Isaac didn't hear the referee.
His entire focus on trying to keep his mind clear of thoughts.
He was trying to not think of what he had lost.
But as time passed, the despair he was sinking in slowly turned into bubbling wrath.
'It's you, isn't it? The one who turned back time?'
He glared the screen.
[Ending 'Loser of the Sacred Duel' reached.]
[You have failed to reach the true ending.]
[Deaths: 02]
There was no response.
'I don't know why you doing this, or what is your goal. But I promise this to you.'
'I'm going to kill you.'
'I will rip out your arms, and crush your head.'
'I will take away everything you hold dear.'
'I will make sure the pain you feel will be much worse than mine.'
There was still no response.
If this person, the one who brought him here, and was forcing him to repeat his life, could hear him, they were confident.
Confident that even if Isaac wanted to harm them, he could do nothing.
'Just you wait.'
'I will find you, and I will give you the most painful death.'
He was clenching his fist so hard that the palm grabbing the sword began to tear.
Even so, his mind became clearer after he took the vow.
'I need to get stronger, and I need to identify my enemy.'
Getting stronger would need time, and resources.
Identifying the enemy though…
'It's possibly a God. Only a God can turn back time like this.'
Isaac stopped walking, and turned back to look at Merlin on the arena.
The protagonist was still in shock.
He couldn't believe he had lost.
'That guy is a God who reincarnated. He might have information about the person toying with time.'
"Come with me. We need to discuss the reward of the duel."
Merlin snapped out of the daze as soon as he heard those words. He nodded.
Isaac turned around and left.
The crowd split apart, paving a way for him.
Until the end, no one spoke a word. A chilling silence filled the arena, as everyone tried to understand how the greatest shame of the academy had defeated the greatest talent of the academy.
…
Merlin's POV
Isaac reached his dormitory room, followed by Merlin.
The shock in protagonist's gaze was slowly replaced by suspicion.
Even as the two entered the room, and sat in the sofas, the suspicion did not diminish. It only grew stronger.
'Isaac is acting unlike himself, and he became suddenly stronger.'
'Did someone possess Isaac's body?'
While Isaac ordered Hazel to bring tea, Merlin secretly used magic on Isaac to inspect his soul.
'What?'
Merlin was shocked by the result of his inspect.
'The soul is still same.'
'Does it mean nobody is possessing Isaac?'
That wouldn't explain how Isaac suddenly became stronger.
Isaac had yet to from a Magic Core, and awaken.
To be able to use magic, like he did in duel, without a Magic Core meant Isaac was once in a century prodigy.
If something like that was true, Isaac wouldn't have been the only Unawakened person in academy until now.
'If nobody is possessing Isaac, then…'
'Did he reincarnate?'
Merlin was a reincarnator. He knew reincarnators would gain the memories of their previous life before reaching adulthood.
If Isaac was like him, it would explain why Isaac suddenly became strong.
'I need to observe him more, and find out which God he is.'
'If he is someone dangerous, I will kill him.'
Isaac's disgusting actions until now meant there was a high chance he was a God with evil personality.
…
Isaac's POV
'How should I make this guy cough out information?'
The Merlin that Isaac knew was brash, arrogant, and narcissist.
His personality might be different now that this world was a real world, and not just a novel.
But if his personality was same, Merlin was not going to give anything to Isaac that Isaac wanted.
He had identified Isaac as enemy already, and a self-righteous person like him would not believe Isaac had changed for the good.
"So, what do you want for winning the Sacred Duel?"
Isaac did not answer Merlin, and just stared at him.
Minutes passed, and the Merlin began to feel awkward. Hazel soon brought tea. Merlin drank from his cup, but Isaac didn't touch his. He just stared at Merlin, and occasionally at the clock.
"Are you waiting for something?"
Isaac still didn't reply.
Five minutes had passed when the door opened with a bang.
A blond girl with purple eyes entered, followed by a knight.
"Isaac, do not think of harming—"
She flinched as soon as she met Isaac's gaze. Goosebumps rose over her skin, and she turned around, retching.
Her figure began to tremble, as if she was reminded of horrific memories.
"Zara!"
Merlin rushed towards the blonde girl, Zara. His hand shown in green light and he used magic on her to stabilize her condition.
"Why did you come here? Have you forgotten what the physiatrist said?"
"N-No, but he would've harmed you—"
While the protagonist and his 'girlfriend' conversed, the knight stepped forward.
"Greetings, Young Master Isaac. We are here on behalf of Duke Falcon."
"He sent you here to make sure I don't use the duel's reward to do anything too harmful to Merlin?"
"Yes."
Isaac nodded at the response. If this was his previous life, he would've been angered.
His fiancé's father was supporting and protecting the guy who tried to kill him. His fiancé retched as soon as she saw his face, as if he was some sort of monster. His own father had sent no one even though he knew today's duel might be the end of his son.
But now, he felt nothing.
Decades had passed since this incident for him, and Sylvie, his wife, had already made sure they were punished in his last life.
A small smile appeared on his face, recalling how angry Sylvie had been upon finding out why he left the human society and lived in elven forest.
Merlin, and the knight frowned, seeing his smile.
They believed he was enjoying Zara's pitiful state.
Isaac noticed their gazes, but said nothing. He stood up and turned to his desk.
"Hazel, clean the room."
While the fox-kin maid washed away the mess, he tore a paper from one of his empty notebooks.
Even though this world had magic, only a small percentage of people could wield it. That meant the production facilities were not boosted by magic, and the world was still in medieval era.
Paper was treated as precious commodity.
Isaac's actions of tearing a paper would be seen as waste of such precious commodity. Nobles would frown at his current actions, and call him a pig with pearls.
Even the knight was staring at Isaac with frown, his face saying the same.
But Isaac could not care less about what others thought.
He returned to the sofa, sat down with the paper and pen and began to write.
Just as Hazel was done cleaning, he gave the paper to her.
"Take a knight, and bring the person you will find at this address. If they refuse, drag them back with force."
Hazel's eyes widened, believing Isaac was going to do something horrific like he always did.
Isaac thought Merlin would speak up like the self-righteous protagonist he was.
But surprisingly, he stayed silent, staring at Isaac with eyes full of suspicion.
Hazel's gaze alternated between Merlin and Isaac, as if hoping Merlin would stop him.
But when Merlin did not say anything, she reluctantly left the room.
At the same time, Zara recovered enough that she could talk.
"Is— Isaac, father has given me the full authority to represent him. You cannot harm Merlin as long as I'm here."
Instead of responding, Isaac simply stared at her.
Merlin shielded her from Isaac's gaze.
After enough time passed without Isaac saying anything, Merlin turned around to talk to her.
He tried to send her away, knowing she was having trauma relapse in Isaac's presence, but she vehemently stayed in the room to protect Merlin.
Another hour passed before the door of the room opened.
"Stop dragging me! I haven't done anything wrong! Help!"
Hazel entered the room, pale. A young knight followed behind her, dragging an old woman.
Zara stiffened as soon as she saw the old woman. For a moment, her trembling stopped, as if she had seen something so dangerous that it overpowered her fear of Isaac.
"Let me go! I haven't done anyth—"
"Introduce yourself."
The old woman turned to glare at Isaac, the speaker, but she flinched as soon as she laid eyes upon him.
Even though photography did not exist in this world, Isaac was famous enough that everyone in the capital knew how he looked, and how dangerous it was to cross path with him.
"Introduce yourself."
"I— I am Mira Fedra, a potioneer from the back alleys."
"What kind of potions do you make?"
"Th-That…"
Merlin had a frown as he listened to the exchange.
He still had no idea why Isaac had dragged this woman here.
He secretly used his magic to inspect the woman.
His frown deepened upon getting feedback.
"She has Love Element. If she makes potions with that, then it would be Lust Potions."
Zara flinched upon hearing those words from Merlin.
But before she could say anything, the woman suddenly bashed her head on the ground, and knelt.
"I just did what I was told, sires! I had no idea she would use the potion for something like that! I'm innocent! Please, trust me!"
"…what is she saying?"
Merlin had a shocked look on his face.
He had noticed Zara's reaction already, and he could guess what was happening.
But the truth was so absurd he found it hard to accept.