I'm Not a Regressor
Two months had passed.
Bang!—
Heavy vibrations resonated.
A silver line sped across the desolate sanctuary like a flash of light.
"Kugh!"
Desperately chasing after that flash of light, Ohjin raised his spear.
‘Blue Lightning!'
Bzzzzzzzzzt!!—
The electrical attack swept forward in a cone shape.
However—
"Don't you know that it's meaningless?"
—A voice could be heard right behind him.
Riak, who had been charging at Ohjin, was suddenly standing behind him.
"Hmpf!"
There was no room for thought.
Ohjin stretched his right hand straight up and flicked his wrist.
Bang!—
His body shot upwards with the wire.
"Indeed. Running away is one thing you're good at."
Coldly ridiculing him, he looked up at Ohjin, who was riding up the ceiling.
"However."
Riak lowered his body,
"You cannot win fights by running away."
Bang!!—
Riak roughly stamped its feet.
"Damn it!" Ohjin's expression went pale.
He was currently in mid-air.
Like a rocket, Riak charged at Ohjin, who had his movement restricted.
"T-Time out!"
"Do you think such a thing exists in combat?" Riak smirked while raising his fist.
When it was about to swing its fist at Ohji,n who was sticking to the ceiling like a bug,
"—Well, of course, there isn't."
Smirk—
Riak could see Ohjin's lips twisting up.
"…What?" Riak's expression roughly distorted.
Chtutututu!!—
The wires stuck to the ceiling spread out like a net and tied Riak up.
"Lightning Charge!"
Crackleeee!—
The electrical attacks that flowed through the wires exploded in succession.
Riak's body flinched.
"Your moves are predictable."
However, that was it.
Even after taking on the destructive electrical attacks, Riak didn't stop moving.
Slash!—
Riak raised his hand and lightly cut the air.
An electrical fingernail followed the trajectory and shot at Ohjin.
"Hmpf!"
Avoiding it was impossible.
Ohjin took a short breath in and twisted his body.
He focused the stigma's mana into both of his legs.
Bang!—
His body that kicked off from the ceiling fell towards the ground at a rapid speed.
"Too slow."
Riak' stepped' on the blazing blue lighting that surrounded his body. He landed on the ground faster than Ohjin and raised his fist.
The eyes of the falling Ohjin and Riak met each other.
And then—
‘Now…!'
—maintaining the falling momentum, Ohjin readied his spear.
He was already familiar with the fact that there was an overwhelming difference in speed from the spars he had experienced through the past two months.
And since that was the case—
‘Thunder Fall!'
—he simply had to predict Riak's actions on the premise that he was ‘faster' than him.
Crackleeeee!!—
The strike that had become one step stronger than two months ago struck down on Riak.
A storm of blue lightning swept the surroundings with a loud noise.
‘This should be effective!' Ohjin's lips twisted up.
However…
"—Weak."
"Kugh?!"
Riak, who had soared up from the lightning, grabbed Ohjin by the neck.
Bending his back as if throwing a baseball, he soon roughly swung his arm.
Bang!!—
"Kugh!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!—
Ohjin's body bounced across the sanctuary floor like a skipping stone.
An intense pain shook his body.
"Ugh… damn it. I thought I got Riak good this time."
Ohjin—who was slammed on the ground—let out a sigh as he got back on his feet.
"Kyahaha! Damn, you bounce well. Are you a fucking bouncy ball?"
With the familiar sound of her laugh, Ha-eun made her appearance. She placed the pocket filled with ice on top of Ohjin's head.
"Is your head okay?"
"No. It fucking hurts."
"Come here; I'll fuu~ blow on it for you."
"Urgh."
"Ang?"
"Ah, my insides don't feel so good after rolling on the ground so much."
"This bastard."
Ha-eun lightly knuckled his head.
‘Ow.'
"How long did I last?" said Ohjin as he rubbed his stinging head.
Ha-eun held up the phone display she had in her grasp.
"52 seconds."
‘Damn. How can I fail to last a single minute even one time.'
"Tch."
Two months ago…
It was quite a rapid improvement if you thought about when he was destroyed three seconds into the spar, but he didn't expect that he wouldn't be able to last a single minute after two months when he was facing the same opponent.
‘Seriously, he's unbelievably strong.'
Glancing at Riak, he let out a deep sigh.
What was worse, it was like this when Riak wasn't using his full strength. He was being gentle according to the situation.
"Hehe! You dummy. How do you manage to get beat up every day?" Ha-eun sat down next to him and made fun of him.
Ohjin narrowed his eyes.
"…But why are you coming here every day?"
Ha-eun, who had come once or twice a week in the beginning, started to visit the sanctum like she was commuting to work.
She had even spent the night there a couple times.
"I came here to give our little Ohjin some food~"
Ha-eun hummed a tune and opened the lunch box she had prepared.
Rice balls that looked like cursed totems made to plead with the ancient devil to exterminate humanity filled the square lunch box.
‘Fuck. Why does she keep making it like that?'
"Here~ Quick, have a taste!"
"…"
Ohjin looked at her with pleading eyes, but it didn't work.
He ripped a bite off the rice ball Ha-eun handed over.
"Huh? What the…?"
‘Why is this tasty?'
"Huhu, how is it?"
"It's tasty."
Its appearance was horrendous, but the moderate salty and spiciness made it quite tasty.
"Hehe~ Right? It's tasty, right?" Ha-eun raised her nose up high while cackling.
Looking at her boasting, Ohjin's desire to tease her boiled up, but he held it in.
‘By the way, I wonder if the training is showing results.'
Ohjin took another bite off the rice ball and narrowed his eyes.
Through the past two months, his physical capabilities had increased; Blue Lighting and Thunder Fall had each risen by a level, but that was it.
Ohjin couldn't feel the explosive growth like he had before.
‘Is sparring not enough?'
He thought about the possibility that he needed more stimulation.
"Hmm."
Around the time he was contemplating…
"…"
With deeply sunken eyes, Riak was looking down at Ohjin eating rice balls.
Vega slowly flew to his side.
[Right. How do you feel now that you have sparred with him for two months?] asked Vega with a light smile and her arms crossed.
"…What is Lady Vega referring to?"
[Fufu. Couldn't he be said to truly possess natural talent?]
"…" Riak closed his lips tight.
Memories of the past two months went through his head.
It seemed that he wasn't self-aware, but Ohjin had distinctively grown during the past two months.
However…
"…I cannot acknowledge him." Riak shook his head in disappointment.
"The fact that he has exceptional talent in handling the stigma for a human is true, but that is all."
Riak didn't think that he was talented to the point of being the hope that could change the destiny of a world destined to end.
[Is that so?]
Vega gently stroked the back of Riak, who had changed back into his wolf form.
Riak turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.
[Do not be in a rush. You will gradually come to know.]
"…I do not know why Lady Vega evaluates that human so highly."
[Fufu. It is my intuition.]
Vega shrugged while looking back at Ohjin.
[That child— has the power to change destiny.]
Solidified trust was contained in her gaze.
"…"
Riak scratched the sanctuary's floor with the same sullen expression as ever.
Vega put on a light smile and tickled Riak's chin.
[Maybe you'll be able to discover a method to tear down your ‘wall' by staying next to that child.]
"That kind of thing…"
[Well… that does seem like a stretch, even to me. Anyways, do not think of it too negatively.]
Her gentle touch brushed past the bridge of Riak's nose.
"Grrrr."
Riak flapped his ears like he was happy.
* * *
* * *
When around ten more minutes had passed…
Step, step—
Riak walked towards Ohjin, who had just finished eating the rice balls.
"Human. Are you done with your break?"
"Hm? Ah, yeah, I'm done."
Ohjin chugged the water Ha-eun had brought and got up from the spot.
"…"
Riak looked at Ohjin with an expression that seemed like he was lost in thought.
"What?"
"No, it's nothing."
"Huh?"
Ohjin tilted his head and looked at him, but an answer didn't come.
Crunch!—
Riak turned back into his werewolf form once again.
"Then… Let's start the spar right away," Riak said while releasing his fierce pressure.
"Wait."
"Hm?"
"I have something I want to ask," Ohjin tapped the group with the tip of his spear and continued.
"Is there a method to do this like a ‘real fight' instead of sparring?"
"…What did you say?" Riak forced a chuckle out of absurdity.
He was expecting real fights when he couldn't even last a single minute.
"I know this request makes no sense as well," Ohjin laughed bitterly.
"Still, I want to try a spar as close to real fights as possible."
No matter how much he tried to focus, the feeling of real fights was completely different from spars. It was like he couldn't get rid of the thought ‘it's a spar anyways' inside the corner of his mind.
"Hmm," Riak let out a jeer and crossed his arms.
"There is a method."
"Oh, really?"
Ohjin's eye's sparkled.
And then…
[—That cannot be done,] said Vega in a hurried voice.
"Hm? Why?"
Ohjin looked at her with a questioning gaze.
"Isn't it possible? If Lady Vega uses the ‘Sacred Ground', that is," said Riak as he looked back at Vega.
[You are being impertinent.]
"The one who said that the human possesses the power to change destiny is you, Lady Vega."
[…] Vega slowly clenched her mouth and stared at Riak.
‘Huh?'
It was hard to follow the flow of the conversation.
It seemed like Riak had taken notice of Ohjin's expression as he started to provide supplementary information.
"It is possible for Lady Vega to twist the laws of physics inside the Sacred Ground."
"…Then that means."
"That's right. It means that Lady Vega will be able to ‘instantly revive' you, even if you die."
"What?"
Ohjin's mouth opened wide.
Even if she was a celestial, he couldn't believe that such an unimaginable thing was possible.
"Naturally, this is only possible because this is inside the sanctum and because you and I are Lady Vega's apostles."
"Hm."
If Vega could make a space where he would revive the instant he died as Riak had said,
‘I can spar like it's no different from real fights.'
Ohjin looked at Vega with eyes filled with expectation.
However…
[No.]
Vega firmly shook her head.
"Why?"
[Reviving you from death is possible, but it cannot remove the pain and shock from death itself.]
"…"
If it couldn't remove the pain and shock from death…
[There is a risk that your mind won't last and be destroyed.]
‘So it was something like that.'
He could understand why Vega had refused so firmly.
‘But…'
Ohjin clenched his fists and looked back at Riak.
Even though he had already chugged down the water Ha-eun gave him, he could still feel an unknown thirst.
"I'll leave it to you, Vega."
[But.]
"I'll try it out once and tell you when I think I won't be able to take it."
[Haa.]
A deep sigh flowed out of Vega's mouth.
[…This lady will interrupt the instant it looks dangerous.]
"Alright."
Ohjin smiled while nodding his head.
[It'll take some time to prepare.]
Vega mumbled an incomprehensible incantation with her eyes closed.
And once around one hour had passed,
Owooong!—
The entire sanctuary blazed up in radiant silver lights.
Some kind of mysterious sensation passed through his body.
‘Is this the sacred ground?'
Ohjin touched the sanctuary wall that had subtle lights trickling out of fascination.
"Are you ready to experience the real fight you wanted?"
"Alright."
With his spear grasped, Ohjin lowered his stance.
A cold, derisive smile was put on Riak's mouth.
"Well then… struggle to your heart's extent, human."
Rumbleeee!!—
With the entire sanctuary vibrating—
"…!!!"
—killing intent exploded out.
"Kugh! Kuk!"
He couldn't breathe properly.
His sight wavered, and strength left his legs.
Thump, thump—
His heart started to pound like crazy.
The fear of ‘death' rode through his spine and encroached on his mind.
"Hmpf."
Looking at Ohjin, who couldn't pull himself together the moment he emitted killing intent, Riak puffed out his nose like he had expected it all along.
However, it was momentary.
"…Hm?"
Riak's eyes narrowed.
"Haa, haa!"
Ohjin spat out breaths that had become rough.
Even standing still was difficult.
The frightening killing intent that crashed in like a tsunami burned the insides of his head white.
‘This is.'
Riak's true strength.
"Ha, haa!"
It was in a different realm from the spars he had so far.
‘This is for real.'
Riak was truly aiming to ‘kill' him.
"Haa, ha, ha!"
Cold sweat flowed.
Thump. Thump. Thump—
His heart rang out like hitting massive drums.
It was as hot as if steel rods heated up in fire were jammed inside his head.
‘I'm scared.'
A distant fear swooped him.
The sensation of blood drying up all over his body permeated him.
‘I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared.'
But why was it?
"Ha, haha, hahaha!"
An unbearable thrill…
A crazy ecstasy…
Heated up his body's senses.
"Ha."
Ohjin stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.
"Huh, why aren't you coming?"
He looked at Riak, who was standing still.
"Then—"
Grasping the spear.
He kicked off.
"—I'm going first."
Bang!—
A wire aimed at Riak shot out like a bullet.
