Everyone Else is a Regressor - Chapter 66

◈ Everyone Else is a Regressor (66)

Chapter 14. Irregular Mutation (1)

Lora also saw the appearance of a gigantic, truly enormous wolf swallowing the moon on the battlefield.

The sight of Jun, riding a giant red flame beast, unique to Flame Humans, and rushing into battle, naturally drew the attention of everyone on the battlefield.

She exclaimed in a sharp, panicked voice.

“We have to… We have to help! Jun can’t possibly defeat it alone…!”

She couldn’t believe he was actually willing to risk his life without hesitation to confront the monster.

She thought she knew of his heroism, but never imagined he would be so reckless with his own life.

Lora’s heart ached at his unwavering attitude even in the face of crisis.

He was someone who should not die here.

She had to save him, even if it meant sacrificing her own life…!

“Hmm, what to do?”

However, Armillca just said that and snickered.

Even while carrying Lora, her agility remained unchanged, and with one hand supporting Lora and the other wildly swinging a long sword, werewolves were being slashed and falling as if drawn by a magnet.

With the disappearance of the moon and the consequent weakening of the werewolves, Armillca’s battle had already reached a level that could only be described as a massacre.

“This is why werewolves are no good. Without the moon, they can’t use their power properly. How inferior.”

“Armillca, we don’t care about the other werewolves right now. We have to save Jun!”

“Ehh, really? He seems to be of a higher rank than us. Looks dangerous, why don’t we just run away?”

Helping the party leader as a fellow party member was a matter of course, not needing any consideration.

Armillca’s attitude was an unacceptable act of betrayal.

“How could you… We’re in the same party!”

“Ah, right. Cancel, cancel――”

She wasn’t talking about retracting her statement.

She meant to cancel the party status binding her with Jun.

Immediately after, whether she truly left the party or not, her name disappeared from the party window, which could only be seen while in a party.

Voluntary withdrawal of a party member during combat was considered taboo, and the system imposed a penalty of not being able to join a new party for a month. If a mercenary affiliated with the Mercenary Guild committed such an act, they could face activity suspension, or in severe cases, expulsion or even assassination.

Lora’s expression turned icy.

“You.”

“Ahaha, worried I’ll get in trouble with the guild? It’s okay, they’re all going to die here anyway. There won’t be anyone left to testify. Lo―ra, you should leave that party quickly too.”

“Armillca!”

“Or are you worried you might die? That’s even less of a concern. I’m not planning to let you die. I’ve really fallen for you. So much that I don’t care about any mission, hehe.”

Hey, Lo―ra.

Calling her name affectionately, Armillca’s lips stretched into a sinister smile.

Her fangs, sharp as if dripping with blood, gleamed red in the darkness.

“Did you figure out who I am?”

“Uh―!”

At that moment.

Lora, having prepared for such a situation in advance, attached a paper she had pulled out onto Armillca’s back.

The light exploded brilliantly, propelling Lora into the air―and In, who had been frantically following, safely caught her.

“Lora, are you okay!”

“I’m fine, oppa… Thank you.”

“Oppa? Oh―oppa?”

The vampire, having barely extinguished the paper that had caught fire on her shoulder, bared her fangs at In and growled.

She knew In had been following from behind, but she didn’t like that their relationship seemed closer than she had thought.

“What are you? Don’t tell me… you touched my Lo―ra?”

“Lora is my sister.”

In replied solemnly to Armillca, who was asking with a menacing air as if she wouldn’t just kill him quietly if he had touched Lora.

After gently setting Lora down, he swung his staff around to secure her safety, and Armillca dumbly asked back.

“Sister…?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Phew, haha!”

She burst into laughter, forgetting the current situation.

“I’ve heard stories about stupid orc brutes unable to control their lust kidnapping human women as playthings! Huh, but it’s the first time I hear of a half-orc considering a human as family! Puhaha…”

“We have the same father.”

“What?”

Armillca froze on the spot, completely taken aback by the unexpected response.

Half-orc, In, illuminated his staff with a bright light, his eyes turning cold.

“It means my mother was an orc, vampire.”

A familiar, yet unwelcome energy.

An orc wielding the divine power of light!

Armillca couldn’t believe her eyes.

Were there two priests in the party?

…And both capable of wielding light strong against vampires?

“Our father was a high priest of Ishtar. That’s why my sister and I were born with Ishtar’s divine power.”

Lora, having opened a book filled with divine power, released dozens of papers at once, casting a huge holy spell as she continued.

“I lied to Jun, saying I was born a normal human. I regret it, but I don’t regret it. Thanks to that, I could deceive ‘enemies’ like you too.”

“The guild always prepares for contingencies. We didn’t know you were a vampire, but we considered the possibility of someone infiltrating to harm the hero of Turris.”

“Ha― I thought I had perfectly deceived you, but I was the one deceived? What a comedy… A dull comedy.”

Armillca suddenly turned serious and ran her blood-stained finger along the blade of her sword.

Blood lines drawn by her fingers wriggled as if alive, forming characters, pulsing along with the sword to enhance its power―the vampire’s unique ability, ‘blood power.’

“Ishtar! By your light, bind and melt this filthy darkness!”

“Ah―!”

Just as Lora’s holy spell completed, forming golden rings that surrounded and constricted the area, attempting to bind Armillca’s movements, she astonishingly resisted more than half of the holy spell.

“Why do you think I operate in human society? Lo―ra, it’s because I’m especially resistant to light among vampires.”

Even now, she maintained a gentle tone towards Lora alone, which Lora found utterly chilling.

“Don’t you think we’re fated to be together? Right?”

“……”

Lora didn’t respond but burned a few more papers to strengthen the holy spell, yet Armillca, seemingly unconcerned, smiled and aimed her sword at In.

Her two eyes, now blood-red, glinted like a wild beast’s.

“After we deal with these nuisances, let’s have a thorough talk. Yes, about our future. Once I make you my blood kin, we can spend eternity together―”

“Shut up, vampire!”

Unable to bear her presence any longer, In charged with his staff at the forefront.

―Kaaaaang!

The steel staff, enhanced by the power of Ishtar, the bringer of dawn, collided with the vampire’s blood-powered sword, creating a terrible recoil.

In stepped back, and Armillca, holding her ground, shook her hand.

With his feet firmly on the ground, In took another step forward, his eyebrows trembling.

“Kuk…!”

“No matter how much you prepare.”

Armillca, instantly seeing his tension, smirked.

You always do that. Even if you realize I’m a vampire, what’s the point if you can’t stop me? It’s sad, but that’s your limit. There’s only one way to overcome it.”

The tip of the sword, launched at a speed beyond human perception, inevitably split In’s steel staff in two.

The light within it burst out, attacking Armillca, but a shield of blood formed around her, blocking the light and evaporating it.

Armillca emerged unscathed, so much so that one might doubt she was a vampire at all.

“The only way is to come to the darkness. Of course, this is for our Lo―ra. I wouldn’t even consider giving a chance to a filthy orc like you―!”

Armillca, as if fencing, raised her sword again and launched it.

Lora created a shield of light with her holy magic, but it only momentarily halted Armillca’s blade.

The sword meant for In’s throat ended up piercing his arm instead, not entirely meaningless…

“Did you forget my ability?”

“I didn’t… forget…!”

In gritted his teeth and retorted to Armillca, who mocked him with a grin.

At the moment the sword pierced him, the blood from the wound rapidly decayed, aiming for his heart, but―In pulled forth his divine power to purify it entirely.

Instead, he advanced towards Armillca, firmly gripping the blade that had pierced his arm.

“Got you…!”

“Stupid orc. It’s better for our Lo―ra if you die quickly.”

Irritated by his stubborn resistance, Armillca narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on the sword.

“Die, now. Lo―ra is waiting for me.”

“You’re the one who’s going to die!”

Lora’s sharp voice.

Even then, Armillca, who was laughing as if she found it adorable, suddenly felt something sparkling in the dark sky where the moon had vanished.

Thinking it couldn’t be, she tried to move, but In, who had grabbed her arm over the sword, held her tight and wouldn’t let go.

“Let… go…!”

“Ishtar, goddess of love, may the woman who rejects me change her mind and stay by my side―”

“Love?! Don’t make me laugh, what joy could there be in receiving love from an orc! Let go―!”

In’s divine power was more tenacious than Armillca had imagined.

He was busy enough purifying the decaying blood in real-time, yet he also managed to cast Ishtar’s holy magic to bind her movements!

Then she realized In’s face was turning black.

This half-orc was neglecting even to purify his own blood, pouring all his divine power into holding her!

“You… want to die?”

“If it means I can protect my sister, anytime.”

The moment In grinned, a spear of light fell from the sky, piercing Armillca from head to toe.

“Kaahk―!”

Armillca vomited a large amount of blood.

Blood, the source of a vampire’s power.

Armillca, who was a formidable opponent for In and Lora even when combined, lost blood and rapidly weakened.

In reality, even with the difference in compatibility, this should have been impossible.

There was only one reason for this.

“Damn man…! It’s all because of that cursed cooking…!”

Armillca cursed Jun, recalling the food filled with the power of light he had made.

She tried to avoid it, sensing its danger, but still had to eat a bit, inevitably weakening her resistance to light.

In and Lora, who had eaten all of his cooking, had their abilities to wield light amplified.

“Die!”

At Lora’s urgent cry, another shooting star fell from the sky.

Armillca was certain that if it hit her, her body would be obliterated.

Despite frantically shaking the sword held by In and even resorting to unfamiliar blood magic to free herself, he stood firm like a mountain.

But strangely, just before the spear of light fell―In’s eyes widened in panic, and he threw her aside.

Was he suddenly afraid of death? But that wasn’t the case.

“Lora!”

“Eek?!”

Just as In had thrown himself to protect Lora, a werewolf landed with a thud where she had been standing.

Thanks to In’s sacrifice, Armillca avoided the spear of light and preserved her body. She watched the werewolf, her hair disheveled from the battle, quietly.

This werewolf, larger than any other she had seen in the ruins, had pitch-black fur and intimidating muscles.

Above all, as a vampire, she could sense the thick scent of blood―the mark of one who had taken many lives.

“You’re…”

Armillca quickly picked up her sword from the ground and aimed it at the werewolf.

She glanced at Lora to check her condition.

Thankfully, Lora seemed unharmed, protected by the orc who had used his body as a shield. The orc himself wasn’t moving, but if he had died, it would only be a relief.

If she could escape with Lora now, that would be ideal, but the werewolf in front of her seemed unlikely to allow it.

Then there was no choice but to fight.

“You’re Quinodon?”

―Yes, and you are hostages.

Quinodon, the leader of the werewolves seeking revenge on Vrykolakas, grinned wickedly with his filthy teeth.

―For the great revenge, for a new evolution. You must be sacrificed.

“Kuh, hostage? I don’t know why you need hostages, but it seems I looked too weak to you―”

Armillca laughed and stabbed her sword into the ground.

Her blood, scattered on the ground, bubbled up and was absorbed by her sword’s blade, turning it bright red.

―You think I’ll let you pull any tricks―!

“Ha!”

Quinodon, who had closed the distance in an instant, swung his dark and eerie claws.

Armillca blocked with her blood-drenched blade, but the overwhelming strike from the battered body pushed her back.

―I’ll end this quickly―!

“You…”

Facing the werewolf’s filthy eyes, Armillca whispered quietly.

“You’ve been hiding, haven’t you? Since you couldn’t defeat me head-on, you waited for me to die to kidnap Lora, right?”

―It was patience for a great cause.

“Excuses for being a coward, huh? Tsk!”

―Grrr…!

Perhaps stung by her words, the werewolf pressed down on Armillca forcefully.

Armillca, maintaining a calm facade, was inwardly frantic.

It seemed impossible to win in her current state.

But she never considered, not even for a moment, abandoning Lora to escape alone.

They had to escape together―or somehow defeat the werewolf right here.

But how?

―Thwack!

Suddenly, a spear of light flew in, piercing the werewolf’s back.

The holy magic of light, as effective against werewolves as it was against vampires, drained Quinodon’s magic and weakened him.

Seizing the moment when the werewolf’s strength faltered, Armillca swiftly sliced his arm and retreated, shouting gratefully.

“Lo―ra! Thank you, I love you―!”

“I’m not doing this for you…!”

Holding a few pieces of paper radiating light, Lora gritted her teeth and responded.

She stood in front of In, who lay on the ground, as if to protect him, with a piece of divine paper burning on his chest.

“To protect my brother, and… to prevent that bastard from interfering with Mr. Jun. Don’t be mistaken and fight with your life, vampire!”

The absurdity of joining forces with a foe they had just been fighting for their lives against was like a comedy.

Moreover, they had to assist a vampire targeting them!

But no matter how coldly they thought about it, this was the best course of action.

To save her brother’s life and not become a burden to Mr. Jun.

Lora clenched her teeth and resolved to fight alongside her enemy.

“Of course.”

Perhaps delighted even by Lora’s harsh words, Armillca, breathing excitedly, faced her foe with a smile.

“Until I make Lo―ra my kin, I absolutely cannot die…!”

―Kraaaaah!

The battle raged on, entangling the forces of light and darkness, humanity, vampires, and werewolves in chaos.