Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 416

416―――――

No Hope

Waaahhhhh!―

“···.”

In the relatively high-positioned camp of the Holy Prussen, Sha watched her allies fall, sighed, and closed her eyes.

‘Not a single one of those who should be holding up the sky is visible.

Which means···.’

The top-tier Celestials, who always held up the sky in battles against the Mazoku [demons] and rained down the fury of light upon them, were nowhere to be seen today, until the battle ended in a complete defeat for the allies.

That meant only one thing: those who had left to hunt Kim Yu-hyeon had been hunted down and destroyed by him instead.

‘Should I have gone with them?

Hesitation comes first, but I hide it.’

Sha shook her head, cutting off her thoughts.

Those who had advanced with unwavering faith in their hearts had all been defeated.

Given the situation, after confirming the true nature of those they believed to be sinners, and with so many doubts about this battle, and even about the task itself,
if she had gone with them, she would have only hindered their fight instead of helping.

“Over there!
The monsters are swarming towards the sinners again!”

“Those fools tried to use the Mazoku and got tricked.

Foolish ones!”

The few who were guarding the camp with her made ridiculous claims that the monsters appearing at crucial moments meant the sinners were trying to use the Mazoku but were being betrayed instead.

However, Sha did not believe that a man named Sion Clausen was that foolish.

If they were truly foolish, why would they have released her without killing her at the very moment Lilith was present, an incomprehensible action? And what made them think they could use monsters that even the Mazoku couldn’t control?

Sha found it more believable that they were colluding with the Mazoku to attack them, as they claimed.

‘Of course, Cha wouldn’t have done that.

Then, the most likely scenario is that the Mazoku, unable to persuade them, are launching a surprise attack, aiming for the moment when the humans and our Celestial forces are at their weakest.’

If the enemies were truly planning to kill them all, they would have joined hands with the Mazoku.

And then, they would have unleashed a fierce attack without an inch of mercy.

But they had brought the war this far with their own strength and ultimately secured victory.

In that desperate yet somehow sacred 모습 [sight/figure], Sha momentarily thought that they might be waging a true holy war.

―Before the gray is shaped, you will stand, and finally, you will be the light.

―

The task given to them resurfaced in her mind.

At first, it meant turning the entire world into gray ashes and creating a new world.

Then, it was God’s prophecy that they would hear about what light is from Sion Clausen, who was full of gray.

And now, at this moment, Sha thought that the task might mean this.

‘Gray is none other than them, those who want to go to the light but cannot reach it because they are struggling to fit themselves into the mold of this world and survive, constantly flowing into darkness.

Yet, they try to escape from it and wait for someone to guide them from the gray, which is neither light nor darkness, truly the boundary.

The moment they fulfill the duty of guiding them, that person becomes the true light.

That might be the task given to us.’

If they were truly descendants of light, dignified and without any shame before them,
they would not have shouted that they were disappointed and refused to rise.

If the Celestials were truly descendants of light, they would not have faced such great resistance.

In the end, Sha thought that everything happened because they were lacking, not shining enough, not being good enough, and not being just enough.

“Lu, Lord Lu!”

At the sudden scream, Sha quickly turned her head.

There, the top-tier Celestial, Lu, in a miserable state, was staggering towards them as if about to collapse.

“Lu!”

Sha rushed to him, and Lu, recognizing her face, gave a hollow smile before collapsing on the spot.

“Lu, Lu.

Get a grip.

Lu.”

His appearance, which was clearly not good even from a distance, was even more severe than imagined.

His body was covered in countless wounds, and most of all, his wings, which always radiated nobility as a top-tier Celestial, were all cut off, leaving only the roots barely remaining.

Covered in blood, it created a grotesque atmosphere, and his eyes were even glazed over, making it as humiliating and terrible as it could be.

“···What on earth have we been doing?”

Hugging Sha, Lu murmured in a pathetic voice.

As if unable to understand, as if not knowing, he opened his mouth and continued in a trembling voice.

“I couldn’t save anyone.

Endo, who was caught in their hands, was eventually killed by that monster.

I couldn’t stop it, and I couldn’t save her.

We, who were descendants of light, what a disgrace.

To a mere human, to a fairy, to a beastkin···.”

Lu couldn’t speak any further and lost consciousness.

His body was already covered in wounds, and he had lost too much blood, even for a Celestial.

The severe shock to his body and mind made it impossible for him to even move, yet he had walked all the way back here, so it was only natural that he would completely collapse.

“···No, Lu.

Rather, maybe, maybe this is right.”

Light does not discriminate between high and low, nor does it distinguish between nobility and baseness.

It does not avoid or curse a place because it is dark and damp, nor does it try to eliminate it.

Light only shines and warmly embraces.

The choice is only up to those who see the light, and it cannot be forced.

The moment it forces, light is no longer light but rather the evil they despise the most.

‘Not a mere human.

Not a beastkin, not a fairy.

We should have embraced and led them as if they were the lowest in the world, and thought of them.

Yes.

Perhaps the task given to us was a trial to look back at ourselves.

And that man named Sion Clausen might have been an angel of God to judge our arrogance.’

Sha, stroking Lu’s face, who had completely lost consciousness, with a bitter expression, opened her mouth, looking at the few remaining Celestials and the knights and fairies of the Holy Prussen.

“We are retreating.

Out of Nudia, to the Holy Prussen [a region/country].

We will retreat all the way to the sanctuary.”

“Sha, Lord Sha!”

“That’s too hasty a decision!

We can still fight more.

Just give the order.

If we don’t inflict more damage on them, those vicious beings, drunk on victory, will invade the Holy Prussen beyond Nudia!”

“We have already made great sacrifices.

Yet, we only call ourselves light, and we have not received any signs of agreement from them.”

“That’s just because they are corrupted···.”

“No.”

Sha shook her head coldly and continued.

“We are wrong.

We were not the ones.

Everything we have taken for granted until now.

Everything that we thought was light.”

―

The battle ended in a great victory for the coalition.

Although the encirclement weakened at the last minute due to the monsters’ surprise attack, and quite a few managed to escape through the gap, the number did not reach even thousands.

The plains were littered with tens of thousands of corpses, including those from the Holy Prussen, fanatics gathered from various places, radical fairies who followed the Celestials, and even the Celestials who claimed to be descendants of light.

The end of those who had confidently stepped forward with the banner of judging the fallen sinners for the sake of light was too shabby and miserable.

“Careful, careful!

Don’t handle the enemy’s corpses carelessly!

If you do it carelessly, you’ll only be more tired later!”

This was the land of Nudia, so if the corpses were not cleared away, they would rot and start to smell, and eventually, an epidemic would break out.

Therefore, the corpses of allies were buried in a suitable place, and the corpses of enemies were dug into pits, gathered in a certain number, and burned to ashes.

Crack!

Crack!―.

Human, fairy, Celestial.

Everything equally turns into a handful of ashes, scattering as smoke.

Too futile and miserable to be seen as the end of those who claimed to be the sacred will of light.

They hadn’t realized it when they were fighting so fiercely, but now that everything was over, even the victors couldn’t hide the emptiness that suddenly came over them.

Clatter, clatter―.

Someone rode a horse and entered the area.

And after a while, the soldiers of Hispania were the first to stop what they were doing and show the utmost respect to the man who appeared on horseback.

Following them, the beastkins, the fairies, and finally the soldiers of Nudia.

The object of respect for everyone, regardless of race or nation, was Sion Clausen.

“I am proud of you.”

The first words were a bright smile along with the words, “I am proud of you.”

However, the next words and expression were the opposite.

“And, I am sorry to you.”

Instead of the shouts and screams that had filled the place, only the crackling of the flames being consumed was heard.

In that place, Sion’s mournful voice felt more pathetic and powerless than ever.

“Let us thank those who have left, who have allowed us to prove that we are the true descendants of light.

And let us be wary of ourselves so that we do not harbor other thoughts in this war that is not yet over.

Do you understand?”

Not yet over, those words rekindled a small flame in the hearts of those who had become gloomy.

Yes, as he said, it is not over yet.

Reports had come in that the enemies were quickly retreating from Nudia and fleeing to the Holy Prussen.

In this situation, they could end the war, but that would not be cost-effective.

As long as they were alive, those guys would forget what they had done and continue to insult the light with the ridiculous claim that they were still descendants of light.

That should not be, so the lives of all those who had sacrificed themselves up to this point would be meaningless.

Therefore, they must be completely erased from this world.

If not, they must open the door themselves and admit their ‘sin’ and that they were not descendants of light, but simply beings who wanted to follow the light.

They must admit that they are no different from humans, beastkins, and fairies.

Only then will everything truly end.

“You have arrived.”

After comforting the soldiers, Sion entered the command tent.

There, the Hispanian command, led by Ludwig, the northern warriors represented by Zhan and Eos, the beastkin command centered on King Gus, the fairies centered on Sirien, and finally the Nudian command were all gathered.

“Report.”

At Sion’s words, Ludwig bowed his head and pointed to the map, opening his mouth.

“The enemy has been almost annihilated in the battle two days ago.

According to reports from the griffins and scouts, the number of those who survived and began to retreat towards the Holy Prussen is less than a few thousand in total.

Since they had already scraped together all the forces of the Holy Prussen, the possibility of their forces growing again even if they return to the Holy Prussen is very low.

The fanatics who said they would follow them have disappeared as if nothing had happened as soon as their defeat was confirmed.”

“The Celestials liked those things as their flock.

I wonder what they liked about them so much that they followed them.”

At King Gus’s grumbling, the beastkins nodded in unison.

Naturally, they, who dreamed of a paradise where all living things could play, could not think well of the Celestials who suddenly said that their task was to burn everything and turn it into ashes.

“Zhan.

What is the scale of damage to the northern warriors?”

“The enemy’s resistance was not easy, so many men and horses were hurt.

Of course, if your order is given, I can’t say that I can’t chase at all, but the number is not large and it won’t last long.

Above all, this climate is not very suitable for our warriors or horses, so they are having a hard time.”

“I understand.

The sacrifice was greater because you blocked the monsters, so the pursuit is impossible.”

“Lord Sion Clausen.

Our fairies can still move.

We can pursue.”

Sirien raised her hand slightly and opened her mouth.

It was very surprising and grateful that the fairies came forward first.

However, Sion refused, citing a valid reason and a reason that seemed to consider them.

“The fairies have already fought a great battle.

It is said that they have completely separated from the Celestials now, but there are still fairies and Celestials among them.

Making them handle them with only the hands of the fairies will have a bad effect on everyone.

Above all, it will not be very welcome or honorable for the fairy warriors.”

“···Thank you for your concern.”

“I will only accept your heart, Sirien.”

The beastkin and Nudian armies were naturally in a situation where rest was inevitable.

While the Hispanian army was holding out, they launched attacks after attacks without taking care of their bodies to pressure the left and right sides of the enemy, so they were in a situation where injuries and fatigue were at their peak.

They might end up completely exhausted before chasing the enemy, so Sion eventually withdrew their opinion to pursue.

“Then, Commander.

Will you not pursue the enemies?”

“···.”

“They are weakened, have lost all their pillars, and are collapsing on their own.

If you don’t strike the final blow at this time, they will return to the Holy Prussen.

Among them, they will hole up in the sanctuary, which can be called a fortress, and reorganize their ranks.

If that happens, the damage to the allies may be even greater.”

Ludwig was urging Sion to end it here.

It was a bit of a pity for the soldiers, but if they couldn’t end it here for sure, this war would eventually be prolonged, and the damage would be borne by them.

“Of course, if we force ourselves to pursue the enemies now, there will be no more fighting or any resistance.

But Ludwig.

Why did we fight them?

Why did we come all the way here and shed blood?”

“That’s···.”

“That’s because they were wrong.

That’s because they were wrong.

We were trying not to follow the same path as them.

They were self-confident and arrogant, taking everything lightly, and eventually destroyed themselves.

The result of those who call themselves light wielding power without understanding or mercy proves it.”

Sion paused for a moment and looked around.

“Let’s not do that.

Let’s understand and show at least a minimum of mercy.

That is the best teaching and our greatness that can be shown to the foolish as true descendants of light.

If they still do not repent of their sins, then we can end it then.

What we need to do now is not to run wild like them, but to take care of those who are suffering, crying, and falling, and move forward slowly.

Let’s not make the same mistakes as them.

At least today, let’s comfort those who have lost their comrades, honor those who have left, and also take care of ourselves who have worked hard.”

They are the ones who stood up and fought under the pretext of being the light.

If that pretext is damaged, it is obvious that it will have a negative impact on everything in the future.

Therefore, Sion chose to take a breather here for the time being.

‘War is ultimately an extension of competition to gain profits.

There’s no need to force it and take losses.

Slowly, and get everything you can get.’

With a kind expression and words that were so kind that he could be called a saint, his thoughts were not right at all.

―――――――Author’s Note―――――――

It’s not over yet!

Our Sion is a guy who goes even more crazy after the war!

Stay tense!