed his blade at the creature.

"Kraaaaaa!"

Another roar.

It felt like the creature was throwing a question at Isaac, who was blocking its path off the wall.

If we stay here like this.

We'll both die.

"Huh."

He tried to twist his lips into a smile, but his cheeks were too stiff.

His black hair was now covered in white frost, and his body was losing strength, perhaps from hypothermia.

Yet Isaac didn't back down.

"One of us dies—."

Or both of us die.

The freezing cold made it hard to finish the sentence, but his intent was clear.

Bricalla, understanding, roared and charged, unleashing electric currents.

And then.

A crimson wave of energy poured from behind.

"Oh, come on!"

Sharen, enveloped in a crimson aura, looked far more intact than the others.

She wore the aura like armor.

It was a common method, but the crimson energy was far more precise and intricate, woven like a net that partially blocked even the abnormal cold.

This was Sharen's own version of the crimson energy, created to prevent shivering in the cold, just like when she fought Polo and yeti before.

"Why did you charge in alone?!"

As Sharen approached, Isaac also felt his body warming up.

Her crimson energy also effect him, and his trembling hands began to stabilize.

Another wave of crimson energy.

This one, dark red and viscous, belonged to Jonathan.

But unlike its usual unstable, hole-riddled form,

it was now wild and fierce, like a beast.

Bricalla, struck by it, slid backward across the wall.

"Sir Isaac—!"

Jonathan stood beside him.

His eyes, devoid of whites and filled entirely with black, were a sight Isaac had seen before.

"Hah… hah… If—if I ever become a Transcendent—"

As Jonathan stammered and pleaded, Isaac smacked the back of his head and shouted.

"Your heart is made of roses, right? Get a grip!"

At those words, Jonathan bit his lip with his elongated fangs and roared.

"Kuuuuu! Glory to the great Helmuuuuut! My heart is made of rooooses!"

"…He's insane."

Sharen, a direct descendant of Helmut, muttered under her breath, but Jonathan pretended not to hear.

In any case, his obsession with Helmut was keeping his sanity intact.

The crimson energy of the two, each with its own distinct color, enveloped Isaac.

Thanks to that, he could endure the cold to some extent.

"Grrr."

The problem was that, to an intelligent beast like Bricalla, this seemed like an opportunity.

Amid the falling snow, thick with blue crystals, something stirred.

It was mana.

An overwhelming amount of mana, so dense it was almost visible, was gathering toward the creature.

"Gasp!"

"I-it's shaking a bit."

Sharen and Jonathan were momentarily terrified, and even Isaac, who was unfamiliar with mana, could feel the sheer density and volume of the creature's mana through his skin and eyes.

And then.

"Kraaaaaa!"

Toward Bricalla's head.

A massive blue bolt of lightning came crashing down like a storm.

At first, it seemed like self-harm.

No, in fact, the creature definitely took damage.

But.

"Kraa!"

Drool dripped steadily.

Under normal circumstances, it would have been a trivial, almost natural sight.

"It's not freezing."

At Isaac's muttering, the two nodded in surprise.

The Beast's drool wasn't freezing.

The electric currents surrounding its body were now incomparably more intense than before.

The thick white mist couldn't even approach Bricalla's vicinity.

Even while taking damage, the creature had enveloped itself in electric currents to overcome the cold.

It was almost like.

"Th-that's my method, isn't it?"

Just as Sharen had used her crimson energy to drive away the cold.

Now free to move again, Bricalla charged toward the three of them with heavy, thudding steps.