44 - The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Family Wants A Divorce

"The Distinguished Family's Son-In-Law Desires a Divorce, Chapter 44" Brikala, charging forward, now exhibited a madness not sensed before. Like a warhorse lashed by a whip, he maintained an awakened state by electrifying his own body. His appearance, lunging with two legs and four arms, would intimidate anyone human. Yet here, the man twisted out of humanity’s path moved first. "For the glory of Heeelmuunt!" Jonathan, the Helmont devotee. His greatsword exuded a sticky, dense aura, transformed into a crimson presence by name only. Boom! The moment the two monstrosities collided, bursts of aura and currents scattered in all directions. The balance of power was disrupted from the very start. Upon impact, Jonathan's greatsword was pushed back as if flung, and Brikala trampled over him without pause. "Oof!" "After all that posturing, what are you?!" Brikala pierced through Jonathan so swiftly that even Sharen's reaction was a beat too late. Before she could complete her sweeping slash, Brikala repelled the greatsword with a punch. With wide eyes, she hastily emitted a crimson aura from her entire body in resistance. "Kyah!" Sharen, too, failed to withstand Brikala's rush and was thrown against the wall. A slight misalignment would have sent her plummeting below. "...!" Brikala's target from the beginning was Isaac. The creature precisely recognized the only existence here that once nearly ended its life. 'There's no chance if I fight head-on...!' Yet escaping somewhere wasn't an option either. Especially now that Sharen had been distanced, Isaac's body was again freezing over with cold. Thud! He stomped his right foot heavily forward. Abandoning the broadsword, he placed his hand on the last remaining longsword. [What do you think is the greatest power held by your master's sword?] 'Fear.' At that time, Isaac answered without difficulty. The Great Master grumbled with a smile, [Too exceptional isn't quite as charming.] There was no hesitation in Isaac's actions. The instant his trembling, numbed hand touched the sword's hilt due to the cold, he felt a liberating ease as if it were a lie. He knew how to strategize. He had wisdom, thought, learned, and grew. And because of that— Thud! Brikala stopped in front of Isaac and, warily, spread its four arms wide. 'It's because you know. It's because you've learned that you're cautious.' Isaac was questioning now. His iaido technique. 'Could you follow it with your eyes?' The sword strike like a flash of light. 'Could you block what you barely managed to before, as if by luck, this time as well?' The once unhesitant Brikala's gaze locked onto Isaac's longsword. Its focus was on when, at any moment, what was sheathed would be drawn. Bluffing. A life-or-death gamble just like in a card game. The longsword? The instant it's drawn, it will be swept by electricity and its edge dulled, becoming a blade that can't cut through anything. But the creature doesn't know whether the longsword by his waist is the same one as before. 'An idea can trap you. Knowledge builds fear.' Having once felt the possibility on its own skin, alarm stirs within as fury is awakened. Conversely, though Brikala couldn't easily approach Isaac... It was only a matter of time. "Raaaargh!" When Brikala's fist pummeled the ground, electricity climbed up a barrier and engulfed Isaac. Electricity poured down like waves. He tried blocking with the broadsword tossed to the side but to little avail. Ultimately, the electricity overwhelmed Isaac. "Ughhhhh!" His entire body felt like it was about to explode. Just moments ago, he felt frozen as if his body would turn to ice, but now it was the opposite—his skin seared, smoke rising with the stench of burning. "Roarrrr!" Judging that Isaac was finally down, the booming footsteps drew closer. Whack! With the back of its hand, Brikala struck Isaac with all its might. "Isaac!" Sharen's scream pierced through the air. Thanks to that, the unconscious Jonathan regained his senses, but it was already too late. Isaac's body was launched, sent tumbling outside the barrier, descending vertically. The shock felt as if his once-frozen body was being crushed; even the wind brushing past was painful. So, this is how I die. "Someone—! He's falling—!" "Caught him—!" "I-I-Isaac!" Disconnected voices sounding like tinnitus clung to Isaac's fleeting consciousness. Through a misty fog in his vision appeared the tall, high barrier. 'Ah.' Without realizing, Isaac had reached the ground's surface somehow. Yet there was no impact. He expected instant death, but instead... "Trying something, huh!" The reason soon became apparent. Warm, enveloping green mana. The pain hammering his entire body began to fade, vanishing as if sinking into his skin. His fingers twitched, restoring his blurred vision once more. The infirmary mage, Vivian. "If I hadn't caught you with magic, you would've died without this treatment!" He shouted while coughing, having used healing magic. "He said run, then—! Cough, cough! Why are you fighting over there—! Ehrgh! Cough!" He turned to spit to the side. Healing magic is said to take a toll; seeing his haggard face, it seemed he exhausted most of his mana. "Ah." Slowly, Isaac lifted himself. Not back to full strength, but ready enough to fight again. "Isaac, are you alright?!" The soldiers behind the barrier, Marideans, asked worriedly surrounding him. "Damage, status?" Isaac asked as he brushed off the ice crystals sticking to him, and the response came instantly. "Aside from the initial surprise attack, none. Thanks to your quick judgment and order to retreat." It seemed they wanted to reassure him that his decision was right. However, Isaac brushed aside the shoulders of the soldiers blocking his path and trudged back toward the barrier. "It's not over yet." Above, Sharen and Jonathan were still battling Brikala. Taking heavy steps forward. More soldiers frantically blocked his path. "You can't!" "If you go now, it's suicide!" "Let us go instead! Lord Isaac, please rest here!" "Guarding the Malidean Barrier is our mission from the start!" Facing those volunteering to go, Isaac asked with bloodshot eyes, "Going up there? Are we all going to freeze to death together?" "......" "You are the guards of the Malidean Barrier. That's why I'm telling you to stay here." If necessary. "If we fall, you're the ones who must hold the line next." The longer Brikala stayed at the barrier, the more its damage would accumulate. If they couldn't kill it, they had to fight from above for as long a time as possible, wearing it down. "Because you are behind us, we can fight with everything on the line." The soldiers, rendered speechless, couldn't stop Isaac from advancing. But a rather unexpected man blocked his path. "What happened to all the other swords?" "Antonio..." He snatched the longsword from Isaac's grip as if seizing it and then examined it. Snap! The blade was entirely ruined, charred black and unusable. It seemed it got damaged when Isaac was struck by electricity. "The sword..." Isaac extended his hand, demanding the silver longsword Antonio held. "This wasn't how I intended to give it to you." But there was no time for that now. Antonio hesitantly handed over the silver weapon, eventually forcing a smile as he did. "Thank me... when you return. Directly to the young lady." Isaac's eyes widened slightly. The sword in his hand was astonishingly light, harboring a mysteriously clear and serene energy. He immediately recognized it as a blade forged from Frostsilver. As he walked back inside with a small nod, understanding why his body felt aflamed, he noticed Vivian had applied a final warming spell on him to stave off the chill. He marched towards the barrier. Soldiers, clearing the path, slowly raised their hands in respect. Without uttering a single word, they saluted the warrior advancing to fight. * * * [An enlightenment?] Climbing the stairs of the barrier, the chilly sensation freezing his brain returned. In the midst of this, the endearing voice of his Great Master echoed in Isaac's ears. [When did you gain enlightenment? Ha, I thought many students had been slow in their growth lately, and here you are asking me something so trivial.] The Great Master, tipping back a glass, questioned again with a wistful gaze. [When do you think?] ‘......’ [Hmm? Answer. I won't laugh.] ‘When fighting for my life? When wielding a sword with all my might, concentrating solely on survival?’ [That's a romantic notion!] Well, isn't that the kind of scenario anyone might imagine? The moment of shedding one's skin and reaching enlightenment would surely be during a dire crisis—a perilous cliff behind, facing the abyss. [Conversely, let me ask.] The Great Master, lamenting over the empty bottle, adjusted her posture and smiled at Isaac. [Then why do people die?] ‘......’ [During a critical moment? A life-threatening ordeal? Those come to everyone. It's a common scenario. Do you think every time brings enlightenment?] His steps felt heavy. [Everyone dies. Don't weigh death too much. Enlightenment is revered because it comes from the uncommon, not the ordinary.] The end of the stairs neared, the wind pressing down like a hammer as it blew. Arriving atop the wall, where everything was frozen over with frost and icicles, Isaac stood. [Hahaha! How is it? Do you understand now?] ‘What are you saying?’ The high-altitude wind sliced through him. White frost-like breath escaped his lips as he gazed upon Jonathan and Sharen, both lying fallen. [Still haven't figured it out? Enlightenment isn't universal, which is why it's treasured. Think of it the other way around.] Brikala, pounding its chest with its four hands, came to a halt. It rumbled in a fiery rage, spewing breath in Isaac's direction, glad to see him back, yet weary. [Wouldn't enlightenment come from situations not easily experienced by all, rather than something universal like death?] Pockets of snow were scattered, electricity piercing through like spears. The condensed mana took on an electrical form, and seeing so much remaining was astonishing. ‘What is it?’ Isaac readied his stance. His right leg boldly forward, his left leg stabilizing him like a pillar. His hand rose above the sword at his hip, instinctively assuming the stance he always had. [What, you ask?] A crescent moon smile from the Great Master. [Surely you know from writing handbook texts.] [Who wielded the sword when the moon was brightest?] ‘......’ [Who wielded the sword under the stars' watch at dawn?] [Who, after the moon retreated, watched the sunrise while drenched in sweat?] [Who shouted their kiai before the rooster's crow?] [Who repeated this daily?] [Such times are rare, aren't they? Those who spend these moments are few.] Boom! The Great Master's sheath clicking against the floor echoed with Brikala's steps. Coming to his senses, Isaac's gaze caught Brikala's wary form maintaining a distance ahead. [Such a person.] ‘......’ [The one who you call bestowed with enlightenment.] Buzz! Crackle! Brikala's electricity poured forth. Intending to suppress Isaac's sword, it unleashed the electrical wave as before. And just then, smoothly, his sword unsheathed. Here, in the north. He wielded the sword when the moon was brightest. He held it when stars watched over the early dawn. He observed the sunrise after the moon retreated, soaked in sweat. He shouted louder than the rooster's crow. And. He repeated this every day. "As the blade is drawn—" He reached beyond the end. It was called Daigeo-hae (大居合) — the great Iaido. A silver line was drawn. The blade extended and extended further, reaching an unknown destination. Severing the neck of the beast was merely a step within the journey of forward motion. [Doesn't it sound rather insignificant when you simply call it enlightenment?] [Therefore, if one must give it a name...] [It is transcendence.]