Chapter 6: Regret

Approximately ten minutes had passed with me only dodging the Regressor’s merciless spear.

She pursued me without tiring.

“There’s so much I want to know about you.”

“What’s your purpose, how much do you know, what’s your true identity…”

“······.”

“I also wonder why you’re not counterattacking now, but only running away.”

“Of course, I don’t expect you to answer easily.”

“So, I have to catch you right now, no matter what!”

– Thwack!

A huge slash from behind me deeply cut into the wall.

It was destructive power difficult to come from a weapon specialized for thrusting.

If she were to launch a few more attacks like that, the surrounding buildings wouldn’t be left standing.

Yet, as if she’d lost her mind, that woman immediately imbued her spear with magic for the next attack.

Having narrowly evaded the attack again, I glared at the Regressor.

She said she had many questions for me, but I also had some questions of my own.

Originally, at this point in time, it should have been impossible for the Regressor to wield such power.

But where did she get such martial arts… she was wielding power almost comparable to the current Hero.

······Now that I think about it, it’s not like there’s nothing I can pinpoint.

‘Right… I should have known from the moment she skipped the first day’s class.’

I recalled the Regressor, who had completely skipped the class orientation the day after her regression.

Even though I wasn’t in the same class as her, I knew that the Regressor hadn’t shown up that day.

At the time, I brushed it off, thinking it was nothing… but thinking about it again now, it is a bit strange.

Why did she rest specifically on that day, and not any other?

Of course, since it was right after her regression, there’s a possibility she just wanted to rest without a specific reason, but thinking deeply, I could recall one thing I had forgotten.

There was a certain ‘secret manual’ that should have completely disappeared that day.

Normally, it should have disintegrated into dust over the long years… but it seems the Regressor’s intelligence had reached even that point.

What was fortunate, at least, was that she hadn’t fully adapted to the martial arts she had learned yet.

– Boom!

“How long do you plan to just keep running away?”

······Seeing her deliberately provoke me despite not even landing a proper hit, it seems the Regressor herself must be feeling it.

She must be getting impatient.

And strictly speaking, I wasn’t just running away either.

Perception.

[An invisible veil envelops the area.]

Recognition.

[My combat is conducted in secrecy.]

Perception.

[Presence erased.]

Recognition.

[Existence fades.]

While dodging the Regressor’s attacks, I activated various perceptions and recognitions.

Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to work properly on her, but I succeeded in obscuring the vision of others and external beings.

Then, perhaps I should cause the Regressor some confusion now.

Perception.

[The body becomes harder than any steel.]

Recognition.

[My physical combat is flawless.]

I instantly snatched the Regressor’s spear, which I had been diligently dodging, with my hand.

“Ugh…?”

“It’s time for me to go back.”

“I’ll only listen to your story up to this point.”

“Who said you could······!”

“And from now on, you’d do well to watch your mouth.”

“If you want to keep your precious one safe, that is.”

“What did you just say?!”

Yes, if she’s found out to be the Regressor by others, there’s no telling what might happen, so it seems she needs to watch her mouth.

Even when fighting me just now, she was practically screaming ‘suspicious’, so I hope she takes my words to heart, even for the sake of the precious people around her, like the Hero or the Holy Maiden.

It was advice given with good intentions, but the Regressor’s reaction was very different from my expectation.

“You… what did you do to him······!”

“······?”

“How dare you…!!!”

Oh?

Suddenly, the aura emanating from the Regressor surged dramatically.

It was an unexpected situation, but I dealt with it calmly.

As the abilities I had activated were starting to wear off, I couldn’t delay any longer.

‘Just knock her out quickly and go back.’

Perception.

[Possesses a unique magic of absolute counter-affinity.]

Recognition.

[Magic overflows, enveloping the body.]

Perception.

[My attacks nullify all defenses.]

Recognition.

[All processes conclude in a short time.]

In an instant, an immense amount of magic burst from my body.

The Regressor’s surging aura was, in turn, swallowed up and sharply broken.

Her eyes trembled violently.

I didn’t miss that moment and unleashed a punch enveloped in powerful magic.

The Regressor hastily tried to block with her spear, but my punch, which ‘nullified all defenses,’ narrowly bypassed the spear shaft and struck her squarely in the abdomen.

– Thud!

“Cough…!”

As the punch landed squarely, the Regressor let out a pained groan and collapsed.

She didn’t pass out immediately, but seeing that she couldn’t move a muscle while clutching her stomach, she was already incapacitated.

“W-wait······.”

I heard the Regressor’s voice calling out to me as I turned to leave, but I ignored it and departed.

I’ve wasted too much unnecessary time.

****

The Authority that controls Perception and Recognition.

At first glance, it might seem like an omnipotent and overpowered ability, but of course, my ability also comes with a price.

“Oh, my back······.”

After changing my clothes and trying to lie down on the bed, all the muscles in my body screamed.

It was the after-effect of excessively overusing my Authority.

The price that comes with my Authority is like this.

Abnormalities like sudden fatigue or a pounding headache appear, mostly symptoms that occur when the body is overexerted.

Of course, this isn’t set in stone either; when I use too much Authority and have to pay a heavy price, sometimes it’s paid in other ways.

Anyway, originally, the price for the Authority I used to take the necklace from the Holy Maiden should have only resulted in slight fatigue the next day.

However, due to the Regressor’s sudden intervention, the number of times I used my Authority increased more than expected, and as a result, the physical pain intensified.

Damn Regressor······.

It seemed her goal was to obtain the necklace and capture me.

But I didn’t hand over the necklace, nor was I captured by her, so as a result, the Regressor had completely failed.

I don’t know how much she might resent me now, but there was an unavoidable reason why I didn’t hand over the necklace.

I believe the Regressor is not yet capable of handling this cross necklace.

The true power of the cross necklace is to amplify the wearer’s emotions and desires.

However, since the necklace had been corrupted by the interference of an outer god, turning it into an item that stirred unholy emotions and desires, its danger had only increased.

The reason the Holy Maiden was corrupted in the first regression was also because the cross necklace drew out her unholy desires.

I don’t know how much the Regressor knows about the necklace, but if she were to be affected by it, an enormous backlash was sure to follow in the future.

For safety’s sake, I couldn’t hand over the necklace for now.

Still······.

Later, when the Regressor’s mental fortitude becomes a bit more steadfast, I suppose I can hand it over then.

To do that, it’s right for me to keep it for the time being.

After all, I won’t be corrupted by such things.

I casually placed the cross necklace in a desk drawer and then lay down on my bed.

Tomorrow, my whole body would be utterly exhausted from the after-effects, so I needed to get some sleep.

I let out a soft sigh and slowly closed my eyes, thinking about tomorrow’s schedule.

Thus, the night deepened on the day the academy director was overturned, the church was shocked, and the Regressor was brought to her knees.

“Haa, haa······.”

“······.”

“Thankfully, *huff*… I wasn’t too late, was I······?”

Uh…

Um, excuse me······.

Why are you here?

****

The Regressor ran.

“Ugh······.”

The Regressor… no, Elisha, clutched her aching abdomen but continued to run without stopping.

She had long since dropped her spear, but she didn’t even spare it a thought.

She had a far more important matter to attend to.

“Faster… I need to go faster.”

Elisha coughed painfully but did not stop her steps.

Her eyes, for some reason, were tinged with fear.

‘That guy left before me.’

If the precious person he was targeting was indeed him······.

She had to stop him no matter what.

To Elisha, only one precious person came to mind…

She didn’t know how that monster-like bastard knew, but if he was truly targeting him…

She had to protect him, even if it meant burning her life away!

“Haa, haa······.”

Her heart pounded as if it would burst.

She couldn’t tell if it was a signal from her overexerted body, or from the fear of potentially losing him.

Elisha quickly arrived at her destination.

She always memorized the location of his dormitory, so finding the fastest way to get there was as easy as pie.

Beyond that, she also memorized trivial things like his class schedule, the days his lunch menu changed, who he talked to, and ‘who dared to speak to him familiarly’.

Elisha immediately leaped up to the window.

Going through the main entrance would surely mean the door was locked, and she didn’t want to bother him by waking him up so late to check on him.

Above all, to him, Elisha was still nothing…

There was no choice but to sneak in.

Fortunately, the window wasn’t locked.

Carefully opening it and stepping inside, she found a dark room illuminated only by faint starlight.

Elisha scanned her surroundings, but her senses didn’t pick up any particularly suspicious presences.

Only then, feeling a little relieved, she let out a long, shaky breath.

“Haa, haa······.”

Her rapidly pounding heart returned to its original pace.

“Thankfully, *huff*… I wasn’t too late, was I······?”

Still, she couldn’t let her guard down yet, as she didn’t know when that guy might suddenly appear.

Elisha resolved herself thus, but······.

“······.”

When her eyes met his peacefully sleeping face on the bed, her mind instantly went blank.

Elisha stared blankly at him.

How long had it been since she had looked at him so closely for so long?

A [normal] face that wasn’t easily ‘perceived’, soft black hair and black eyes, even his subtle, unique scent…

Everything felt endearing.

Elisha carefully approached him.

As she got closer, she could take him in more closely.

She slowly knelt down.

Right in front of her, his hand peeked out from under the thin blanket.

She slowly… very slowly… brought her slightly trembling hands to his.

He seemed to flinch slightly for a moment, but it must have been her imagination.

Elisha felt the touch of his hand in hers and gazed intently at his sleeping face.

What a carefree face.

He slept soundly, completely oblivious to the fact that he was being targeted by such a being.

Thinking that, Elisha left one hand holding his and, with the other, gently brushed his face as if touching a delicate artifact.

Again, her heart began to pound strongly.

Each time her hand slowly moved to caress his cheek, her face flushed hotly, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, unconsciously.

Uncontrollable desires surged from deep within her.

However, Elisha was not consumed by such desires.

She was satisfied just being with him like this for a moment.

“Haaah······.”

Elisha let out a sweet sigh and smiled faintly.

Continuing to caress his face, she made a vow.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll protect you to the very end.’

The most difficult and selfish promise a Regressor, who endlessly turns back time, could make.

However, to Elisha, it was also the most beautiful and precious promise.

So, no matter how exhausted she became, she would surely protect him.

Elisha mulled over her promise to herself and did not let go of his hand, which she held tightly.

Until the sun rose again.

She remained quietly by his side for a long time.