The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 81

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 81. To Destroy This Way or That Way….

Pupu steadied myself and gazed forward.
A fierce battle raged before me, with flaming swords and countless spells intertwining in chaotic combat.

‘Kael, Cassia….’

The Aholo Tribe had been hunted by humans since ancient times.
Their superhuman regenerative ability was something any human would covet.
Because of this, before dealing with the Theocracy, many of the Aholo Tribe were captured or slain by humans.

– Take the others and run!

It was then that a Mage named Necron first extended his hand to them.

– …A human?
– I’ll handle things here. Go, quickly!

Necron stood against the humans advancing into the Wetland.
The Aholo Tribe was bewildered, but they fled as he commanded.
When they returned later, it was all over. Necron had disposed of every last attacker.

– Ha, I’m glad you’re all safe.

Necron laughed, his clothes torn to tatters.
Even though he had saved them from the attackers, Aholo remained vigilant.
Fearful that he might approach with a smile only to strike with murderous intent. Wondering if one day he too would change like the other attackers.
Yet Necron’s unwavering kindness crumbled the Aholo Tribe’s wariness far too easily.
A month later, another attack came, and Necron protected the Aholo Tribe as he always had.
Once again, covered in wounds.

– Hmm?

When Pupu rubbed the wound on my cheek with my hand, Necron blinked his eyes.

– Necron. Hurt. Do this, heal fast.
– Oh, you’re right. Thank you.

Necron smiled as he watched the wound close almost instantly.
Pupu, who had been quietly observing, suddenly threw both arms up in declaration.

– Necron! Our friend!
– Huh? Me and you all?
– Necron saved us! So you’re our friend!
– That’s right!
– We’re so happy!
– Want some fish!

The other Aholo agreed with Pupu’s words. They had been watching Necron all along, after all.

– Ha ha, alright then. Let’s be friends.
– Yay!
– Human friend!
– Want some fish!

Pupu suddenly asked, puzzled.

– Why do you help us, Necron? We are Aholo, you are human.

Necron owed no debt to the Aholo. He had simply risked his life for complete strangers.
For the Aholo Tribe, who had only ever suffered at the hands of humans, such an action was incomprehensible.

– Well… perhaps our circumstances are similar.
– Circumstances?
– Yes. We’re both targeted by others in the same way, you could say.
– That’s true. Humans target us. Humans hate us.

Necron stared at Pupu for a moment, then shook his head.

– No, it’s not hate. It’s because you are so precious to them.
– Precious?
– Yes. You are such valuable beings that they want to make you theirs by any means. Humans are greedy creatures.
– Then Necron is also targeted because you’re precious. Just like us.

For a moment, ripples stirred in Necron’s eyes. As one of the few Mages in the Theocracy, he had long been shunned by others.
Necron broke into a bright smile.

– Yeah, that’s right.
– Exactly!

Necron gently stroked Pupu’s head and spoke.

– You see, I believe that one day people will come to appreciate magic. Of course, the current Theocracy is completely at odds with my belief.

A hundred years ago, when Necron was alive, the perception of magic was far worse than it is now.
Not only in the Theocracy, but even in the Zarkan Empire, magic was shunned.
This was because the great war against demons had not long since ended.

– And the same goes for you. One day, there will be many more who befriend you besides me.
– Really?
– You can trust a Mage’s words. Miracles dwell within every word I speak.
– I understand!

From that point on, Necron remained in the Eldmire Wetlands, protecting the Aholo Tribe.
Thanks to him, the frequency of attacks diminished, and the Aholo Tribe no longer suffered deaths.

Boom! Crash!

Yet how peculiar it all was.
In the past, the Mage had protected others from harm, but now the swordsman was protecting the Mage from danger.

‘The Mage wasn’t kind. It was Necron who was gentle.’

I had been deceived by Cassia without realizing it. Had Kael not been there, I would have lost Necron’s guidance once more.

“Pupu, what is the meaning of this…?”

At the sound of the voice, Pupu turned his head. About a hundred members of the Aholo Tribe had gathered closely together.
As Pupu explained the situation with a distressed expression, the Aholo Tribe reacted with varied emotions.

“Cassia betrayed us….”
“So sad….”
“Our Mage friend….”
“But we still have Bella!”
“And Kael, who isn’t a Mage!”
“They’re still our friends!”
“That’s right! They’re protecting us!”

The Aholo Tribe turned to look back.
Kael and Cassia were still locked in combat. More precisely, Kael was pressing the offensive while Cassia focused entirely on defense.
Yet the Aholo Tribe could not hide their worry.

“Will Kael and Bella be alright?”
“Mumu heard that another Mage is on the way!”
“What if it becomes like what happened with Necron?”
“Necron….”
“Do we have to lose another friend?”

Necron had always protected the Aholo Tribe, but he could not single-handedly repel every assault.
The attackers’ strength and numbers were always different.
Three years after meeting Necron, the attackers finally broke through his magic, and a blade pierced his abdomen.
But Necron did not surrender—he unleashed his magic, and in that moment, he handed a scroll to Pupu.

– …Pupu. Take this and run.

Pupu, tears streaming down his face, shook his head while gently touching Necron’s wound with his hand.
Necron smiled bitterly.

– Pupu. I will die soon. This wound cannot be healed even by your mucus. I am human, after all.
– You won’t die! Necron is a Mage!
– A Mage is still human.

Necron placed the scroll into Pupu’s arms.

– Pupu. If you ever find a friend like me in the future, give them this. Then that friend will protect you too.
– …I only need Necron.

Watching stubborn Pupu, Necron smiled softly. Then he gazed at Aholo beside him.
The other Aholo had already departed.

– Mumu, please look after Pupu. Don’t let my sacrifice be in vain.
– Yes! Leave it to me!

Mumu shouted with confidence, wiping tears from his small palms.

– Let’s go! Pupu!
– But….
– Necron’s final request! Pupu isn’t stupid!

Pupu understood all too well that he would be of no help here. Yet if they fled this place, Necron would surely meet his death.

– Pupu!

As the attackers’ assault intensified, Necron and Mumu cried out simultaneously.
Pupu nodded his head.

– Yes…. Pupu isn’t stupid.

Pupu rose to his feet and clutched Necron’s scroll to his chest. Then, wiping away his tears, he offered a final farewell.

– I’m going. Necron.
– Goodbye. It was fun.
– We’re friends forever.
– Of course we are.

Necron gave a thumbs up, and Pupu nodded with all his might. Then he bolted in the opposite direction.
When he had put some distance between them, Pupu glanced back. The attackers, having closed the gap, were now swinging their weapons at Necron.
Necron’s eyes met Pupu’s, and he mouthed a word.

– Dodge.

Whiiiing!

In that instant, a sharp spear hurtled toward Pupu’s face. Startled, he tumbled aside to evade it.
The spear pierced through a tree, and Pupu rolled across the ground.

– No!

In the chaos, the scroll fell into the lake. Pupu rushed to retrieve it, but Mumu grabbed hold of him.

– I have to go. We can search for it later.

The attackers continued their relentless pursuit. Pupu had no choice but to flee with Mumu, postponing their search for another time.
Fortunately, four days later, people from the Theocracy arrived and drove off the attackers, and Pupu was promised protection in exchange for supplying mucus to the Theocracy.
But after everything ended, no matter how thoroughly they searched the wetland, Necron’s scroll was nowhere to be found.
The surviving attackers must have taken it with them.

– I’m sorry, Necron.

I couldn’t protect Necron, and I lost the map he entrusted to me.
If only we had been stronger, we could have helped Necron, but we were only capable of subduing a few monsters.

“Watch out! Pupu!”
“They’re attacking!”

Then countless icicles manifested from Cassia, pouring past Kael toward the Aholo Tribe.
For the Aholo Tribe, it was an inescapable calamity.
They protected their heads with their short arms. As long as their heads remained intact, they could regenerate endlessly.

‘The pain is only temporary.’

Even as the damaged body regenerates, the pain is felt just as acutely. But once it passes, the wounds will heal as if nothing ever happened.
Of course, the ache in my heart has never gotten better, not even once.

“….”

But why is it?
I feel no pain at all. Did I take a direct hit to the head and die instantly?
Now I’ve finally found Necron’s map, and it seems I’ve met a friend to give it to.
There was no sadness about death. Only regret that I would no longer see the others.

– Are you alright?

“I’m fine.”

Then memories of the past and the present scene blend together. The voices were completely opposite, yet the emotions within them aligned.
Pupu opened his tightly shut eyes and brushed his hands away.
Someone who had blocked the enemy’s attack was looking back at me. Just as Necron had done one day.

– Are you hurt?

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

It was Kael.
Though Kael’s appearance and manner of speech were entirely different from Necron’s, Pupu somehow saw Necron’s silhouette overlapping with Kael’s back.
Pupu murmured, eyes brimming with tears.

“Necron….”

The other Aholo Tribe members seemed to recall similar memories, their expressions no different from Pupu’s.

“No.”

I shifted my gaze and lowered my stance. Condensed wind gathered beneath my feet, and flames swirling around my blade scattered violently.
My suppressed fury pressed down upon the surroundings.

“I am Kael.”

My body then shot forward like a whirlwind, accompanied by a sharp tearing sound.

* * *

Crash!

My flaming blade, infused with momentum, shattered Cassia’s defensive barrier.
Cassia was sent flying through the air before crashing into a tree, coughing up blood.
Cassia steadied herself against the tree and looked at me.

“Damn, you’re strong…. Even if my body were intact, I couldn’t have won alone.”

Cassia had held out reasonably well against me.
If she were a Knight, it would have ended long ago, but focusing entirely on magical defense had prolonged the battle.
Yet her stamina was visibly draining due to blood loss from her severed wrist.
Though losing her hand didn’t greatly hinder her spellcasting, her stamina was another matter entirely.

“Now resorting to such despicable methods. Were you so afraid of death?”

Cassia had realized this wouldn’t work and had cast magic at where the Aholo Tribe members were gathered.

“What does it matter? They’re going to die anyway once this is over. We’re both moving according to our own purposes—let’s not get emotional about it.”
“That has nothing to do with emotion….”

I trailed off mid-sentence, looking at Cassia, and let out a heavy sigh.

“Enough. I may be mad, but I’m not so far gone as to hold a conversation with Stone Head.”

I passed between the trees one by one, keeping my eyes fixed on Stone Head.

“Even rocks have their beauty, yet you’re truly hideous. It must be a flaw of your inner nature.”
“Weren’t you just saying you wouldn’t talk to Stone Head?”
“Shut it. I’m talking to myself.”
“….”
“A pathetic stone that can’t even roll. A rock stained with blood instead of moss. Should I crush you this way, or that way….”

Stone Head, who had been standing vacant, suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

“You really are insane, aren’t you?”

I nodded as I moved behind a tree.

“Good. I’ve decided.”

The moment I passed the tree, I charged straight at Stone Head. He extended one hand.

“You’ve underestimated me!”

A massive inferno erupted from Stone Head’s fingertips, consuming the entire area. Truly, he was a Mage formidable enough that others would struggle even to engage him.
But I did not halt my charge—I only brought my blade down in a decisive arc.

Whoooosh!

Yet Stone Head’s magic did not split. Instead, I was engulfed by the flames.

“Ha. You were far too arrogant. You should have stayed mad and—”

In that instant, I dropped from the tree above and seized the position behind Stone Head.
Sensing my presence, Stone Head spun around in alarm and retreated, extending his hand once more.

Whoooosh!

But my blade pierced through Stone Head’s chest far more swiftly.
Stone Head spat out a mouthful of blood, his trembling lips parting.

“How…. I was certain my magic had caught you….”

What Stone Head’s magic had consumed was merely my afterimage, created with Gentle Breeze.
I had released the afterimage while hiding behind a tree, then moved silently across the branches with my killing intent concealed, approaching Stone Head from above.
Since Stone Head was already severely weakened, it would have been even harder for him to see through the deception.

“Any last words?”

Stone Head met my gaze before speaking in a faint voice.

“Please… look after the Mages….”

I let out a cold laugh.

“How pathetic. Stone Head, who moved only for himself.”
“Haha, you saw right through me….”
“Go.”

I withdrew my blade. Blood sprayed forth as Stone Head collapsed forward limply.

Boom!

At that moment, a deafening roar erupted from afar, and a pillar of fire shot skyward.
I walked out into the open clearing where no trees stood.
Shortly after, Bella burst out from the forest, retreating backward, with two Mages pursuing her.
Since I couldn’t see the other two, it seemed Bella’s prepared magic had caught them.
Stepping into a place where a Mage was waiting was madness. But those fools never expected one to be there.

Boom!

Bella deployed a barrier, blocking the two Mages’ spells. She was struggling, cold sweat pouring down her face.
Though Bella had grown considerably, facing both of them simultaneously was beyond her limits.
In truth, her role was already fulfilled by eliminating the other two.

“Move.”

I lowered my stance as I spoke, and Bella glanced behind her. Seeing my movement, she gasped in surprise and quickly darted to the side.

Guguguguguguk!

A deep crimson orb formed at the tip of my blade, emitting an eerie sound.
Even fighting Stone Head had taken considerable time, and I was tired of playing games with these Mages again.
Bella had created a small opening for me, and now that these creatures hadn’t yet grasped my full power, I decided to end this in one strike.

“Here I come…!”

But as a courteous Heresy Inquisitor, I gave them warning of what was approaching.
Sensing the ominous momentum, the two creatures widened their eyes and erected a defensive barrier. I thrust the tip of my blade forward.

‘Single Point Detonation.’

Kwaaaaaaang!

Flames brimming with intense heat erupted from the crimson orb. They collided with the creatures’ barrier and scattered in all directions.
Yet the orb at the blade’s tip continued to spew forth infernal fire, and eventually the barrier could withstand no more—it shattered.

Kwakwakwakwak!

A tremendous explosion engulfed both creatures. Their screams were buried in that inferno, and only the roar of flames could be heard.
As the explosion gradually subsided, a crater remained in the forest, and the two creatures had vanished as ash.
Could they have been Demons rather than humans? Given that no bodies remained, it seemed so.
I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, brushing away the lingering heat.

“They’re gone….”

Strange, even after I’d warned them. They were Demons and Stone Heads both.
Bella approached my side.

“Inquisitor, is it over?”
“Yes. You did well.”
“Hehe! You too, Inquisitor!”

I nodded and turned toward where the Aholo Tribe was. They stared at me with their eyes wide and gleaming.

“Are there any injured or dead?”

At my question, Pupu approached me silently, then bounced excitedly as if wanting to touch my face.
I knelt on one knee to meet his eyes.

“What is it?”

Without a word, Pupu placed his small hand on my cheek. It was cold, slimy, and soft.

“Kael. Hurt.”

It seemed he had noticed the thin scratch on my face. Perhaps I had gotten it while protecting the Aholo Tribe.

“This will heal quickly.”
“Still, this will make it better. We are safe.”

Pupu gently rubbed my cheek and then withdrew his hand. The scratch had vanished without a trace.
I was not surprised, having witnessed the healing properties of the Aholo Tribe’s mucus before.
Of course, in my past life, the Aholo Tribe had gone extinct, and even before that they were so rare that I had only seen them a handful of times.

“I see.”

I chuckled softly and stood up. Pupu looked up at me and spoke.

“Kael.”
“Speak.”
“Thank you. For protecting us.”

The Aholo Tribe members behind him voiced their agreement.

“Thank you, Kael!”
“Thank you too, Bella!”
“You two are so strong!”
“Kael and Bella are our friends!”
“Long live Kael and Bella!”
“Long live!”
“Do you want to eat fish?”

Before I knew it, we were surrounded by countless Aholo. I felt as though I were immersed in their innocent, radiant presence.

“Do as you wish.”
“Yes!”
“This is exciting!”

Once the commotion had settled, I opened my mouth.

“Soon, the guards from around the Eldmire Wetlands will come rushing over. When they arrive, we’ll say there were ordinary attackers, not mages. Make sure your story matches ours.”

This too was part of changing perceptions about magic. The Wol Young Order was the one spreading filth, and I was diligently using it as fertilizer.
One day, I would destroy the Wol Young Order with my own hands for scattering their filth everywhere.

“Got it!”
“We’re not stupid!”
“Pupu might be stupid though!”
“We won’t mess up this time!”
“Yeah! Mumu knows Pupu isn’t stupid!”

I nodded and looked toward Pupu.

“Then guide us to the place that map points to.”
“Of course, Kael!”

Pupu answered with a smile.

“Pupu promised Necron! If we ever find a friend like Necron, we’ll give them this! Kael and Bella are our friends!”
“That’s right!”
“Agreed!”
“Then let’s head out quickly!”
“Okay!”
“Finally, it’s time to keep our promise to Necron!”

The Aholo Tribe gathered among themselves and exchanged opinions. Their behavior was hardly different from that of children.
Seeing this, Bella smiled faintly and whispered to me.

“We’ve made friends without quite realizing it.”
“They’re not human, though.”
“Still, they’re better than most people.”

At Bella’s words, I gazed upon the white backs of heads waddling ahead of me.
The Aholo Tribe—betrayed by humans, yet still trusting in them once more.
Their foolishness, at least for now, did not displease me.

“Well, then.”

I let out a soft chuckle and followed after them.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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