The Regressor Can Make Them All

Chapter 515

Rumble-

Se-Hoon looked down, feeling the massive tremor pulsing beneath his feet. More than just some shaking, he had felt as though his entire body was about to plummet downward.

…I can’t see the inside.

The canyon just carved out below was dozens of kilometers deep—split by a single individual with a single strike—and Se-Hoon could see all the way to the deepest depths from the surface.

And yet, the research facility that should have been visible could not be seen.

Because the ritual had started, a murky black oil-like sludge had now filled the space and blocked any view of what lay within.

Ryuuma must’ve reshaped the space in the area with the barrier so that it’s ritual-friendly. He played it smart.

Any unauthorized outsider would have to either disable the Inoue’s grand barrier, which was impossible to do in the short term, or destroy it completely. The second, however, would obliterate the planet.

Thus, by blocking both visibility and entry, Ryuuma had effectively sealed off the ritual site completely.

It’s not like there’s no way in… but they’ll notice the moment I try, Se-Hoon thought, examining the situation with sharp eyes.

Before that though, there was an urgent matter to handle first. Se-Hoon looked skyward.

“…”

“…”

“Se-Hoon”—Terra in disguise—stood in the air gripping the Sin-Eclipsing Blade and Abgrund. Nearby was Aria, who was catching her breath, looking slightly drained.

Both were watching him with feigned vigilance, awaiting instructions. So in response, Se-Hoon formed a hand seal and sent his intent.

“Tell Lea to begin.”

“Got it!”

“Aria, you should step back for a moment.”

“Okay.”

They moved naturally. The moment Se-Hoon formed the hand sign, Aria immediately retreated. She had been exhausted by the great deal of stamina and mental energy she spent to split the grand barrier without destroying it.

Alright, now…

Woong-

Just as Aria retreated, the undead-fueled magic array outside the barrier glowed darkly. In the next instant, an enormous black wall darkened the sky, encircling the Inoue barrier—Lea had activated the Analog Stellar System.

Seeing its successful activation, Se-Hoon activated his own spell he had prepared in advance.

Distorted Law: Sea of Reflection

Woong!

Silver River flooded the mountain, merging with the barrier to fill all of its gaps in one go. By reflecting the structure of the barrier, Akasha had seamlessly re-fused the split halves of the mountain. For Akasha, whose priority was guarding the ritual, it was a flawlessly perfect move.

Squelch!

“Se-Hoon” responded immediately, reversing her grip on Abgrund and driving it into her solar plexus without hesitation.

Wooosh!

A burst of the Netherworld’s mana surged out. By concentrating all of the artificial heart’s resources on the power of Boundaries, Terra brought the fifty percent of what she could replicate of Se-Hoon’s power to a hundred.

“Oh? You’re getting quite good at this.”

“Thank you!”

Grinning at the praise, Terra withdrew Abgrund and slashed to create a glowing line across the surface of the barrier.

Rumble-

The full strength of the power of Boundaries forced open a rift, dividing the barrier and the planet: the chance the Analog Stellar System needed to sever it completely.

Rumble-

With the hostage now freed, Akasha turned to observe the battles raging below while still protected by the barrier.

Boom!

To the north, Sung-Ha and Eun-Ha were furiously clashing with the Mad Dog.

Clang!

Amir and Jake were dueling the Frost Dog above them, narrowly weaving between each other’s strikes amidst ruined buildings on the mountain.

“Khugh…!”

To the south, Luize couldn’t even take a single step forward, her every attack blocked by the Blast Dog…? Se-Hoon frowned.

What’s going on? Is her condition not good today?

While she wouldn’t be able to solo the Blast Dog—who he once again reconstructed alongside the other two with Silver River and Metamorphosing Dreams—combining her Incantation Magic with Divine Speech should’ve been enough to break through.

He had been confident in her, so he had sent support to the other flanks instead.

Yet Luize was still stuck.

That’s strange. I’m sure she fought Tuner evenly—

Crack!

A part of the Sea of Reflection shattered, but it was already repaired before one could even blink. However, it was too late.

We’re near the end.

Putting Luize’s issue in the back of his mind, Se-Hoon once again became Akasha as he focused on “Se-Hoon,” who had gotten through.

What remained was clear: buy time for Ryuuma, Ren, and Erika to settle the outcome.

Feeling the conclusion drawing near, Akasha locked eyes with “Se-Hoon.”

“This is an actual fight. Bring it on.”

“Yes, sir!”

Heeding the command, Terra charged in at full force; she had enough power to reach all the way to the planet’s core.

***

RUMBLE!

An enormous wave of power surged up from below, shaking space. It came from nearby, not even next door, yet space itself shook. On top of that, even Erika’s consciousness wavered. However, that made sense. After all, the source was the rupture phenomenon that occurred when Perfect Ones clashed against each other.

Ryuuma’s brow furrowed.

This isn’t good.

It seemed Akasha was holding Se-Hoon off for now, but there was no guarantee it would last. And if other Perfect Ones were to intervene as well, then from a practical standpoint, the site had already fallen.

If the Demon Force somehow intervenes… no, trusting them at this point would be idiocy.

Ryuuma ruled them out without hesitation. Being collaborators out of necessity—never allies—betrayal was more likely than aid.

Then, the only path is to complete the ritual as quickly as possible.

They already had everything prepared. All that remained was the Open Gate sequence. The lifelong dream he pursued was finally at its end. He just had to reach his hand out—

Boom!

Red Oni’s axe slammed into Om Nio Guardian’s arm as Blue Oni’s ice wrapped around Hum Nio Guardian’s entire body. Between their attacks, talismans and curses also poured in like bullets, flying toward Ryuuma with precise aim.

“Tsk…”

Focusing, Ryuuma drew in a wisp of smoke with his pipe and then blew it forward.

Swish-

Like ink soaking into parchment, storms and lightning appeared in oriental brushstroke style. And empowered by Ryuuma’s sorcery, the images materialized to sweep aside Ren’s attacks.

Rumbleeeeeeee!

A storm crackling with lightning engulfed the ritual chamber. Pulling back, Ren prepared to retaliate—

Living Painting: Wind and Thunder Gods Scroll

Craack!

The storm and lightning that had dispersed Ren’s attacks were reborn as shikigami. Stronger than before, they rampaged across the battlefield.

“Urgh…!”

Ren narrowly shielded himself using Black Serpent, but Ryuuma’s painting continued to strengthen the storm.

So I really can’t win this with technique alone…

Despite keeping a low profile in public, Ryuuma was actually a top-tier sorcerer. In the first palace, facing such a man while injured was completely reckless. Even in peak condition, Ren couldn’t outmatch the Living Painting through finesse.

He needed overwhelming force. And he only had one card to play: his Black Serpent Ring Eyes.

I’ve only got one shot.

If he failed, he’d be sealed inside the painted world and utterly defeated. Steeling himself, Ren’s eyes flashed—

“Release.”

Flick-

The black rings in Ren’s eyes snapped like twigs.

“Huh?!”

With just a whisper, someone had forcefully released his spell…? Shock tore through his mind as his vision was paralyzed, and taking the opportunity, Ryuuma’s shikigami pounced.

Thud!

Crash!

The Nio Guardians shattered Red and Blue Oni’s heads. Black Serpent was torn apart by the wind and thunder from Living Painting. Ryuuma’s painting wrapped around Ren, sealing his limbs and slamming him into the ground.

Thud!

“Urgh…” Pinned in the blink of an eye, Ren let out a groan.

Meanwhile, Ryuuma picked up the fallen Black Moon Fan, looking at it as he opened his mouth. “I’ll ask plainly. Why did you do this?”

“…I just did what I should’ve done long ago.”

“Liar.”

Crack!

Pain flooded Ren’s body; a flower from the scroll had twisted his right arm, snapping it.

“…!”

He couldn’t even scream.

“You didn’t do this without a reason. Someone gave you insight. Was it Akasha? Lee Se-Hoon?”

A flower slowly began twisting Ren’s left arm, making him flinch.

“…You prepared for this moment… even restoring my Cursed Eyes.”

Crunch!

Despite Ryuuma twisting his left arm harder, Ren clenched his teeth to endure.

“You’ve always… been like this… no matter what I did…. You always had a backup plan… always took the most convenient path…”

Not even his own son escaped his scheming.

“Just tell me… what do you even want?”

What kind of dream required killing his wife and using his children like… this?

“Nothing much.”

“…What?”

“Completing the ritual and reaching ascension. That’s all we ever wanted.”

In disbelief, Ren’s mouth fell open—until it closed again, his teeth clenched in rage.

“All of this… for that crap?!”

BOOM!

Ryuuma slammed him again.

“The Ascension Project can’t succeed if you waste time with such ideals. Can’t you see we’re surviving on pure miracles even now?”

To throw it away for something like family? Laughable.

“I’m disappointed in you, Ren.”

Those words cut deep.

“I’ll finish the ritual. Your punishment can wait.”

Not sparing him another glance, Ryuuma turned toward Erika as Ren watched, churning his thoughts.

My Cursed Eyes are unusable now…

There was one option left, though, from the knowledge he gained from Erika during the ritual: a forbidden technique.

But the cost… Ren hesitated, then smiled bitterly. Doesn’t matter. It has to be done.

His mother’s final words flashed through his mind.

Forgive me, Mother.

Biting into nothing, Ren… invoked the forbidden technique.

Cursed Eyes: Shadow Moon Rebirth

Squelch!

His eyes burst, blood pouring out.

Drip-

Landing on the floor, the blood rippled as a shadowy shape rose from the darkness—a moon hidden in the night, its presence instantly corrupting the surroundings.

Seeing it, Ryuuma stiffened.

That’s…

Ryuuma knew; Ren had used a forbidden technique, using a piece of himself as a sacrifice. However, the offering was his Cursed Eyes. Ren had awakened those through the Blessing of Prevision, which, in other words, meant they were… fragments of the Visionary’s power.

Self-Corruption: Ten Thousand Demons’ Night Parade

The power of Perception exploded.

BOOOOM!

From the floating moon, darkness uncontrollably poured. Formless shikigami erupted endlessly, tearing apart the Living Painting like scrap.

Three seconds max…! I have to gain the strength of a fully ascended one in that time!

Ryuuma raised the Black Moon Fan—

Thunk!

Seven black spears fired from the moon, piercing all Phantominds.

“…!”

Realizing Ren had seized control of them all, Ryuuma summoned a shikigami copy of Demon’s Edge and sent the ones assaulting him flying.

BOOM!

The formless shikigami collapsed helplessly before the summoned shikigami’s massive greatsword. Yet, Ren didn’t spare them a single glance. He was focused solely on controlling the Phantomind and awakening the Heaven’s Well—or rather, what was within it.

Woong!

An orange radiance burst from the silver cage as the Seeker’s Eye, meant to awaken last, was forcibly activated in advance by Ren.

Yeah… this should be enough.

The nearly complete ritual was collapsing. Although he would die, decapitated by the Demon’s Edge shikigami, the collapse of the ritual would buy time for Erika. If Se-Hoon could somehow suppress Akasha and make it inside by then, he would be able to clean up the rest.

It’s a half-hearted move… but… this is probably the most someone like me… can do.

If he, a defective product, could sacrifice himself to save someone else… then that would be enough.

With that resolve, Ren pushed himself to fully awaken the Seeker’s Eye when his gaze abruptly met Erika’s, who had opened her eyes without him noticing.

The same expression as always: monotone but strangely beautiful, reminiscent of a doll. However… that artificial look made Ren pause. He stared at her in silence.

“…You.”

The ritual, tethering on the edge of collapse as radiant light engulfed them, and a massive sword closing in from just ahead. Yet, Ren’s gaze was past it, still on Erika…! Something dawned on him—

BOOM!

The grotesque greatsword of the Demon’s Edge shikigami stopped just short of his neck.

“Ugh…!”

Seeing Ren cough up black blood onto the blade and collapse to the ground, Ryuuma turned his head toward the Heaven’s Well.

Woong-

The Heaven’s Well was now calm, as if nothing had happened. The ritual, which had been on the verge of collapse, had been completely restored.

“Why…?”

Ryuuma was in utter disbelief. Had Ren not stopped at the last moment, the ritual could have been destroyed entirely. Why had he suddenly halted? For a moment, Ryuuma wondered if Ren had done so out of fear of death… but if that were the case, Ren wouldn’t have used such a reckless forbidden technique in the first place.

Interrogation… I guess not.

Ryuuma stared down at Ren’s body—already as good as dead—then turned back around. If he were dead, that was that. If he lived, he could decide what to do with him later.

Ryuuma stepped up to Erika.

“…”

Erika stared up at him silently. Ryuuma looked through the ritual at her, then calmly raised the Black Moon Fan.

“Ren. That isnot your family.”

She was merely a tool crafted for the ritual that had just been undergoing fine-tuning until now. Nothing more, nothing less.

Ryuuma’s hand moved to complete the interrupted ritual—

“…You’re right.”

Ren, still collapsed on the ground, chuckled faintly.

“She wasn’t my little sister.”

“…!”

As Ryuuma’s eyes widened at Ren’s cryptic murmur, the Black Moon Fan was thrust into Erika’s heart.

Thunk!

He could feel her heart being crushed. The body was the Erika he knew.

Everything was the same—except for one single crucial difference.

The synesthetic mindscape…

The focal point of her synesthetic mindscape—Mizuki’s own synesthetic mindscape that had been used to create the artificial lifeform known as Erika—was gone.

Only now, right before the very end, did Ryuuma realize the Erika in front of him was a precisely crafted fake.

Spinning around, Ryuuma opened his mouth to interrogate Ren—

WHAM!

—and was met with a brutal punch across the face.

Having broken through to the deepest chamber, Se-Hoon struck Ryuuma with all his might.