A Regressor's Bucket List Chapter 76

“Is that… it?” At U-jin’s taunt that wasn’t quite a taunt, as he looked up and asked. For a moment, a surge of anger welled up from deep within Jegal Cheon’s chest, but. Jegal Cheon quickly suppressed the rising emotion and cleared his chaotic mind. ‘…….’ His combat senses, honed through countless battlefields, were telling him. That this was not an opponent he could face carelessly, just as he pleased. Despite clearly having the upper hand in every objective metric, and despite being the one to initiate the fight. In the end, it was U-jin who was leading the flow of battle. He couldn't tell exactly what trick U-jin had pulled, but it was an undeniable fact that he had already been manipulated this much according to the other's will. ‘…This fight cannot continue any longer.’ The battle was dragging on for much longer than he had initially thought. So far, the ‘Heavenly Demon’ hadn't shown any signs of intervening, but it wouldn't be strange if she changed her stance and jumped in at any moment. Even if she didn't interfere, considering what would come after, giving her time to recover was something Jegal Cheon absolutely had to prevent. ‘…….’ Moreover, there was another individual on that side who appeared to be of Hero-level strength. No matter how he looked at it, the longer the situation dragged on, the more dangerous it became for his side. Sseup- Therefore, Jegal Cheon made a decision. He had been refraining from ‘using skills’ to save them for cutting down the Heavenly Demon. But it seemed he couldn't win against this opponent that way. Fuwu- The unique breathing method of the Hwasan (Mount Hua) Sect. The distinct pattern Namgung Soso had shown just before shouting ‘Plum Blossom Dance’ was now present in his breathing. He began to slowly raise the Tachi, gripped with both hands, above his head. Fshhhh- Simultaneously, with the explosive rotation of his Mana Circuit, residual mana flowed out. That indigo mana swirled around Jegal Cheon's feet, forming a circular vortex. To anyone watching, it was clearly the precursor to an extraordinary skill. So much so that one could be certain the moment the strike landed successfully, the battle between the two would conclude. However, U-jin's eyes as he watched were indifferent. “…….” It was unclear whether he intended to dodge, or if he was planning to take the hit. U-jin watched Jegal Cheon with an impassive expression, as if observing someone else's business. Just like before. From his spot. Without moving a single step. Vrrr- How much time had passed like that? Under U-jin's irresponsible inaction, all the time Jegal Cheon needed passed. Jegal Cheon's Tachi, now saturated with mana, began to hum—vrrr—as it started to draw a specific mana pattern. “…Plum Blossom Sword Style, Third Form.” Soon, the pattern was complete. Jegal Cheon's strongest sword strike was swung towards U-jin. “…Plum Blossom Annihilation.” [ is activated.] SWOOOOSH-! The Tachi, raised to its limit in Jegal Cheon's hands, reached its apex with his chant and plunged down without delay. The mana-infused sword strike, cleaving through the heavy air, left a massive afterimage as it rushed to bisect U-jin's head. ‘……?’ And in that fleeting moment. The very moment he should have been cheering in triumph, certain of ‘victory’ from the successful activation of his skill, the emotion that struck Jegal Cheon's heart was. Ironically, ‘fear’. An inexplicable chill. ‘…But why.’ It was an emotion he had rarely felt after becoming a Hero and reaching a certain level, so he couldn't immediately define it. But it was unmistakably the emotion of 'fear'. The emergence of such an unusual emotion was difficult for Jegal Cheon to comprehend, but. Strangely, the cause of that terror seemed self-evident. ‘…….’ U-jin. To be precise, U-jin's unchanging ‘reaction’ was the cause. From the preparation of the skill to the sword strike swung at its activation. From U-jin's indifferent gaze, watching the sword descend upon his head without moving a single step. His subconscious combat senses, honed through countless battlefields, judged that something was going terribly wrong. That something was strange. Even if he couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was certain that something was amiss. And Jegal Cheon's intuition. In the 'slight anomaly' that occurred the moment his sword touched U-jin's head. It became 'reality'. Krrrrrk- It was nothing much. U-jin, who hadn't moved at all until the moment Jegal Cheon's all-out strike reached his head. Just before the sword made contact, he slightly tilted his head. That was all. A trivial, insignificant movement, almost embarrassing to call an 'anomaly'. That was really it. The problem was. “…If you came at me ready to take my head.” …that the result of that utterly trivial movement was anything but trivial. CLANG-! “…You must have been prepared to lose an arm, right?” * * * ‘Jegal Cheon of Hwasan.’ The face of the man who had arrived here leading a thousand soldiers was quite familiar to Namgung Soso. And for good reason. Because back when she was in Hwasan, Jegal Cheon had been her direct senior who instigated discrimination against her for the sole reason that she was from the ‘Shandong Peninsula’, a former garrison of the Demonic Cult. They had in common that they were both heirs to families that had been wiped out during the Righteous-Demonic War, but she remembered him clearly because he was different from her in every other aspect. His personality. The path he had walked. …And the martial power he possessed. ‘…How on earth.’ Therefore, Namgung Soso could not easily accept the situation unfolding before her eyes. “…If you came at me ready to take my head. You must have been prepared to lose an arm, right?” “Kughh…” He had a difficult personality and was a selfish man, but. His skill was undeniably real, so much so that among his peers within Hwasan, Jegal Cheon had no rival. Moreover, around the time Namgung Soso left Hwasan, he had been recognized for his skill and achievements and had even achieved the rank of a 2-star Hero. And yet, to think that one of such a man's arms was cut off so easily. …Even though she had clearly witnessed what happened right before her eyes, Namgung Soso couldn't immediately comprehend the fact. ‘…….’ Staring at the incomprehensible sight, Namgung Soso replayed the recent events in her mind. She could clearly read the flow of the battle up until the sudden shift in atmosphere and the exchange of a few blows. Until then, Namgung Soso had been planning to wait for the right timing and jump in to stop them when the battle reached a lull. However, the flow of the battle progressed faster than she had anticipated. Jegal Cheon, who had briefly withdrawn his blade, assumed a familiar stance, and with the words ‘Plum Blossom Annihilation’ muttered from his lips, his mana-filled sword rushed towards U-jin. And, the moment that descending blade touched U-jin's head. That was the moment. …The moment the incomprehensible ‘anomaly’ occurred. A krrrrrrk- sound. A scraping noise, like metal grinding against metal, rang out as Jegal Cheon's sword, which had been brought down in a perfect vertical slash, began to crack. Soon after, with a clang-, the massive Tachi shattered. And U-jin sliced off Jegal Cheon's right arm as it tilted diagonally, having lost control of the broken sword. …That was the end of it. After the anomaly that happened in the blink of an eye. Jegal Cheon, having lost his right arm, was clutching his shoulder and screaming. U-jin was looking down on him with the same indifferent eyes as before. ‘…….’ Even Namgung Soso, who had been watching the entire scene, couldn't tell exactly why Jegal Cheon's sword had broken. In the first place, it was rare for a Tachi of that size to break, and it was certain that Jegal Cheon had been leading the flow of the battle right up until that ‘anomaly’ occurred. Even she, who had witnessed the entire sequence of events, found it difficult to pinpoint and explain how the tide of battle, which had been so one-sided, could suddenly turn and lead to the conclusion of ‘an arm being severed’. It was just that. ‘…….’ Based on the bizarre metallic sound she heard at the end, she could only surmise that the small, black horn in the center of U-jin's forehead. Might have caused the anomaly. “Ah.” “Kugh-!” “On second thought, I don't think one arm is enough to settle the score.” The situation had already spiraled far beyond the point where she could mediate. What on earth had made him so angry? U-jin was now telling Jegal Cheon, who was already crying out in pain from his severed arm, that he would cut off the other one too. …His two companions standing nearby seemed to have no intention of stopping him. …Well. If it had been something that could be stopped by words in the first place, it probably wouldn't have gone as far as an arm being cut off. “…….” Grit- Because the fight had happened from a distance, and so suddenly. She didn't know the details or the exact circumstances between the two of them, but. ‘…I should have stopped them earlier.’ Namgung Soso was certain of one thing: the current battle had been caused by ‘some misunderstanding’ between the two. Therefore, she thought. This was her mistake. She shouldn't have waited for a lull in the fighting; she should have thrown herself in to stop them before things got to this point, even if it meant taking some risks. …And that self-blame, now settled in the center of her heart, led to the thought that she had to stop U-jin, even now. Ssk- Soon after, it made her raise her battle-weary body and take a step forward. “Wai—.” However. Her step, taken with great effort to stop the two, halted before she could even take a second. THUD-! …The reason was simple. “…That's enough. Mr. Seo U-jin.” “…….” The moment she took her first step, a heavy roar echoed as a cloud of dust erupted between the two men. And within the dust cloud, which soon cleared in the wind, stood a certain blond boy. “Any further, and things will get truly dangerous.” …Because it seemed he would be able to stop this situation. A smirk played on his lips. “…Didn't expect to see you here.” “…….” “Louis Button.”