Paladin of the Dead God
chapter-155

**Boom!**

A sword strike of destructive momentum flew towards Yulihida, as if to overturn the entire plaza.

Amidst the horrific destruction that seemed more like demolition than an attack, Yulihida quietly sheathed her sword. Soon, tentacles brutally thrashed her.

The loud sound resonated.

Thud, thud, thud… The sound of stones and dust scattering and falling rang out like a torrential rain.

Breathing with difficulty, Isaac staggered with a refreshing sense of fatigue that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He also felt slightly hungry. Fierce scars remained on the eight-way torn plaza’s stone floor. He wondered if he had unconsciously released the tentacles, but it seemed like it was just a hallucination.

Eight Branches several times during training with Bashul, it had never reached this extent.

However, right in the middle of that destructive path, exactly avoiding the center, Yulihida stood unharmed.

She had not a single scratch on her, except for the dust on her back. Only occasionally, small pieces of rock hit her head and made her shiver slightly.

‘It seems like the stones have hit her more than my sword.’

Yulihida tossed her completely destroyed sword to the ground.

The duel had ended. Facing an unexpectedly fierce fight, everyone in the plaza fell silent. Realizing it was no place to interfere, the other fighters receded like the tide.

Even the knights murmured something among themselves, realizing that Isaac was not just a peculiar foreigner, before disappearing.

Yulihida trudged over to Isaac.

“You’re almost good enough to catch up to my disciples.”

A slight smile appeared on Yulihida’s lips.

At that moment, Isaac intuitively sensed Yulihida’s identity.

However, before he could fully comprehend it, fatigue overwhelmed him, and he closed his eyes as if to faint.

***

Isaac was dreaming.

It was not the usual nightmare he had, but a lucid dream where he was sorting out his thoughts by simply closing his eyes. Yet, he was so immersed that it blocked out all other sensations.

Within the dream, Isaac revisited every fight he had ever fought.

From the first moment he used tentacles to catch a rat, through various enemies, up to Yulihida.

He repeated the duel with Yulihida the most.

At that moment, Isaac definitely reached a certain state, glimpsed during fights with Al Duard and Bashul. He needed this time to review his battles and internalize them to understand what that state was.

At some point, Kalsen Miller appeared.

“You’re quite absorbed for someone meditating.”

“Haven’t you reached nirvana yet?”

“I’m too burdened with grudges to achieve it. I’m bored to death here. Try consuming something useful.”

Kalsen’s gaze then changed as he looked at Isaac with interest.

“You’ve improved… You’re useful now. But it seems you’re still refining yourself?”

Isaac responded by imagining his own avatar appearing before Kalsen Miller like a game character. It was strange to see himself from a third-person perspective, but it was objectively a good view.

Kalsen drew his sword with a smile. Despite being devoured and even losing his armor, he was fully armed.

Kalsen was known as the strongest Paladin within the Codex of Light Order.

What level would that be?

Isaac thought it would be difficult to win at the moment, but he focused more on gauging his own level.

As Isaac’s sword contacted Kalsen’s, he realized what Bashul and Yulihida had pointed out.

‘…I expected it, but it really looks vicious.’

His imagined self used all means and emitted a threatening aura that clung to him.

An inexperienced opponent might be intimidated by this presence alone.

However, Kalsen, unphased, cleaved through Isaac’s avatar’s neck and torso. But Isaac started integrating new teachings into his moves.

Regrettably for Bashul, Isaac felt no need to correct his flaw—excessive murderous intent.

‘Instead of trying to remove weaknesses, strive to enhance your strengths.’

Yulihida had helped Isaac understand this by blocking and adjusting his sword path during their duel.

This wasn’t just about one sparring session.

Isaac’s skills had already reached a precarious peak, and Yulihida had just broken the dam.

Isaac decided not to abandon his way.

His essence as the embodiment of Nameless Chaos wasn’t about restraint but about overwhelming murderous intent and Predation.

He was different from others who had to restrain their powers for various reasons.

Isaac had no reason to forsake his ferocity.

His task was simple: to control the beast within.

He knew this inner beast could become stronger than anything else, provided it didn’t consume him first.

Isaac wanted a war dog that could explode with power on command, not a mere beast.

As he placed a leash of order on his chaos, all his learned movements started to transform.

His fighting style evolved with each move, incorporating techniques learned from Gabel and others, even his breathing and heart rate began to adapt.

Isaac’s swordplay gradually changed, and Kalsen’s movements became more erratic.

“This is……”

Suddenly, Isaac’s sword emitted a dark smoke.

Darkness surged to engulf Kalsen, while a brilliant halo appeared above him, a beacon of the guardians.

The clear light, a symbol of order, clashed with the twisted sword.

Moments later, the darkness dispersed.

Kalsen’s sword was embedded in Isaac’s heart, while Isaac’s sword had nearly severed Kalsen’s neck.

Isaac’s form faded as his sword disappeared, and Kalsen’s wounds vanished without a trace. Though Kalsen seemed displeased with his injuries, he also appeared somewhat proud.

“This level of ability should prevent any untimely death.”

This was perhaps the most gracious compliment from someone who had consumed him. However, Isaac didn’t consider this a victory or an even match.

It was all his imagination. In reality, he fought with an ideal body and skills in optimal conditions. Real combat would never be like that, and he couldn’t be certain of Kalsen’s true capabilities.

Nevertheless, his skills had certainly progressed to the next level.

As realization dawned, Isaac’s consciousness began to surface. There was no longer a need to focus his mind. As his vision faded, Kalsen spoke to him.

His lonely smile seemed somewhat melancholic.

“…don’t trust the Sword of May too much.”

***

Isaac opened his eyes. Instead of the unfamiliar ceiling, he saw Hesabel hanging there.

She immediately jumped down upon his awakening.

“You’re finally awake, Lord Isaac! I thought you had died from sleeping so deeply!”

“Oh, is that so? It seems the cargo has been unloaded?”

Isaac had initially not planned to bring Hesabel along.

The Kingdom of Elil and the Kingdom of Walraika were historically connected, and their relationship was so bad that they had to kill each other upon meeting.

Although Hesabel had renounced her faith and was now one of his followers, it was doubtful whether the followers of Elil would accept her. However, Isaac had decided to bring her because he needed someone familiar with the rituals of the Red Chalice Club when he returned the Rite Of Division.

After all, the Rite Of Division was directly used by the dancer, and no one knew these rituals better than Hesabel.

But as someone from the deep inland, Hesabel feared sailing itself and suffered greatly from seasickness. After much deliberation, the solution was to knock her out and pack her in a coffin with packing materials.

‘Maybe the legend that vampires cannot cross the sea stemmed from this.’

“I didn’t expect you to worry about me so much.”

“I bet all my assets, including my life, on your victory, Lord Isaac. If you died, everything would have gone to hell. Please be more careful with your life, thinking of it as mine.”

‘Judging by the way she talks, she would’ve been penniless somewhere if it weren’t for me.’

While pondering the grim future of the Duck of Gullmar, Isaac casually brushed Hesabel aside and stood up.

Beside him, as if it were the most natural thing, Yulihida was lying down, eating the french fries she had yesterday.

“Did you like that dish?”

“There is still some worth in preserving this world.”

Was that so? When he had them yesterday, they seemed like just ordinary fries.

Isaac reached to try one but recoiled as Yulihida smacked his hand away. She seemed to have noticed a change in his aura and scrutinized him.

“It seems you’ve finally broken through the wall.”

“Thank you for your help.”

Isaac was well aware that Yulihida had assisted him. It was a wall he should have broken through by himself, but her duel had shone a light as bright as a beacon.

“Don’t be arrogant. In the past, all my students would at least reach that level as a matter of course. But these days, they are utterly lacking. Either they appoint completely inadequate people as Paladins or they keep cats in monasteries…”

Yulihida grumbled to herself. Isaac still didn’t understand what was wrong with cats, but her words gave him a clear hint of her identity.

“If they were to receive the teachings of the Sword of May directly, perhaps they could also gain enlightenment. It’s a great honor just to have you descend upon us.”

Crunch. The sound of the french fries breaking was crisply audible. Hesabel jumped to the ceiling like a cat hit by water when she heard ‘Sword of May.’

The sound of her head hitting the ceiling rang out loudly.

Yulihida looked at Isaac emotionlessly.

“Not really?”

“…Is it not?”

“No.”

Sword of May.

The teacher of all Paladins, the first Paladin. Saint Arte’s real name is Yulihida Arte.

Although he had recalled this setup belatedly, Isaac sincerely wished she had tried harder to hide her identity if that was her intention.

‘Maybe she didn’t really want to hide it?’

Isaac held back his words as they reached the brink of his throat.

“Still, you were as impressive as one would expect from the originator of all Paladin sword techniques.”

Clearly, Yulihida did not want to reveal that she was the Sword of May. Why an angel would conceal her identity and yet help him, a heretic and a follower of the Nephilim, refine his sword was beyond him. However, Isaac gratefully acknowledged her help while keeping his guard up.

The words Kalsen had spoken before he awoke echoed in his ears.

‘Don’t trust the Sword of May too much.’