The Regressors are Trying to Kill Me

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 61

“You dare to oppose this light?”

Baekya raised his left hand with an exaggerated gesture.

From his fingertips, the white light of Law of Light rose like bubbles, scorching the surrounding space.

“As much as I want in my dream.”

The Ghost Swordsman answered in a low voice and took a step closer.

Thump.

That single step contained the power to shake the entire dream world.

【Dream Domain】

Fwaaaaaaat—!

The surrounding trees, fireflies, the entire dew-laden night forest became the Ghost Swordsman's weapons, flying towards Baekya.

Leaves became blades, roots became whips, and fireflies became Ghost Flame orbs.

It was a fatal attack, trying to fill the entire space above, below, left, right, front, and back in a spherical shape.

It was also a fatal blow that could not be avoided or blocked.

Baekya had no intention of avoiding it from the beginning.

Because the sun does not move around and fight.

“It feels like morning is coming soon, how long are you going to sleep?”

【Fire Domain】

Fwaaaaaaat—!

The vest made from the Winter Vanguard's Standard was ablaze with crimson radiance.

A sphere of rose-colored heat and white flames was created around Baekya.

The domain of fire spread like ripples on the surface of water.

It was as if an untimely sun was rising in the night forest.

Clang!

The Dream Domain and the Fire Domain collided from all directions.

The leaf blades falling from above, the branch spears rushing from the side, the root thorns rising from the ground, and even the Ghost Flame orbs circling around all burned up.

The Ghost Swordsman's face was hidden by a fedora and a mask full of leather and studs.

But anyone could tell that the Ghost Swordsman's eyes were shaking.

The Ghost Swordsman clenched his teeth, and the dark green forest tightened once more.

Creak!

The huge trees roared like carnivorous demons and raised their thick branches.

Baekya poured mana into the 'World-Reflecting Mirror' in the inner pocket of his vest.

He muttered a small incantation, concretizing the image.

“This works too.”

And then he made it a reality.

【World-Reflecting Mirror】

Fwaaaaaat!

The flames reflected in the mirror burned twice as bright.

The crimson sphere surrounding Baekya instantly increased its presence.

It was 'replication', the original function of the World-Reflecting Mirror.

The fire spread to devour the forest, and the forest swept over to crush the fire.

Clang!

Trees tens and hundreds of meters tall became black spears, trying to pierce through the Fire Domain, and Baekya's sphere breathed out fire, burning up the fireflies.

And so, in the burning night forest.

“You couldn't kill me then, could you? The moment you failed, you lost.”

“You didn't recognize us then. The moment you failed, you lost.”

The Pyromancer and the Ghost Swordsman clashed head-on.

Whoosh!

Flames trailed behind Baekya.

Swoosh!

Ghost Flame orbs chased after the Ghost Swordsman.

Baekya raised his '22nd Century Katana' high.

First, the mana circuit engraved on the blade, then the entire blade, heated up like molten steel in a furnace.

Hum!

The heat that started from the base of the long sword ran towards the tip.

Hum! Hum! Hum!

"Leave this country, and never return!"

【Solar Sword Radiance】

Shwaaaaa—! Shwaaaaa—! Shwaaaaa—! Shwaaaaa—! Shwaaaaa—!

Dozens of streaks of red sword light erupted from the long sword.

Each streak had the power to shoot to the far end of the horizon, burning and cutting everything in between.

Steel-like black trees were cut down, and ghosts were torn apart.

The Ghost Swordsman, without a moment of panic, raised his long sword, which was emitting a green ghostly energy, and swung it down.

The trajectory of the sword formed a green crescent moon, and the Solar Sword Radiance, which had been cutting in a straight line, was deflected.

Once its trajectory was skewed, the Solar Sword Radiance collided with other streaks of sword light, distorting the entire technique.

Baekya's face was also distorted.

The Ghost Swordsman lightly spun his long sword and said—

"That's a technique suited for a sword. It's not a technique that can be used with a long sword in the first place. Even if you push through with overwhelming mana and overwhelming experience..."

Whirr, Whirr, Whirr!

Fireflies gathered every time the long sword spun.

The fireflies emitted increasingly strong light, transforming into evil spirits.

"You don't know how you should fight."

He shot out the sword, along with the fully gathered evil spirits.

【Hundred Ghosts Night Parade】

Ah, hahahaha—!

The green ghostly energy blazed chillingly, and the firefly ghosts, their mouths wide open, flew towards Baekya.

The trajectory, tightening in a spiral, was so bizarre that it seemed impossible to block even if you saw it.

"But I know that I don't know."

"...!"

That's why Baekya closed his eyes.

【Solar Sword Radiance: Sunset】

【The last rays of sunset illuminate all】

Baekya's long sword drew a large circle in front of him.

Saaaaaaak!

It was a circle made of countless straight lines connected together.

It was like scattering tens of thousands of heated needles in all directions.

The ghosts that were swarming in a spiral were sucked into the circle drawn by Baekya.

Kwa Kwa Kwa Kwa!

The Hundred Ghosts Night Parade and Solar Sword Radiance were mutually annihilated.

Baekya, opening his eyes, smiled leisurely.

Brushing his long sword aside, he said—

"I've wandered through dozens of worlds and lived for thousands of years. You think I wouldn't know what you know?"

The Ghost Swordsman clicked his tongue and nodded.

"Your control has definitely improved."

He tried to appear calm, but he couldn't hide his bewilderment.

"I don't think you showed me any swordsmanship the last time I saw you. Did another member teach you?"

Baekya asked, seemingly genuinely puzzled.

"I've never let any of the Black Star Cluster bastards who entered this country live."

The Ghost Swordsman lowered his body.

"...You talk too much."

Baekya lifted his chin.

"And you have no right to speak."

The Ghost Swordsman prepared another big technique.

Green ghostly energy overflowed from the long sword.

Baekya noticed that he was about to dash forward by looking at the Ghost Swordsman's ankles, knees, and shoulders.

'He's going to fire a big one and then dash at me.'

Close-quarters brawls weren't his style.

Why would he roll around on the ground with him when he could win just by setting fires from afar?

But he had never really lost in a brawl either.

The Ghost Swordsman swung the long sword he was holding with both hands as if thrusting it forward.

【Lion's Soul-Seeking Sword】

■■■■■—!

A green ghostly energy, as if roughly painted with a brush, shot out with a strange scream.

【Solar Sword Radiance: Dawn】

Fwaaaaaaat!

Baekya also countered with a similar technique.

If Solar Sword Radiance illuminates all directions and Sunset captures it in a single point, Dawn illuminated only one spot.

The two powers clashed, unleashing a light like the beginning of the universe.

Crack!

Both dashed forward towards the explosion.

It was a speed just a little slower than the forest and fire they had unleashed.

"Hong Baekya!"

"Ghost Swordsman!"

The engagement distance, which had been over a hundred meters, instantly closed to the point where their elbows could touch each other.

With the spectacle of green sword energy and crimson sword light exploding like fireworks as a backdrop, the two clashed.

Crack!

The reflexes of high-ranking Hunters were beyond imagination.

They constantly experienced the sensation of time slowing down during battle, living and breathing in tenths and hundredths of a second.

The Ghost Swordsman threw a left-handed punch.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A whitish shock wave was running like a heartbeat through the ridiculously thick gauntlet.

Baekya extended his left fist as well.

He wasn't wearing a gauntlet, but he was wearing the 'Aesthetics of Distortion' ring.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A hemispherical force field that distorted space was created at the tip of Baekya's hand.

Swish!

The Ghost Swordsman's left fist drifted away like a rubber boat swept away by a wave.

Whirl!

Baekya switched his grip on the '22nd Century Katana' to a reverse grip and swung it upwards.

Swish!

The sharp blade dug into the Ghost Swordsman's left armpit.

It was a situation where he couldn't avoid it, as his left arm, which had created the distortion force field, was being pulled and bounced back.

The Ghost Swordsman also switched his grip on the long sword in his right hand to a reverse grip, aiming for Baekya's neck.

Whoosh!

The determination to give up his arm and take his neck was evident in that strike.

Baekya, who was aiming for the armpit, had no choice but to twist his long sword and hold it up in the air.

Screech!

Both long swords, held in reverse grips, clashed in mid-air.

Their tightly gripped fists crossed, and their forearms trembled.

The Ghost Swordsman tried to swing his gauntlet and strike Baekya's head.

Baekya was a step faster.

Swish!

"...!"

He was holding the "Eternal Cold Steel Dagger” in his empty left hand.

Reaching his left hand behind the long sword he had thrust out, he tried to rip into the Ghost Swordsman's side.

Thud!

The sharp blade pierced through the coat and the bondage-style outfit made of leather and steel rings.

Sizzle!

The dagger, empowered by 'Radiant Sword,' heated up and sizzled the flesh.

"Kghhhh!"

The Ghost Swordsman's body trembled.

Fireflies gathered, and tree roots tried to spring up from the ground.

Baekya, without hesitation, poured more mana into the ring.

Thump!

The distortion force field was activated.

The Ghost Swordsman, caught in the indescribable direction of the force, swayed and was thrown backward.

This time, Baekya had clearly seized the initiative.

'He's been in the country for months. I have to kill him. I can't let the Black Star Cluster interfere while I'm gone and our country's high-rankers are in disarray!'

Thwack!

He dashed forward like the wind, wielding two weapons at once.

Clang!

The Ghost Swordsman, startled, swung his long sword to block.

The long swords clashed, and fierce sparks flew.

Baekya thrust the Eternal Cold Steel Dagger and activated the distortion force field simultaneously.

The Ghost Swordsman tried to block with his gauntlet, but...

Hum! Hum! Hum!

The distortion force field, true to its name, distorted even the trajectory of the Eternal Cold Steel Dagger.

The attack, which should have been blocked, pushed the gauntlet away and dug into his side.

Thud!

The smell of burning flesh rose once more.

"Gah!"

The Ghost Swordsman faltered, and his long sword wavered.

Baekya was a Hunter who wouldn't miss that moment.

It was martial arts honed for 15 years on Earth and for millennia in the Tower.

The 22nd Century Katana thrust forward, aiming for the Ghost Swordsman's heart.

'Got you.'

Thump!

* * *

Huh?

Confused, I blinked.

Above my field of vision, I saw trees, the forest, and the ground I had been standing on.

Whoosh.

Only then did I realize that I had been thrown into the air.

I was certain that I had stabbed the Ghost Swordsman in the heart.

The Ghost Swordsman didn't have the leisure to handle the Dream Domain either.

But somehow, I was in the air, and I hadn't killed the Ghost Swordsman.

What happened?

I looked around for the Ghost Swordsman.

He was lying on the ceiling, that is, the forest floor, breathing heavily.

Trees, grass, and puddles were looking up at me.

I wondered if I had been hit by a mental attack, but my Constellation didn't say anything.

I saw some kind of artifact attached to the inside of the gauntlet the Ghost Swordsman was wearing.

It was in the form of a metal ruler with several cylinders containing fluorescent liquid attached to it.

【Imbalanced Level (Black Dawn)】

A level.

Literally a tool used to check for horizontal levels when constructing buildings or making furniture.

It seemed like he had used it to flip my sense of direction.

The Ghost Swordsman said in a tired voice—

"That's all for today. I don't think I can hold on any longer..."

Perhaps the blade had grazed his mask, or the voice modulation device was broken, because his voice was erratic.

I was about to shout, "Who said you could decide that?" but then I noticed the state of my surroundings.

"Ah."

The dark green forest was ablaze.

The puddles had evaporated, the trees had turned to ash, and the space itself seemed to have holes in it, with white spots here and there.

No wonder I felt an overflow of mana; the Law of Light’s payback was no joke.

I prepared a heat ray along with my reply.

Having these two together made it easier to get the answers I wanted than having them separately.

"Who said you could decide that?"

"I'll be back in a few days anyway, so why don't we meet again then?"

Coming back?

To Korea?

As if he had read my expression, he said—

"Now that you're gone, who can stop us?"

"I'm right here?"

"Aren't there a few guys who want to kill you?"

I was about to answer confidently.

You think I'd back down just because monstrous bastards like you are coming?

Then it hit me.

"...?!"

How did that bastard know that the regressors killed me?

No way.

It couldn't be.

Regression is no joke, how could even a bastard like that...

As if to kick away my hopes, the Ghost Swordsman said—

"We didn't even need to step in then. You did all our work for us."

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]