Chapter 146: A Lovers’ Quarrel (1)

The spreading heat and fierce killing intent. Rianna’s Crimson Essence was tainted with a turbid, dark light, as if contaminated.

It raged high into the sky like a roaring dragon, a Crimson Essence that seemed to cry out in sorrow.

“Run from me.”

If not for those words, the soldiers in front of her might have been frozen by the sudden turn of events, dying without doing a thing. Rianna’s moan-like utterance snapped the soldiers guarding the Royal Palace to their senses, sending them scrambling.

Screeeech!

A signal whistle shrieked through the air. The single sound amidst the peaceful daily routine drastically changed the situation.

An emergency had been declared. So, what were they to do now?

What could they do?

There was nothing left for them but to be swept away by the Greatsword of Helmont.

The Greatsword of Helmont, a weapon once called a Deterrent Force. As it was about to be swung towards the Royal Palace—

“Behind me—!”

At Rianna’s strained cry, the soldiers’ eyes snapped open. She was not aiming for them; she was trying to destroy the Royal Palace. Following Rianna’s precise assessment, the two trembling soldiers quickly ran towards her.

“Ye-yes!”

“Understood!”

The moment the two soldiers, who had been working as a team, passed Rianna and threw themselves aside, a tsunami of Crimson Essence shattered the main gate and crashed inside.

The two soldiers had failed to perform their duties, but anyone could see that staying there would have been a pointless death.

Thud!

Rianna’s greatsword, Ragnavel, hit the ground. The very act of dragging it as she moved forward was a stark departure from her usual self.

She stepped over the shattered main gate that had been pushed back and crushed. The Crimson Essence that had spread from her strike still flickered like flames, creating a scene that looked as if a path had been cleared for its master.

Each of Rianna’s steps as she walked upon it was filled with hesitation and resistance, but her body did not move as she wished, and she raised her greatsword again.

CRASH!

At that moment, a man fell from the sky. The princess’s royal guard, Heylard, had leaped from a window to block Rianna’s path.

That was not all. The Royal Guards of the palace, alerted by the urgent whistle, came pouring out.

Though Evergard could be called the rear, their actions were disciplined, swift, and without any wasted movements.

The mysterious beings known as the Transcendents were on the attack. It was not just the front lines that were prepared.

Rianna gripped her greatsword, her expression hardened.

“Don’t think of me as human.”

Contrary to the Crimson Essence, which roiled with hostility and anger, her voice was filled with worry and regret.

“Think of me as a Transcendent.”

Rianna was sincerely hoping.

“The target is Princess Adelina. Protect her well so she doesn’t catch my eye. The moment she does, I will head there with all my strength.”

Revealing her own objective, Rianna swung her greatsword.

“I’m begging you.”

Unlike the desperate sincerity in her voice, the sword she swung was fierce and violent.

“Kill me.”

The voice that flowed through the Crimson Essence echoed in the ears of the Royal Guards, but they had no time to ponder her situation or feel pity.

“Hold on!”

“Heads down behind your shields!”

“Don’t back down!”

Even if she was a Helmont, she was just one person. They did not deny her greatness, but did she possess the power to annihilate the Royal Guard on her own?

Heylard made that judgment and drew his sword.

The moment the Crimson Essence breaks, I’ll strike.

Theoretically, Heylard’s judgment was correct. The power of Crimson Essence was not infinite, and the strength of a Helmont was ultimately limited by stamina and mental fortitude.

Even a Helmont is human.

That was the underlying premise. Unfortunately, the one thing Heylard had missed was that Rianna could not control herself.

Heylard’s eyes glinted sharply, waiting for the moment the Crimson Essence would falter. But the Crimson Essence continued to pour out like a never-ending spring of crimson-black.

The waterfall-like flow showed no sign of stopping, and the thick shields began to be pushed back, the Royal Guards’ backs starting to bend.

“This can’t be…!”

Heylard’s bewilderment mingled with the groans that escaped the gritted teeth of the Royal Guards.

Heylard had crossed swords with Arandel Helmunt before, though it had been after Arandel had been dying from a chronic illness and had fought for days and nights against the Primitive Transcendents, risking his life.

The Heylard of today was feeling a fear similar to that of facing Arandel on that day.

The full-force onslaught, born from Rianna Helmunt’s growth and the sorcery of Subjugation, held nothing back.

A war deterrent force.

The meaning of that phrase was now crushing Heylard’s shoulders, and he shouted, trying to hide the trembling in his arms.

“Don’t give up! Don’t let them push you back!”

The Royal Guards, unable to respond to his urgent cry, were gradually pushed back or fell to their knees.

Thump.

Rianna approached with heavy footsteps. She looked at those who had failed to stop her, her eyes filled with tears of sorrow.

“I’m sorry…”

With a sorrowful moan, she swung her sword, and the Royal Guards’ formation finally collapsed.

Among them, Heylard gripped his sword tightly.

Vowing his pride as the princess’s royal guard and his mission, he threw himself at Rianna.

Unfortunately, the fate of those who flaunted their pride before the name Helmont was mostly the same.

“…!”

It was a feeling of being crushed by something of immense mass. It was supposed to be a greatsword, but it felt like being struck by a hammer the size of a human body.

His vision violently shifted. Realizing belatedly that he was rolling on the ground, Heylard could not speak, only groan as he lay on the floor.

“Kugh, ugh!”

Past the Royal Guards. Rianna stepped inside.

Watching from beyond the window, Clarisse bit her lip hard.

We don’t have enough knights to fight. Was it a mistake to have dispatched even the internal troops to help the chaotic North?

No, who could have stopped her even if they were here?

The only one who came to mind was Uldiran Caldias, but wasn’t he busy in the North right now?

First, my sister…!

Clarisse turned around in a hurry. The sight of the fallen Heylard caught her eye, but there was no time for that now. She had to evacuate her sister, the one in power, Princess Adeline, first.

Thud!

Instead, the door to Clarisse’s office opened, and Princess Adeline entered.

“Sister—!?”

She was about to ask why she was here, but Princess Adeline had assessed the situation with more cool-headedness than she expected.

“I have informed my secretary of the document organization, the current situation, the location of the secret vault, and other things that others should not know.”

“Sis-ter…?”

Princess Adeline placed a set of keys in Clarisse’s hand and continued to speak quickly.

“There’s no time to explain what each one is for. Clarisse, you’ll do well.”

“Wait a minute! Sister!”

What was she saying now? Clarisse called out urgently, but Princess Adeline’s resolve seemed firm.

“Clarisse, listen carefully. From now on, you are to—.”

“Your Highness!”

A man in a robe entered through the open door. It was a court magician, dispatched from the Magic Tower and staying at the Royal Palace.

“W-we have support coming from the Magic Tower! If-if Your Highness gives your permission, we can do it right now—!”

The magician then began to spew a rather complicated explanation about how something magical would happen and that he needed permission.

“W-wait! They’re coming from the Magic Tower? This quickly? Such good timing?”

“That, I also don’t know… Actually, teleportation magic is a high-level magic that requires a great deal of mana and takes quite a bit of time. It’s as if they knew this would happen and had it prepared—”

Princess Adeline cut off the magician’s long-winded explanation with a wave of her hand. Whatever it was, it was good. If they were coming to help, she would welcome even a demon in this situation.

“Permission granted.”

The moment Princess Adeline nodded, the magician immediately took his staff and ran to the window, leaning out. It was a rather ridiculous sight, but he waved his staff in the air as if receiving a revelation.

At that moment.

A blue star flew across the darkening sky. Like a shooting star granting a wish, it accepted the princess’s wish and fell to the earth.

KABOOOOM!

A long, heavy, and destructive noise erupted, and waves of mana rippled through the surroundings.

“…”

Rianna turned around as something fell at the entrance she had just come through. From within the billowing smoke, three figures emerged.

“Cough! Hack! Ugh! H-Helmunt is strong against motion sickness— Ugh!”

Sharen, who seemed to have had a rough trip, was dry-heaving on the side.

“Hmph, her aura is quite menacing.”

The Grandmaster, pushing her from behind in encouragement.

And stepping forward, having received the encouragement—

“Isaac…”

The moment she called his name was like a drop of water. It burst in an instant, but it quenched the thirst that had been burning her throat.

Looking at Rianna calling his name, Isaac took a deep breath and stepped forward.

“Now that I see you like this, there’s no awkwardness.”

“…”

“Is it because of the duels we had in the Narak Realm? There’s no trembling, no burden.”

The corners of Isaac’s lips tilted up slightly. The moment she saw it, Rianna’s eyes trembled greatly.

“That smile from back then…”

Under the influence of the Subjugation, which caused everything in her mind to pour out, Rianna also candidly expressed her thoughts on the smile.

Her heart pounded wildly at the smile he had shown when they were alone on the boat.

“Do you remember our duel record?”

To Isaac’s light, jesting question, Rianna nodded.

49 matches, 0 wins, 49 losses.

She thought she might win once, but she had never been able to overcome the wall of the Blood Rose.

Isaac slowly took his stance.

“Don’t come—!”

Unlike a duel, she could kill him. That’s why Rianna tried to stop him, as if frightened.

But Rianna’s body was already dragging her greatsword towards Isaac. It had clearly judged him as an obstacle.

“Isaac, right now—!”

“I didn’t come here to listen to that crap.”

“…!”

“So shut up and—.”

With an uncharacteristically rough tone.

“Draw your sword.”

He drew his sword.