Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 291

How do you fight a Mage? It was a question whispered in hushed tones around campfires, a question with no easy answer.

What is the best way to fight a Mage? No one knows for sure. Knights who become Aura users sometimes get special powers. But when someone becomes a Mage, they almost always get a new, special ability.

Also, Mana changes into Magic force. This makes spells much stronger. Only the Mage really knows how powerful they can be in a fight.

But if there is a best answer, it is this: ‘Attack fast and hard!’ Beat them before they can use their magic.

Viktor ran at Greg, then suddenly disappeared, like smoke in the wind. He reappeared right in front of the Mage.

“What!?” Greg thought.

Viktor was using his Ghostly Shadow skill with all his power. He moved so fast it shocked even Greg, who was a very strong knight.

Viktor swung his sword, trying to cut the Mage in one fast strike.

But… CLANG! CRACK! His sword hit something hard. A strange, grey wall of force had appeared. The sword made a small crack, but it didn’t break through.

Suddenly, Viktor vanished again. He reappeared behind the Mage – no, behind the other mages standing with the Mage.

“Behind!” Greg and Nat shouted at the same time. They were strong and could see Viktor move. The other knights were slower to react and started running towards Viktor.

The Mage slowly turned. But the other mages were too slow. They didn’t even see Viktor move.

*Snikt.* A grey blade flashed in a wide arc.

“……!”

The five mages gasped. Their bodies were cut in half at the waist. They fell to the ground in two parts, without even a scream.

“Damn it!”

“Get back!” The Mage yelled. Greg and the knights ran forward. It was chaos. Viktor saw the Mage’s lips curve into a smile under his hood. Viktor stopped attacking the other mages and disappeared again, like a ghost.

“Where do you think you’re going!” Nat shouted. He had been watching Viktor closely and knew where he was going. Nat moved fast as lightning towards the exit.

*He won’t get away!* Viktor was incredibly fast, but Nat could guess where he would go.

*We are at the same level!* Nat thought. He used his strongest attack, Meteor Shower, determined to stop Viktor.

*Whoosh! Tap tap tap!* Red balls of energy flew through the air, blocking Viktor’s path.

But then… *Snikt.* Nat jumped back, feeling a sudden cold fear. A grey blade just missed him, cutting his side slightly.

*Tch.* Viktor clicked his tongue, annoyed. He was about to attack again when suddenly, the dead mages exploded! Viktor was shocked. Blood should have sprayed out, but instead, it all rushed down on Viktor like heavy rain.

“Gasp!?”

*WHAM!* The blood and the grey blade crashed together, making a big explosion. Viktor stumbled back, surprised. Nat saw his chance and attacked Viktor from behind. At the same moment, Greg, his friend, jumped towards Viktor from the front.

“Terrible fear,” the Mage whispered. He pointed a finger at Viktor. The others just saw a faint grey glow at the Mage’s fingertip. But Viktor felt a wave of cold dread wash over him and he almost stopped moving.

“Now!” Greg shouted. He and Nat charged, their eyes bright with attack.

*Grind.* Viktor gritted his teeth. His sword flashed out again, faster than light.

*WHAM!* A huge explosion threw Greg and Nat backwards at the same time.

The Mage’s blue eyes shone. For a moment, his pale, old face was visible as his hood fell back a little.

“Interesting fighter!” the Mage said softly. “Block the exit.”

Greg and Nat were about to attack again, but they stopped when they heard the Mage. It saved Nat’s life.

*Swish.* A grey blade flashed past Nat’s throat, so close it almost touched his skin. He froze.

“Tch.” Viktor stumbled back, blood dripping from his mouth. He looked annoyed and a little sorry he missed.

Nat’s eyes became even colder. He felt a shiver of real fear.

*Is he as strong as me? Is he even stronger?* Goosebumps rose on his arms. Nat stopped at the door. He remembered his orders: block the exit. Greg seemed to think the same. He held his Sword Breaker, the saw-toothed sword, ready in front of the broken wall.

The other 18 knights couldn’t find a way to attack Viktor while Greg and Nat were fighting. They stood along the wall, surrounding Viktor. He couldn’t escape even if he broke through another wall. At least two knights would be there to stop him.

Viktor stopped. The seven mages behind the Mage started to glow with a strange, dark black light. But then,

“Wait,” the Mage said. Geroin, his face even paler than before, raised a hand as white as bone. The black light around the mages faded. Geroin pointed at Viktor, who was about to attack again. Viktor remembered the strange magic that had almost knocked him out. He focused his Force, ready to defend himself. But the Mage just smiled, threw back his hood, and showed his face.

“Let’s talk,” Geroin said. “You’re talented, but you’ve made a mistake.” Geroin was an old man. He might have been handsome once, if not for his strange blue eyes. He spoke suddenly, changing the mood completely.

Viktor didn’t want to listen to the Mage. But he needed time. The Mage’s magic had made his head spin, and he felt hurt inside. Viktor used his Force to heal himself while he spoke. He pretended to be calm and asked, “Made a mistake?” He just wanted to waste time. But the Mage started to say something very interesting.

“Your Force is grey. It’s a special color that some people have. Do you know why?” The Mage asked. Most people’s Force was red. Grey Force was rare, maybe one in fifty people. No one knew why.

“Isn’t it just… different people being different?” Viktor asked.

“*Heh heh.* Yes, that’s what most people think. Because they don’t capture knights and cut them open to study them, do they?” The Mage spoke with a pale face and a strange smile. It made Viktor feel uneasy. *Did he do that himself?* Viktor thought, frowning. The Mage went on, “But ‘we’ are different. Are you interested in the secrets of people with special Force colors?”

“…I’d be lying if I said no,” Viktor said. He was partly curious, partly just trying to stall. *I hope he believes me,* Viktor thought. He focused on healing himself inside. *Just a little more time… just a little more…*

It’s true that Force users heal faster than normal people. But using Force to heal inside your body is hard. Anyone can stop a cut from bleeding. But healing inside, where you can’t see, is much harder. You need to be very skilled with Force and know your own body well. Viktor was one of the few who could do this. He was slowly healing his hurt insides while he talked.

“Having Force that isn’t red means you have a very special talent,” the Mage said. “It changes you when you get Force.”

“……What?” Viktor asked.

“Most of these special Forces are useless. They connect you to spirits that are gone now. But grey Force like yours is different. It’s very valuable.” Geroin’s words made Viktor stop healing. He was listening now.

“……What does this mean?”

“It means he’s talented and could do great things for us. It means even a strong knight can learn *our* magic.”

“What nonsense…….”

A Force user wielding magic?

Weren’t magic knights just something from stories?

Gerohin smiled, as if he understood what Viktor was thinking.

“Our magic makes it possible. You can become stronger than a normal person, without pushing yourself too hard. Doesn’t that sound tempting?”

The mage smiled, creating grey magic at his fingertips.

Even to Viktor, the magic felt similar to his own Force Blade.

“I’ll give you that chance. Join us, and promise to be loyal. We can give you power that will amaze the world.”

“Hmm…….”

“Heh heh heh. Are you pretending to hesitate? You’ve already mostly healed your injuries, haven’t you?”

“!?”

The moment he heard those words, Viktor tried to move.

However…

Ooooong.

Grrrrk.

Chains of grey magic suddenly appeared, grabbing Viktor’s arms and legs.

Suddenly, chains made of cold grey magic shot out from the walls all around Viktor. Like shadowy snakes, they whipped from the wall in front of him, behind him, and on both sides. They wrapped tightly around his arms and legs, pinning him in place.

“Too bad for you, my magic is already complete.”

“Hah!”

Crack.

As Viktor saw Gerohin’s sneer and used all his strength, cracks started to appear all over the chamber walls.

Given time, he could probably break free, but the enemy wouldn’t wait.

“Heh heh. Go ahead and struggle. Mind Breaker.”

Whoosh.

As the grey mist from the mage’s fingertips entered his mind…

…his worst memories came back as if they had just happened.

– Run, run away!

– You must survive!

– Son! Take care of your sister, Lia!

– Aargh!

Soon, he saw the faces of those he missed most.

The memories were so real that he almost forgot it was a trick.

“I, I……. Mom and Dad because of me…….”

Viktor felt like he was a small child again.

He saw his small hands covered in dark red blood.

He felt the despair of that time, when the world seemed to be falling apart.

– If it weren’t for you…….

– If you weren’t such a burden…….

– We could have lived!

The worst memories became even more horrible, overwhelming him and making him feel hopeless.

“Ugh, I, I. My fault…….”

In the darkness, struggling with guilt from the visions and voices, a small light appeared.

A light to save me.

The young Viktor knew this and reached out his wounded hand.

Then, he heard a warm voice.

– Forget the painful memories and be reborn. That is the way to be saved…….

He saw a kind face and heard a gentle voice.

He was sure that following the voice and the light would make everything better.

– My name is Gerohin Einhead. I am your savior. Give me your pain, and live for me in joy.

The young Viktor stopped.

“No, I can’t…….”

Viktor turned away from the light and looked back into the darkness, his face twisted.

– ……Forget the pain. I will save you, so forget the pain and follow me.

The warm voice tempted him again, but the young Viktor didn’t look at the light.

“I, I have to live for Lia, for my sister. That’s the promise…….”

Even as he stared into the darkness, his face was scared and trembling.

Even as tears ran down his face.

“……That’s how I can be forgiven.”

The young Viktor didn’t reach out to the light again.

He remembered the promise he made with his parents, who died for him. He knew the burden he carried, but he didn’t avoid it.

– Forget!

“I can’t.”

– Forget!

“No!”

– Forget!

“I refuse!”

As he turned away from the light, the young Viktor grew stronger.

When Viktor became his current self again, he had his reason back.

“……I said no!”

Crash!

With a loud noise, the darkness disappeared.

“Huh. So you endured it? Now I *really* want you on my side!”

Even though he was shocked, Gerohin didn’t panic.

But only for a moment.

“……I’ll make you regret this, mage! I will destroy you!”

Cough.

Viktor coughed up blood, his face pale. A grey flash came from his hand, cutting the chains.

The light was supposed to be good, but the grey color made it look dark and strange. Still, the mage Gerohin knew it was different.

This was a new power, stronger than his Force Blade.

“You……!?”

Gerohin’s face became hard.

Cough.

“Let’s do this right.”

Viktor was angry, and a dangerous feeling came from him.

Stagger.

Viktor’s body didn’t move easily, even though he wanted it to. He was still weak from breaking the chains.

The grey flash was also getting weaker.

“Heh……, I thought so. Your past will always hold you back, Viktor!”

The mage smiled again.

“Capture him! He’s a new Aura user! Someone who can use Aura magic!”

Gerohin shouted, smiling, and the knights, including Greg and Natman, ran towards Viktor.

Viktor tried to move, even though he could barely stand…

Kwaaaang!

Pabababak.

The wall across from the entrance exploded, and arrows flew from outside.

“Aargh!”

“Kkuaaak!”

“A, arrows!?”

The knights were hit by arrows and screamed.

Soon, a bright orange light filled the room.