The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 509

The passage of time often deeply buries all memories of early childhood. But for Ren, his memories remained vivid all the way to the age of one.

Even now, he remembered. He, who had just turned one, had been left with powerful impressions in more ways than one on that day.

The banquet hall felt enormous, almost overwhelmingly so, and the food was extravagant beyond measure. Although the war with the Demon Force had yet to end, their presence had lessened; that was why countless guests—both heroes and prominent political figures—had gathered at the family estate.

“Amazing…. He’s only twelve months old yet is already showing signs of mana?”

“His physical balance is already perfectly aligned. As expected of the family head’s child—his growth rate is incredible.”

“The future of the Inoue family looks bright! Hahaha!”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“?!”

Every time Ren bowed and expressed gratitude just as he had been taught, the adults who had offered half-hearted praise would recoil in shock. Even as a child, Ren found their reactions surprisingly pleasant. The sight of them being emotionally shaken by his actions… gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.

At the time, he couldn’t define it clearly—it was the first time he’d ever felt such a thing—but looking back, it was probably a desire for recognition.

“Master Ren. Today, we’ll begin with the basics of mana control…”

“I’ve already mastered that. Let’s move on to the next.”

“Understood, Master Ren. Then today, we’ll try a simple spell using talismans—”

“I’ve already learned that technique. Give me another.”

His first taste of recognition had become a powerful motivator. It didn’t matter whether it was a tutor or anyone else; he wouldn’t hesitate to learn. Thankfully, he had a natural gift for learning and the support of the entire family behind him.

Ren truly believed he was a blessed child, someone destined to be acknowledged by all—but that illusion didn’t take long to shatter.

“What do you mean he’s already started studying shikigami arts? That’s absurd…”

“My thoughts exactly. That’s something kids barely start learning after turning ten, and this fifteen-month-old child had already nearly mastered it…”

“It’s creepy. What kind of monster is the family head trying to create—”

“Hey, watch it! Are you crazy? Don’t forget what happened to Yamada. He said something like that and got kicked out right away.”

“Ahem. Right.”

The conversation Ren overheard while secretly practicing barrier magic in the back garden, just beyond the wall, was one he wouldn’t have thought much of today. However, back then, it was his first exposure to negative emotions, and it hit him hard.

Those people had all once bowed their heads to him and treated him with the utmost respect?

Did I do something wrong?

Was there something he had learned incorrectly? Confused by the situation he couldn’t understand, he ran away in fear.

But as he always had, he turned to knowledge to uncover what he didn’t know. And before long, he realized why they had spoken that way and what mistake he had made.

I… I was the worthless one all along.

He, who was more intelligent than others, was still just a fragile and utterly dependent child. The treatment he had received until now was solely thanks to his position as the son of the family head.

Because I wasn’t chosen to be the next head of the family… to them, I’m just an unsettling freak…

Looking back, it was obvious he had judged the situation too harshly based on only a portion of the truth… though he wasn’t completely wrong.

With small skirmishes and terrorist acts of the Demon Force still happening, as well as the looming Cold War, it was a chaotic era that the barely two-year-old child was trying to navigate. Expecting too much from someone like him was both unrealistic and premature.

What should I do from now on…?

How would he gain the recognition he wanted, while not being feared? Faced with the first true obstacle of his life, he reacted like any child his age: he ran to his mother, clinging to her to seek comfort.

Woong-

His mother’s room, filled with countless barrier magic and the smell of unknown medicine that was flowing into her through injection tubes, was a place his mother would teach him forms of sorcery and knowledge he had never seen elsewhere whenever he visited.

And because his mother knew everything—or so he believed at the time—Ren shared all of his worries without hesitation.

“Haha… What an amusing story.”

As she chuckled, something she rarely did, she gently stroked his head.

“The easiest way would be to give up one or the other, but you don’t want that, do you, Ren?”

“No…”

Ren was terrified that if he failed to earn recognition, he would be ignored. At the same time, he was scared that if he were feared, someone would hurt him someday. He was even worried about whether it was wrong for him to worry about things like that.

“In that case, you should probably learn how to distinguish people a little more clearly.”

His mother smiled gently.

“Being acknowledged by others is definitely a good thing. But sadly, it’s impossible to be recognized by everyone.”

“It is?”

“Yes, because we all exist on the opposite side of someone else’s world.”

To be recognized and welcomed by one person is to be watched warily by another, by someone who opposes them.

In that world, which was divided into black and white, his mother whispered softly, “So for now, start by gaining the recognition of those who stand on the same side as you.”

Taking those words to heart, Ren started paying more attention to others rather than just revealing himself. Anticipation, anxiety, fear, dread—what he had once thought of as simple “wariness” splintered into complex emotions.

From that day on, Ren began understanding how to navigate human relationships. And naturally, he had also come to realize just who it was that he truly needed to be recognized by.

“Have you learned how to control a shikigami yet?”

Upon returning from the battlefield after a month, his father skipped all greetings to ask what his son had achieved. Whether it was then or now, his father had never been someone he thought of as a loving parent like his mother.

The man who always hid his face behind a paper mask, never once showing his true face, was more of a patriarch—cold, aloof, unsettling—than a father. Yet, ironically, it was in that distance that the young Ren found his answer.

“Yes. I can now control two.”

“Hm. Good.”

With just that, his father left without another word. And not long after, those who had expressed disapproval of Ren in the family either were exiled or demoted. At that moment, Ren was certain: if he had no value as someone not chosen to be the successor, then he just needed to be recognized by his father and earn his place.

Ren’s way of life changed once again, and everything seemed to fall into place. Little by little, he had also come to feel an ounce of respect for his father, who was recognized by the entire family—

“Your mother is going to die tomorrow.”

His changing world changed yet again.

“Huh? My mother is going to die…? All of a sudden…?”

“If you have any last words to say to her, remember to tell her before the day is over.”

Again, his father left without another word, leaving Ren alone in the room. He couldn’t understand. Just the day before, his mother had welcomed him as she always did? Why would she suddenly die?

His father, however, was not one to lie about something like that. Realizing that, Ren rushed to his mother’s room, hoping that everything was a lie and that she’d be sitting there healthier than ever. He prayed and prayed, hoping it wasn’t an absurd miracle as he opened the door—

Bang!

“…”

She was standing at death’s doorstep. Despite looking almost the same, to his enhanced senses, her change was glaringly obvious: a glass bowl covered in cracks, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

Sitting in the moonlight by the courtyard hallway, slowly breaking down, his mother already looked like someone who had passed on.

Swish-

Not wanting to believe his eyes, Ren stood frozen as her long black hair swung slightly, her violet eyes now on him.

“Ren.”

She greeted him as usual, but his world had already changed. Ren no longer remembered what kind of expression he had on his face at the time, but upon seeing her son, his mother’s eyes had widened a lot… and then her expression had become a helpless smile.

“Oh, my son… come here.”

Called, Ren approached the bed weakly, reaching out—he stopped midway. Even to his three-year-old self, she looked too fragile, like she would break if he touched her.

Seeing him like that, his mother made a bitter smile and gently, ever so carefully, pulled him into her arms.

“Did your father tell you everything?”

“Yes…”

“I see… In a way, that might’ve been a blessing…”

She whispered words he didn’t understand.

“Tomorrow, your little sister will be born.”

“My sister…?”

Despite being only three, Ren had learned enough about the world to understand how human reproduction worked—and he knew her belly didn’t look anything like a woman about to give birth.

Seeing his confusion, his mother gently stroked his head. “She’s… a special child. Unlike when I had you, I’ll have to use much more power for her to be born healthy.”

She softened her words for his sake, but Ren, far too mature for his age, knew: she was about to use forbidden sorcery that took a human life as material to create a new one.

“Why…!”

He had never understood. Just why… why did his mother have to die for Erika to be born? Overcome with anger and sorrow, he cried and cried, his tears gently wiped away by his mother.

“Ren. Everyone born into this world is given a role from the moment they take their first breath.”

“Sniff-”

“Most people live their lives never realizing it… but I’ve known mine for a long time. That’s why… I’m going to pass it on to the daughter who will be born tomorrow.”

A being twisted so completely that she could no longer reflect on herself—that was who his mother, Inoue Mizuki, was. And as her son, he wasn’t much different.

“Because I can’t achieve this myself… I’m leaving it to someone who can do it in my place.”

Was that the role assigned to her, who lay slowly dying in her sickbed? How… cruel. In Ren, a flood of emotions surged—

“But you’re different from those people.”

Her sorrowful voice echoed in his ears.

“A being that shouldn’t have been born, a meaningless existence that was never part of the plan. That’s who you are, Ren.”

A child born by accident from a political marriage meant to serve the Ascension Project. A life with no meaning or purpose.

At that moment, the unease and strangeness Ren had always felt suddenly made sense. Why had the family head neglected the heir he was supposed to raise? Why had he shown not even the slightest affection toward his own flesh and blood?

I was… never needed to begin with…

His birth hadn’t mattered. His existence was nothing more than an unwelcome variable in their carefully crafted plan. Having found out the truth—his essence—Ren’s first emotion was not anger or despair. Rather, it was fear.

After all, if that was all true, then the head of the family could still have him removed at any moment… and he wouldn’t be able to stop it.

“If your father ever thinks you’re getting in the way, he’ll get rid of you immediately. That’s the kind of man he is.”

“Ah… ugh…”

Feeling her son trembling with fear, his mother wrapped him in her frail arms and spoke into his ears with a voice filled with sadness. “But I… I believe that you do have a role of your own.”

“R-Really…?”

“Of course. No matter what, you’re still a child born of both me and him.”

Slowly but resolutely, she let go of him and met his gaze.

“Ren. You must protect your sister and carry out your father’s will.”

“…”

“I know it won’t be easy to accept… but if you want to keep living in this world, you must accept the role.”

To become part of the plan, to be acknowledged by the family head, and to survive. However, even then, the idea had felt wrong, uncomfortable.

Still, he couldn’t say anything in response. Deep down, he understood that these were his mother’s final words.

“You can do it, right?”

Faced with her sorrowful request, there was only one answer he could give.

“Yes… I’ll do it… sniff”

Nodding and crying, Ren stood still as his mother silently embraced him. And the next day, everything proceeded as planned. To the world, she was said to have died during childbirth—though her body no longer existed.

The funeral was symbolic. And as for the “sister” his mother had spoken of—a monster to him—she had appeared in her place, as if swapped out.

“…”

How he thought, how he acted, Ren no longer remembered. His only memory was that when he came to, he was inside his mother’s room. The air in the room still smelled of medicine, the interior still lined with the same countless spell circles as when she was alive.

Just one thing differed: it was Erika who lay there now.

“…”

She didn’t cry, didn’t twitch. The child didn’t seem like a human… but more like a doll.

Staring down at her, Ren felt a storm of emotions swirling within. He wanted to scream, to shout for his mother back, to do something, to do anything. But in front of that creature, he just couldn’t do anything.

His mother’s last words and Erika’s face, which looked so much like hers, kept making his mind unravel.

If protecting this monster and supporting the family head is truly the role I’ve been given…

If that was truly his mother’s final wish, then no matter how revolting, no matter how much he resented them, he had no choice. Standing in front of the monster—no, his sister—Ren made a vow.

From then on, his life continued in a fixed direction without much deviation.

He worked hard not to be discarded by the head. He eliminated anyone who tried to threaten or harm Erika. He learned about the Ascension Project and the family’s hidden secrets. He met Se-Hoon, the man Erika chose. He moved to rescue her when she was abducted by an unknown enemy…

“…!”

Ren snapped out of his recollection and opened his eyes, startled. His opponent’s static-cloaked figure stood before him, wielding the Black Moon Fan.

A gust of wind from the fan slashing horizontally brushed his face, slightly delayed. That long chain of memories… had flashed before his eyes in less than a second? Ren instinctively touched his neck.

I’m… fine…. No, I was definitely cut.

He clearly remembered the scene where he was slashed, yet there was no mark on his body? That sensation—of having approached death—was so vivid, even now.

That meant one thing: his opponent had feigned killing… no, he had actually cut through Ren’s neck but regenerated the injury immediately in a bizarre act.

“…A lantern of memories.” Ren let out a dry laugh, realizing the purpose. “You used that to bypass the memory-erasing spell tied to my mind and stole my memories of my mother.”

If someone had tried to access his memory directly, the spell would have triggered immediately and melted his brain while simultaneously destroying his soul.

The “lantern,” however, was a flood of memories that even the owner themselves didn’t fully recognize. Such snippets of memories should have been impossible to interpret, though, whether they were observed by them or another. But clearly, that didn’t apply to the man before him.

“You… just who are you…?”

Why would someone with that kind of power be interested in a mother who had died so long ago? As Ren stared in confusion, Se-Hoon, shrouded in noise, smirked faintly.

“Shouldn’t you be asking another question first?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Like ‘Is this hell?’ or ‘Am I already dead?’ Something like that.”

“…”

Ren’s lips didn’t move, but his eyes twitched at the apparent sarcasm.

“Heh… I guess that’s enough talking.”

Done with Ren, Se-Hoon casually tossed the Black Moon Fan.

“!?”

Surprised, Ren quickly reached out and grabbed it, but in doing so, he lost his balance and collapsed to the ground.

“Ugh… gah…”

His strength left him the moment his stance broke, pain flooding through his body. Immediately after, his vision blurred and his eyes began throbbing, burning as if boiling.

He, who had been fine just moments ago, had clearly abnormal symptoms.

“T-This…”

“That’s the price of playing with a power you barely even understand. Once you return home, focus on recovering. Since the injury involves your eyes, it might leave permanent damage.”

“Wait… I still have questions…”

Fwoosh!

Not listening to another word, Se-Hoon sent the groaning Ren flying off toward a recovery chamber. Then, turning to Erika, he whispered a few words before reviewing the memory he had just stolen.

So this guy… isn’t actually planning to kill Erika?

From the memories alone, it looked like he had managed Erika according to his mother, Mizuki’s, final will. When examining the emotions involved, however, the picture changed.

Whether because Erika reminded him of Mizuki or because time had softened him, Ren genuinely seemed to view her—at least partially—as “family.”

Of course, whether he’ll go as far as opposing the Ascension Project to protect her… that remains to be seen.

Still, there was no harm in keeping an eye on him for a while longer. With that thought settled, Se-Hoon recalled the barrier formations that had been set up in Mizuki’s room.

And as far as information goes… this should be enough.

There were no further warnings from the Revelations. The lab’s reconstruction was proceeding smoothly.

Checking everything once more, Se-Hoon looked down below.

“It’s about time to wrap this up…”

With that quiet murmur, he walked forward.

***

In the garden of the inner courtyard of the main estate, Ryuuma removed his pipe from his lips and exhaled a puff of smoke.

“How long will the recovery take?”

“At the current rate, he’ll need at least three weeks of rest.”

“Three weeks, huh…”

Recalling the report he’d just received about Ren’s injuries, Ryuuma watched the smoke drift into the air.

“Start by treating his Cursed Eyes. The rest… let him recover on his own.”

The officer nodded and quietly withdrew.

Alone, Ryuuma placed the pipe back in his mouth. The smoke was unending, thickening until it isolated the area from the outside world.

“So, have you decided?”

A faint silhouette appeared beyond the smoke—an executive from Exuviation, contacting him in place of Tuner.

Ryuuma slowly opened his mouth. “I’m rejecting any further support.”

“And why is that?”

“Any more help would only hinder the plan.”

At that answer, the concealed executive—Max—frowned from behind the smoke.

A potential successor to the Seeker just showed up, yet he says something that stupid…

For a moment, Max debated whether to force support regardless. But as if his mind had been read, Ryuuma added, “Melchior said you’re also busy taking care of the Pilgrim and the Trailblazer. No need to strain yourselves.”

“…”

“Half-hearted assistance at this point would only cause both sides to trip over each other. Let’s just focus on our own plans for now.”

Considering Ryuuma’s words, Max hesitated, then sighed.

“You’d better deliver results equal to what we gave you.”

“Don’t worry.”

Fwoosh-

The smoke scattered, severing the connection naturally. Alone once again in the garden, Ryuuma gazed at the night scenery before him.

It’s almost time…

The end of the Ascension Project—and its decades-long preparations—was approaching.

Ryuuma slowly lifted his gaze to the moon hanging in the sky.

Whew-

He exhaled softly, letting the smoke veil the moonlight.