A Regressor's Bucket List Chapter 92

Shrug— “No comment.” “……” To Loxy's question, ‘Are you really the Resurrected One from the prophecy?’, U-jin withheld his answer. He merely shrugged, refusing to answer. However, Loxy didn't look particularly disappointed. Rather, she just wore a bitter smile, as if she had expected as much. “I didn’t think you’d tell me that easily.” “It’s about time you got used to it, right?” “…It seems so. I suppose.” With a sigh, as if shaking off her tension, Loxy changed the subject and asked U-jin. “Your furlough is two days… so are you going back the day after tomorrow?” Loxy, who was standing beside U-jin watching Shim Cheong, suddenly threw a question at him. “No, I’ll sleep here tonight and go back tomorrow.” “……” “There’s travel time, and the final trial is tomorrow.” The Order's Inquisitor. As Leonardo Louis Burton had declared in front of U-jin, the trial's outcome was already as good as decided. Of course, since the judgment was entirely at the judge's discretion, there could be differences in the length of the sentence he had to serve in the Darkest Dungeon. But at the very least, the fact that U-jin would be sentenced to ‘underground imprisonment’ was an unchangeable fact. Because of this, some might think. Since it's all decided anyway, can't the process be skipped? ‘…….’ But that was impossible. Of course, given the limited time, U-jin would have wanted to skip the Order's procedures if possible, but if the procedure could have been skipped in the first place, he wouldn't have needed to go on trial under the charge of Hero-slaying. If there had been another way to get in there, he probably wouldn't have taken such a risk to cause this incident. ‘…….’ The Darkest Dungeon was one of the many spaces in the Upper Plane that the Order managed with the utmost care. And because of its extraordinary inherent danger, the only existing option to enter it was to receive an underground imprisonment sentence at the final appeal trial. That's why he took the risk of cutting off that guy's arm. …Well, of course. Since it was an act of self-defense, he didn't think cutting off the arm of a man whose name he couldn't even remember was wrong. “…I’ll try praying hard. So please try your best to come back seriously injured somewhere.” To U-jin's reply that he would leave tomorrow after spending the night, Loxy threw a half-joking, half-serious curse. “Or well… I'd be even happier if you came back in something like a coffin.” Smirk— “I’ll try my best.” U-jin nonchalantly took her curse as a blessing. A brief silence fell. This time, U-jin asked. “I’m surprised you haven’t run away yet.” “……” “I secretly thought you might.” He hadn't particularly intended to lead her on, but U-jin thought it wouldn't be strange for Loxy to run away while he was on trial and imprisoned for the crime of Hero-slaying. Of course, since he had carved the ancient priestess's seal on Loxy, she wouldn't have been able to easily leave the host body of Kim Sia. Even so, if she had left with the body as it was, tracking and finding her again would have been quite a hassle for U-jin. Honestly, if she had run away like that, it wouldn't have been impossible to find her. But considering U-jin wasn't in a situation where he had the leisure to spend extra time searching for her, he thought it was a strategy worth trying. “Isn't that too harsh? I thought we were on the same side now.” “…I don't think it's particularly harsh to say to someone who's waiting for my obituary as a 'blessing'.” Smirking at U-jin's retort, Loxy shook her head. “Honestly, I'm still debating it… but I can't seem to bring myself to do it.” “……” “I have nowhere to go in my current situation anyway. And even if I went back to the Demon King's Territory… I'd probably be killed on the spot if I caught ‘his’ eye.” It was only natural. Having already been branded a 'turncoat' in Isaac Einstein's eyes, there was no way Loxy could regain her original position by returning to the Demon King's Territory. Rather, her existence would likely put pressure on the social standing of the entire Succubus clan within the Demon King's Territory. From Loxy's personal perspective, she was more than 99% certain it would be a death sentence. Even if she were lucky enough to survive, the best she could hope for was to be locked up in Einstein's White House, becoming a test subject to be toyed with. Smirk— “Then, since you're waiting anyway, wait a little longer.” “……” “When I get back, there'll be a role for you in the 'Demon King Hunt'.” * * * Creeak— “…Are you asleep?” Late at night, with the moon high. Loxy, who had been tossing and turning in her room for a while, sought out U-jin's room. “……” There was no answer. Unable to tell if he had heard her and wasn't answering, or if he was asleep and hadn't heard, Loxy knocked on the already open door and called out to the lying U-jin. Knock knock— “Hey.” “……” “I asked if you're really asleep.” Again, there was no answer. “I guess you really are asleep… I totally expected you to be standing at the door or answer as if you already knew…” U-jin, who had fallen into a completely defenseless sleep, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor. Loxy scratched her head with a perplexed expression. “I was just going to ask what that role you mentioned earlier was.” Thump— With a deep sigh, Loxy leaned against the door and crouched down. She then looked up at the ceiling and lamented her situation as if giving a confession. “…What kind of mess have I gotten myself into.” The reason Loxy hadn't been able to sleep and had been tossing and turning was because her mind was filled with thoughts. Her life as a Succubus—born as a low-ranking Demonic Species, chosen by the Demon King's Army's strategist, and making her way to the Gateway Zone—was certainly not ordinary. But being caught in the clutches of a Regressor and playing on the good side (?) felt like it was on a whole other level of deviation. How on earth did she end up here? “My dream was just to bewitch a few awesome humans, get a name, and maybe enter the Demon King's Palace.” Sigh— “…Instead, I got dragged around by some weird human and ended up getting a name from him.” Sighing once more as she looked at the face of U-jin, sleeping peacefully, oblivious to her thoughts, Loxy shook her head and muttered. “…A Demon King Hunt… I really don't know anymore. What on earth am I supposed to do…” It was then. Ziiiing—! “……!” A strange vibration was suddenly felt from behind her right ear. Loxy felt the hair on her entire body stand on end. It was because she immediately recognized the identity of the Mana she felt from behind her ear. She could clearly tell it was the Mana that had choked her in the Gateway Zone, the Mana that had encroached upon the nightmare she had fabricated. The source of that eerie energy flaring up from behind her right ear was undoubtedly U-jin. Realizing that U-jin had caught her lamenting, Loxy gave an awkward laugh and made an excuse. “So, uh… I take back the part about some weird human.” “……” “Hehe… I was just flustered! I'm a Succubus, you know, so I got flustered… And I really love the name! Loxy! How pretty is that. Where in the world is there a name as pretty as Loxy Heart……” However, Loxy's excuses, which had been pouring out like a floodgate had burst, did not last long and came to a halt. Saegeun— “……” The reason was simple. It was because she realized that U-jin hadn't woken up from hearing her lament. U-jin had been sleeping soundly from before until now. In the same position, with the same expression. “Then……” Frowning deeply at the even more incomprehensible situation, Loxy unconsciously brought her hand to the back of her ear. And at that moment. Paaat—! The Mana from U-jin that she felt behind her ear swallowed a gulp of Loxy's Mana and pulled out a strand of purple Mana. That line of Mana moved, writhing around like a living snake. The place the line of Mana arrived at was none other than U-jin's head. “This is……” The line of Mana connecting U-jin's head and the back of Loxy's ear soon created a taut tension, and at the same time, Loxy felt her five senses grow dull and submerged. For Loxy, it was an incredibly familiar feeling. This was the unique sensation she had felt countless times when she entered other people's minds. …That's right. The unknown line of Mana connected to the back of Loxy's ear was leading her into U-jin's dream. However, unlike her usual , what was different this time was that she was in a passive position, unable to exert any influence of her own. Paaat—! In an instant, her vision flickered and her point of view changed. A first-person protagonist's point of view, unfolding from U-jin's vision. The unknown line of Mana connecting Loxy and U-jin had caused Loxy to possess U-jin within the dream. 『…So this is the place.』 Looking at the place that came into view, the first emotions Loxy felt were familiarity, unfamiliarity, and an unidentifiable anxiety. The unique dark and chaotic energy of the Demon King's Territory was familiar, while the grand and formal atmosphere of the Order was unfamiliar. The fear of the unknown created by the mixture of the two created a sense of anxiety. For her, it was a space with an atmosphere she had never experienced before. If she had to pick a place with a similar atmosphere from what she knew, it would probably be the 'Demon King's Palace'. …Of course. Loxy herself, who had this thought, had never actually set foot in the Demon King's Palace. 『…….』 A palace, an altar. The identity of the grand place seemed to be one of the two. With the modifier probably being something like 'jet-black'. Because everything, from the giant throne in the center to the pillars, walls, and floor on all sides, was shrouded in dark shadows. Having entered the dream without context, she naturally couldn't know the detailed circumstances, but it didn't seem like that was its actual color. How should I put it? Rather than its color being black, it felt like everything within the hall was enveloped in a black aura. ‘…….’ The reflection of U-jin on the sword blade he was holding showed clear signs of exhaustion. There were no prominent external wounds, but he didn't seem to be in a good state. Seeing his hair and clothes soaked in blood, it looked as though he had been wounded in battle but had roughly recovered due to his unique regenerative ability. Since she had seen him like this once before in Shandong, it wasn't difficult to deduce his condition. Sweep— U-jin's gaze, having swept across the hall once, looked upon the throne. 『…Still, I managed to find you somehow. I was so curious to see what your face looked like.』 『…….』 『Nice to meet you.』 Or rather. To be more precise. 『…Demon King.』 He was addressing the being sitting on that throne.