Regressor, Possessor, Reincarnator

Chapter 36

The Julius that Allen remembered was closer to a hero of an epic. From his character and nature, even to his conduct.

However, that was not how he actually turned out to be. Juliuss tendencies were far from that of a heronot even close to being comparable to one.

His journey, on the other hand, was a different story. His adventures included killing demons, slaughtering ancient beasts, and stopping dark sorcerers plots.

He was really like a hero straight out of a fairy tale.

When faced with a crisis, a strong person would appear from somewhere to help. No matter how trapped they may be, they could always miraculously escape. They had an unending reserve of precious miracles, and they would continue to grow exponentially without ever hitting a wall.

Allen doubted the validity of such circumstances.

How? How come everything he did always worked out for him?

Not everything could always just work out. Even the most successful merchants who had established their success made small mistakes. And people who made big mistakes were able to achieve success as well.

In other words, nobody truly lived a life without any failure.

But why does he never fail? Allens worries began with questions like this. Over time, he would come to a few conclusions.

That bastard is either under the universes protection or that of some other transcendent being.

He didnt know if it was from the same thing that gave his brother the System. However, the more he read from the black book, the more he remembered Juliuss actions from before the regression. And with it, the more confident he became.

The world, regardless of his will, revolves around Julius.

Julius never thought too deeply about what he would do. He would act quickly without thinking beforehand, without worrying.

And the result?

Hes always successful.

Did he carefully search around the trove to discover one of the Wonders of the First Warrior? One that nobody knew the whereabouts of for the longest time? Left in the far corners of the trove?

Allen had no words. So he created a situation to duel with him.

Or, at least, that was how it came about anyway.

Are you ready?

In order to know the limits of the (temporarily named) Universes Blessing as well as the exact conditions for its activation. To understand Juliuss abilities and find out his habits.

Yes, Brother.

Allen focused his eyes on his opponent. He was shorter than himself. He couldnt believe that he had trained for only a few months.

Were there even any openings? No, there must be. He just must not be able to see it.

I dont think I can win in a battle of swordsmanship anyway.

He would be referred to by various names in the future: The Savior of the Great Forest, The Prisoners Ally, The Demon Slayer, The Brain God.

What about Allen? What about his epithets? His abilities? The Idiot Who Made a Deal with the Devil Out of Desperation Because He Didnt Know How to Save His Brother? Was that all he was?

To be able to stand on equal footing like this in the first place

It was all because of his regression and the book, nothing else. If it werent for those two things, he never would have had a chance to face Julius like this again. Yet was that anything to be ashamed of?

No.

It was something he had to live up to.

Brother, I think Im going to win, so Ill go easy on you. Julius confidently wrapped his hands in a dark blue energy. A thunderbolt engulfed his arm, and the electricity covered his sword.

Is that so?

A smile spread across the corners of Allens mouth as he sent out his threads. His heart was beating hard.

I dont think thatll be necessary.

He used about a third of his magic power. His physical body was slightly weaker than that bastards.

He pointed the tip of his dull training sword towards his opponent.

I wish Id brought Vestla.

However, since it was only a duel, it couldn't be helped.

No, Im going to win today.

Any other thoughts vanished. His field of vision was filled with the bastard and him alone. The mana that flowed throughout his body began to accelerate, emitting strange waves.

The bastard was going to grow at a tremendous speed But so what?

Well, lets go.

The moment that they faced each other, Allen didn't feel like he would lose at all. His threads gently wrapped around his sword, forming a translucent film. He couldn't use his sword to attack yet, so he had no choice but to stop the lightning strike.

His feet left the ground, accelerating quickly.

He bridged the gap in an instant. The translucent energy swarmed together and stabbed its target in the face.

Julius laughed at his brother's seriousness. The pointy tip seemed as if it would pierce into his face at any moment, but his smile didnt falter.

Whoosh.

The sword drilled through the air. Allen looked below him and found Julius there. His body then came crashing down.

It was too late to avoid it.

Allen tapped the air with his free hand, making a shock wave.

Pang!

He didnt expect a good hit, but he didnt think he would be able to stop an attack of this caliber. There was a small groan, and his body was pushed back.

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Julius quickly moved through the flying dust.

I cant keep him in check.

He maximized his sensing power, feeling every inch of the sparring grounds.

Where is he?

Fwooom!

Blood spurted out of Allens cheek. His response was slightly slow. He had looked around and detected the attack, but Juliuss sword was faster than before.

He felt a shudder run down his spine.

Theres no way I cant handle a Rank 3. How much had he grown, then?

Crackle

His thought was cut off by the flash of dark blue enveloping his body.

Allen immediately stretched his foot into the air, and Julius bent over with a surprised expression. The force on Allens leg wasnt very strong, yet it was enough to quickly push his body away.

As he got farther away, he shook off the lightning that had been clinging to his body before adjusting the magic within him. Again.

He grew faster than Id expected. Its making me sick.

After having fallen to the ground, he lowered himself and rushed towards him.

He saw Julius get into position, and Allen threw his sword right away.

Whoosh.

What? Julius was perplexed. Allens specialty was magic, not the sword.

Moving his hands with delicate, precise motions, Allen formed a figure. The countless threads he had stretched out soon wove around and turned into cymbals. 

Without waiting for Julius to react, Allen struck the instrument. 

CLANG!

Thunder in the clouds.

The bursting shockwave became a gray spear, piercing the space.

Julius deflected the flying spear that darted towards him. However, the magic had already come in close proximity to his body. The sharp spear made a noise as it approached. Julius hurriedly raised his mana output and launched his sword.

FWOOSH!

The magic and swords scattered.

Having predicted his response, Allen closed the gap between them. Grabbing his training sword with one hand, he bent down.

Whoosh.

With the blade passing overhead, Allen bundled up the remaining thread on one hand and threw it into the air.

Hammer.

The threads intertwined themselves into a hammer and fell, forcing Julius to block the attack and retreat once again.

Allen hurriedly ran after him, stabbing his sword at him. However, he had no choice but to back down as Julius blocked him with his cross guard.

...Haha, your skills have improved so much, Brother.

The same goes for you, Julius. Im sure you wouldnt have been able to fight like this a few months ago

Its all thanks to hard work.

Is that so?

Yes.

It was an excuse that nobody would believe, but what else could he do?

Thats what he said.

Allen smiled and took up his stance. It was still sloppy, but thanks to Vestlas guidance, he at least had the basics down.

This time

Allen would go first.

The first to come in was Julius, moving even faster than before. His sword didnt have a proper blade. However, just because it didnt have a blade didnt mean that his weapon wasnt dangerous.

Electricity crackled. The blue lightning made the training sword a more dangerous weapon than a sharpened one.

I need to know everything about that bastard. His habits, his patterns, his reactionseverything.

Could he do it?

This is it.

Julius became confused after hearing Allen talk to himself.

He didnt need to answer. A thread wound around Allens sword. No matter how fast the bastard may be going, Allen could catch up.

And to some extent, bring out his power.

He needed to be able to match it.

Julius rushed forward with lightning surrounding his body. Allen rushed forward accordingly, the vitality of a giant imbued into his ordinary steps, giving him more power.

CRACKLE! CLANG!

Their swords clashed. Julius's strike resembled a lightning bolt. Allen's, on the other hand, was more honest.

Bang!

Is this the end?

The electricity dispersed. Juliuss sword had shattered, and the film on Allens sword had disintegrated.

No. This is just the beginning.

Julius then sent out lightning bolts from his eyes. The spell formed around his abdomen and made its way up towards his head, giving him the appearance of a Brain God.

Really? Allen responded as his threads flew out in all directions. Blocking the lightning, the threads began to intertwine with sharp blades.

I think so too.

And their duel resumed.

* * *

* * * 

Pan, the probationary knight in charge of judging the duel, watched with a zoned-out face.

The electric shocks fell, tearing down the training grounds. Juliuss attacks were swift and unpredictable, while Allens were blunt and heavy.

Overall, it was an arrangement where Julius was pushing Allen.

Sir Allen was originally known to be a sorcerer.

If it were anyone else, they would push away the lightning electrocuting them with magic before defending against attacks that were difficult to follow with the naked eye.

He didn't seem accustomed to using his body just yet, but Pan thought that the fact that Allen was able to fight against Julius like that was a feat on its own.

He turned his gaze towards Julius, clad in dark blue lightning.

That guy

He couldnt believe that he was his master. He recalled the time he dueled with Julius over an apology a few months back.

I lost miserably.

He was unlucky then, but he thought he had grown a little more. It had been a long time since he had been unable to catch up with Julius in the blink of an eye.

He said that he became his subordinate that day, but he never called himself such.

When will he call me?

He shook his head. A knight must always stand by for his lords call. Hed been called to referee this match. 

He just hasnt had a chance yet. He hasnt forgotten me.

It was all because of his lack of confidence. Had he developed his skills, Julius would look for him.

Pan gave up his thoughts and focused on the match. This opportunity hadnt come easily.

* * *

Allen continued repeating their bouts dozens of times.

Next is going to be on the lower right?

He lowered his sword faster than he predicted the blow. As soon as he moved his sword, he blocked the attack aimed at his lower half.

Clang!

The next attack will be on my left shoulder. No, on my mid-left?

Allen had moved in accordance with the information he had collected so far. However, a sharp sensation ran through the back of his neck.

He barely lowered his head, but the wind brushed the hairs on the back of his neck, causing a rush of goosebumps.

Is this the fifth pattern?

As he continued observing him, Allen was able to get a grasp on his habits, patterns, and attack styles. Julius preferred to attack from the top rather than the bottom, and the right rather than the left. He also had a habit of unconsciously increasing the amount of lightning he produced if his attacks were blocked.

Thats a total of 37 patterns.

Perhaps it was because he hadnt trained in months, but his attack placement seemed to be limited. Moreover, his stronger attacks seemed to only focus on his opponents head.

I think I might know everything now

As Allen collected information about his habits, he also confirmed the fact that he had grown to be stronger than Julius.

Of course, the stronger he got, the more unnecessary tendencies would disappear. However, after accumulating all the information, it would surely be easier to land a finishing blow on him.

This will be the last time.

Would the Universes Blessing protect him now?

Im going to check.

Julius rushed towards him again. As if he were enjoying the duel, he smiled and continued attacking.

Allen blocked his attack and moved around to his side.

Julius persistently pursued him, cornering him.

And the seemingly exhausted Allen struggled to withstand his attack.

Brother, is this it? Didnt you tell me you were going to win?

Allen didnt say anything. As if it were too difficult to even open his mouth. As if it were too much to do so.

You dont have the same momentum as you did earlier

To the center of the training grounds. Just a little Just a little bit more Almost there. Just one more step

Honestly, Brother. I didnt know you were this stro

Bang!

As Julius struck, Allen rolled back, as if hed lost all his strength.

The magic that he prepared had been canceled, and he was left defenseless.

Cough, hack, cough!

Vomiting blood on the floor, Allen could barely stand up. He was in a state where it was difficult to even hold his sword any longer.

However, refusing to admit defeat, he squeezed out the last bit of mana remaining and cast his spell. A few threads bundled into a small awl.

His face paled as a result, and Julius laughed, as if his brothers last struggle were ridiculous.

And just like that

Its my

The moment Julius tried to declare his victory

...VictoHuh?

He couldnt move his body.

Huh?

Julius quickly looked at Allen, whose expression looked just as confused as his own.

He couldnt move. As if all of his limbs were cramping, he couldnt move.

The sharp awl flew towards his chest.

He was terrified. It was a situation in which a sibling may accidentally die while having a little spar.

As Julius stared blankly at the awl darting towards his heart

Crash!

Suddenly, there was an explosion in the space through which the knife was passing.

A mana superimposition explosionsaid to be an extremely rare occurrence in which various types of magic were mixed togetherhad materialized when the awl nearly passed by him by accident.

S-Stop the duel!

While Allen's eyes sank deeply, the startled Pan stopped the match and ran to Julius. His face had turned blue, shocked by what had just happened.

Y-Young Master, are Are you alright?

He rubbed the fallen Juliuss arms and legs. As if unsure, he uttered with a trembling voice, Perhaps youre dehydrated, or maybe youve gotten a cramp during your fierce battle?

Coming to his senses at his question, Julius asked, You think I have a cramp?

Yes, s-sir. No, I mean, my lord. Ive experienced it a few times during training but I believe you may be experiencing severe cramping in your limbs.

Allen hurried to Julius, as if hed only just now come to his senses.

Julius! Julius! Are you okay?

Ah, yes, yes. Im fine, Brother.

I-Im sorry, Julius. No, how could this happen?

As Allen turned pale in shock, Juliuss suspicion of whether or not his brother had intended the outcome of their battle disappeared.

He could never have done that on purpose.

From Juliuss final attack to when he cornered Allen. He couldnt fathom that his brother, all in a hurry to stop his own attack, would have ever even thought of doing such a thing. He didnt have any motive to.

No, how could this have happened? Pan, was it? Call a priest.

Y-Yes.

No need, Brother Its just a cramp

Its not just a cramp! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was just now?!

As Allen screamed his worries, Juliuss final remnants of suspicion melted away.

Then go ahead.

Let me help you up.

Yes.

Pan hurried out from the training grounds to find a priest.

Are you sure youre okay?

Yes. I think I can walk now. Julius grinned, hiding his worries.

Why are you smiling so hard? Allens tone was rough, yet it showed worry for his brother.

Haha, its just funny, seeing this side of you.

Does it feel good to tease me?

Allens voice was filled with fondness.

When would be a better time to make fun of my brother if not now?

Would you shut it Tch.

However

Take a few days to rest. Ill tell Father.

Id love to. Thank you.

Yeah.

His eyes stared at him, devoid of emotion.

As always.