Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor: Doodle, Eyes

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Chapter 154: Dragon Fang Corps (4)

Atop the saddle of a soaring wyvern slicing through the sky.

Cassandra, nestled in Ray’s embrace mid-flight, suddenly shuddered violently as if struck by a sudden shock.

“Cassandra, are you alright?”

Ray was startled and hurriedly steadied her.

It was a precarious moment—she had nearly been flung out of the saddle.

“Th-thank you. It seems a penalty was briefly applied.”

Mages are beings who manifest miracles.

However, such miracles are grounded in the strict application of the law of equivalent exchange.

For Cassandra, who now wielded future-based technology, there was little cost she could offer in exchange. Thus, the law of causality struck, delivering a severe blow to the persona of the Magical Empress.

Chances were, she would no longer be able to use magic as the Magical Empress’s consciousness.

Even if she were to return to the future she came from.

It was even possible that her precognitive abilities would shut down entirely.

But she felt no regret.

‘Even if I can never use my powers again, it’s worth it if I can impose some restrictions on the .’

Compared to the , who had driven the world to ruin, the Magical Empress was no more than a tiny speck of dust.

Yet, she wanted to show that even a cornered mouse could bite a cat.

‘And someday, if Theo can defeat the , even a small contribution from me would be enough……!’

The inability to foresee the future usually stemmed from one of two reasons.

Either the future was undecided.

Or the axis of time was too far removed, allowing for infinite possibilities.

Cassandra believed Theo fell into the latter category.

Still, even if he led the Dragon Fang Corps using the , it would not be enough to immediately topple the .

He would need additional help.

“Selperd, there’s somewhere we need to go.”

Cassandra’s gaze turned to Selperd.

For some reason, Selperd felt as though she were looking down at the world, even with her eyes closed.

“Where?”

He refrained from saying they couldn’t return because Arin needed treatment. As a member of the White Armored Dragon Cavalry, his mission took precedence.

“To the manor. The place we first mistook for the Mausoleum.”

The manor?

In that instant, Selperd recalled that the Upsurging Dragon and Lezé might still be there and nodded.

Then, he abruptly pulled the reins to the side.

“Keaaak!”

The wyvern let out a sharp cry and began flapping its wings vigorously, changing its course.

* * *

『You’re doing something amusing. It might feel like a long time to you, but for me, it’s no different from a bloody festival that happened just a few days ago.』

The burst into laughter as he watched the Dragon Fang Corps swarm toward him like a colony of ants.

Two eyes rotated within the hazy black mist, drawing smooth arcs.

『Then, should I play along with your timing as well?』

The black mist churned and twisted, condensing into various shapes before unleashing a multitude of monstrous creatures.

‘They’re definitely weaker than the ones I saw in the Demonic Sea,’ Theo thought with confidence.

Since the Dragon Fang Corps was resurrected through the Magical Empress’s incomplete magic, it naturally could not match the power it once had during its prime.

However, this was insignificant compared to the penalties the was enduring.

After all, how formidable could a god summoned through the self-sacrifice of a mere bishop be?

Indeed, the Theo now faced was far weaker than the overwhelming presence he had encountered when the entity had intruded on the consciousness of the district leader.

This must be but a fragment, perhaps a single facet or avatar of the original.

But that was enough.

The shackles Theo intended to impose on the entity with the help of the Magical Empress relied on mental attacks.

‘Which means it’s possible.’

Theo resolved not to let this arrogant situation slip through his fingers.

– Theo, you’ve always wanted to learn magic, haven’t you?

The Magical Empress had granted Theo ‘authority’ to access her Mental Domain.

Thus, he could now activate every chronograph within this world.

– Then try handling the . Feel out its system—it should be a great help to you.

Following her instructions, Theo closed his eyes briefly.

[‘Skill: Hatchling Synchronization’ is activating and attempting to connect to the relevant world.]

[Authorization inherited from the founder has been confirmed. The winding of the clockwork is now possible.]

Just as Theo had reached out to the magical uplifting currents that supported the Floating Archipelago, he now felt as though his fingertips were touching the cogs of a clockwork mechanism.

At the same time, fragments of the Magical Empress’s lingering thoughts poured into his mind like an unstoppable tide.

All the events Cassandra had endured as the Magical Empress: misfortunes, despair, setbacks, and heartaches.

Yet through those endless struggles, a magical system had been painstakingly crafted—a system that now unfurled before Theo.

It resembled a colossal tree.

A tree so vast and towering that its branches seemed to pierce the heavens.

At the roots of the tree lay the countless theses and magical knowledge the Magical Empress had studied over the years. Along its trunk, the essential frameworks had risen, and in the leaves resided the unique spells created through these foundations.

It seemed that the Magical Empress had wanted to show this tree to Theo.

Although Theo’s comprehension couldn’t possibly grasp all of it, even glimpsing a fraction of this tree allowed him to reach a new realm of magic.

At the same time—

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock!

Chronographs appeared beneath the advancing tide of monsters.

Theo felt the clockwork mechanism in his fingers.

Without hesitation, he turned the mechanism counterclockwise.

The monsters vanished like phantoms.

『Oh, how entertaining!』

The ’s gaze glimmered with fascination.

Another swarm of monsters poured forth.

But they too disappeared in the blink of an eye as the chronograph activated again.

『Hahaha! How amusing! Truly amusing! A being displaced from the axis of time now meddling with time itself! Is this another paradox birthed by a warped space-time?』

-What nonsense is he babbling now!

-We don’t even seem to exist to him, do we?

-Looks like we need to give him a lesson he won’t forget to jog his memory!

While the burst into maddened laughter, the Dragon Fang Corps had already latched onto his body, launching a fierce assault.

Aura flashed brightly.

Cuts of varying sizes tore through the black mist, causing black ichor to gush out like waterfalls.

Some of the swordsmen hurled the spears mounted on their backs high into the air.

With resounding shockwaves, holes were punched into the area where they guessed his head might be, and bolts of lightning crashed down from the skies.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE!

CRASH!

To amplify the damage inflicted, the chronograph’s effect on the accelerated the injuries inflicted.

And then—

『Beloved one. You’ve been up to such adorable mischief, haven’t you?』

Within Theo’s mind, Lodbrok was observing the unfolding scene with great amusement.

Seeing the subordinates of a former Chosen brought forth a flood of old memories.

‘Perfect timing, Loddy.’

『Heh, are you about to use me for something again?』

‘You wouldn’t happen to need more materials for your heart, would you?’

『Oh?』

‘I believe the lingering thoughts within this Deluded God could provide sufficient energy if purified.’

『What? Pahahahaha!』

Lodbrok let out a laugh of disbelief.

To think he would suggest consuming even a fragment of the !

『Hey! You shouldn’t eat spoiled things so carelessly!』

‘But it’s tempting, isn’t it? Are you hesitant?’

Lodbrok realized Theo was being serious.

Her voice turned solemn.

『That thing is the antithesis of our kind. Its efficiency isn’t particularly great.』

‘So, it’s not impossible, you’re saying. Understood. I’ll give it a try.’

『Fine. Let’s try it. If it works as you hope… perhaps I can finally put an end to this tiresome life in the cave.』

Muttering faintly, Lodbrok began attempting manifestation.

[Lodbrok’s spiritual body descends!]

Like the , Lodbrok could only manifest a fragment of herself, but that alone was sufficient.

A radiant flash streaked through the sky, and a massive dragon descended, pinning the beneath her enormous weight.

ROAAAAAR!

The ancient dragon let out a thunderous roar.

-That…!

-Isn’t that our guardian dragon?

-Hahaha! I’ve only seen Lodbrok twice before, and now I get to see her again like this!

The morale of the Dragon Fang Corps soared to new heights.

Theo gripped the blade of the Drake tightly and leapt from Umbra.

Simultaneously, his eyes filled with spiritual essence.

The core embedded within the body of the became visible.

‘That’s the target—’

Theo raised the blade of the Drake and channeled all his magical power into it.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP!

With every pounding of his heart, the white light surrounding Theo grew denser, transforming into a massive sun-like radiance.

‘I’ll pierce it—’

And as the sun split in half—

SLASH!

A lightning strike more intense than ever before, a dragon’s flash, and a radiant trajectory struck the .

BOOOOOOM!

The dark mist shattered and scattered in all directions, revealing the core hidden beneath. The blade of the Drake plunged more than halfway into it.

The core was its eye.

Drip, drip!

A giant pupil, black blood trickling from it, stared downward, grotesque and chilling in its presence.

『You’re just going to settle for breaking my core? That’s not it, is it?』

Its expression suggested an expectation of something even more entertaining, as if breaking the core alone wouldn’t suffice.

Beneath his helmet, Theo’s eyes also glinted with a smile.

“Of course not.”

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock—

At that moment, a chronograph appeared where the blade was embedded.

“I’m going to ‘trap’ your time, Deluded God.”

『Trap my time?』

“Yeah. If I can ‘pause’ your consciousness, it should deal a blow to your main body as well. A paused consciousness… I imagine your followers would find that delightful.”

『The amount of time you could pause me for would only be a fleeting moment, wouldn’t it?』

“Of course. But.”

Theo’s lips twisted into a grin.

“To us, your fleeting moment is incredibly long. Long enough for us to grow strong enough to take you down.”

『So you’re trying to buy time. An excellent idea.』

“Let’s see if you’ll still be laughing when you return.”

『You are—』

Theo drove the blade even deeper until the hilt pressed against the core.

Puuuk!

『You always show me something amusing each time we meet. Lodbrok, it seems your remaining twilight years won’t be boring. I must say, I envy you for that.』

At the same time, the chronograph’s hands spun wildly before halting precisely at twelve.

『I wonder how entertaining it’ll be the next time we meet. An amusing pleasure found in this tiresome loop…』

The ’s laughter abruptly cut off.

And then—

Crunch!

Lodbrok tore into the core and devoured it whole.

With a faint chuckle, she remarked:

『Well, in my opinion, the next time you meet your beloved, you won’t be laughing, but crying instead.』

At that moment, the clockwork world collapsed.

* * *

“What… what have I been doing all this time…?”

The halted gears of the clock began falling one by one.

Thud! Thud!

The gears shattered into pieces upon hitting the ground, and the cracks spreading through the sky now engulfed the clock face below as well.

Ode watched the scene in despair.

She had already lost so much blood, her heart impaled by the Moon-White Sword and the Dragon Slayer Sword long ago, making it no surprise that death was imminent.

And yet, she was still breathing—perhaps because of the heights she had reached during her life.

Or maybe, just maybe…

The scene she was looking at now was the one she had always dreamed of since childhood. Perhaps that was why she didn’t want to let it go.

-Grandpa, Grandpa!

-Oh, my little one. Well now, what brings you to your old grandpa?

-Tell me that story! The one where the captain went Bam! and then Boom, boom, boom!

-Hmm? Oh! You mean the legend of this mausoleum?

-Yes! I want to hear it again.

-Hahaha. You little rascal. I’ve already told it twice today.

-But it’s so fun no matter how many times I hear it!

While other children played sword fights or with dolls, Ode’s favorite pastime was listening to the stories of the gravekeeper legends.

There was nothing as exciting and entertaining as the tales of ancestors fighting against the great demon king bent on destroying the world.

So, even after she succeeded her late grandfather as a gravekeeper and became the inheritor of the Black Ice Ten-Thousand Jade Moon, she always wished to become one of the legendary members of the Resolution Squad.

And now, right there, the legendary squad from those stories was alive and breathing.

A sight she had always longed for, even in her dreams.

But—

There was no place for her among them.

Instead, it was Theo who stood there.

“……”

Ode slowly lowered her head.

Yes, the one meant to stand there had always been someone else.

She had simply longed for a place that was never hers to claim.

-We all know how much you’ve been through.

Suddenly, a gentle hand stroked Ode’s head.

She slowly lifted her head.

Through her hair, matted with blood and tears, she saw a swordsman with a helmet pressed low, looking down at her.

-We were watching when you were born. When you took your first steps. When your first word was “Grandpa.” When you had your first love at fifteen. We’ve seen it all.

For some reason, his face resembled her grandfather’s.

-You. Your grandfather. And his grandfather before him… We were all watching.

It felt as though her hardships, her struggles, her wishes had not been in vain.

A single tear slid down Ode’s cheek.

-You and your ancestors are no different from us. You are proud swordsmen of the Dragon Fang Corps. I want you to know that your sacrifices were never in vain. Thanks to you, we’ve never been lonely, and we’ve had such a good time.

Every heartfelt word settled warmly in Ode’s chest.

And as her head slowly lowered again, an ephemeral smile graced her lips.