The Perfect Plan (2)
“Arrest them all.”
Yulis’s voice dropped like a blade of ice. He could not hide the fury and bitter disappointment twisting inside him. For one fleeting moment he had dared to hope his daughter might be saved, only for that hope to curdle into despair. And naturally, that rage found its target in Isaac.
It was the only reasonable reaction. Some nameless hero had appeared out of nowhere, spouting absolute nonsense. Who in their right mind would believe him?
Isaac, however, had expected exactly this. That was why, before the fighting began, he had moved Zeek behind him. He looked at her now, voice low and urgent.
“Do not get involved in the fight. No matter what.”
“But Master, I want to help you!”
“Watching over me is how you help me.”
He had said it purely for her safety. If the protagonist were to be gravely wounded or killed, the original story’s progression would become an exhausting nightmare. Yet Zeek took his words in an entirely different light.
Watch this battle closely. There will be something for you to gain.
Isaac had originally tried to send her to the temple for safety, but Zeek had refused to budge. In the end, unable to overcome her stubbornness, he had brought her with him all the way up to the castle walls.
After repeating his warning, Isaac rose once more and turned to face the enemy.
Holy knights. Warriors sworn to the Pope State, guardians of the world’s laws and natural order. Though they were the lowest rank among that nation’s knights, their skill was more than worthy of being called elite. Two hundred men stood before him, each talented enough to serve in any kingdom’s royal guard. Against such a force, Isaac’s odds of victory were nearly zero.
Yet he did not care.
He was the man who had proudly declared he would slay Behemoth. Fear of mere holy knights was beneath him.
The holy knights charged like lightning, almost in perfect unison. In that brief moment they had already formed ranks, and their coordinated assault felt like a living swamp—predicting every move, closing every gap, an attack that never ceased and simply swallowed its prey whole.
Even Isaac could not block every simultaneous strike coming from all directions, especially the relentless follow-ups. And he did it without ever drawing his sword.
Zeek cried out in horror.
“Why aren’t you using your sword?!”
Even if he could only perform iaijutsu, he should at least rest his hand on the hilt. But Isaac did not even do that. He met them with nothing but his bare fists.
For an instant Zeek forgot how to breathe. A holy knight’s blade was already falling mercilessly toward Isaac’s head as he somehow continued to dodge the rest.
He’s really going to die—
Crack!
The impossible outcome left everyone present stunned into silence. The metal sword that had swung down at Isaac’s skull had shattered like glass.
These were elite holy knights wielding perfectly maintained weapons. Yet Isaac stood without a single scratch.
What is this? Did Isaac always have an ability like this?
Even Isaac, who knew the original story and every setting by heart, was momentarily confused. He was certain he should not possess such power. But the bewilderment lasted only a second before he shrugged it off.
Good is good.
He no longer hesitated. Instead of dodging the countless weapons flying toward him, he met every strike head-on. Flesh-and-bone fists against tempered steel. Shockingly, it was the metal that failed to endure and broke apart.
Still, the holy knights were elite. The instant they realized their blades were useless, they chose to retreat and regroup.
Half of them are already down after a single exchange.
Yulis calmly assessed Isaac’s combat strength. Setting aside that unbreakable body, the monstrous power and speed were the real problems. No shield or armor could withstand those fists, and the man’s movements were as swift as Zeus’s lightning—impossible to follow.
So he truly possessed the skill to make such bold claims.
Yulis made his decision.
“Forgive my rudeness. I failed to recognize a great man when I saw one.”
“It doesn’t matter. Being unrecognized doesn’t diminish my worth.”
“You really are different from every so-called hero I’ve ever met.”
Every hero Yulis had encountered had been a monster obsessed with wealth and glory—filth that would slaughter the innocent without hesitation if it served their goals. But this man was different. Before caring about money or fame, he was genuinely trying to save people. He might still be naïve about the ways of the world, but… perhaps that was for the best.
If he died here, he would finally be free of the endless days of suffering. What came after that was no longer Yulis’s concern.
I’ve done all I can. So… maybe it’s all right to rest now.
“I have one request.”
“What is it?”
“Please use your sword.”
“C-Commander!”
The holy knights cried out in panic, trying to stop him. The man was already a monster without a weapon. If he drew one on top of that— Just imagining it sent chills down their spines.
Yet Yulis remained unmoved. He simply gazed at Isaac with tranquil eyes. The look of a man who had already accepted death was almost transcendent.
Isaac answered.
“I refuse.”
“I am still the commander of the Holy Knights. Am I not even worth drawing your blade for?”
“That’s not the issue.”
Perhaps he truly wasn’t worth the effort. Yulis tried to persuade him, but Isaac only shook his head. This was not a question of whether his opponent deserved the sword.
“It seems you have your reasons.”
“……”
“Very well. If you insist, I will not press the matter.”
Yulis drew the sword at his waist. Isaac remained silent.
Yulis Fragah—Lord of Salen and commander of the Holy Knights, hailed as the strongest leader in history. Though he commanded the lowest-ranked holy knights, his personal strength was said to rival even the highest order of white knights.
The sword, filled with every ounce of his power, slashed down like a thunderbolt.
“Let us see whether you can endure without ever drawing your weapon.”
* * *
“Looks like most of them have evacuated.”
Kain muttered between rough breaths. The plan—using bombs to sow panic, then raising signal fires to guide people to the temple—had gone surprisingly smoothly. Confirming eight hundred evacuees had been the hardest part, but Yuliana had stepped forward and handled it beautifully. The citizens had fallen into orderly lines the moment she appeared, and the chaos had melted away.
Kain clicked his tongue. She truly was a woman worthy of her position, not just in title but in capability.
But does someone like me really deserve to stand beside her?
“Having useless thoughts again?”
“W-what? Where did that come from?”
“You had that dreamy look in your eyes.”
“I did not!”
“It was a lie!”
She stuck her tongue out with a playful “bleh.” If feeling affection instead of irritation at that gesture meant he was sick, then so be it. He was still lost in the unfamiliar emotions when she spoke again.
“Evacuation is complete, so let’s head back to the castle.”
“What? You want to go back there? Have you lost your mind?!”
It was only natural for Kain to explode. She was talking about walking back into the lion’s jaws of her own free will. But Yuliana shook her head.
“I can’t keep turning away forever.”
“……”
“So at the very least, I want to see it with my own eyes.”
“…Yeah. That’s exactly the kind of person you are.”
She never ignored problems that concerned her. She had to solve them herself before she could feel at peace. Maybe that was why he had fallen for her.
Kain clicked his tongue again.
“We need to hurry. I don’t know how long Isaac can hold out.”
“Is it really that dangerous? Isaac-nim seemed quite strong…”
“He might be able to stall the holy knights somehow. But your father is on an entirely different level.”
Kain had already sensed that Isaac was no ordinary man. No matter how elite the holy knights were, they could not handle someone like him—even with superior numbers.
The real problem was Yulis.
“The Pope State’s greatest fighting force is the white knights. And your father possesses strength equal to those seven white knights.”
“How strong are they?”
“Strong enough to face an average army single-handedly.”
“I see! Thank you!”
“Why do you look happy about that…”
He understood the relief, but did she truly grasp that they would have to overcome such a monstrous mountain? Kain swallowed the rest of his words and quickened his pace.
The outcome should have been obvious. A direct clash meant certain defeat. But if Isaac was still holding the line and Kain joined him, perhaps they could find an opening and force a retreat.
Boom!
Kwaaaang!!
What greeted them upon returning to the castle was the violent tremor of the earth and the sight of the walls collapsing. At the center of the destruction, two figures collided with bone-jarring force.
No—it was not a simple clash.
Yulis was fighting purely on the defensive, while Isaac was pressing him with full power, driving the commander back.
The sight was so far beyond imagination that Kain could not speak. The same was true for everyone else present.
Overwhelming.
An unknown hero was completely dominating a warrior on the level of a white knight.