The Regressors are Trying to Kill Me

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 70

On a midwinter night, on the rooftop of a certain high school.

The two Awakened circled each other warily.

The Ghost Swordsman spoke, gripping the hilt of his longsword—

"Believe it or not, I don't want to kill you."

Baekya aimed his 22nd Century Katana and replied—

"That's unfortunate. Because I want to kill you."

The Ghost Swordsman leaned back as if exasperated.

He glanced around, checking for escape routes.

"You call yourself the Sun of Humanity? Are you allowed to say that? Aren't you afraid of a character controversy?"

Baekya read his intentions.

"I'll blow your heads off along with your character."

Even as they exchanged words, he was looking for the right moment to strike.

'There are still kids left in the school.'

He had to push the Ghost Swordsman out of the school grounds, at least onto the athletic field, in one go.

The Ghost Swordsman shrugged.

"Confident, are you?"

Baekya tensed his legs.

At the same time, he channeled mana into the winter vest he wore under the Dragon Scale Armor.

"Lee Baejeong probably knows by now. He's a cunning one, so he'll know how to deal with a dark creature like you."

"The head of the Awakened Administration?"

"Don't play dumb. It must have been tough juggling two identities. I've tried it, and it's not something anyone should do."

It seemed like if he charged in three seconds, he could send the Ghost Swordsman flying out of the school gate.

"Don't you think so? Regressor."

The Ghost Swordsman's shoulders twitched slightly.

"Ha."

A chuckle escaped his lips.

3. 2. 1.

Baekya kicked off the ground with enough force to avoid collapsing the rooftop.

Thwack!

He put all his weight and strength into his heated blade and swung it as if thrusting.

The Ghost Swordsman countered with a draw, as if he had expected it.

Clang!

As the blade left its scabbard, ghostly energy surged.

The green sword energy and the crimson blade clashed in mid-air, scattering dazzling magic sparks.

Shwaaaaaack!

Baekya had the momentum, but the Ghost Swordsman, though pushed back to the edge of the rooftop, held his ground.

His green eyes, visible between the mask and fedora, flashed with a gloomy light.

"Don't you know? The worse one is always stronger."

The Ghost Swordsman swung his longsword down, as if trying to pin down Baekya's.

It was a move that acknowledged Baekya's inability to use his full strength.

Baekya smiled wryly and nodded.

'If I used Jin Gak and swung upwards, the school rooftop would collapse.'

[TL/N: Jin gak — Martial Arts Term]

"I know. That's why I tried harder."

【Fire Domain】

Fwoosh!

Intense heat surged from between the scales of the Dragon Scale Armor.

The translucent sphere of the domain expanded violently.

Bang!

The Ghost Swordsman collided head-on with the domain.

"...Gah!"

His shadowy figure, wrapped in a coat, flew a hundred meters towards the school gate.

The Ghost Swordsman rolled on the ground, then stopped in front of the school gate, propping himself up with one hand and sliding to a halt.

"So you want to do this, huh?"

The dust settled.

Ghostly energy billowed from within his coat.

Baekya fired a flaming arrow towards the Ghost Swordsman.

Whoosh!

"You guys started it, didn't you?"

'When I was around, you wouldn't even think of coming to this country.'

Bang!

Baekya, who had teleported with 'Descent from the Crimson Flame,' swung his longsword down.

Clang!

The blades clashed three times in a single breath.

The Ghost Swordsman's coat fluttered.

His studded leather clothes and countless belts were visible, and the ghosts gathered within his coat all took flight at once.

【Hundred Ghosts Night Parade】

["Kyahahahahahaha!"]

It was a quantity sufficient to turn not just the school, but all the people in the surrounding area into ghost hosts.

The night sky was momentarily dyed green.

"...I knew you'd say that."

Baekya poured mana into the jade bead on the hilt of his longsword.

Hum!

【Earthly Ghosts】

Countless earthbound spirits soared into the sky, chasing after the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade.

The ghosts of the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade were slightly stronger, but the Earthly Ghosts were imbued with the flames of Law of Light.

The ghosts of the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade, having consumed the Earthly Ghosts, burned white from within and vanished.

"...!"

The Ghost Swordsman glanced at the sky and gritted his teeth.

Baekya didn't miss his anxious expression.

'Oh, my Constellation.'

【"I know."】

【Your constellation 'Sunny' supports 30% of your mana consumption.】

He swung his longsword with a wide arc.

Clang!

The Ghost Swordsman was completely pushed out of the school grounds.

Shwaaaaaack!

At that moment, Baekya raised his left hand high.

White flames flickered between his fingers, curved like hooks.

"I will erase you."

【Law of Light】

Fwaaaaaaat!

The light that returned everything to nothingness exploded forth.

The Ghost Swordsman cried out in alarm and threw himself to the ground.

He rolled several times, narrowly dodging the attack.

"Gah!"

The Ghost Swordsman placed his hand on the ground.

【Forest of Corpses】

Shwaaaaa!

Instantly, in the middle of Seoul, towering trees, countless fireflies, and large and small puddles appeared.

A dreamlike green mist billowed, and the shadow of a deer with antlers like a crown passed between the trees.

Crack!

A skeletal hand emerged from the moss on the ground and grabbed Baekya's ankle.

The towering trees thrust their trunk-like spears, and the fireflies rained down as Ghost Flame orbs.

【"Be careful."】

'I know.'

Baekya didn't even blink.

Clang. Clang. Clang!

The tree trunks and Ghost Flame orbs bounced off the Dragon Scale Armor.

'I will burn it all down. In my own way.'

【Law of Light】

【Fire Domain】

Bang!

As Baekya stomped his foot, a white and red sphere exploded outwards.

Rumble. Rumble...!

The sphere expanded, incinerating the dark green Forest of Corpses.

Large and small trees, puddles, and fireflies were all consumed and vanished.

The forest that had appeared in the heart of Seoul disappeared as quickly as it had formed.

Baekya kicked off the ground and charged towards the Ghost Swordsman.

Crack!

Thick cracks spread across the asphalt.

Baekya, accelerating as if teleporting, pulled his right arm back beside his ear.

The tip of his longsword aimed for the Ghost Swordsman's shoulder.

Whoosh!

The Ghost Swordsman thrust out his left hand, clad in a heavy gauntlet.

The Leveler artifact attached to the gauntlet attempted to distort space once more.

Crackle!

Magic sparks flew in the air, and there was the sound of Baekya's Dragon Scale Armor being dented.

Baekya had anticipated this.

Instead of his drawn-back right hand, Baekya thrust out his left hand and countered the gauntlet.

【Distortion Wave】

Clang!

A red wave of energy burst forth in a wide fan shape.

The gauntlet crumpled, and all sorts of parts flew off.

The leather belts tightening his shoulder snapped, and the studs scattered like shrapnel.

Screech!

The Ghost Swordsman slid a long way down the sloping road.

"...Not bad."

His voice trembled despite the voice modulation spell on his mask.

Baekya didn't even lose his stance.

He smiled faintly to himself.

‘It took an awfully long time to burn down the forest back then. No, it's not even right to say that I burned it down. I should say that I drove it to the point where it was difficult to maintain the space through continuous damage.’

The amorphous polyhedron was indeed good.

“I'm pretty good? Is that really what you want to say in this situation? You're the one who's pretty good.”

“....”

“I am Baekya. The Baekya that illuminated even the night of Northeast Asia, created by the Serpent that Swallows the Sun.”

“That's why I thought you were on our side.”

“I told you there was a time when you got what you wanted without lifting a finger thanks to me. Don't expect it this time. I don't know why that happened then, but that history is an error.”

Baekya glanced at the horizontal artifact rolling on the floor.

A level with three small cylinders containing bubbles in fluorescent liquid, indicating the balance of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines.

【Level of Imbalance (Black Copper)】

He had broken the gauntlet to drop this.

He picked up the Level of Imbalance and shook it.

“I saw that you were going to counterattack with this when you felt like you couldn't win.”

The Ghost Swordsman looked up.

“I thought you were a mindless firepower enthusiast, but you're quick-witted.”

“If you have a good body, you don't have to worry about your head. But now that your body isn't well, your head has to work hard.”

The green demonic energy was clearly weaker than it had been at first.

Baekya was sure of victory.

“Didn't I tell you before? I'd make you regret crawling into this country…”

And as always, he was wary of the moment when he felt certain.

【“Be careful.”】

‘Yes, I know.’

The space beside him rippled like the surface of water after a stone had been thrown.

Thud!

A black shadow popped out, squeezing through the space.

“No. 8!”

The shadow called the Ghost Swordsman No. 8.

The Ghost Swordsman called the shadow No. 11.

“No. 11?”

He was also a member of the Black Star Cluster, his whole body wrapped in leather straps.

Baekya quickly scanned him.

‘Long braided hair, and tall. Almost as tall as me. Weapons are… a single dagger and a flat pencil?’

Judging by what he brought as a weapon, he seemed to be a magic type.

There was no way a physical type would only bring a single dagger.

Baekya immediately tried to unfold Human Annihilation.

The newly appeared No. 11 showed a move that Baekya hadn't even thought of.

No. 11 swung a carpenter's pencil in the air.

Slash!

The space folded and unfolded as he drew a line.

Thud. Thud!

The Ghost Swordsman, who had been only a few dozen meters away, moved to the rooftop of a hotel several kilometers away.

‘Space movement?’

Baekya narrowed his eyes, and No. 11 glared at Baekya.

“Self-proclaimed Sun.”

He was also wearing a voice modulation mask.

Baekya thought he would run away.

‘Flame Arrow…!’

It was an ability specialized for surprise attacks and escapes, after all.

“Hand over the artifact.”

Thud!

So when he folded the space and rushed at him, he felt dumbfounded, beyond just being flustered.

‘What does he believe in?’

First, he swung his 22nd-century katana to induce defense.

Chaak!

No. 11 dodged as expected, bending his body.

Baekya kicked No. 11's leg below the knee with his left foot.

Crack!

He struck his temple with the end of the Jangdo's handle.

[TL/N: Jangdo — Traditional Knife]

Thwack!

He threw an uppercut with his left hand, causing a distorted wave.

Clang!

No. 11, who was floating in the air, rolled on the asphalt floor.

“...Ugh!”

Baekya poured magic into the ‘World-Reflecting Mirror.’

He was going to open the mirror world.

‘I can't let him escape.’

【“Yes. Good thinking.”】

【Your constellation ‘Sunny’ highly praises your calm actions.】

【Sponsors 3 Strength stats.】

He pointed at No. 11's pencil with his fingertip.

“Don't you want to try running away with that? I can let you go. I don't know if our country's Hunters will let you go, though.”

No. 11 gritted his teeth.

“Let's see how much more triumphant you can be.”

Baekya opened the mirror world.

“That's what I wanted to say.”

* * *

Lee Baejeong looked around downtown Seoul from the hotel rooftop.

Blue defensive barriers were activated at schools, government offices, and shelters throughout the city.

There was no one walking the streets, and there was no commotion in front of the shelters.

It was thanks to the safety education that had been well conducted habitually.

Engagement reports came in.

[Engaged in battle!]

[We are being pushed back in Yongsan.]

[Gwanak subdued! Closed the pillar of light.]

Places where high-rankers went directly had the advantage, and places without high-rankers were in a deadlock.

Lee Baejeong unfolded the 'Eyes of Heaven' with a spell.

Cheong Siyeol, Lee Eunwoo, Na Jeongwon, Park Seojin, and Joo Soo-hyeok were all pushing back Black Star Cluster members in various locations.

Cheong Siyeol shot sword energy into the sky, bringing down a ghost ship, and Park Seojin stuck his hand into the heart of a magical beast, absorbing its origin.

Lee Baejeong turned his gaze toward the Mana Stone Exchange, where the most magical beasts were pouring out.

Ryu Haneul and Choi Gimin were fighting there.

He sent the Administration's best team to support them.

'Ryu Haneul. I acknowledge your skills. With Choi Gimin there as well, it shouldn't be difficult to subdue a few terrorists. But even you guys won't be able to lift a finger after dealing with the magical beasts and then the Black Star Cluster.'

It wasn't just Baekya who thought of resolving everything today.

'You won't be able to deal with the Administration's suppression team one after another. When the shadow that is you disappears, Baekya is finished too.'

Lee Baejeong leisurely expanded his view.

And he saw something happen that should never have happened.

Bang!

Ryu Haneul was bouncing away like a kicked soccer ball.

The purple halo above his head was not visible.

* * *

“There is no swordsman who practices assuming a situation where they can't use their sword. There is no magician who practices assuming a situation where they can't use magic. You can't train while assuming a weakened state.”

No. 2, holding a crowbar, sneered.

Thud.

Ryu Haneul, who had crashed into a building, staggered to his feet and reached out his hand.

The Dark Heavenly Demon Sword flew towards him with a buzzing sound, then fell in the middle.

Thump.

No. 2 kicked the Dark Heavenly Demon Sword, sending it flying towards Ryu Haneul.

“Your senior must be in the same condition by now.”

Shing!

Ryu Haneul hurriedly caught the flying Dark Heavenly Demon Sword with both hands.

The sharp tip of the sword stopped in front of his heart and trembled.

He opened his purple eyes narrowly and smiled.

He could see Administration Hunters running towards him in the corner of his vision.

“That's impossible. I told you everything. What kind of supernatural powers you use.”

“That can't be. Everyone who saw this power is dead.”

“For now, that's true.”

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]